The first and, hopefully, last rant I will put on this blog. I don't like ranting.

Just finished watching Blood Diamond. I never was a fan of sparkling things and bling bling. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of jewelry and gems in shops and in magazines, or in any other types of media featuring weddings, and I wonder whether or not to pester my beloved for a brilliant stone. Why not? Every other woman seems to love diamonds. But after watching the movie, I am all the more so inclined to stay as I am - unattracted to such things, content and happy as I am. Why?

1) Bright and shiny. So? Can I watch TV on it? No. Will it engage me in intellectually stimulating conversation? I highly doubt it. Can I wear it constantly and show it off? Well...it might get scratched or lost, then I'd be pissed.

2) Is it really everlasting? As all science majors know, the answer is a resounding no. Diamonds are freaking carbon atoms arranged in pyramidal shape, forged from prolonged periods of high temperature and pressure from graphite. Pencil lead, people. Yeah, the stuff on the pointy end of your pencil. They're allotropes. Enough time, pressure, and temperature, the stuff reverts back to pencil lead. Nuff said.

3) Is it worth getting the smashing stone, knowing people are killing each other for it in some impoverished third world country? I've seen third world, and it ain't pretty. Do you want to contribute to the problem? As Leo DiCaprio's character says in the film, "You girls think it's all bling bling. Well, in reality, it's actually bling bang."

Some people would accuse me of not seeing the big picture. Well, I haven't. I don't know the whole story. I've only seen a movie with a brilliant Hollywood script. But look, I would rather turn down a diamond, than worry about whether or not it came with a blood price.