Let me preface this post by saying this: The original Lion King will always be better than any other version, ever. Just saying. Also there will be spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the new film and you don’t want to be spoiled (I know, I know…how can there be spoilers if it’s a remake? Well, there can be because of new scenes or moments that weren’t in the original film…anyway, spoiler alert for those who mind…)
Category: thoughts
10 Things I Want to Share
We are in the final quarter of 2017. On the home-stretch, nearing the finishing line, and all those other cliched phrases to describe events coming to an end. I haven’t shared my thoughts on here for some time, so thought I would come to you with ten thoughts that are percolating in my mind.
Continue reading “10 Things I Want to Share”
Update|The Aviators|Inspiration Needed
It’s been a while since I’ve touched base on the blogsphere, so here’s a list of thoughts for you. Continue reading “Update|The Aviators|Inspiration Needed”
Simple Plan, Australia 2016 – East Coast Tour – My thoughts
I wasn’t going to say anything, but I feel I need to. Simple Plan has been a mainstay in my life for the past 12 (almost) years. I saw them for the first time in 2005, flew to Brisbane so I could see them. I was living in Townsville at the time and in those days “big” bands didn’t do the North Queensland city. Then I moved to Perth, and the boys were meant to come in 2008.
Now, what happened was that they had booked an 18+ gig and they ended up having to cancel as they didn’t get enough bookings for some reason or other. The band apologised and promised they would be back. I personally got upset (and became an A7X fan…) but at the same time I held them to their promise. And guess what, they kept it. Five years later, in 2013 as part of their Warped Tour run, they came back to Perth, because Perth wasn’t getting Warped Tour.
Yes, I saw them again in 2012, once again flying over to Melbourne, and that was absolutely amazing, especially as I met them for the very first time.
But, the point of my post is this: it disheartens me to see fans of Simple Plan getting angry at Chuck and/or the band for not scheduling shows in their city/country. There is only 365 days in a year…and they can’t get everywhere at once. Also, they need to have breaks so they don’t burn out, and they can also go where there is demand. Chuck (the band) and management try their hardest to plan the best tours and we as fans need to give them a chance. And sometimes it’s out of their control.
Consider the fact that there’s only a certain amount of venues in each city, and then the fact that there may be many other artists and bands touring at around the same time…well, they have to fit their schedule between other events.
Chuck himself tweeted that they have tried their best and he promises if not this time…there is next time. We all know that Simple Plan’s tour cycles often go over two or more years…and they often come back. Take the European Tour as an example. They’ve toured there twice, already.
So, in this time period where we are so used to having things instantly…how about we all slow down and remember how to be patient? The guys love us and love performing for us. They’ll come see you. Soon.
To all my fellow Aussie fans. If you are lucky enough to get to one of their three shows?
Enjoy and cherish it as a special moment in your life. Be it your 1st, or you 100th Simple Plan concert.
Astronaut, out.
Marly’s Big Topic: Love
What is love?
The age old question that so many of us want an answer to. Especially topical considering the many debates going on in the world today about marriage equality and what are we doing to others in the world today. The fighting over religious differences and whether we should let certain people into our country or not.
I think for some of us it’s easier to state what love isn’t. Love isn’t rejection. Love isn’t hurting someone (although love can hurt). Love isn’t ignoring someone. Love is not apathy or hatred. Love is not excluding someone based on race, religion, sex, gender, beliefs.
But, what, then, is love?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines love first as a noun:
- A strong feeling of affection
- A great interest or pleasure in something
- A person or thing that one loves
- In tennis a score of zero or nil (which in this context we can rule out)
Then as a verb:
- To feel deep affection for.
These dictionary definitions seem inadequate, though, don’t they? For those who describe actually feeling loved, or being in love or showing love, it’s so much more than that. So, what exactly is love?
Well, let me describe love to you in my words, based on my own experiences, through what I’ve read, watched, seen and lived.
Love is the mother who repeated the message at church to her deaf daughter so she could “hear” it.
Love is those who come alongside the homeless of our city.
Love is the father who wants to protect his daughter from a mother who cannot.
Love is staying by your partner’s side through sickness and uncertainty.
Love is the toddler who cares for her friends and looks to see why they are crying, even with no words available to them.
Love is a smile for a stranger even if you don’t feel like smiling.
Love is giving your time to another.
Love is the soldier who lay his life down for his country.
Love is forgiving someone even when they don’t deserve it.
Love is sharing. Love is generosity.
Love is helping someone else despite your own need.
Love is trusting someone else with your fragile heart, knowing that you can be hurt.
Love is a kind word to another.
Love is being present.
Love is serving others with no thought of what you might gain from it.
Love is God who sent His Son to die for us on a cross.
Love is God.
Love is.
Love is an action, it is something we do. It isn’t a feeling. Feelings are fleeting. True love is forever. It is something we do for others. And everyone needs love. Everyone. No exceptions.
I know this is something that’s difficult to fathom, especially if we think of some of the people in this world. Those who have perpetrated awful crimes on others. But, think of it in the light of love.
Put on glasses of love and you will see that they turned out that way because their own perspective of love was distorted, corrupted and they need love as much as we all do. Even if that means we forgive them for what they did….or not push or argue that they should have the death penalty. That would be loving them.
A hard concept, I know, but I think one of the reasons I personally do not agree with the death penalty.
Anyway, I sort of digressed from what I was talking about? Or perhaps not. Maybe the point I’m making here now is that to love is not always the easy response. And perhaps that’s why we always turn to other responses and reactions first. We fear that we do not know. And out of fear we react in negative ways. But, love is the proper reaction. It is what we are meant to do.
There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, as fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18.
So, then, this is what love is.
Love is a verb.
Love the people around you. Start with the people in your immediate surroundings. Your home, your workplace, your shopping centre, your frequent haunts. Sometimes that’s enough. Because your one act of love in one place can impact many so that they in turn can love those in their own world.
Start a love revolution.
Just.
Love.
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 10
Your views on drugs and alcohol
Drugs and alcohol?
Well let’s go alphabetically and touch on what I think about alcohol.
Moderation. That’s the name of the game. I drink alcohol occasionally, at a nice dinner, or if I’ve been invited to a tour of wineries. Because who doesn’t taste the wine on a wine tour?
However, I don’t drink just for the sake of drinking. You see, I actually lack the enzyme that helps break down alcohol – alcohol dehydrogenase – which results in me getting a flushed reaction when drinking alcohol. This can happen even after one glass of wine. So, I don’t tend to drink more than one glass because of this.
I see no need to drink so much that I can’t see straight [I have enough problems with my eyes without doing that]. Though I have been drunk several times. But, both times were unintentional, and from drinking something stronger than wine – vodka jelly shots come to mind.
When I was younger, 18-20, I did go clubbing and I did drink a bit – vodka crusiers mainly, with a few Smirnoff’s, and cowboy shots thrown in. But, I got over that quick – and my group of friends were sensible drinkers. Nowadays I drink as I believe, in moderation. There have been a couple of stressful times in the last few years that I bought myself some Cruisers and had two in one sitting…but, I had food with them…so that was alright.
So. Alcohol. Drink in moderation and you’ll be fine.
Oh. But…DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. It’s not worth it.
Okay, on a more sober note. Drugs. Now let’s assume that this is not referring to medication. Because my opinion on medication is: Use it if you are prescribed it by your doctor, and don’t be an idiot about it.
But, drugs, as in illicit drugs? Well, my views? They’re harmful. Period Don’t take them. Don’t be an idiot. Just don’t. I mean, I understand that they’re addictive, and once someone has started it’s difficult to break the cycle. Here’s an idea. Don’t take them in the first place and don’t let people pressure you into taking them. [I know there are situations where it’s something that can’t be controlled, ie. infants being born with addictions, so they’re kind of lost from the beginning…]
What about medicines that become addictive? Well, go and do what Alex O’Loughlin did, and book yourself into rehab as soon as it becomes a problem. Don’t give into it, do something about it.
And all this business about medicinal maurijuana? I’m sorry. But, I don’t think it should be used for medicinal purposes. Unless they can get it to a point where it is medically viable and proven to be so on a sample size that is statisically viable.
But, anyway…my views on drugs? Mostly negative. Don’t do drugs.
[This has been a late night rant…ha.]
Another Weekend, Another Week
So, I’ve been at my new job for four weeks. I still haven’t stopped listening to A7X’s Nightmare, and I’ve been writing like a beast. I’m just going to write down random thoughts as they come. Well, not quite random because I kind of already know what I’m going to write. But, anyway.
1. Collingwood will finish top of the ladder this season. Eddie McGuire reckons they should win a cash reward because it’ll be the first time in a very long time [33 years] that they’ve ended a season at the top.
2. Simple Plan are slowly slogging away in the studio. I am really hoping that You Suck At Love will be their first single, I am really hankering for some Simple Plan-age. It’s been far too long between hiccups. I sill believe that Still Not Getting Any was their best album. But, as always that’s subjective and is only my opinion.
3. I have a feeling we might be on the way to recording a new worship album at Church. The number of new songs written by our very own worshippers have been sung lately. Also, I think the purple and black and white for the choir looks great.
4. Someone asked a very curly, yet interesting question at Bible class last Thursday. If the Old Testament stories and prophesies all point to Jesus, why then do the majority of Jews not believe He is the Messiah? One of the answers is in the Bible, I can’t remember the verse, but it basically states that God hardened their hearts so that the Gentiles [that is the rest of the world] can get to know Jesus. I thought that was a very good point to make, and I now actually find myself compelled to read the Old Testament more, and not avoid the lessons that can be learned from it.
5. The bus runs have been reorganised at work. The Year six and seven boys at one school really annoy me, but at the same time are easy to get along with. A new girl will be starting this week, and apparently she has experience with accreditation, which happens in October…fun stuff. I’ve also finally got my key-tag.
6. Victim is officially my favourite song off Nightmare. And yes, the whole album is still EPIC.
7. I think my writing has improved.
8. Work at STAWA is still the same. It’s going to be mad this week, probably, what with another mailout and entries for a science awards thing coming in. Should be fun. Sort of. I’m going to try and motivate myself to get to work sooner, though. 9 AM at the earliest, 9.30 AM at the latest.
9. Next weekend I’m going to motivate myself to help Mum with the MYOB stuff, considering I’m the one who did the course. And I actually found it sort of gratifying helping Mum with it today.
10. I thought of a new story idea, which at the moment I’ve turned into an A7X fic. But, I could so easily turn it into an original idea. We’ll see though. Maybe I could use the characters from my other original fics?
11. I voted yesterday. Liberal. It’s a hung parliament, though, so we probably won’t know until the middle of the week who will be Prime Minister. Guess Julia Gillard gets to be PM for a few more days.
So, that’s it for tonight. I’ll leave you with this final thought.
As humanity broke relationship with God, we then became relationally broken. This is why in life we struggle with relationships. To fix this, we first need to heal our relationship with God, and then the ones we have with those we love will be easier to heal. – paraphrase of Haydn Nelson’s message 21 August 2010.
Marly's World 