CULTURE IS TIMELESS

A few months ago, my computer ultimately crashed and was officially done for. This, in addition to my sudden lack of interest in blogging and lack of things to write about caused me to stop writing. Sure, it's an outlet and I actually do really enjoy it, but I feel like I'm writing for no purpose. The only person who actually read my blogs and conversed with me about my topics was my music teacher, and he along with everyone else has probably forgotten that I ever used to do this.

Anyway, I've gotten a new computer and there is a chance that I may begin doing this again, if I can find the inspiration.

I'm back! (Hopefully)

I haven't been inspired to write lately because I've been so caught up with life. Not really though, I'm just saying that to sound important. However, something I notice increasingly often around me is how racist people are. It's pretty gross.

A common situation I find myself in is one where someone is about to tell me a racist joke and I decline that offer as soon as I realize it's racist. In defense of their racism, the person normally says "Stereotypes exist for a reason.", which I can argue against easily.

Obviously the root of racism is stereotyping. I don't have solid research on this but common sense says that most people wouldn't be racist if their parents hadn't etched stereotypical ideas into their minds. Stereotyping is wrong because you simply can't blame an entire group of people for the actions of one person. You also cannot associate a certain act or crime with one group of people. People of every single race have commited each crime... none of this is unique to one certain race.

One thing I can't stand is when people use race adjectively, for example "Look at that ____ guy over there!" When I call people out on that they normally try to say that they only said that because they were trying to describe the person so that I would know which one to look at. Couldn't you have described them by their shirt color, a distinctive hat, or shoes? In most situations it is ignorant to describe someone by their race because you could be wrong. For example you could describe someone as Mexican when they're really Peurto Rican.

The reason I finally exploded and blogged about racism is because I truly do not see why people have such an issue accepting people who aren't of their own race. I also wanted to exert all of this anger somewhere since people don't seem to grasp this concept when I talk to them face to face. Is it really that bad that I have to put it in writing?

(Click to enlarge)

Recently I got addicted to this one webcomic called Questionable Content because of its infinite obscure indie references and cute characters. (oh please tell me I did not just call fictional characters cute) After reading every 1,300+ comic in the archive I feel so empty that I actually have to wait for a new one to come out daily. So today I went through the "other cool comics" recommended by Jeph Jacques (author of Questionable Content) and I came across a much less lighthearted one... A Softer World. Some of them are really funny and simple but the one above has a lot of meaning to me.

It made me think about how pathetic it is that it's now considered "cool" to hate your parents or disrespect them. There are things that my mother did that I truly hate, but recent events have made me realize that hate is a very strong word. I can hate how she acts, things she does, but I can't sincerely hate her.

Basically all I wanted to do was blog about something semi-meaningful since I've been lacking good posts, and I wanted to put out there that there are so many great webcomics that should be read. This is a short one because there are so many things that I could say regarding parental hate, but I'd rather have people figure out for themselves...

http://www.questionablecontent.net
http://www.asofterworld.com

As much as I hate the idea of having a post explaining what I've been up to lately, I feel obliged to inform you why I've been on a blogging hiatus. If you really don't care to hear my reasoning for my absence, then I'll let you know now that I should soon be back. Here's the backstory though, just in case you're wondering.

Recently, I went through this academic epiphany. I concluded that it would be best for me if I finished high school on time with passing grades. I want to get a job sometime this year, hopefully around when the next school year begins (the sooner the better though, money is a nice thing to have) and if it's hard for people with master's degrees to get jobs, then it would probably be beneficial and drastically increase my chances of actually being hired if I had a better GPA and attendance record. I figure if I've come this far I might as well finish what I started instead of dropping out. Some people have told me that I'm way too smart to even fail one class, which motivates me to try harder. That's precisely what I've been doing. I could be doing even better, but I'm trying to enjoy the last quarter of semi-slacking off while I can before I actually have to put a lot of effort into it. Another reason why I haven't been posting is because I had a terrible case of the worst thing someone like me could imagine -- writer's block! I was actually reading so many books, magazines, webcomics - you name it - which threw me off on my own writing. I'm still sort of recovering from this, which is why this post is really egocentric and boring, but it's slowly convalescing. I just had to write something here because things just felt so... empty.

However, there's very good news. Today's the start of spring break, and in just an hour I've successfully written the bulk of two songs that I'm fairly happy with! You see, writer's block for me doesn't just limit to my blogging/personal writing... it also applies to my songwriting and lyricism. I've spent the past month or so forcing myself to write songs that I would get so frustrated with because they weren't what I was trying to write. Today these two songs came with a lot of ease, and I'm really excited to see how much they'll improve and how they'll sound when they're finished. I'm also pretty happy that my drumming and guitar skills are progressing.

Basically, I've been working on a few creative personal projects with things I like to do. I revamped my room, found new clothing stores that I like, reconnected with a few old friends, started reading a hilarious webcomic, and got creative with little things such as how I make my tea. At the beginning of writing this entry I was angry with myself for posting about my life and how I've been because I normally blog about my opinion on things unrelated to me. However, I don't really plan on writing stuff like this much and I think that when I do it will be a bit of a break for anyone who reads this since it's a little more personal and lighthearted, not so cynical and angry. However, I need to bring this to a close. I'm going shopping for new shoes.

A short yet informative post:

It has recently come to my attention that all of you lovely people are unable to comment on these posts. I'm not sure why not, but I did a lot to try to fix it and failed. So, I figured since my comment feature doesn't function correctly, and my e-mail inbox is always empty, and feedback you may have can be e-mailed to me at stoll.sara@yahoo.com.

Judgement sucks. Especially when you're young, cos you're inevitably going to be judged by those older than you. A two year old is going to be expected to cry and whine invariably. This is considered to be human nature, but things are subject to change as you get older. At around age ten, it's conventional for one to begin developing their personality and character, and that's when true judgement starts to occur.

If you were to place three adolescents in a room together with one [judgemental] person at least ten years their senior, they would probably all be looked upon in a similar way. For example, if we had a slacker (not just in school but in life as well), a mediocre student with decent skills in a hobby of their choice, and another youngster with the capability of meritorious academic success but a lack of motivation, they would probably all be treated the same way by the adult. Clearly, that's acceptable and aimed for; equality is a necessary moral that I strongly stand for, but as the said motivation-lacking strong mind, I autobiographically supplicate for my elders to descry what sets me apart from the crowd.

When I do happen to discourse with a character older than myself (yours truly) who does acknowledge and perhaps compliment my individually brilliant powers of perception, I take pride in it. I appreciate a compliment on my mind much more than I do a compliment on my appearance. Beauty does not last forever, but intellect will always continue to have room for improvement.

I must first point out how infuriated I am that Matt Bellamy won sexiest male. I'm chafed two parts because no matter how great Muse is, Matt Bellamy is not that attractive, and one part because I wish someone else would have won. I never said he was bad looking and I hope I don't get assassinated for saying this, but he's just not as attractive as the others who were nominated for that award. Keith Murray of We Are Scientists was nominated. Miles Kane was nominated as far as I remember. They're both sexier. Alex Turner was then burned when he lost "best dressed" to his female, Alexa Chung. Even though I did vote for Alex (I promise it's not cos I'm in love with him, I honestly do think he has nice style!) I can definitely see why Alexa won. I'd rob her closet if given the chance. Moving on, MGMT was dubbed "best new band" and while I do really like MGMT, it confuses me that they've won the best new band award considering they're not that new. They were apparently titled "Track of the Year" and "Album of the Year" in 2008 which shows that they're not as fresh as some of the other bands that were nominated. I personally voted Late of the Pier on that one. I can't be upset that MGMT is winning awards though, cos they're great. Muse won best live band, and I can't have much of an opinion on this since I haven't seen them live. I'm just glad the Killers didn't win, cos from what I hear they're not good live. I'd have to see it before I believed it though. Dizzee Rascal won "Best Dancefloor Filler" which I can understand. I forgot what I voted for that one. "Best Album" went to Kings of Leon, which once again is something I can understand. I may have voted for them but forgot again. Glastonbury was named best live event, which has only made me even more jealous (if possible) that I can't go. The Killers won best international band. I really love the Killers but there are better international bands. After "Day & Age" I can say I'm getting bored of them. Robert Smith wins "Godlike Genius." Enough said. Pete Doherty wins "Best Solo Artist" but I have to say I like him better as a Libertine.

I just wish I could have been there. Apparently there were killer performances from White Lies, Blur, Franz, and the Cure who closed with some of their best hits. That's it. I'll write for NME, and just get invited to these things. I will be a VIP. And you will all be jealous.

But not really.

It has recently come to my attention that I do, in fact, have readers! Not very many, but they are readers nonetheless. And as a blogger, I feel it is my duty to blog about things you care about. So what I want you all to do is e-mail me suggestions at stoll.sara@yahoo.com.

Please do not hesitate to give me ideas. I don't care who you are or what your idea is, I don't bite. If you want, you could even e-mail me annonymously (by using a different e-mail) or you could leave me a comment here. I need your help not because I run out of things to say, but because I want my blog to appeal to you. I don't want to just write about things I want to talk about, but I want to write about things that also interest you.

Thanks. (:

The title is absolutely correct. David Bowie is absolutely correct. We could be heroes, but should we take advantage of that opportunity? I don't know...

I don't have heroes anymore. Not that I ever truly did, cos back then (whenever that is) I didn't know myself. I would say that certain musicians or ordinary people who I looked up to were my heroes, but that was false. Slowly but surely, I've learned that there is a difference between heroes and idols. Idols, I do have. Heroes, I lack. I don't think I really want a hero anyway. A hero is defined on www.dictionary.com as someone with heroic qualities or has performed an heroic act. No one that I idolize or love does that, to be completely honest.

I don't want a hero, though. I want to be able to validate my ego on my narcissistic days by telling myself that I got where I am today by myself. Sure, others helped me, but no one gave the care-bear-stare to anyone who got in my way. No one kicked anyone who paused me on my "journey of life" into the depths of hell while screaming some epic quote. That would be a hero.


I hate to make this post sound so angry, cos honestly no anger is coming out of it at all. I'm just trying to reassure myself that I lived my life without someone walking me through each step. It's one of the few things that I take pride in.

Picture in your head someone without religious faith who is average or below average in school and possibly experiments with drugs and alcohol. Does this person have morals? Well, yes, they quite possibly do.

I think it's time that people open their minds to the possibility that a morally stable person doesn't have to be perfect. The basis of someone's beliefs and personal values doesn't necessarily have to come from the public view of a successful person. Personally I think it's hard for someone who doesn't have many life experiences (that isolated, straight-A kid who is actually in a cultural coma) to have morals, if they haven't experienced the latter of life. You can't know the difference between good and bad if you've never been near bad. I'm waiting for people (or at least the narrow minded suburban people I know) to realize that it's possible for people who don't follow the perfect path of life to have morals.

I don't think I'm perfect. But I know I have morals. Just cos I don't have a 4.0 GPA does not necessarily mean that I'm going to fuck up in life because I have no sense of behavior. I don't think I believe in God. But I'm not going to suffer an eternal afterlife in hell because of that, no matter what I believe or don't believe. I drink. I've smoked weed (it's not all it's cracked up to be), and I've wanted to try party drugs. But does this make me any less of a person? No, because these are things I would do for my personal experiences. In my opinion, trying new things, no matter what it is (drugs, religion, doing good in school or bad in school) would make me a better person cos I'd be more well rounded.

It's just who I am. I'm crazy, outgoing, I can be loud and have a lot of fun. But at the end of the day, I'm sitting in my half-lit room thinking to myself about my future and my life. I'm not one of those people that sits on their ass waiting for things to come to me, I do what I need to do to get things done. The only reason things seem that way is the fact that time goes by so slowly.

The difference between me and someone who isn't very book smart and wastes their life away with substance is that everything I do, I do with an open mind. I will listen to anything you have to say and instead of being stubborn and arguing my opinion, I will first consider yours and evaluate it's validity.

Anyways, over the past few days I've realized exactly what I'm looking for in a relationship. I'm looking for a smart guy. Not necessarily book smart, but a guy who has common sense and the capacity to think at the same kind of level that I do. I know they exist because I've dated one before. I know when guys are faking intelligence, by the way. A lot of guys recently have been trying to win me over by using big words...

In honor of Valentine's Day (which is quite possibly one of the most pointless holidays for single people, but I'm not going to complain) I decided I'd post a blog about love/relationships. But... this is my blog so I'm going to personalize it instead of generalizing the topic.

There are two paths I could follow right now for my love life; I need you to help me decide which one. Even though I'll probably just do what I want anyway, let me have your feedback.

The first approach I could take is the less serious one. Most people my age are taking this path at the moment and dating around. They decide if they like someone and that someone happens to be interested as well, they should date. They don't really consider compatibility or how things will end and possibly ruin their friendship, they just have fun with it. I've been doing this ever since I started dating and I'm reconsidering if I should do this. A lot of people continue to do this throughout their lives until they marry.

Or, I could be more picky about dating. I could date guys that are actually worth my time. I could wait until a guy comes around that I don't wish was different in any way. Of course, this way, I'd probably miss out on a lot of fun. I hate to hurt people though and I normally end up dumping guys cos I realize that I'm not going to be with them forever and I let the little things about them piss me off easily.

Who knows. I'm starting to not really care. Hooray for spending my Valentine's Day with Franz Ferdinand!

I feel weird... it's not like I've never had a blogger before, but it's just been a while. I figured I could just blog on Myspace, but now Catie (one of probably three of my devoted readers) doesn't use Myspace anymore. To be honest, I prefer Facebook anyway but they don't really have a blog function, so I figured it was time to get a new, official blog. Technically, this is my first post. All of the previous ones were just transferred here from my Myspace blog cos I didn't want to have to start fresh and have an empty blog. All I need to do now is get some serious readers... as if.

People limit themselves too much, which I blame mainly on the fact that a majority of the human race is really narrow-minded. What I mean is that people are expected to stay within the borders of their label or stereotype. Even if you're not the type of person to label people, it still happens in your head. You will classify who they are subconsciously and there's nothing wrong with that, it's a natural thing to do. What I'm getting at is this: if you saw a girl on the street with black hair and black clothes and heavy black eye makeup walking and holding hands with a guy with baggy jeans, a puffy jacket and a buzz cut, you'd probably be sort of confused or maybe wonder how they got together. The reality of it all is that it doesn't matter how or why two people of different backgrounds, music tastes, fashion senses, races, or any sort of division are together. What matters is that they are together, and they're happy. I mean, maybe you and your family are really different. For example you may enjoy many different things than your brother or sister and are really different from each other. One might be a rebel and one might be a straight A student, but chances are deep down they probably still love each other. This all kind of ties in with independence, which is something else I'll probably blog about in detail someday soon. Diversity is just really cool, in my opinion. It shows you're not afraid to be friends with people you like based on your connection with that person and not what they wear. Love isn't the only thing that's blind. In my opinion, everything should be "blind", or at least metaphorically.

It's at least once a day that I get frustrated with one or more person and the way they present themselves on the internet. I decided to do this blog after receiving some answers on my next most recent blog. If you haven't read that it's basically a rant in question form. In one question, I asked why the internet can't be noob free. I appreciate all that answer the questions and I did get some really good feedback on that one. So I decided to write a short guidebook for the internet. Also, noobs, I'm here to help. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

A lot of this blog isn't only going to be about Myspace and Facebook, but also forums and any other kind of discussion board.

Here are some things not to do:

1. Don't post slutty pictures of yourself on your social networking page. This will come back to bite you in the ass, I promise. Remember the internet is viewed by everyone and I hate to sound like a public service announcement but there are rapists out there. Also, if your parents are technology-literate they will most likely find a way to view your private Myspace profile. (Trust me, it's possible.)

2. Don't join any website or group just to bash on its purpose. For example, don't join a Facebook group for fans of a certain band if you plan to just talk about how shit they are. You wouldn't want someone doing that to you, would you?

3. Don't talk shit behind anyone's back. (This applies to real life also, but especially on the internet) This allows the person you're talking to to have solid proof that you were saying things about certain people. There are such things as printers and they can be used against you.

4. Try hard not to be a douche. This especially applies to noobs. I know that typing in all caps makes you feel strong and powerful but everyone else with common sense thinks you're an idiot.

5. Don't post so many flashy, large graphics. For people who have slower computers, it can freeze their system for hours just cos they wanted to picture comment you back. It's also very tacky and makes you look really naive. Also, having more than one video on your profile is also a no-no. Especially if it automatically plays along with your profile song. The last thing someone wants to hear when they visit your shit profile is five terrible songs being played at once. This also slows down computers.

And here are some things you should do:

1. Learn at least one language such as HTML, CSS, or BBC depending on what sort of website you plan to have a profile on. I'm not saying you should become a master on any of the above, but you should at least know enough to remove the annoying "GET A PIMPED OUT PROFILE HERE" advertisements th
at happen to block your pictures in your layout.

2. If you're old enough to use the internet, you're old enough to learn how to use at least relatively proper grammar. This applies especially to middle or upper-class white girls that go to private schools but pretend they have no brain (when we all know there is a tiny one in there) when they get on Myspace.

3. Start using the internet in a bit more productive way. I know that Myspace isn't very productive, but if you're going to use it, be as smart as possible about it. What I mean is, don't join Myspace if you're just going to be inactive and waste space on the internet.

4. Sign up for websites using your real e-mail! Yes, I know this can sometimes cause spam. If anything, set up a separate e-mail account just for these sorts of things. You will probably lose your password eventually and need it back. Or you might need to cancel your account three years later when you start college and remember those drunken pictures you posted of yourself in 9th grade.

5. Don't be mean to people and treat others how you would want to be treated. If you really don't like someone's profile/blog/etc then use constructive criticism. The person is a lot more likely to realize that their profile is shit and change it if you're nice about it, rather than if you say something like "LOL UR PROFILE SUCKS ITS SOOO STUPID U R GAY"



*** FORUMS! *** (This needs to be a separate section cos I'm aware that most of the people that will read this blog don't belong to any boards.)

1. Do not start five similar topics cos the admin who are less noobish will probably ban you, or even worse, hate you.

2. Never, and I repeat, never post/talk about Runescape. Enough said. Don't understand why? Please do us all a favor and leave the internet as soon as possible.

3. Search through older threads and ask Google before asking a dumb question. You'll end up looking stupid if you start a topic asking about bananas and then someone smarter and less noobish than you replies and says "That's a great topic but it's already been started. http://forum.com/thread/bananas

4. Read the FAQ before you post.

5. Don't ever join forums you won't be active on. Also, if you plan to stop posting, disable your account or let admins know that you won't be active.

6. There isn't really a rule on when to quote on someone's post to reply to them or to simply post a reply without quoting them, but this is the way I look at it. If the post the other person made is on a different page in the thread, you should probably quote them. Also, if you're replying to two different people on points they made, you should quote them. However, if you're the next post after the person you're replying to there's normally no need to quote.

7. This applies mainly to musician/actor forums and girls. DON'T BE A FANGIRL. Well, at least don't publicly show it. It gets really old to see four thousand topics started by fangirls saying "omg *example guy 1* is sooooo hot lolol he is mine lol" Chances are, everyone knows they're attractive. He's also more than likely not yours.

8. Now that I'm on the topic of music forums, respect the wives/girlfriends of band members. Don't bash them. The rule of thumb is this: imagine everything you post is going to be read by the band. They wouldn't be too impressed to see you hating on their guitarist's wife.

9. But remember, it's definitely okay to obsess in the privacy of your own home.

10. When posting pictures, make sure you know what you're doing. You probably need to use HTML or BBCode.

11. For the fortunate group of people who treat the internet like it should be, go easy on the noobs. When they ask questions, try to help them out as much as possible, still claiming your rightful place as the truly leet people you are.

Coincidence? I think not.