A Tad Bit ‘Bout Life

A loud piercing noise startles you to consciousness. You open your eyes, and realize that you are in bed, and that you have absolutely no desire to get out of it. You feel absolutely terrible, miserable to the last brain cell. This is what some people might think of as a hangover. It is even more common though (in most cases). It is known as the lack-of-sleep syndrome.

There is nothing worse, and more catastrophic to your health and happiness than lack of sleep. There have been many studies involved, and all have proven that a lack of sleep affects many different facets of health, including mental illnesses, physical illnesses, mood, efficiency, and happiness.

According to Scientific American, a very respectable science magazine, “after sleep-deprivation, people are more prone to act over-emotionally and irrationally, a finding that suggests that sleep may play a role in many psychiatric disorders.” The article can be found here. Another study has  proven that lack of sleep is tied to shifts in hunger hormones. It is more difficult, and in some cases, near impossible, to lose weight, if you avoid having your ”beauty sleep.” On the other hand, sleeping a bit extra every night helps you considerably to beat those extra calories, as you find yourself not as needy of those greasy sweets for energy. 

Getting a lot of colds lately? Not getting your “zzzz’s?” There’s a connection in between not sleeping enough, and getting sick. Your immunological system is more active when you are well rested, but if you aren’t you are more prone to catching a cold. The solution seems pretty simple, doesn’t it?

If you think it to be impossible to fit an adequate amount of sleep into your schedule, make it possible. Prepare beforehand, and make yourself a regular bedtime. WikiHow provides a great guide on how to fall asleep, if you find it difficult to do so. Go to sleep early tonight, and reap the benefits tomorrow morning, as you jump out of bed, and embrace the day in a joyful mood, ready for anything and everything!

 “Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff.” – Frank Zappa  

Too true. This, along with several other factors prove Communism’s incompetence. Old Karl probably didn’t think of this. On paper, Communism is brilliant, a worthwhile plan to solve the world. But in reality, it is, quite unfortunately quite different. Below I have listed some of the reasons for which communism has been a faraway, and an altogether impossible dream: 

• Everyone must be altruistic: For communism to really work, the people and the government must be purely altruistic, because theoretically, in Communism, everyone is the same, yet for some reason, the government is always rich, and the people are always poor. For all the people to be truly altruistic is impossible, for most people are self-serving. After all, we are humans.
• Everyone is perfectly equal: This is one factor in which the government excels in: everyone is equal, poor, (excluding the government officials). The people have the same things, they talk the same language, and they all work. There is no space to be different. The people might all be the same, but what about the government? Strangely, the government officials tend to be corrupt, arrogant aristocrats, who go around smoking Havana Pures, and to busy eating Fois Gras to be preoccupied about the people living in deplorable conditions naught but a mile away.
• No incentives: As a citizen in a communist country, you are expected to work. You might have been working as a farmer for the last 40 years, yet nothing has changed. You don’t want to be a farmer, and you don’t even own the farm. You are demoralized by the fact that you are treated the same as the lazy next-door farmer, who barely works a drop, by the government. In communism, there aren’t any incentives, such as raises or promotions to make an effort in doing something. The government does have a method to make you work, though. Funnily enough, it’s coercion. This method might work, but it surely knocks the will to do a good job out of you. You barely do what is required of you. What’s the point of doing more if you know that you will still receive the same rations, and that you will still be doing the same job until death pays a visit? As Xenophon once said: “Willing obedience always beats forced obedience.”
• Economic miscalculations: In communism, the government is in control of the country’s economy, and must therefore take care of all the people’s needs. Not only is such a nationalized system very inefficient, it is also faulty. It is almost impossible for a government to take care of all the needs of the people (think of all the things: toothpaste, vegetables, shoes, shirts, meat, diary products, medicines, etc.) as well as the needs of their industry. They must prioritize their production, and usually have an excess of certain products, and an extreme deficit of other products. Capitalism isn’t prone to this because of the Supply and Demand system (if a product isn’t on the market, a company starts off, realizing that there is money to be made, and if there is an excess of products, price goes down). The USSR, for example, during the space race, prioritized its resources on building rockets, and because of it, the Russian people went hungry.
• Culture is forbidden: In communist Russia, as well as China, among other communist nations, the past culture and history must be edited and deleted to show only pro-Communist information. This obliteration of literature, history, and of religion (in the USSR, religion was forbidden, as the communist believed that religion was to be replaced with human goodness, communism) may cause a momentary “red movement” but reduces patriotism. After all, a country without history doesn’t have a future. The past is what teaches the people about the future, as well as inspires some, and deters others.

 Had communism worked, it would have been the utopia that all humans have searched for since the beginning of times. Shamefully, it has worked out to be an utter waste of time. It’s just another man-made idea. After all, we are humans, and the way of humans is to err.

Have you ever felt that on a given day, everything is against you? That luck has simply dumped you? Well, that is what I felt today (Saturday, May 10th, 2008).

The morning started off on a positive note. I slept in until around 7:00, read a bit in bed, stood up, had a tasty breakfast consisting of a spongy croissant (reason being that I was silly enough and microwaved it: absolute madness) with a touch of fine Danish butter and then blessed with a dab of dark-golden honey (of the finest: Austrian honey, the type I ate, is of the most varied and rich, its creamy excellence sets even the most controlled of people drooling. It comes in many different sorts and natures, from Waldhonig, the translation being “Forest honey,” to Blumen honig, flower honey, which in itself is divided into hundreds of subdivisions; tulip, rose, daisy, blue pillow, edelweiss, among others, and many mixes and general samplings of honey. Before I get completely carried away into the mouth-watering subject of Austrian honey, I should probably mention that I was eating the forest honey, and that it is, most unfortunately, time to continue my original topic, luck, and how lousy it can be). Anyway, after finishing my soft honey-croissant, I followed through my typical morning routine (teeth, hair, the usual), and finished packing for the trip (a tad bit late to mention this, but we , being my mother, father, and I, were going to Turrialba, a town in Costa Rica, for a bike race, which I was press-ganged to join–32-50km of biking).

After packing, we quickly loaded the baggage in the car and set off in two different cars (my father was to take a different route). Barely five minutes out of the house, and the trip took a turn for the worse. My mother had forgotten her camera, and we, as might be expected, returned home to fetch it. Rather insignificant an event, it might seem, but it took 20 minutes away from our day.

We continued on, and came onto the highway. Around this time, I was reading a book, called Civilization (it was the first book I picked out of the bookshelf), on world history, and was currently reading about the Byzantine Empire. It was then that disaster gave us a visit. I suddenly heard a loud crunch, and felt my body lurch forward, and the next thing I noticed was my nose hitting the metal bars holding up the little cushion for the head from the driver’s seat. It was then where I realized that I, for the first time, had first-handedly witnessed a car crash. In fact, I was in the car crash.

My mother immediately let out a desperate groan, and stepped out of the car. “Grandiose! Muss dass jetzt passieren? Einfach genial!” She surveyed the damage, and let out another groan. I knew that ahead of us were hours and hours of dealing with insurance and traffic police.

In those hours, I watched the cars go by, read a bit about the Byzantines, and watched the insurance fellow, serious as could be, walking up and down, writing pages upon pages into a little notebook. Luckily, the policeman and the victimized driver were quite friendly, and after all the formalities had been fulfilled, we continued.            

 As you might imagine, after sitting for two hours in a stationary car, drinking water and thirst quenchers simply to alleviate the boredom, my bladder had filled considerably. I held it, as any good citizen should, and requested permission from my mother to stop at a restaurant to relieve myself.

Just then, a torrent of rain descends upon us. Not only am I even more unsettled, knowing that I would have to get drenched, but my urge was increased tenfold because of the flowing water. I had to go. We found a McDonald’s, and decided to fetch some lunch in the process.

I returned, relieved, and very hungry, with a bag of McDonald’s junk food. We ate, didn’t enjoy it, and suffered from a horrible aftertaste of chemicals. I drank so much coke that I had to stop for the bathroom again. The rest of the trip went by smoothly. We went to Casa Turire, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and must recommend.            

Luck is all about positive thinking. Or so states an article written by a Cambridge scientist who researched for twenty years on the subject. Had I thought positively about the trip’s delays (which I did), I would have actually appreciated them. For example, the car crash helped make me more patient, as well as gain an understanding of the procedure to be followed in such circumstances, plus I acquired a bit of knowledge on the Byzantines. The crash will show my mother, I hope, to drive more carefully, as well as patience, such as with me.            

According to the research, luck is what you make of things. People that appear to be lucky tend to make the best out of situations, spotting things that others don’t and using them properly. So, think positively. 

          As part of my school curriculum, I have read the acclaimed book Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I had already read the book two years prior to this, and thought that I had little to learn from reading it a second time. Well, I was, as usual, completely wrong. Lord of the Flies has uncovered itself for me. What it has revealed is a detail about society that happens to be quite shocking, for several reasons.                      

If you haven’t read the book (which is rather unlikely), you must have at least heard of it. It tells the story of a group of children that were stranded on an island in the Pacific. As they find each other, they resolve to live by rules and order. A leader is elected, and they decide upon their rules. The order in their little society quickly disintegrates as they become highly superstitious, and are afraid of the Beast, a terrible creature. The leader tries to bring order back into the wild boys. His attempts fail, and the boys are absorbed into savagery, violence, and decadence. Only the leader, a pair of twins, a fat asthmatic short-sighted reject (but very wise, and intelligent), and a shy outcast that was never really accepted into society realize the peril of savagery, as well as the decay of good among the boys. The savages, with painted faces and spears kill the shy outcast as well as the fattish boy. They all but forget their past as civilized British children, and lead a life of barbarism. The sensible and wise must hide from them, for they know that death awaits them if they show themselves to their former comrades.                      

Golding’s message that is clearly displayed throughout this novel is that within everyone resides evil—the Beast. He believes that humans are inherently evil. I chose to mention this in my blog because of my previous post on “Are Humans Inherently Violent?” I believe that there is a clear connection in between violence and evil. The savage ‘hunters’ were overcome by this evil.

All the main characters in this book represent people in modern society. Ralph represents order, civilization, and leadership, Piggy represents the scientific and logical facet of society, Simon represents the good nature in humans, Jack represents uncontrolled savagery, as well as thirst for power, and finally, Roger represents brutal and cruel bloodlust at its extreme. Golding believes that even the greatest civilization can fall because of the “Beast” within you (evil). This is stated in chapter two of the book: “‘We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything’” (30 Golding).                      

Reading Lord of the Flies a second time was infinitely rewarding, as I learnt of human interaction. The shocking bit is that I, as a middle-schooler, see the truth in this book, and can definitely see this scenario come into play. What an enlightening experience! What a terrible thought.

I have decided to dedicate another post entirely to humorous quotes, videos, and jokes by the brilliant comedian Tommy Cooper. Enjoy!

TOMMY COOPER-

(19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was an Anglo-Welsh prop comedian and magician. He was known for making an art of getting magic tricks wrong, although he was actually an accomplished magician. He has been the subject of efforts by people in Caerphilly to publicize the town as his birthplace.

Despite his purported inability to perform conjuring tricks, Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle. Famed for his red fez, his appearance was large and lumbering at 6ft 3in (1.91m) and more than 15 stone in weight. He had a range of facial expressions and would also say things like, “I must say you’ve been a wonderful audience” or “Have we got time for more?” immediately after he walked on stage that would convulse audiences with laughter. He had a host of catchphrases such as “Spoon, jar, jar, spoon!!” and “Whisky, sample, sample, whisky, sample…” His most quoted catchphrase “Just like that” has never been on film. He once stood for minutes behind the curtain at the start of a televised show, and the audience, knowing he was there, was laughing hard before he even appeared. “People were laughing, just standing in line, for the tickets to see him” has often been quoted. (Wikipedia)

 Some Jokes Of His

Went to the paper shop – it had blown away.

I’m on a whiskey diet. I’ve lost three days already.

I was in the attic the other day with the wife. Damp and dusty………but she’s great with the kids!

Two fat blokes in a pub, one says to the other ‘Your round.’ The other one says ‘so are you, you

fat slob’

Two cannibals eating a clown. One says to the other “Does this taste funny to you?”

Man goes to the doc, with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says “I’ll give you some cream to put on it.”

A guy walks into the psychiatrist wearing only clingfilm for shorts. The shrink says, “Well, I can clearly see you’re nuts.”

So I said to this Chinese waiter, “Are there any Chinese Jews”, so he went away and when he came back he said, “No, there’s only apple juice, pineapple juice…

I slept like a log last night. I woke up in a fireplace…

A blind bloke walks into a shop with a guide dog. He picks the dog up and starts swinging it around his head. Alarmed, a shop assistant calls out: ‘Can I help, sir?’ ‘No thanks,’ says the blind bloke. ‘Just looking.’

My wife had a go at me last night She said “You’ll drive me to my grave”. “I had the car out in thirty seconds”

I went to the doctor. He said “you’ve got a very serious illness” I said “I want a second opinion” He said “all right, you’re ugly as well”

I hurt my back the day. I was playing piggy back with my 6 year old nephew, and I fell off.

I had a dream last night, I was eating a ten pound marshmallow. I woke up this morning and the pillow was gone.

This man says to me “my dog’s got no nose” So I said to him “How does he smell?” “Terrible”

And he said “My dog doesn’t eat meat.” I said “Why not?” He said “We don’t give him any”

A man walked into the doctor’s, he said “I’ve hurt my arm in several places.” The doctor said “Well don’t go there any more.”

Do watch the attached movie:

Tommy Cooper \”Magic Cloak\” 

Recently, I finished the book What If?, which is made up of a series of essays on what could of happened in certain military campaigns. It describes how a single death, a split-second decision, or an action can affect the outcome of history. It is written by some of the most famous military historians, such as Stephen E. Ambrose, John Keegan, David McCullough, and James M. McPherson, among others. It mentions very interesting points, such as what the outcome would have been if the Romans had successfully repelled the ambush at Teutonberg Forest, where the Romans lost 18,000 men to the barbarian Germanic tribes, as well as questioning what would have happened if D-Day had failed.

 In the matter of Teutonberg Forest, it goes on to describe how one battle could change the history of the English and German-speaking world. It states that had the battle been favorable to the Romans, they would have continued to advance into Germany, bringing with them culture, amphitheatres, public baths, and libraries. The author of this essay believes that had Germany (the tribes at the time called the Furor Teutonics) not defeated the Romans, conflicts such as WWI and WWII, would most likely not have occurred. The explanation is complicated but logical. The Romans would have had all of Europe under their command, and when/ or if the empire collapsed, all the lands would have a relatively constant culture, that of the Romans. This would leave fewer things to argue and quarrel about.  

What If? is a brilliant and scholarly book, yet fit for general reading. It is extremely interesting (otherwise, I, as a 14-year-old, I wouldn’t have read it). It answers many (20) questions, all related to diplomatic and military “what ifs.” A must-read for any avid history reader.

As you go to the nearest petrol station to refuel your oil-thirsty car, you look at the price table, and you quickly look away, in utter shock. Petrol has reached a record $4/ gallon. Just a year back, it was $2.82 (November 2007). The current oil crisis, plus the credit crisis, has put a heavy strain on the average American, as well as global, consumer. As purchasing power (spendable $) wanes because of the credit crisis, the rising oil prices make things even worse, especially for the average family, as more money from the family budget is diverted to necessities, such as food (another crisis, as well, according to the UN), clothes, oil for the car, the thermostat in winter, and house maintenance.

This leaves less money for pleasure spending, which means less money for companies, forcing some into bankruptcy, and others to cut costs, therefore leaving some people without jobs, furthermore reducing spending power, leading the country into vicious economic decay.

Yet there is a solution to the rising oil prices. This consists of switching over to alternative sources of energy, such as biofuels, using hybrid cars, and boycotting the largest petrol places (Texaco). The latter theoretically should work, because by losing customers, Texaco is forced to reduce its prices to attract clients back. As Texaco is the largest petrol supplier, it would force other smaller petrol suppliers to reduce their prices, to make them more competitive. Of course, it all depends on the rich oil countries to be less greedy and power thirsty, and more lenient. 

It is, though, of utmost importance that we move away from fossil fuels, as they are dwindling. If we don’t start to adapt to other sources of energy, when will we? It would be less of a shock to the economy if we started to slowly change to alternative, as well as greener sources of energy. If we wait until fossil fuels actually run out, then companies will have to change radically to cope with the loss, and adopt alternatives at a much higher cost. So, hurray for alternative fuels, and boo to oil!

In the Crusades, Christian knights set forth to eradicate and kill the pagan Muslims and recapture the Holy City of Jerusalem, all in the name of God.  Besides braking God’s Will (violation of the 6th Testament “Thou Shalt not Kill”) they are killing innocent (bloodthirsty and armed) Arabic peoples. Is the slaughter involved justified by the fact that they are acting on God’s behalf?

Another example that shows this was the American Revolution. Is it justifiable that thousands of British and Rebel soldiers, as well as innocent bystanders were killed, in the name of liberty?

 It is all a matter of personal morals as well as values. The first example was, I believe, a miserable idea, in almost all senses. On the other hand, fighting for Libertas, if the cause is genuine and fair, is (to a certain limit) justifiable. An example of this, as well as the American Revolution, is of the Hungarian rebellion against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This is an excerpt describing just that, from Wikipedia: 

“The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the Stalinist government of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from October 23 until 10 November 1956.^[3] It began as a student demonstration which attracted thousands as it marched through central Budapest to the Parliament building. A student delegation entering the radio building in an attempt to broadcast their demands was detained. When the delegation’s release was demanded by the demonstrators outside, they were fired upon by the State Security Police (ÁVH) from within the building. The news spread quickly and disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital.

The revolt spread quickly across Hungary, and the government fell. Thousands organized into militias, battling the State Security Police (ÁVH) and Soviet troops. Pro-Soviet communists and ÁVH members were often executed or imprisoned, as former prisoners were released and armed. Impromptu councils wrested municipal control from the Communist Party, and demanded political changes. The new government formally disbanded the ÁVH, declared its intention to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and pledged to re-establish free elections. By the end of October, fighting had almost stopped and a sense of normality began to return.

After announcing a willingness to negotiate a withdrawal of Soviet forces, the Politburo changed its mind and moved to crush the revolution. On 4 November, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest. Hungarian resistance continued until 10 November. An estimated 2,500 Hungarians died, and 200,000 more fled as refugees. Mass arrests and denunciations continued for months thereafter. By January 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition. These Soviet actions alienated many Western Marxists, yet strengthened Soviet control over Central Europe, cultivating the perception that communism was both irreversible and monolithic.Public discussion about this revolution was suppressed in Hungary for over 30 years, but since the thaw of the 1980s it has been a subject of intense study and debate. At the inauguration of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989, 23 October was declared a national holiday.“ As you can see, this event was tragic, but the uprising was justifiable (even though the Hungarians lost). The Hungarians stood up for a noble cause: that of freedom, democracy, and nationalism. The Hungarians are proud and patriotic peoples, and were the only Russian client states that rebelled and temporarily expelled the Russians.  Violence is an unpleasant factor, but it is justified by a good cause. Of course, a different way must always be at least attempted, for example, diplomacy. This isn’t always possible, as has been demonstrated innumerable times in the past. Strangely, war has always been attractive to most humans. “Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing sooner than war.” – Homer.  

I have included a few quotes related to war that I have found interesting:

“We kind o’ thought Christ went wagin war an’ pillage.” – James Russel Lowell

“I’ve been to war. I’ve raised twins. If I had a choice, I’d rather go to war.” – George W. Bush

“You can’t say civilization don’t advance — for in every war, they kill you in a new way.” – Will Rogers

“We make war so that we may live in peace” – Aristotle

Is it Mother Nature? It must be, as she unleashes storms, droughts, tornados, hurricanes, and all those cataclysms on us. Well, sorry to say this, but…Wrong. We, as humans, are our own biggest enemies.

How eccentric. Why should we be our own greatest enemy? That makes little sense. Unfortunately, though, every bit reflects truth. We fight wars against each other. We kill ourselves for politicians, intolerant religions, and plain, pathetic prejudice. Look at Ireland. The peoples of Ireland have been killing each other since 1155, when the English annexed them, forming Great Britain, along with Scotland and Wales. Why? Over squabbles of Protestant and Catholic religion. It is, I believe, a shame, that the Irish Protestants and Catholics must fight amongst themselves, rather than keep away from each other. Ireland could be a much more beautiful place (It already is), and the hatred among the people wouldn’t exist. Another example is Africa.

I have lost all my respect for Africa because of the ridiculous wars being waged. They have no resources, yet they easily manage to slaughter each other. Africa could be a developed continent, with brilliant people, incredible architecture and excellent government-systems, but instead, it is a war-ravaged region, with little other than death, dying, and the hungry. This proves that mankind’s biggest enemy is man. Africa has delayed or maybe even completely destroyed its development because of the yapping of a few political heads. I would think that the people are sick of fighting, but definitely not the political leaders. They will have a go at each other for the next decade.

We are supreme as humans. We are the top of the food chain. Nobody snacks on us (in exception of a few sharks, crocs, and maybe a lion or two). Yet millions of people die every day. We kill each other in subtle forms, such as cigarettes, drugs, food poisoning, unhealthy ingredients, and through our reckless treatment of our host, Mother Nature. Alone from tobacco-related products, 5 million people die every year worldwide (http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL0987501220071109?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews). Imagine-in ten years, 50,000,000 people will die. That is 5/6 of the UK’s population (60,776,238). Deaths due to cigarette smoking excede the combined killing power of alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs. It is clear that smoking needs to be eliminated. Adding to that, it proves my rather glum point. 

I think it is time for us to negotiate a ceasefire.

As I sit, reading a good book and nibbling a piece of Cadbury’s chocolate, I wonder “Why do all good things come to an end?” A rather trivial question, but definitely important if it concerns chocolate. Chocolate, as many of you might have recognized by now, is one of the elixirs of life. Its creamy, sweet excellence is simply perfect. The combination… ahhh, if I continue to describe it, I would myself start drooling. Anyway, the luxury of eating chocolate always comes to an unfortunate end. Either the bar has been depleted, or I decide that I, regretfully, must control myself, and save it for later, even though I would gladly finish it off immediately. Things always come to an end, whether good or bad, simply because there is a natural balance in everything. For example, evil will never completely take over the world, and it will never be completely destroyed. Without balance, we wouldn’t savour the pleasures of life as they are. If you had an infinite amount of the finest chocolate, and you stuffed yourself with it every day, you would grow to see it as something normal. You would regard it as you do bread. You would find yourself despising it after a while of extremist eating, and you would change your diet to eating mollusks, or lobsters. Without balance, you wouldn’t realise how beautiful things are. If you had lived your entire life in a beautiful palace, where everything was joyful and perfect, you wouldn’t enjoy it, and simply take it for granted. If you were ever introduced to the real world, you would really suffer because you were used to having everything as you wished them to be, and would realise the luck and fortune of your previous years. But on the other hand, if you were poor, and suddenly were to win the lottery, you would be extremely happy, and very grateful, for the reason that before you lived in deplorable conditions, and that now you live in a massive Chateau in southern France, eating Fois Gras and sipping fine French Bourbon. The balance that I am talking about is also known as Ying and Yang.Ying and Yang is a Chinese philosophical term that describes antithesis or mutual correlations in human nature. The words “liang yi” are a synonym to this, a viewpoint, or belief that is easily proportioned to human life. Ying are the dark forces, while Ying, on the other hand, are the forces of light. These two counterbalance each other. This fits perfectly into what I believe.

So, next time you pick up a Lindt or Hershey’s chocolate bar, keep in mind that soon you will be chucking the wrapper away, and feeling rather fat, as well as regretful for not having another to accompany the first.