Since when did we accept things at face value? When did we forget to question?

The most common word to come out of a childs mouth is “why?”. Everything ws something to be questioned, something to be understood, knowledge to be gained. But it seems, that the older we get, the more stupid we get. We’ve forgotten to question.

Ubi dubium ibi libertas- Where there is doubt, there is freedom.

The reason I ask this is that I stumbled across a blog this morning entitled “JORDAN CHANDLER HOAX  – FATHER FORCED ME INTO TELLING LIES”. Obviously quite a shocking accusation, though if it was true I would not have been totally surprised. However, being that I don’t necessarily take a two paragraph blog at face value and seeing the 5/6 comments with replies such as “OMG dey shuld burn in hell da twats 4 lying dem bastards” the validity of this blog didn’t seem to hold much water…. So off I trotted around the internet looking for more infomation, and lo and behold, I found it. The original blog which stated this was nothing more than attention seeking drivel and has in fact been taken down. But, I did manage to find another blog which had lifted the original blog with several humourous anecdotes of its own. If you wish to read it, you can find it here http://blog.vpjayant.com/?p=21 .

As much as the topic of Michael Jackson, did he/didn’t he is an interesting one, it isn’t the point of this blog. My point, or question, is why are some of us so happy to be ignorant? It would have taken 60 seconds to find the information about that blog being a hoax, if that. Eugh… this blog is going nowhere, my head is too muffly to get what I mean out in a clear and concise manner.

I was posed with an interesting question the other day, should Britian join the Euro?

And well, here was my answer, hopefully some will find it informative.

I personally don’t believe it would be beneficial for Britain to join the Euro, currency unions have been attempted and failed the the past, we have no way to know that it will be a success. The needs of our domestic economy are not correlational with that of the European Central Bank, it is pursing a deflationary monetary policy for Europe which would not be good for us as a country. As we are now in a recession joining the Euro would mean that would cannot devalue our own currency in order to increase exports as we have done in the past and are doing now.

The general idea of the Euro is one that defines Europe as separate from the rest of the world, it is only for the advancement of European policy makers rather than the individual countries themselves, the bureaucracy is all that motivates it, rather than the individual needs of the country.

We cannot be assured that the Euro as a monetary union will be sustainable, we have already seen with Ireland (EIRE) that it was beneficiary for them to depart from Sterling and establish their own currency, this can only indicate that leaving the union of currency was beneficial rather than the joining of a currency.

I think that people put too much weight on the emotional aspect of leaving behind the pound and do not look deep enough into the economic factors, many countries are struggling because of the Euro and it in indicative that they will leave and re-establish their own currencies.

The Economic Monetary Union infact threatens our economy greatly from a financial standpoint, there is a state pensions crisis already happening in many continental countries as well as high rates of taxation, high public deficits and in some cases high debts, it does not take a genius to work out that the union of our currencies would put pressure on us via the EMU to bail out the countries in trouble.

To expand upon that point the joining of the Euro would enforce a European interest rate, countries whose debt increases would raise interest rates in all other countries, in short, if say Spain got into very serious debt, we would feel the backlash. EU countries would be responsible for increasing their intra-EU transfer payments in order to assist countries that have made bad economical decisions.

Aside from all of that, making the change from Sterling to the Euro would mean that business and banks would incur substantial costs, costs that would then be passed on to us, the consumers. Migration of capital will be very costly, and the EU has made no indication let alone commitment to relieving the cost of the migration.

The DNA Database: An invasion of our civil liberties, or a necessary deterrent to criminals?

The DNA Database currently covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it holds 4.5 million samples and of those samples, 850,000 that are of people that have never committed a crime. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that storing these samples and the information is illegal, however, five months later, and where are those samples? Right where they were in the first place, and with more added to them. The home office has begrudgingly set up a time limit for the data, saying that instead of keeping the information of innocent people for life, they will keep it instead for six years, and of those arrested (not convicted) of a serious, violent, or sexual crime for 12 years. The only fathomable reason for this is to keep an eye on those that have been earmarked as ‘trouble’. Worryingly, it seems Scotland has done it right for once, a kick in the teeth for all those that didn’t want to give Scotland their own parliament in the first place, Scotland deletes the information of the innocent unless a court has ruled that the police is allowed to keep this information on file.

The inventor of DNA Fingerprinting, Sir Alan Jefferys has spoken out against the storing of innocent citizens DNA information, he warned the turmoil that the government is causing by this piece of legislation. He says, “They feel they are being branded as criminals when they are innocent. This is compromising the use of DNA profiles. Certainly if I was asked now to give a blood sample to help solve a crime I would have serious doubts about supplying it.”

On the one hand, what is the difference between applying for a passport and providing the state with your photograph, and allowing them to have a photograph of your DNA? Privacy is the main objection from anti-database activists, and the idea that we are all being treated like criminals if the government holds our DNA. However, no one seems to be able to explain why holding our DNA presumes we are guilty, as well as proving guilt, it also helps to prove innocence. Just ask any of the wrongly convicted only to be released upon new evidence. Perhaps a solution to this would be to have a “universal database”. If we did, would the stigma dissolve?

Ministers have tried to promote the idea that a universal database would mean that everyone is treated equally, but they know deep down that this will not cut it for most citizens. Aside from the general feeling of unrest and the idea that they have a ‘part of you’, most respectable people won’t take kindly to having their DNA imprinted upon a police computer, and given the Government’s history for mislaying and losing our personal data, (remember the 25 million citizens information that was ‘lost in the post’? ) it is hardly surprising that we are sceptical. It is because of this that the Government has focused on people whom have had previous dealings with the police, most of those who come from “minorities disproportionately likely to fall foul of the police”, and ones that are not able to kick up as much of a fuss as Lord Whotsit from Ealing. The result of this? A system that discriminates and that judges innocent people as suspects for a minimum of six years, 5.2% of the UK’s population are on the database, compared with just 0.5% of the US. The UK is also the proud owner of the most CCTV cameras anywhere in the world. There is a reason 1984 was written by a British man, we are the only ones with a government so obsessed with a ‘big brother’ system.

It should also be noted that the system has brought more unrest to the innocent than the guilty, hardened serious criminals cover their tracks and will not be caught by things like DNA evidence, being that they don’t leave any.

Personally? I’m torn. On the one hand I don’t want anyone to hold my DNA information, but on the other hand, if this information could be used to prove my innocence or catch clumsy and lazy criminals, good luck to them. But the idea that the information they hold now is biased towards those that come from a minority does not sit right with me. It should be a database that holds the information of convicted criminals only, or the entire population.

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The meaning to life…

My 5am rant. The words and questions that come out of a severe lack of sleep and mental exhaustion. Please, I invite you to read my questioning sprawlings and share your own. Your experiences and your questions, your opinions and your response to mine.

Why are we here?

A question philosophers, songwriters, literary writers, theologians, and the rest of us have been trying to figure out for a long time. When you try to force an answer, force a subject, any answer you will receive will be nothing more than that, forced. Untrue, false. Why does life have to have a point? Why can it not like many other things be simply a happy accident? Penicillin for incident, merely a happy accident, yes an accident that came from not doing the washing up but stilll… a happy one. Newton’s laws of physics, gravity, the idea came from an accident, from one apple came the idea that what goes up must come down.

With that in mind, many of the answers to the question from a philosophical perspective are valid, Platonism for instance says that the meaning of life is to obtain the highest level of knowledge that one can. The idea that we are born to seek out the good and the true. But this doesn’t answer the question of why ultimately we are here.

Theologians, or at least some, have an easy answer. ‘God’. ‘God’ is why we are here, but this raises so many other questions, if there is a ‘God’, what was the point of creating us? Are we mere playthings for the amusement of a higher, more powerful being? One that can apparently creating something out of nothing? For what purpose? To watch us destroy ourselves and the world around us? To watch us rape and murder and pillage, the idea of Darwinism and survival of the fittest doesn’t necessarily mean the most physically fit. A cunning man could live while a fitter man dies if he uses his wits. For one country to wipe out another for the sake of this ‘God’ who supposedly created us. Does this not make it seem like we are toys for the amusement of a violent child? Perhaps this is too narcissistic, perhaps if there is a ‘God’ as so many believe there to be, and I stress believe there to be, not know there to be, then why does he not intervene? The problem with evil has been debated for centuries and yet the argument still stands. The question has not been answered. For the sake of free will millions die. For a creator, one whose life is to create and nurture does this surely not seem contradictory? There is no surprise that one man, or one group of men will stand up in the place of a guiding ‘God’ and try to rule for themselves. Though still, through these actions many die. Some give their lives freely and decide that the meaning of their lives is to die for another, for the leader or their country, they have found meaning to life. But to live only to die is surely a waste, is it not? To know that your only point is to die for another to live when without you laying down your life, when with you deciding not to fight could mean that the fight will never begin in the first place and all shall live? There is no war if there are no soldiers.

Perhaps the reason many philosophers sway from the original question, why are we here and to what should we do while we are here to gain the most from our time ,is because it is impossible to answer. Aristotle believed in the highest good, that we are here to try and seek out and obtain it, similarly to Plato. Marxism and communism on the other hand believes that we should not be serving ourselves but instead should be serving one another. That we live only to let others live too. However, this selfless mindset does not generally last because human traits such as greed and the urge to control and dominate soon overcomes. So still, why are we here? What is the point? To make a difference is subjective, make a difference to what exactly? How are we here in the first place? To which plane of existence do we exist? Surely if life is powerful enough to create us out of nothing surely it could create other things too? Which then means that the effect we have in our lifetime is still nothing when it is brought into a wider spectrum. Is there nothing? Is this truly all there is? It cannot be so when our lives are only relative to those around us and those around them. An ever increasing whirlwind, a vacuum of pointlessness and an irrational aimless hurry to the end post. Our existence precedes our essence and our essence only comes out of existence.

The happier man may reject all of these ideas in their entirety, he may prefer not to question, and to merely strive for happiness and contentment in his life, never questioning nor searching for a deeper reason as to why we are here. I believe that the happier man may be right. Ignorance so they say, is bliss. But answer me this, would you rather be happy, or would you rather know the truth. Since we may never find the truth perhaps it would be better if we would all just contend to being happy, living for the day, for the moment, but for me, and for many others, I believe that I would rather spend my whole life searching for a reason, than have no reason at all. That is the meaning for my life. That is why I am here. For the original answer to the meaning of life, to obtain the highest form of knowledge that I possibly can, or at least to seek it, for I fear that knowledge, however noble, will never be found.

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Who will buy…

…my sweet red roses? Two blooms for a penny…

Been going abit OTT on the musicals today lol. I do love them, I come from a big theatre/stage background and love anything to do with music.

My music tastes are wide and varied, they range from bands/artists like these;
Plain White T’s
The Hoosiers
SOiL
Queen
John Barrowman
Alkaline Trio
Finch
Ida Maria
Killswitch Engage
Korn
Masodon
Motion City Soundtrack
Mudvayne
Nickelback
NOFX
HIM
Simple Plan
The Pogues
Trivium

To classical music and opera, Beethoven is my personal favorite classical composer (I find Mozart tedious and overly praised, yes he is a fabulous composer and some of his music is truly a work of art, but he didn’t HAVE to work for it! How can you progress and learn if you need not to work at all!), with Turandot (Nessun Dorma) being my favorite opera with La Traviata a close second. Modern minimalistic music my preference is John Cage, I think he is truly inspirational and loved 3,44.

I adore musicals and stage shows, I’ve been in Joseph and his Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver!, Alice in Wonderland, Cabaret, and various others. I’m a trained tap-dancer and have been since I was very young.

Musically I’m a classical pianist and composer. I love it and only wish I had the time to do more musically, alas my schedule does not allow this.

Another reason for my love of music stems from a certain music teacher that I had some toe tapping lessons with lol. And another music teacher that I as of yet had not had the chance to taste for my myself

Jessica xxx

A Smile

This is one I wrote and sent to my partner to hopefully make him feel better.

When times are rough,
When you are down.
Just think of me,
And do not frown.

Just smile and laugh,
Our hearts sincere.
For you’ll be with me,
In just one year.

Breaking Point

Love is meant to inspire.
Bring joy,
Hope.
So why does it drag you down?
Causing problems,
Train wreck after train wreck.
Crashing and burning.
Drowing in a sea of rose petals,
More like rose coloured glasses.
Drowning in broken promises,
Love can tear you apart.
Leave you more alone than ever.
Is it really worth it?

Time to grow a pair?

I feel so incredibly unwanted, rejected and used. Bitterness consumes me. Confusion overwhelms. Have you ever noticed that it is so often our loved ones that treat us the worst? It’s too true in my case…

Problems divide us. Rather than bring us together.

The fact that I feel unwanted is ironic to say the least,  I’m meant to be doing an overnight booking tonight for crying out loud. Rejected again ironic with the situation as it is… Used not so ironic, my lifestyle depends itself on me being used, but usually in a good way.

But… I’m not wanted for me, rather what I can offer. I’m not rejected based on what I do, but rather who I am. I’m used… because I allow myself to be. I let people in, I let them mess around inside, and then say nothing as they leave me more fucked up than ever.

I’m betrayed. Betrayed by men. And betrayed by myself.

In other news… I set my thumb on fire again, but had them redone today so all is well.

Fire fire fire fire fire!!

What is it either about me that makes people want to be near me, or about them that makes them not stay the hell away from me?

Unwanted male attention, is by defination, UNWANTED. Being followed home by an ugly pakistani bloke who continually asks “Number? Your number? Give me your number?” and who doesn’t relent despite you saying “No, fuck off, NO, I’M A LESBIAN, COCK DISGUSTS ME – NO!” is not a good thing! It’s actually very intimidating and scary. I was more or less sprinting down the road to get away from him. Oh and let me not forget how he waited outside a shop while I was inside and continued his “Give me your number” tirade.

I didn’t know if he wanted to sleep with me or steal my purse. Horrbile.

I would just like to clarify that I’m not a lesbian, I’m bisexual, but he didn’t know that.

I have been wondering lately if I am swaying more towards women than men, and I think I am. I’m pretty sick of men to be honest… I still like them, find them attractive, but less and less. If I haven’t got to know them a little I’m really really wary and they make me really nervous though all I want to do is meet other bi/gay girls/women. I’d like to be friends with a guy without it being for sex you know? Lately everyone I meet is just after me for sex and I end up feeling even worse about myself and feeling totally used.

I dunno, maybe I’m just being silly.

In other news, I JUST SET MYSELF ON FIRE.
Scary!! My fingernail to be precise… the dangers of lighting candles. Matches are not a toy, don’t play with fire kids.