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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Why People Should Not "Spot" or "Be Spotted" on Facebook



It seems hard to believe, but Facebook is ten years old this year.  The social media giant celebrated that milestone earlier in the year, and over the course of ten years, it is a juggernaut that has connected people with their old friends, introduced an entire generation to millions of puzzle games, and made Mark Zuckerberg one rich man. 

Oh, sure, the social network has endured its fair share of criticism.  It is hard to keep up with the layout changes that take place every ten months or so.  I am also not a fan of having to refuse game requests from eager gamers who want me to send them lives on Candy Crush. 

But despite those minor issues, I am quite happy with using Facebook.  I also use Google+ and Twitter semi-frequently, but as far as mechanics go, I am most used to Facebook.  I do like the fact that I can use the messenger service to chat to people, I like the fact that I can comment on several different things at once, and I have to say that Facebook seems to be the best place to present this blog.

(Note that I said present, and not promote.  I am NOT giving Facebook fifty bucks to create an ad.)

But one thing that people need to learn about Facebook (and other social media sites for that matter) is that they are only as fun as you make them to be. 

For instance, if you're constantly spamming people's newsfeeds with every single article ever written, that isn't much fun.  When every single status is attacking somebody else, that isn't much fun.

And when people hide behind screennames to openly bully people, or slander a person's reputation online, that is most definitely not fun.

I mean, let's face it.  Facebook has nearly one billion accounts in its system.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that all one billion accounts belong to one billion people.  After all, Facebook is banned in some countries (North Korea for example).  In all likelihood, some people out there have more than one account.  Some I know use two accounts to get more freebies on Facebook games, but some use a secondary account to cause mischief on Facebook groups and people's personal pages.

And then there is the issue of Facebook groups that allow people to make anonymous comments about anyone they want without revealing their identities.  To me, groups like that raise an immediate red flag, and it allows people to say basically whatever they want without any sort of repercussions whatsoever.

There is a particular group that has originated in my hometown of all places that is exactly like that.

Perhaps your town might have one of these kinds of sites.  I have seen several for other communities as well that basically work the same way as the one based out of my town.

They usually go by the name "Insert Hometown Name Here" Spotted.  It is a group that people can post on anonymously (under the name of the group) about any kind of topic they want.  But beware.  People who comment don't get that same anonymity.  Their names are in full view for everyone who is a part of the Spotted groups to see.

You can just imagine the powder keg that could explode in a scenario like that one.  It would be easy for someone to post a comment calling someone out in a disgusting manner, and not worry because their post doesn't reveal who they are.  I often wonder if some even do it just to sit back and watch the fireworks fly between other people who get into arguments based on said anonymous posts.  I wouldn't be surprised, let's put it that way.

As far as these "Hometown Spotted" groups go, I will say that in some cases, the sites can be a great source of info - if used correctly.  If you're trying to sell an item, posting ads for apartments, asking locals for assistance in finding the best restaurants, or are searching for a lost pet, then I don't see much of an issue with that.  And for all I know, that very well could have been the intention that the creators of the Spotted groups had - a forum run for people of the community by people of the community.

So, why do the initial comments have to be shrouded in secrecy?

Well, some people like to stir the pot.  They like to call people out on bad behaviour, call people derogatory names, and make fun of people who they feel are different from them. 



They're basically your everyday, run of the mill, yellow-bellied cowards.

I didn't even know that there were sites like this until someone pointed out to me that someone had used the site to verbally attack myself and my other co-workers in the department of the store that I work at.  And the comments that this person left on the Spotted site were not constructive at all.  They were downright mean.

What was worse, the people who commented underneath the post were not only making nasty jabs to the original poster, but they were attacking each other in the comments section.  Some of my co-workers tried to step in and diffuse the situation, but some people just went and turned on them.  I read the whole thread (which seemed to take forever given just how many people were responding), and I could not believe how one comment caused an entire group of people to turn on each other.  I had to turn away in disgust because I did not like what I was seeing.  If I had the ability, I'd have blocked the group entirely.

You see, the Spotted groups to me only exist for one purpose and one purpose only.  It is a group designed for a certain group of people who are bored or frustrated with life to post controversial questions and statements which only serve to divide the community and get people angry with each other for no reason.

I know that I cannot stop these sites from popping up.  But I do have the choice not to use them.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

All About Kim's Bass, About Kim's Bass, No Kiddin'

So, Kim Kardashian has a new cover out that has everybody talking.

Yes, by now, I am sure that you have seen photos of the latest issue of "Paper Magazine" (which admittedly is a publication that I have never even heard of, but that is another topic altogether).  On the cover, it shows the most famous (or infamous, if you'd like) of the Kardashian family stripping everything off and posing for the camera in both full frontal and full rear shots.



(NOTE:  I have inserted the censored version of the cover for this blog.  Just Google for the real cover, just in case any four year olds happen to come across it.  Hey, with the amount of tablets and iPads I sell to parents of small children, you never know, right?)

It is the cover that boasted that it would "break the Internet".  And well, I can't say for sure if it really did just that.  But I can tell you that it certainly had the Internet talking about it.

And, well, let us just say that some of the people responding to the cover were not exactly kind.

But then again, can one really say that Kim Kardashian is really considered to be someone who gets a lot of online love from the general public?  Lately it seems as though people seem to jump on the "I Hate Kim Kardashian" bandwagon because it almost seems like the cool thing to do. 

Although in some cases, I can see where she has somewhat made herself her own punchline in the jokes of comedians, late night talk show hosts, and other celebrities.  After all, this is the same woman who first got herself noticed via a sex tape that was leaked to the media in 2007 filmed four years prior.

This is the same woman who married a basketball player and divorced him less than three months later.

This is the same woman who named her child after a compass direction. 

Okay.  I'll be honest.  Those jokes just write themselves.  And yeah, admittedly I have laughed at some of the jokes.  In particular with a meme floating around Facebook and Twitter stating that they had a photo of Kim's ass, and it ended up being a picture of Kanye West.

(Though to be fair, my poking fun at this meme is less of an attack on Kim Kardashian and more of an attack on Kanye West, who I will openly admit is one of the handful of celebrities that I cannot stomach.)

But in my opinion, there is a difference between making a couple of light-hearted jokes about a situation and being flat out mean and cruel.  And, well...some people on social media don't seem to understand that there is a fine line between kidding around and being as big of an ass as...well...yeah, you can insert your own thoughts here.

Look, I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not understanding what the huge deal is with the Kim Kardashian cover.  Kim is hardly the first celebrity to pose nude for a cover shot, and I definitely will tell you that she won't be the last.  I mean, I seem to recall there being as much discussion about a cover that Demi Moore did nearly twenty-five years ago where she posed nude while being pregnant.  Here.  I'll post that cover below.



Now, this was back in 1991, and admittedly society was a lot more conservative back in the early 1990s as it is now.  But, I don't really see anything wrong with the Demi Moore cover.

And, frankly...while many may not agree with me...I don't see anything wrong with Kim Kardashian's cover shot either. 

I mean, even though I showed a censored version of the cover, I've seen the original one, and I am not offended by it at all.  Mind you, I would never purchase that magazine just to get my hands on the cover because A) Kim Kardashian isn't one of my favourite celebrities and B) I would NEVER pay ten dollars for a magazine.  A comic book maybe, but a magazine?  Never.

Many people seem to be reacting to this story as if this is the first time that this has ever happened, but we all know that isn't true.  I just posted an example up above!  And, hey, how many Playboy centerfolds have appeared nude?  I don't have a list, but I am sure that there are plenty.  I mean, the idea that she is showing her badonkadonk in full view on a cover isn't exactly original.

I am sort of surprised that it did seem to take center stage in world news.  I don't really think it's anything newsworthy to be honest.  It isn't as if she cured cancer, or landed on a comet, or became the President of the United States of America.  She took off her clothes, posed for a camera, and submitted those shots to a magazine which published them.  As have thousands of women before her.

But, hey.  I suppose that she did set out what she wanted to do.  Get people talking.  Heck, I'm guilty of it right now by devoting a whole blog to the subject.  But at the very least, I'm trying to keep it tactful and I am trying not to humiliate her.  I'm telling you, some of the comments that I have seen on social media have been brutal from people telling her that she is ugly to people actually telling her that she should die!  And, I don't care how famous one is.  Those comments hit below the belt and are uncalled for.

Look, I get that many people are questioning why or how Kim Kardashian ever became famous (and well, I openly admit to being one of those people).  But anyone who can start up their own line of cosmetics and perfumes, as well as being able to handle the pressures of filming a television show (okay, so it's a not-great reality show, but still it's something)...well, she's done more than I have ever done and is reaping the rewards because of it.  I can't fault her for that. 


And while I'm not exactly going to be keeping up with the Kardashians any time soon, I think it is also important to realize that Kim is only human like the rest of us.  She makes decisions the same way we make them.  She makes mistakes the same way we make mistakes.  And, well...again, I may be making an unpopular comment, but I don't think it is funny to publicly humiliate anyone on a public forum just because of something they did or didn't do.  And whether these nasty comments are brought out by jealousy, anger, or just plain trolling is irrelevant.  It isn't cool to be mean.  Period.  And that goes for whether you are famous or an average Joe/Jane.

Though, I must say...if I ever have kids, I am avoiding names that sound like directions

Friday, November 14, 2014

Tales of a Second Grade Fabricator

All right, so I have made a decision about the future of this blog.  I have decided that beginning now (well, minus the Advent Calendar that I have planned next month), I will focus less on pop culture topics and will put more focus on my thoughts, opinions, and views on a variety of topics.

And, well...if I am feeling brave, I may just share some personal secrets about myself that until now, I have kept private.  But, only if I am feeling brave.  I am not quite there just yet.

I have also made the decision to try and keep my blogs to a minimum.  Sometimes I can be quite verbal, and that can be fine in some cases.  But for people with short attention spans, I get that some of you are probably annoyed by my tendency to drag things on and on and on.

Well, kind of like I am doing now.

So, I promise.  The blog entries will be as precise as possible.

And, as it turns out, I think I have the perfect topic to talk about. 

You know, they say that an online blog can be similar to a journal or diary.  It is a place where you can share your most personal feelings and thoughts, and try to make sense of where things are in life.  Well, okay, so my blog is a lot more...shall we say...public than the average diary, but regardless, it has really helped me come to terms with who I really am, and I love having a space where I can have a voice without being silenced.  Believe me, with the way things are lately, trying to find that voice has not been easy.  So, I appreciate the fact that I have a forum where I can at least share my thoughts.

But, I didn't always feel this way.  In fact, there was a time in which I thought journal writing was one of the most pointless things ever.

I know.  Shocking, isn't it?



Well, back when I was in elementary school - particularly in the first and second grades - we were given a notebook that we would use to record an entry in a journal.  Now, this project would be a year long effort, so given that our notebooks were only 32 pages long, we would go through at least four books - possibly five.

Now, given that we were in grade one and two at the time, our journal entries were a little bit different than a typical journal.  Our journals combined words and pictures.  I know that in first grade, our teacher would go around with a pen and write the text part for us until we learned how to write cursive, but in second grade, we were expected to write our own words.  The pictures were drawn by us, and we would use pencils, crayons, magic markers, or even ink stamps if they were available.

It wasn't anything real fancy.  You just had to write about something that happened to you that day, and draw a picture about it. 

And I absolutely hated it.  For a multitude of reasons.

For one, journal time was also known as the "I can't spell anything, so let's go line up at the fat kid's desk in the corner because he can spell anything!"

Note:  I was that fat kid at the corner desk.  And, yes, after a while, telling kids how to spell words with more than five letters in them grew to be a frustrating experience - especially since none of those kids wanted anything to do with you after you gave them what they wanted.  If only I had charged them a nickel for every letter they wanted spelled...



Oh, and there was also the fact that when I was in grade one and two, my art skills were basically...well...non-existent.  Oh, sure I could draw naked stick people and dogs that looked like "the blob that ate Ohio"...but that was about it.  The kids in the class seemed to have better artistic skills than I did, and it definitely showed.  I only wish that I had kept some of my old grade one journals to show you, but I got rid of that "evidence" years ago.  Thankfully, my art skills and handwriting improved (though thanks to my grade one teacher, I hate writing in cursive).

But, in all honesty, the main reason why I hated writing in my journal was because I didn't really have anything to write about.  Most of the kids wrote about going to friends houses, or winning the blue ribbon in a sports competition, or other fun things that kids did back when they were seven. 

You want to know what my journal entries were all about?  Watching television, staying inside to play games by myself, and basically entertaining myself because there were no kids that lived in my neighbourhood.  Not exactly the most exciting things to write about, wouldn't you say?

I honestly have no idea if I have ever shared this with anyone before...but I may as well share it again.  My biggest confession regarding my journal entries in grade one and two is that 75% of them were total fabrications.

I made them all up.



And, admittedly, the reason why I did it seems so stupid now.  But I made up stories so that I wouldn't have a blank page in my journal book and I made them up so that I could pretend that I was having the same experiences as my peers.  I told some stories too.  I moved to three different houses even though we never did.  I played with kids in the playground even though they didn't know that I was playing with them at the time.  I did all sorts of cool things at home even though I really didn't.  It wasn't as if the teachers provided background checks or anything, so it wasn't like I had to prove that I really played volleyball with Corey, Michael, Jonathan, and Jason in the middle of the school playground the afternoon of May 11, 1988.



I always felt as though I was committing fraud whenever the teachers would hand back our journals, and I would always get stickers saying "Good Job", "Awesome", or "You're Terrific" stuck on the pages filled with lies and half-truths.  Oh, sure, I did a great job illustrating these sweet little lies, but who was I kidding?  I wasn't active, popular, or a member of Fleetwood Mac.  I was just a kid who lived a sedentary lifestyle and didn't bother playing with other kids out of a fear of rejection.  Just because my journal was an exciting (but fictional) read didn't mean that my life was all that exciting.  It was anything but.

That said now...I suppose that making up all those journal entries did help me do one thing.  Sure, I lied like Pinocchio in my journal.  But I also showed that I could be quite the storyteller, and I suppose having to come up with a new journal entry each day helped me awaken my creative side.

(But, just so we're clear.  This story is 100% the truth.  I promise.)

Thursday, November 13, 2014

A Hazy Shade Of Epiphany

November 13, 2014

You know, I really thought a lot about what I was going to do this blog on today.  I had already decided that I would do a personal entry as opposed to a pop culture entry because I find it a lot easier to write from the heart than it is to actually research a topic and write a pop culture themed entry.

Now, granted, in some cases, I don't need to do that much research to talk about certain topics.  If I know them well enough, I could probably do a blog entry on them with my eyes closed.  Some of you probably don't remember the game show called "Talk About" where you have to reveal ten words associated with a particular subject by talking about it within a 20 second time period, but that is somewhat how I do my blog entries on pop culture that I know the subject well.  It ends up being a regurgitation of facts, trivia, and personal experience that I somehow organize into a coherent piece.

Of course, there have also been some instances in which I have challenged myself and have written blog posts on subjects in which I was not familiar with the topic.  Whether they were requests from readers, or whether I was doing a Tuesday Timeline entry, I opted to not walk away from a writing challenge.  I researched, double checked facts, and in a lot of cases, I made it work.

After all...I always said that I love a challenge.

And that's why I have been contemplating something.  Something that I have been thinking about for quite some time.

I have a lot of plans for this blog within the next couple of months, and those plans won't change.  But after the holidays are over and we enter the new year, I have to say...I don't think I can continue the blog the way it is going now.

Does this mean that I will be folding up after 2014 ends?  I don't want to.  In fact, I want to keep this going for as long as I am able to.  But after writing pop culture themed topics for three and a half years, I feel as though the blog is getting a little bit stale.

I do enjoy writing every single day, and I don't think that I will ever give up doing it completely.  But lately, I feel as though I have encountered a bit of a dry spell.  I find it harder to come up with topics to talk about, and I haven't really been putting forth as much effort in the blog as I used to.



In all honesty, I think the reason why I have been feeling this way for a while is because I have been under a lot of personal stress the last few months.  With my mom's health struggles, and with wanting to do so much more with my life but always seemingly putting my own needs behind everybody else's, I guess it's beginning to take its toll.

And, well...this has lead to me wondering if I should take on the ultimate challenge. 

I wonder if I should just focus less on the pop culture side of the blog, and instead put all my attention on the life side?

I don't think that I could ever completely give up the pop culture angle altogether.  And I would still do the occasional pop culture blog.

It just wouldn't be the main focus any more.

I even contemplated changing the name of this blog at one point...but I couldn't do that.  This blog has gone under the same name since 2011.  I can't get rid of it that easily.

That's the reason why I came up with the YOU NEVER NOVEMBER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET month idea.  After keeping a rigid schedule with theme days, I wanted to see if I could handle it if I got rid of the routine and became more spontaneous.  It certainly has helped me become more creative, but something more needs to happen.

All I know for sure is that 2015 is going to be a year that completely changes the way that this blog is presented.  I just don't exactly know how it is going to work out.

All I can say is...you will be seeing a lot more of me in this piece...and that may or may not be a good thing.  The jury is still out on that one.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The Chart-Topping Success of Boyz II Men

Hello, everybody!  We aren't quite halfway through "YOU NEVER NOVEMBER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET" month, but it is fast approaching.

And you want to know what else is fast approaching?  Christmas.  Now, granted, for the American audiences, you still have Thanksgiving to get through.  But in Canada, there are no more holidays.  Remembrance Day is really the final observance that we have for the year before Christmas. 

Well, okay, unless you happen to be Jewish and you celebrate Hanukkah.  The 8-day festivities this year begin on December 16.

Anyway, I thought that before we get on with today's blog post, I would remind you that beginning on December 1, 2014, I will be featuring the 3rd annual "POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR", where for twenty-five days straight, I will be doing nothing but holiday themed entries.  This will mean that I will be posting Christmas carols, talking about Christmas specials, and attempting to make the Tuesday Timeline entries holiday themed - which is no easy task, let me tell you.

Oh, and during the week of Hanukkah, I will try to incorporate at least a couple of references to the Jewish celebration as well.  After all, I want to try and include everybody.

So, that is what you can expect beginning December 1.  Now the reason why I want to get this out of the way now is because I will not be posting any holiday themed entries (save one for the American Thanksgiving) until the first of December.  Let's be honest.  Stores already have Christmas music blaring non-stop, radio stations have been playing Christmas music since October, and some retailers believe in setting up Christmas trees as early as August.  Believe me.  I understand holiday overload.

So, relax.  November is going to be a great, but slightly unpredictable month.  For instance, I'm posting a Sunday Jukebox entry on a Wednesday.  If that isn't unpredictable, I don't know what is.

And, believe it or not, at the time this song was released, it had tied the record for the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Charts.  And, even more astonishing, the following year after this single was released, the same group that recorded today's single shattered their previous record by two weeks with a collaboration that they did with Mariah Carey.

The year was 1994.  The group was Boyz II Men.  And the single spent over one quarter of a year at the top of the charts!  That is practically the entire fall season!

I suppose that you want to know what this song is, huh?  Well, here it is.  The #1 hit from twenty years ago.

(Yikes, has it REALLY been twenty years since this song was released?!?  It seems like only yesterday that I was in the eighth grade and this song was playing on PAC 93 all day long!  Boy, do I feel old.)

Ahem...anyway, the song!



ARTIST:  Boyz II Men
SONG:  I'll Make Love To You
ALBUM:  II
DATE RELEASED:  July 26, 1994
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 14 weeks

No, that isn't a typographical error.  This song really did top the charts for fourteen straight weeks in 1994, first hitting #1 on August 27 and remaining there until December 2!  That is nearly one hundred days at the top!



At the time, they had tied the record for longest run at #1 on the Billboard charts.  The only other artist at that time to have such a long run was Whitney Houston in 1992-1993 for her cover version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You".

(Funnily enough, the "Macarena" also spent 14 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts in the summer of 1996.)

Of course, being on the top of the Billboard charts is nothing new for Boyz II Men.  After all, if you took all the number of weeks that Boyz II Men spent at the top of the charts total over the last two and a half decades, it would total almost one whole year!



Let's take a look at their first #1 single, "End of the Road" from 1992.  It stayed on the charts for thirteen straight weeks, and at that time had broken the record for most weeks at the top of the charts.  Well, that lasted all of a few weeks because Whitney Houston broke that record in early 1993.  Then came "I'll Make Love To You", which tied Whitney's record in late 1994 - which we will discuss later on in this blog.



Astonishingly, "I'll Make Love To You" was unseated from the top in December 1994 by the single "On Bended Knee" - which was another song by Boyz II Men!  This made Boyz II Men one of only three artists in the history of the Billboard Charts to replace themselves on the top of the singles chart.

(Just so you know, the other two happen to be The Beatles and Elvis Presley.  Pretty good company to share a statistic with, I'll say.)



And, finally in 1995, Boyz II Men performed a song with Mariah Carey entitled "One Sweet Day", which amassed a run of SIXTEEN WEEKS at #1 between late 1995 and early 1996, making it the longest serving #1 song in Top 40 history!



Oh, yeah...the group had one final chart-topper with "4 Seasons of Loneliness" back in 1997 for a week before Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana unseated it permanently from the top spot on Billboard.  But still, you add the weeks all up, and you get fifty weeks at #1 total!  Not a bad achievement, given that this all happened within a five year window!

Anyway, getting back to the song "I'll Make Love To You", I would wager a fairly safe bet that this song is one of the most played at wedding receptions.  And, I wouldn't be surprised if any child born after 1995 was conceived while this song played in background of bedrooms all over the world.

Okay, maybe that was a rather wacky and candid thought.  But I wouldn't be surprised if that was the truth.

The song itself is probably one of the most sensual and passionate songs to be released within the 1990s.  Some might even say that it is one of the most romantic songs ever released.  I don't know if I could agree with that claim, but I can see why lovers all over the world fell in love with it.  These days, love songs are a lot more raunchier, a lot more dirty, and are a lot more offensive than ever before.  I mean, have you ever heard the full version of Rihanna's "Rude Boy"?  Yeah, that doesn't quite have the same effect as Boyz II Men's single, even though both songs are basically about the same thing.

But you know, even if a song is all about sex, it doesn't have to be raunchy.  Rather, Boyz II Men made this song classy, smooth, and sexy without having to go there.

Now, of course some might argue that the world was a very different place in 1994, and yes, they would be correct.  A lot of stuff that people get away with now would definitely be censored or banned in 1994.  But the wonderful thing about "I'll Make Love To You" is that the song still sounds as great now as it did twenty years ago.  It is a song that could be considered timeless for several more years, and unlike some love songs of the past, it does not sound the least bit dated.

No wonder the single ended up winning a Grammy Award in 1995 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.  The single also won two American Music Awards that same year, and is currently listed as the seventeenth song on Billboard's All Time Top 100 list.  And with over one million copies of the single sold in the United States alone, it isn't any wonder how it became so popular.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

November 11, 1918

Hello, everybody.  Welcome to the November 11 edition of the TUESDAY TIMELINE, and this could very well be one of the more important Tuesday Timeline entries that I have ever written.  It certainly will take us back to one of the most important dates ever recorded in modern day history, and once you understand the story behind today's date, you will understand why it is so important.

Of course, before we go ahead with the main feature of today's timeline post, we probably should have a look at some of the other events that took place on the eleventh of November.

For what it is worth, a lot happened on this date.

1100 - Henry I marries Matilda of Scotland

1620 - The Mayflower Compact is signed in what is now known as Provincetown Harbor

1675 - Integral calculus is demonstrated by Gottfried Liebniz for the first time

1750 - The first college fraternity is founded at Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia - The Flat Hat Club Society

1778 - 40 civilians and soldiers lose their lives in the Cherry Valley massacre during the American Revolutionary War

1831 - Nat Turner is hanged after inciting a violent slave uprising in Virginia

1864 - Union General William Tecumseh Sherman begins burning Atlanta to the ground during the American Civil War

1869 - The Victorian Aboriginal Protection Act is enacted in Australia

1889 - Washington becomes the 42nd state to join the United States of America

1922 - Author and soldier Kurt Vonnegut (d. 2007) is born in Indianapolis, Indiana

1925 - Actor/comedian Jonathan Winters (d. 2013) is born in Bellbrook, Ohio

1926 - The United States begins numbering their highways - which includes U.S. Route 66

1940 - One hundred and forty-four people are killed when a sudden blizzard blankets the Midwestern United States

1966 - NASA launches Gemini 12

1975 - The nation of Angola becomes an independent nation

1984 - Martin Luther King Sr. - father of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., dies at the age of 84

1992 - A historic vote within the General Synod of the Church of England grants women the right to become priests

2000 - In Kaprun, Austria, a cable car catches fire in an alpine tunnel, killing 155 people

2001 - Three journalists are killed when their convoy is attacked in Afghanistan

And, for celebrity birthdays, we have quite a few to share as well.  A very happy birthday goes out to June Whitfield, Bibi Andersson, Susan Kohner, Denise Alexander, Barbara Boxer, Marc Summers, Marshall Crenshaw, Andy Partridge, Peter Parros, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Calista Flockhart, Kim Stockwood, David L. Cook, Carson Kressley, David DeLuise, Adam Beach, Tyler Christopher, Melissa Stark, Jason White, Leonardo DiCaprio, Natalie Glebova, Kalan Porter, Jessica Sierra, Vinny Guadagnino, Chanelle Hayes, and Connor Price.

All right.  As I said before, this is a date that is very, very important in our history books.  It is on this date that a major historical event came to an end, and ever since that date, we have internationally recognized it as an important event that we observe every year on this date.



The date in question?  November 11, 1918.

So, what happened 96 years ago on this particular date?  Well, to begin this tale, we actually have to go back in time even further to 1914.

You know, I can't believe that it was one hundred years ago that World War I first began.  I am sure that most of us know how the conflict began.  The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914 set off a keg of gunpowder that caused multiple nations to go to war with each other.  And anyone who has ever studied World War I in history knows just how deadly this conflict was.  The multiple battles that took place in the just over four year conflict resulted in thousands of casualties. 

For instance, in Canada (my birth nation), it is estimated that at least 60,000 members of the Canadian military sacrificed their lives for their country.  The number of soldiers who died from the United States was nearly double the amount that Canada lost.  France was perhaps one of the hardest hit nations that took part in war efforts, with over one million soldiers losing their lives.  At the time, that was 4% of France's overall population!  And in Austria - the country where the Archduke hailed from, at least 1.2 million were killed.

Of course, nobody knows the precise total of those who were killed in combat, but the total number of casualties in World War I was estimated to be around ten million people.

Those are ten million soldiers who bravely fought for their countries.  Ten million soldiers who left loved ones behind.  Ten million people who sacrificed their lives and their freedom so that the people they loved back home could still enjoy and experience freedom.

The war lasted from the summer of 1914 until the autumn of 1918.  November 11, 1918, to be exact.  A ceasefire occurred that day with the signing of an armistice agreement between Germany and Allied forces in a rail car parked in the middle of a French forest outside of Compeigne, France.  The official end of the war would not take place until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles a few months later.

However, the events of November 11, 1918 were significant enough for the date to have a permanent place on calendars all over the world. 

You see, the armistice agreement was signed at eleven o'clock in the morning.  The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  And over the past ninety-six years and counting, we have used this moment in time to reflect back on the sacrifices that so many brave soldiers made to protect their homeland from harm against enemy forces.

In Canada, the day is known as Remembrance Day.  In the United States, it is called Veterans Day.  And if you live in Europe, most of you probably know of the day as Armistice Day.  Regardless of what the day is called in your countries, know that it is a day in which we pay tribute to our fallen soldiers by marking a two minute silence at eleven o'clock in the morning, lasting until 11:02.



There are other symbols and traditions that we all take part in on November 11.  In Canada, we wear poppies on our jackets as a symbol of remembrance (the symbol being the main focus of John McCrae's famous poem, "In Flanders Fields").  And I seem to remember going to the cenotaph in the middle of town with my elementary school classmates each year to pay our respects to those who gave their lives for their country.

I even remember taking part in the fifth grade Remembrance Day Assembly where we had to hold up a letter in the word BRAVERY and recite a small speech based on each letter.  I was the "B".  Talk about pressure being the first one to speak!  It was a great honour, though.  I was happy that I took part.

And, in recent years, Remembrance/Veterans/Armistice Day has reached a new level of importance.  The day was put in place to honour those soldiers who died during the first World War, but since 1918, we have also had to bear witness to a second World War, Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation: Desert Storm, Operation: Iraqi Freedom, and most recently, the battle against ISIS. 

Certainly here in Canada, we have more of a reason to honour our veterans and those who gave their lives for us - in particular with the tragic deaths of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, and Corporal Nathan Cirillo last month still fresh on all Canadians minds.

It is estimated that poppy distribution in my country is up by one million poppies from last year, and that record breaking crowds of people are planning to attend various war memorials all over the world to pay tribute to their fallen heroes.



So, to close this blog off...let us all take a moment today to pause in silence to remember those who died in combat.  May peace be with all of you.

Monday, November 10, 2014

The World of Final Fantasy Is Strange...

"YOU NEVER NOVEMBER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET" month continues with a throwback to the video game feature that I used to write when this blog first began.

I admit that I do miss writing entries about video games.  I don't really consider myself to be one of those hard core gamers who stands in line outside of EB Games for the latest game, or who stays up for twelve hours straight playing World of Warcraft.  But back in the day, I was certainly exposed to many different video games and video game systems.

Certainly when I was younger, one of my favourite video game series was "Final Fantasy".  There was just something about the Final Fantasy series that I enjoyed a lot.  Exploring new worlds.  Discovering new treasures.  Solving challenging puzzles.  Jabbing creepy monsters with pointy things in the hopes of increasing your bank account.

No, seriously.  In the worlds of Final Fantasy, every single living creature carries a wallet filled with gold.  Humans, animals, even plant life!  Kind of makes me wonder when I have ever seen a mutated vine plant shopping at Target.

But you know, the Final Fantasy world is a rather complicated one, and that is the subject of today's posting.

I've gone through the first ten games released in the series (I refuse to acknowledge the games released after Final Fantasy X because to me, they simply haven't measured up to the older games) to bring you some interesting facts about the worlds of Final Fantasy.

Let's put it this way.  If you tried some of the things in our world that some of the characters of Final Fantasy have done in theirs, you would be arrested, beat up, or murdered.

So, what can you do in Final Fantasy that you can't do in the real world?  Lots of things.



In most cases, you battle a series of monsters or corrupted humans in order to progress through the game.  And sometimes, you end up losing your life during some of these battles.  But nobody gets left behind.  Why you could carry your dead friends with you the whole game, and not one of them would show signs of decomposition!



But sometimes, you can fight ordinary household objects.  You can fight a series of baby dolls.



Or one giant doll.



Or a gigantic wall.



Or a bunch of beautiful flowers.



Or even the container that you can put beautiful flowers in.



But of course, once you get into towns, you are usually in a safe zone.  This town is the perfect place to bring your pet...beast.



And, apparently it is also a great place to take your clothes off inside of a public eatery.



Oh, yeah...don't worry about the people in town.  Not only do they keep their doors unlocked, but you can engage people in conversations despite the fact that you just broke into their house.



And, hey, while you're inside, why not ransack their living space?



Well, okay.  Some residents don't quite trust you with their treasure chests, and they hide monsters inside to guard them.



But speaking of treasures, the homes of the good townspeople are not the only places where they can be found.  They can be found outside...and surprisingly, what some might consider to be useless items, in the world of Final Fantasy, they are worth more than their weight in gold.

(The "Eyedrop" for example heals blindness.)



But again, you can find treasures in an abandoned prison.



Or in the middle of a cave.



Or, even in the stomach of a deadly demon dragon.  Ugh...would you want a treasure that is covered in digestive juices?



Now, when it comes to the world of Final Fantasy, there can be a lot of major inconsistencies.  For instance, if you are standing on a snow covered mountain, you can stand out in the middle of the blustery weather in short sleeves and miniskirts and still feel warm...



...well, unless you try to climb the mountain.  Then you will potentially freeze to death.



Oh, and you probably shouldn't go flying either.  You never know when a vulture the size of Texas will come and attack you.



But, then again, in the world of Final Fantasy, you can go up against monsters that are eight times your size and still come out victorious.



Oh, and in the Final Fantasy world, stealing is not a crime.  It is encouraged.



And, some of the best thieves have royal ties.  Did you know that?



And the fact that you happen to be hanging around someone who killed fifty people in a short amount of time?  No red flags here!



But, yeah...calling a woman a heifer is not okay in either world.



But Final Fantasy residents go to the bathroom just like everyone else...well, provided that they end up in jail, as those seem to be the only places in the Final Fantasy world that seem to have working toilets.



Oh, and never, ever get married in the Final Fantasy world.  They never live happily ever after.