Safe Schools - So much stupid...

I LOVE the original idea of Safe Schools, which was to make life easier for transgender/homosexual/etc children and educate everyone so that we can all live together with tolerance and respect.

Now our wonderful PM has decided to review this great inititive, because a bunch of closed-minded idiots are afraid of "indoctrination". Are you serious? What infuriates me more are some of the beyond idiotic Facebook comments, saying "Kids should be taught to harden up and stop sooking" and "Why can't they just conform?" Oh. My. Fucking. Glob. I have stated in previous blogs that the "suck it up and conform" attitude HAS FUCKING KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST 100 YEARS, but no one seems to give a crap.

Not even 50 years ago, if you were homosexual/trans/etc, you either had to hide it (along with the depression and anxiety that came with it) or face so much abuse that your life wasn't worth living. And people want these attitudes to come BACK?! No! People go on about how "soft" children are nowadays - BULLSHIT. They're just as tough as they ever were, now they're just being taught that they have a right of feel safe and live a life free from presecution and fear. They're being taught that it's not right to abuse someone for being different. They're being taught that they DON'T have to "suck it up" and they're being taught that their actions, including their words, have consequences. 50 years ago, if you bullied someone, they more than likely lead a painful, short, solitary life and you got away with it. It just infuriates me that people think that this sort of ideal is okay!

It makes me even angrier because I've been there. I've been bullied, ostracised, alone, and I'm still paying the price for it, simply because I was born with the genetic flaw known as autism. People from 50-60 years ago are STILL paying the price for the bullying they copped as children. And yet we still blame the victims, and try to block any means of educating potential bullies so that they don't become bullies. This is just mind-boggling to me.

What. Fucking. Morons.

My Relationship with the Church

Days without bad eating habits: 45
Feeling: Middling
Anxiety Level: I'm surprised Selective Mutism hasn't kicked in yet
Activity Level: Giving in to all my exercise cravings - so much walking!

So here I am, back at the Laundromat, one of my magic points.  On the way to the Laundromat, I drive past a Catholic Chruch, and driving past one of those on a Sunday morning brings back memories.

You see, technically I'm a Catholic. Not a very good Catholic mind, I haven't been to Church in nearly 5 years (except for one trip to a Mormon Church but let's just forget that ever happened - apologies to any Mormons reading) and I'm not really sure where I stand with God. Sometimes it's easy to accept what atheists say, because they make a hell of a lot of sense, but something inside me just won't make the full conversion (sorry to all my atheist friends out there).

In fact, driving past a Church on a Sunday morning almost makes me want to rejoin the Church again - but why? Most of the time I spend in Church having theological arguments with myself, which I think is rather rude when you're trying to worship someone (apologies to my Catholic friends). It's like I'm the ultimate fence-sitter, unable to fully commit to either side. Is it the sense of community I miss? Am I just chasing after lost memories of my youth? Have I been brainwashed?

So what do I believe in then, seeing as I can't make up my mind on the whole higher-power thing? After thinking it through carefully, I think I've narrowed it down to three things:

1. I believe in storytelling
2. I believe in music
3. I believe in magic

I think that's enough for me to believe in right now while I make up my mind on the whole God thing. I'm sure He doesn't mind and would rather I make an informed choice with all the facts available.

Top 5 Tear Jerkers.

When it comes to sad parts in movies and books, I am the biggest sook alive. I will bawl my eyes out, especially at these five tear-jerkers. WARNING: Feels and spoilers!!

5. Liza Comes Home, "Dicey's Song" by Cynthia Voigt

Tell me, how would you suppose a six-year-old would react when he sees a tiny box and is told his mother is in there? Sammy Tillerman delivers the heartbreaking "But it's too small!" when he sees the wooden box holding his mothers ashes, and I'm blubbering away like a fountain.

4. Tate Markham Comes Home, "On The Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta

What is it with mothers and coming home that's so freaking sad? Taylor Markham hasn't seen her mother since she was eleven, and when she finally DOES get to see her, her mother is riddled with cancer and dying. Just dump a big bucket of feels on my head why don't you?!

3. Abysina Henry, "M*A*S*H"

Nope. Nopity Nope Nope Noping NOPE. You can't do this. Not to Henry. Not to the beloved leader of the 4077th. Just the shock ending of the episode after the jubilation of Henry going home marked a huge turning point in the show. Childhood innocence - GONE.

2. Littlefoots Mother, "The Land Before Time"

Even THINKING about this one gets my eyes watering. The too-real portrayal of Littlefoot finding his dying mother then trying to cope with the days afterwards is just too much and Don Bluth had NO RIGHT to do that to us at such a tender age.

1. Nephrites death, "Sailor Moon"

HE WAS TRYING TO CHANGE. HE WAS TRYING TO CHANGE FOR MOLLY. He'd only just learned how to love and care for another human being and his life was taken away from him! YOU MONSTERS! How could you do that?! How could you do that to Molly?! It's not fair!

Now if you excuse me, I need to go and invest in some Kleenex.

No. No. NO. NO NO NO NO! GIVE HIM BACK!

My Obsession: Lord of the Dance

Days without bad eating habits: 36
Feeling: Either extremely anxious, deeply depressed or overly optimistic. Almost normal for me really O_O'
Anxiety Level: All over the shop
Activity Level: Moderate

What a week. The Mental Health System in this country is a fucking trainwreck - it only looks at the past 4 weeks, not whether or not you have any long-term mental issues. Seriously makes getting preventative help hard. Didn't help that the doctor not only complained bitterly when I told him what I needed ("This will take forever and I'm supposed to finish in 10 minutes!" Well get your fucking act together and get to your appointments on time and you won't have that issue will you?) then laughed at me when I told him I'm pretty much scared or anxious 100% of the time. Yay professionalism! Of course, that triggered an attack and I spent the afternoon chilling out at Kangaroo Point until I cheered up. Got chapter 64 of Chuckles and Giggles finished though!

Anyway, enough about that. Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with Irish Dancing, specifically Michael Flateleys "Lord of the Dance" and to a lesser extent, "Riverdance".  Most music is like a drug to me, this stuff (combined with the beautiful dancing that's hypnotic to watch) is far beyond that. I swear the opening, a simple flute piece, could wake me from a coma in a heartbeat. "Warriors" always leaves me breathless, "Breakout" always leaves me with a grin on my face, "Stolen Kiss" always has me in tears and the titular dance, "Lord of the Dance" (which starts with the second half of "Stolen Kiss") does all of the above.

When I saw "Dangerous Games" live late last year, I felt like my heart was ripped into shreds when it ended, especially as it ended with the original "Lord of the Dance" piece. I kept silently begging for them to dance one more time. The power it had over me was almost unbearable, yet so irresistable that I wanted more. The only thing better than seeing it would be to be able to dance to those beautiful melodies. Never going to happen, but I can dream.

"Riverdance" is a different kettle of fish, there are only 2-3 tracks from there that get my heart racing anywhere near the way that something like "Warriors" does. "Firedance" is easily my favourite, the combination of Flamenco and Irish Dancing makes me want to get up and move. "Reel Around the Sun" does its job as an opening well, and the titular track "Riverdance" has so much variation in it that it almost lives up to "Firedance".

Overall, just about anything to do with Irish Dancing will keep me excited. So I'll leave you with my favourite piece of all, and remember to keep dancing!