Divorce? Really?

My theory is that when parents get divorced, they’re given some kind of a handout. When my parents told me that they were splitting, they told me three things.
One, it’s not your fault.
Two, it’s not your fault.
And three, it’s not your fault.
Problem is, I don’t buy it. No kid does.
I’ve seen the pictures of when you got married. When you were good-looking, and you smiled at each other; hell, when you even just looked at each other.
So what happened between then and now?
Me.
I came along and made you tired and cranky and anxious and I made you lose your hair and gain 20 extra pounds and…
Somewhere in all of that, I… you stopped loving each other.
So I have my own idea for a handout.
Next time, tell me:
One, happiness is hard.
Two, don’t make the same mistakes we did.
And three, okay, so maybe it is your fault a little.
You want me to be honest? You go first!

FL - Joe Hart...

Let me tell you, I was genuinely shocked when I saw that my most read post was my article about Bastian Schweinsteiger. And I was even more shocked when I saw that my third most read entry was about Steven Gerrard. So, I guess many of you like my football posts. Luckily, I'm in the mood for one more, after months of silence. Ladies and gentleman, I finally present to you the Berlin wall of Manchester City, the Number One of England National Football Team, the bulletproof... Charles Joseph John Hart, a.k.a. Joe "Save Hands" Hart.

For those of you who are regularly reading my blog, you might be surprised that he comes third in my Football Legends series. After all, I probably seems obsessed with him. But we have to recognize the fact that he became a "real" player in 2010. Don't get me wrong, he is amazing, but I believe that he has a lot more to learn about the game. His career is just starting.

His story is very interesting, I have to say. Even though he was recruited by Manchester City in 2006, when he was 19 years old, his true career there started only last season. His "Cinderella Story" started in August 2010. After a series of loans in different clubs and proving that he can handle the Premier League, his luck smiled on him at a game against Tottenham Hotspur. Because of some problems, the first-choice goalkeeper, Shay Given, was not able to start the game.

Hart was the second choice, so he took the hot spot between the sticks. The game went from bad to worse for City as Tottenham moved the entire game in front of Hart's goal. And what he did there was phenomenal. After more than 15 clear-shot saves and more than 15 other deflections he kept a clean sheet and helped his struggling team get a 0-0 draw from a surely lost game. Not only that, but he won the "Man of the Match" award, a rare honor for a goalkeeper, especially on his first game against such a big team.

That was it. That was the moment in which he sealed his position as a first-team goalkeeper and Shay Given was moved to the bench. In his first Premier League season, Joe Hart won the Barclay's Golden Glove for keeping 18 clean sheets. He also broke the club record, by keeping an overall of 29 matches during a season clean. Now, Joe Hart is the seventh best goalkeeper in the world (With which I disagree, because he is far better than names which are there only because they play in big teams. I'm not saying who they are... Khum, khum, Casillas, khum, khum!), and the best goalkeeper in the UK. He was also the main reason why Manchester City managed to qualify for the Champions League this year.

I have a very interesting story with him as well. I was watching the very first qualifier for the Euro 2012. It was England versus Bulgaria, but the match was played at Wembley, so I couldn't attend. Now, I have to be honest with you, my first though when I saw him was: "Damn, he's cute." It's true that he made some good saves that game, but it only served to draw my attention to him. It was only later, when I started watching the Premier League when I saw how amazing he is in his position. After a few games, he easily became one of my favorite players. After Van Der Saar's retirement, he became my ultimate favorite goalkeeper as well.

He is also the very first football player that I saw in real life. It was in the second game between Bulgaria and England, which was played here, in Sofia. Of course, I attended. It turned out that my seat was next to Hart's goal. Ironically, England scored all three goals against us in the first half, on the other side of the pitch, which meant I barely saw a thing. But I had 45-minute "Joe-Hart-Resting-Next-To-His-Goal" show. I can't complain.

There are many games that make him a legend. Games, in which he saved his team from pure embarrassment. Many people believe that Capello made a terrible mistake by keeping him on the bench during the World Cup, which England made a fiasco at. But now, in Euro 2012, they have hope. At least, I have hope. And one last fun fact - England has not lost a single game with Joe Hart between the sticks. Just saying, keep it up!

Joe Hart's Moment of Glory Versus Tottenham Hotspur:

Some more talent:

And, of course, his soundtrack:

The End...

Last night, I dreamt of the end of the world. It was one of the strangest dreams I ever had. And let me tell you, it is not true that when you die in a dream, you wake up in real life. I don't remember much, but I do remember the last few moments.

The strange thing was that it was beautiful. It was night, and you could see the planets lined up, leading to the Sun. It wasn't shining, however, it was as if you're looking at it from space, not from Earth. The Milky Way was passing right behind it. It was truly beautiful.

The next thing that happened was that a huge other planet started moving quickly towards us. It was so colorful, and it looked like Saturn, with rings, and it had some moons, I think, but they were red and purple. So, I saw it crash into Earth, and that was it...

I remember that in the dream, I was thinking about 2012 and how it was all rubbish, right before I saw the scene described above. Well done, media, you managed to brainwash even the person who didn't care at all about such things. Bravo!

Anyway, I was more interested in the part where I was dying. I now it's just a dream, but in the dream, it felt like falling asleep, but not being able to move at all. Just my mind, drifting away slowly, then suddenly waking up in a different place. So I wandered, what happens after you die?

So, I made my own research, and I found four main theories about death.
Which one sounds most plausible to you, or do you have your own theory?

Theory No.1 - The Afterlife.
Researcher - Dr. Eben Alexander III.
Explanation - Basically, it's the typical "die and go to heaven" idea, where the perfect life awaits you in a metaphysical place, where you'll meet all dead people, reunite with your passed away relatives, and have all your dreams come true in a way.
Evidence - The professor mentioned above actually fell into a deep coma, also known as "brain death". This means that his brain does not function, therefore if the "soul and mind" are really in the connections made in the brain, his soul was supposed to be dead. No dreams, no memories, nothing, not even functions such as breathing. And this is irreversibe. Basically, the human being within you is dead. There is just the body, which is supported by machines. However, after seven days in such a state, Dr. Alexander III woke up, his mind completely intact, remembering visions from his dreams, including the vision of what he describes as God. Therefore, when he was dead, he still had a spiritual experience in the afterlife.

Theory No.2 - The Free Mind.
Researcher - Dr. Bruce Greyson.
Explanation - He believes that the mind can exist without any body supporting it. It is very similar to the first theory, but instead of the religious concept, he suggest a different level of existence in the same plane that living people inhabit.
Evidence - He has worked with many people that have been near death. And they all, similar to Dr. Alexander III, claim that they felt completely in peace and that they encountered dead family members and friends.

Theory No.3 - There Is No Death.
Researcher - Robert Lanza.
Explanation - It's is hard for me to explain it, so I will quote the Huffington Post: "Since space and time only exist as tools for us to understand the world around us - i.e. without consciousness, space and time don't actually exist - we don't really ever die."
Evidence - There isn't any, really. It's just a theory. I, myself, don't understand it completely, but it is still interesting to read about.

Theory No.4 - Nothing.
Researcher - Dr. Wendy Wright.
Explanation - Here, we have the complete opposite of the first theory. And the most pessimistic one, as well. She says that all of these visions mentioned above are simply tricks of the stressed or dying brain. She claims that there is nothing after death, you just... vanish.
Evidence - No evidence here as well, except the biological references. I, personally cannot imagine that I can just stop existing, so I'm not a supporter of this theory, but I guess that we will all eventually learn what the truth is, so...

I hope you found that interesting. I would love to hear your opinion or theory, so e-mail me if you like. See you soon. :)

Dear Governments...

Dear Governments,

Governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. You know what this will be about. I am not going to go into the argument that many of the hundreds of millions protesters will use against your decision to approve ACTA. I'm just going to perform my role as a concerned citizen that starts to feel a little bit insecure about the future of her nation.

I'm just going to give some definitions and examples. What you'll think of them is up to you.

Government (Definition, according to Wikipedia): "Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized."

Since I live in a republic, I'm going to explore the problem from that point of view.

Republic (Definition, according to Wikipedia): "A republic is a form of government in which people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where officers of state are elected or chosen by elected people."

Democracy (Definition, according to Wikipedia): "Democracy in its purest or most ideal form would be a society in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. The voting public takes part in the elections."

Now, this should sound familiar. Most of you represent such form of government. At least, that is what you should be by DEFINITION. Let's see something else, shall we?

Totalitarianism (Definition, according to Wikipedia): "Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible."

Oppression (Definition, according to Wikipedia): "Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. Being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse condiitions, and anxiety."

This should also sound familiar. Millions of people gave their lives to free their nations and children from such abominations of government. Germany knows, Russia knows, Italy knows, Bulgaria knows... All of you know.

Let's view the facts. There are millions of people downloading movies, music, and books from the Internet. Hundreds of millions. Pretty much everyone that knows how to use computers. Think this through. When so many people protest against their governments' decisions, the result is only one... And it usually doesn't favor the governments.

Will you arrest millions of working people just because they downloaded a movie?
Will you arrest millions of promising teenagers just because they listen to pirated music?
Will you arrest millions of citizens who saved a few pictures on their computers?

No.
I know.
You have downloaded too. You, the politicians. You, the artists. You, the police. Everyone.

Will you shut Facebook down?
Will you shut the Pirate Bay down?
Will you shut YouTube down?
Will you shut Tumblr down?
Will you shut Blogger down?
Will you shut Skype down?
Will you shut the Internet down?

And then what? You think that will be the end of it? Wrong. Dead wrong.

It is not acceptable for people who make hundreds of millions per year to have DEMANDS on a population of middle class people, who prefer to download, instead of buying their music and movies. Harry Potter's last movie made 381 million dollars in the United States only. I went to the cimena, payed for the ticket and watched it. Why shouldn't I be able to download and watch it again? These people have more than enough money already.

My mother is a doctor. A pediatrician. She saves children's lifes everyday. She works in three different hospitals at the same time. She works 12 hours a day, including weekends. Every single day she has to put up with abuse from patients, since in Bulgaria no one has the right attitude towards medics. She is forced to pick up her cell phone at 11 p.m., even on weekends, just to fix a running nose. And do you know what? She gets less than 2000 dollars a month! From all three jobs. Now, tell me I have to pay to watch movies. Tell me I have to pay to listen to music.

In what world do we live, where doctors get mere pennies compared to the Hollywood companies. And in the end who demands more money? The billionaires? The money making machines? No one, and I repeat, no one will conform to this. The only change that will occur will be massive riots, unrest, destruction, people dead, militarization of countries, changed governments.

When everyone is guilty of a crime, is it still a crime?

Think about this. And do not take this as a threat, but as a warning. Remember this: "People should not be afraid of their governments... Governments should be afraid of their people."

Don't let these movies become our reality. It already is bad enough...

Mood: Misanthropic...

Dear readers,

First of all, I feel responsible for telling you that it was not my intention to write such posts when I started my blog. It's main purpose was to share my random thoughts and passions with people that might find them interesting. To make it my diary, in a way. But if I'm going to share my thoughts on every matter, I have to share my thought on this matter too. Unfortunately, today, this matter is my country. And not my country as an institution. Not my country as a geographical object. No. Bulgaria as its people. People like me, probably you. If you are Bulgarian and you are easily insulted, do not read this. I repeat - do not read this.

Now, I feel obliged to say that I love my country. I have always loved my country, and I will always love it. I hate the people, including myself, don't get me wrong. I recognize every single fucked up trait in my own blood at times, and it makes me sick. Every illusion I had for us, Bulgarians, every hope I had for a better future for us, well, it is dead. Killed, murdered, buried, forgotten. We will always be the self-centered, closed-minded, cheating, fame-seeking, posing, lying, stupid bastards we have always been.

Racism:

If you are not from Bulgaria and you're reading this, you must know, Buglarians are more racist than Americans from the southern states during the slave trading... And this happens today, during the 21st century. And it makes me sick. I don't know if this is because the constant racial tension in our country between Bulgarians and Romas and Turkish people (which conveniently slips from the watchful eye of the European Union). I don't know if this is because people here are so fucking close-minded that they think they are some kind of a special breed (which is something else I hate about us). I cannot accept that. I am not racist. I have my moments, of course, when I am intolerant towards Romas, and I hate myself for bringing out the race aspect, but there are usually other reasons around this "hatred". So, Bulgarians, who are reading this, I'm not preaching to you to embrace all races. Just stop boasting as if you are the most perfect creations, because this is the last thing we are.

Self-Centered Mind:

If you are a foreign person, you should know one thing - Bulgarians are the best. In everything. In every single fucking thing. We are the best looking. We are the smartest people on Earth (fuck Japanese, they don't know shit about shit). Our ways are always the best ways. Our history will always be the greatest. The entire human population came from us. The world was created out of pieces of Buglaria. We were the strongest empire. God is Bulgarian. Every single celebrity has Bulgarian roots somewhere in the family tree, so they must be Bulgarian. As much as I hate to say it, it's pathetic. I understand the idea of national pride, bu this is becoming too much. During the Japanese crisis in March last year, our news broadcast was dealing only with how much radioactivity from the nuclear reactors can reach Buglaria... What?!? We're on the other fucking side of the world, who gives a fuck about our pathetic little country, which nobody will remember if one day we suddenly vanish from the face of the Earth. I just don't have any words...

Image of Women and Sex:

No explanation needed here. If you're a woman, and you live in Bulgaria, you are a sexual object. Nothing more, nothing less. Here, success is measured in how many people you have fucked. 1 point for every regular man. 2 points if he is more successful. 5 points if he is rich as hell. 10 points if he is a politician. 50 points if he is a football player. Your average points for a year should be around 1000. Every single country in the world knows that Bulgarians are the easiest women. Free advice - never tell a foreign man that you are Buglarian, he will try to get you into bed that very second. No exceptions. I'm speaking from personal experience. Let me tell you, do not deny it. It's in our fucking nature. Even I, who my friends now that the last thing I am is a slut, have my whory impulses. We're like fucking animals. Enough said.

I don't want to keep going. I'm already sick or writing this. I don't care if you agree or not. I'm not even proofreading this. I feel physically sick at the moment. Fuck this shit. I'm logging out.

Winter Wonderland...

Winter is currently hitting Bulgaria harder than the last ten years or so... But it's still very beautiful. My school is in Vitosha mountain, almost out of Sofia. Today, I had an exam, but I finished earlier than the others. The school was completely empty. And this is how it looks like. It's so beautiful to walk around the empty park, no sounds of cars, no people, nothing. Just light and snow, and the sound of fresh snow cracking under your boots. Sometimes, I just love my school...

It's Physical...

Today, one of my Skype friends amused herself by altering Britney Spears' song, Criminal, to fit my personality... :D Thank you, darling, you're too original... I wonder who she had in mind. :D I'll take a wild guess that it's one of the four guys above. Details will remain mystery for now... :D

But, momma, I'm in love with a football star...
And this type of love isn't rational...
It's physical...

Momma, please don't cry, I'll be alright...
All reason aside, I just can't deny...
I love the guy...

Love And Respect...

Yesterday something amazing happened. Yesterday I went through my entire arsenal of emotions. I was shocked, I was furious, I was sad, I was hopeful, I was happy, I was ecstatic, and finally, I was astonished. I was respectful. I was proud. In that very same order. Why?

First, to all the people that read this but are not football fans - beware! This post is entirely dedicated to the amazing squad of Manchester City, whom I now respect not only as players but as people also. People, who inspire me with their spirit of teamwork and desire for success.

Manchester City lost to Manchester United. I should tell you now that I respect both teams. But while City are dubbed as the "rich, spoiled brats" and United are known as the "world-famous legends", I have to say that yesterday these two nicknames switched their places.

After an atrocious first half, United were leading with 3 goals, while City didn't score any. Not only that, but after a ridiculous decision by the referee, Vincent Company, the capitan and the backbone of City, was shown a red card for a faul he did not commit.

First of all, I need to give credit where it's due. United were truly playing very well. Two of the goals they scored were very beautiful indeed, and their penalty was deserved. Rooney once again impressed both in the midfield and in attack. They were organized and worked as a team, something that was lacking in their last few games. It was one of the few times when they actually looked like United. And I should know, I have been a fan of this team since I was third grade. Of course, I was completely against the return of Paul Scholes. They have too many "old" players already, Fergie should really start buying players. Young, talented players that deserve a chance in a team such as the Devils. Ok, enough about United. Back to my main point.

I have never been a fan that hates on other rival teams. I even have to say that I have supported City a lot during the last few years, mainly because I really admire the players and their talent. Some of them include Joe Hart, who is my all time favorite goalkeeper because of England (some of you might know that), Micah Richards, Vincent Company, Alexander Kolarov, Yaya Toure, James Milner, Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, and others. Anyway. Back to the game. The team was forced to play without their main playmaker, against United's 12-man squad (yes, I do believe the referee was helping United), and this loss of concentration resulted in three goals against them. BUT!!! In the second half, Mancini switched his attacking players with defenders, most of them from the reserve team. And they still managed to score two goals back, and were a few seconds away from actually equalizing the result. Fate was against them, however, but the achievement stands. They threw everything on that field. Everything! They fought until the end, and I can only respect and admire that.

And, finally, I'm coming to the main point of this post: United's arrogance.

I never expected that from them. They started bitching around, boasting about the win, bragging about the first half... Unbelievable. The team that is supposed to be an example to all others to behave like a child who just won a game of hide-and-seek... It's arrogant, disrespectful, and overall... pathetic... I was completely dissapointed, and disgusted, to be honest.

Yet, City, a.k.a. the "billionaire brats" reacted in a different way, which gained my respect for years to come:

Adam Johnson: "Great effort today! So unlucky... Fans and everyone involved were excellent."

Vincent Company: "The fans, the players, and every single person invloved with Man City FC were incredible today. Definitely the moral winners of this game."

Micah Richards: "We lost today, but in our heads we won. Our team spirit is inspirational! The fans kept us going for 90 minutes. Thank you. CTID!"

Yes, they are the moral winners. Yes, they gave their best for the fans. Yes, they are inspirational! This is a real team. They don't start dissing the other team. No insults, no boasting. Just optimism and hope. I hope they win the Premier League. They are the only ones that deserve it, all the hard work they put in every single move and tactic. You are amazing!

And, yes, Mancini, you MUST be proud of your team!!! Because they are the pure definition of what a team should be, and I don't care how much money you club has, these players are worth much, much more than that. Don't let them get lost in the thought of money and fame...

A Piece Of Life...

Today, my friend, Julie, and I were talking about books we read recently. At some point in the conversation, she shared a quote with me from the book Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison.

I have rarely encountered such a powerful quote that contains so much wisdom and truth, so I decided to share it with you. I hope it teaches you something, just as it opened my eyes today. :)

"You think because he doesn't love you that you are worthless. You think that because he doesn't want you anymore that he is right - that his judgement and opinion of you are correct. If he throws you out, then you are garbage. You think he belongs to you because you want to belong to him. Don't. It's a bad word, "belong." Especially when you put it with somebody you love. Love shouldn't be like that. Did you ever see the way the clouds love a mountain? They circle all around it; sometimes you can't even see the mountain for the clouds. But you know what? You go up top and what do you see? His head. The clouds never cover the head. His head pokes through, because the clouds let him; they don't wrap him up. They let him keep his head up high, free, with nothing to hide him or bind him. You can't own a human being. You can't lose what you don't own. Suppose you did own him. Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don't, do you? And neither does he. You're turning over your whole life to him. Your whole life, girl. And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can't value you more than you value yourself."

Think about this the next time you cry over a guy (or girl) who broke up with you...