No habla Español

I love foreign languages. They fascinate me, and I like to learn as many as I can. Language helps us communicate with those around us and, sometimes, with those in other countries than our own. So it was with great frustration that I read this today:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article7129116.ece

For the first time, studying a second language is not mandatory in British schools, and pupils that study German are down to a shocking 9 %. Not only does this show a shocking arrogance and idleness amongst students, it will also very likely contribute to Britons being even more isolated from the rest of Europe - and, what's worse, feeling content with that.

The reason so many Britons choose to refrain from studuying a foreign language is obvious; but knowing you can go virtually anywhere in the world and speak your mother tongue should be an even BIGGER reason to want to learn something new! For your own intellectual stimulation, if nothing else. Because the world is not one big Great Britain, and a language is very much a part of a culture - a culture we should be taught to want to discover, but that we won't, unless studying a second language is made compulsory.

There's a whole world out there. Let's go discover it, shall we?

"I wish the world could see you the way I did..."

Tonight, I will try to not mourn your death, but celebrate your life. 52 years ago today...this world became a better, more magical place. We will love, honour and remember you always. ♥

If I had the power to change one thing, I'd bring you back today
But life's not promised and that won't change, so I'll meet you there someday.

"One word for the media, please help the people see the love

Stop this garbage you're feeding us, show him for who he really was
Remember there was more to come, remember he's the chosen one
Remember he's the wisest one, remember him for what he's done."

We cry out of joy. I miss you, Michael.

Media whoring

You know you're a media whore worthy of your title when your mug shot looks like it's straight out of a magazine. Just saying.

Picking up where I left off

So. It's been almost exactly a year since my last post...my writer's block has FINALLY loosened its grip on me, and my writing is better than ever, so I figured I might as well take my blogging back up. Also, it seems Facebook censors most of the things I upload nowadays, so I'm forced to post them here, instead.


Apparently, all nudity is sexual to Facebook & co, hence my account was temporarily suspended because I uploaded this as my profile picture:



Someone on my friend's list was told to remove his picture depicting a mother breastfeeding her child because it "contained nudity". In response to their utterly ridiclous demand, he uploaded an erotic comic still, and out of solidarity in general, and because I hate censorship in particular, I wanted to upload something to prove the absurdity of their "no nudity policy". So I deliberately chose an obviously artsy. black-and-white studio shot, to show that nudity is only sexual when we deem it to be - and that didn't go down so well. Well...it didn't with them, but it did with me, because by banning me, they proved my point.


Nudity has been depicted in art for centuries, and by banning it, Facebook are closing the door on the Renaissance, kroki, religious imagery, and countless other works of art. I can't help but wonder what kind of a society we live in when everything is so immediately and intensively sexualized and we are creating solutions to problems that don't exist.