Saturday 27 February 2016

February, 2016

Dear all,

     It's February and it's been hectic. We're on the verge of launching the two new sections, including a special program that is being run by myself. Over the past weeks I've been in meetings and preparation mode, ensuring content of the website is ready, all aspects of procedures and ethics have been addressed, and that processes are going to work as intended. I can't say anything just yet, but it's going to be an exciting time and should help many people. It's been a long time in planning and finally we will see fruition.

     Valentine's day came and went, I pray that everyone is well and enjoyed the day. Even if you're a single, remember love can come from oneself, and is often more special when it is. Too many of us rely on others to validate us, or make us feel loved, when your best friend is always a few inches deep -- if you give yourself the patience and understanding to accept who you are. If you are single during Valentine's Day, take the time to spoil yourself and reconnect to who you are. Go out to your favourite restaurant, take on a task that makes you feel good, or do something you've always intended to do, but never had the time. Attached readers, make sure you add a little self-love to your celebrations. You can love more than one person at a time, and your own self should be one of them!

     This month's articles are a good selection of subjects. I didn't want to steer myself into themed months for too long, so now the holidays are over, we can return to the normal randomness that is article selection.

Cobus Potgeiter: Churches and Duct Tape
Pieter Jacobus Potgieter AKA Cobus Potgieter, 29, is a musical prodigy with an interesting journey and career. He didn't start fame with a winning demo tape that landed in a producer's lap. His rise to success began with a church and lots of duct tape. He is now a drum teacher (via DVD), a sponsored musician with endorsements from many instrument makers, and has over 146 million views as of May, 2014.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=182

Second Life: Alternative You
Second life, a game of personalities, opened in 2003, and is well-known by many people, including the 16 million who own accounts to the game. It's a hang-out more popular than most social networking sites, and it's one of the few games that is bent by the creativity of the users. On The Grid, a 9 minute documentary was made to explain Second Life, but I soon found out that Second Life is more than it seems on the surface. These are not mere characters interacting -- not even evolving, but living as their controllers wish to. It blurs the lines between the imagination and the effect if make-believe was true. We delve into the Second Life world to see how the game enriches and troubles the lives of the users.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=146

Sexting in Suburbia
Dina Van Cleve (Jenn Proske) is a girl that has everything going for her, in her mother's eyes. Her grades are high, her sporting ability even higher, and she has a loving boyfriend and many friends. But when her mother finds her dead, she knows something in the puzzle's missing. What happened to her daughter bad enough for her to take her own life? It soon comes out, Dina was sexting with her boyfriend, and the evidence destroyed her life. The film is loosely based on the Jessica Logan case in 2008. Jessica, an 18-year-old student in Ohio, sent a nude photo to her boyfriend, which he passed onto girls at school after they broke up.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=138

Sexting's Legal Long-Term Effects: What Everyone Should Know
In recent surveys, it's estimated up to 40% of teens were posting or sending sexually suggested messages. A staggering 48% of boys admitted to receiving sexual images of girls that went to their schools. Kids Helpline Australia's website states that sexting is not limited to mobile phones, but also instant messengers like Skype and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr and Snapchat. Adults also sext. Self magazine's research found that 92% of women had sent "sexy texts." Senders can be prosecuted for sending their images. Adults who send nude images of themselves to someone unasked can be held accountable under the Malicious Communications Act.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=139

Biological Explanations of Anxiety: The Trilogy
Society believes that anxiety is abnormal, when in fact, it's a normal biological process in the brain. Unless anxiety is stopping you from enjoying aspects of your life, or stopping you from undertaking certain tasks, then it is at a functional level. But what is the point of anxiety and what function does it serve us? Why does it exist?
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=081

Switched At Birth Culture
Imagine you are deaf, and you are arrested. How would that feel? There are lights in your face, so you cannot read their lips, your hands are cuffed behind your back, so you are unable to "speak". How would you or your mother communicate with the person who arrested you without an interpreter? Emmett found out. Switched at Birth is a new US series, which aims to give the "deaf perspective."
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=121

Free to Play: The E-Sports World
Cyber athletes or E-Sports players are becoming more recognised as celebrities, but what are E-sports and what do they entail? What is it that makes watching a video game so exciting and intriguing? We feature a documentary that explores the world of E-Sports and what it can afford young cyber athletes.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=145

Grief is the Worst Ninja
Grief is the Worst Ninja is a reactionary piece by a pet owner who experienced one of the dreaded moments by every pet owner -- when they find their animal deceased. This book is a documentation of her thoughts, feelings, and actions after the initial scene, as well as her lifestyle with Dorian and what it meant to lose him.
Link: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=203

This month will close with big news, which will be put onto Facebook and the front page of wesaytheysay.com. Keep an eye out!

For another month, I wish you well and hope the new articles and content find you well.

My best,
The Editor.

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