Christmas, Not X-mas, Not Crimbo But Christmas

Ding dong merrily on high it's Christmas time again dears, ding dong merrily on high it's only just December.

So we're finally in December a time I believe in which it's much more acceptable to begin Christmas festivities like carol singing and Christmas fairs. November's too early in my books and as for the supermarkets having their festive isles from September they've just taken things too far.

Now to the point of this one, Christmas and what it stands for. Christmas, CHRIST mas. I just want to make it very clear for y'all.
It's lovely to have lots of people celebrating a Christian holiday and I love the way it unites the world and inspires people to help others but please please please can we stop changing the name of this sacred time of year?

If you're going to celebrate Christmas and hand out presents and have a holiday I think you should have the respect to acknowledge that this festival exists because of a story from a faith, the story of Jesus' birth in a stable 2000ish years ago. I know Jesus wasn't actually born then and that it's to do with a pagan festival but still it's called Christmas for a reason and you're celebrating it so it would be nice
if you could make a little bit of effort to call it Christmas.

Merry Christmas one and all, that's right I said Christmas, make sure yours is a good one.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

A Grumpy Old Teen

Science & Faith, You Can Have Both

So recently I've had to justify my faith to people in this Christian country that I live in. I will not ram my religion down your throat because that won't be of any benefit to you or myself and would just affirm all the opinions you've already formed about me because I've admitted I'm Catholic.
 I have had people stop talking to me because I'm catholic and so of course I must hate gays and I must be trying to expel demons from people every 5 seconds on street corners, I hate to disappoint but I'm far too busy in College and rehearsals and life to be compelling you with the power of Christ.
 Now hear me out on this I believe in God but I also know that the Big Bang was the cause of the Universe creation, well as far as we're aware because the theory could very well change in a few decades. Science only affirms my faith in God by providing me with proof on a daily basis of His existence.
 I sit in Biology learning about the co-transport of glucose and sodium ions into the blood (amongst other things of course) and realise that something so perfect can only be the result of something planned. Yes Homo sapiens are the product of evolution but the processes that happen in our bodies every single day and the fact that there is life at all just prove to me that someone or something had a hand in it. Paley's Teleological Argument sums it up really well.
 As a catholic I believe in God and I believe in Science. I support Same-sex marriage and same-sex couples adopting children as both are the greatest displays of love, the foundation and most important teaching of my faith.
 I understand the Catholic argument against same-sex marriage, the purpose of marriage is to procreate and raise your children to be catholic but if that's the case then a man and a woman who could not conceive a child and knew so should not be able to get married under the same principals. I would also rather that a child received love and the support of parents be they of the same or opposite sex than be left in care without a family or trapped in an abusive family.
Believe what you will it's your right to do so, I think that anyone who is a good person without having any guidance from a religion deserves to be rewarded more than someone who is because they've done it off their own back. I only hope I've given you a bit of insight into my own faith.

All The Best

A Grumpy Old Teen

Poppies? Oh No We Can't Sell Them We Might Offend Someone

Oh dear me I don't half despair sometimes. Just today I heard that some Morrisons stores aren't selling Poppies this year so as not to offend people. That's so wrong.
Perspective is needed. Instead of worrying about the tiny minority who MIGHT be offended by Poppies maybe they should remember what Poppies stand for.
Thousands of people fought and are fighting for freedom and safety risking their lives on a daily basis for the sake of others. They die, they're wounded, they see horrific things and it's a disservice to their honour that a Supermarket is worried that a Poppy might offend someone.
Enormous amounts of money are raised every year during the Poppy appeal, money that can provide financial aid to a now single parent family, money that rehabilitates the men and women who have sacrificed themselves and now rely on others, money that provides families with support when the world has been shattered.
Quite frankly I'm ashamed to live in a country that's so worried about the possibility that one or two people might take offense that it would rather abandon a charity that supports people who have sometimes lost the person they treasure most.
Wear Them With Pride,
A Grumpy Old Teen

Michael Gove, Just Go Home

In my humble opinion and speaking as someone who experiences the changes in education firsthand, I firmly believe that Michael Gove should most definitely not be in charge of education.
How a man who has no teaching experience can make decisions about how and what others should teach is beyond me.
Now I'm not a fan of the Tory party anyway but when I hear Mr. Gove saying that Gcses are getting easier after just finishing mine it increases my dislike. If they are getting easier then why aren't results of at least a B standard at national average?
I just think that if you're going to be given the power to make decisions which affect the whole country you should at least have some experience in your field. I also think you should be advised by people within that field so you understand how things are changing and can make decisions based on things relevant in the current climate.
Not to be mean or anything but he does have an odd lip which doesn't help him out.
But yes Michael Gove should not be in charge of education and if you ask any teacher I'm sure they'll agree.

All The Best,

A Grumpy Old Teen

I Never Knew The Deaf Were Nocturnal

I've noticed that the vast majority of programs that have signers or subtitles are aired in the early hours of the morning as though deaf people only watch the television at this time.

Now I'm fully aware that you can get subtitles on every channel if you press a button or two but programs which actually provide aid for the hard of hearing are limited and shown at very odd times of the day when there's hardly anyone around to watch them. I think that maybe they should have a channel dedicated to providing aid for the deaf or at least have a couple more programmes having aid on them at normal times, not at 1am.

There are great advances in technology that provide deaf people or those who are hard of hearing with different ways to communicate and hear a little better so I think we can at least provide a few signers and subtitles every now and then during the prime time session on the old picture box.

All The Best,

A Grumpy Old Teen

A Degree You Say, But Can You Use A Bus?

Now recently, early september to be a little more precise,  I started College and had to change my bus route to get there. My new bus route takes me past Manchester Uni so obviously there are a lot of Uni students on the bus. Fair enough you'd think but no.
It amazes and somewhat saddens me that quite a large number of these students who are studying for Degrees find it hard to use the bus. They are unsure how to get on, how to stop the bus and complain when lots of people board the bus.
Just the other week the bus was busier than usual due to good old Northern rain and so many of us were forced to stand. One particular Uni student, who I'll call John for the purpose of the story, is a prime example of busginity.
John, like many of us, was standing on the bus going merrily about on his journey and all was well... but not for long. John decided he wanted to get of the bus so instead of pressing one of the many buttons that alert the driver that a passenger wishes to alight he just remained standing and expected the bus to stop. When he missed his stop he began to blame to driver and was extremely rude to her but she was an amazing woman and calmly told him that unless he presses one of the many stop buttons on the bus she won't know he wants to get off because unfortunately she's not telepathic. Thankfully he backed down after that, pressed a button and got off the bus.
Shortly after the John incident a fair few of the buses on my route have posters and/or signs that read "To stop bus please press button provided" I kid you not.
More positively these students may now actually learn how to use the buses and though the lesson comes a little later in life to them than it does to others it is a life skill and worth every penny of their Student Loans.

All The Best,

A Grumpy Old Teen

Excuse Me, You Appear To Have Left Your Trousers At Home

As winter approaches and the weather here in England gets even colder and windier, I despair from inside my many layers and fluffy scarf at the clothes I see people wear. Well actually no, the clothes I see other girls wear.
I'm sure you've noticed the latest fashion which appears to be wearing as little as humanly possible without being naked or revealing your most private bits. I can't handle it I really can't.
It's the shorts that really get to me not that you can really describe them as shorts. What these new 'shorts' really are are fashionable knickers, leather knickers, denim knickers, just knickers. Now if I paraded around in actual knickers (this is obviously theoretical) I'd be shot down and called a slag but these knicker short things are apparently fine. No. The day it became fine to walk around with the bottom of your arse on show was a sad day.
Just take a moment to think and compare these fashion knickers, I refuse to call them shorts now, to the lingerie section of BHS (that's British Home Stores if you were unsure) I'm seeing a lot of similarities. Now when you think of this and compare just remember that the main clientele or BHS are of an older age and you can understand why I disapprove of fashion kickers so much.

All The Best,

A Grumpy Old Teen