Happy New Year: 2014

     Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2014 will bring you all many days of awesomeness.  At the start of the new year, we recollect on the great times we had in the past year as well as all the hardships, and some people may think it best to not look at the worst parts of the year gone by but in a way, isn't that the whole point? Humans cannot help themselves but dwell on any worries they had, any lingering regrets, any mistakes made, etc. However, when looking over the hardships we have faced over the year, we recall what helped us survive them; what helped us defeat them; what helped us reach today and still have the energy to face the next day. We look at the aid that was given to us in our hours of need, and we use it to help us develop, to help us fight any obstacles that we come across and help us become better people.
     2013 was not only a special and significant year for me, but for billions of other people all over the world. To name a few things that have made a big impact on 2013: Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary (including the departure of Matt Smith as The Eleventh Doctor and the introduction of Peter Capaldi as the Twelth), the sad passing of the wonderful Nelson Mandela, the birth of a new royal baby to be third in line for the throne, the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the typhoon that hit the Philippines  and so much more.
     2014 will be the bringer of many significant events. The Commonwealth in my home city of Glasgow; the Scottish  Independence referendum on September 18th; series 8 of Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi taking over as The Doctor and the third Scottish actor to play the role; after a two year wait Sherlock series 3 starts on January 1st at 9pm; Winter Olympics to be held in Russia and so on.
      Obviously living in Scotland, the first two upcoming events of 2014 to which I mentioned, will have a great affect on my day to day life. I have no doubt that the Commonwealth will be a great event and will make me proud to be Scottish. As for the vote for or against independence, I will be 16 by the time that the voting starts, so I will be eligible to vote and I personally will vote no for Scottish Independence.  I wont start ranting about it or try and persuade any Scottish readers to agree with me, but all I'll say is that I just feel we are stronger as a  part of the UK Anyway, though I may still be heartbroken by the departure of The Eleventh Doctor, I excitedly await for the proper arrival of The Twelth Doctor and anticipate what the next 50 years of Doctor Who will bring.
      I have had many very special moments in 2013, some that I will hold close to my heart for many years to come but I have also suffered many difficult situations. It was a great surprise for me to have made so many more friends, I thought after 2nd year that process of making new friends will draw dormant, whereas in actual fact upon joining Nerdfighters I met tons of people who I now hold as my dearest friends and even at school as well I have been given more friends. Maybe the multitude of friends I have made are more than I deserve? Whether or not this is true, I am still hugely grateful to have met them. Obviously, with Doctor Who being very special to me 2013 was an extra special year for myself and other Whovians; since being brought into the Whoniverse in 2005 the show has significantly changed my life and I have loved every minute of the show. There were a number of occasions that really hit me hard, but most of the time I had someone who supported me and I am truly grateful for their help. Finally, having done my first Prelims at the start of December and having done fairly well, I try to forget the stress that they gave me and try to look forward to the nearing final exams with more optimism.
       2013 is a year that I will definitely remember fondly more so than I might look back with regret and I hope that 2014 will come to the same standards, if not more. I hope you as well share how I feel, and that any hardships you have faced in the past year, will be left behind and you can start afresh in 2014. Happy New Year, lets all make 2014 one worth celebrating.
                                                           
                                                Geronimo!
                                                  Stephen.

1,019 Views

     Wow. 1,019 views. I am quite proud about reaching such a high number. Thank you to everyone who bothered to take time out of their schedules to visit my blog. If you've read my previous post about reaching 500 views and are concerned whether these kind of posts will become a habit-do not fear. It is simply because this is my first blog and 1,019 views is quite significant for someone still fairly new to Blogger. It's at moments like this that I rejoice for starting my blog. Making this blog certainly has given me a boost in confidence; to know there a large number of people, even in other countries, that are  interested in what I have to say is very comforting. Honestly, I would really appreciate any kind of comment on my posts to reassure me. Thank you all for taking a look at my blog and I hope you all continue show an interest.
                                                   
                                                         Geronimo!
                                                           Stephen.

Equal Marriage

     Stephen: Greetings, my apologies for the considerable gaps between each of my posts but I am trying my best bring an end to this. This latest post is written by guest writer and my good friend Elizabeth Rose Hamilton. I wanted to do something a little bit different and I knew Elizabeth was the right person to ask to write this article. As you may already have guessed from the title, this post covers the controversy over equal marriage, where Liz will give her opinion on the matter.  I hope you enjoy reading her article as much as I have. 

Elizabeth: The topic of equal marriage has been widely discussed for a great length of time. There are several arguments both for and against the notion, but I am here to give my viewpoint.

In my own opinion, I feel that equal marriage shouldn’t even be debated upon. I feel it is a necessity, that it is a right to anyone, heterosexual or not. So why do I feel this way? Well, I have a few things to say about that.

First of all, gay rights are human rights.

They are no different from any other human being; so why shouldn’t they have the same rights as other human beings?

Second of all, even religious Christians that I have met have told me that they accept homosexuals as people with rights.

While yes, homosexuality in Christianity has a very clear viewpoint, it also has another; ‘Judge not lest ye be judged.’ The core teachings of Christianity, I feel, are of love and acceptance. As I myself was previously a Christian, these were always the teachings I tried to follow, and still do, despite my movement from the religion. So why is it that so many Christians refuse to accept homosexuals?

Another point I’d like to make is that times have changed. Society has changed. The world as a whole is different. What was once an unspeakable sin is now acknowledged as an orientation that people can't just choose. So why is it a loving couple may not partake in the sanctity of marriage, simply because they are the same gender?

You know who's homosexual? Neil Patrick Harris (Barney, How I Met Your Mother). You know who else is homosexual? Jim Parsons (Sheldon, The Big Ban Theory). And John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness, Doctor Who). Look at that. Real, successful people. Who also happen to be homosexual people. Does that make them any less of a person? No.  

Homosexuals can serve in the army. They can become doctors, fire-fighters, any number of life-saving jobs.

But no, they cannot marry.

And this is what infuriates me most. 

                                                             

                                                            Ollie Outie!

                                                              Elizabeth.

Stephen: I hope you found Liz's article interesting and feel free to comment. Also, if you wouldn't mind, make  a visit over to her Tumblir; there's some pretty cool stuff on it. 

http://epiclyra.tumblr.com/

                                                              

                                                                                   

R.I.P Nelson Mandela

""No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes naturally to the human heart than its opposite."- Nelson Mandela

     For those of you unaware, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, has passed away at age 95. This quote here truly shows how great of a man Nelson Mandela was, who was responsible for shaping South Africa into a multi-racial democracy. Elected first black president in 1994, from then on Mandela become a true leader, a symbol of hope and inspiration. Without this wonderful man, the world would be a very different place; Obama wouldn't be president, there would still be segregation of black people and the words courage and morality would have no true meaning. . 

      He is a credit to this planet, he is someone whom we will always look up to and deserves more than our respect. I hope your thoughts go to his friends and family at this time. So few people in history have endured oppression with such little ranker or overcome the oppressor with so little bloodshed. That is what makes Nelson Mandela truly remarkable. Despite all the hardships he faced, this brave man chose not to surrender. I could go on and on about how much of an amazing human being Nelson Mandela is. 

     I can't understand why anyone would be so ignorant as to not know who he is, but lets not dwell on that. Even in the time of his death, it is not the time to sorrow over the loss of a great man but celebrate the outstanding achievements of an outstanding human being. Thank you Nelson Mandela, from the bottom of all our hearts; thank you for not only for shaping South Africa into a place of equality, but for shaping the word into a more equal society and for creating a brighter future for the human race. Thank you Nelson Mandela, for being born. May you rest in peace. 

""Our nation has lost its greatest son,"- Mr Zuma 

            R.I.P Nelson Mandela (July 18th 1918-December 5th 2013)

                                                           

                                             Geronimo! 

                                               Stephen.