Tomorrow is My Birthday. Read This.

As promised and because tomorrow is mine, I will be talking about birthdays, and not just mine. Well that's not true, probably primarily mine. Andso here I go.

So tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 23 years old, and I've already gone through three different stages of excitability in association to my birthday. Up to grade 7 I believe I was super enthusiastically excited for my birthday. Then high school came around and it kind of just fizzled out. It's not that I didn't care it's just that I wasn't overly excited because I felt that validation came from the number of people who showed up or said "Happy Birthday", now take in your account that this was before Facebook was huge.

Arg. I don't want to talk about my birthday it's just uninspired and I'm immensely unmotivated to write about this because it will end up with me reliving feeling bad about myself and that's not something I want to do.

Since I don't want this to be short I will give 23 unsolicited life tips.

1. It's okay to stalk a fictional character, but not a real living person.

2. Chances are if you just met the person, it's infatuation not love.

3. Try things.

4. Read books.

5. To paraphrase an author and professional video blogger "The thing about pain is that it demands to be felt"

6. Don't be afraid to be silly.

7. Believe in something.

8. Be nice.

9. It's okay to judge as long as long as you're open to having your opinion changed.

10. You are allowed to be both afraid and unafraid.

11. Don't let your friends make up your mind for you. Think for yourself.

12. Have friends.

13. Like things or people, even if your friends and family don't get it.

14. Learn a second language, even if it's of a fictional peoples.

15. Let people get close enough to you that they could hurt you.

16. Watch either a sunset or a sunrise at least once.

17. It's easy to be a phallus and phallus adjacent, and sometimes that's okay.

18. Life happens when it's meant to be.

19. Celebrate the little things.

20. Don't Forget To Be Awesome.

21. Your imagination is useful so put it to full use.

22. Have fun.

23. In association to life there's one thing that comes to mind, a quote by Robert Frost. "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”

Post Script: In writing these out I realise that some of them are meant to be shared with all of you, but a lot of them are meant for me.

Christmas music.

Now, back to Christmas. This time Christmas music. I'm not gonna just talk about Christmas carols but as well the like winter themed music that comes out for the holiday season.

First I will talk about when to start listening to Christmas music, because from what I've been reading online it is a much disputed topic. I've seen people say that they listen to it "all year round", "not until after American Thanksgiving", and "not until December" are the three most common times that I see. Now, which of these is correct? Well, all of them and none of them because when you start listening to Christmas music is a personal decision. Now I feel like I should elaborate on something to do with this. You can listen to Christmas music whenever you want but when you start playing it out loud and not in your headphones you are essentially making someone's personal decision for them, and that my friends makes you a phallus, or at least phallus adjacent.

Second. On to types of Christmas music, because even when it comes to Christmas music there's genres and sub-genres. Once again proving things don't fit into a single box. First off you have the very traditional Christmas Carols that by definition bring out the CHRIST in Christmas. You know the songs I'm talking about, Silent Night, The First Noël, Angels We Have Heard On High. Then you have the carols that aren't so what could be called "Christ-heavy" and in there you've got things like Jingle Bells, and O Tannenbaum Tree. In summation the songs you'd expect carolers to go out and sing. Wait is caroling still a thing? I hope so. I was never pro-going caroling, But I am pro-listening. Then you have the fun "Kids" Christmas songs. Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and You're a mean one Mr. Grinch to name a few. Now I call them "kids" songs because of where they came from, "kids" Christmas movies. But that's not right because Christmas movies can be are for any age, and can be enjoyed by any age. Also we have the modern Christmas songs, these are the new songs that don't necessarily follow the traditional standard of Christmas songs and yet still are Christmas timey songs, and in there we have for example Peppermint Winter and My Boots.

Now I know there are many more songs that I have not included, as well there are many types of Christmas songs not included. And this is of course only covers the lyrics of the songs not the musicality of songs and therefore I haven't even covered covers (Lawl) or parodies. But my purpose in writing this is not to list off types of Christmas music.

So on to my real point, it is simple, but not so much. Why I wanted to show that there are many Christmas songs, and types of songs therein. To show that there are both religious and non-religious Christmas songs. But I don't think that most people look at it that way. I'd like to believe that people think of Christmas songs as being in just the one box of being Christmas songs. 

Now I know that this conflicts with some of my previous statements, this is my blog and I am allowed to be conflicting, also my beliefs can fit into more than one box.

Back on topic. Everyone should be allowed to, nay, encouraged to listen to Christmas music no matter age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other things that groups us, and this is because Christmas music is wonderful and should be listened to.

Third is just a playlist of my top 10 favourite Christmas songs, just something I thought I'd share. Here! (No they are not in order) 

Post Script: Okay, because Saturday is my birthday I wanted to write a bit about birthdays on Friday, but I wanted to write about Christmas music in November because of the second paragraph. 

I'm scared: My response to Charlie McDonnell

This is going to be about a YouTube video, and the series of video responses that followed. Or at least my elaboration on the topic.

And this is that video. This is a playlist I made including the above video and several of the responses I watched.

Okay, so yes, I am scared too. I don't make videos, but I do write these blogs. And I do sometimes include things of a personal nature. Thinks people can easily judge me on, and could make them look at me differently. Now, I am not worried about people on the internet reading this, because I am more comfortable with internet people. But what really scares me is people I know in the outernet seeing this blog, and my opinions and stuff change how they see me. And thus change the amount of time they choose to spend with me.

And this is also why I only have been sharing the link on Tumblr and not Twitter anymore, also why I haven't shared this on Facebook. I do like the idea of more people reading this thing I am creating, but I have an desire to be liked and I am worried that some of these things might make people change their opinions on me it is kinda frustrating. But when I post things I get around a half dozen pageviews, and I have been getting one daily pageview. You know what, I am perfectly Happy with that. Actually exceedingly happy at that.

Post Script: As I am typing this in I am also writing another Christmas entry, so expect that soon.

Sensitive Subject Matter.

Not gonna talk about Christmas this time or next time because I just gotta get this off my chest. Might be a little strange but I am gonna do what I do on Twitter sometimes and talk about using the bathroom. Not so much talk about more rant about. And not all bathrooms but multi-stalled public bathrooms.

Now when people complain about public restrooms it's about their cleanliness. But with me, I'm one of those people who always has that alcohol based hand sanitizer with them, and so I grab toilet paper and wipe down the seat with sanitizer. It's not the cramped space, the cheap toilet paper, or even the possibility of getting creeped on through the gaps in the doors and walls. No, it's none of those.

My problem is the noises. But I'm not talking about the involuntary release of gas, or the plop of poop, or the splashing of pee. It is the voluntary noises, the ones that can be avoided, and the unnecessary noises. And even then I am breaking that up into two categories. "In stall" and "out of stall".

Let's start with the "in stall" noises since they are more common and sometimes harder to get rid of. These are the sighs of relief, the deep groans, and the sounds of forced pushing. I think we can all agree that these are all not overly pleasant sounds, not to mention that they are very personal sounds, and the bathroom in its entirety is a personal experience. So why would you do that in a known public washroom. Now I am not trying to tell you not to use public washrooms entirely, what I am saying is that use them as necessary but not leisurely. (I see them as like a quick stop until you can get to your own washroom.) So in conclusion of this, don't make noises while using public toilets.

Okay, now on to the out of stall noises. These are noises that are completely, absolutely controllable and AVOIDABLE. So I am talking about is the talking that happens in bathrooms! Like ARG! I can't really express how this makes me feel. Oh wait, yes I can. I AM A GIANT SQUID OF ANGER. Up to now I could mostly articulate what I am thinking about in reference to this. But WHY, just why do guys insist on having conversations in once again public washrooms. Now I'm not necessarily talking about when people talk to me but as well when guys have conversations at the sinks. But still. There I am half naked and unable to fully clothe myself and there they are in the same room as me, and probably no less than five feet away having a conversation. There's a reason that toilets have their own rooms. And it's NOT so you can have conversations. If there's only one place that's inappropriate for conversations to occur it is a washroom! Think about it, the purpose of any washroom public or not is to clean oneself and to expel waste, NOT to converse with your friends or random person in the stall beside you. Like seriously guys have your conversations elsewhere, and a bathroom isn't the place to meet new people. I mean come on I am pooping here!

Post script: Does this make me a hypocrite because I Tweet and Text while on the toilet sometimes? 

Let Me Give You A Gift.

So it being around that time of year, I think we should talk about Christmas. I'd like to talk about gift giving to be specific. Now, I am of the mindset that gift giving for any occasion does not have to be expensive, but should also be meaningful as well possibly either useful or necessary for improving the quality of life. Now in saying all of this it actually isn't the quality of the gift but the quality of the heart in which it is given.

I am also of the belief that giving yourself a gift is normal, if I dare say necessary. Now I should explain the "necessity". Now I know that giving gift at Christmas is not necessary, required, or even always possible at Christmas, not to mention that giving yourself a gift is not considered normal. But if possible I think of gift giving as a sign of love or at least great care for someone. Because I feel like gift giving is a sacrifice, this is of course true of both well thought gift giving as well as gifting without thought: You are either sacrificing time or money. Now what I mean by "gifting without thought" is exactly what it seems, it is the kind of gift giving you'd do for like work gift exchanges or like your parents did when you would get invited to birthday parties in elementary/primary school. Thinking about it, it could also be attributed to the kind of gift giving you see around Valentine's Day. Now back on to the topic of self gifting. I see it as a symbol of self-love, but as well with the inclusion of delayed gratification that comes with gift giving, not to mention that who knows what you need or want more than yourself? I'm not trying to say that you can give yourself the best gift in the world, because some of the best gifts are not bought in stores, or are not anything that you can expect to be given. Also I find that this is a great opportunity for you to get yourself something that you really want. It could very well be the cheapest, yet most well thought out gift you give this coming holiday season.

So in conclusion I hope that you, if you can, give yourselves a gift to remind yourself that you care. I know that I will be.

Post Script: I find it quite frustrating that this past weekend my mom came to town and with me there she bought my main Christmas gift, I held it for around a minute before she took it from me. It's just arg.