Locals Using The US-Mexican Border As Volleyball Net To Promote Peace

We have learnt from the past that walls will never divide humanity - no matter how tall or wide, the love shared throughout us is to strong to quell, and this was evident as the annual volleyball match between both sides of the US and Mexican border occurred this past week.

More often that not most of the media has a tendency to portray the border between the US and Mexico as a war-zone and a hub for criminality - however acts such as this shows a positive example of such diverse populations raising awareness about peaceful collaboration, and bringing peace to both sides of the border. Issues such as drug trafficking and illegal immigration will still not subside, however times like these shows that there still is hope between the two borders that one day the friction will finally be released and peace will be found between both nations.

Termed the 'Fiesta Bi-Nacional' the volleyball match is intended to solidify a more positive transnational relation between Mexico and the US, despite the tensions previously mentioned. The game has been an integral part of this annual fiesta since 1979, and with the current tensions shown between both Mexican and US governments, solidity and oneness is definitely appreciated and needed between both sides.

This coming together has shown not only both the US and Mexico, but it has shown the world that a game as such as this is less about 'where you're from' and more about individuals coming together from opposing cultures and the fun that can be had when differences are set aside.

Humans On Mars? Aldrin's 2040 'Master Plan'

Buzz Aldrin - the infamous second man to walk the moon, has confirmed he is developing a master plan for the colonisation of Mars inside the next 25 years.

After recently becoming a research professor of aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology, Aldrin has stated he wants a Mars settlement by 2039, as this will also mark the 70 year mark since the Apollo 11 moon landing. Aldrin has conceded however, that the schedule may be 'adjustable' and through possible complication and other factors which may occur for the astronauts, the plan must be firmly put in place.

The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is due to be open in the autumn at an event where he plans to discuss his bold ambitions for Mars - and one must concede that these are bold, but promising ambitions for the individual, who clearly isn't getting any younger, but is trying to sow the seeds for a massive transformation for the next generation.

1 Billion Users Use Facebook In A Day - It's Only Going To Rise

Rewind back to October 2012 - Facebook announced that it officially had celebrated reaching the 1 billion users mark. Just the week, they celebrated pulling in that same amount of users in a single day.

Since it's inception back in 2004, Facebook has become a staple in the lives of most of the population, and it's only going to grow. Surely there will come a point where it may stop growing - but with the ever-growing population and the growing number of users on the Internet, 1 billion users in a day may soon be knocked off it's perch.

The site aims to continue to grow, however it may begin to focus in on spreading it's message of global communication in areas where the social network doesn't have as many users. Europe and the USA have the peak amount of users and this isn't expected to change anytime soon, however Latin America, Asia and Africa are still way off the mark in comparison to the further Western world.

However, Facebook can never look backwards - with users increasing everyday, Facebook can only become bigger and more successful than it is already. If it can increase it's users in poorer areas for individuals who have no access to the internet, this may bring about a huge shift in the way the whole world connects - with a stronger availability of being able to help poorer parts of the world through the use of sharing information to help us to stay informed on the situations which are happening across the world, every day, every hour, every minute.

Tyler The Creator Banned From UK - Has Free Speech Become A Myth?

Just the past week it was revealed that American rap artist Tyler The Creator was banned from entering the UK on behalf of lyrics which he wrote in some of his earlier albums - these lyrics were classed as 'misogynistic and homophobic' and also was believing to promote 'terrorist acts' as understandable as even Tyler himself found it - this album, named 'Bastard and Goblin' was released over 5 years ago now, and this has attracted him controversy ever since.

However Tyler and his manager Chris Clancy both believe that he has grown up since then - "I'm not defending his old lyrics. To be honest they make me cringe, but I stand beside him because of who he actually is" Tyler was listed to perform at the Reading and Leeds Festivals over the weekend, however due to this banning order, he had to cancel his dates.

The issue isn't only based on the fact that he lost out on performing to some of his most adoring fans - but why has he been banned for something which really didn't cause that much of an issue and he himself regrets, and now that he has matured he hasn't wrote lyrics like those since.

Has free speech become a poisoned chalice for celebrities and the public alike? Expressing your mind and how you feel has become not only criticised but also worthy of punishment - considering free speech is a god given right of ours, we shouldn't need to feel awkward about expressing how we really feel.

Tyler may have made some negative comments but doesn't most of the music industry? Don't we see the use of free speech used strongly in the world of film? Both sides need to let bygones be bygones - Tyler The Creator still has massive fan base in the United Kingdom, and to ban him from performing there is nothing short of harsh for both Tyler and his fans.

What's your opinion?

The Obesity Issue Needs Action, Not Analysis

Living in a time where fast food outlets are never far away - Obesity is a real issue which we need to address. Looking after your body doesn't take much, but buckling into the pressure and convenience of fast food can be incredibly tempting - I know this myself.

From a quite young age to merely 4-5 years ago, I was quite the overweight child. I never really considered my weight to be an issue and I certainly didn't have the 'get up and go' attitude of doing something about it to make myself look fitter and healthier. This is where I believe we may be going wrong - it's more than easy to make diet plans and workout plans, but it's less about planning and more about action. You can set the best diet and workout plan in the world for an obese individual but unless you cut the nonsense and get out there, how will they ever start? I dealt with health issues, it was never comfortable having to accept and realise that you weren't healthy and that you were just a little too overweight to fit into a medium sized top that your grandparents had bought you for your birthday - which is why I believe if you want to make a change then don't just talk about it, get out and do it!

Everyone can bring action to this issue. Marketing companies can focus more on trying to put out a better message for healthier foods, food industries can go about looking to produce more healthy food on a mass scale. McDonalds and Burger King may still be around for quite a long time, but if the new generations to come can remain informed on how exactly obesity is affecting the world then we may be on the verge of creating a healthier, more green world.

How Has Marriage Evolved From The 20th Century?

The topic of marriage this year in the media has come under the spotlight much more than previous years - this year marked the year that gay marriage was legalised across all 50 states in the United States. More than anything other form of communion, to finally see the LGBT community have their basic human right deemed acceptable is a long time coming, but still nonetheless, a great and blessed time for everyone involved. The question being imposed here is though - how has marriage changed and evolved since the 20th century and before?

With a more informed and connected world through the power of technology, we have seen huge strides in acceptance of the individual's choices, if a person wants to marry someone of the same sex, then they should always be granted that right - we should all know that by now, love has no boundaries. Gender roles are slowly beginning to disintegrate completely, the idea of the 'stay at home housewife' is slowly fading, the dominant member of the house can now not only be solely reserved to the male - females have been granted their freedom to be whoever they want to be.

There's a growing belief amongst a certain amount of old fashioned traditionalists that marriage has been too 'libertarian' in our society and that relationships and marriage no longer hold the same power that they once did - is this true? It can certainly be argued that marriages on average last a lot less than they once did, but is this really an issue? If a marriage isn't working between a pair, either the flame has gone out or they were never meant for each other in the first places - it sorts the real ones out from the fakes.

The belief of returning to old fashioned values may appeal to some, and in some cases maybe marriage should return to make sacred times - however the belief of returning to a distant past can never be attainable, what was once the norm can never be the norm again, only a new and comfortable middle ground can be found, with this middle ground we will have the new and more liberated views of marriage available, but with the sacred vows returning to bring together the love of two people who love each other. What's your opinion?

Why The Vegan Diet Is Changing The Game

Unless you've been living under a rock the last few years, you will have noticed the massive influx of interest in the vegan diet. For any of you who still don't know what vegan means, it means to abstain from meat, dairy foods and also abstain from using any products which have come from an animal e.g. wool or fur. So how has this once unknown and slightly obscure diet rose to prominence?

Amongst celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Jay-Z and Beyoncé endorsing the diet, the Internet has helped spread the message of what may just be the future number one diet for humanity in the coming decades. Cities across the world have began to inhibit the vegan diet and brought into their culture, and has it worked? Just look at how the world is beginning to change it's approach to food - meat is no longer as powerful as it once was, the belief that we need meat to survive is slowly being proved wrong - if not already completely wrong. Finding vegan friendly food is now easier than ever before, and getting your greens has now become cooler than ever.

From vegan beauty products, to vegan clothing, it has definitely taken it's position at the forefront of the list of healthy diets - and for those who refuse to be willing to change there is a certain minority who defend their carnist diet to the grave, and will always believe that their diet is the best diet - however when looking into the future, will our opinions be completely opened to a new way of seeing our food? The vegan diet is definitely making it's presence felt, and it can only continue to grow in today's advanced climate.