And I'm off on a rant (Part 2!)

So here is the probably not at all awaited finale to my rant about one of my generation's flaws. In summary, last time I said that because we take wholesome things and declare them to be uncool, eventually Hollywood is going to get the message and start bombarding us with even more undesirable entertainment. Pardon the term, but there's already plenty of crap coming out of Hollywood, we shouldn't be trying to help. That part of the rant specifically pertained to movies. Now I want to talk about how something a little different. This is still about how my generation will reject something because it isn't "cool", but its also about how they will form and opinion and refuse to change it, no matter what. I'm just going to jump right into it:

Justin Bieber. Now, if you honestly just don't like his music, then you're exempt from this rant. However, if the phrase "He sounds (or looks) like a girl!" has ever crossed your mind or left your lips, this is for you. When Justin's first album came out in 2009, he was 15 years old and his voice was a lot higher. Since the YouTube videos and that first album were the catalyst of his success, the majority of people who weren't fans just came to know him as the boy with the high voice. His second album came out in 2010, and by that point a few of the songs had been edited to take into account the fact that he couldn't reach certain high notes anymore. His speaking voice is quite deep, and his singing voice had gotten deeper as well. He still retains the ability to sing high, which is apparent in some of his songs. This is a talent. Many artists do not have this ability and it limits their talent. Now, I'm not a rabid Bieber fan of any sort. I like him, and I like most of his music. I'm a little tired of Baby, but there are some of his songs that are on my favourites playlist. Now, given that this guy will only be 17 this coming March, why does our generation feel the need to ridicule him incessantly? I have many friends who are good people that are completely against bullying of any kind. They try to be kind to others and apologize when they've hurt someone. However, they berate Justin unmercifully. The kind of behavior they demonstrate in regards to this singer has nothing to do with his talent. Most of them have only ever heard the first version of Baby that was released, a song that used to be a lot higher and is quite repetitive. Given their limited exposure, you'd think they'd hold on the judgement until they actually knew what they were talking about. "You'd think" is the operative phrase there. When I see the way they treat someone with genuine musical talent, saying things they would never say to someone they knew, it makes me really sad. Honestly they should be ashamed of themselves. Just this morning on FaceBook I saw a status referring to Justin with gay terminology, something I would never expect that person to say. All these people are doing is criticizing behind his back. Just because you don't know him and he'll probably never hear what you said does not make it right. That's all I have to say for now, but seriously, think about it. Treat others as you want to be treated doesn't just apply to the people you know.

A quirk I happen to have (or, How I almost killed my brother)

Ever since I can remember, I have absolutely despised wet paper. I refuse to carry tissues around with me, I refrain from paper towel use if I can use something else, and if something gets spilled on paper, I throw it out as soon as possible. My family apparently didn't know this until early at dinner. I'm sure we've had such instances  before, but for whatever reason this quirk was new to them. I looked up from my dinner to see my brother sucking on a straw wrapper. He used to eat paper as a little kid, and that has always made me physically nauseous. I never throw up, so when I get the feeling that I'm going to its doubly more unpleasant than it would be to someone prone to that kind of physical reaction. I have to be excessively violently ill for it to happen. Anyway, at dinner I immediately expressed my displeasure and asked him to stop and get rid of his wrapper. Its a common occurrence when we go out to eat that my brother will try and shoot his straw wrapper at me, which is something I despise in close relation to my wet paper quirk. As soon as I revealed that I was feeling physically ill, my mother and brother both decided that I had serious issues and this was hilarious. My brother went so far as to take the straw wrappers home with him, and was not five minutes ago sucking on one in front of me. This is not unusual behavior for him, as he also likes to sharpen the knives because he knows the sound pains me. Tell me, is it unreasonable for me to ask that actions that make me ill or in pain be refrained from? 

I suppose I should qualify this by assuring everybody that I do love my brother, and we don't always fight. There is, however, a direct correlation between my level of patience and his desire to annoy. Though, what sibling relationship doesn't have such a correlation at some point in life?

Inception

I've just finished watching Inception for the second time. Its definitely one of those movies that makes a whole lot more sense upon numerous viewings. It had been long enough since I saw it in theaters that it maintained it's intensity for me, and the one thing about the movie that drove me nuts still managed to drive me crazy this time around as well. It was my brother's first time seeing the movie, and less than ten minutes after the movie he referred to an instruction my mother had given him as "just a dream". I can't wait until that wears off.

In other news, I have a pretty awesome weekend lined up, which is relatively rare for me. First, I'm going skating with some friends, something I happen to be pretty decent at despite a complete lack of balanced equilibrium. Following that, I will be attending the Mikado with a friend. Then, of course, its Super Bowl Sunday. Now, I don't particularly like football, but I'm starting to grasp the sport and I enjoy watching with friends. Plus, Super Bowl commercials are always awesome.