It's Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas to all readers out there. It's been one long year for all of us, and am I the only one who sometimes thinks Christmas brings out the worst in some people? Right now my sister is taking out her anger on some sausage roll pastry, also why would the day after goodwill and peace on Earth be called boxing day if things weren't sure to get ugly! 

The radio stations have been playing Christmas songs since December 1st so forgive me if I don't put any Mariah Carey Christmas songs on.

If your still shopping now I would say shame on you but your probably berating yourself enough in your head (and sometimes out loud ) for the both of us. Maybe my friend was right; Christmas is just as consumerist as Valentine's day and sometimes just as much of a pain up the rear. Especially with the homework I've got (I'm a big procrastinator)

Don't "Bah Humbug" me  though I'm not  as mean as this guy:







Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” 
― Dr. Seuss
This quote has been in my face for the past few weeks... It's on a large billboard near my house. 

Now for a selection of Christmas songs (you knew this was coming).

Invictus

We all know where we were when Nelson Mandela died.(Actually I found out the next morning).Either way, whatever you thought of him, he did change the world for the better and in my eyes he was a hero who faced cruelty and oppression to bring peace to a country torn by racism.There have been many films made about him, but the one that stuck out to me the most was Invictus (and I haven't even watched all of it yet). The poem they used really made it come to life for me though, so here it is:

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 

William Ernest Henley 

Just to round this all off here's a quote from the man himself

 It always seems impossible until its done.

Nelson Mandela

I guess uniting South Africa may have seemed impossibe at the time but eventually it happened and to that the world is grateful.

here's a new U2 song that tells us about ordinary love and shows how you can love anyone no matter who they are

I could only get the lyric video but anyway

Carpe Diem

SJ

Running out of ideas (Help)!!

Great news. It's only 5 weeks till Christmas. Whahoo! and it's also Friday another whahoo! I'm stalling because I need something to write about besides everyone's christmas spirit or the lack of it (Bah Humbug)!

Seriously has anyone got tips on beating writer's block I can practically hear crickets chirping in my  idealess brain. has anyone watched the John Lewis Christmas advert? Some people only tunned in to the X Factor for that and said it was better than the actual show 

I need some new ideas to write about (if you've got some tell me in comments). speaking of ideas...

The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.

Linus Pauling

 

 

here's the song that was used for the John Lewis advert the ORIGINAL ONE not that Lily Allen's

vesion is bad it's just that you know how people always prefer the book to the movie adaptation? well this is one of those moments.

 

Carpe Diem

-SJ

 

Writer's Block and Remembering

Am I the only person that when I try to write I end up staring at a blank screen (or sheet of paper)for half an hour before wanting to vent my frustration to everyone around me (or bang my head repeatedly off a keyboard)? In all honesty if anyone gets me something I'll actually use more than once for Christmas then it will have to be a manual for beating writer's block.

In other news,thankfully Remembrance Day went without any unwanted surprises. I would like to know if any of my ancestors fought in either war but this will take a lot of research, also Britain has promised to give at least £10m in aid to the Philippines (I'm still praying though) I'm not sure what's going on in Syria at the moment but I hope it's getting better. but if you want to support any charities there are loads to choose from I'm supporting one called Open Doors (I haven't got the link).

here's a quote which I think shows what I'm talking about:

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi (awesome guy)

two good songs one  about change and one thats been stuck in my head for ages

Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson:

and I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons:

Friends and Fireworks

Hi again. sorry I haven't been writing recently but I have a rule in my house which is homework before blogging so over the half term I had to bore myself to tears with Shakespeare (while scrolling through twitter and trying to read books on Amazon) and essay questions on the British constitution (snore)! 

The storm was something though, I couldn't sleep because of the wind. Sorry for the people who got their houses damaged and for those who know the people who died.

Since I'm back at school this week I haven't really caught up on the news although I did find out about Syria's chemical weapons being destroyed (finally). It's always good to see my mates though even though I've been turning into a zombie from all those late nights.

I have no idea what to write so I'm just  going to say something about friends  (best topic I could think of).

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Albert Camus

You get two songs this time you lucky people! one for today's occasion Bonfire Night. "Firework" by Katy Perry (I know it's got nothing to do with the theme but the title works)! 

And one for today's theme "I'll be there for you" by The Rembrandts (Friends theme tune. I love that show)!

So two more things: could some one think of a theme and tell me in comments because I'm stuck for ideas and finally

Carpe Diem -SJ

The Randomness of Life

Hello again. At moments like this I  sometimes feel like I'm going crazy, since every random thing life's chucking at me feels like the size of  a bus! Yeah, I know I'm rambling but I've no idea what to write so I apologise if  this post is short, this post is also random,(like all of the others) because life is random.

If the world didn't seem like it was going crazy all the time then maybe it would be better, even though sometimes the crazy things in life make the world normal(like a friend telling you about the time their hamster died of obesity because she'd been feeding it plantain)! But it would be a lot better if there were no wars  and people treated each other with dignity and Assad stopped shooting unborn babies.

But if we're gonna get any where as the next generation looks like we're gonna have to use love, friends, peace and a whole lot of chocolate (and not just the romantic kind of love).

I know I sound like one of those tortured writers in the films who only see the lighter side of life once they fall in love (so not me)!but I am really not. I just want people besides me and others I know to care about fixing the world and everyone to stop feeling like they're under pressure from everyone and everything in society

So anyway here's another quote:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

Dr. Seuss (I may use this one a lot)

I know it's another Suess quote but I really like the rhymes .

One song to get you through the day, or night or whatever time your reading this

 So maybe The Beatles were right and actually "All you need is love." (Great, I could've used that song instead)! Oh well.

Carpe Diem

-SJ

Having a bad day? Hope this helps!

Do you ever have a day when you just want to go home from school or work and get lost in your imagination? Well I'm having one of those right now. After an unfortunate incident with a tripod stand during a science lesson my day has gone up on the scale of annoyingness.

I'm writing this on a rather gloomy day while having had no lunch yet I need something to stop me going over the edge of boredom and tumbling into the abyss. At the moment I'm in a room full of a lot of noisy teens and trying not to snap at the lot of them to shut up in a place they call "The Ghetto" ( it's mostly black guys that stay in here).

If anyone else is having a bad day then here's a bit of wisdom that'll help (I hope) tell me in comments


Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Dr. Seuss

Also here's an awesome song from U2 that I hope will lift you up

So think of something to make you smile and as always:

Carpe Diem

- SJ (With three burnt fingers and one thumb)

So tired!

Hi again, I would have written my post earlier but since today was a teacher's strike day, Or as I like to call it; a day when my eyes went square from trying to make up an 800-1000 word essay on the comedy conventions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I had to do my homework, and I've still got another essay to do as well. Yeah I know coffee can help but my mates warned me against it because it makes you feel like a zombie when the buzz is over so I'm gonna stick to hot chocolate for now.

Anyway, Shakespeare's play bugs me for many reasons. First why is Helena so obsessed with Demitrius seriously He's just not that Into you besides he is a jerk who probably slept with her to get her to back off. Second how can you teach this to year 7's. when my teacher told me what fairies really were I vowed to never watch Peter Pan again! (The joys of A-level)!

Why do days when you have no school or work always go so quickly? Another question When are the government going to sort out the teacher's retirement age and pensions. there are exams in June and I'm pretty sure most students want to do well in them after last year's problem's 

tell me how you've handled the strike day in comments 

 Since I'm really tired I can't think of much else to write so I'm going to leave you with:

"Either you run the day or the day runs you". 

Jim Rohn

I don't think I'm running the day today at all!

And another good song: Some Nights by Fun (I always listen to this when tired) I used the clean version.

Carpe Diem

-SJ

Hello Again!! (The blog I should have done first)!

Hi out there to all you guys who decided to tap into the musings of a non stereotypical teenager. (The first of many).

Here in my part of Britain it's a beautiful sunny evening the kind of evening that I see as kind of rare because it seems like the setting of a YA novel.

To anyone who read my previous post what did you think of it? (tell me how to improve it in comments)!  

Anyway to anyone who hasn't read my first blog, hi my name is... Well I'm not going to tell you my name because of all the safety on the internet stuff. So just think of me as SJ. I got inspired to write this by my two mates who write a film blog called Utopia Reviews (If you like films then these guys are the one's to look for) Go to:http://utopiareviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/foreign-language-films-are-not-normally_8.htm

 I was also inspired by my mum, my English teacher and Malala Yousafzi. All of them very awesome role models.

Just to wrap this up one more thing:

"A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere."

Joyce Meyer

 So dream big and  Carpe Diem!

-SJ

P.S.  An awesome song to describe today (and my absolute favourite song of all time), and it'll  definitely put you in a good mood: Beautiful Day by U2

BOOKWORMS UNITE!!!

If your reading this then first things first. I know the title of my blog doesn't make sense but that was the only idea I could think of at the time.

 So anyway, welcome to The world as I See it which is basically a page and a half of rants by an unknown teen.This blog isn't just about my, or anyone's life in particular but about life itself (don't think of me as a hippie) 

This first post is going to be about  something that in my view is very serious and a problem  that I believe should be fixed A.S.A.P 

Somehow  Britain is behind countries like  Finland and the Netherlands in literacy  and numeracy (even though I still have no idea when you will need algebra  in every day situations)  but literacy SERIOUSLY! Britain is home to some of the best writers in the world Charles Dickens would be turning in his grave to hear that all his good (but vaguely depressing) work had been in vain and C.S. Lewis would have possibly begged Aslan to eat him than see his books not even have a page turned, because these days most kids care more about winning the X Factor than sitting down with a good book.

A Wise person once said:

  When you sell a man a book, you don't sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life.
Christopher Morley

Yes I know he's not a British author, but still wise words. Besides America has a huge list of  banned books including Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, and get this Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes! Oh. No. They. Didn't! 
For kids it might be upsetting "little red riding hood shoots the big bad wolf with a pistol" but banning it in general is killing comedy, how many funny takes can you have on a childhood story?!

So what I'm asking is to just pick up a book, any book and let your inner bookworm shine through! 



Carpe Diem guys! -SJ