The 3rd Article Review. Wonder what it's about....

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The term Internet meme (pronounced /'m:m/; meem) is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.

An Internet meme is an idea that is propagated through the Internet. The idea may take the form of a hyperlink, video, picture, website, hashtag, or just a word or phrase, such as intentionally misspelling the word "more" as "moar". The meme may spread from person to person via social networks, blogs, direct email, news sources, or other web-based services.

An Internet meme may stay the same or may evolve over time, by chance or through commentary, imitations, parody, or by incorporating news accounts about itself. Internet memes can evolve and spread extremely rapidly, sometimes reaching world-wide popularity and vanishing within a few days.

Their rapid growth and impact has caught the attention of both researchers and industry.Academically, researchers model how they evolve and predict which memes will survive and spread throughout the Web. Commercially, they are used in viral marketing where they are an inexpensive form of mass advertising

Public relations, advertising, and marketing professionals have embraced Internet memes as a form of viral marketing and guerrilla marketing to create marketing "buzz" for their product or service. The practice of using memes to market products or services is known as memetic marketing Internet memes are seen as cost-effective, and because they are a (sometimes self-conscious) fad, they are therefore used as a way to create an image of cleverness or trendiness.

Marketers, for example, use Internet memes to create interest in films that would otherwise not generate positive publicity among critics. The 2006 film Snakes On A Plane generated much publicity via this method. Used in the context of public relations, the term would be more of an advertising buzzword than a proper Internet meme, although there is still an implication that the interest in the content is for purposes of trivia, ephemera, or frivolity rather than straightforward advertising and news.

One common form of Internet meme is created when a person, movie, company, product, musical group, or the like is promoted on the Internet for its pop culture value. Vanity sites, for example, are among the first recognized Internet memes.

The term "meme" has been widely mispronounced (/ˈmiːmi/, sounding like "me me" or sometimes "meh may") throughout various markets, including online gaming communities, podcasts, radio, and television and internet video.The French word même ("same"), a dynamic word having different meanings depending on usage as an adverb, pronoun, adjective, or within common expressions, has also been adopted in the common mispronunciation of Dawkins' meme.

As you can see, Internet memes are a lot different than memes. Internet memes are influenced by us, people on the internet and can range from being really funny to becoming really offensive. There you have it. Memes, it can be a source for stress relief as well as a source for cyberbullying. You decide. For more info on memes, you can visit the following websites:

http://knowyourmeme.com/

http://www.spiketrends.com/what-is-an-internet-meme/

Cyberbullying is a no-no!

I'm back again. This time 'round, let's talk about cyberbullying.


Cyberbullying is something that is sprouting nowadays thanks to the creation of numerous social networking sites. Many might ask, What's cyberbullying? Well, cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person.It occurs mostly among young people. When an adult does it,it can be called cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and may involve jail time.


At times, cyberbullying is obvious like sending really cruel emails or text messages and mean words posted on a social networking site or a website. At other times, it can be as subtle as impersonating a victim online or posting personal information or videos designed to hurt or embarrass a child. It may also happen accidentally since on the internet, one  cannot really tell the tone of a message, posts or anything of the sort. So, a post may be intended as a joke but one might take it as an insult. Of course, things posted on the internet is rarely accidental.


Since cyberbullying is a problem, bad effects are bound to emerge. Among them is paranoia. Since there are no limits to places where we can use the internet, like the saying "The internet is a world without boundaries", there really is literally no place to hide for victims of cyberbullying. They are constantly in fear of being bullied when on the internet and since the world is leaning more and more on using the internet as a medium of education, itis imminent that the victims will constantly face the internet on regular basis for years to come. In rare cases cyberbullying also leads to suicide as the victims view that dying might be the only means of escape. 


Fear not! There are ways that we can use to prevent this problem. However, I am sorry to say that most of it is the responsibility of the parents of these victimized kids. This is because young people like myself is addicted to the internet and it is inevitable that kids and teens will eventually visit these sites. In these cases, parents can just block the bully, simple as that. Sites used for social networking normally have a way of blocking other users. Other ways of preventing this is to restrict your child from access to the internet.By regularly monitoring the time your child spent on the internet, it will be less likely for him or her to be hurt while using the world wide web. Finally, you should know your kid's online world as doing this ensures the safety of your child. Be not afraid of privacy issues if what you aim is a healthy mind for your child. Remember, prevention is always better than a cure. 

A letter to a depressed person. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!

Sri Pilah 1 College

Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan 

Dear Suicidal Teen,

I've heard your plea for help. Please do not do anything rash and reckless, bear in mind that I will not judge your reasons whatever they may be for wanting to commit suicide. I'm sure, whatever it is, that your life is far far more   precious than your problems. I might not have the same experience the things that you have experienced but I was once a suicidal teen as well. In fact, it was less than a few months ago that I nearly attempted the same thing. It is a bit of a blemish in my life that I would not want to remember but I will swallow these tears that I might shed upon remembering those days.

It all began on a beautiful morning, the sun was ever so magnificently high and shone it's beautiful rays. I used to be a bright student, almost called a prodigy. I was born a bit smarter than the rest, physically weak and a slow runner. In fact, I was also quite slow in learning as well. The reason I was called a bright student was because my memory is slightly better than some, just slightly and that I was a fast learner in most things, I kid you not. Give me a bit of time on something and I assure you, I will be able to do it. Things began to change after that. I became complacent and lazy. Fully depending on said talent, I began to float through my school life. I would not study as hard as the others and was still able to get high scores. My parents weren't that smart in their childhood but they were able to become what they are today through sheer hard work and luck alone and as such nags and scolds me from time to time, stressing the importance of becoming perfect in anything that I'd do. It got worse as time went on. I kept crumbling under all that pressure, from the expectancy of my parents to be perfect right down to the other kids viewing me as a smart person when I know I'm not that smart. I began to resent being told that I was good in something. I hate praises and I still do but let me get to the point of my story.

I was once labeled as a semi-prodigy, not a genius that appears every few decades or so but one of the smart ones that people tend to look up to. I hated it but I somewhat enjoyed it a little. That was why when I crashed and burned, people began to look the other way. They began comparing me with other geniuses and even people they would not look at before. My resentment grew and I began to hate the world. I stopped attending classes and caused more problems for the two great people in my life, my mother and father. As the problems increased, so did their nags and the occasional scolding until my hate for the world was channeled towards them. We began a war of words and the occasional "Cold treatment" with each other. I began to feel unappreciated for everything that I've done for them and soon things began to spiral downwards. I could not do anything right and I broke. I know what it feels like to want to commit suicide because I've been there. It was a cold and lonely place where everything around me seemed so dark and that the bright lights and warmth would try to escape my clutches. The solution seemed simple. Take your own life. Dying is much better than being alone. The thought of death seemed so convenient, no more people who would give you condescending looks, failure would be the farthest thing in mind and all your problems would just fade away from existence. Yes, the simplest solution to a simple problem. Take out yourself out of the equation of life and everything would be okay. Well, let me just say that you are wrong! Death is never the way out. What made me noticed this is that when I almost committed suicide, I looked up and saw a mirror. I saw myself and my life flashed before my eyes and one thing kept appearing in my mind. God. He had kept watch over me and knew what I was doing, whether it was right or wrong. I began to realize that in committing suicide, I do not believe in Him as much as I should have because He had a plan for me for the future and that is all that I should count on.

That's right, God has a plan for you as well Suicidal Teen because He has a plan for everyone. Know this, when all else fails, He does not because God never fails. Your life is His gift to you. You are not a problem, you are a miracle that he bestowed upon two people who loved and cherished you. I'm a science student and I can definitely say that birth in itself is a miracle. Why because the probability of you being born is really really low. Imagine, from countless sperm and the right timing of ova being created, you were created. Over a period of nine months, your mother did her best to keep you alive and safe until you came out of her womb and even then the chances of you being born is not as assuring. She withstood a tremendously high amount of pain just for you. They even kept you and fed you when there are other children and babies who were thrown out just because they were an inconvenience. So, I'll ask you now. Are you satisfied with that? Are you satisfied in throwing away something so precious just because things look bleak? No, You should not! You are never alone. Keep that in mind as you try to break out of this cocoon at this moment. You are not worthless and you will never be worthless. I am here as well as others that will help you break out of that cocoon. Grow from this experience and try to become something that will shock the world for turning it's back to you. 

I'll leave you with 3 pieces of advice, try to express yourself a bit more. Take a step forward and you will be amazed by what you might find just by taking a step into the future. The future is always bright and embrace each and every new day with a smile. Positive thinking helps and smile through the hardships should you encounter them every now and again. Do not ever give up on God and the future. Another advice would be to pray as much as you can regardless of what your religion is. In Islam, because I'm a Muslim, suicide is the worst crime one can do because committing suicide means that you do not believe in Allah. Praying is the best way to find peace of mind in a lonely life because praying means that one is getting closer to He who loves you most. My final piece of advice, do try to express your problems to people who offers help. Do not keep your problems to yourself, if you cannot solve a problem then ask a friend to help. A genuine friend would never ever leave you even in the midst of perils and hardships. A moral support can be instrumental to your development so do not be afraid to lean on them. They too can surprise you in ways you cannot imagine.

With that ends this little letter to you, I do hope that I have helped you mend your ways because I believe that all lives are precious in their own unique ways so do not give up on things too quickly. Believe in yourself, God, the future and the people around you. Remember, you are never alone.

Hoping that you will try to mend your ways

Sincerely,

IMRAN BIN NOR AZMAN

(SOMEONE WHO LOVES TO HELP)

Another Article Review... SAY WHAT?!!!

Famine is a word that not many people know about. A famine is a widespread scarcity of food that may apply to any faunal species. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. In simpler terms, famine is not having enough food taken to the extreme. Countries like Somalia are not strangers to famine, in fact even during the holy month of Ramadhan, people of Somalia are fasting, determined to stay true to their religious belief. Such is the willpower of these people, even during times of great distraught, they are able to fast.


That is why I chose this article. I cannot fathom how one can survive without proper nutrition for months and still able to carry out Allah's will. Below is a synopsis of the article: 

(Reuters) - Somalia's famine refugees, weakened by months of drought, on Monday began Islam's Ramadhan fast amid the tents and shacks of the world's largest refugee camp.

"Because of the famine, we've been going for days without any food anyway," said 25-year-old Mohamed Dubow Saman, comforting his daughter outside their emergency shelter in Dadaab camp, just over Somalia's border in neighboring Kenya.

"That was a fast without reward. At least this fast is inspired by God," he said.

Sick people do not have to keep the fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadhan. But most camp-dwellers, caught up in the severest drought to hit the Horn of Africa in decades, appeared determined to keep to their traditions.

As the sun sank below the horizon late on Sunday, bathing Dadaab's makeshift city in a deep orange hue, Saman scanned the sky for the first sight of the crescent moon, which would mark the start of the month-long fast.

Like millions of fellow believers across the world, Saman was prepared to go without food or water from dawn to dusk and wait until night to eat his meager rations.

Ramadhan comes at a tough time for the Horn of Africa's Muslim population. In parts of the drought-prone region the rains have failed for four straight years, pastoralists say.

The United Nations has warned the whole of southern Somalia is slipping into famine. In all, more than 12 million people are affected across the Horn.

A rebellion waged by Islamist militants has prevented the distribution of food aid in some parts of Somalia.

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has embarked on a tour of countries in the region, kicking off with Djibouti over the weekend, to stress the importance of delivering aid within the country first, so Somalis do not have to trek elsewhere.

"We don't want our compatriots to have to make testing journeys to other countries to receive aid," he told Reuters.

I can frankly say that I really like this particular article because it shows how strong a Muslim can be. An inspiring article should be read and this one is definitely one of the most inspiring articles I have read. I feel that reading this piece of article has given me a new perspective on things and that luxuries around me have to be put to good use considering that there are unfortunate people who have difficulty acquiring a simple meal. Besides that, I feel that as a fellow Muslim, we should be more thankful to Allah for providing us with luxuries and peace when there are others being tested by Him. My conviction in Islam is now stronger than ever and I hope that the readers can find it in their heart to sympathize with the people of Somalia.

In conclusion, an article such as this has shone the light on the subject of world hunger and that we as human beings should do more to help our fellow human beings in an effort to make the world a much better place for the future generations. 

A Drama review by yours truly: Happy Days Are Here Again!!!

This time around, I'll be reviewing this not-so-unpopular musical dramedy or comedy-drama brought to you by FOX. As you guessed it, it starts with G and ends with LEE. That's right, it's "Glee" folks. The one drama that does sort of fill you with "glee". That was a wordplay joke of sorts, don't mind it.

Anyway, let's get the ball rolling. I'm going to review a particular episode from season 2 of "Glee" called "Duets".

This episode starts off with ol' Mister William Schuester also known as Mr. Schue announcing Puck/Noah Puckerman's ,played by Mark Salling except he was absent in this one, little robbery (This being him driving into an ATM and stealing the money, he got caught though and was sent to a juvenile detention facility). Their assignment, this time around, is to form a partner with the opposite gender and perform a duet. As usual, Rachel ,played by Lea Michele, and Finn, played by Corey Monteith, performed an Elton John and Kiki Dee number called "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Convinced that they would be a shoo-in for the number one spot, they set out to get a brand new couple to get the prize for their own selfish reasons, Rachel's for the most part.

In this episode, a brand new member joined the McKinley High New Directions ,played by the blonde Chord Overstreet, who went by the name of Sam Evans. Kurt ,played by Chris Colfer, jumped to the conclusion that Sam, like himself, is gay and soon approached the new kid in the club. After sending various versions of songs via voicemail, Sam agrees to be his partner unaware of the fact that Kurt is gay. Finn unknowingly walked into a brief conversation between the two immediately confronted Sam about it telling him that singing a duet with Kurt is like painting a bulls-eye on himself. Soon after, Sam is splashed with Slushees (an equivalent of the Slurpee.. I think..) by two members of the McKinley High Football Team (American Football Team). Quinn witnessed the incident and offered the new kid a towel. Cliche it might be, Sam was smitten by Quinn's good looks and obvious charm. Soon after, they exchanged a few words.

Meanwhile, Finn goes to confront Kurt that partnering up with Sam would soon lead to Sam quitting the glee club which would make the McKinley High's New Directions become ineligible for competitions. Kurt expressed his thoughts with a violent tone before walking away. That night, Kurt and his father ,played by Mike O'Malley, had a heart to heart conversation over a dinner prepared by Kurt. Kurt realizes that he has to let Sam go and proceeds to do so the next morning giving Sam the chance to ask Quinn to perform a duet with him. Which he does albeit failing in the almost-getting-to-intimate way given that Quinn had experienced something of the sort last year with Puck. Kurt sang "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor/Victoria by himself.

Finn confronts Sam about this problem and coerced him into forming a duet for Quinn, the reason being that it would make him instantly popular. Likewise, Rachel does the same thing with Quinn. Tina ,played by Jenna Ushkowitz, and Mike , played by Harry Shum Jr. , performed "Sing!" from "A Chorus Line", his first time soloing for the glee club drawing praises from Will.

                              ~Mike and Tina at the end of their performance~

On the other side of town, Santana ,played by Naya Rivera, and Brittany ,played by Heather Morris, engage in an almost-sexual activity but when Brittany suggested that they sing Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" together, Santana backs out and goes to approach Mercedes ,played by Amber Riley, the next day. They both sang "River Deep-Mountain High" to get the chance to win the grand prize of a free dinner at Breadstix. Brittany goes on to form a duet with the wheelchair-bound Artie ,played by Kevin McHale in an attempt to win the contest. Artie agrees but finds that Brittany is hard to teach which prompts Brittany to help Artie "improve their teamwork". However, Santana ruins this by telling Artie that Brittany is only interested in Artie only to have a sexual intercourse with him.

Finn and Rachel sang "With You I'm Born Again" in an offensive way that would assure them a loss. Sam and Quinn sang "Lucky" which won them the contest earning them a dinner for two at Breadstix which turned into their first date. Rachel and Kurt sang a mash-up of Barbara Streissand/Judy Garland's "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" for the glee club for fun, Rachel's way of showing how much they value Kurt.

                                                  ~The winning couple~

There are several questions that can be raised from this episode; Homosexuality and selfishness are among them. I personally feel that homosexuality is bad to the community but I also realize that some of them became homosexuals due to childhood trauma, rape, an abundance of estrogen in their bodies are all contributors of homosexuality. Homosexuality as a whole is bad to the community but in my personal opinion, homosexual people are not bad people. They are still human beings capable of emotions and rational thinking, we must perceive them as people, not animals or objects that we can say hurtful words to without them feeling a thing. They need to be accepted by society and only that. Society should not accept homosexuality but accepting homosexuals are essential if we are to develop a nation free of prejudicial thoughts and isolation of groups as long as these homosexuals are productive workers/contributors to this wonderful nation.

Selfishness on the other hand, must be regulated by a person. What I mean is that we should control ourselves so that we will be selfish on things that matter. Being selfish on good things is fine as long as it does not damage oneself and society. We must always think of others as they too make up a part of this world.

That's all for now, didn't mean to rant for too long... Happy reading~~~

An Article Review

Hello everyone,Imran here. Let's get on with the show.


My favourite article for this week is :
Stuff you might actually check out.

Being a teenager or a young adult, I can be a little obsessive about my looks and that is why I chose this particular article out of the hundreds and thousands of articles that can be found on the internet. Such is the dilemma of the young. For teenagers (myself included), the face is the first thing someone will look at when they are looking at a person. Pimples and acne give rise to  psychological effects to teenagers because teenagers with pimpled faces lose confidence in themselves and have a higher chance of possessing a low self-esteem. By singling out this article, I am trying to help myself and others who might be suffering from this particular epidemic as I see it.

This article talks about the ways to prevent acne and I encourage you (Not necessarily you, you pretty people) to read it because having one less psychologically stressed out person will make the world a better place for all of us. I know I am straying from the original point at hand but I sincerely feel that a happy person who is free of troubles will contribute much more to the world. Even more so for tertiary students who have something as insignificant as pimples on their faces. Pimples provide a slight distraction for them whenever they look in a mirror (At least, for me it does) because it psychologically lowers their morale making them distracted from the things that matter.

I don't really know how long a blog should be so I'm ending it here. I hope you found this piece of writing good enough for your judgmental eyes.... Kidding, I hope you had a nice read.

See you again real soon