have you ever judged someone based on one thing?

looks
first impressions
money (or lack there of)
status
friends they keep


i really honestly try my hardest not to judge people before i've gotten to know them, and sometimes i falter in this attempt but i think most times i'm successful. with that said, it really irritates me when i see other people judge someone and write them off as 'less than' or 'not acceptable enough' based solely on one (sometimes shallow) characteristic.
don't you feel crappy when someone makes a judgement about you without even knowing you? don't you get upset when people sometimes take one look at you and sort of stamp your forehead with a 'damaged goods' print?
So if your answer to these questions is a yes, which i think it most likely is- WHY would you then turn around and treat people with that same kind of disrespect and lack of consideration?

i'm just venting out here because lately i've heard people make immature and cruel judgement calls toward someone based on their looks, or their job or the way they appear.
Find out more before you make your final decision.

Yes you are fully entitled to your own opinion; but don't treat people with the same kind of disrespectful attitude that you yourself would never accept from others.

*sigh* people really disappoint me sometimes yes. lol

FB~ maco-central!

You know what I never understood? Why people add you if they have NO intention of talking to you. They request to be friends, you consider it, then accept it. Weeks pass, no correspondence. Months pass- nothing. Hell a year goes by and you've yet to talk with this person.

BUT WAIT NUH! You be-friended me solely to maco my business!?!
INSTANT delete.


Lol.


Random thought....can you tell i'm a bit bored? Yeh- just a bit. ;)

I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day, and he asked me a pretty random question. I didn't understand it at first but then after thinking it over after he explained it to me, it made a lot of sense.

"So how do you market yourself?".

Sounds random right? I'm not a market produce, or a grocery item, how can you be asking me how I market myself? Think it over though. In life when we meet and interact with people, we market ourselves to them in getting to know them. It's basically asking how you prsent yourself to other people. Should be simpler to understand in those terms.

I thought it over. After I pondered it then I thought about it some more, and then other things occurred to me.

Sometimes in life we meet people who treat us like absolute gems; total respect, complete care and admiration. Other times it's the other end of the coin; we don't understand how some people can treat us so badly. No respect for us, quick to put us last in considering our feelings and what not. It all comes back to this point- how do you market yourself?

If the vibe you're giving off is someting like 'good quality friendship offerered with little reciprocation necessary; easily shelf'ed item'~ then people will treat you accodingly.

When we market ourselves as deserving less than what we truly want; then that is exactly what we will get. If you sell yourself short people will never understand your value because you yourself do not understand your worth. When we introduce ourselves to people as someone to be valued, respected and cherished, then people will realize your worth in their lives and you will be a valuable good rather than a perishable item.

Know your worth. Never sell yourself short. How you appear to others and what you give off is what you get back.

Be the kind of person that is respected and admired, not only valuable for a time and then tossed aside.

Bleh....

That sums it all up. Just BLEH. :/

'Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the only one who gets burned.' ~ Buddha


You know there are times when someone has hurt you or disrespected you in some huge way and you feel as though you will be angry with them forever? You think that you have to get back at them, hurt them as much (if not more) than they hurt you. Who does that benefit?
You?
The person the anger is intended for?

Just you.

Holding onto grudges of past actions, whether you deserved them or not is a total waste of your precious time and energy. I highly doubt your life's purpose is storing pent up negative feelings and planning to hurt someone back.

I'm no saint here. I've had people hurt me and treat me in ways i never thought were okay to treat someone you claim to care about. BUT at the same time I have also made mistakes and hurt people really bad also, so i understand what it means to be on both ends.

Nobody truly means to hurt another person, and if they do they're not thinking straight. Hurting someone is a decision based on emotion that we feed with twisted logic. If we've been wronged, we feel hurt, and angry so we use those emotions as fuel to get back at the person- and we convince ourselves that it makes logical sense to do it. It doesn't.

Aiming to hurt those that have hurt you only still ends up hurting you.

The best thing you can do is to let it all go. Grudges are heavy and bothersome things to carry with us.
When you realise that the best thing for everyone is to let things go and not become the bitter, miserable person who holds grudges and waits for the day when you can pay back, hurt back the people who have wronged you- it'll get better from there.


'The past should be a springboard, not a hammock'~ Ivern Ball. ( Learn from it and jump ahead, don't settle and get comfortable in it- its not a good place to find rest and comfort in.)

If you concentrate on what you don't have and are missing; then you are missing out on appreciating what you do have.

Here's to shunning tunnel vision in life's situations.

Don't think about what could happen and what it can all turn into.

Focus on what's going on now and appreciate it all.

It could be worse, you could have nothing at all.

So no tunnel vision- just look at and be happy for the right now's of your life.

That's something we all have to work on to some extent.

On a break from doing the 'studious' thing today.

That pic is so funny to me because i honestly look like that sometimes; if u subtract half those books and put me on a bed rather than a desk.

Doing one course this semester at school and i am convinced that is the way to do things. You just have the time and the energy to keep up with your readings, be prepared and participate in class and just not feel like the biggest slacker.

If i could've done one course per semester since i started and still somehow left on time with everyone else I'd chose that! LOL. Keep dreaming - i know i know.

I was telling my friend the other night that I feel like the people that used to annoy me in semesters before. You know those people who always seem prepared for the class, read the book on time and some how can always participate in the discussion the lecturer is carrying on? We used to sit back and laugh at those type of people. 'Ugh,that's a rel dork dred!'

Yup. I've become one of those. I'm amused, ashamed and proud all in one. LOL.

I've got a paper due on the 19th and i've already started putting ideas together. dorking out much? Ai yi yi.

But remember: all work and no play makes me a dull girl!

:) Had a good halloween weekend. The type of weekend u've finished days ago and somehow u're still smiling from it. Good times.

Okay, i should go back to the studious thing- one of two things will happen from me going back to read. More work or sleep. hope for the former, expect the latter. LOL

is my bliss.

~one lesson i continue to learn is that in life there are very difficult people that we will all come in contact with. they will test your patience, test your good nature and some people will just piss you off. you're luck if you rarely have to deal with such people. but if you're like me and your interaction with them is pretty frequent- you're going to have to learn ways to just cope with it and save yourself and your sanity.

so i'm learning (over and over) that its just best to IGNORE those people. you hear the words they say, you see the continous offences that upset you, and you just take it all in and shrug it all off in the same action. getting upset over people who don't bother to consider that upsetting you is a hurtful and stupid thing to do makes no sense. so rather than fret up yourself over such insignificant people. breathe in. and let.it.all.go.

smile. and ignore it all.

I'm starting this new piece of my blog called 'irritation dedication'. As it says, I'm putting aside a few minutes of my day to identify and shed some light on the things and peoples that irritate me.Lol.

The first irritation is: People who don't know how to take a hint.

Scenario: A few weeks ago, I started a course at school. Day of first class and i'm waiting on the lecturer to arrive. A random guy comes up to me, taps me on my shoulder and says 'Excuse me can i borrow your book please?'. Ok. So i lend him it and turn back around to the front of the class. He hands it back to me and then says he downloaded it onto his pc but wanted to check to see if it was the same version. WHATEVER pal you've already shared a sentence more than I cared to know. So i smiled and then turned back around (again).
THEN he proceeds to stretch out his hand to me (handshake attempt) and introduces himself 'Hi my name is ______'. Astounded as to why this information was being given to me, I said i would be polite so i said it was nice to meet him and said my name. (ugh! Being polite can be a real bitch sometimes).
He goes back to his seat. After a while i talk to another classmate of mine (who i actually want to talk to) and then proceed to go outside and have a snack before class. *cue music* Random guy comes outside and stands a few feet away from where I am currently having my brownie and orange juice to continue the conversation that he thought was okay to start in the first place. Mentally the phrase 'wtf' is bouncing around in my head, but facial expressions are normal. He then proceeds to ask me, what i'm studying, where i live, how i get to and from school and a mess load of other totally inappropriate questions for someone who is a stranger! I oblige to answer at least the first two and then by the third i am so irriated that i want to launch the brownie i'm now chewing at him. I rush down my snack (which i hate to do btw because all of you that really know me know i am the world's slowest eater) and go back into class.
A while later weirdo guy pokes me and asks me if i have a pen that he can borrow and he will give it back to me after. By now i've already realised that this madman is attempting to form some sort of bond with me so that he has an excuse to talk to me further. I lend him a pen, and say that he can keep it. (Real meaning-please do not ever ask me anything or talk to me again ever). He says its ok he will give me it back, I am thinking 'get the picture son!'. He gets nothing.
My point here is that a common sense endowed person would already realize by the hesitancy to answer questions asked, the outward distancing of one's self from the other person AND the weird laughing at jokes i don't care to hear all mean 'DON'T EVEY TRY IT. I AM NOT INTERESTED'. Apparently he's from the nation where people don't know how to take a hint. Future events would show you that's he's practically the president of the 'i can't take a clue' nation.
The other week of class I am rushing into a tutorial for said class when weirdo is standing up outside. Mind you, we already know where and when our tutorial is, so asking that to someone in the class is really retarded behaviour. LOW AND BEHOLD as I am bolting toward the door (where we all know where we're to go!) he asks 'um we have tutorial in here today?'. *irritated face goes along with mental 'wtf' bouncing around like mad*. I'm already rushing to class, it was a hot day so i was not in the mood for anyone's stupidity, i looked at him and said 'UHM it's in that room where it always is' and walk into the door. When someone starts to come across to you as being a bit rude (and to put it plainly bitchy) in talking to you- the hint is being launched at you to leave them alone. Home fry won't get it yet.
Today for class, there are three people in the room and about ten chairs empty. I am already sitting down, comfortable and waiting to learn, or to be distracted by something. In walks mr oblivious (and stupid) and takes the seat RIGHT NEXT TO ME. There are ten other seats empty, at various parts of the room. but NO. He choses the seat that is right next to the girl that has been anti social (a bit mean) and does not start conversation with him EVER. BRILLIANT Einstein! Nobel Peace Prize in utter stupidity here! If the bitch in me had prevailed I would have gotten up and moved to another of the many emtpy seats, but I thought 'No. I am not moving.' I'm bbm-ing my friend to tell him that i cannot believe this weirdo guy continues to try to talk to me when he doesn't have a chance in deep neverending hell. Weirdo man pulls out his phone and is just sitting ther with it while watching in my direction (peripheral vision is a good thing). By this time i am dumb founded as to what is going on in his mind (if anything at all).
There's nothing more confusing to me than people who don't know how to take a hint. Worse than that are people who down right refuse to take said hints. It's sad, it's pathetic at times really. Do you need a book to help you? 'Hints for weird dumbies?'. It's not that hard, the signs are everywhere. Do yourselves a favor- take a hint.

Irritation dedication finished!

I decided to do one of those questionairre thingies about myself...
(I do have work to do yes I know and promise to get back to it soon...or later..lol)


I AM....finally doing things in my life the way I want and putting ME first.

I WANT.... to be happy all the time. Idealistic maybe but say what.

I HAVE.... changed

I KEEP..... faith that the good people will always prevail and the stupids and meanies will not prosper.
Heh.

I WISH I COULD....drive (legally that is)

I HATE..... that it's asking me what i 'hate'. That's a strong word. I dislike many things but i refuse to give all those elements the time of day by listing them here.

I FEAR.... that I am misunderstood a lot. oh! and failure.

I HEAR.... that good things come to those who wait...

I DON'T THINK.... that I'm as bad a person that most people will lead you to try to believe.

I REGRET.... nothing. everything (good bad and in between) happens for a reason, whether I understand it or not.

I LOVE....my family.

I AM NOT.... the same girl I was before.

I DANCE... like a 'bad ting' and if I tried to tell you otherwise my peoples would strongly disagree. :P

I SING.... when nobody's in the car and in the shower (who doesn't right?). I'm on Britney's level of lip synching however... :D

I NEVER..... understood math. Figures confuse me.

I RARELY..... cry. I 'balls-ed' up. However when I do cry it's water works central...You've been warned.

I CRY WHEN I WATCH..... Sappy, corny, *sigh* inducing romance movies..

I AM NOT ALWAYS......nice. I'm told that I'm in cranky mode most times.

I HATE THAT.....guys can get away scotch free with some things but girls get chastised for...tsk tsk....

I'M CONFUSED ABOUT..... nothing atm, which is pretty damn good.

I NEED.... to do me. (no you perv! that's not what i mean!)

I SHOULD.... have watched Gossip Girl instead of stupid tennis last monday.....ugh. Nadal over Nate Archibald is not a good choice. ;)

I THINK.... lots of things.

:D

That smile can only mean one thing people! It's friday! Ah! It's amazing how one day of the week arriving can make you grin and giggle. It's the possibilities of the weekend ahead! What are we doing?
Anybody have limes planned- beach? mall? movies? enjoy it!
Who's looking forward to the date with the cute guy or pretty girl? Oh la la!
And even if you're just spending quality time at home with your family doing nothing, that's always enjoyable as well.
Whatever you've got planned I hope you all enjoy the weekend!

So let's take in the good vibes on this Friday- say it with me- THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY! :D
Don't let anyone spoil your day, try to mess up your weekend or stain your good vibes with their negativity.

So ready up yourself people- the day gets better because after friday comes the weekend!!

have a good one guys and girls!

There's this expression that goes 'Fool me once- shame on you. Fool me twice- shame on me' (I think there may be more to it but I forget at the moment.lol.)
When someone is fooled and subsequently made a fool of more than two times, who do we blame then? The person that's doing the fooling or the one that's been fooled yet again? I say both of em!

This piece is about something that happens time and time again- people who go back into, and essentially never fully leave pointless relationships. Girls- it's applicable if you've ever known a friend or been the girl who refuses to leave the guy who hurts you over and over. Guys (because I'm not leaving you out in this one!) it falls in your garden if you find yourself always going back to the one girl that will just not stop making you look like a total idiot.
Simple question: why do we do it?

I know a friend, more than one girlfriend who just are stuck in a dead end relationship. I say dead end because it's been in the same position it was in when it started-nowhere. I say stuck meaning she can't leave, but I really mean she can't leave because she won't leave. The guy embarrasses her, hurts her, cheats on her, lies to her, forgets important days and dates and a list of other negatives. Still she sticks with him.

Boys- it's the girlfriend who you just will not quit. She cheats on you, lies to you, ignores you, flirts with your boys (for the rare cases of bad ting-ery; she's actually gotten with some of your boys). All this screams for you to get as far away as possible from that relationship yet you're stuck in park.

*insert confused face here*

To the fooler and the fooled- shame on you both!
Grow a pair and realise that this relationship is isn't working and walk away.
Should you hurt someone you love over and over? -no
Is it cool to be with someone who makes an idiot of you constantly?-no
That ain't love people. It's something much much worse. A neat little phrase called 'wasting your time'.

People have said it hurts them to walk away from a relationship they've been in for so long. Okay. Think about this- If being with them only ends in your hurt, confused, frustated and embarrassed every day; would being without all that negativity really be that bad? How much more can it hurt you if you eliminate the source of all that hurt essentially? Thought so.

Fool you once- shame on them.
Fool you twice- shame on you.
Fool you more than that- you're both total idiots.

FLASHBACK.

Remember a few weeks ago? Wait. Was it a few weeks alone? Couldn't be, feels much longer. Months even. Whatever. I remember when it was.
Remember when I said I truly thought I was making a good decision for us both? I'll take that 'you were right' whenever you're ready.

Sometimes when you're so buried in the crap it's hard to see anything past it. But if you really make up your mind, and focus on getting past it all- you can get out of all the mess. So said so done. Now I did us both a favor, we're both out of the mess (for lack of a better or more appropraite term) and life is better. Isn't it?

No arguing.
No insecurities floating around but never really leaving.
No falling out over complete crap or nothing at all.
No more secrets.
No need to cover up any part of anything.
No more hurt, frustration, confusion, regret, sadness, anger or anything of that sort.
No more of ANY of that.

Yeh it's better for everyone now.
What seemed selfish a while back seems caring now.

Whatever helps you cope works for you I guess. But sometimes when you're convincing yourself of the truth of a certain matter, you should be careful not to create lies. Whatever you're not sure about is just better left UNSAID.

My conscience is clean, clear as glass. I know, like I knew then that I was making a decision that was best for myself firstly and then for everyone else involved. And from what I see in my life and around me I wish I had a 'i told you so' stamp for your forehead. Lol.

Life is better now that 'all the smoke has cleared'.
That's all there is to it really . :)

This one is about something current, something that's always happening.
-BREAK UPS

Is it just me or have you noticed how very messy break ups get sometimes? I mean, it's as though you start off with the best of intentions for you (both) and somehow its derailed to somewhere messy, complicated and unnecessary. With me, I like to get a clean break when breaking up, but sometimes it ends up the opposite- tangled and messy.

I've noticed in the few relationships I've had also that it ends almost like a mini divorce, with custody battles over certain items accumulated or shared in the relationship. These tend to be friends or places visited while you were together. It's like the ex boyfriend gets the friends on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays and you get them the other days. Or it can be that the friends decided that you're too unfit to befriend them still after the break up, or that your value has diminished post break up so they opt to spend all their time with the ex. Just like that you've lost people who you once shared a life with, a friendship with. Just like that-it's over. With places you go to habitually in a relationship, when you break up those places are sketchy to go to alone (or worse yet with someone else!). It's like you used to go to the movies every Saturday at 8 and then for ice cream, post break up what if you did that and ran into said ex? AWKWARD! Did you come on the wrong day? Were u supposed to be there that day at all?!?? Confusing, confusing.

Break ups should be simpler. There should be a form you fill out that says, like a divorce that it can't work out because of this, that and this. Where's the check box for ending a relationship that says 'irreconcilable differences'?

Also, why is it that if you think you're breaking up for the right reasons for you and the other person-somehow you end up either feeling like or questioning if you really are doing it for the right reasons? How come you do something best for yourself and it makes you look selfish? That's pretty lame.
How does that saying go? 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'. You can have the best and most genuine of intentions but somehow it ends you up looking like the devil. Again-lame.

When there's a break up, its TEXTBOOK that after it all settles one person looks like the bad one and one looks like the damaged one. WHY IS THAT? If it ended it obviously damaged the both people involved! I just think it's pretty stupid (and I am throwing this at all who do it, including me at the points that I am guilty of it) that one party is labelled as the douche and the other as the victim. If a relationship ends it affects BOTH people, granted to differing levels and impacts- but it does impact them both.

I'm still young in the relationship game, but I think and hope that relationships get easier to end sometimes, that it's less messy when all you want is a clean break.


Here's hoping.

Yay. - That's my vote.

Okay folks, this piece is a bit on the heavy side. I realize I usually don't delve into discussing topics of this nature but this one has been on my mind for some time. People are affected by what goes on around them, and recently in my neck of the woods- the recently elected government has decided that they would like to start the Capital Punishment wheel back in motion. I became interested, because this is something serious, and so I tried to determine where I stand on the whole thing. I thought it all over, researched both sides of the argument over the death penalty and came to to the conclusion that if you do the crime, it's really only logical that you do the time. Also I realize that my society, and country on a whole has little to no respect (and fear) for the law and justice system. I mean to say that criminals and delinquents think that they can do whatever they want and get away with it. I personally think that is ridiculous, and I say this because to date the murder rate is a few lives lost over three hundred. Yup, three hundred people have either been murdered over jealousy, love lost, drug deals gone sour or gang violence (you get the point I'm trying to make). I fear that pretty soon if someone watches another person in so much as the slightest way that can be taken wrong- they will lose their life over it. So back to my point at hand- I'm on the capital punishment band wagon. Let's jump right into this one shall we?

You know I like to give you examples of things in the hope that you better understand where I'm coming from. So let's introduce a little scenario. As little kids, Joe and Peter crossed paths all the time. Peter however, had a cool toy that Joe always wanted for himself. One day Joe strikes Peter to the face, throws him to the floor and runs away with the toy. Now while others may have seen this wrongful act go down, nobody reprimands Joe for his action. Thus he learns nothing. Not respect for other people, and for their things nor that what he did was wrong. Joe grows up thinking it is okay to physically hurt people and take what does not belong to him- why? He was not punished so therefore he believes that there are no consequences for his actions.

Fast forward to about ten or fifteen years later. Joe is still hurting people and stealing what does not belong to him. Everything in life, even though it is not his is up for grabs to him. Little Joe has grown up to be a full fledged criminal.

Lesson learned? Some times we need a little slap on the wrist to learn that what we have done is wrong, something that is not okay and should be punished. What I'm trying to say is that capital punishment is like that slap on the wrist, only much more severe and even cruel. Necessary though. People who inflict pain, steal from and even murder other humans deserve to be punished. Enter- capital punishment.

I don't like when people are talking to me about something that I don't quite understand. So let me give you some quick insight as to what we're dealing with. Capital Punishment is also known as the death penalty; and its the execution of a person by judicial process. People who commit crimes that end in capital punishment are capital offenders, the crimes are capital offenses. People are sentenced to death and await the chosen method of punishment.

Okay now that you're up to speed let me continue with what I'm trying to say. I may be a bit rusty on my capital punishment history, but I only remember hearing about one criminal who was executed for drug dealing in my country. That was years ago, like a long while back. One serious case of punishment for crimes that are committed like breathing air in this country. That means that the other men and women who committed crimes and were sentenced to death row are STILL there. It's become some sort of hotel, where you did the crime but you're allowed to relax in a somewhat uncomfortable location where the food is crummy, the furniture is shabby and you aren't really allowed guests that often. Where is the reprimand in that? Somewhere along the line, the government got a bit slack or delinquent with an important part of justice. That being said, I believe that if these criminals are just biding day by day having committed a heinous or horrible crime, they learn NOTHING. They learn that you can do something terribly wrong, break a law, break a commandment even- and get away with it almost scotch free. You are sentenced to die, but you get to live, just not as a free man. It's a process really, this then says to other criminals or criminals in training that the law really is not the boss, and that you can literally get away with murder. There are no consequences for your actions so go right ahead and act.

NO. I for one do not agree with that.

I was raised to understand that every action has a consequence, and that it is not right to do wrong to other people. If you do something bad, you are to be punished. That rule should apply to everybody.

Capital Punishment is a tricky and controversial topic,and there are equal numbers both for and against it. Did you know that fifty- eight nations actively practice it; while ninety-five others have abolished it, calling it inhumane and wrong. Basically over 60% of the world's population live in areas of the world that executions take place, in some of the most prominent nations like the United States, India and China. The law and justice work together to eliminate the bad in the society; and to show that those who commit wrong doings will be and are punished. Capital punishment is a well oiled machine in those countries, while in our little island get away its more of a noisy, old, slow, out dated machine.

My research on this topic was definitely interesting, at the start of this I thought all someone had to do was murder another person and they'd end up on death row. Not the case. Many other crimes end in capital punishment such as treason, espionage (spying), kidnapping, blasphemy/magic, also some forms of corruption are also punishable by death.

~ Do you even know how many of those crimes are committed in my country on a daily, even sometimes hourly basis? People get away with these things as easily as they commit them. Nobody learns anything and all this time other people are losing their lives.

Granted, while I was reading up on this topic I also did come across some disturbing information. Capital Punishment can take many forms and has evolved from the olden days to now. Long ago criminals on death row were executed in numerous horrid ways such as hanging, crucifixion, stoning, burning, decapitation, guillotine, boiling to death and crushing (which in some countries was used with the help of an elephant). Harsh huh? I agree.

There is humane execution though- if you can imagine it. Arguments were made that criminals were punished in such brutal and inhumane manners that something should be done to lessen the brunt of the blow. So methods such as hanging in a different way, lethal injection and the gas chamber surfaced. You can put a wolf in a sheep's clothing and it will still be a wolf. It is what it is, crime is still crime and punishment is still punishment.

One (of the many) issues I have with capital punishment is the fact that the people who argue against it even lay the claim for less harsh punishment. Are you serious?! You are pleading on behalf of a man/woman who killed someone, conspired against the government or kidnapped another person and asking that they be given some sort of break? Uhm- no. Look at them with some compassion you say? Okay let me ask you this- where was this same compassion you're asking of me in the criminal when they murdered someone? Or kidnapped and then murdered someone? I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way in my mind. Bad actions deserve punishment. No argument or pleas necessary. My mind is made up.

I think that if you believe you have the right to take someone's life, no matter how severe the method- you have waved your right to your own life. You commit a crime and you surrender your right and freedom as easily as you have taken that victim's right or freedom to live their life. It is as simple as that.

Yes some people argue that capital punishment is murder in another form, the justice system takes the life of the criminals. I will acknowledge that point. BUT I do not hold it in any way valuable. Religion teaches me that murder is a sin, a BIG one, so much so that it breaks a commandment! I also believe that whatever we do is going to be judged by the Big Guy and a sin is pretty hard to explain yourself out of. You can ask for forgiveness or pardon for what you have done, but ultimately if you want to do something of that caliber then you simply have to face the music.

The death penalty may even just help the crime situation in some countries. Lord knows it would be a welcome help in my country. People, criminals need to see that you cannot go around taking people's lives and stealing what does not belong to you and simply get away with it. And I have to comment and say that the criminals in this part of the world are on some other stuff, they're evolving into something scary and not human. Some of the crimes that are being committed are disgusting and very frightening. People are being murdered, dismembered and be-headed! It sounds scary and it may make you uncomfortable my friends but that is the world, specifically the country we live in. One where at any given moment, someone may just decide that its your turn to go. As a law abiding citizen, and as a fearful citizen, I want to know what is going to happen to the people who committed the heinous and horrible crime I just mentioned. Will they be caught? Do they get to go free? What is the extent of the slap on the wrist, if any, that they get?

The biggest argument against Capital Punishment/Death Penalty is that of Human Rights. This makes me laugh a bit if I think about it. Lawyers who even subdue or eliminate their consciences long enough to represent criminals state that the death penalty is a violation of human rights. OKAY. Let's just scratch the surface of that argument just for a moment. Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

HOW is this even an argument for letting a criminal go free and un-punished for their actions? I may be wrong here but this seems like the world's biggest double standard. You mean to tell me that I should allow someone who brutally murders another person in an act so horrible it seems devout of LOGIC and CONSCIENCE to simply have the right to be free?! NO. NO. NO. NO! It is simple- if you do something to another person that cannot be explained by logic, is totally lacking conscience and is completely out of the spirit of brotherhood; if you take away the right they're born with of freedom to live- then you do not deserve that same right and should have it taken away from you.

Murder is not logical, it cannot be committed in the spirit of brotherhood. Crime on the whole cannot be something logically explained; to do something wrong or bad to another person is against the law of country and of life. It should not go without reprimand.

What I am trying to say here is that yes, the death penalty/capital punishment may be inhumane and cruel but so is the initial act of crime that often precedes it! Capital punishment is just one part of the justice systems of the world. It isn't fair but life isn't fair when innocent people lose their lives over stupid, trivial and illogical things. If we have no justice, if people don't learn that actions have consequences then we have complete and total anarchy, a world where your life could be over at any minute at the hands of a man/woman who never got a slap on the wrist for the wrong they've done and has learnt no lessons.

Who wants to live in that world?

Certainly not me.

*Please remember that opinions in life are for everybody to have. Mine, while you may not agree with it is still my own. I always try to appreciate and acknowledge the opinions of others and I just wish that you all do the same where mine is concerned.*

I feel.....a little lost.

I strayed from the direction I've been going for quite some time; and at first it was subtle and I didn't notice it, but now it's clear that when I look around- I've no idea where I am and how I got here.

Little things that used to calm my soul and ease my mind aren't constant anymore, and there is void where they used to be.

The content I felt on a normal basis is now replaced by a nagging anxiety that without the comfort of the 'same old' routine, life is open to all sorts of threatening, unfortunate events that I try so hard to shut out.

So hopefully soon I'll be able to get back to what I've known, what I've grown accustomed to.

Here's to getting back on the trail that somehow I've stayed off of.

:)

I haven't blogged in a a few weeks, but it feels like much longer to me. I miss it. I keep going through life day by day and waiting for ideas and thoughts to provoke the writing- but nothing comes. Life is progressing but the writing is stagnant. Ironic huh? I was discussing with a good friend of mine a while back that for those that love to write, when life is going well for us, and we are happy with things that's when the writing engine stutters and almost shuts down. Happiness and contentment don't prove good impetuses for writing! The confusion, the heart ache the worries and woes and the utter destruction of some parts of life just fuel the fire for brilliant and beautiful writing. I think so at least. So for the while, life is happening happily and the writing has seemed to cease. That's a good thing though.

So in the midst of being devout of 'umph' to push the writing out of me, I just looked at what's happening and happened around me. It's nothing ground breaking but hey- at least it's something to write about!

Politics is a nasty game, and it gets the best of men most times. Maybe for a country to thrive and succeed there needs to be more respect and tact, and even grace mixed in. Let's hope that happens in our neck of the woods- because we have our first female Prime Minister. It's historical really, and I'm really quite proud to have been a part of the process that brought about this piece of history. It's just my opinion, but I think since Kamla started things have already gotten better, it's as though she's actually took a significantly large step forward in the right direction. And she's taking us there too. I mean already in the first few weeks after being elected PM she's shifting things up, and making strides toward effecting change. Did I say that I'm impressed? Well I am. I think it's a quaint but efficient 'shut up' to all the nay sayers and people who thought that by voting for her, and by extension the People's Partnership Party that we'd be doing more harm than good. I think that so far, the grass looks greener on this side. :)

WORLD CUP is on people!!! You know what that means right? One of, if not the ONLY arena where the world's fittest and most gorgeous men are on display for their good looks! Oops! I meant their sporting abilities!! Football is a BEAUTIFUL sport people; and by that I mean the eye candy cup runneth over!

Okay, but seriously, this paper doll is not much of a huge sports fan, but if there was one sport that I do take interest in and like, its this one. It's so exciting! This World Cup is off to a slow but somewhat entertaining start though and I have to say- the countries have sent out their best! I may be naive in my predictions or preference for winners, but I'm backing the GERMANS.

I mean if their first match against Australia was any indication to the potential of greatness they've yet to display then I am totally on board this ship! FOUR goals to none from the other side! The commentators hail the German team as a 'well oiled machine' ; they move effortlessly from position to position and the goal scoring is just brilliant. PLUS! Ladies- they're hot!. LOL. With the main attraction Ballack on bench warming duty, the team still shone and dominated the game. I'm excited to see the rest of their matches, it will be excitement guaranteed!

Granted there are matches yet to be played, my early favorites beside Germany are England (another side of utterly talented and handsome men!), Portugal, Spain, Ghana (I think they are one to watch) and Ivory Coast (I mean they're packing heat with Drogba on the line up). This doll anticipates much fun to come with the world cup!

Oh! On another related note, can I please just say how extremely annoying and useless I find those stupid horn things that the crowds feel necessary to blow on throughout games?! I think its called a 'Vuvuzela' or something so but I think it's pointless. For me, the spirit and the life of the game is hearing a crowd of thousands of people screaming and cheering for their favorite team, erupting in either a roar of applause for a goal scored or a resounding disappointing hum when one is missed. When did we think it was okay to trade in good old traditional applause and voices for this noise? It sounds like there are millions of bees in the stands rather than devoted, hard core and eager football fans supporting their respected nations. I heard there are talks to ban it and I strongly concur, throw em out!

What if? It's a rather popular contemplation and people EVERYWHERE wonder 'what if' about almost everything. In politics they wonder 'what if we voted against what we've always known?'. In sport fans contemplate 'what if my country doesn't make it out on top?', or 'what if the under dogs end up reigning supreme this time around?'. In life we wonder 'what ifs' multiple times, we ponder what would have happened if we took different roads in life and made different choices. To those of you that read my humble views, I admit that I too have 'what if' moments, about lots of things in my life. I 'what if' myself about my past and question choices that I've made and directions I have taken my life toward. The 'what if's of yesterday are significant to us all, but this doll believes that constant preoccupation with what happened and could have happened before keeps us in the past, never moving toward the future. Instead of pondering the past plausible possibilities, I say we think 'what if i focus on today and tomorrow?'. Try to make all the right choices for yourself (and others) today, so that we will enjoy the days ahead. So what we have less 'what if's' clouding up our minds. I think once those are eliminated life is clearer and more room for any and everything we want to accomplish and achieve exists.

So to my occasional and regular readers, till the next time life throws me some 'umphs' to blog about.... Enjoy today, because tomorrow is not something guaranteed to us.

So it's done. With a dip of my recently manicured nail I voted! Now I'm waiting for the results and the ever expected aftermath. Post-election piece to come most likely.

Yeay! I feel all important and what not, stained my finger, partook in history and all this jazz.

...Now I'm no longer a voting virgin...;)

When I was a little girl, I remember reading stories and seeing movies of a man and woman in love. I imagined it to be so effortless, endless and an unconditionally happy experience to go through; and I couldn't wait to get older to go through that. Naivety is such a comical trait that we possess. Little did I know that the 'perfect' picture of a true love that falls into your lap, and lasts forever doesn't exist for most of us. I think that the first thing we need to understand that the idea of perfect love is just that, an idea, not something realistic.

Love is many things to many different people, it's rarely ever the same for everyone. Some people, well at least most people I know, like to have a defined and established definition of what love is. This idea comes from the Good Book, the Bible, in Chapter 13 of first Corinthians. It goes like this:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects. Always trusts. Always hopes. Always perseveres. Love never fails."

If love is what is written here, then to be honest I've never truly loved completely. I have been loved and have loved very few times in my life and each time was different. Not once though has the love comprised or resembled what's written above. Don't get me wrong, I believe in a love like what's written, I hope to one day find that kind of love, because only then will the fantasies and ideas I once held as a little girl come true, because a love like that will be amazing to experience. But for right now, because time and life has made my heart a bit rough around the edges, I think that the ideals expressed in that Book are just that, IDEALS. Realistically as I said before, love is something relative, it means and is different things to different people. It means one thing to you, and it means other things to me.

Love is made up of various things; to some its emotional, physical, material and so on. Some loves are purely based on one of those elements, others contain even bits of one or the other. Life is taught me some lessons on love, it has removed the rose colored lenses that I had on and showed me to view things in a more realistic and practical lens.

The first thing I think I've learned about love is that it should never be painful, nor should it hurt us to be loved and to love another person. Love, to me, is one of the strongest positive experiences we go through and it should never result in negative emotions/feelings.

I also believe that love can change us, but it should be a good, positive change. Love should never change us to a point where we become unrecognizable to others, and most importantly to ourselves. It's like this; you can love someone and want positive changes for them but if they have to change so much to the extent that they become another person altogether; then that's not loving them , it's loving someone else. It's also not you loving them for them. So we can be altered by love, but never should we be disguised by it; meaning simply that who we truly are shouldn't be hidden.

Life has taught me some tricky, confusing and painful lessons in love. One of the hardest and most confusing lessons is that sometimes you can love somebody so much, but you have to let them go. Loving someone sometimes mean that you love that person so much to acknowledge that it's best for you both if you let go and walk away, because as I said earlier you should realize that love shouldn't hurt us. So while you can love them with all your heart, if it breaks your heart by being with them, I learned that if you love them the best thing you can do is to let them go, save that person and yourself- the hurt.

Most times people think that 'true love' means endless, life long love between two people. I've come to realize that when you love, if you're truly blessed and it is meant to be, it's eternal, while other times it's a seasonal/periodical experience. Love and relationships aren't like the movies guys and girls; rarely do we fall in love and it lasts till we die. Relationships end, love is often one sided and unrequited, and sometimes it ends sooner than we'd like it to. My parents are divorced, so I learned that not all loves are for a lifetime, but just because they end doesn't make them any less valuable in our lives. Each time we love is important, good things come out of it to make life better, and bad things come out of it to show us that life isn't a bed of roses but we learn and we press on. It helps me to remember that when I love someone, even if it doesn't work out, they were placed in my life for a reason that whether I understand it now or later is important to me.

With love, sometimes it's necessary for people to have to make compromises, to 'meet in the middle' so to speak. I believe however that while love is about compromising parts of ourselves, it should never be about compromising all of ourselves, or who we are. That is to say that if you have to compromise the majority or all of who you are as a person, it's not compromise anymore, that's extremism- and that's not right.

In love, sometimes unfortunate and hurtful things happen to those involved; and then comes the phrase of 'forgive and forget'. This is always easier said than done, and although you decide to forgive the one you love of hurting you or a mistake in the past; you almost never successfully forget what they did. To me loving somebody means that if they've hurt you, as unfortunate as that is, you forgive them and it, and you you forget it. Because by not forgetting, by not letting it go, you then hurt the both of you; I think it's impossible to move happily and comfortably into the future if you carry aspects of the pasts that are hurtful. If you really love someone, you forgive them, and you also truly forget.

For me, when in love with someone, we should be able to love ourselves, to be truly happy and comfortable with the individuals that we are. Loving somebody shouldn't result in you loving yourself as an individual any less.

Another critical thing I have learned about love is that while love can infuse us, it should never consume us. When all that you are is wrapped up and contorted into loving someone it tends to get dangerous. If all you have and are is loving that person, and everything in your life is consumed by this love, then God forbid should it end, then you'll have nothing. I believe love should enrich your life, but it should never engulf your life. Okay one more, love should be a significant part of your love, but not your entire life.

As corny as this is going to sound, love is 'you', 'me' coming together equally to bring about 'we'. Being in love shouldn't be the elimination of 'you' or 'me', the 'we' shouldn't take over those two elements. Basically I think that when you love someone, the two of you as individuals shouldn't get lost or be less important than the two of you as a couple.

Love is a tricky thing. At the same time, it's the one thing that we all pretty much want to experience, and it's something we all should experience before we die. Love to me has been and should be something emotional, physical, practical/logical and spiritual. I think it should be all those things neatly and aptly combined to result in something that makes me, and the person I love happy ultimately.

Wanting is the disease I was afflicted with

Giving up is the cure that will heal me and kill me all at once

You can’t expect to sleep with the devil and not get burnt a little

And for some time my comfort was in hell

With You

Now I am scorched, and being burnt never felt so good.

Going to the dark side was the temptation

It was delicious torture and I loved every minute of it.

Never could something be so bad for someone and so good at the same time.

So I revelled in it

I let myself lay comfortably with you in this darkness

Shut the light out;

The light which is laced with truth

In the hell I go to with you the lies we tell ourselves to feel better become the only truths.

Now that I’ve left the hell the burns still sting me

The scars are all over me; the burns remind all of me what you once were to me

Burnt are my eyes;

Cause I still see your face

Charred is my skin

Cause I still feel your touch

Scalded are my lips

Cause I remember your kiss

Blistered are my ears

Because your voice permeates around me

Scorched is my heart;

It beats and burns….each beat says your name…each beat burns more and more

All that’s left now is residue.

Remainders of what once was; our hell

We walk around burnt, scarred from what we wanted but didn’t need

You can’t see the scars but we feel them,

Every time we look at one another.

Somehow forgetting hurts more than remembering;

Walking away from the fire that engulfs our hell, we stop.

*this one is from a good while back. Found it while combing through all the stuff I did and am currently doing.*