Resurrection Blogfest - Mina Lobo's blogiversary celebration

Greetings everyone on U.S. Election Day (here in Aus it's the day after, but whatever)! I sit here in Australia wishing you the best of luck for an un-nauseating outcome. I'll come right out and say bring on some more Obamarama!! But anyway, moving on...!

There's this groovy chick called Mina Lobo who is sometimes naughty (at least we are warned of this when clicking through to her blog) and always nice, and today she is celebrating her first blogiversary with what she is calling the:

RESURRECTION BLOGFEST!

For this blogfest, participants must do the following:

"On November 7, 2012, your blog post should prominently feature the blogfest badge as well as something from your first year of blogging that you believe deserves some TLC, or that you're especially proud of and wish to showcase, or simply has sentimental value for you." - Mina Lobo

They must also do other things if they want to be a winner, and you can read all about those things here. For my entry I decided to just link back to my first-ever post on this blog, which I wrote mere days after finishing NaNoWriMo in 2010. I'm not going to re-post it, just link to it. But why am I choosing this post in particular? Well, no reason except that I'm doing NaNo right now, so that old post is meaningful for that reason. Also there's the mere fact that it was my first ever post, and I am coming up on my own 2-year blogiversary (I'll talk more about that in December!).

Right, then, I'm done! At least after I've said to Mina, "Congrats on your blogiversary and I'm glad to have met you!"

What was your first-ever blog post about?

Day 5...slash 7

It's day 7 of NaBloWriMo for me, but so far I only see up to prompt 5 on the official blog, so... Here goes!

What is your favourite way to spend time with your family?

I love going over to my mum's house and sitting out on her backyard deck with a beer. Or a gin and tonic. Or a glass of wine. Or some other kind of...alcoholic drink. Yes, fun times with the family tend to involve at least some kind of alcohol. No doubt that's a bad, unhealthy thing, but it's not like we get trashed. We just enjoy a nice drink to unwind.

Speaking of alcohol, I was reading an article in the newspaper this morning about how some doctor guy in Perth has recommended that Australia follow Norway's lead in locking up alcoholic pregnant women until they've given birth, to stop them drinking. I think this is a viable idea, but it also smacks of deprivation of liberty or something, right? And yet it isn't mostly about the mothers, it's about the unborn children who are being damaged because the mothers can't control their drinking. But maybe they should lock the drinking fathers up too?

I'll leave you with a picture taken in a place called Hamlin Bay, which until I went down south recently I'd never heard of. This, my friends, is a winter's day in Western Australia:

Peace Blogfest (Sept 19-21)

I'm late, I'm late! This started on the 19th, and right now in Australia it's the 21st. But I'm going to cheat and post the first two days' components along with today's. For those who are currently confused, let me clarify: Aimée Beatrice Jodoin is hosting the Peace Blogfest, and here's how it works:

• Monday 19 September 2011 - Peace Through Art
  Post something you have created that represents what peace means to you (video, drawing, writing, music, etc.)
          I decided to share some video footage of us driving in the snow in Canada, set to one of my songs which I would describe as slightly 'ethereal' and spacey. I guess this video sums things up nicely for me - I love music, both making it and listening to it (and seeing it live in concert). It brings me peace, amongst other things. I also love winter (read: the snow we never get here in Perth), and I love to travel. I guess I also love my family, right? This video footage features some of them.
  
  
  
  
• Tuesday 20 September 2011 - Peace Through Tolerance and Non-Violence
  How can we overcome discrimination and stop violence? Share your experiences!
          I get into a fair bit of trouble over my political and religious beliefs. I'm basically a devout atheist (with a dash of agnostic on the side), but I'm also devoutly committed to a life of non-violence and political/religious/social/etc. tolerance. I can't stand war, and I loathe governments who use violence (murder, torture, you name it) to further their own interests. I am definitely not of the "eye for an eye" mentality (or the oft-favoured "my eye, your entire body" approach), and it upsets me greatly to hear how murderous people can become in times of grief and hardship. On the other hand, there are people who go through such awful experiences and manage to emerge with their humanity still in tact - like the grief-stricken father who lost his daughter to a suicide bomber, and said he didn't want to see anyone else die - not even other suicide bombers. That, my friends, is a man I can respect.
          Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and most opinions are bound not to align with mine. I'll let you have your opinion if you let me have mine. But sometimes it's best not to get me started on these matters, because neither of us will end up very happy.
  
  

• Wednesday 21 September 2011 (Peace Day) - Peace Through Connection
  Bringing people together in celebration should be the goal for this day! What can YOU DO to be peaceful and to continue spread the word about peace?
          I really do try to keep an open mind, though I have very strong opinions that I feel passionate about. I love to hear others' opinions, and I work hard to respect them. But at the same time I get frustrated if I feel I'm not being heard or respected. As for what I can do to be peaceful and spread the word about it? I guess I can only continue to try and remind everyone that we are all humans, and yes some of us are twisted and have gone down the wrong path (or what I perceive as the wrong path), but we all started out as babies and I really can't wrap my head around the idea that anyone starts out "evil". People are victims of circumstance, and yeah they have to take responsibility for their actions...but I think it's essential that we stop and try to think what it would be like to walk in their shoes before we leap to conclusions and judge them.