5 unexpected downsides of high intelligence.

5. You’re Probably a Night Owl (which is bad!) - Recently, scientists discovered a quirky side effect to having a high IQ: You tend to stay up until later hours and get up later in the morning. These sleeping habits mean you’re also three times more likely to suffer the symptoms of depression, as well as being at higher risk for heart disease and suffer more arterial stiffness than those who go to bed early.

4. You’re Less Likely to Pass On Your Genes - A 2008 national census reported that women who had dropped out of high school had the most children on average. Research shows that countries with high national IQs tend to have lower childbirth rates in general compared with countries that can’t collectively tie their shoelaces together.

But it’s not all bad news. There’s evidence that the highly educated get more enjoyment out of sex than the dumb jocks.

3. You’re More Likely to Lie - The problem with being the smartest guy in the room is that you usually know you’re the smartest guy in the room. You know you have an intellectual edge and can’t help but abuse it. IQ bestows the gift of deception.

2. You’re More Likely to Believe Bullshit - Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.

1. You’re More Likely to be Self-Destructive - The thing is, the great minds are full of curiosity. Smart people are more likely to be drunks, and people who fall into the “very bright” category (IQs of 125 or greater) are more likely to drink excessively and binge drink.

What do you think? Notice any similarities between these descriptions and yourself?

Here is the antithesis of human yearning. It is single toothbrushes resting on constantly puddled porcelain sinks. It is rolling around in bed without another form to comfortably disrupt the motion. It is packet meals and tv comedy where audience laughter drowns out internal monologue. It takes form in unreciprocated adoration and inflicted indifference, where complacency and expectation take precedence over seemingly unnecessary expressions of emotion. We accept wandering eyes and callous remarks and forgotten details but deny ourselves the truth of inevitable disintegration. We allow our wearied hearts to say ‘No more searching, I will not find someone that loves me as much as I love him/her’, and so we give, give, give and pour ourselves out until they blossom, vowing ‘It does not matter if I am left bone dry & drained, so long as I can give them what they desire.'

One Day: A Book Review

I've written a billion album reviews before, but never have I written a book review (outside of schoolwork) and therefore could not decide how to approach it. So, I thought the best way to solve this problem was to write two... Lucky you!
I'm going to write one review for those of you that have not read the book - this will not include any spoilers, or giveaways.
And, I'll write another review for those of you that have read the book - this way I don't have to worry about getting some issues off my chest without spoiling the story!

The following contains no spoilers..
First off, I might as well be positive and talk about the things I did enjoy about this book.
I enjoyed the format - each chapter is the same date a year on. I found this quite an original approach, it certainly made for some interesting reading, and it suited me down to the ground considering I read for hours at a time (when I've got the time that is) so I can inhale years of the characters lives in a few chapters!
I liked Emma's character. She was feisty, and inspiring.
Now, things I didn't like...
Honestly, I didn't think it was written very well. I read this book after being recommended it by several friends and it had been hyped up beyond belief by critics and bookworms around the world, but a few pages into it I had the 'am I missing something here?' feeling that unfortunately didn't leave me throughout the book. The author's style of writing seemed to switch from informal, chatty and creative to a more traditional and classic style. I found this a little unsettling, and it didn't allow the book to flow, more like stutter and stammer it's way through story lines.
Finally, the story-line was unoriginal. I knew there was a reason why I avoid reading fiction like this at all costs - it's boring, cliche and lacking imagination. (I will of course go into more detail in my second review, but unless you want spoilers don't read it)
On the whole, out of ten I would give this book a three. There were moments where I laughed, a little, and there were moments that I felt connected with the characters but they were few and far between which left me feeling uninspired and desperate to finish the book just so I could be done with it and move on to the next, as opposed to that exciting need to dive into the characters and get lost in the fictional world penned so extraordinarily and excitingly that you can't wait to find out what happens on their journey.

WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS.

Here's the thing...
The plot was unoriginal, and so cliche I could not believe my eyes. I kept expecting there to be some gargantuan twist that would make my eyes pop out and glue themselves to the page in fear of being torn away. I was waiting, thinking there's gotta be something real clever about to happen here - oh how could I have doubted all those people who recommended me to this glorious novel... but NO.
Instead we are left with a plot-line so well trod, it's buried in the mud, and quite frankly should stay there and never rear it's ugly, over done head again. - 'Boy meets girl.' Working class girl falls for rich, overprivileged attractive boy. Boy doesn't know what he really wants when it is in front of him the whole time. Boy, in all honesty, is an arsehole. He is NOT a likeable character in any stretch of the imagination and by the simple fact that the girl is, you spend the whole book thinking 'YOU ARE SO MUCH BETTER OFF WITHOUT THAT WASTE OF TIME - FIND SOMEONE ELSE".
Of course, the oh-so-original, and 'didn't see that one coming' twist that they finally get together after 15 years of boring back and forth 'i love you but don't like you' friendship. How predictable, and unsavory.
Oh, and then to add insult to injury - David Nicholls goes and kills off the girl.
I'll repeat that, he killed the girl - the only like-able character in the whole god damn book, he fucking killed her. Thing is, he dealt with this in such a pathetic way that you couldn't even shed a tear over your favourite character because he simply writes 'and then Emma Mayhew dies.' - SORRY WHAT?? Hows that gonna make me sit here with great tears dropping from my eyes the size of pine cones? (which let me tell you if you have never experienced crying over a book before is one of the most satisfying thing ever, there is something so empowering and uplifting, weirdly enough, about balling your eyes out over the written word)
That's not the end of the book though, oh no, there are 4 more excruciatingly shit chapters that one must plow through in order to finish this waste of trees and ink. I laughed through the whole thing as the cliches kept ticking on by - he gets drunk out of his mind on the anniversary of her death, he can't live without her boo-fucking-hoo you didn't deserve her anyway... la la la.
My advice? Don't read it. Honestly, there are libraries up and down the country, the world filled with shelf upon shelf of intense, well written and gloriously original novels out there. Bypass this because however long it takes you to read it (5 days in my case) is time you will never get back.

Drive.

The film, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, is one of those rare masterpieces where the cinematography, screenplay, acting, soundtrack and cast melt into one glorious piece of art. An unusual and intelligently directed film that is full of twists and turns and packs more than just a few punches..
The clever use of camera angles and lighting was reminiscent of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction at times (I'm not sure I could give a film a greater compliment).
The subtle, and genius screenplay combined with impressive acting performances from the entire cast (even the extras) served up a large portion, with plenty of side dishes, of suspense and tension from the opening scene to the last.
Ryan Gosling's performance as the 'driver' was convincing, menacing and, most importantly, believable. He conveyed the angst and anonymity with passion and conviction.
My favourite thing? The soundtrack. It was cool, understated and powerful.
Out of ten, this blockbuster gets an eleven. (and Ryan Gosling - that's a given!)

Have you seen it yet? What did you think? 

What do we owe to William Shakespeare?

How often do you quote Shakespeare? Every day? Once a week? Now and then? never? Well, maybe a lot more than you think...
Like most of us, you would have learnt about William Shakespeare at school? Studied a couple of his plays? Romeo and Juliet? Othello? The Tempest? Or my personal favourite, A Midsummer Night's Dream? 
But what about when you finish school, is he still relevant? Is he still an important part of your everyday life and speech?

Me being the word-nerd that I am, I found is so exciting when I learned just how many idioms we still use today without any idea that we are in fact quoting Shakespeare. Every time I hear someone saying 'it's all Greek to me' or ' I'm in a pickle' it's like a little win for the geeks, word nerds and literature lovers everywhere.

These are my favourite, and probably some of the most common...
"Heart on your sleeve" - Othello.
"Green eyed monster" - Othello.
"Wild Goose chase" - Romeo & Juliet.
"Break the ice" - Taming of the Shrew.

Did you know how much of our language we owe to Shakespeare?