Internet Safety

 I know not many people read my blog, but I had my brother's wedding photos up, with half the faces blanked out. Some people were not happy about this and I can only apologise. I thought it would be ok if I tried to hide faces. Also I figured my blog was safer than something like facebook, which is pretty much public. I understand you can hide certain things on there, but I notice you can still see people's profile pictures. Not as safe as they claim! One big reason that I don't use facebook. I think it's unsafe. A girl in my area was killed after meeting someone on there. You may think it won't happen to you, but you never know how carried away you could get if someone flattered you with a nice comment about your picture or something. Be vigilant!


I guess I was also embarrassed by the attention my blog was getting. I know I should get used to it if I want to be a journalist! When I first started writing this, I knew for a fact nobody was reading it. Even now I know hardly anyone comes on here.

 Yeh, you can tell I really hate facebook right? Lol! If I have real friends, I can call them or text them, I actually have their number, not their facebook page! End of my anti-social networking rant.....

Libya's Stolen Children

 A couple of months ago, Sky News were showing a documentary called 'Libya's Stolen Children', about mixed-race children kidnapped by their Libyan fathers to Libya. It just made me think a little about inter-racial marriage, it doesn't always work. I think these Libyan men come here, meet white women and they are swept away. Similarly, the white women like the exotic-ness (is that a word?) of these men. A lot of Libyan men have it in their mind that they will return home someday, even my dad is the same. It's not a good idea to marry someone like that if you don't want to leave the UK. Same with the Libyan men, don't marry a white woman if you plan on going back to Libya someday. Both parties have something to answer for, but of course kidnapping your own children is not the answer. It's also so easy to get away with it in Libya, no extradition, they can pretty much take the kids forever, because once they are there long enough, they are married off. No hope of going back to the UK after that. I do think these men should realise the importance of their childrens' mothers in their lives, they should be able to go to Libya at least twice a year to see their children. It's only fair after all the trauma they have gone through.

One mother greets her children and little grandchild in Libya

 

  It just makes me glad that my dad was not of those people who ran away with me and my siblings. I am glad we have been able to grow up in the UK, but don't get me wrong, I still love Libya, but for me it's strictly holidays only! I feel as a mixed-race person I have the option of choosing where I want to live, and the UK is most definately my home. I once had a marriage proposal from someone half English, half Libyan who had been taken to Libya by his father when he was five years old. Nothing came of the proposal, but I remember he told my dad that his mother wasn't too bothered about him and his sister being taken. Somehow I doubt this, she may have felt helpless, so didn't really do anything about the situation, but I bet you anything she missed her kids like crazy. What mother wouldn't? I am aware some mothers have done the same thing, and taken their kids, but this post is not going to cover all that.

Scottish mum Lisa Osman's son is upset after leaving his mum

 

 One particular story that touched me in the documentary was that of Lisa Osman. She was married to a half Scottish, half Libyan man. They had two children and went to live in Libya. Lisa was promised they would be able to return to Scotland if she did not like life in Libya. This turned out not to be true, and she ended up leaving Libya herself, with her two sons left behind. Some may say she shouldn't have left Libya alone, and part of me thinks that too, but we don't know what her life was like. I remember reading a comment Lisa's mum left on the Sky News site, she said she was against the relationship and thought it wouldn't be good for Lisa. Still, who thinks their children are going to be kidnapped by their own father? 

Death Row Dating and a Long Christmas

 I have recently got addicted to the Crime and Investigation channel on cable TV. So many gripping programmes about murders, murderers, missing people, details of crimes etc. I have recently gotten very into true crime, and I especially like to know details, like what motivates someone to kill, and the impact on victims families. May sound quite grisly, and I do not sympathise with criminals, but I just find these programmes really very interesting!

 Recently the Crime and Investigation channel was showing a programme called 'Death Row Dates', about British women engaged or married to men on Death Row in America. I have heard such stories before, and I really think some women just have something inside them where it thrills them to be in a relationship with a criminal, maybe even a murderer. I don't understand why though. Especially the woman who was divorced with three kids. What the hell was she thinking, getting engaged to a killer?! She might just be crazy! I was surprised to discover she allows her young daughter to speak to a convicted murderer on the phone when he calls, she can't be a very good mum if she is going to expose her kids to stuff like that. Her older daughter initially wasn't keen, but later softened when she saw her mum was serious about it. Serious or not, these women are seriously deluded. Although they sit and cry because they can't often see their incarcerated fiances for real, I actually think they enjoy the drama involved with it. I think they like sitting down and thinking, "wow! Look who I'm getting married to!"

 One of the women engaged to a killer

And of course they MUST know they will never be able to even touch the guy, nor have him present at his own wedding! It's just all kinds of ridiculous, and they honestly deserve any negative comments that come their way for being so irresponsible. What even drives someone to get a pen pal on death row? These guys are killers, they threw away their right to have friends and a life the moment they killed another person. The best thing was seeing one of the women at the end, kissing and touching her criminal husband, as he lay dead after a lethal injection. She can't say she didn't see that one coming.....

 Long Christmas Holidays! aka fed up...

 I feel like this year the mick has truly been taken out of the Christmas holidays. Not only was there an Xmas and boxing day, but because they fell on a weekend, we had TWO bank holidays, ONE AFTER THE OTHER! All I can say is, I'm glad the shops were open at least. But I do think this country generally takes the mick with Christmas holidays. Do kids really need two weeks off school? For Eid the kids have pretty much one day off and don't complain. I wouldn't stretch Eid into a long holiday either, I know I would get sick of it, a few days is enough really. Also New Years' Day should NOT be a public holiday, it's only the first day of the new year, is it really that important? Since we will be getting William and Kate's wedding day as an official public holiday, we don't really need to add even more days off to the year. I remember having a driving lesson on New Years' Day last year, because my instructor didn't see the point in celebrating it. It was fantastic, I had lovely very quiet drive through some neighbouring towns. Thank you for staying inside people, especially the chavs, last thing I ever want to see whilst having a leisurely drive is one of their neanderthal faces, lol! But regardless.....

 

L.A. Noire

Yes! Rockstar have a new game coming out next year called 'L.A. Noire'. As far as I know, it will be for both PS3 and Xbox 360. I absolutely adore Rockstar games, especially the sandbox titles, such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. click: L.A. Noire on Wikipedia

It's going to be a murder mystery, basically you are a detective trying to catch a serial killer in 1940's Los Angeles. It also has some interesting features, such as facial recognition technology, which makes all the characters faces very realistically expressive! Basically they film the real voice actors and capture their facial movements, its an excellent way of making the game seem very realistic. It reminds me of the technology used to create Uncharted (1 and 2) where they filmed the voice actors wearing special suits and captured all their body movements. It all adds to the realism. (L.A. Noire, out Spring 2011).

 L.A. Noire poster

I am still currently trying to complete GTA 4, and recently completed RDR. I actually took a year-long break from GTA 4 because it was frustrating me so much lol! But I regained my interest and I am determined to finish it, then play the 'Episodes of Liberty City'. My younger brother is also bugging me to get Undead Nightmare, a DLC pack for RDR. Basically all the fun of RDR, but with zombies! Everything is zombified, even animals. I have a feeling I will be very scared when I play it lol.

A zombified John Marston, RDR Undead Nightmare

Rockstar should thank me for all this free advertising lol!

Family News

OK, so my older brother recently got engaged! He is 26 and is engaged to a 24 year old girl, she is also half-Libyan, half-English like we are. That was actually pretty important to my brother, and it is for me also. Lots of people like someone like them, and we are just doing the same thing. I would feel better if I could marry someone the same mix as me. I just feel like marrying from elsewhere can sometimes create problems. For some people its fine, but I dont want a freshie from Libya! I know what will happen, they may expect me to be like a Libyan, and then be disappointed when they realise that my English side and being raised in England has a big impact on me as a person......... I would advise anyone who thinks this way NOT to propose to someone different to them! You will not like it, trust me.

Anyway, I got to choose the engagement ring, it's white gold with a knot. Here it is:

 It wasn't what I chose originally, but many stores had sold out of sizes due to the Christmas rush. Its still very nice though, and most importantly she loved it!

Eid ul-Adha and Other Stuff

So it was Eid ul-Adha on Tuesday (16th Nov). I worked my voluntary shift at the WRVS hospital shop as we were not doing anything that morning after the Eid prayer. My dad managed to get a sheep slaughtered, today he was sorting the meat. We are keeping one leg, and the rest is being given to friends and family. By the way, this is the correct way to do Eid! Many people think you are supposed to donate money to a charity and have meat slaughtered abroad only for poor people. The slaughter is for everyone, regardless of wealth levels. If you cannot slaughter then fair enough, but dont use donation as a total replacement. Try to get slaughtered meat for your own family.

http://foodlibya.wordpress.com/

 On other issues, I must complain finally about the 2Pass driving forum. It was something I found just before doing my first driving test attempt. On the surface it looked pretty helpful, but I was soon ridiculed when I went to the website to announce my first test result. People blamed me for failing, instead of making me feel better about myself. I was already beating myself up about it, I didnt need those twits joining in too! A small number of members are genuinely lovely, but there is a 'crew' on there, they can say pretty much anything and the moderators allow them to do so, as they have befriended them. It's all pretty childish. I ended up being banned and never went back since, the whole thing is just a joke and the mods are REALLY unfriendly. The worst ones are the examiners on there, they have huge egos and if you dare say anything wrong about test-taking, boy won't you know about it! You are pretty much made to feel like a bad driver, even though nobody on there has seen you drive. They ought to change things round, call it 2Fail instead would be a start! I wouldnt advise joining that site if you want help and advice concerning your driving test. Maria McCarthy's books are much better for that. I shall provide linkage!

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/1124040/The-Girls-Guide-to-Losing-Your-L-plates/Product.html

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/5402203/The-Girl-Car-Handbook/Product.html

As you can see, they are pretty cheap if you buy them used, or just ask at your local library if you are low on funds! I have the Girl's Car Handbook and its fantastic for when you have passed.

Why are some Muslims extremist?

 I feel I should address this issue, as a Muslim I feel constantly associated with other Muslims who are extreme in their views. One such example is 21 year old Roshonara Choudhry, who stabbed her local MP Stephen Timms, because he voted in favour of the Iraq War. I can understand her displeasure, but she will now be labelled as a terrorist for what she has done. In the past, Muslim women probably were not seen as too much of a threat, it was more the bearded men, but now because of what Roshonara has done, people are going to now think Muslim woman hide knives in their handbags! That may sound stupid to some people, but already some people think we sit at home making bombs, so this won't be too far from their imaginations.

Roshonara Chaudhry in her mugshot

 

 I dont want to be seen as some hate-filled Muslim woman, I don't feel that way about people. Even after all the stuff Tony Blair and George Bush have done, I wouldn't even go and kill them either! Violence doesn't solve things, it just causes more problems, as Roshonara has done. It will be her fault if people think we go around carrying weapons, she has made this real now, it's not such a stretch to think it could happen with someone else. In fact I am the one who pretty much lives in fear. In my area there are a lot of chavvy, rough people. I am not scared of them, but they do intimidate people. They stand around drinking and smoking, and sometimes they do attack people. I have been physically attacked myself. I was walking to the corner shop and somebody tried to pull my scarf off my head. I was minding my own business, not even looking at these people, as these days just looking is enough to get you killed sometimes! There was the case of a young man who looked at a chavvy sort whilst on a train, and apparently that was enough to get stomped to death. (that is usually their weapon of choice, stamping on your head til your brains come out).

MP Stephen Timms, who was stabbed by Roshonara Chaudhry

 

 Some Muslims will probably disagree with a lot of what I have said here, but I don't care. We shouldn't embrace people who use violence to make their point. This goes for ANYONE, Muslim or not, who uses violence against people for whatever reason they think. You should only use violence in self-defence in my opinion. Even when I was attacked I could not fight back anyway, can you imagine how much worse off I would have been if I'd tried to hit them? I would have been beat up or left for dead.

I want to make it clear that I do not agree with any wars, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I will give some advice to people who feel a lot of hatred towards politicians whoever. Just go over to the country where the war is taking place, and help the people fight back there. That would be much more useful than stabbing an MP and ending up in prison for your efforts! I feel despair at politicians a lot too, I voted this year, for the Lib Dems, but I regret it now because we have ended up with this mess of a coalition government. Maybe I won't vote again, but I'm not totally sure. Will there ever be a party that completely changes everything? I think some things are beyond their control, but where they can make a difference, they usually don't bother. Tory party, too many cuts! They favour the rich, end of! (they are just a party made up of old Etonians, they simply cannot understand what life is like for working class people).

The Coalition; Nick Clegg and David Cameron

 On a final note, if you want to read the news in a non-biased (honest!) manner, then read Private Eye. They tell the truth about stuff, in a very sartirical manner. I am a subscriber myself, and it's much better than reading a newspaper. The editor is Ian Hislop, a team captain on Have I Got News For You. http://www.private-eye.co.uk/