Editorial

For this eZine we decided to do something different and for this issue we

have gone with the theme on inspiration. We’ve spoken about what

inspires us, what inspires you and our usual bits and bobs that we have

every month.

As well as this, this month has seen us celebrate Halloween, the start of

autumn and the clocks going back because we all love an extra hours

sleep don’t we?

Sadly last eZine we had some bad news, this month we have some

amazing news, which I have been waiting AGES to announce.

I can say with great pleasure that Amy (GlitterTrashDoll) is now assistant

editor with me. Over her short time on the eZine she has shown how hard

working she is and how quickly she can get things done, as well as

helping me out a lot whenever I’ve not been able to do anything on and

for the eZine. I know she will do an amazing job, congratulations Amy!

As well as this piece of good news for this eZine we had our new recruits

and what an amazing job they have done, I’m so proud of you all! We’ve

had them write a little piece each to introduce themselves so please check

those out so you can get to know them a little bit more (if you don’t

already).

We do however wave goodbye to one of our regular editions to the eZine,

the shout outs. We decided that they wouldn’t be coming back after this

issue and we are going to bring you something new and better!

I’m so pleased with how this issue turned out and I hope reading out

inspiring stories inspires you to share yours with us in the future.

As soon as this issue is published we shall be working on the Christmas

eZine, I’m so excited and I’m pretty sure the rest of the eZine team are

too!

See you then and enjoy the inspiration eZine!

Take care,

Natalee (editor)

Gathering Threads

Hiya! I’m Amy, and as you’ve probably guessed, I’m the new assistant

editor on the eZine. I have been a member of the eZine team for a while

now and have loved every second, so when Nat asked me if I would like

to be the Assistant Editor, I could hardly say no! So far it’s been fun, and

I’m really enjoying my new role. I hope to bring a lot to this role and in

turn I look forward to the amazing issues we are going to bring you, as

we also have some lovely new members of the eZine team too which he

recruited recently, and this is their first issue! I am very proud of this

issue and of the team and can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks. Whilst I’m here, I’d just like to thank Nat for offering me the position, it honestly

means a lot. I do adore RYL and have been here for 5 years now (7 if you

include my previous account) and being part of the eZine, amongst other

things, makes me feel like I’m giving something back to the site and the

community, and helping out where I can – a thank you, if you will.

This issue has been one of my personal favourites. The idea behind this

issue is Inspirational Things, we decided on this idea because, this time of

year what with people going back to school and University, the days

getting shorter and the weather getting worse, we will all need at some

point, some inspiration and motivation to help us get through those

gloomy days and make things seem not so bad. So, this issue we decided on bring you things that can inspire you and make you smile, as well as

share with you our personal stories about what inspires us. We have tried

to tailor all our usual articles as well as bring in some new ones to help fit

in with this Inspirational theme. I have enjoyed helping to create this

issue as it has brought many smiles to my face, and I hope it does to you.

Enjoy!

Amy (assistant editor)

New eZine Members Introductions

Before we started this issue we decided as a team that we STILL needed

more members and set out to try and get as many as we could, and we

succeeded. Congratulations to all the new recruits who made it into the

eZine and we've been so impressed with how well you've done on your

first eZine editions, can't wait to see what you have in store for us with

our Christmas edition! Now I'll leave you to read about the new writers for

the eZine, I know I've enjoyed finding out so more about them and I

know you will too.

ArtOfDeduction:

Hi, I'm Ami. I'm 21 and a third year theology student. I'm a Southern

English gal living in the peak district and loving life. My friends, both from

here and in the 'outside world' mean everything to me and I don't know

where I would be or who I would be if they weren't here guiding, loving,

supporting and challenging me. I am interested in photography, music

(both listening and writing), spending time with people, and sport,

especially football. I enjoy seeing people grow and discover and develop

their strengths and weaknesses.

Tig:

Hey, I'm Lottie. I'm 22 and currently residing in a town on the Welsh

coast. Much of my time is spent at home with my wonderful kitten,

Jasmine, or out walking my incredibly hyper puppy Tilly. Throughout

these times I usually have a camera (or iPhone!) handy as I love to takes

photographs and where I live makes a perfect backdrop. I enjoy chatting

with my friends and feel privileged to know many people across the UK. I

also enjoy meeting up with friends and going for an iced tea, even in

winter, and nattering away. My interests in life are to do with child care

and health care with a goal to doing specialist play therapy in the future. I

love to write so spend a lot of time blogging or writing to others which is

why I am so pleased to have been able to join the wonderful eZine team.

Buttons.:

The name is Katy, I'm 20, and taking a break from my university course

for my health but hoping to return come April. I love reading and writing,

cinema, hanging out with friends and playing with my dog.

akita:

My name is Andrea and I'm new to the eZine team. I live in Melbourne,

Australia. I love cooking, shopping, competitions, dogs and colouring.

Wakeful Dreamer.:

G'day, guys. My name's Frankie (well, not really, but it's a nickname I've

always wanted, so please feel free to use it). I'm a huge fan of Joss

Whedon and Tim Burton, I listen to more music than is probably healthy,

and my passion is writing. I'm just finishing my first year of University,

having entered into the most ambiguous course I could to save having to make any actual decisions - luckily this year has helped me decide which

way I want my life to go, so next year I will be looking into studying

animal behaviour or conservation. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to

work on the eZine team, and I'm sure the site will see a lot more of me in

the future.

LavaLamp.:

Hello! My name is Emma. I'm 22 years old from Surrey, UK and I am

currently studying Psychology with the Open University. I live with my

partner and her little boy along with our pet cat, Mandy, and our rat,

Coral. I love photography and writing poetry as well as listening to music; most people know that I'm obsessed with Florence and the machine. I get

way too excited for Halloween, it's my favourite day of the year! I enjoy

watching horror films and playing around with makeup ideas and

costumes.

I am really pleased to be a member of the eZine team and work alongside

such a committed group of people.

Shine.:

I'm Annabelle, I'm 20 and I'm studying Psychology at university. I also

work in a supermarket, help out at Beavers, am a Zumba instructor and

am in a show in November (which might have already happened by the

time the eZine is published!). I love dancing and am incredibly passionate about it, as well as tea - more of an obsession! - and I find working with

children very rewarding. Writing is something that I enjoy so I'm thrilled

to be working on the eZine team!

Lucius.:

Hi, everyone. My name is Gabriella, although I have a rather large

amount of nicknames, so feel free to call me whatever. At the present

moment of writing this, I am twenty-one, and I am in my third year at

university, studying Psychology. My plan is simple: we…kill the Batman.

But I digress. I love video games, reading books and writing stories.

Anything superhero-related, be it DC or Marvel, I adore. I still believe in heroes. I also love Sherlock, Harry Potter and Supernatural. In my spare

time, I am attempting to learn Japanese.

TheHighestDefinition:

Hey guys 'n' gals. My name's Laurah and I'm 21 years of age. I'm quite a

boring person, most of the time I spend my days working, and sleeping,

and working some more. Occasionally I stop for lunch which is always a

Pot Noodle. Always. (Except from when it's not). My favourite food is

Golden Nuggets (because they taste yee-hah!), I prefer green top milk to blue/red/purple top milk, and my favourite drink is Mountain Dew. In my

very rare spare time I read, draw and write. I act like a five year old most

of the time, but life's too short to be serious all the time. Spring is my

favourite season, The Lion King is my favourite movie, The Hunger Games

is my favourite book series & Tabitha Suzuma is my favourite Author. I

am awesome. Peace out!

Please welcome our new members with open arms, they’ve been amazing

this issue and I’m proud of them all!

Field Of Paper Flowers

Shout Outs

From - Rawrk,

To - Liz

Liiiiiz, you are a wonderful human being and I really hope you feel better soon,

and when I can I'm going to come up and steal your granny scooter, then we

can go to the beach together and have a romantic date for two, as planned. You are an inspiration and I love you lots and lots and lots.

xx

To Natalee :P

Thanks for letting me be a part of the eZine.

Andrea.

To all of the uni students

Well done on getting through this year and surviving through your exams.

akita.

To Jodie and Jenna and Nic and Tiff

Congratulations on moving in together. I bet you're loving it.

Andrea.

To Charlie and Beckie

You have made gorgeous babies.

Andrea.

To Mike

I hope everything has cleared itself up now. (ahem) :P

Andrea.

From - Claire

To -

TheState- I care, I care, I care. Scooter, are you ready? <3

LavaLamp- Dude, you are so much more amazing than you think you are and I love you lots! <3

Bellatrix- I am so proud of you and want to publicly announce how AWESOME

you are, I love that you keep trying even when it’s really hard. <3

Narcissa- Yo homey. Like I thought you might enjoy a jolly good shout out.....

So I wrote you a rubbish one instead..... BOOBIES! <3

chinahorse - I literally love you ALL the days and am so proud of how far you

have come recently.... I would like to be able to engage in ALL the hugging of

you however geographically we have a slight issue so this is a public display of

affection for you! <3

Kiran- You make me wee my pants! You are amazingly funny and I love you! <3

fairylights- You are one of my favourite people to spend time with as you are so

easy to be around and so flaming awesome! Love you <3

MissAnonymous- You are such a kind and lovely person and I love that we have been spending more time together! If I can ever do anything to help, I will.

< 3

From Lavalamp.:

To Claire (OMNOMNOM) - You have been an amazing source of support and your

kindness astounds me time and time again. Thank you for being a truly

wonderful friend.

To Beckie (Menticide) - Thank you for caring so much about me and looking out

for me despite having so much going on in your personal life. I really appreciate

your friendship.

To Jo (l.e.g.o) - You are an intelligant, caring, compassionate, good, pure, important person and I know you don't believe me when I say this but you are a

great friend and I don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you.

To Ami (Artofdeduction) - My beautiful Ami! I wish you could see all the

wonderful things I see in you! Words will never express how grateful I am to

have known you and have you as a dear friend. I am always thinking of you and praying for you! You are never alone.

To kate (Ballerina123) - I'm sorry things have been so hard for you but know, as

scary as things are, there are people that care and are rooting for you! Hang in

there.

To every single member of RYL - Hang on to hope, you never know what

wonders are waiting for you right around the corner. If things are difficult for

you please know that things will not always be this way. Reach out for support,

we are always here for you.

From - Frozen_Inside

To - GlitterTrashDoll.

A huge shout out to my fellow alien and Tokio Hotel buddy, GlitterTrashDoll,

thanks for listening to me go on about them and providing endless news and entertainment on that thread. Ps. Bill is mine! Lol.

Bigmike

Creative Piece

I hold the shine deep within my eyes

I pray, with every fibre, I'll keep it down

and swell my bones with your embrace.

The warmth of your song blessed my ears

and they stand hungry for the chorus

filled to burst with loves sweet music

desperate for you to play on.

'Hope' is more than just a word now it's an old friend I grip to for comfort

we dance together in the darkest of nights,

and he stands true in the brightest of suns.

You brought us together when I was stuck in nowhere

and we gripped to the edge of somewhere

when the stars were stolen from the skies

you were never deafened by sound of my cries.

Poets write their own versions of love

from sweet nectars to blizzards in the snow

they spin sickly sweets sonnets in summer time

or bitter betrayals of romances left cold. Know in your heart that my love for you

will stay fresh and young in my mind

because you gave me back the will to try again

you gave me a life worth fighting for.

LavaLamp.

Supporters Agony Aunt

This month, the RYL Supporters bring you our very own Agony Aunt!

Every magazine has one, to help with generic concerns and worries and

it's something that most of us flick through to see what's going on in other people's minds, as well as considering what we might say to them

ourselves! The Agony Aunt is a semi-serious part of the EZine and the

Supporters will address any problem that is sent our way.

Remember that the Supporters can be reached at

support@recoveryourlife.com. We know that the time approaching

Christmas can be one of great happiness but also sadness and pressure.

The Supporters are available 24/7 via email and try to get on Live Help

but that is currently experiencing technical difficulties, as ever, right now.

If a problem is deemed to need a more immediate response, one will be

given outside the EZine. Just send emails entitled 'Agony Aunt' our way and we'll think of a response and post it in here!

Right, so let's get cracking with these emails. We have two this month:

"How would I tell my doctor about my mental health problems?

We all know that it can be difficult at times to approach a medical

professional such as our local doctor with things involving mental health,

chiefly because of the stigma that still somewhat surrounds these issues.

Reaching out for medical/professional help is often a really good step

towards recovery and if you are experiencing mental health difficulties we

would strongly advise you to take the leap and try and reach out to your local doctor/school counsellor/trusted teacher.

With regards to approaching a doctor, particularly one you haven't

encountered before, a lot of people find it easier to write down what they

want the doctor to know in advance, so that if they do get nervous during

the appointment and forget what they want to say, they have something

to reference from.

Explaining to the doctor at the beginning of the appointment any

difficulties you experience in discussing mental health problems may also

be helpful to highlight to the doctor that they need to try and help you

feel at ease and be patient."

"How do I cope with being gay, when everyone else in the world

seems to be straight?

Being gay in a straight world can be very difficult, as with being a part of

any minority. The one thing to hold onto is that yes you may differ in

sexuality from your friends and family but at the heart we are all the

same and just as worthy as each other, regardless of who we fall in love

with/have feelings for.

Some people in the UK particularly find the charity Stonewall helpful in

realising that yes gay/bi/transgendered people may differ slightly from

the majority straight population but we deserve equal rights and equal

opportunities in every way.

It also might be worth looking at the progress we have already made in

demanding and receiving equal rights and opportunities with straight

people, for example in the UK we now have Civil Partnerships, the right to

adopt, the same age of consent as our straight counterparts and laws

protecting us from discrimination in the work place. In America gay

people can now serve openly in the armed forces and many states now

have gay marriage or are considering it.

Yes we have a long way to go to end homophobia and achieve true

equality, but despite that we have come very far in only a short period of

time. If we have achieved this much in the last 10/20 years, imagine

what we can achieve over the next decade.

Don't feel obligated to use these, just thought I'd rattle off a rough draft

for each for your perusal."

We hope that these responses have been useful.

Please take care of yourselves and remember where we are, should you

need a confidential, non-judgemental place to share your feelings.

The RYL Supporters

This Month Last Year

Although this piece is about this month last year, I feel myself slowly

writing and rounding up what has been quite a stressful year. This month

last year, was incredibly different to this year. I was working a full time

temporary position in a Gadget Shop, pleading silently that we’d stay

open at least until after Christmas. The good news is – we did. The bad news is that in February of this year, we finally closed down. However,

every cloud has a silver lining and I was only on the jobseekers for one

month before finding my new (current) job, at a high street Fashion

chain.

Last October, I started drawing closer to one of my work colleagues, and

although we shouldn’t have, we started ‘something’. I call it something,

as I don’t exactly know what it was, but nonetheless for the first time in a

while, I started to feel happier within myself. I’m not one for writing

about ‘love’, but he was special and for the first time in a while, I felt

complete. He helped me attempt recovery from myself harm, and would

hold me so tight when I was struggling. The bad news, when our job ended in February, so did our ‘relationship’, and we had to go our

separate ways, mainly due to distance.

It was during this time that I was going through some scary stuff health-

wise also. As some of you know, I suffer from an undiagnosed

neurological disorder, which causes me to be in pain 24/7. To anyone

reading this who also suffers from chronic pain, I would like to take this

moment to give you the biggest hug ever! *HUG*. I took a lot of time off

work last October following this, and would spend days curled up in a ball,

unable to move, sobbing. I had a lot of tests and scans to rule out many

scary possibilities of what it might or might not be, but I spent a lot of

time at the hospital. A year later, they still aren’t sure what it is, and I’m

on medication (which I might forget to take) but I’m doing a lot better at ignoring the pain, and trying to concentrate on work/home/friends.

This time last year, I went to the world famous Goose Fair for the first

time. Previously my parents would never let me go to Goose Fair for fear

that I might get lost or something. All I remember is running to the bus

home, with a giant (and I mean GIANT) Spongebob Squarepants, which I

had to sit next to for the remainder of the journey home! I went for the

second time just last week, and it was just as awesome. Definitely

stocked up on the candy floss & sugar dummies!

I also spent a lot of time trying to rid my social anxieties, by going out

clubbing with my friends and work colleagues (who, coincidentally, were the same people :P). Every Friday we would start in a gothic/rock pub for

a few pitchers, and then go to Loveshack, where they play the most

awesome 90’s dance music EVER! I still enjoy a cheeky Loveshack visit

every now & then – however now it’s with my new work colleagues, and

sometimes my old ones too!

My life has changed dramatically since last October. There has been a lot

of low points, such as my current relapse with depression, which I’m

attempting to battle on through – but there’s been good points, too. I’ve

met new people and new friends and my secure and stable job. & this time NEXT year, I hope to be in a relationship, living away from my

parents independently, passing my driving test and learning a new career.

Hairdressing is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I need to sit and

have an extremely hard think about that. Toodileepip!

TheHighestDefinition

Fashion Review – Stay Warm, Look Cool

It's autumn time once again! The temperatures are plummeting and the country

is preparing itself for the wrath of wintery weather. Some parts of the UK have

already experienced snow, and it's only October! To summarise, it's FREEZING!

This season, it's all about chunky cable knit, Fairisle print and animal sweaters! I

have used my knowledge of working in fashion to conjure up a top 5 must haves to get you through the blustery weather!

For the Women;

From left to right;

1. Fairisle Print snood £5, with matching gloves £3 (Primark)

2. Fairisle Print Jumper £10 (Primark)

3. Cream Cable Knit Hat £6.99 (H&M)

4. Maroon Snood £35 (River Island)

5. Panda Jumper £39 (Miss Selfridge)

Don't forget the Men;

From left to right;

1. Patterned Knit Sweater £30 (Topman)

2. Chunky Cable Knit Jumper £29.99 (H&M)

3. Fingerless Gloves £16 (Debenhams)

4. Patterned Snood £18 (Next) 5. Fairisle Print Jacket £18 (Primark)

TheHighestDefinition

Moving Forward Highlights

I think that the above photo carries an important message. Recovery is

about accepting yourself for who you are and liking the person that you

find. In that sense, recovery can mean different things to different people

and it’s great to see that emulated across the forums. There are so many

achievements across RYL that, were they to be listed, we’d fill the whole

EZine! Every single person on the forums is really quite amazing, even if

they don’t feel like it all the time.

In particular:

Shadow-light: I have been doing permitted work while been on ESA for

the last few weeks, and today I was offered more hours and I took them. So in 2 weeks I will be coming off ESA. This may not seem a huge thing

and I am still nowhere near full time work, but only a few months ago I

didn't think I would even manage part time work... and only 10 months

ago a 8 hour a week job in a shop resulted in me almost being

hospitalised!

Even without the work side of things I've realised today that my life has

changed dramatically recently... I now have a social life, I am no longer

abusing laxatives, I have friends (both on and off line) who are actually

supportive and want to help, I am starting to accept peoples help, I am

actually taking my meds rather than pretending to and hiding them and

then ODing on them, etc... Just in general I am doing a lot better. Of course there are still issues to address (mainly food and alcohol wise) but

all in all I have actually made a lot of progress

Pigeon: I self-harmed for 11 years. Now, at 21, I feel as though I am

finally done and moving on with my life. I hadn't been on RYL in years

despite many slip-ups and mistakes throughout the past few years of

recovering. I never thought I could do this and be here to say this but I

did it! I was in the deepest and darkest place I could have ever been in

and the state I am now in is unrecognizable in comparison to before. I

have never been happier. To those who are still recovering- NEVER give up hope! You can do it. You are far, far stronger than you think! May you

all find yourselves and true happiness!

Jelly Fairy: Just thought I'd pop in with a quick update. Most of you

nowadays probably won't recognise me, but a few years ago this place

was pretty much where I spent my whole life. I had SIed since I was 11

(2001), and joined RYL back in 2006 (having been a lurker in the days of

Ruin). During my teenage years I went through some very rough patches,

my SI got worse, and I nearly ended up being kicked out of school

because of it. Mental health services majorly failed me, and I felt that I

was going to be written off and left to fall down the route of self

destruction until I eventually killed myself.

However, here we are in 2012 and I can honestly say things are going

great!! I've been SI free for about 3 years (other than one very small

slip), I've finally found a job I love working in a children’s home, and have

met some fantastic people over the last few years. I'm so happy at the

moment compared to where I was a few years ago. Obviously the

memories of the past never go away, but they do slowly fade and it is

possible to move on :)

And our very own editor!:

Field of Paper Flowers: I'm no longer single. I'm finally with the guy I

have been lusting after for months and I feel so happy right now.

I've been nothing but emotional about it all due to how I've been treated

by guys the past year, which resulted to me relapsing after being free for four years and turning to self harm again. Even self harming really badly

of late to try and forget about the worrying going around my head.

Now I realise it was stupid and a waste of time and pain for me to do and

whilst I don't regret it, I am going to try and stop self harming again. I

know I need it but I don't want it whilst I'm with somebody, it isn't fair on

them and of course it isn't good for me.

It's going to be hard, but I know I need to do this. I don't really want him

to know how long I've been a self harmer for and I'm scared he'll see my

scars and what I'll tell him they are, but I'll come to that when the time

comes.

I'm going to have this place as my positive space to do with me trying to

stop and a place I can look back on when I need some positive words and

reminders in my life.

I feel daft for writing this up but I guess it's nice to be positive as all I

have been the past year is negative.

Shine.: On a personal note, I’ve agreed to accept help from the CMHT and the Eating Disorders services. It isn’t plain sailing and progress is

fairly minimal but at least it’s something! I’ve also started at a new

university and have already made some friends, continue to love teaching

Zumba and dancing. I genuinely want to beat this so that I can get on

with my life and stop being completely depressive!

There are so many positives to celebrate around the forums! Keep

at it – maybe you’ll be mentioned in the next EZine!

Shine.

Inspiration Stories

We can all lose faith in humanity sometimes, whether it's because

something bad happened to us, we read something terrible in the news or

you’re in shock that someone did something you never thought would be

done, or could be done by a human. So, we all need our faith restored

and know that there are more good and helpful people out there than the

bad and negative ones.

So GivesMeHope.com is a website, much like the famous fmylife.com,

where people submit embarrassing and stories where you want the

ground to eat you up. GivesMeHope is a website which follows the same

structure as fmylife but instead people submit inspiring stories of

something that has happened to them or someone they know, or stories

that give them hope that there that good people are out there and good

things can happen to you. The people that do these good deeds or give

them person hope, are often strangers just going about their daily

business but stop and do something or go out of their way to help

someone they don't even know - it can inspire us all to help others, as

you never know what kind of difference, whether it big or small, you are

going to make on your life, and you never know - it might change your

life too. There are ones that will tug on your heartstrings, make you cry and make you smile. Whatever the story, it will show you there is hope

out there, for everyone.

Here are some of the inspiring stories that people have submitted to

GivesMeHope;

- "A boy was dying of cancer and needed expensive brain surgery, but his

family, broke and desperate, couldn't afford it. His 8 year old sister, Tess,

took her piggy bank to the pharmacist in order to buy a 'miracle'. It just

so happens that the right man witnessed the little girls tears at the

Pharmacy county; a neurosurgeon. He performed the surgery for free."

- "I was walking down a busy street holding a stack of note cards, when a

gust of wind blew one of them into the street. I waited for the cards to

pass, but there were too many. A stranger walked past and saw my

problem, stepped into the street and got my card for me. He then said "Sometimes you just have to stop traffic" A strangers kindness gives me

hope"

- "Today, my school had a fire drill. I was standing outside with one of the

most popular football players, when a down syndrome girl came up to him

and wanted to hold his hand because she was scared. Happily, he held

her hand all the way back to class. His soft side in front of the boys gives

me hope"

- "I was cold scared and alone after a night out in a new city, and I

couldn't get home. I was ready to run when these 2 guys came up to me

on the street, but instead they asked if I was okay, stayed with me until the taxi came, let me share it, paid for my fare and didn't try anything.

Dan and Adam, thank you for caring about strangers"

- "At school, during lunch, there's a certain table I can't keep my eye off.

The table seats 2 down syndrome students, 3 football players and 2

cheerleaders. Every day, the cheerleaders and the football players help

the down syndrome students get their food and eat. Their acceptance and

kindness give me hope."

- "My little sister came home from school one day and demanded that I

take her to the library so she could get books on sign language. I asked

why? And she told me there was a new kid at school who was deaf and

she wanted to befriend him. Today, I stood beside her at their wedding watching her sign "I Do"."

- "Today, I was approached by a homeless man asking if I had any

change. I only had 2 dimes but I gave it to him anyway. As I watched him

walk away, he put the dimes in an expired parking meter of a stranger’s

car. Someone who can't afford to buy himself something to eat, but helps

others gives me hope"

- "Today, our history teacher was telling us about a man who was famous

for transporting Jews to safety during the Holocaust. A student in the

class said "that's my grandfather", Our teacher began to cry and said "He

saved my entire family" Beautiful coincidences give me hope"

- "Today, I slipped a letter into my friends locker telling her how I was

going to kill myself and I was going to miss her. When I came home from

school, I found all of my friends in my sitting room with DVD's, cookies

and balloons with a letter hanging off them listing 437 reasons why I

should not die. I cannot stop crying. Understanding friends give me hope"

- "Today, I found out about a 10 year old boy who has been harassed by

his classmates because he refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Why?

He says that until gays and lesbians have equal rights, there isn't real 'justice and liberty for all'. Kids with the courage to stand up for other

human beings gives me hope"

- "Today I was eating at a restaurant where they celebrate birthdays by

getting a sundae with a candle to blow out. Every single person was

cheering on a 6 year old boy as he tried to blow out his candle. He was

hooked up to an oxygen tank. People coming together to encourage

success gives me hope"

I could have picked so many more, so if you have time, please check out

this website GivesMeHope.com. It will inspire you and give you hope. So,

just remember - don't give up yet, there is hope out there.

GlitterTrashDoll

What Inspires Us

For this month’s eZine we decided as a team that we would include things that

inspire us. It's coming up to the end of the year and soon we will have our

special Christmas edition out (which we're super excited about by the way!).

BUT I am getting off topic, so we all decided to introduce the new members of

the eZine and let you guys know a little more about the current team we would

write out inspiring posts. We hope they inspire you too and we would love to

hear if they have and what inspires you! Enjoy!

Field Of Paper Flowers:

I thought for ages about what I could write my inspiration post on. I have many

things that inspire me, but when it came down to which out of two things

inspired me the most, it has to be this.

As quite a few members of RYL know, I LOVE Lostprophets and if you take a look

at my signature on the boards you can see my adorable Ian Watkins gif, as well

as all the dates of their gigs that I have attended over the years. I wouldn't go

as far as saying that this band is my life, but I wonder sometimes whether I

would have a life now if it wasn't for them.

When I was 16 I left school to go to college, thinking it would be an amazing

part of my life, it turned out to be one of the worst times of my life. I was badly

bullied, spoken to and treated like some sort of disgusting creature and thus I

got very ill and started to self harm again. I lost my best friend (even though I

have her back now) and gained friends who turned out to be cruel people, with

no regard to my feelings at all.

I had been listening to Lostprophets since I was fourteen but only their singles

and I only ever got chance to hear those when they popped up on the radio or

music channels. However before I had gone to college me and my best friend

attended a signing to meet them and I had bought two of their albums to be

signed during it. I did like the band and that's why I went to meet them, but

during the first three months of college I started to listen to their albums Start

Something and Liberation Transmission more than ever before and it turned out

that the messages behind the lyrics were exactly what I needed at that time in

my life. I was terribly lonely and suicidal and their words just seemed to break

through those thoughts and told me everything would be okay.

Over the years I have gone on to love them more and more, whenever I needed

something or someone to make me realise things will ALWAYS be okay I would

stick on one of their albums and begin to feel somewhat better.

What inspires me with this

band is their message,

especially Ian Watkins as a

person. He doesn't give a

damn about what anyone

says or does to him, he just

doesn't care and he doesn't

mind about telling them what

he thinks either. A lot of

people think he's an arsehole

because of this, but I think

he's just showing to the

people trying to get a

reaction that they're wasting

their time and I wish back

when I was 16 I had done

this.

The bands amazing words and Ian Watkins tough attitude is amazing and

through this band I have become a braver and better person, as well as making

some amazing friends and memories along the way.

Every time I have met the boys I have told them all how much they have helped

me and how much I love them for it. I know if I was in a band, a singer, etc and

a fan told me that, I would be so happy!

I'll always love this band, no matter what!

Shine:

When asked what inspired me, I had to think hard to find an answer. Truth is,

there are so many things and people that have been absolutely incredible, it’s tricky to pick just one thing to focus upon. Don’t worry, though, I’ll have a go!

Last year, I went to Kenya and India on volunteering experiences. The weeks I

stayed there were emotionally demanding and challenging in every single way it

was possible to be. When I arrived, I was a nervous wreck, barely speaking to

everybody. Travelling as I did was a task in itself because, at the start, my group were complete strangers to me and, generally, a lot older and far more

qualified for the teaching that we were supposed to be engaging in. However,

when we knuckled down to it, we were so very glad of each other. I remember

the first day in Kenya like it was yesterday. I don’t think there was a single

person who didn’t shed a tear at the warm and beautiful welcome we received

and the wonderful spirit of the people there. Everybody shared their days and how they felt and I think that was a very helpful tool to have as it meant we

could ground and express ourselves and I know it was a vital part of my time in

Kenya. It definitely helped me cope and I don't think I'm the only one.

During our stay, I overcame various hurdles and eventually, ventured into a

school alone and I met some brilliant people there. They ensured that I always

felt valued and respected and went above and beyond to allow me to be happy. By the end of the week, I felt so comfortable and secure in that environment, I

taught a class of 112 about Snow White and description and in India, about food

production/distribution. It was lesson and a half because of the lack of English

and disorganisation (there are not the same rules about adhering to specific

times over there!) but we worked through it. The children were so enthusiastic

and dedicated. One child, at the end of my lesson, ran all the way home to get me a piece of fabric as a

present. It was given to

me in our farewell

ceremony and means so

much to me. The people

were so kind and I think

that they showed me a lot. I now feel more able

to be tolerant of

someone who doesn’t

quite think the same

way as me and I can

bring the caring and energetic aspects of my

stays in Kenya and India

into many parts of my

life. I realised that it is

so important to make other people smile and I have maintained that ever since.

If I could hop on a plane and go to both those places or somewhere equally

fantastic, again, I would, without a blink of an eye. I’d advocate trips like this

profusely and, to me, they were the places I really felt at home. I didn’t feel as

though I was an outsider, I was included and I finally was able to be myself and,

briefly, I liked the person that I was/am. I didn’t pretend to be something that I

wasn’t. I’ll never forget those nights lying on the grass, looking at the

constellations and shooting stars, in awe of how stunning it was and how quiet.

It was where I felt content and I don’t think I could ask for anything more than that. Thank you to everybody I met there, seriously, I owe you such a lot!

We were driving up the country and asked these children to pretend to be lions -

clearly they obliged!

ArtOfDeduction:

For as long as I can remember music has been part of my life. My parents both

grew up liking different styles of music, my mother was a mod and my father a

rocker. From an early age, my brother and I were introduced to many genres of

music, and we both fell in love with it. Music has been a constant in my life. I love how in one moment someone can write a few words, expressing their heart,

and once it's put to music millions of people can relate and it helps them through

similar situations.

When I was studying for my GCSE's Bon Jovi had just released their 'Have A

Nice Day' album. I was struggling a lot with life and this album helped me

through. I was at one of the lowest points of my life and every day I would walk to school listening to this album, at break times I would go off on my own and

listen to it, and walking home I would listen to it again. This album became my

life line. When the world turned away, music greeted me with open arms and

helped me through two of the toughest years of my life.

As I've grown up my love of music and how it can

capture one moment for all

eternity has inspired me to

become a lyricist myself. I

was always one to write

poetry growing up and over

the past few years I have developed these poems into

songs. I want someone to

feel about my music, how I

felt about 'Have A Nice

Day'. I want that sense of

safety, companionship and unity I have with many

songs written by my

favourite artists to be felt by those listening to my music.

Below is the latest song I am writing. It is for my newly married cousin and her

husband as my wedding present to them. I wanted to give them something personal which they could cherish forever and this is the way I can express

myself completely.

So when I'm asked what inspires me I always say music. It inspires me to be

believe in myself, to share my story. Music inspires me to recover and become

the best person I can be and experience more things so my words can reach the

hearts of others and inspire them too.

TheHighestDefinition:

With this being my first article for the eZine, I must admit I struggled when I

was given the question ‘What inspires you?’. I immediately began wracking my brain, searching for something – anything – to write about. I wanted to write

something exciting, something mesmerising. At first, I contemplated my

photography work and how I’m inspired to take photos by the everyday stresses

that we face in life, then music; and how the lyrics inspire me to battle on

through the problems that tend to creep up on us all, but then I realised the

answer was probably much closer to home.

My inspiration is my mum.

It probably sounds cheesy, but my mum means the absolute world to me. Sure,

sometimes we don’t get along as we should, and sometimes we argue, but that’s

what families are for, right? She is the one person whom I can solely rely on, the

one person who’s always kept her promises, and been there for me through thick and thin. When I was really unwell, she talked me into taking walks with

the family; joining in with mealtimes and made sure we did simple things, like

watch movies together; she made sure that I didn’t fade away. When I was at

school, she never pushed me into clubs I didn’t want to attend, extra curriculum

activities that I wasn’t interested in. She let me do what I wanted to do, and she

only ever told me to try my best. Whenever I didn’t do my best in something, she just told me not to worry and to try again. You learn from your mistakes.

She inspired me to never give up, no matter what.

My mum is an incredibly strong individual and has inspired me in so many ways,

teaching me not to let people walk all over me, and allowing me to stand up for

what I believe in

instead of taking a backseat, even if

nobody else agrees.

I’ve learnt to be honest,

instead of lying in the

hope of keeping others

happy, and she’s taught me my morals, my

right from wrong.

Without her, I’d still be

the shy, quiet person I

used to be, I would

have never found my voice, and I most

certainly would never

be the strong,

confident, hardworking

individual that I am today.

P.S, here is one of my photography pieces. To me, it represents that each year

is a new start & new friendships will blossom, excuse the pun.

[Redemption]:

The thing that inspires me most is music. I'm in my second year of a music

degree, and other than my set work, the main thing I’ve learnt

it that music has no boundaries,

or limits. It can take place

whenever and wherever, and

anyone can be involved. Music is

everywhere. Music can be defined as anything, there is no

set definition. What IS music?

Music has so much power, and

it's something that can be

embraced. it shows us that we

can be whoever and whatever

WE WANT TO BE. That there are no limits, and that we can be powerful!

LavaLamp.:

I think one of the things I find most inspirational in life right now is photography.

I love going for long walks in parks and forests, across beaches and the countryside taking in the views that nature has to offer. What always catches my

attention are the shapes and colours of flowers and how one plant can appear to

look completely different when caught from certain angles.

The glistening of the sun when reflected on the sea and the sky painted in rich

shades of red as a day draws to an end is absolutely breath-taking and you can’t

help but feel comforted by the beauty in a world that often feels so harsh for

many of us.

There is always a

sense of

accomplishment when

you’re able to capture

a glimpse of this beauty on camera so

that you can share it

with others or look

back on it when

feeling low. I often get

a child-like excitement when I get to go

exploring and get lost

for hours on end in

search of something

pretty to photograph. I enjoy hiding in small spaces and writing poetry or

sketching which can be really cathartic.

Above is one of the first photographs I took when I moved to a different area after being made homeless. It has really fond memories attached to it because I

fell in love with the park near my new house and I still love it just as much over

a year later.

Thank you for taking the time to read what inspires me.

Bigmike:

So a few months back I decided to take the step into the world of Trade

Unionism by joining a Trade Union (TU), at first I thought this would be

something I couldn't do as I’m currently out of work and on Job Seekers but after asking around on many Union Facebook pages I was pointed in the

direction on Unite The Union, they have a membership for people out of work,

retired etc.

As soon as I joined the Union I felt at home and very welcome, I'm forever

posting on the Facebook page asking questions and whatnot and I'm always

surprised at how helpful the fellow members are.

Anyway, my Union inspires me because we all stand up for each other in the

union, someone is having trouble in work so we all pitch in and help out with the

issue, be it with advice, messages of support/solidarity or going out and

standing on a picket line, it's like one big family, yes we don't always see eye to

eye on things but at the end of the day

we still stand by

each other. We

don't just help each

other either, just a

few weeks ago the

Public and Commercial services

Union (PCS) was out

helping/protesting

for the homeless, I

would like to think

that Unions don't just help their

members but the

community too.

And that is what inspires me and has taken up quite a bit of my life and time.

Thank you for reading.

Tig:

There are a lot of things that inspire me but if I were to pick three things I would

say it is primarily my two little cousins, Daisy and Poppy, my aspiration to be a specialist play therapist and certain people that I have met in life.

Daisy and Poppy make my life much more enjoyable and worthwhile. To those

wonderful girls, I am a somebody and that inspires me to keep fighting towards

recovery for them. I don't always see the girls because we don't live near each

other at the moment but they are always in my hearts and I have a lot of wonderful things from them. Be it photographs that I have taken of the girls,

beautiful drawings from Daisy and cards telling me to get well soon or a cheeky

conversation with Poppy on Skype, they are there. They give me so much hope

and love. Through every hardship I have known that the one thing that cannot

be taken from me is the love that I have for those two girls and their stunning

smiles.

For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about having a career in

either paediatric nursing or

specialist play therapy. I love

working with children and I

think I honed in on play therapy

because it can mean so much to that child and their family when

a child is so sick or has been

traumatised. I know that in

order to achieve these dreams I

have to recover and that

inspires me when things are tough. I cannot imagine a

different career, this is all that I

have ever wanted to be. I love

to learn about things that will

link me to this career such as

child development, health care

and of course, play! If I can make an ounce of difference to a

child's life then it will be worth

it. Knowing that I can give back from a system that I have needed a lot from is

inspirational in itself for me.

I have met many people in life that have inspired me. My Mum for being such a strong woman, my friends on RYL who fight for recovery and life each day and

so many others. However, I wanted to share the inspiration I have had from

three amazing Nurses that I met whilst in hospital.

All of the Nurses are wonderful and I am grateful to them all but these three

have been particularly inspirational, having invested a lot of time in me. They

helped me to believe in myself when I really couldn't. One of them, S, was the first person I ever allowed to hug me as a young adult because I was so fearful.

S also told me a quote that I ended up getting tattooed on my foot because it

made so much sense to me - Never give up on giving up. Then there is L who

listens to my woes but encourages and helps me to find a way through without

being afraid to tell me the truth and then A who can make me smile even when I

really don't want too.

They inspire me because of their thoughtfulness, kindness and because of the amazing, strong women they are. They are people I aspire to be like through

recovery.

I'll conclude by saying that there are so many things and people that inspire me

so thank you.

GlitterTrashDoll:

There are several people that inspire me, the first and the biggest influence in

my life is my Nan.

(yes, that is baby me!)

Sadly my Nan died 2 and a bit years ago, but she was the most amazing woman

in my life. When I grew up she was always there for me, even though she had 4

children of her own, plus me and 5 other grandchildren, we had a very special

connection and giving that she only lived 5 minute from me for all of my life, I

would often spend weekends and evenings at her house - cooking, sewing, knitting, baking and gardening, always at just bonding whether it be playing in

the garden or watching television.

My childhood from the age of around 11 upwards, was hard. My parents got a

divorce and my dad moved in with his now wife and my mum got a new

boyfriend whom I didn't get on with and spent many nights arguing with. I didn't

know how to deal with this as I had never known anyone to experience it or anything before, as I had a very happy childhood with a close family. This

affected me badly, however my Nan was a constant. She was always there for

me, where it was a tearful phone call after school or if it was a weekend at her

house. She would always have a listening ear and knew the right words to say.

Her solution often was a chat, whilst having tea and toast. And it worked

wonders.

She inspired me in so many ways, one of the times I will never forget is when

her husband, my Pop, was diagnosed with lung cancer and was told he had

months to live. The whole family was there - her children and grandchildren. But instead of crying and getting upset, she put on a brave face and told my dad to

take me into the garden and play with me. In one of the worse situations in her

life, my happiness was at the forefront of her mind, for that - I will never be able

to repay her and it breaks my heart I never got to say thank you. I was only

young and it's only now, I realize what she did that day.

Another day, after an argument at home between my mum and my dad, I

packed my bags and got my dog and went to my Nan’s without notifying her or

telling my parents that I was going - I just left. My Nan wasn't mad, she opened

me with welcoming arms and comforted me, and let me stay the night. When

my dad found out where I was, he came to get me but my Nan told him I was

staying with her so I was happy, she wouldn't back down and my dad left.

I will never forget the many things my Nan did for me, and I could carry on

writing forever telling you how many inspiring things my Nan did for me. But I'll

stop now, all I will say is I will never stop loving this woman.

The next few people that inspire me, are musicians and people in the public eye,

which seems to be a running theme here.

The first one being, Kat Von D.

This woman inspires me because

she has come from nothing and

fought her way through a male

dominated industry to become a successful tattoo artist, and

business woman. She has shown

me that you can achieve

anything you want in life.

She has shown me that you don't have to fit in to society's

definition and perception of

beautiful. She has shown me you

can be yourself, whether it be

covered in tattoos are not, you

can be beautiful and feminine no matter who you are. This woman

will never know the impact she has had on my life.

I used to look at myself in the mirror and tell myself I wasn't attractive. But this

year, the lady herself, tweeted me telling me I was beautiful and wore a dress

from her clothing line well. I have never looked at myself like I did before, again.

Hearing that from her, from the woman I deemed to be the most beautiful

woman in the world, made me believe it was true. And she will never know how much I thank her for that - one day I hope I can meet her and tell her all of this

in person.

On a brief end note; I would

just like to mention a few

others that inspire me. Lady

Gaga, for telling you to

embrace yourself and accept

yourself and others no matter

who they are. Her dedication,

love and acceptance to all her

fans and all the work she does against anti bullying, homophobia and all the

other work she does is, to me, very inspiring. I also can't finish this without

mentioning Bill Kaulitz. Everyone knows of my love for him and the band, Tokio

Hotel. They have impacted my life so much. They inspire me so much and

taught me to be myself and it doesn't matter if people don't understand me or

don't like how I look or dress - they taught me it's okay to be different. I can

never thank them enough.

Lucius:

The question ‘What inspires you?’ is not necessarily simple, and nor is it black

and white. I could write thousands of words describing everyone, and

everything, that has inspired me in some way – from friends to a piece of

writing. So, after thinking about it long and hard, and narrowing down my

options, I have chosen to do not one person, but a group of people:

Fictional heroes

Fictional heroes come in different forms and different mediums. They are the

people that slay the dragon, avenge the world or battle evil. They are often the

epitome of good, although not necessarily all the time, for even a hero can use

morally questionably methods to protect someone. And they are brave – always

ready to, no matter what the cost, stick up for what is right.

They allow us to escape as well, even for a little while. With different mediums, I

can stop Hydra in their tracks with Captain America, or I can defend Hogwarts

with Harry Potter, or I can even run around London with Sherlock Holmes. The

choices are endless, and they all have their own morals, and their own

messages, but they all join forces on one ideal: never give up.

And what isn’t inspirational about that? They are a constant reminder that you

should always stick up for your beliefs, and that you should fight for good in the

world when sometimes it feels like there isn’t that much to go around. And

despite being fictional, there is something distinctly real about them. They often

have a flaw, a health issue (be it physical or mental) or a past that they cannot

escape, and yet they try and work through it, and ensure that it does not hinder

them to the extent that it stops them doing what they want to do in life, and I

think that is particularly a mentality that I hold dear.

Fictional heroes are all different shapes and sizes too, from Dr Banner, who

turns into an 8ft Hulk, to the 3 ft Hobbits who helped save Middle-earth. And

sometimes – sometimes – someone becomes a hero because they need to, and

not because they want to. They have no control over it: they just do what must

be done. And, from that, they made me realise that anyone can be a hero, no matter what they look like and regardless of their past. If you have the right

heart, then you can be a hero just as important as Batman or Iron Man. And not

just from saving lives, but by being a kind person and going out of your way to

make someone’s day. By pushing through in the face of adversity, because no

one has the right to stop you from reaching your dreams.

That’s what heroes have taught me.

That’s why heroes inspire me.

akita:

Since moving out of my parent’s house and into my own place in share

accommodation in January of this year, I have cooked meals for my fellow

housemates that I have never cooked before.

Before moving into this place, I have always had the love of cooking for other

people, but that has always only been a few simple dishes and baking lots of

sweet things like cakes.

In the shared house I live in, we each have to take it in turns one night a week

and cook a meal for the rest of the people in the house.

When it's my turn to cook something, I find that I am cooking meals that I have

never cooked before, and am loving the chances to experiment with food and

recipes that I never have before, until now.

Before moving from one suburb to another, there were only a few types of different cuisine and mostly take away restaurants like McDonalds etc.

Since moving to the suburb I am in now, I have found a whole new world of

different varieties of foods in restaurants that I wouldn’t have been game to try

before, so I am loving the chance to get to try new meals from all kinds of

backgrounds.

Recently a few of my fellow housemates wanted me to bake something, and I

decided to bake Anzac cookies for them. After I had done so, they all loved them

so much that I was asked to make more, which I did. It made me happy that

people actually like my cooking.

One night when it was my turn to cook a meal, I decided to make chicken mince

sausage rolls.

It was my first time ever of making such a food, that I was running late with

them because I had to make so many.

I felt under pressure because they were taking so long to make and to cook and

I was being asked how long will dinner be.

Then suddenly I had an idea, I thought of make some rissoles with the left over

mince to keep people happy and because they would take a shorter amount of time than the sausage rolls would.

I managed to get everything cooked and keep everyone happy and fed.

The reasons why I love cooking so much, is because I love cooking meals for

other people, trying new recipes and learning about what foods I like and what foods I don't like.

I’m so proud of everyone who wrote something for our inspirations part of the

eZine this issue, you’ve all done such an amazing job and have made me think a

lot. Please let us know what inspires you so we can feature it in a future edition

of the eZine!

The eZine team

Recipes

As it's coming into the colder months, I thought for my first article I'd

post some recipes that are healthy before we get into the hot and yummy

comforting food.

Entree

Zucchini fritters with low-fat sour cream and smoked salmon

9 zucchini, grated

6 tbs plain flour

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup (125g) light sour cream

4 slices smoked salmon

1. Place zucchini in a sieve over a bowl, add 1 teaspoon sea salt and

toss. Set aside for 15 minutes, then rinse, place in a tea towel and

squeeze out all liquid. Combine with flour, garlic, rind and egg, and

season with black pepper.

2. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture into pan and cook for 1-2 minutes each

side until golden. Cook in batches, adding more oil if necessary.

3. Stack 2 fritters on each plate. Top with sour cream, smoked salmon

and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Main Meal

Beef and lentil slice

olive oil cooking spray

2 slices soy and linseed bread

2 small red onions

2 carrots, peeled, trimmed

450g extra-lean beef mince

400g can lentils, drained, rinsed

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/2 cup salt-reduced beef stock

100g mixed baby salad leaves

1/3 cup Tomato Chutney with Red Pepper, warmed

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a 5cmdeep, 20cm (base) square

ovenproof dish with oil. Place bread in a food processor. Process to fine crumbs.

2. Finely chop 1 onion and 1 carrot and place in a large bowl. Add

mince, 3/4 cup of lentils, egg white and stock. Mix until well

combined. Press mixture firmly into prepared dish. Bake for 30

minutes or until cooked through.

3. Preheat a grill on high heat. Place slice under grill for 5 minutes or

until browned.

4. Meanwhile, thinly slice remaining onion. Peel remaining carrot into

long, wide ribbons. Place in a bowl. Add salad leaves and remaining

lentils. Toss to combine.

5. Cut slice into four pieces. Divide between plates. Top with salad and

dollop of chutney.

Dessert

Reduced fat Apple Muffins

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

50g polyunsaturated margarine

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup reduced-fat milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

425g can pie apple, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons toasted oats

6 scoops low-fat vanilla ice-cream

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 6 x 3/4-cup capacity Texas muffin

holes or 12 x 1/3-cup capacity holes. 2. Sift flour into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in margarine

until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar. Combine

milk, egg and 1 cup pie apple. Stir into flour mixture (don't over

mix batter - it should still look lumpy).

3. Spoon mixture into pan. Finely chop remaining pie apple. Spoon

over muffins. Combine nutmeg, sugar and oats. Spoon over

muffins.

4. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes for 3/4-cup capacity muffins or

20 to 25 minutes for 1/3-cup capacity muffins or until a skewer

inserted into the centre comes out clean. Serve muffins warm with

ice-cream.

akita

Album Review

Papa Roach - The Connection

Released 2nd October 2012

The Connection is the seventh studio album

by Papa Roach. The four piece Californian Rock band have been part of the

music industry for almost 20 years. Lead singer, Jacoby Shaddix, described the album as a "rediscovery of the basic elements of Papa Roach... We kind of went

back and looked at the history of our band and really thought about… Creatively,

what evolutions have we gone through? When we came in, it was, like, metal

and hip-hop and nu-metal, and then we kind of got more into straight-ahead

rock and then we added pop elements to our band. So this record just

encompasses everything we’ve done from the beginning to where we are currently as a band; it just kind of connects the dots of all the elements of our

sound over the years."1 "There's some hip-hop, more keyboards than before,

sound loops, textures - it's dynamic, diverse and vulnerable. That is Papa Roach.

We have never sounded better"2

There is no doubt that all of Papa Roach's albums are heartfelt and written from their very core. The Connection mirrors the lives of all four band members, their

emotions, relationships and inner most dark secrets. "Before I Die" is one of my

favourite tracks on the album. Shaddix wrote it about his attempted suicide.

Jacoby had hit his rock bottom after his marriage fell apart, his drinking problem

reached a new low and his life was falling apart as he had vocal problems.

Shaddix managed to pull himself back from the brink of death, something which

I'm sure we all know is hard to do and he put his feelings into writing this song and album.

"I'm out here on my own

I'm sick of being here alone

I know where I belong

But I can't find my way home

...From the valley of the dead I'm hearing every word you said

I'm trying to apologize

But I can't feel my feelings

... Maybe I said the right things wrong

But one last shot was too far gone

But if I can I swear that I

Will live for you before I die

Maybe I pushed you way too far."

- Before I Die

The Connection is raw. It is emotional, mainstream in places and ultimately the

heart of Papa Roach. I believe this is their best record yet and I look forward to

what is to come. With songs such at "Still Swinging" and "Wish You Never Met

Me" there is a very mainstream, radio sound. Then there are songs such as

"Before I Die" and "Give Me Back My Life" which are more suited to being sung

on tour with the fans screaming their hearts out with Jacoby. This album has

something for everyone and for those who are fans of Papa Roach, it doesn't

disappoint. With catchy drum beats and guitar riffs The Connection is certainly

worth the wait.

I am inspired by the life of Papa Roach. Despite everything that has been thrown

against them, all the obstacles they have faced they have come through even

stronger and have this record as proof of that. Music is the heart, pulse, lifeline

and connection of this band and it's evident to see in this record how much

music means to them.

Drummer Tony Palermo, says about the album: [It's] in depth, from the heart...

The album as a whole, I think it's just, it's a, pretty complete listening

experience.

Jacoby says: “What ‘The Connection’ means to us, it’s our connection to the

music. It’s the connection of this music to the fans. It’s the connection that we

make onstage with our music.”

This album is the most personal Papa Roach album to date and one every

listener will be able to relate to because of how raw and honest it is. I for one

can relate and am very thankful for the bravery and honesty of these four lads.

To hear the band talk about the album, watch these two YouTube videos:

Part 1 http://youtu.be/7fPcUIsbCW4

Part 2 http://youtu.be/xOC8oWyZjaA

1 http://loudwire.com/papa-roach-jacob...g-vocal-issue/

2 http://www.noisecreep.com/2012/08/14...he-connection/

ArtOfDeduction

Film Review

The Hunger Games

based on the novel by Suzanne Collins.

Katniss Everdeen is from District 12. She lives in a world ruled by the

Capitol, a powerful government force, never shy of displaying their

importance. Katniss has volunteered, ahead of her sister, to become a

piece in the annual Hunger Games, run by the Capitol as a warning to the

residents in the districts that they mustn’t revolt again, though, to them,

it is seen as a celebration.

There is one simple rule to get through The Hunger Games: kill or be

killed. District 12 has never had a victor. Will Katniss be strong enough to

fight through this? Can she win this year’s Hunger Games?

The Hunger Games is an action-packed movie that, surprisingly, proves to

fit with the novel very well. The movie tugs on your heart strings just as

much as the book, whilst making those cogs spin and you will find

yourself thinking about this film long after you’ve seen it! It’s definitely

worth buying the DVD and having a night in with some popcorn – go on,

treat yourself!

Avengers Assemble (12)

Category:

Action, with aspects of Sci-fi and Comedy.

Ideal for:

Marvel comics, previous Marvel films and people with an interest in

superheroes.

Trigger factor:

References to blood and murder, which some people may find disturbing,

and fantasy violence.

Rewatchability Factor (Out of 10):

9. It is a film that always gives you something new, whenever you watch

it. Be it character development or attention to detail that you did not

notice before. Definitely worth rewatching.

Overall Rating (Out of 10):

9.

Review (No spoilers):

Due to the success of the previous Marvel films, such as Iron Man and

Captain America, Avengers Assemble had very big boots to film, and it did

not disappoint. In what could have caused a very mismatched and chaotic

film, Avengers Assemble focuses on bringing forth a team of

extraordinary people to help save the world from an Alien Demi-God,

Thor’s brother Loki, and his quest for power.

Despite their differences, Tony Stark (Iron Man; played by Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Captain America; Chris Evans), Thor (God of Thunder;

Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Natasha Romanova; Scarlett Johansson)

and Hawkeye (Clint Barton; Jeremy Renner) must work together in unison

to stop Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) and the Tesseract. However, if

you were expecting them to all become instantly friends, you will be

disappointed. What you get instead is a realistic portrayal of people with

very different ideals, and from very different eras, trying to work out their

place within the Avengers Initiative. This causes tension between them

all, which is intriguing and often amusing to watch, particularly the

interactions between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. They must learn that,

to save Manhattan and possibly the rest of the world, they must put aside

biases for the greater good.

Despite its running time being at an impressive 143 minutes, there isn’t a

single scene that does not add something to either the plot or character

development; each character adds something important to the storyline,

even if their purpose isn’t necessarily obvious. There are also some laugh

out loud moments throughout, giving the film a more comfortable,

energetic atmosphere overall, and making the serious moments all the

more surprising and dramatic. The CGI and action scenes are also perfect,

and never feel like they are too unrealistic or go for on too long, which is

an issue that a lot of action films seem to have.

The biggest issue with the film is the imbalance between character’s and

screen time. Except for a two-minute cameo in Thor, the character Clint Barton (Hawkeye) is introduced for the first time, but you walk away from

film knowing far less about him than the other characters. The same

could be said for Natasha Romanova (Black Widow), because, despite

having extensive screen time in both Iron Man 2 and Avengers Assemble,

who she is as a person is difficult to evaluate due to her lack of back

story. Bigger characters, both in popularity and in presence, steal the

show completely. It still works for the film, and it adds an amount of

mystery, but viewers may need to wait for more Marvel films to truly

empathise with Hawkeye and Black Widow. Another potential issue is that

people will generally need to have watched at least Iron Man (preferably

Iron Man 2 also), Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America to get to

grips with the film and the characters, but they are all worth a watch.

Overall, this film is wonderful. It will make you laugh, it will make you

cheer for the good guys – possibly feel bad for the villains, too – and it

may even make you cry. They are extraordinary people, but they still feel

human despite this, allowing the audience to often relate to, and

empathise with, at least one character.

Except for lovers of romance, this film has pretty much something for

everyone. Particularly if you’re a fan of superhero films, then this is one

you definitely must not pass up the chance to watch.

Short Review:

· Plus sides: Great plot, dialogue, actors and has something for pretty

much everyone. As with all Marvel films, there is a great mix between

action and humour.

· Down sides: Not all characters get equal screen time, and you will need

to watch the previous films to understand what is going on.

Shine. & Lucius.

Random Facts

1 - The first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer. A collector of

broken laser pointers bought it for $14.83.

2 - Aluminium used to be so hard to produce that it was valued higher

than gold. Napoleon III even had his entire fine cutlery made of

aluminium.

3 - Before it became PG, the "parental guidance" movie rating was known

for one year as GP (for General audience, Parental guidance suggested).

4 - Braces go all the way back to ancient Egypt. In fact, archaeologists

have found several mummies with crude metal bands wrapped around

their teeth.

5 - Cheerleading was initially an all-male sport. Females were only added

to the equation when smaller, lighter bodies were needed for "flying."

6 - The highest spot on earth is not Mt. Everest. If we define the "highest

spot" as that which is closest to the moon, stars, etc., then Mt.

Chimborazo in Ecuador is an incredible 1.5 miles higher due to the oblate

spheroid shape of the earth.

7 - Neil Armstrong’s astronaut application arrived a week past the

deadline. A friend slipped his form into the pile before anyone could

notice.

8 - Duct tape was invented in 1942 for use by the U.S. Army as a

waterproof sealing tape for ammunition boxes.

9 - Technically, green peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes are all

fruits. But don’t try telling that to the U.S. Supreme Court. Per the 1893

case Nix v. Hedden, the court decided that tomatoes were veggies and

therefore subject to the vegetable tariff. The Supreme Court’s reasoning?

Tomatoes have to be vegetables because they’re usually served with

dinner, not dessert.

10 - Cats cannot taste sugar. They do not have sweet taste buds.

Bigmike

Makeup Review

Kat Von D in Collaboration with Art of Elysium

Kat Von D has spoken a lot about her passion and work with Art of

Elysium. For those who don't know the Art of Elysium is a Charity that

works with children in hospitals in the US, it provides creative inspiration

to children battling serious medical conditions. Kat was introduced to the

Charity by one of her painter friends who invited her to come with him to

the hospital to draw with the children there. The Art of Elysium is a

programme that encourages therapy through art. Kat always thought of

art as her saving grace and because she understands what the children

must feel like stuck in hospital, so believes that the art will help and bring

some joy into their life because in her life whenever she felt sad or alone,

art has been her outlet. So, she returned that feeling to the children and

feel in love with the charity and helping the children through art.

These two palettes Kat has done in collaboration with the charity and the

children. The top one is called Kimberly. Together, Kat created the cover

and art work for this palette with a young girl called Kimberly, a child at

the hospital who is battling a serious illness. They each drew an eye, and

on the back, it even includes Kimberly's own signature. The second

palette is called Evelyn, Kat created this cover with another girl called

Evelyn - another young girl in the hospital where Kat goes to draw with

the children, who is also battling a serious illness.

A percentage of the money from each of these palettes goes directly to

the charity.

Lush

Lush is a brand known for its hand made products that are not tested on

animals and use little or no preservatives and packaging and use only

vegetarian ingredients. They donate a lot of money to charities and in

their last financial year we donated £340,000 to small organisations

working in the areas of environment, animal protection and human rights.

Recently, Lush has brought out their own make-up range called Emotional Brilliance. The idea behind this is that each colour will affect how you feel

and your mood. In store, or online you are able to spin a colour wheel

and pick the three colours that stand out most to you, without thinking

about it. These colours are your colour reading and represent how you are

feeling right now.

The range includes eye shadow, lipstick and eyeliner. All of these are

liquid products in a small bottle with an applicator in the lid. They are

very pigmented and the colour lasts.

GlitterTrashDoll

Book Review

The midwife's confession by Diane Chamberlain

This book is a must read for anyone who is a fan of Jodi Picoult, it is

similar in tone with a similar stylish mode of writing and so many twists

and turns that you will feel as though you have ridden through the book

on a roller coaster.

The story surrounds a midwife called Noelle and begins with her

unexpected suicide. The rest of the book works backwards from this tragic event, using the different voices of Noelle and her two younger friends

Emerson and Tara, and their respective families with a focus on their two

daughters who are close friends.

Slowly the two friends put together the pieces of Noelle's life, blissfully

unaware of the chaos their discoveries may well wreak upon themselves

and their families, changing their world forever.

Meanwhile elsewhere a young girl is dying of cancer for want of a donor.

Little do she and her mother know that the key to the puzzle of their lives

and to saving her life can be found in a most unexpected place...

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Trigger Warning! This book deals with mental health issues and

parts of the book touch on issues of death, domestic violence and

sexual abuse.

“ I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and

doesn’t try to sleep with people even if they could have” I just need to

know that these people exist. I think you of all people understand that

because I think you of all people are alive and understand what that

means”

This beautiful coming of age story is narrated by Charlie, a shy teen who who exists on the fringes of life. Charlie is a would-be writer and through

his letters to an anonymous friend we get to know him and have the

privilege of entering into the world of this young man who seems

simultaneously naive and wise beyond his years. Charlie’s letters begin on

the day before he starts high school and the book charts the experiences

of his freshman year as he navigates the emotionally fraught terrain of

adolescence. As Charlie’s letters continue we learn that he keeping secret

a trauma that has shattered his childhood and now threatens his

happiness and even his sanity.

This book was a wonderful read. It is exquisitely written and Chbosky so

eloquently manages to capture the mixture of pain, joy and confusion that

is a hallmark of many people’s experience of adolescence. Above all

though this book is incredibly life affirming. At the start of the book

Charlie is a complete observer to life. However he has the good fortune to

meet a group of seniors, who despite their own inadequacies value him

for everything that makes him unique and accept him for who he is. Being

older than Charlie they introduce him to the beauty of the life that

surrounds him and through the healing power of their friendships he starts to find the courage to face his inner demons and to enter the next

chapter of his life with positivity and hope.

After finishing the book I was left with so much appreciation of my friends

and the realisation that nothing can’t be overcome with a support of a

friend who cares about you. We often spend so much of our lives that we

need to be perfect or achieve the next goal on our list to be perfect but

this book teaches us that each moment can be special if it’s spent with

those we love.

Buttons. & Asian Psycho Cripple

Signature Of The Month

Every month we look around the RYL forums in search of our favourite

signature.

This month’s Signature of the Month belongs to..

Griddlebone

Get back on the road, it's a beautiful day.

Pick up all the friends you can find on your way

And if you lose direction they'll be there guiding you on.

Fuel up your mind and fire up your heart and drive on.

When your days are darker put your foot down hard and drive on,drive on.

I aint no abacus but you can count on me.

We love the signature because we believe it goes beautifully with our theme for

this issue. We think the message in the quotes can be very inspiring and can

inspire you to carry on, even if you have a few setbacks along the way, and that

as long as you try to succeed you will. We also love the combination of the quotes and the beautiful sunset image that Liv has used. Sunsets are the ending

of a day and sunrises are the beginning of a new day, where you can start things

fresh. Positive quotes like these can inspire everyone to achieve the best they

can be, and to know their friends are always there when you need them.

Congratulations Liv.

~

If you want to be in with a chance of being next month’s Signature of the Month,

then get creative!

Remember, it doesn't need to be busy and full of colour to win.

It can win because it's funny, inspiring, and creative or just shows off your personality! Remember as well, when it comes to signatures, they also help

other members remember who you are because they remember a phrase or a

picture in your signature!

Have fun getting creative!

GlitterTrashDoll

Jokes – The Funny Thing about autumn is...

Q: What did the tree say to autumn?

A: Leaf me alone.

Q: What did one autumn leaf say to another?

A: I'm falling for you.

Q: What did the big furry hat say to the warm woolly scarf?

A: You hang around while I go on ahead.

A couple goes to an art gallery. They find a picture of a naked woman

with only her privates covered with leaves. The wife doesn't like it and

moves on but the husband keeps looking.

The wife asks: "What are you waiting for?"

The husband replies: "Autumn

Q. Why did the banana go to the hospital?

A. It wasn't peeling very well.

A man goes to the doctor and says: 'Doctor, there's a piece of lettuce

sticking out of my bottom.' The doctor asks him to drop his trousers and

examines him.

The man asks: 'Is it serious, doctor?' and the doctor replies: 'I'm sorry to

tell you, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.'

Two peanuts walk into a bar. One was a salted.

Why couldn’t the pirates play cards? Because the captain was standing on

the deck.

TheHighestDefinition

Game Review

Skyrim (18/M)

Category:

RPG.

Ideal for: Fans of RPG games, but it has elements that most video game fans will

enjoy.

Trigger factor:

This isn’t a nice, fluffy game. There is blood and war.

Replay Factor (Out of 10):

8. Seeing as you can choose to be a different character, and follow a

different path, there is definitely the pull there to replay it.

Overall Rating (Out of 10):

8.

Made by Bethesda Game Studios, Skyrim is the fifth instalment of the

Elder Scroll series. Like all the other Elder Scroll games, it is set on the

continent of Tamriel, but for the first time it is in the Province of Skyrim,

the land of a race known as the Nords. The story starts with your

character about to be executed for being in the wrong place at the wrong

time. Naturally, you get saved by an unforeseen force, and you are able

to travel around Skyrim as you please, as you uncover your destiny and

your future.

As always, you are able to choose the race/gender of your character:

anything from a Nord (essentially a human), to an elf to a cat person

(known as a khajiit). You can spend hours and hours perfecting every last detail of your character. From their hair to the shape of their cheeks. You

could be a fearless warrior or a small, agile thief. It is entirely up to you.

And that’s what makes Skyrim so wonderful. You decide what you do with

it. The world is entirely in your hands. You can choose to be an assassin

or an honest citizen. If you want to get married, you go for it. It’s up to

you. There are, of course, many games that offer these kind of

opportunities, but they do not have the same pull that Skyrim does. The

little things, such as being able to cook, have your own home and that

you need to practise your skills to do pretty much anything all combine

together to make it incredibly immersive. The NPCs (Non-Playable

Characters) speak to each other without prompting as well, making for a

more realistic experience. Add that to the stunning graphics, the amazing landscapes and the great character designs, and you’ve got yourself a

game that will help you escape from the real world time and time again.

Issues with the previous instalment, Oblivion, such as wooden voice

acting and often stiff movements have been all but eradicated, but the

charm of Oblivion is still there, so fans of the game will not be

disappointed.

The sheer amount of attention to detail and back story is astounding. You

could spend hours just reading the various books that are located around

Skyrim. It makes you feel as if the fictional continent of Tamriel actually exists, which is not something many games can boast about, and you feel

as though you are a part of it.

Like any game, though, there are some issues. Whilst it is visually

stunning, there are glitches that can often pull you out of the experience.

The glitches range from hilarious to potentially stopping you from

completing a quest. The PC version is particularly filled with glitches and

bugs, although patches have been made to counteract this. There is also

a tedium when it comes to going into caves and collecting an item for

someone. They are often very same-y, and when you do one after

another, it can get boring. But this can easily be rectified by mixing up

the kind of missions you do. And there’s so much space in Skyrim that it’s easy to stop doing missions for a while all together and just explore. After

all, there are so many things that you can miss just from doing only the

most important missions, and so it can often be worth it, and very

rewarding, to do some travelling. And with the added expansion packs,

Dawngard and Hearthfire, it means that there is even more to do and to

explore. Although, for the PS3 players, do not expect these expansion

packs any time soon: they’re only out of Xbox and PC.

If you haven’t already played this game, I thoroughly recommend.

Whether your thing is exploring, fighting or learning magic, you will not

be bored.

Lucius.