'You gonna wash your hands?'...'Nooo...cuz' I'm evil!'

A while ago, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity of attending and taking part in a fascinating course, meeting various interesting people, while also being treated almost like royalty alongside the other participants at the place we stayed for the duration of the whole thing. But enough with my boring descriptions which nobody cares about...randomness is this blog's subject matter as it where, and this particular post was brought to you by a perhaps not so random thought I had during and after one of the exercises we had to undertake during this particular course.

Without going into any further detail regarding the nature of the exercise, I will say that the thought that crossed my mind was how damn easy it is to be an asshole. As unassuming as this 'realisation' may sound, I think it's something a lot of us overlook(or maybe I'm dellusional), precisely because it appears to be so obvious. So the logical thought following this observation is that actually being a decent human being can be quite difficult sometimes. Sure, there's the lucky people to whom being a decent person comes naturally(or alternatively, there's the ones to whom being an asshole comes naturally), but I believe that many of us are born neutral from this point of view...then there's the idea that a person's moral compass depends on their personal life experiences, which I also believe in.

I think this 'phenomenon'(I can't believe I actually called it that) can be observed in many day-to-day activities: think about lying for example; when we were kids and had to tell our parents about a bad mark we had received at school...the first thought in most cases was either lie about not receiving any marks on that day or just simply being apathetic about the whole situation and not saying anything(alright, this doesn't necessarily classify as 'asshole' behavior, because we're talking about kids here, but this example is going to hopefully be relevant to another point I'm trying to make). Of course, lying isn't limited to kids...adults do it all the time(old habits die hard, eh?). 

The thing about lying is that it's the simplest choice when it comes to deciding the course of action you want to take in a certain situation...it's the easy path, to borrow a phrase from Star Wars. So I guess the point of this post is not so much about how easy it is to be an asshole, as much as it is about how people have an uncanny tendency to usually choose the easy path(because simply choosing the easy path doesn't automatically make you an asshole...maybe). But it's interesting to note the similarities between the simple rationale we had as kids when it came to bad marks and the ones we notice in certain situations as adults...for example, when an employer decides to hire or not hire someone based on their physical appearance, marital status or other superficial criteria(depending on the position on offer of course).

And now to answer the question that's likely to be on your mind right now('what is the actual point of this post?' not 'how can a guy calling himself wanderingpropeller expect his opinions to be taken seriously?'). The truth is that I've found a new appreciation for people who actually act like decent human beings(and I've been lucky enough to meet quite a few), because I've realised and perhaps remembered that being that way can actually be hard sometimes, especially for those of us who don't have a natural talent for this stuff. It also seems to me that we take decent human behavior for granted a lot of times so, here's to you, decent people I've met and know! There's also another aspect I'd like to touch upon, namely the fact that whether or not you choose the 'easy path' has to do with the amount of responsibility you're willing to take in a particular situation, but that's something I'll leave for another post...

For now, here's a random clip(the end of the clip to be more precise) that I thought of while coming up with today's post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyYOuuRmQp0

"No, you're wrong!" or Why can't we all just get along?

And now that I've gotten that first post in months out of the way, time to get down to business as usual...

During my so-called 'exile' from these lands and my numerous surfing sessions on the vast ocean we call the Internet, I came across a lot of debates on various messageboards and forums on a multitude of subjects, ranging from serious aspects such as politics and economy to less serious stuff, such as superhero movies. One constant of debates on all sorts of subjects is that they're always going to bring up differences of opinion between people(and yes, I know that statement is Captain Obviousesque...bear with me here). But there's another, more interesting aspect that's brought up during debates, a more subtle one perhaps, namely the way in which people react to each other's opinions...actually scratch that, each other's difference of opinions.

It's pretty incredible to note how quickly a civilized debate can turn into a series of personal insults about one's intelligence(or sometimes worse, one's family/relatives), thereby deviating from its original purpose of sharing one another's thoughts about a particular subject, just because of that particular aspect. Actually, this has more to do with the kind of people involved in debates, because one can't just generalize when it comes to subjects such as this one. I've noticed all sorts of people that get involved in debates, but to try and not bore you people, I'm only going to mention two main groups : there's the person who states his or her opinion and waits for responses because he or she is honestly interested in a debate and different viewpoints; then there's the people who seem almost offended by another person's different opinion, feeling the need to belittle it just because they think of their opinion as being the most well-thought and informed one there is. These people don't really seem to be interested in the debate at all and are rather prone to state their disbelief and disappointment at another person's different viewpoint(usually through condescension). It's also interesting to note that this aspect is apparently much easier to observe during internet debates than in real-life(which may have something to do with the anonymity provided by the Internet).

But my question is why? Why are some people seemingly incapable of accepting another person's different opinions(manifesting this disagreement in an insulting way)? It can't be because they're just plain assholes(although, come to think of it, simple reasoning such as this can sometimes provide valid answers). Still, it's almost never that simple when it comes to the human race, is it? And yet, by the way some people react to someone having a different opinion you'd think their mother was insulted. And so here's today's random thought : what if this unwillingness to accept another person's viewpoint is the result of a human fear that we often just write off? Namely, the fear of being alone...it stands to reason that a person who takes his or her opinions seriously to the extreme and reacts in an (at the end of the day) irrational way to someone's differing viewpoint could be motivated by such a fear. Maybe some people take another person's differing stand on a subject as a sign that they're alone in believing what they believe...and thus react in said irrational manner. Because if they take their opinions seriously in an extreme way, what stops them from reacting to people's different viewpoints in an extreme way?

Now, as audacious as this claim may seem it's important to remember, considering the nature of the subject in today's post, that all of this is IMHO(In My Humble Rather Uninspired Opinion that is). Because this is apparently one of the effects of not writing something for months.

And alternatively, it's quite possible that some people really enjoy being right when it comes to debates.

"The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated"...ah, who am I kidding?

Before I actually get started with a new post, I'd just like to say a few words regarding my protracted absence from the Blogging Lands(yes, I'm going to act as if somebody actually cared...I know, craaaazy). Truth be told I couldn't actually point out one particular reason for the lack of new posts during the last few months...maybe it was due to lack of motivation, inspiration and there just may be some lazyness involved as well. Or perhaps summer just isn't the best time for writing the kind of aimless and mindless crap I do here.

Anyway, the main idea that I'm trying to get across while simultaneously making fun of my writing here(how very original of me, I know) is that the blog's back, hopefully with a bang...or maybe not, that's up to the people who read it(yep, still acting as fi someone actually cares about what I write here).

Kidding about that last part in the parantheses by the way...there have actually been people who've asked me about the stagnating nature of the blog(I know, I'm just as surprised as you) and I'd just like to take the time to thank them for their interest(you know who you are).

Or maybe(to borrow a joke from a friend), these people are actually figments of my imagination and thus not real and I'm actually a patient at a mental institution...ah, who can tell anymore?(I've watched too many psychological mind-fuck thrillers, I know)

"And I love what you do / Don't you know that you're toxic?" or What the hell does "catchy" mean?

Random title, I know. Or maybe not so random if you remember the contents of the last post on this blog(which I'm sure you don't because, honestly, who can keep count of all my obscure references?). Anyway, the name of the game is randomness in these parts, so you shouldn't really be surprised.

Before my sarcasm actually becomes annoying, I'll start this post properly by asking "WTF does the title mean? And why can't I get those damn lyrics out of my head??". In case you haven't realized(or recalled) yet, the title is actually a section from the lyrics to Britney Spears' hit song(I use the term loosely) "Toxic", which Wikipedia says was released in 2004. Now I usually prefer music that contains intelligent and thought provoking lyrics(and I don't mean to sound elitist here), includes a badass guitar riff or that is instrumental in nature and there are other criteria as well. But that's not what I'm here to talk about...I'm trying to talk about why, when I usually prefer totally different kinds of music, I still enjoy mindless songs like Britney's "Toxic". After all, it contains almost everything that I think is wrong with pop music today(including and not limited to, generous - and I mean GENEROUS - amounts of nudity, as well as sexual references that are as subtle as an elephant). And just for the record, I do enjoy those kinds of things, I just think that they require a more proper context and more subtle handling, as well as some kind of measure.

I think the main reason that this song(and others like it) are a guilty pleasure of mine is because they're "catchy". It's actually as simple as that(it's also because I don't really have any other explanation). There's absolutely nothing to appreciate from a lyrical standpoint and yet I still enjoy the song. I guess it also has something to do with the fact that music, at the end of the day, stimulates your hearing and to be honest, this song also sounds catchy to me. Another similar song that comes to mind right now is Katy Perry's "E.T.". Now before I talk more about it, I'd just like to remind everyone of the genius of Katy Perry's lyrics("Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?", anyone?), as well as her tendency to shoot anything from whip-cream to sparks out of her boobs during her music videos(I mean, seriously, do we really need a FURTHER reminder that she has them?). This kind of "genius" would usually be enough to not make me listen to another one of the particular "artist's" song...and yet I do like "E.T."(as well as "I Kissed A Girl", which I'm sure EVERYONE remembers). Another factor, I think, is that catchy is strongly linked to whether or not a song makes you feel like dancing. And I have to admit that there's something in these songs that stimulate that part of me as well. I guess the title of this post should actually be a question regarding the nature of the word catchy(hmmm, good idea). Admittedly, the fact that I can actually be entertained by this kind of song is kind of disappointing to me, but I can console myself with the fact that while they have this catchy nature, it is ephemeral(meaning I like them for a couple of days). And yet, that catchy nature has an uncanny ability to come back at the most random of times.

And now I shall invite the readers of this blog(heh, who am I kidding?) to share in my guilty pleasure. Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU

Nothing mind blowing

Today I started this blog(obviously, I know) and I must confess I'm still assessing the reasons I did this. The thought had crossed my mind for a while now and I guess the main reason for creating it was wanting to share a bunch of my random thoughts with those who'll actually read this blog. Now, I know that doesn't sound terribly inspiring, but I'm genuinely curious at people's reactions to my thoughts, if there will actually be any. I just find myself sometimes thinking of random and different subjects in my mind and when I'm done I realise that actually sharing these thoughts with other people would probably have been much more productive. In the chaos(and I use that term loosely) that is my life, I often find myself forgetting these random ramblings I undertake intensely in my own mind. The subjects of these ramblings vary quite wildly, probably because I often have too much free time on my hands(or is that mind? hmmm...) and don't know what to do with it, a problem with which many people are confronted with nowadays. Quite a tragedy isn't it(I'm being sarcastic btw)?

Because I'm fast running out of things to say in this already quite dull initial post, I'm going to mention some of the subjects I'll probably talk about during my future ramblings here: the strange nature of pop music(you can thank Britney Spears' song "Toxic" and others like it for inspiring this one), the shameful state of televised political debates in my country(yes, I know, not everyone's cup of tea; but give it a chance, will ya?), as well as...you know what? I wanted to mention another subject, but I've forgotten(thanks again, "memory") what it was.

See, that's why I created this blog!

PS: If you were disappointed by the quality of this post, read the title again(this is what 3 hours of sleep the previous night, as well as two pending exams will do to the quality of your posts btw).