The Joy of Sorrow

"How to be happier in X simple steps!" "A happier you guaranteed!" "Happiness makes the world go round!" It's not surprising how feverishly we pursue happiness in our world today, and not merely because we like being happy; "studies"* have shown a boost in our immunity system, slower ageing, less risk for high blood pressure, and other lowered likelihoods of contracting ailments can stem from an improvement in overall mood. *(not fully confirmed, but these rumours still circulate the media a lot)

If happiness is so wonderful to experience, it'd be natural to completely shun away from its polar opposite, sorrow. Depression itself can be classified as a mental illness. People prefer happy endings over sad ones. Nobody comes up with a book titled "How to be sadder in X simple steps!" and sells millions of copies... or at least I don't know of such an instance yet. The proportion of people that like to indulge in feelings of sadness or anger are seen as "abnormal"; look how often the emo/goth kids get teased! 

Or are we also are foolish for choosing to not even look sadness in the eye? Why are we so afraid to be sad or angry? Most of us have been conditioned to "look on the bright side of life" and "smile even when it hurts".  Is this correct behaviour? 

Earth Day!

As if an hour isn't enough, and it probably isn't, we have dedicated today, the 22nd of April, to be Earth Day, as a way to promote environmental movements in the world! Don't be mistaken, Earth Day actually pre-dates Earth Hour by more than a few decades! Earth Hour started in 2007, while Earth Day began in 1970!

While Earth Hour is a fun way for the masses to participate and feel involved in helping the Earth, Earth Day has a network that has been, and still is taking on larger missions, supporting various projects including Healthy Schools Act and No Child Left Inside. It's not just an hour of taking action; it requires volunteers' full dedication towards assisting our home planet in many ways, from protection of endangered areas to raising environmental awareness in youth to funding of conservation parks.

Red or Black?

So here's a nice little puzzle that I stole from the Internet and tweaked a bit:

You and a friend have been asked to play a slightly interesting game that is all about luck.

There are 2 rooms next to each other, separated by a soundproof opaque wall. There's a nice little slot that both of you can access, and in there is a standard deck of 52 poker cards, randomly shuffled.

Both of you are supposed to go into your respective rooms, and upon a signal draw a card. Then you have two options for your guesses: red or black. What you and your friend must do is guess the wrong colour of the other person's card, i.e. if your friend's card is a red one, you should guess black. Problem is, you can't see each other's card, and there's strictly no communication allowed between the two of you.

Journey Through the Wikis

I'm bored.

And you know what?

I'm gonna try something I've never done before! Not drugs!

I'm gonna leap into the featured article of Wikipedia, click an interesting link within that article, and do the same for the subsequent articles, and see where we land up!

Alright, today's featured article is about... the Galápagos tortoise!

Letsa Go! (you just heard this in Mario's voice)

Sleep

.....oh crap. It's that late already?

I seriously better head to bed now. Can't go to school feeling like a half-dead drunk zombie.

Hang on I have to sort these online things first! I can't sleep knowing I've left these undone!

*few minutes later*

...Alright. Lights out.

*click*
*plop onto bed*

Well. This is it. My eyes are shut, the windows are open just right, the door's closed. I should be drifting off unconsciously into dream land soon...

...I said soon...

...

...Now?

Last Words

I don't really like to end things that I've been attached to so tightly and for so long. And that itself is a very rare occurrence. 

I've been with this blog for... wow, almost 4 years already. I never expected, on the day I first created this blog, that it would carry on for this long. A fancy whim while stuck at home with a broken ankle in a cast. Yet it has seen me through good times and not-so-good moments. It has also followed me throughout a few landmark milestones of my life. 

I only wish that it can see through even more milestones that lie ahead for me.