Metal

Music is an extraordinary gift which I feel helps in evoking various emotions. When doing particular things like say running or writing I’ll set the music to fit the mood and it makes the experience so much better. I wouldn’t be able to write thoughtfully to pop music as it disgusts me. At the time of writing I’m listening to Smashing Pumpkins and that’s doing the job just fine. For some, pop music is where it’s at, so maybe to them I’m just not where it is. Most of the time I prefer it loud however there are other people in this house who would prefer to hear what they are doing. One genre I believe to stand out as sounding good loud is metal. Metal is not in the slightest, part of the mainstream music associated with commercial radio. Otherwise commercial radio would be far more interesting to listen to. I’d be pleasantly surprised to hear some Children of Bodom spilling from the radio at work but people don’t want to hear that. So what do they want to hear? If they don’t want to hear ‘loud’ music then does that make it offensive? Really it doesn’t. When listening to the radio all you hear (with poorly written lyrics) is sex, going out and songs with incoherent messages. This is a rough generalisation but I haven’t heard anything lately that’s made me think, “Wow they put some thought into that song.”

Metal could fit nicely in the background of violent activity because of it’s, at times relentless tempo and breakdowns. Not to mention the screaming used in metal bands. The screaming is a nice touch at some stages as it adds more power to the song. There is on many accounts plenty of swearing in metal music. This doesn’t make it the music of demons though; there are plenty of metal bands that don’t also and still have the same sound while giving an uplifting message. A band in particular is Becoming the Archetype. Offensive music and lyrics is spread out across all genres. Except perhaps country, I don’t believe I have heard of one disgustingly nasty country song. Slim Dusty liked singing about beer but he drank in moderation, so he didn’t condone getting off your trolley drunk.

Grunge music is ok and I don’t mind Nirvana, there was quite a bit of music potential in that group. Nirvana weren’t exactly that happy looking though and I think the way a band composes themselves affects the listener. Kurt sometimes sang about the darker things in life which isn’t all that great when he was such an influence to so many teenagers with problems of angst. Cobain later committed suicide and some of his fans followed suit. There is certainly a message in music and we should not let it drag us along with the person who wrote it. Nirvana is still played on the radio to this day, not that this is a bad thing, but kids killed themselves because Kurt Cobain did. Those picking the mainstream music should really think about what they are trying to feed young adult minds who are so easily led without thought. Now back to the theme of sex. If sex is so widely sung about with little uproar then why not throw some loud metal tracks in there every now and again. In my view Katy Perry is much more dangerous to adolescents than what Protest the Hero could ever be.

Read more by Nick

Pressures of a College Student

This post was sent in by one of our readers named Jono. If you have a post that needs to be shared, send it in at info@hellonoise.com 

I am writing this blog at the request of a mate. I was strongly against the idea as I don’t typically enjoy doing this kind of thing. However they repeatedly shared the need for this blog and then I experienced someone asking for advice on the very same topic. I saw that they were right and hence, this post. 

The topic is school pressure. Specifically, the pressure upon college students to obtain high enough marks to be able to get into uni. In my experience this was an enormous burden because not only are you expected to already know what you want to do with the rest of your life (a massive stress in itself), but you are meant to choose the right subjects and then achieve grades good enough to be able to get in. It’s the whole concept of gate-keeping, which is where an institution sets out a series of hoops you have to jump through in order to progress to the next stage. 

My story is that in college, I knew that I wanted to become a physiotherapist. However the problem I had was how difficult it is to get into a physio degree straight out of college, because, like medicine, it requires a high score. Whilst I worked incredibly hard and did everything I could to achieve this, I fell short of the needed mark, which was understandably shattering despite it being expected. So I tried to get into an Exercise Science course and then transfer into physio once I was in. However, I wasn’t able to do this because of some dodgy advice from the careers advisors and so I hadn’t done one of the necessary subjects in year 12. So instead I applied to Health Science and that is what I am currently studying. At the end of the year I intend to attempt to transfer into physiotherapy. 

I have learnt so many things from this saga. The first and most important is that your college performance is not the be all and end all. Really it just determines how direct your education pathway is. Because the bottom line is that universities run like a business. And just like any other business, they want the customer and their money. Therefore universities have multiple pathways to do anything, there is always a backdoor into everything. There is always an alternate degree, or a summer school, or an exception, or something that if you look hard enough you will find. I think the best example of this is you can take 2 or 3 years off and come back as a mature age student and do anything you want to, no matter what your college results were. I’m not saying don’t take college serious, but rather get some perspective and don’t let it bring you down. There is always another door. If I don’t get into this physio degree at the end of the year it will be easy to look upon the past 3 years as a massive waste of time, effort, sleep and money. But I won't because I now know that there is always another way...

Testing Reactions - Bumbags & Hawaiian Shirts

I am definitely one really weird person. I do weird things, not drugs, but silly harmless things that get reactions. You may think it’s about attention, and don’t get me wrong, everyone likes to be appreciated, but I just do it to test people. I’m not talking about nude runs. I’m the kind of guy that’ll get a mullet hairstyle or shout out my obviously 'legit' pin number whilst buying something just to see what people think.

I just think it’s fun to get and test reactions. We shouldn’t exploit it but it’s a great way to see how human nature works. I believe that not enough people test what’s socially appropriate. Like dress sense or vocabulary. It’s not overly cool to wear a hawaiian shirt and a bumbag for some reason or another. Why isn’t that cool? 

I’m not saying it is cool attire to bust out, but it’s interesting that people don’t think it’s cool. And it’s interesting to look at people and imagine the disgust going through their head whilst you’re wearing it. We should be able to wear what ever we want. And what makes something cool and something not? Who decides?

It seems that these days so many people want to be ‘alternative’ but they don’t really want to be that alternative because realistically, they don’t want to be alternative at all. Sure they want to be individual. Just like everyone else. For example, if a ton of indie dressed people who would call themselves individual all went to the same school. Then are they still individual?

People want to be different, but only barely. They want to be individual but still trendy and popular. They want to wear something different, but something that is still in fashion. And sure I don’t always wear ridiculous clothes, but i like to do it from time to time just to see what people think and I’ll wear whatever I want. I don’t care if people think I’m daggy or lame. I like to look my best - ‘what up?!’ - but I don’t let what’s apparently cool determine how I dress or hold myself.

You don’t have to stand out from the crowd if you don’t want to. But are you really as alternative as you say you are? We’re all individual inside, but a lot of the time we aren’t on the outside.

So step outside of the box and test some reactions. Watch how people interact and observe. Care less about what people think off you and just go for it and test what people do when you pull out the floral shirt. You never know, you might actually become the person that decides what is and isn’t cool.

Read more by Dylan

Does the media get us?

As a young person have you ever taken the time to see how you are being portrayed in the media? If you have, then you would be aware of the grim picture that is being painted of you and your generation. Generation Y and Z are seen as spoiled; the result of the hard working, optimistic and wealthy Baby Boomers who, while living off the back of WWII went through some of the greatest social change of the modern era, such as the rise of human rights, the role of women in society and greater equality among minority groups such as gays and those of different racial backgrounds. As a result, these Baby Boomers bought homes and sought to make life as good as possible for their families, being able to provide higher education for their children and making a move away from hard labour and corporal punishment. That's where we come in.

Having taken the hard work of the Boomers for granted, we are now seen to be lazy and impatient. The “want it now” generation. Personally I think this has been blown way out of proportion by the media, if they had it their way then every single youth would be a rebel, caught up in teenage drinking, drugs, sex and violence. They would never own a home, have no respect for the elderly, would be a late night drag racer, cyber bully, planker and an overly obsessive Justin Beiber fan. But is this an accurate representation of what the youth of today really are? And are you happy with this description? Cause I'm not. I think that this stereotype is formed off of a minority, it's a generalisation of our generation. Yes each of us may be guilty of a couple of these traits; I have even had a go at planking myself. But on the whole, I think this negative picture of today's youth needs to shift. Instead of the media dwelling on negative stories and images of youth, maybe they should focus on the much more common positives. I see youth as a widely diverse group of people, with different skills and abilities waiting to be explored and shared. A vast number of these people are strongly motivated and extremely tech savvy and given the opportunity have something important to impart into the world.

I think this fits as one of my first blog posts, because personally I think it sums up the reason why Hello Noise was created. It's to challenge the stereotypes created by the media about youth, it is to show that we do have something to impart into the world and it is an outlet to share this voice. If you are passionate about something, then write a blog post about it and email it to us and we might post it for you; If you think there is an issue in society that needs addressing, we want to hear it and it could get covered by one of the writers here. Don't let your voice or opinion go unheard and don't let the media or anyone look down on you because of your youth. Be the example, share your passion.

Read more by Brayden

The Dangers of a Tiger Mum

Otherwise known as an ‘Asian mother’ tiger mums are to be feared. Having Asian parents, I do know how pressuring tiger mums can be. I wouldn’t call my mother a tiger mum… she’s more of an alpaca mum: she’ll spit on you if you cross her. I know my mum loves me and just wants me to do well in life and luckily our family has been influenced by some western culture and I get to have my fun. However some poor souls don’t have that luxury.

A typical tiger mum’s rules:

• No sleep overs.

• Homework + extra study after school.

• No extracurricular activities (Unless it’s an instrument like piano or violin.)

• Limited television and computer time.

• (You would think their children would sleep early but) Sleep only after tutoring and studies have been completed-which could be very late.

A few years ago, a journalist named Lenore Skenazy wrote a column in The New York Sun about letting her nine-year old son ride a train by himself. Somehow this grew to become a huge issue and earn’t her the title of AMERICA’S WORST MUM. Now America has crowned Amy Chua their new “worst mum.” She is a law professor at Yale University and is a great follower of “Chinese parenting.” According to this approach, any grade less than an A should not be tolerated. Sleepovers, television, computer games and play dates should be banned. If children do not obey these rules they should have their toys taken off them until the learn their lesson. I think this a little bit extreme. Chua has even written a book called Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother.

Western parents give their children more freedom. They give their children a chance to get their feet wet and live life. Although I admit, it is blatantly obvious that some western parents don’t really mind what happens in their child’s future. Now I come to the mums who don’t let their children out because they are afraid what the world will do to them. I call these mums “mother hens.” They don’t let their children out of their sight and form a protective bubble over them. These mother scare me almost as much as tiger mums. 

I’m quite sure that there are western mothers who have adopted the “tiger mum” ritual and who think it is a perfectly good routine. It is up to the parents of a child to decide the way they are brought up and I respect that completely, but my opinion is that the child shouldn’t do anything they don’t want to do, take a stand and face their “tiger mum.”


Read more by Grace

Tights & Bum Cracks

As a young person, I'm exposed to many different fashion styles and trends, some tasteful and some down right wrong. Two particular styles I want to talk about are tights worn as pants and having your pants so low that bum crack is visible.

I'm not too sure why young women find the idea of wearing tights as pants appealing. Perhaps it's because they just want to fit in or because they’re a cheap clothing item. Personally, I think it's absolutely disgusting. Too often young women wear a 'hoodie' and ugg boots with them. (On a side note, ugg boots are not a public clothing either.) I'm not saying there's anything wrong with keeping warm, but personally I don't plan to go shopping in the mall to see 45,164,823 different camel toes. Thanks for that, ladies. I believe the wearing of tights needs an appropriate context. That is, in the privacy of your own home or whilst participating in some sort of drama related activity. In the mall or in any public space? NO THANK YOU. The only people I could think of who enjoy young women wearing tights in public are creepy old perverted men. So maybe think twice about wearing them next time ladies. Oh, and all of this applies to 'jeggings' too, they're just as bad. 

Now onto the topic of bum cracks. Too many times I've seen an inappropriate amount of bum-crack hanging out behind someone. Why can't you people pull your pants up? I don't think anyone finds it appealing when they see it, although it does often make for a good laugh with your friends when you see it on certain people. Do these people even own belts? There should be a law against how much bum crack you can show in public! Anyone showing over 2cm of bum crack should be fined or socially sanctioned in some negative way... arrested even.

However, let’s say you are one of the accused ‘public-tight-wearers’. The next time you think about going out to flaunt your tights, think again. How about you just cover up a bit more? Wear a dress or long t-shirt over the top of your tights or whatever it is you girls find fashionable. Now that’s a fair compromise. As for you who parade your bum crack around, underwear in place of that is a good settlement. You can still be trendy and have your pants low, but just wear your boxers a bit higher!

Read more by Kyle

Sophie Scholl

I recently watched a film entitled Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. It depicts the very true story of a young woman (Scholl) who distributed anti-Nazi pamphlets, along with her brother and friends, around Germany during World War II. At first, that may sound rather cavalier, but may I remind you what life was really like during that time. Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state, led by the dictatorial powers of Adolf Hitler. They exercised 100% full control over every aspect of a German’s life. They accepted absolutely no alternate views or resistance. To even utter that you disagreed with Hitler was considered high treason and was worthy of extremely harsh punishment. So with this in mind, in the Nazi red of Germany, in 1942 Sophie’s older brother, Hans Scholl formed the White Rose Non-Violent Resistance Group. The group believed in taking non-aggressive means to try and overthrow National Socialism and achieve peace. The most prominent way in which they did this was through distribution of pamphlets containing messages denouncing the Nazis' crimes against humanity.

Sophie and Hans riskily circulated the sixth pamphlet of the White Rose around their school, the University of Munich. They were soon suspected and were separately questioned. Their interrogations were given by Nazi criminologists and were at first rather a game of cat and mouse. After learning that her brother had confessed, Sophie defiantly admitted to opposing the Nazis, which she did so with utmost passion and boldness. Hans and Sophie, along with other White Rose member, Christoph Probst (who had a wife and three young children) were given a trial, if it can be even considered that. Taken to the People’s Court, usually reserved for the worst criminals, they were judged by Judge Friesler, a real man whose aggression and zeal for the Nazi way of life was obvious. He demanded to know why they opposed Hitler and his views and insulted them for being so selfish. Given scarcely a chance to speak, Friesler sentenced Sophie, Hans and Christoph to death, and they were executed with a guillotine that very same day.

The story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Group is incredible. Even when they knew opposing the Nazis meant death, they still did it. Not because they wanted to rebel, but because they believed in standing strong in their beliefs. Throughout her whole interrogation and trial, Sophie was noble and strong, stressing that your conscience should always be your first and foremost accountability. Her Christian faith is evident as she regularly prays for strength in her predicament. I admire Sophie’s bravery as never once did she sway from her opinions and beliefs even when intimidation was ridiculously high. When she was offered a way out, if she kept her anti-war idea silent, she refused. Even when it was the highest risk to mankind, Sophie still spoke out. 

We are exceptionally fortunate in Australia to receive minimal, if any, persecution for our beliefs. It’s hard to fathom what it was really like living in Nazi Germany. They had no freedom of speech. They had to fight to have a voice. We have a voice. So if you believe in something, remember Sophie. Remember that she had to fight to use hers, and in the end it killed her. You have one at no cost. So please use it. Our voice is the greatest weapon we have. Use it for good. Use it for worth. Don’t let it be wasted. Be bold and speak out. I know I want to. Sophie is my role model. She is incredibly admirable. She is a martyr. 

In closing, here is a reminder that there is always hope, even when you feel that you do not have a voice. Although members of the White Rose had been killed, their message still went on. Their sixth pamphlet was smuggled out of Germany, through Scandinavia to the United Kingdom, where copies were made. Retitled “The Manifesto of Students in Munich”, in 1943, the Allies dropped millions of copies of the White Rose pamphlet over Nazi Germany, ensuring that Sophie still had a voice.

Read more by Lauren

Softdrinks

An actual snapshot of Nick's collection.

Sometimes when I’m thirsty I might drink water or milk. Though sometimes I go nuts and have fizzy drink. Actually I possibly drink that a fair percentage of the time. My all time favourite is Dr. Pepper. 

Alas this wasn’t always the case. Before this miracle formula I drank coke mostly and thought it was good. Wrong! Coke is boring and should be avoided at all costs. George Ritzer under the influence of Coke once said, “Coca-Cola is little more than sugar, some flavouring, and lots of (carbonated) water. It is largely indistinguishable from innumerable other brands of cola, yet people around the world seem to think that Coca-Cola is something and they are eager to ask for it by name and even to pay a premium for it.” Don’t be brainwashed, plenty of advertising doesn’t pay for classic enjoyment!

Other American drinks are creeping into shops around the state (IGA’s in particular) and I’m enjoying the change because now there is more variety. I like to think I’m an amateur connoisseur of soft drink and that for too many years as a younger boy I missed out on the drinks I can now buy. AW root beer, AW creaming soda, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew Voltage, Pineapple Fanta and Grape. So many more also. There is just such a lack in beverages to choose from. In Australia we are behind on these non-essential things and because of that people are faced with the norm of coke and their products. Some may like coke, good for you! Perhaps try immersing yourself in a different world of flavour though. I like trying different foods/drinks and because of that I have a wide enjoyment in that field. Some of which I’ve tried have not been too enjoyable, such as Bundaberg Burgundee Creaming Soda. A friend hyped it up a little so I tried it and it was pretty crap. It could have been awesome and I didn’t know that either. That’s the jack in the box of this business. You don’t know how you could be surprised by trying something new. 

So why not go out today and buy a slab of Dr Pepper and share them with a bunch of friends, you might come out of it a little poorer but everyone will appreciate you for your generosity and taste in drink. 

Read more by Nick

Dangerous Games

Let me begin with several quotes from a once-notable psychologist on a certain popular pastime for youths: “A strain on young eyes and young nervous systems...” “...the effect... is that of a violent stimulant.” “...their hypodermic injection of sex and murder make the child impatient with better, though quieter, stories.” But best of all: “Unless we want a coming generation even more ferocious than the present one, parents and teachers throughout America must band together...” Are these statements about the effects of video games on the minds of impressionable youth? Actually, they're not. They are statements from a book by Fredric Wertham (M.D.) about the effects of comic books on youth. A book published in 1954.

Of course, these statements read exactly like the vocal cries of violent video-game decriers today. Similar 'studies' – supported by tenuous science and collective social fear – became popular in the 1960s, when television became widespread. They became popular again in the 1970s with the introduction of colour television; the videogame arcades of the 1980s proved to be another convenient scapegoat for the emergence of delinquent youths; and of course the 1990s introduced violent first-person shooters, games that could be played on one's own home computer – games that brought with them a whole new public outcry. Ban this filth! Ban it all, and our children will be safe.

I won't go into the purported science behind the effects of violent video games here. There isn't room, and frankly what exists is difficult to take seriously – there are too many conflicting opinions in the scientific community, and what little unity exists on the issue comes almost exclusively from well-wishing but uninformed parents who base their judgements overwhelmingly on fear-laced protectiveness and little solid fact. It's an understandable attitude, but it makes for exceptionally poor conclusions. Little Johnny didn't become a serial killer after reading Superman back in the '50s, and it's just as doubtful that he'll be pushed over the edge after a marathon of Assassins Creed now.

Yet serial killers DO exist. Why? Well, studies conducted by the psychologists R. Ressler, A. Burgess, and J. Douglas on 36 incarcerated serial killers concluded that serial killers share several common characteristics. First, the majority of serial killers were the subject of abuse (physical and/or sexual) during their childhood. Second, in half the cases the biological father had left the family before the child was 12 – in the other half of cases he was “domineering and abusive.” Third, delinquent acts (including pyromania, theft, and cruelty to animals) were present in the childhoods of most serial killers.

And here is where the edge of our scientific knowledge falls away, and we enter the land of rampant speculation. But if history is any indicator, the staples of escapist popular culture throughout the last century – from comic books to video games – do not cause delinquency in children or adolescents. A definite pattern emerges out of the research above; neglect and abuse from parents themselves are the primary causes of psychological damage in children (damage that can and often does carry into adulthood). Perhaps those loving but misguided parents who forbid chocolate to their kids in the interests of 'health', who beat their kids in the interests of 'discipline', who hide their children from M15+ films at the age of 18 in the interests of 'protection'... perhaps they are the problem. Perhaps they should be thankful that little Johnny has a taste for playing Gears of War instead of setting the neighbour's house alight.

And perhaps if we say it enough, they will finally get the picture.

Read more by Solomon

Money

Money. Can we human beings think of nothing else? People can never have too much cash but they ALWAYS never have quite enough. I will always remember being a child who could get whatever she wanted but there are some who cannot afford the things they need. 

Being poor is not shameful and being rich is not a sin. I think it’s how you spend your money that defines your status. I have been born into a middle class family, where we can afford the necessities of life and some luxuries. I also have amazing parents who care for me and who work hard to provide me with the things I want and need. I dislike it immensely when young people spend their parents’ money with so much ease. I myself, take an extremely long time choosing and comparing with quality and cost. As a child you don’t realize that adults do have to work for cash and you get into a full rage when they refuse to buy that one piece of candy you want. Now at 15 I realise that adults work extremely hard to earn their money.

Money can be loved, loathed, wanted and needed. Why do people want money? It makes them feel secure and they think it brings them happiness. I don’t believe it brings happiness, money just brings a feeling of power and being able to get the things you want. Some people think that they don’t like money. I don’t think it’s the money they hate. It is the people who flaunt the fact that they have money. They can be jealous of people who freely spend their money on things that don’t have a purpose. Maybe if money was given to those who need it, it would bring happiness to a few people. So many people in the world need money. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the world. 8 million people die each year due to poverty. Any amount of money donated could help those who live in poverty. Imagine how good it would feel to give money to the less fortunate? 

The fact is that money is good. It takes money to buy homes, cars, clothes, food and most of the good things in life. It seems that money flows away from the people who use it poorly, or who spend it in non-productive ways. At the same time it tends to flow towards people who can use it in the most productive ways to produce valuable goods and services, and who can invest it to create opportunities to benefit others. Money has a mind of it’s own and as it should, is largely attracted to those people who treat it well.

Read more by Grace

Homosexuality?

Well, homosexuality. What a topic. At our first blog meeting I raised this as a topic to write about and as you can imagine, everyone was kinda hesitant. It’s not because everyone didn’t have an opinion on it or didn’t think it was a good idea, it’s just a difficult topic to write about. It’s a topic that always attracts scrutiny and in many places is taboo, and is considered not worthy to discuss. But we can’t just acknowledge something and then ignore it, it’s important to discuss topics, no matter how big they are.

Now this blog post isn’t about wether or not being gay is wrong or right, because everyone has their own opinions. Instead it’s about how we should treat people.

You see, I personally don’t agree with homosexuality and when you say that to someone they usually think ‘Oh here we go. Another gay hater’ but that’s not true. Just because you don’t agree with something doesn’t mean you have to hate people who do agree with it. I don’t hate homosexual people and I don’t hate heterosexual people who agree with the act of homosexuality either. There’s a misconception that most situations in life come down to hate versus love. That’s so not true. You see I have gay friends and probably gay relatives, but I don’t love any of them any less because they're gay. Sure, I may not agree with their actions, but that doesn’t stop me from loving them. And I’m not trying to sound like an ‘all-loving’ hippie, who believes in peace between everyone in the world, I’m just trying to say that if you disagree with someones sexuality, you don’t have to hate the person for it.

Homophobe is a word that I reckon 99% of Australian high schoolers have heard. Dictionary.com describes a homophobe as "a person who fears or hates homosexuality and homosexuals". This word is thrown around a lot at high school: "Oh stop being such a homophobe" or "You’re so homophobic," but like most high school slang, it’s hardly ever used in the right context. If you were to hear the term used at school or work, it usually implies that someone finds a situation uncomfortable, that someone doesn’t want to appear or become gay. When evidently the term is a lot harsher.

You see a homophobic is a person that hates gay people, there’s no way around that detail, but the word ‘fear’ is used in the explanation of the word for a reason. Homophobic behavior isn’t just an outward reaction, it’s an inward reaction as well. It’s not surprising that a Homophobe is quite often described as someone who is scared of being turned gay. But why am I saying all this?

I guess I just want to say that Homosexuality isn’t something that should be feared, because fear always leads to something worse, like anger or hate. And even if you don’t agree with homosexuality or the idea of homosexual marriage, that doesn’t mean you should discriminate or act in hatred against homosexual people. Not choosing fear doesn’t mean you have to throw away your morality, it just means you’re acknowledging everyone as a human being and showing love to anyone. 

And sure at times it’s really hard to display love to those who have different views and opinions than our own, but that’s no excuse. We shouldn’t judge or hate people just because we disagree with them. Everyones human and we all deserve to be treated with kindness. And this message doesn't just apply to everyone heterosexual people as homosexual people need to show kindness to people who share different opinions as well.

In closing, I’m not trying to say that everyone should agree with homosexuality, because we all have very different opinions and I don’t agree with it myself. But disagreement isn’t an excuse for hatred.

Read more by Dylan

Pet Wars - Dogs vs Cats

There has never been a more controversial topic (in America at least) than which pet is the best to have. Each person has different reasons for owning and choosing their pet, and if you own your own you may have asked yourself a couple of these questions: 

“Why do I want a pet?” “Do I want something adorable or beastly?” “Are my friends and acquaintances going to run in fear, comment on its awesomeness, or be incapacitated by the wave of cuteness that will ooze from every glorious pore of its being?”

Among the vast variety of potential pets for one to choose from, there are two that stand out above all of the rest (this is non negotiable): Dogs and Cats. The real question, however, is simply which one is better? Now I’m not here to compare and contrast dogs and cats and let you come to your own educated conclusion based on empirical data. Oh dear me no, this isn’t first year psychology for crying out loud. I’ll tell you the answer right now: dogs, hands down. And here’s why…

I will start off by drawing attention to the fact that dogs can be whatever you want them to. Do you need a massive beast to safe guard the family? Hey, they make those! Want something a little more adorable and huggable? They make those too! And even the ugly ones are adorable! 

Point being: dogs are much more versatile in ‘genre’ than cats. You may say “Um, excuse me but have you seen lolcatz?” to which I reply “Yeah, I’ve seen hundreds of pictures of the same cat with different captions and it gets old.” I find it important to mention as well that the only time you will ever really see a cat and go “awwwwww” is when it is a KITTEN, before they turn into monsters that destroy your house for sport. 

My final point in this matter rests on the universal personality traits of dogs, but first, the personality traits of cats. The average house cat is a creature that believes it owns its owner. Any chance you obtain to give a cat any affection is a chance it gives you with permission. If you don’t believe me, try catching a cat off guard. You will barely land a finger and that cat is gone faster than a fortune in Vegas. But what would happen if you did that to a dog I wonder?

If you were to surprise a dog, it would jump about a foot (0.3 metres) off the ground, spinning in mid-air, and give you the happiest, most excited look you have ever seen. Then, waves of unconditional love would attack you out of nowhere as the dog begs for more attention. There is no relationship in the world that could possibly make you feel more wanted and loved than being the proud owner of a dog. Try taking someone you love very much and lock them and a dog in a car for FIVE HOURS. Come back, unlock the door, and take note of which one is happy to see you.

Bottom line, dogs are an amazing source of unconditional love. No matter what you do, your dog will always crave your attention and affection. I will end this post with a picture and a poem. 

First the picture: they even look awesome in dreads. 

And to wrap things up:

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can overlook it when something goes wrong through no fault of yours, and those you love take it out on you,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend´s limited education and never correct him,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then, my friends, you are almost as good as your dog.


Read more by Jacob

Parents

In my opinion parents are hugely underrated by the majority of teenagers. Firstly because without them there would be no us, we wouldn’t own half the stuff we do, getting to places would be much more difficult and Mother’s and Father’s Day would be pretty awkward. There’s so much more, but personally I think the first reason is more than enough. I guess my point is parents play a major role in a teen’s life, so why do we argue with them, lie to them and ignore them?

Ever since we were little babies our parents adored us, that’s just the way things work. Parents feel a deep connection to their offspring. But as their children we don’t feel exactly the same. If we’re brought up by a loving mum and dad we’re more likely to feel annoyed by them and take that love for granted. Whereas on the other hand if we’re brought up without love from a parent, we’re more likely to want it and see what it feels like. The phrase ‘if I love you more, will you love me less’ comes to mind. It’s kind of something you have to read twice before you really understand it. It seems to me that the more your parents love you the more you will accept that as being normal. You may become ignorant to the reality of how lucky you are because a lot of teens wouldn’t feel that same love. I can’t say that the child will love their parents less, but I can say we become very much used to it and don’t show our love back to our parents. 

In my English class we’re reading a novel called ‘A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’, which focuses hugely on the topic of parents and family. It’s basically about a boy named Carl whose mother takes no responsibility for her children and regularly wanders from home for days, leaving Carl, his younger brother and older sister to run a household on their own. After their mother disappears the two boys are sent to their extremely unwelcoming aunt’s for a supposed ‘holiday.’ Carl is forced to get a job by his aunt to pay her for his and his brother’s living expenses. Throughout the book he learns what a parent really is and realises he is missing that in his life. He fights for his and his brother’s rights to have a loving parent who cares for them.

Although Carl is a fictional character I feel so compassionate towards him, I think every child has the right to have a parent or guardian who loves them and treats them with great value. This story is probably a reality for a lot of teens in Australia. If a parent becomes depressed or starts taking drugs this would have a massive effect on their child, because the parent may not be capable of showing their love because they are not 100% themselves. Parents or guardians shouldn’t need to have conditions that the child must follow for them to be cared for, unconditional love is like an unwritten rule of parenting. Children shouldn’t be made to grow up before they need to. 

Next time you’re negative towards your parents take a step back and remember Carl’s story and consider yourself extremely lucky if you have a mum or dad or both that feed you, give you a roof over your head and most importantly love you no matter what.


Read more by Georgina