Robyn Writes

Why I am still straight edge

Straight edge is a big thing in my life. It’s a big theme running throughout this site – four out of six contributors are in fact straight edge. I’m pretty sure that if you’re reading this, you know what straight edge is. Hell, I wrote the explanatory article for here in the first place. As I write this article, it’s what the stoner community knows as “4/20”, an excuse to go and smoke as much pot as they can, because of a stupid slang term. If that’s what you like to do, then I’m not going to stop you. I have my vices, but the difference is, none of them are chemical substances that are likely to destroy various aspects of my body. Either way, I know straight edge is not for everyone and it would not be anywhere near as effective if it were. So, after seeing Christopher Gutierrez, my favourite independent writer, post a tumblr blog about why he’s still straight edge, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and explain that this is why I live the life I do.

I first became straight edge when I was thirteen years old. I had been drunk before. My actions when I was drunk caused me to fall out with pretty much all my friends, all because I decided to get a little too close to this boy they all liked. Nothing even happened, but they all got jealous anyway. After coming back from a New Found Glory show, I couldn’t sleep, so I started reading a couple of threads on a forum I frequented. And I started to see the value in this lifestyle called ‘straight edge’. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. A clean slate. Davey Havok was straight edge and he was cool. I thought ‘why not?’. What did I have to lose? I announced myself as straight edge to this online community and they laughed at me, saying that as I wasn’t legal drinking age, I’d sure change my mind. Six years later and I haven’t. And I can guarantee that ten, twenty years later, I still won’t have.

I thought that maybe, going to university would change it. I didn’t want to change who I was, but I thought that it could happen – after all, new situation, new fears. Peer pressure. I’d never given into it before – I know some people who quit edge when commencing sixth form – but I didn’t know what could happen. First night in, they were all playing drinking games. I respectfully declined. Nobody bit my head off, they all just said ‘okay’. I’ve been pulled up on it by others there, but I forgot that people at universities are generally more accepting and liberal than other places. I’m glad that I never gave in, because I would have been betraying myself.

Through being straight edge, I have apparently missed out on a lot. I don’t get invited to anywhere near as many parties as I would do otherwise. I find clubbing irritating because all my friends are drunk and I’m not. I actually have to deal with problems instead of drinking to make them all go away. In some respects, I feel left out. I missed out on a lot of the typical formative activities of my peers. However, I realise that it’s all worth it. Without straight edge, I wouldn’t be as strong a person. I wouldn’t have learned as many lessons as I have. It’s not a cross to bear, as a lot of people believe, but it’s something I’m proud of. I am proud that I have the strength to say no. I am proud that I can see things clearly. I am proud that I do not have to depend upon a chemical high in order to have a good time. Do I need to be like everybody else? No. I haven’t been like everybody else all my life, so why should I start now?

I’ve never “x’d” up. I’ve never worn any straight edge affiliated clothing. I don’t have a straight edge tattoo… yet. I barely ever say that I am straight edge, I just say I don’t drink. The pride I feel from being straight edge is kind of an inner pride – I don’t feel I have to flaunt it. It’s not because I’m afraid, it’s because I like to think that I’m more accepting of other people’s lifestyle choices and if I’m not militant about it, they might be of mine. That’s another thing that being straight edge has taught me – everybody has a choice. We can all choose to live one way or another and nobody is exactly right, but some people do end up making better choices than others. Who’s to say mine is better? Nobody. Although, I do think that I chose a better life than some of my high school companions. At least three of my old friends are now habitual drug users and I don’t believe that they’re better off than me, but they’ll have learned different lessons in their lives due to that choice. That’s their route and I don’t know if they’d change it. They probably wouldn’t. Just like I wouldn’t change mine.

I guess that part of the reason why I became straight edge was because I wanted to be different. I have to admit, I don’t like fitting in with the vast majority and I don’t think I should behave in a certain way or act like a dick to do it. I think it’s a waste of time. I think we should celebrate our differences because let’s face it, everyone is awesome in their own way. Unless they’re racist or a clown. But still, the world would be a much better place if everyone wasn’t afraid to hide who they really were and that’s part of what straight edge is – having the guts to admit that you are different and you’re happy with that. As HeyChris pointed out, straight edge is one of the biggest ‘fuck you’s’ in the scene. It’s rebellion in a rebellious scene. Straight edge is courage. And you know what? I like having that courage.

Star Trek reviewed by ninthandash and Nox

ninthandash’s review

I’d just like to state, first off, that I don’t consider myself a Trekkie. While it’s true that I can name all of the Starfleet captains in both chronological order according to the timeline of the show (Archer, Kirk, Picard, Janeway) and according to the order the series appeared in (Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Archer). And, of course, in order of my personal preference (Kirk, Janeway, Archer, Picard). Not to mention that I am aware I missed out Captain Sisko, but this is because he was the captain of a spacestation, not a ship, and was a Commander as opposed to a captain for the majority of the Deep Space 9 series.

But I’m not that into it. I don’t have an obsessive understanding of the themes, plots, characters. I know the different series, but I don’t really have a favourite. I can’t take part in a discussion about it at any given length. And although I’d grown up watching the original series (and of course the following ones), I wasn’t super excited about going to see the movie. Until the trailers came on, and then I couldn’t wait to see it. Still, not a Trekkie. I didn’t discuss it online, I didn’t wait anxiously for new set stills to be released (although I will admit doing this for Watchmen, but that’s a different story). I decided to go see it with my father, because we’d been watching the show together for years.

Then I saw, across the bottom of the trailer, those five fateful words. ‘Showing in selected IMAX cinemas.’ I live in one of eight cities in England that is lucky enough to have an IMAX cinema, and I make the most of this opportunity every time I can. So I didn’t hesitate to immediately go online, and book two tickets to see Star Trek in IMAX. My father and I really wanted to go see it at the midnight showing the day it came out, especially as I’d heard rumours about free Spock ears, but we were unable to make it. Nevertheless, on the 9th of May, we turned up at the IMAX and joined the already long and winding queue.

There’s something exciting about going to see a film at the IMAX, I’ll confess. The atmosphere is entirely different to that of a normal cinema. Maybe it’s because of the giant screen taking up a whole wall in front of you, or maybe it’s the fact that everyone is there to watch the film — not mess around on their mobile phones, or talk loudly to their friends while chewing on popcorn. Either way, as the lights darkened and the familiar Star Trek theme music began to play, there was an almost reverent hush in the silence of the theatre.

I was spell-bound from the first moment. The story isn’t simple, as such, but it’s an easily recognisable one. It follows a young James T. Kirk, and a young Spock, as each make the decisions needed to take them to the Enterprise. It’s interesting watching each character develop, and the crew members joining them along the way — Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Chekhov and finally Scotty. Watching the movie slowly unfold to set up the world of the original Star Trek series is strangely nostalgic. But there’s no real time for that.

Star Trek is nothing if not action packed. From the first moments of the movie, in which we see James T. Kirk’s father sacrifice himself for his wife and newborn son, there are explosions and fighting and aliens, oh my! The action doesn’t let up throughout, without the plot being sacrificed in favour of CGI and special effects. The Vulcans are introduced to us as a community first, and the conflicting aspects of Spock’s heritage (half human, half Vulcan) are set up perfectly, enabling us to fully understand why he makes the decisions he does.

The same can not be said for Kirk, however. Shown as a rebel, we’re told that his aptitude tests are “off the charts” but for some reason, he doesn’t go to Starfleet Academy until he’s pushed into it. Why not? In my head, I made up the story that he doesn’t want to live in his heroic dead father’s shadow, but the true reason went unexplained. However, his character as a cocky, arrogant but charismatic teenager is believable without being annoying, and the dynamics between him and the young Spock are fantastic.

Zachary Quinto made a perfect Spock. Being a fan of Heroes, I was worried that I’d see him as Sylar first and Spock second, but he was unrecognisable as anyone other than the young Vulcan. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed him playing Spock, and my father agreed that he was amazing. And of course, the movie wouldn’t have been complete without none other than Leonard Nimroy. The original Spock, he was not only playing Spock in the movie but also given a logical (for Star Trek, at least) reason as to why he would be there.

Finally, the IMAX experience made it even better. Although sometimes it was hard to keep track of what was going on, especially in the fight scenes, the overall sounds and images made it amazing. The picture almost seemed to surround the audience, and there was a definite feeling of being a part of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from start to finish, and would definitely reccommend it — in IMAX, if you can.

Nox’s review

Okay, so I just got home from watching Star Trek and the verdict? Pretty sweet. Now, I grew up catching an episode or two of the show every now and then, but I never really got into it. This movie, unlike most of the episodes I caught, was easy to understand and kept me interested from beginning to end. The twists were well placed and the fights were probably my favorite part.

I was waiting for the ‘Beam me up, Scottie.’ But sadly it never came. I was kind of bummed, but that little alien following Scottie around made me laugh so it was okay. I think the casting director did a great job. Spock was hella rad as a kid, young adult, and old man. Kirk was totally hardcore as a kid. No spoilers but the young Kirk was the coolest little kid ever, and I loved how the movie kind of showed the rebellious similarities between Spock and Kirk throughout the years.

Visually the movie was awesome, the fight scenes were great, the sarcastic comic relief was executed perfectly, and the all around substance of the film was stellar. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you haven’t already. I give it a five high five rating because who doesn’t love a smart ass trouble maker turned captain?

Overall rating…

5 out of 5 high-fives!

Review: Spaced Out: The Best Of Nimoy And Shatner

Upon an afternoon foray into Leamington, I discovered a thing of wonder in Head, the resident cheap CD/DVD shop. It’s a lot like Rise or Fopp, but with a different name and a lesser selection. Strolling through the rock/pop section, I spied the name ‘William Shatner’. Thinking it might be some of his spoken word stuff, but in the wrong section, I decided to take a peek, and what I found was beyond my wildest dreams. I found Spaced Out: The Best of Nimoy and Shatner, a collection of the various musical works they’d put out between 1967 and 1970. I had no idea that they even had musical works. So, being the Trekkie I am, I decided to pick it up (plus it was only £4, so why not?) and well… somebody other than me has to know about it, so here’s a review!

The collection is weighted heavily towards Nimoy’s work, because apparently, he had a lot. However, the CD opens on a Shatner song, which is… well, less of a song and more of a monologue over some acoustic guitar. King Henry The Fifth, followed by Elegy Of The Brave is just one of Shatner’s takes on Shakespeare upon the album, and it’s rather epic, in the classical sense of the word. In Hamlet, Shatner picks up from where Hamlet has just killed his father and decides to get into Hamlet’s mind, echoing his famous monologue – “To be or not to be, that is the question”. It’s backed by a beautifully minimalist orchestral score which intensifies throughout the speech – and it sounds wonderfully melodramatic. Hamlet is most definitely the standout track out of Shatner’s pieces. Most of Shatner’s contributions to the CD are in fact, more spoken than sung, particularly on his cover of Mr Tambourine Man, where he decides not to emulate the jolly, happy mood of the song and instead recites the lyrics rather overdramatically, with an absolutely terrifying ending, where he almost screams “Mr Tambourine Man”, leaving the song on a rather sour note. It’s disturbing, but effective. His take on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is somewhat less disturbing, but awfully… shit. The melodramatic recitation of the lyrics with a bad echo effect is most definitely not an improvement on the original, and I really dislike The Beatles. However, what makes it somewhat glorious at the same time is the transition from Shatner’s reading to an incredibly happy chorus. Straaaaange.

As I mentioned previously, Nimoy pretty much dominates this collection and it’s with good reason, because he can actually sing, and sing very well! He also had a far more prolific career musically than Shatner ever did. There’s a good selection included, ranging from covers to his own material based upon Star Trek and… wait for it… Lord Of The Rings. No lies. The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins is wonderfully camp, and I think that we have the 60s to thank for that. Comedy factors aside, it’s a ridiculously catchy song about Bilbo’s travels through Middle Earth. The Star Trek songs are equally great, with Highly Illogical, based on Spock’s view of human relationships, being one of the best songs on the compilation. A Visit To A Sad Planet, a log entry to music, is as melancholy as its name suggests, with a fantastic minor score and a chilling message. His covers are also well chosen and interesting – whilst Nimoy doesn’t stray too far from the originals (see Where Is Love if you can find it), he still makes them his own and they sound great. The best of his wide selection is probably his cover of I Walk The Line, which just sounds awesome, possibly because he’s not taking it too seriously. And that’s the joy of all of Nimoy’s songs on the CD – they’re fun!

Ultimately, if you aren’t a Trekkie, then it’s an entirely pointless collection. However, for those who love their Star Trek, it’s an interesting insight into the wider careers of both Shatner and Nimoy and there are some truly great songs on here. Definitely check it out if you’re a Star Trek fan, and if not… well, maybe just the Bilbo Baggins song for some universal chuckles.

3 out of 5 high fives!

Slytherin: Uncovered by ninthandash

Everyone’s heard of Harry Potter. The wizard, the books, the movie. And everyone has an opinion about what House they’d be in. Ripper would be Ravenclaw. Nox would be a Gryffindor. And I, of course, would be a Slytherin. I’m just going to warn you now, I’m probably reading too much into these books. They are, quite simply, fun YA novels. But I also have a tendency to overanalyse Disney movies, so this isn’t anything unusual.

Slytherins get a raw deal, in my opinion. There’s a common view of them as being either cruel Death Eaters-to-be or just, for some reason, disliked. There also seems to be a double standard; what’s acceptable for the other Houses — and this is particularly evident in Gryffindor — isn’t in Slytherins. People have a preconceived view of Slytherins, and are always anxious to find details to support that. (Again, I realise I’m taking this way too seriously. Feel free to close this tab right now.)

The Slytherins are described in the Sorting Hat’s first song as “cunning folks [who] use any means to achieve their ends,” and in another song, the Sorting Hat also states that Salazar Slytherin said he’d “teach just those/Whose ancestry is purest.” Taken out of context, it’s easy to understand why Slytherins have such a bad reputation. But it’s not that simple. The Sorting Hat also says that Slytherin is where “you’ll make your real friends.” This appears to be overlooked a lot. The Sorting Hat does not mention friendship when referring to any other House, and yet Slytherins are always seen as power-hungry and very Machiavellian. This doesn’t seem to add up.

Of course, the Sorting Hat does make a reference to the pureblood/’mudblood’ divide so evident in Slytherin, that a lot of people use to view Slytherins as, basically, racist. “For instance,” the Sorting Hat tells us, “Slytherin took only pureblood wizards/Of great cunning just like him.” But, Rowena Ravenclaw taught “only those of sharpest mind,” which, while perhaps not as bad as judging students purely on ancestry, still isn’t fair or equal. Not only that, but this is referring to events that happened possibly hundreds of years ago. Tom Riddle, one of the most infamous Slytherin students, wasn’t pureblood. His mother was a witch, and his father was a Muggle. Or Severus Snape, again a halfblood, whose mother was witch and father was Muggle. It’s also thought that Millicent Bulstrode was a halfblood, although this is not definite.

So clearly, Slytherin doesn’t discriminate as much as it is thought to. One stereotype down, lots to go. Slytherins are thought of as only looking out for themselves, and for being ‘Mudblood haters’. It’s true that Slytherins would prefer the Muggles not to be mixed with the Wizarding world, but is it any wonder? Muggles used to burn wizards and witches at the stake, whether they knew Freezing Charms or not. Now that Muggles have advanced, including their technology, there’s no way of knowing if they could be a danger. Clearly, the wizarding world think they could, as they go to great pains to keep their existence a secret. Is it any wonder that Slytherins want as few Muggles as possible being a part of their world? It’s also understandable that Slytherins are the ones to have these fears; coming from pureblood families, they’re the ones with ancestors most likely to be affected by this.

Of course, any kind of prejudice is inexcusable, don’t get me wrong. But imagine growing up, finding out that great-great-aunt whoever was burned for… for what, exactly? For doing nothing wrong. No wonder the Slytherins didn’t want this to happen a second time. And people such as the Dursleys did nothing to help that view.

The Slytherins are definitely loyal only to each other. They couldn’t care less about people in other Houses, but they definitely have no reason to. Whenever something happens, Slytherins are automatically blamed. There’s a quote where Hagrid says to Harry, “There’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin.” If that’s the mentality surrounding them, is it any wonder that Slytherins do go bad? They would never be accepted or trusted by what is perceived as the ‘good’ side, so they feel they have no other option. Sirius Black put it well when he told Harry that “the world isn’t divided into good people and Death Eaters,” something that never seems to be fully grasped.

In the Goblet of Fire, Professor Moody (obviously not him, but that’s what it’s easier to refer to him as) transfigures Draco Malfoy into a ferret, and bounces him down the corridor. Harry and friends all find this hilarious, Ron in particular. But this is a fourteen or fifteen year old boy (most likely fourteen) who is being thrown against hard, stone walls and surfaces. And yet, hardly anyone does anything. Professor McGonagall appears to be the only one who understands the severity of the situation, but even then no action is taken against Moody. He is allowed to keep his place at Hogwarts, none of the students appear frightened of him (except, understandably, Draco). If this had happened to any Gryffindor student, or even a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, the consequences would have been much more severe.

Finally, in the Deathly Hallows, the book preaches constantly a message of togetherness, and friendship. About being more than people expect you to be, about being a hero. And then JK, in my opinion, lets it all down at the end. The Slytherins have the option of staying and fighting, of proving the negative stereotypes wrong, and yet not one of them stays. Wouldn’t the book have had a stronger message over all if the Slytherins had proved everyone wrong? If at least one of them had fought for the side of Light?

Slytherins are associated with evil, this is true. But they have no one to rely on but each other, and are clearly more loyal, intelligent and stronger than any of the other Houses. And this is why I would be proud to be a Slytherin.

The Sims Have Got It Made by ninthandash

I’ve been on a big The Sims kick lately. I’ve been playing everything, apart from the original: The Sims 3, The Sims 2 complete with most of the expansion packs, and had a quick go on the PS2 game although I never really got the hang of it. This is mostly because, with deadlines and exams coming up, I felt the need to procrastinate. I never find quite so many ways to waste my time as I do when there are important things that affect my future that I’m not doing. The Sims, in all incarnations, is a big time waster.

But then I wandered onto The Sims 2 University, and it started to piss me off a bit. The thing is, it’s easy for the sims. Tiny little simulated people that they are, it’s obviously easier for them because they have some big person up above telling them what to do (although this can also lead to disasters in the form of fire, drowning and just general death and unhappiness). I even started comparing my own life to the sims’, and sadly my own life came off worse.

#1: Love.
The biggest hurdle in life, I find. The Beatles (because it seems I can no longer write anything without slipping them in there) famously sang, love is all you need. Or, alternatively, love is all you need. Which makes me think, we should start a matchmaking service for homeless people, but that isn’t the point. The point is that the sims have it easier. Not because they have a matchmaking service which costs five thousands simoleons or so, because we have online dating. Both probably have the same success rate and online dating is, most of the time, much cheaper (although I’ll admit I don’t know the exchange rate between pounds and simoleons).

The sims have love potions, for a start. Drink a nice, pink coloured potion from a crystal decanter and you get flowers springing up beneath your feet and the option to make someone fall in love with you. But even without that, it’s pretty easy. They can be made to find each other attractive, for one thing. They can be literally made for each other. If I’m attracted to black-haired boys with piercings, can I make someone exactly like that and move them in next door to me? No. No, I can not.

And even overlooking that, all the sims have to do is wander up to someone, chat for a bit then throw in an ‘admire’. Follow that up with a flirt option, and they’re in love. From there, it’s easy to take it as fast or as slowly as you want. The sims only seem to hate each other if they cheat on each other, and that’s easy enough to avoid. So I feel that in this case, the sims win.

#2: Friends.
Some people find it difficult to make friends, right? Not on the Sims! For starters, people come around to welcome them into the neighbourhood. Greet these people and they wander into your house, you can call them for a chat without asking for their number, and it’s not like before you’re friends. There’s no such thing as just not getting along with someone. Not to mention, your sims can bring friends home from work. The parents and children usually get on. Obviously there are ways to change this, but if you play the game without purposely trying to make their lives hard, it’s fairly easy to make friends.

Not so in real life. Sometimes people don’t get on. You can’t just wander up to someone in a shop and start a conversation. And if someone I barely knew called me up at 7am to chat, I wouldn’t be impressed. I definitely think this is another win for the sims.

#3: Job/School.
I’m putting these as one, because the idea is generally the same. At work, it’s easy to get a promotion. The sims don’t have to have been to uni. They can start a job with no skills whatsoever and completely work their way up. In real life, could I get a job as a medical test subject and become a scientist simply by playing lots of chess? Or could I get a job as a golf caddy and become a professional freelance photographer? I believe the answer is ‘no’.

Not to mention school. All the sims do is their homework and their grades go shooting up. They never struggle to understand it. They never get upset if they can’t do it. And university? While I accept there is some value to doing term papers and studying books to pass, it still has the whether or not they understand it value. I could read book after book but if I don’t understand the material, I’m not going to get on the Dean’s list. It just seems so much easier on the sims and so much less hard work than it is in real life. Again, I feel this is a point to the sims.

While I could go on — there’s no hairdye, they can just change their hair and if they don’t like it, change it back, it can go from long to short, piercings aren’t permanent and tattoos come off with a change of clothes — I won’t, because I feel that I’ve made my point. Final score: 3-0 to the sims. So between being a real person and being a simulated one, I’d take the Sims every time.