This is the blog of a Norwegian (Marianne, aka 'M') who moved to Australia in 2007 to be with Roger (aka R) and feels lucky to have escaped a comparatively communistic country with ridiculous weather!

Linkin Park has a new hit. It's called 'Bleed it out'.

Here's the lyrics:

"Here we go for the hundredth time,
Hand grenade pins in every line,
Throw 'em up and let something shine.
Going out of my f**king mind.
Filthy mouth, no excuse.
Find a new place to hang this noose.
String me up from atop these roofs.
Knot it tight so I won't get loose.
Truth is you can stop and stare,
Bled myself out and no one cares.
Dug a trench out, laid down there
With a shovel up out to reach somewhere.
Yeah someone pour it in,
Make it a dirt dance floor again.
Say your prayers and stomp it out,
When they bring that chorus in.

[Chester Bennington]

(Chorus)
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away.

[Mike Shinoda]

I bleed it out.
Go, stop the show.
Choppy words and a sloppy flow.
Shotgun opera, lock and load,
Cock it back and then watch it go.
Mama help me, I've been cursed,
Death is rolling in every verse.
Candy paint on his brand new hearse.
Can't contain him, he knows he works.
F**k this hurts, I won't lie.
Doesn't matter how hard I try.

And I know that I won't be satisfied.
So why, try ignoring him.
Make it a dirt dance floor again.
Say your prayers and stomp it out,
When they bring that chorus in.

[Chester Bennington]

(Chorus)
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away.

I bleed it out.
I've opened up these scars,
I'll make you face this.
I pulled myself so far,
I'll make you face this now.

I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away.

I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away.
I bleed it out,
Digging deeper just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away,
Just to throw it away.

I bleed it out.
I bleed it out.
I bleed it out. "

As you can hear, they repeat this "I bleed it out, digging deeper just to throw it away" a lot. And as you can see they seem pretty serious about it.

This worries me. There must be some important message they are trying to give, but I can't comprehend it. It'a all gibberish to me. So if anyone has managed to decipher this important message, could you please let me know?

Everyone knows circumcision of girls is barbaric and unnecessary. But what about circumcision of men? Everyone seems to have forgotten about that.

During circumcision, the foreskin is removed. It was originally done to keep it clean, and because some reports indicated that it prevented disease. These days, there are no medical reasons for circumcision and no medical association in the world recommends it.

The civilised world has largely abandoned it. It's still done in Usa and among jews and muslims and is still strictly performed in some African tribes.

The foreskin is a natural and protective covering for the head of the penis, and in terms of quantity, concentration and quality of the specialised nerve receptors, it is the most erogenous part of the penis. It contains over 1000 nerve endings, which makes it very sensitive.

It also serves other important purposes, such as lubrication and as a gliding sheath during sex, making the contact between the man and his partner more gentle. This gliding mechanism is lost if the foreskin is removed.

Some women want circumcised men because they 'can keep going for longer'. Yeah, they have to keep going for longer, because the most sensitive part of their penis is missing. And you don't want the man to hump you for 45 minutes anyway. If sex lasts longer, it would be because of long foreplay, not a longer period of humping.

And personally, I think a circumcised penis looks absolutely ridiculous.

Having kids is the thing to do in our society, and in every culture on the planet. Parents tell other people that having kids makes you more selfless and adds a new dimension to your life. A lot of them even go so far as saying 'people who don't want kids are selfish'.

I don't want kids. Not because I'm selfish, but because the idea of kids doesn't appeal to me. With a soulmate and 4 cats to take care of I would hardly call myself selfish.

People are different and have different interests. Some people like kids, and some people don't. Some people like cats, and some people don't. Saying that everyone has to want kids, is like saying we should all be the same and all have the same interests.

People with kids making a statement like that just makes them sound insecure of their choice to breed, and jealous of all the people who still enjoy the freedom of not having kids. 'We are no longer free to do what we want, so no one else should be either'.

And the only reason to have kids is selfish. Not having kids is probably the most selfless thing you could ever do.

Last weekend Roger and I went out with his sister Zara and her daughter and Zara's friend and her son. It made us even more determined to never have kids.

Here's our list of reasons to not have kids:

• pregnancy is uncomfortable and ugly and childbirth is painful
• mother could die during birth
• more humans is extremely bad for the environment. (take your damage to the environment, then double it for the life of your spawn, then if they reproduce, it just gets worse)
• they could be born retarded
• they could be born with downs syndrome
• they could be born autistic
• they could be born spastic
• they could be born dead
• they could die as a kid from cancer (avoid grief)
• they could be killed as a kid (avoid grief)
• they could be killed as an adult while you are still alive (avoid grief)
• measels, mumps, chicken pox
• they're time consuming
• they're messy

then, assuming all went well in the first few years.....

• they're expensive
• they're still messy
• they're manipulative
• they think nothing of lying to get their way
• if you go out, they slow you down
• when you are out, you are constantly bombarded with 'I want..' and 'can I have..' etc
• they need a toilet once an hour, and 30 minutes (or less) after they've had a drink
• when they need a toilet, they need it immediately
• they need to be constantly watched and told what to do, if you don't they'll get themselves into trouble and will get injured or killed
• constant worry about where they are
• when you tell them not to do something - for their own safety - they are likely to do it anyway
• they get sick about 15 times every year, and consequently, their parents get sick as well (the average childless adult is sick about 3 times a year)
  
• they wake up ridiculously early, and usually decide to wake up their parents as well
• they could grow up to be mass murderers or rapists, and you just wasted 20 years of your life

So you see, kids are for people with a special interest in that kind of thing. That kind of 20 year sacrifice doesn't work for everyone. At the end of those 20 years of hard work, what are you left with anyway? Nothing. Your offspring will move away and make their own separate lives, and talk to you once a month (if you're lucky).

And by not breeding, we achieve more good for planet and people than a full lifetime of recycling, offsetting carbon emissions and buying green could do.
-Green magazine-

So if you care about the planet, don't have kids.

Today I bought bonsai seeds. Australian Alpine Wattle to be exact.

Day 1: The seeds are soaking in the growing medium, soon to be placed in the fridge for 4 weeks.

Read more about bonsai.

Because I don't have endless patience, and my wattle seeds still have 3 weeks left in the fridge, I bought a trident maple bonsai at the garden centre a few days ago. They are one of the most common species to use as bonsais, which means I can find heaps of information about them.

It's still very young and not very impressive yet, but part of the reason they are so popular as bonsais is because they grow quickly and don't mind heavy pruning.

After consulting with some bonsai experts, it became apparent that my trident maple in its current form was not good bonsai material. The trunk was too thin and straight and it had 3 branches growing from the same point. But not anymore:

I cut it off just below he branches, and decided to repot it to make it easier for it to grow. Tiny bonsai pots restrict growth. The new soil also drains a lot easier.

When I took it out of the old pot I discovered that it was starting to become rootbound, and also that the soil it was in was holding way too much water, which would eventually have led to root rot.

The purpose of this is to give the trunk more movement and for the branches to grow in a way that makes it look better as a bonsai. Because the first branch will now grow at a height of 10 cm, it means the finished bonsai will be very small, which suits me just fine:)

On a different note, I have started germinating some Norway maple and trident maple seeds. They will need about 3 months in the fridge.