Taken from Human, All Too Human by Friedrich Nietzsche

As September is in full swing, Autumn is nearing its beginning. For many people it's the most beautiful season of the year, with all the leaves turning into colorful shades and falling into heaps on the ground. I am not one of those people. To me, besides a couple of exceptions, Autumn is the season of nature dying. All the bright green leaves lose life and fade out, enveloping a certain area into the dull shades of brown/orange, which makes you sleepy and instantly decreases your productivity, by simply looking at it. All the birds that usually brighten up the day by chirping and tweeting are gone, and all that is left is an echoing emptiness, the only noise coming from the traffic on the nearby roads. Thinking about it now, it's as if nature had gotten sick of being active for 6 previous months, and has thus boarded the first plane for Bali (or elswhere tropical), in search for the first beach to lounge on.

As all humans should function as an entity, I find it rude to force my opinion on somebody else, so I will thus, instead of boring you with unnecessary negativity, shed light on the previously mentioned exceptions.

What I like most about Autumn is the weather. I am not speaking about the constant humidity and moisturised everything (that doesn't sound right), so much as I am speaking about the strong wind howling, the intense rainstorms, when in a short period of time a large amount of rain falls down, which, combined with the wind, the lightning, and the thunder, makes you feel somewhat superior, because even with all the strings nature can pull, it still can't get to you. And the best thing, which has lately been happening less and less (thankfully, I guess), is the shortage of electricity. I can't recall the last time we were left without electricity for a longer span of time, but what does come to mind, is a distant memory from when I was little, when my entire family gathered around the fireplace, which illuminated us all in a soft orange lighting whilst we joked around and reminisced, thus making the best of an unfortunate situation.

It's times like this, that, by forcing you to be alone, left to yourself, nature forces you to think about what you have, and be grateful for a life you've been given. 

What is your favourite thing about Autumn?

Feel free to share!

x, Valens

Before I begin, I want to clarify that I am far from a mathematical marvel and this is not a mathematical analysis which will push you into greater depression than math in school ever will. Because this a topic I am passionate about, and don't want to bore you, I decided to present it in the simplest way I can manage.

1  1  2  3  5  8  13  21  34  55 ...

This spiral should be familiar to all of you, because I'm sure everybody has seen a photograph of spiral stairs. Here comes the fun part. The Fibonacci spiral has in the past gotten the name God's Fingerprint, because of one simple reason; it is everywhere. And by everywhere I mean everywhere. Have you seen a sunflower? Right there. There's more! Seashells, flower petals, pinecones, pineapples, fingers, animal bodies and, most fascinating of all: Hurricanes, DNA molecules and even in outer space - GALAXIES! Really makes you feel small doesn't it?

This, dear readers, is the wonder of the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio. Artists of all sorts (musicians too) devoted their lives to this; placing, painting everything in their works in the golden ratio, honouring God, for the world is his creation and he had left a piece of himself behind for man to find.

As summer is quickly coming to an end, and school is soon to begin, there are several ways to make the best of the last. Be it a last-minute camping trip with your friends, or - if you're more introverted -a peaceful picnic under the stars, below are 5 things you should do to get the best of the last 24 hours of summer.

1. Watch films

Make a list of all your favourite films, and of the ones you've always wanted to see, but never gotten around to do it. Be it thrillers, documentaries, soppy romantic or old classic films, so long as they make you feel happy and maybe reminisce on past summer adventures, it does not matter.

2. Make a photo collage

Because school is a complex part of your life, which demands a lot of work, it is essential that you keep your workspace as clean, organised, and motivational as possible, without any unnecessary diversions. I suggest the collage is as simple as possible. Print out 6 of your favourite times during the summer and keep them as a source of motivation.

3. Have a last meal

Remember that incredible cake/pasta/whatever you ate that time? Get it, learn to make it, forget about your diet, make yourself a coctail or something if you wish. Most importantly: treat yourself.

4. Make a summer playlist

Gather all the songs that you listened to/discovered during the summer and collect them into a funky playlist that will bring you up when you are down.

5. Set yourself a checkpoint

Be it a trip to somewhere, the premiere of a film, or a reunion of some sorts, find something you'll look forward to, write it in your calendar/put it in your phone, and begin the countdown.

How are you spending the last days of summer? Feel free to share below!

x, Valens

I'm sure that there is not a single soul who hasn't heard of James Bond, and seen at least one of the franchise's films. The character whose fame keeps growing with every film released is now already a sort of icon, and anyone who knows me for more than 2 months knows that I have a mild obsession with him. It all began a couple years ago, when I was sick and layng on the couch, watching tv with my dad when James Bond came on. Because he is very familiar with the story and creation of these films, he began sharing his knowledge with me. It was on that day that I realised how good James Bond really is, and thus decided to give a chance to all the films: not just the newer ones. Throughout the years I've managed to see a large majority of the films and got to know the story and history of the notorious character.

James Bond - 007 was first introduced to the world in the form of a book in 1953, written by Ian Fleming. Because the character was found very interesting, it had been decided that he will be to appear on the movie screen. In 1962, on the premiere of James Bond: Dr. No a legend was born, as Sean Connery in James Bond's shoes - or should I say tux - accomplished his first mission.

What I like most about the James Bond film franchise is the wide variety of foreign and estranged places, and the ever so witty british humour that never ceases to make even the dullest and most depressing of situations fun and easy-going. Every James Bond film is filled with various elements that both represent the time the film was filmed in, and present the luxury and wealthiness of certain characters, organisations, countries. Whether one watches a certain Bond film because of preference or in search of relaxation, the films are fit for a majority of types of people, as the directors constantly strive to reach and acquire the perfect combination of action, drama, comedy, and romance, always managing to satisfy the audience.

Of course I can't speak about James Bond without mentioning the women, cars and gadgets. Each and every girl in the film, be it a Bond girl or a villain, is pretty much the most beautiful existent creature in it. There is never a middle measure; a Bond girl is either the clumsiest, or the most professional lady there is, which contributes greatly to the film.

As James Bond is known as the best and most elegant spy, it would be fair, to say the least, that he drives the best and most elegant cars. Cue the Aston Martin DB-5 - the most famous Bond car in the world. Incidentally, in the very beginning Aston Martin didn't want to take part in the franchise, but thankfully they later on changed their mind.

When it comes to gadgets, the first thing that comes to mind is the admiration towards those, who come up with items as such. The imagination that busied their minds must have been infinite, because even though a certain gadget gets a maximum of 2 minutes screen time, looking from a wider point of view that includes all the James Bond films along with all the gadgets presented in them, James Bond would not be his true self if it weren't for all the gadgets and the childlike curiosity that overtook him whenever he was given one.

Ever since 1962, James Bond has slowly grown into an icon, leaving his footprint all over the world, increasing women's standards and influencing people's subjective view on the british culture and behaviour.

Those who haven't yet seen a film, or don't remember the one film you saw, please sit down on a lazy evening and give it a try. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

What is your opinion on James Bond? Don't hesitate to share!

x, Valens