An Anger Management Topic
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Just a Post
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Think About It

It’s Time for Change

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Public Domain image by Petr Kratochvil.

Warning: The topic of this post is very heavily debated, and some may be offended. Reader’s discretion is advised.

Hello, and welcome to another Benaball blog post. Sit back, get some snacks. This will be a lengthy read.

This isn’t one of my regular posts, with me bringing up things that average teenagers get affected by. Take my most recent post for example, in which I analysed an article about a study that showed that the average Australian is a gamer… Go read it, it’s quite interesting.

I digress, however. This post is not one I would normally write, but given the current circumstances in not just the US but Australia, I thought I would shed some light on this subject: Marriage equality. A controversial topic to say the least, but has become a much more relevant discussion in the past 12 months due to it being passed within the American government. Australia has only just recently, up until this week, had a very heated debate on the subject on multiple fronts. This includes not only the government, but in protests and conferences involving religious and homosexual rights groups.

I myself have had a few discussions about this, in fact only just last night I had one with my parents: I was for it, while both of my parents were against it. That is because of their upbringing, sure. They are both Christians, they may not go to church any more but they still believe in the ideals of the religion. That’s fine, I don’t discriminate.

Moving on, though. That discussion caused me to do a lot more thinking, from a logical perspective. For the record, I’m an atheist, so if my views are very open minded (or closed minded, depending how you think), that is why. I like to eliminate bias in my arguments, woo!

So let’s begin with the most common arguments against the topic that I have heard. There are three main points that seem to be the most prominent for me. They are:

  • When a gay couple want a child and have one (through whatever means), their “lifestyle” will impact on that child’s “choices.”
  • Homosexual couples will influence others to turn to their “lifestyle” and hence it will create a snowball effect in future generations.
  • Marriage is meant for “normal” people, as it gives children a Mum and a Dad.

These arguments you may agree with, depending upon your own ideals. I’m going analyse each one and evaluate, the best I can.

When a gay couple want a child and have one (through whatever means), their “lifestyle” will impact on that child’s “choices.”

Let’s picture this scenario. I have heard again and again that if a child were to walk in on two men or two women (parents or not) together in a room (fully clothed, get your mind out of the gutter xD), being a couple and having a moment, that child would get in their mind that that is the only and normal way people are meant to be, which is being with someone of the same gender. Sure, if the child was old enough to have some idea of a relationship, that could make sense. Right? No.

Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. A kid walks in on a man and a woman together, in the exact same scenario. Does the child think that is the only way to be? So in reality, the argument could be made against a heterosexual couple, in which their “lifestyle” impacts upon the child’s future. See how ridiculous this sounds? People don’t just decide to be gay, it’s comes about during puberty. You are either attracted to men or women, or both (props to you). It’s a natural thing that your body decides, not your self-conscience. If you want to know how your body does this, well… Google it.

Homosexual couples will influence others to turn to their “lifestyle” and hence it will create a snowball effect in future generations.

This one, oh man. Possibly the most flawed of the arguments, and it links in with the previous argument. As I said before, people don’t just choose to be gay. It isn’t decided by their experiences, but their body. And what is even more sad is that this makes homosexuality seem like a plague, or a virus. Being gay isn’t a lifestyle. It’s a natural thing that occurs in all species, not just humans.

Marriage is meant for “normal” people, as it gives children a Mum and a Dad.

Let’s begin this by saying that the current idea of marriage to the vast majority of people is it is a thing that couples do when they love each other, pure and simple. Marriage has had multiple purposes and definitions, and has mostly originated through religious means. Originally, for hundreds of years it symbolised the man’s ownership of a women. Thankfully, that isn’t the case in most cultures now. So if the underlying purpose of marriage is “love”, then why does it just have to be between a heterosexual couple only? Why can’t it be between a same-sex couple? And how are they not normal? They’re human beings!

In response to the second part of the argument, marriage doesn’t mean children are required. Quite a lot of people get married and don’t have children. Some physically can’t have children. According to an article from March 2013 on WashingtonPost, 48% of first children in the US are to parents that aren’t married. Sure, not all children are a product of love, but that isn’t what we are discussing. I guess what I am trying to put across here is that marriage is not permission to have children. So fundamentally, this argument is flawed in that only 52% of first births are the product of marriage, not 100%. But remember, this is about births; the parents aren’t necessarily heterosexual. The babies could be products of IVF and sperm donation. Thus the mother of the child may actually be in a relationship with another woman. Heck, the guy donating the sperm could be gay!

So overall, why is same-sex marriage not legal? It clearly has a place in our society, it is a real thing that should be embraced. The two problems that are preventing this from happening? Religion and the government. The legal systems decides these things, and religion is prominent within it. So the odds of it being approved: Slim to none.

My view on the question is simple: IT SHOULD BE A THING.

Let’s have a nice discussion in the comments, no hostility. And if you disagree, let me know, but be nice 🙂

Thank you for reading,

The Festologist.

Gaming
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Think About It

The Average Aussie is a Gamer!

Greetings, people! Or robot, if you aren’t a human.

http://pixabay.com/en/users/qiye/
Public domain image by qiye

I’ve decided that this site needs content. So, I’m going to start writing posts every week to please our ever desiring audience. Whoever that is, I’m not sure… Anyhow!

I want you to think about something for me. Over the past few years especially, the media and ‘child well-being’ groups have been calling for video games to be banned due to bad content and for them being the supposed cause of violence in teenagers. What they want, is for all video games no matter what genre to be banned in Australia. That means preventing adults from buying and playing video games too.

Let’s look at the research done here, by a creditable source other than the media. According to a study done by Bond University last year (2013), approximately 70% of all Australians play video games. Games like these, normally associated with young people under 25, are now being played by people of many ages. The average of these gamers being aged around 32 years old.

It doesn’t stop there. 9 in 10 households have some form of interactive entertainment, regardless of the model of console (let’s not get into the console war here). Even 40 – 60 year old men and women play video games, with that age bracket representing the largest group of gamers in Australia. People over 50 account for 20% of all gamers. Bet you never knew that, ‘ey?

One of the arguments against video games is that it is anti-social, and that games are mostly played by people under 18 that are being brainwashed into thinking that violence is the way of life. Well, that’s wrong.

76% of video gamers are over 18. Adults continue to form the vast majority of gamers in Australia, with the average gamer now aged 32 years old. This aligns closely with the average age of the Australian community which, according to recent ABS census data, is 37 years old.

This, with the fact that over ~80% of parents play video games with their kids to connect with them and have fun, completely disproves the argument for the brainwashing of children.

So when people tell you that kids are being brainwashed and that games are destroying our way of life, show them this. I’ll leave the link to the article at the bottom of this post.

Once again, thanks for reading. Leave a rating!

This is the Festologist, signing off.

 

http://www.marketingmag.com.au/news/the-average-aussie-is-a-gamer-70-of-all-people-play-video-games-45462/

Just a Post
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Think About It

Mental Drainage Time!

http://pixabay.com/en/users/geralt/
Public domain image by geralt

G’day people, Festologist here.

You know how, in year 11 and 12, there are things called exams? Well, they started last week, with my own exams starting this morning. Physics being that exam.

It was a nightmare, to say the least. Walking into the room, with my brain running through everything I had studied the night before, I felt strangely confident… Until I looked at the exam paper for the first time.

Holy shoot.

The first question threw me off completely, as I had not seen something like it before. Things sort of went a bit better after that though, with a few guesses here and there. Then I looked up at the clock – 10:15, one hour to go and I wasn’t even half way through the second booklet. I had spent half hour on 2 questions.

To make the story short, I blasted though 5 questions in 15 minutes, quite the achievement. I then spent the full 45 minutes on the last booklet.

I walked out of the exam, went to go to my locker and was told, “Sorry you can’t go through here, an exam is on right now.” I had to wait. 45 long, boring minutes without food to cure my hunger that I had since about 11am. Plus I had no phone, books etc to keep me entertained until 12. Greatest three-quarters of an hour of my life (not).

So that pretty much sums up my day, not mentioning nearly falling asleep over my philosophy work and missing the bus home. Hope you have all had a better day than me. I have another 3 exams over the next 2 days, so have fun everyone!

Thanks for reading,

This is The Festologist, signing off.

 

Just a Post
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Think About It

The Internet.

Hey guys! Welcome welcome, please hang up your hat and take a seat. New post! Mind-blown right?

There has been no activity on this website for a few months now. Not anyone’s fault, but it can be safely assumed that everyone is busy with something. School, Minecraft servers, or procrastination… Personally I have been flooded with school work and assignments, presenting no time up until now for a post. So here it is, take it and do what you want with it in the virtual space of your device, whatever that may be.

For those who do not know, the internet turns 25 years old today. 25 years of development, illegal downloads, conspiracies and of course, the invention of Facebook (just to name a few). Not to mention the gaming community that has thrived from having internet access to obtain things to amuse them. The internet is now a core part of our society, allowing people all across the Earth to communicate with each other and present themselves in whatever way they see fit, to anyone who will look and listen.

Now I could do a massive essay or something on the history of computers and how the internet has created a massive push in technological advancement, but I can’t be bothered. I already will have to do enough essays this year in Philosophy, so can you really blame me?

Let put this in a short version. Without the internet, society as it is today would still be relying on letters and the postal system to talk to another person without the need for long distance, expensive phone calls. Mobile phones may well be different, with no need for internet browsing smart phones would not have the applications or games that you see everyone using, as they require the internet to download from. Unless you physically installed them from a disk onto your computer and from there onto your phone, but that would be pretty pointless. Computers would also be different, as we are now moving into cloud technology where everything is stored online. Gaming consoles that rely on constant internet connections for updates would not exist, we’d have to buy a new console if we wanted every update!

The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.
– Bill Gates

As you can see, we’d be a lot different without the internet. More social too, not hunchbacked dum-dums that sit at a computer desk all day. I could keep going about how different the world could be without it. Just look at the world 50 years ago that didn’t have the internet, and apply it to today. Big difference.

Nice thought-provoking post for you. Don’t go taking technology for granted now xD

Signing off,

Fester.

Holidays… Fun.

Hello there, fellow beings…

So it’s the holidays, a  supposedly relaxing period of time where you are free to do anything you want. Who’s enjoying themselves? Are you going to town every second day to socialize with friends, going to the beach every other day just because you can? Well, good on ya’ for having a relaxing lifestyle.

My holidays have been composed of work, homework, a small amount of socializing and a bit of casual-solo gaming. I would like to thank my English teacher for giving the class 2 essays to complete over our precious 2-week break. It is our time for relaxation, not time to deal with school.

Moving on from that,  this post is already presenting the idea of our ‘normal’, holiday routine. Not trying to be rude to anyone, but some spocky-nerds like me prefer to be indoors pondering over life while the popular ones spend their break with a massive social group… ahh, this is going nowhere.

I need a program. Not a piece of software that you can  use code to manipulate to your needs, but a schedule that is ridden of school and stress – I want to be me.

My brain says, “Game and surf the web until you drop dead from Vitamin D deficiency!” Yet my parents tell me nearly everyday to exercise and get some sun.

 

“Tyler, get your arse outside and get some fresh air. Even better go for a long walk!”

 “You are pale. You feeling alright? Get some sunshine.”

“Get off the Xbox!”

“Square eyes…”

That is just some of the things that have been said to me over the last few days, and in the past by my immediate and extended family. Who cares if I am sixteen and at the time in life where I need to exercise to prepare my body for future life. I do karate for 1 and a half hours a week, I walk to work 2 nights a week… isn’t that enough?

Hold your horses, before you people with ‘healthy’ lifestyles scroll down to the bottom of this post with advice on what I should be doing in terms of exercise, you should read the next bit of writing.

I am healthy. I just have a lifestyle of being lazy… =P

Ah well. Seems that we can’t have everything we want. If I could have the body of a god and have the metabolism that allows me to put on NO weight, I would be satisfied.

OKAY. I will stop.

Are holidays different for everyone? Yes they are. I have been told that I am being thrown outside and cleaning up the backyard this weekend, oh joy.

Thanks for reading this disorganised piece of writing. Next time I post, I will have some sort of structure… hopefully.

Until next time, unless I am being tossed into supposedly beneficial lifestyle that has no end,

Fester.

The Responsibilities…

Hello my friends!

The school year is well under way, and this site has once again fallen silent. I am seeing a pattern. We go silent, someone writes a post and then we have one or two more before hibernation grips the site in its evil claws once more…

Alright, I will give Ben a break. He has been under a HEAP of stress lately to get his videos going, prepare for fortnightly assemblies and to get ready for his exams. What a lovely start, do you see where this is going?

Yes guys, if you have guessed, the majority of us have had quite a lot of responsibilities to attend to that this site has just become the least prioritized in our everyday program. I have had articles to write, multiple meetings to attend, 20 000 lots of homewor- well, maybe not but it feels like it.

It has become very apparent that Grade 10 is the most stressful year that anyone has encountered before. That is what I see it as. And all you guys/girls that bludge on a computer 24/7, play games in every single class that you attend and don’t give a rats about your education – go and do something productive for a change, because those of us who actually try to do something with our lives have to put up with your crap everyday.

Sorry… got a bit distracted there…

Anyway, the point of this post is not to bag out the hunchbacks of modern society, but to identify just how much responsibility everyone gives the hard-working “young adults” nowadays.

Recently, I had a mini anxiety-like attack from all the stress in my life at the moment. Among numerous other things, I get given homework nearly everyday, I work 2-4 nights a week and I always have to allow time for my article that has to be submitted every Tuesday before the school newsletter is published on a Thursday once a month. The list goes on.

And now, I have injured my left foot playing four-square (of all things!), which has rendered me incapable of doing what I enjoy most of all… a 1 hour session of Karate training every Saturday morning. My training lets me force out all of the stress that builds up inside me throughout the week, and everyone there is willing to help each other learn the etiquette and all kiai in unison… For all you that are Karate-intolerant, a kiai is essentially a yell, but you summon it from your diaphragm and expel the air an- as if you wanted to know, ahaa.

I really feel sorry for the adults of our society now. They work their butts of to support us, and a lot of us just don’t realise how much stress they get put under. Now, the “young adults” of today are entering the workforce and earning a living, and throwing themselves into a really deep pool of stress, anxiety etc. Like me… like Ben… and like all the other people who try to well.

“Tyler, can you please do an article tonight for the newsletter?”

“Ben, we need the assembly prepared ASAP! Also, we need a video for the assembly too!”

“Alright you blokes, this Dreamweaver work needs to be completed next week!”

 

I honestly don’t know how much more I can handle. Night after night, I stress and I panic that I will fail Grade 10… Man, I really need a life!

Let me know if you are in a similar problem. Also, Ben I apologise if you did not want to be mentioned in this post. I was simply using you as an example! =)

Until next time guys, unless I end up overrun with a continuously growing mountain of responsibility,

This is Fester, signing off.