Yo

So, I haven't been providing many posts as of late and, for that, I apologize. I have a habit of disappearing from here for long periods of time since I've discovered tumblr.

(speaking of which, read the latest thing that I've posted that's as close to a post as it gets lol)

There's been a lot happening in the world. Lots of problems, lots of dying, lots of bad, and some good. Honestly, to really keep up with my thoughts and things, check my tumblr.

ALSO

Please, please, please. If you have serious negative feelings against the death penalty, I strongly encourage you to check out my petition. After the recent Troy Davis situation, I really wanted to do something because I was, more or less, really pissed off. I figured, why sit around and wait for something to happen, when I can try to start something myself? It's just a petition. No, I'm not starting riots or even all-out protests, but a petition is a nice step, right? On the petition page (check the widget to the right sign it) I explain my feelings on the death penalty. If you agree with me or have your own feelings and wouldn't mind supporting my cause, PLEASE sign the petition and get the word out about it. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.

♥

Amy, Amy, Amy

I haven't posted in a while, once again. I feel like I'm going to do this once a month now lol.

This afternoon, I got word that Amy Winehouse had died. As I'm writing this right now, I'm still crying a little bit. Amy Winehouse had so much talent and was such a tragically beautiful soul. To hear the pain and raw emotion and realness behind all of her music is an experience that is rare to find in a lot of today's music. Truth be told, I can't say that I'm shocked about her death. But I think that's what makes it hurt that much worse. A lot of people always knew that her time would come sooner than it should have. But at the same time, I, for one, had a lot of faith in Amy. I always hoped that one day she would decide to really get herself together and come back with another album, and keep doing what she does best. But she didn't.

I'm not taking this very well. Amy Winehouse inspires the hell out of me, and I loved everything about her, drugs and all. She was human, she was imperfect, and she knew it. She never pretended that she was otherwise. She was aware of what was going on in her life and how she felt about it. In addition to her unwavering realness, she was so talented. She combined the two to make some of the best music I've ever heard. And that's really saying something. I've heard a lot of music lol. Amy's music always touches me in a special way. It's so good and it's so real, and I can't help but try to follow the story behind every song. And I want to do that. I want to be that talented, and I want to be able to share my stories with the same realness that she did. It really hurt me to hear that it finally happened.

She was so young. Like a couple of my other personal favorites, Amy was only 27 when she died. The whole "27 Club" thing kinda scares me.

Looking at the bigger picture, Amy was pretty messed up. It hasn't been publicly confirmed that it was drugs, but everyone's making that assumption given her track record. Whether it was or not, she was going through a lot, and I was really hoping she would turn it all around. And for people to be so insensitive as to talk shit about her and how she POSSIBLY died really rubs me the wrong way. If drugs were the cause, who is anyone to judge her for how she lived her life? No one knows what all she went through, no one knows anything but what the media let them see. And then there are the people who are all butt hurt because people are sad that she died instead of being all in a slump because of the tragedy in Norway. It's not like we're completely ignoring the issue. People probably connect more with the loss of Amy Winehouse than the loss of 90-something people that the majority of the world didn't even know, and it's not because our priorities aren't in order.

To sum it up, fuck the shit talkers and the people who only have negative things to say about Amy Winehouse and the people hurt about her death.

But mostly, RIP Amy Jade Winehouse. Hopefully you're at peace now that you've left this cold world behind. You will always be one of the greats of this generation.

1983-2011

♥

P.S. In honor of Amy's memory, I vow to pick up my guitar and try to pick up some of that talent she left behind.

Bitch Be Trippin

I've been neglecting this blog. I've been too busy on tumblr. *shrugs* While exploring tumblr today, I came across this bit of fun. Well, I wouldn't call it fun, but I thought it was entertaining. Mainly because cheaters make me sick. It's 8 minutes long, so if you don't feel like listening to the whole thing, there was this guy named Chris who listened to this radio station and who also was preparing to propose to his girlfriend of 5 years [who found the ring and knew that he was going to propose]. This radio station was doing a thing where people would call in and propose or something like that. Chris, however, found out that his girlfriend, ASHLEY [-___-] was cheating on him with "a good friend from way back," and decided to take the opportunity on this radio station to call her out and dump her. So they called her and she thought he was going to propose, and he says he has a question....."how long will it take you to get your crap out of my house? Cuz you have til Sunday."
BURN.
But yeah, near the end of it, one of the guys asks "have you ever done anything with Eric that you wouldn't do in front of Chris's face?" and I thought that was an interesting question. It just kinda made me wonder what would happen if more people were asked that question instead of just flat out "have you cheated?" A lot of people think cheating just means having sex with someone other than who you're in a relationship with behind that person's back. Not always the case. I actually really like the question that they asked. It kinda covers all bases, emotionally and physically.
That's all I really had to say about that. And I had to point out that Ashleys are always involved in unfavorable situations. It's annoying. Like, I'm playing Resident Evil 4. The president's daughter, who was kidnapped and injected with some virus thing, was also named Ashley. C'mon, son. Y'all are giving us a bad name..

♥

No, Seriously.

In case you haven't heard, Osama bin Laden was found and was shot down by the USA. I'm honestly not sure how to feel about the whole thing.

Osama's dead. And that's all fine and dandy. On the plus side, I think Obama gained a shit ton of brownie points from America as a whole. Republicans and Democrats alike. Although, some Republicans are apparently still mouth-running....but whatever. We finally got the guy.

But doesn't it kinda suck that he's dead? To put in perspective, it's like saying anyone out there that has a serious problem with me would be happy to get rid of me. But what about the people that like me? They'd be sad for me to go. I think it's kinda the same thing. Osama was a bad dude. Like, really bad. He killed so many people, so maybe he didn't deserve to live in some's opinion. But there are people out there that are hurt that he's dead.

That being said, there's bound to be some type of retaliation from Al-Qaeda after this. It has to happen. And who's to say they're any weaker now that Osama's gone? They might attack and be stronger than ever. We might not be ready for it. It's scary. But we just pissed off a whole group of bad dudes. One being gone won't stop them from being pissed and wanting revenge for that shit.

Also, gas prices aren't going to magically go down. What the hell do people keep saying that for? It's not gonna happen like that.

So, yeah. Questions have been raised, but America feels really united right now. That's always a good thing. I'm pretty sure that's what we want to happen. But still. It's a little scary to think about what might happen next.

That's all I got.

Thoroughly Displeased

Gather 'round, children, I got a question to pose.

Now. You're in a relationship, right? Everything's splendid. You have your friends, your s.o. has their friends. There's one, maybe two, friends in particular you're not too fond of, but you don't pay them any mind, because you can't control who your s.o. hangs out with. You learn to deal. But for what ever reason, one of these friends just really gets to you. Something about this person seriously rubs you the wrong way. Now, whenever they hang out, you can't get in contact with your s.o. for multiple hours, sometimes not until the next day. This becomes annoying as shit. Note, it only happens when (s)he is out with this one friend in particular. You ignore it, assuming maybe you're thinking too far into it, (s)he's just busy this one time. But it keeps happening. When this one friend is around. Then it turns into a problem when you actually have a fight about how they have a tendency to neglect you when they go out. You don't even mention the friend yet. But you get upset because, not only have they not contacted you that entire day, and their reason for not doing so was being out with a few friends, but (s)he has the nerve to get upset because you said something. "You can ditch me for your friends for 12 hours and I'm just supposed to be ok?" you argue. "Well, I'm not..." And without getting belligerent and unruly and flat out angry, you point this out, and they get angry with you....wait, what? So then, you make up and everything's cool after you talk it out. But then (s)he does it again. -___- So, jokingly, you finally mention this friend, and say that (s)he can't hang out with that friend anymore. JOKINGLY, mind you. (S)he laughs, and says "that's not true." Oh, but it is, my friend. It is. It happens yet again after this, and you say the same thing. (S)he admits that, yeah, that happens. "I'm sorry, I'm really trying." That's great and all, but (s)he's not making much progress. Sure, instead of 12 hours, (s)he went missing for 6. But still. It was with that friend that (s)he disappeared. So it kinda sucks. Part of you starts to get serious about severing ties with this cow/douche, but you can't do that. That's against the rules. Then, on top of all of this, they get home after they decide they'll "talk to you later" and they're too tired to do so. Every time...

I guess my question to the world is this: What do you do in this situation?

Do you start to get serious about the "stop hanging out with him/her" thing? I mean (s)he admitted that it does happen regularly. That's just proving your point. Additionally, you know (s)he would throw a little fit if you even so much as mentioned hanging out with your bff without them around, seeing as (s)he once mentioned before that (s)he was, low key, jealous of your best friend. (S)he even said that (s)he was starting to dislike their "friend" anyway. So what do you do here?

what happens if...

Say Thanks!

Congress finally passed a budget bill that preserves Planned Parenthood funding! Join me in the loudest and largest thank-you in Planned Parenthood's history to the 244 lawmakers -- senators, representatives, and the president -- who stood with Planned Parenthood! Add your name to the thank you card!!

Why the Hell Don't I Sleep?

'Tis one o'clock in the A.M. on this fine Thursday night/Friday morning. Why am I not asleep? I have absolutely no idea whatsoever. My eye hurts and I'm kinda hungry, and I just am not ready to go to bed yet. I don't know why.

I do have a quick question to pose to you, dear blog readers. How many of you would watch a bunch of youtube videos of me and the dude talking about practically nothing? It would be like a supplement to this blog, just with him putting his goofiness in it. I think it'll be fun. I have three videos up so far. Here is the third:

Enjoy that. I apologize for being kinda boring by myself. I will work on that. I promise I'll be more humorous once he comes around to make the videos more exciting lol. I personally think we're kinda funny. My facial expressions + his goofy dialogue = a lot of fun.

P.S. It's "fearless" bastard. Not cocky.

♥

Word of the Day

praxis [PRAK-sis] noun: practice, as distinguished from theory; convention, habit, or custom.

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

My recent posts have been all types of angry and serious. Just to let the world know that this isn't all that I'm about nowadays, this post will be dedicated to a few cool things going on in my life right now.

a) I've been super into making memes lately. Why? Not a clue. But I was bored and decided I would go forth and make some. I think I've made about ten so far.

b) Music is always an area of interest for me. Recently, I've been paying a lot of attention to Philly rapper Asher Roth. I've always had a little crush on Asher, but I more or less fell in love with the guy this past weekend when I listened to like every Roth mixtape ever. This one song is a guilty pleasure of mine. [WARNING lyrics are definitely DEFINITELY intended for a mature audience...lol not recommended for weak stomachs and giggly kids.]

Plus. He fine. I hope I offend no one when I say, that's a fine ass white boy. It's his voice. I'm sorry. But jeez..

ANYWHOOOO

c) I went to see The Tourist this past weekend. Now. I won't say I didn't like the movie. Mainly because I love me some Johnny Depp. I used to love me some Angelina, too, but she's so much less of a badass nowadays, and I don't know how to feel about that. I miss tomb raider. Tourist Angelina seemed so frail and helpless. Not sexy. I will say Johnny was darn attractive in those suits he wore. But the end of the movie was a big wtf. It was the weirdest twist that I was kinda expecting but not really. I don't know how to explain. Just watch the movie...lol

I did discover a pretty cool song in the movie. I've never heard of the lady who sings it, but the song is called No Fear of Heights. I'm still not sure if it makes me want to look up more of her music. But she has a pretty interesting voice and I really liked this song. Meh. I dunno.

And finally.

I WANT THIS SEMESTER TO BE OVER.

I think I'm doing a pretty decent job this semester, especially considering the issues I've been dealing with. But I really was not ready for spring break to end. I miss Chicago. I want to be home to watch every White Sox game. I want to be with my boo-thang, as much as he's been irritating me. And I'm damn tired of college food. It's, like, implied that I'm going to get good grades. Just give me what I got, and let me go. Gosh.

But I mean. It's college. It's not that bad. I wouldn't have had all this time to think about all this stuff and write this post if I wasn't here haha.

That's all I got. Here's a word. Learn something.

Word of the Day

balderdash [BAWL-der-dash] noun: senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense

A Politically Charged Rant

Story time.

Today, I received an email from Senator Roy Blunt. That email said this:

Dear Ashli:

Thank you for contacting me about funding for Planned Parenthood.

I am deeply opposed to the practice of abortion and do not support federal funding for any organization that performs or promotes abortions, which includes Planned Parenthood. An unborn child is a living human being and abortion ends the life of that child. Throughout my time in the House I worked hard to protect the lives of the unborn.

In 2004, I led the effort to enact the bipartisan Laci and Conner's Law, which treats a crime against an unborn child as a separate offense in criminal cases. This law addressed the murder case in California in which Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, were murdered. I am proud to have the highest possible pro-life voting record according to National Right to Life, and, as I begin my time in the Senate, I will continue to support efforts to make adoption more attractive for parents and prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion.

Again, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt) about the important issues facing Missouri and the country. I also encourage you to visit my website (blunt.senate.gov) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter.

Sincere regards,

Roy Blunt

United States Senator

..................

So. We just disregard the fact that Planned Parenthood offers MULTITUDES of services aside from abortion, that would prevent the pregnancies that want to be aborted in the first place? We just ignore the fact that millions of people are saying the same thing in regards to how shitty it would be for Planned Parenthood to be cut, leaving many women to fend for themselves because they can't afford the things that they can so easily access with Planned Parenthood, because, God forbid, we help them afford healthcare...

The issue of abortion itself is a sticky one that, clearly, many people feel strongly about. Regardless, I don't think it should be the center of attention in this case. That is to say, I don't think it fair to completely destroy a system that has been working for years, providing assistance, information and services that would be difficult to obtain or access otherwise, because of this one service which isn't the only thing that Planned Parenthood is good for. It's not fair and it's pretty much STUPID...

Politicians like you, Senator Blunt, make me hate government in general. Politicians like you are scared and stuck in this impossible, closed-minded mindset that does not work for everybody, and cause the most unnecessary trouble. Open your minds and consider everyone's needs, not just your own ideological bullshit.

The end.

♥

Word of the Day

life noun: the period during which something is functional, as between birth and death; a motive for living

P.S. In case you didn't hear, the government didn't shut down because both sides reached an agreement. They did agree to not stop funding Planned Parenthood. For now... Let's see what else they agreed on..

The U.S. of A., Everybody... *womp*

Sup, everybody. I have some things to talk (rant) about, and I'm going to give the information to the best of my ability.

In case you weren't aware, in less than six hours, if Congress can not agree on a budget plan after fundage stops at midnight tonight, the federal government will be shut down starting at midnight. This means military folk won't get paid, some people that work for the government won't have work (Obama said they can't work without pay, and they might not get paid, soooo...), people may not get their tax returns, and the world is going to shit, for what could be weeks.

Why is this all happening, you ask? Because politicians are brats, and Republicans and Democrats have started playing some sort of blame game in which they can't agree on a budget plan. Democrats say Republicans are being jerks for trying to cut fundage for Planned Parenthood (which is bad, obvi...), and they're thinking more ideologically than actually being concerned about financial issues. Republicans disagree, and are sticking to their decision to want to cut Planned Parenthood funding, regardless of the plan Democrats came up with, which would cut about $38 billion in spending.....

I'm not gonna choose sides. As an aspiring journalist, I can't really do that. But, as a chick who's mom works for the government and who, personally, supports Planned Parenthood, I think Congress needs to really get their shit together. Nobody has time or money for this.

Like I said, I'm giving information to the best of my ability. If I got something wrong, I apologize, but this is what I understood from everything I read and paid attention to.
Here are a few articles and thangs that I found interesting and informational:

Some stuff that gives a more detailed description of which side is saying what.
Info on the effects of the shutdown.
New York Times article on the whole ordeal.

New York Times might have more updated stuff throughout the site, there are already multiple articles up.
Stay posted, stay informed, and stay hopeful kiddos.
♥

Word of the Day
futz [FUHTS] verb: to pass time in idleness, usually followed by "around";

noun: a fool; a simpleton

Damn, Politics. You Scary.

"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind." -- George Orwell

Isn't that interesting? I don't have a whole lot to say about that, but I just wanted to share it. It's just something to think about. It kinda creates the question of what's really going on in the world.

P.S. If you get the reference in the title of this post, you win a prize. ^_^ lol

♥

Word of the Day

irascible [ih-RASS-uh-buhl] adjective: prone to anger, hot-tempered

P.P.S. Today is the 17th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. That man was an artist and a beautiful man. Play some Nirvana in his honor.

Convenience and Confusion

I think I have to take back all the nice things I said about my boyfriend always being there when I need him to be. He never really is... Ever. I have a lot of trouble reaching him when I need to talk to him about anything important, when I need to vent, or on important days, whatever they might be. He makes up for it by saying nice things and being cute and whatnot, but I feel like that shouldn't dismiss the fact that he isn't there when I really need him to be...

Today, someone stole my $200 French book from my book bag. FROM MY BOOK BAG. While I was about ten, fifteen feet away in the bathroom for no more than two minutes. I came out of the bathroom to find my bag, not where I left it, and significantly lighter. I opened the bag, and, lo and behold, no book. Great. On top of that, I have to write an article over, I have a quiz due tomorrow that I haven't had the time to study for at all, and I might not get all the classes I need for next year.

Great.

All of these are solvable problems, sure, or things I could get over easily if I really tried. Which I probably will. But I really needed to vent to somebody. I tell my best friend about the book and she agreed with my sentiment. She said "time to smash some heads." That's why she's my best friend. I told my homeboy, who I dubbed my "twin," and he offered to take me out for a drink as SOON as I got home at the end of the semester. That's why he's my twin. I tell my boyfriend, and I got the old standby: "Oh no. I'm sorry. That's terrible." Yes. Yes, it is, that's why I'm coming to you to tell you. Can I get a little more comfort than that? He disappears for two hours... I usually don't bother him too much when I'm in a funk, assuming if he was concerned enough he'd come forth and offer the comfort I'm looking for. But this time I flat out said to him that I felt like shit and I needed to vent. But he was going out with his friends to get food because he didn't want to spend a ton of money on museum food. Which, apparently, means he's too busy to even let me text him about everything I was feeling shitty about.

Thanks...

So, here I sit, getting words of comfort and encouragement to go forth and whoop some ass from everyone else, and the one person I actually want it to come from is too busy eating with his friends to pay me enough attention to say more than "I'm sorry, that's terrible." Doesn't that seem a little bad? What's worse, this isn't the first time. So many times have I called, texted, tweeted, made some sort of attempt to reach out to this guy and say, hey, I need you right now, and he's busy. And by busy I mean walking around downtown with his friends or sleeping. As I always state, I'm the type of person that can give without expecting anything in return if I think the things I give are deserved. But isn't it only fair that I can at least get a little more than I've been getting when I'm quick to spend a good portion of my time trying to help you solve your problems, stay up all night on the phone whenever you want to, and do everything that's convenient for you?

Lesson of the day: it sucks just being there for someone else's convenience. It's nice to have people that have your back, but it really isn't fair to have someone around that you think is supposed to be there, and they never really are..

♥

Word of the Day

dapple [DAP-uhl] noun: a small contrasting spot or blotch

Just Call Me Kanye

So, I'm having a bit of a dilemma...

I like to think I am a decent student when I really assert myself. I'm not an idiot, I'm not (that) lazy, I try pretty hard at everything that I do. However, I messed up in one class (which, in my defense, was at 8 o'clock, a time in which I said I did not want to take a single darn tootin' class....) and now I'm paying for it pretty ridiculously. All of this interferes with 1) me taking one of the very necessary classes I need for my minor 2) the credits I need for my minor 3) me eventually achieving Junior status. This sucks. It can all be traced back to a few things.

A) College has really dumb rules.

B) I should have never been put in a dang 8 o'clock class in the first place...

C) I should have taken AP French in high school...

Only one of those things is entirely my fault, and it has nothing to do with the present. I am really upset about the whole ordeal. At the end of the day, I guess it all comes down to me learning that I need to be prepared for anything in real life. Thanks, college, for teaching me a valuable lesson! [-____-] In actuality, the back of my mind is kind of like "Maybe I need to learn how to act so I can pull a Brad Pitt, fuck up my chances of graduating, and still do something with my life." Maybe I'll think about the music thing and drop out... Either that, or I need to start smoking weed, 'cause I'm too stressed out.

Totally kidding, by the way. I wouldn't do that. >____>

Don't follow my example, children. Be on top of your shit. And don't let the man bring you down! Or put you in classes you don't want to take...

♥

Word of the Day

gravitas [GRAV-uh-tahs] noun: high seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject)

P.S. Happy April, eveyrbody!! ^_^

New Angles

Let me start off by saying that it has been quite a while. I've been neglecting this here blog and it upsets me. I look at it every day to check out the daily facebook challenges that I do, but other than that, it just sits here. I vow to get back on the ball and post as much as possible. I'll give myself a realistic goal, like once a week as opposed to every day, because that doesn't always work, as we have witnessed... But, before the month of March is over, I'll give the world one more post.

I know I am days upon days upon days late in talking about this, but, seeing as I am such a big fan, I feel the need to express to the world my feelings on the fourth studio album by The Strokes, Angles. Strokes fans everywhere have been waiting years for this album to come out. The world thought The Strokes were no more, with just about every member doing his own thing (for example, the always wonderful Boombox by The Lonely Island featuring Jules. Fingerless gloves, anyone?) When the world got word that the crew were joining forces once again to create another piece of art, people were ecstatic. I admit, I spazzed quite a bit myself.

Then came Angles. The first single, Under Cover of Darkness, didn't move me right off the bat. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But I had just finished listening to Trying Your Luck, and was expecting something equally as epic. Womp... Later on, about a week before the album actually came out, I was hearing "meh" reviews about the album. I didn't think too much about it, though. People were saying similar things about the previous album, First Impressions of Earth, which I happen to be pretty fond of. (recommended tracks: Ize of the World and Evening Sun) However, when I finally nabbed myself a copy of Angles, it lived up to its very early reputation. It was more or less "meh." It wasn't like Trying Your Luck, What Ever Happened, or any other epically funky piece of art from my favorite band. It was just alright... I was shocked. All that anticipation for this?

Once again, I'm not saying it was bad. It was just different. I think that's what made it so "meh." As demonstrated with other albums, such as Sir Cudi's MotM2, it wasn't what people were expecting based on what art was made before. It was different and went against expectations, and wasn't really accepted so easily. I will say that, after a while, it started to grow on me. I have definitely established a favorite song (Life is Simple in the Moonlight, ftw), and I can mostly listen to the album all the way through. I may skip a song, but it's not too bad. I think what's so different about Angles is the sound they captured in comparison to the other albums. The first three definitely had some elements of 70s-esque rock, but Angles is straight out of the 80s. Even the cover art is vibrant and colorful and has that pre-digital feel that ran rampant through that decade. I think it's pretty cool actually, seeing as I have a thing for the 80s... Which may be part of the reason the album grew on me so quickly. I swear I grew up in the wrong decade... Also, with a new sound came a new look....

<-- Here are the sexy full-haired bastards I know and love.

Who the fuck are these guys? -->

Well. Maybe it's not so bad. But, dudes. The hair.. C'mon....

Basically, Angles gets a "meh." Maybe Jules and the gang will come back with something more magical, more awesome, less meh...

And, as a treat, here is their performance of my jam on Saturday Night Live.

That's all for now, kiddos. Happy listening.

♥

Word of the Day

lucre [LOO-kuhr] noun: monetary gain, profit, riches -- often in a bad sense.

New Challenge

Hey, howdy, hey!

I present to you, dear people, a new 30 day facebook challenge. This time, it involves songs. You know I'm all for that. Join me, why don't you?

Day 01 - your favorite song
Day 02 - your least favorite song
Day 03 - a song that makes you happy
Day 04 - a song that makes you sad
Day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
Day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
Day 09 - a song that you can dance to
Day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11 - a song from your favorite band
Day 12 - a song from a band you hate
Day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15 - a song that describes you
Day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
Day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19 - a song from your favorite album
Day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
Day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
Day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
Day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29 - a song from your childhood
Day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

I Stand With Planned Parenthood

For a long time now, abortion has been one of those topics that people either try to stay away from or will fight to the death for, because so many people have such strong opinions about it. Now, I honestly feel like people, as far as politics go, are only so against the whole thing, not just because they don't support it, but because they are against the head honcho who decided he was pro-choice. But, that's neither here nor there.
The thing I want to touch on today is the situation with planned parenthood. In case you weren't aware, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar all federal funding for Planned Parenthood health centers. Why? What exactly does that solve? Is this their way of trying to prevent abortion? And are they saying that this is a plan to improve the economy or some load of bull? If so, I pretty much think that's dumb. It wouldn't do much good to get rid of PP. Instead of leaving women on their own to figure things out for themselves, why not continue providing the assistance they need? PP is probably one of the best, most supportive things out there for PLENTY of women, providing things like birth control and HIV testing, "and other livesaving care." What would taking that away truly accomplish? Anywhoo..
If you haven't already, I strongly encourage you to sign this petition in support of keeping Planned Parenthood around. Read up on some more information if you're not sure what all Planned Parenthood is good for. Visit: this site to sign the open letter and to find more information about the current situation.
Also, I'm totally with the whole idea of speaking out and trying to change something. I support the hell out of this movement.
Sign that shit. Save some lives. Attend the facebook event. Show whatever support you can.

♥

Word of the Day: hypnagogic [hip-nuh-GO-jik] adj: of, pertaining to, or occurring in the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.

Challenge Accepted.

So, I've been seeing people around facebook doing this things, and I've decided to get jiggy with it myself. In case anyone wants to do that shit, here's the list. I think it should be fun.

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Day 31 - A picture of yourself

Slack. Err...

Once again, I apologize, everybody, for slacking on the posting. I haven't even been that busy to not be posting things. I just haven't found the will to do it.
Anywho. Today I'm going to talk a little about one reason why I'm not a huge fan of the human race.
I can honestly say I know a fake person. I have honestly been through the experience of knowing a person that used to be a good friend of mine; I was a good friend to this person. This person would confide in me in any instance that presented itself. But here we are. I won't even bother to tell this person happy birthday. Why should I, this person didn't say anything to me on my birthday. And I know for a fact this person knows when my birthday is; it's only 9 days before their's.
I remember the last conversation I had with this person. They specifically said to me that they were trying to be friends with as many people as possible, and that popularity was like the only thing of importance to them. They were so self conscious about themselves that they were willing to do anything to be "friends" with people who didn't give a rat's ass about them. I've spoken to this person maybe three times since then. And now we don't even speak. I was the one person that listened to the serious things this person had going on in the back of their mind, but I get no credit for that, because I wasn't one of the "popular" kids, who were probably some of the fakest people I've ever know. [For the most part. I'm cool with a couple of them, because they're actually cool people.] But this one person in particular, who my mother still asks about on occasion, has the nerve to act like I don't even exist, because I'm not important enough to be a part of his "friendship" circle.
This happens all too often. And I hate that it does. I hate phony people. I hate people that are so attention starved that, when they finally get the attention they want, they don't realize it's for the wrong reasons.
Just wanted to get that off my chest. Thanks for your time.

♥

Word of the Day: doppelganger [DOP-uhl-gang-uhr] noun: a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person; alter ego, double

Black History of the Day

Here's a few names that are familiar around Chicago. Instead of just knowing them as names, here's a bit of information about them.

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) was an American writer. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985

Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was an African American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants.

Walter Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football player who spent his entire professional career with the National Football League's Chicago Bears.

Harold Pierce (August 11, 1917 – March 8, 1988) was an African-American entrepreneur who founded the successful Harold's Chicken Shack restaurant chain in Chicago. The character of Harold's developed primarily out of necessity, because the larger fast food chains tended to avoid African-American neighborhoods.

Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.

Whitney Moore Young Jr. (July 31, 1921 – March 11, 1971) was an American civil rights leader.

Prince and the King

Sup kiddos.

In a brief conversation that I had yesterday, I discovered that somebody [I'm assuming VH1 or something] comprised a list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Apparently, the list had Prince listed as number 7.

Not only is Prince one of my [and my mother's] all time favorite artists, but this man deserves so much credit. So, naturally, I objected. First of all, and you can fight me on this, but Michael Jackson was ranked as number two. I felt that Prince should have ranked higher than Michael. Yeah, I said it, there it is.

There's a difference between being a great performer and a great musician. Michael Jackson was an amazing performer. He had all types of stage presence, is still the dance idol for numerous people, and could sing like an angel. Prince, however, could dance, sing, and control a crowd, and still make all of his own music, as well as music for other people. I think all of that makes Prince the better artist in this case. After decades, this man is still making music and has musicians all over the place trying to be like him.

Don't get me wrong, I love Michael, but I don't think it's totally fair to call him the second greatest artist of all time and plop Prince in 7th place.

Just wanted to put that out there.

That's all I got for today.

♥

P.S. Happy birthday to that one chick across the hall. Her name's Janine or something like that...lol. If you haven't already, check out her blog

Black History of the Day

On June 7, 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to a jazz singer [his mother] and a piano playing songwriter [his father]. Since both of his parents were musicians, Prince and his sister, Tika [or Tyka] both developed an interest in music. Prince also played basketball in high school. [Yes, Dave Chappele and Charlie Murphy weren't lying.] Prince has taught himself how to play over 20 instruments, and has released over 30 of his own albums in under 40 years. This doesn't even include the number of albums he has helped create with other people. He has been nominated for 34 grammy awards and has paved the way for multiple musicians. Throughout his lifetime, he has dealt with divorced parents, epilepsy, drug habits, and the loss of a child. Not only is he a beast of a musician, but he's one of the strongest people I've ever witnessed. And, therefore, I want to be like him when I grow up. ^_^ lol

Word of the Day: effluvium [ih-FLOO-vee-uhm] noun: a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, especially one that is disagreeable.

Food For Thought

Yesterday was full of discussion about relationship issues and such. I did more observing than discussing, however, because I didn't really have much to discuss in terms of my own relationship. However, after a discussion with my boyfriend and after a drunk guy tried to see my tattoo, I got to thinking about a lot of stuff. This is one of those posts where I do more airing of my thoughts and asking questions than giving my own words of wisdom to the world, I guess.

My boyfriend is apparently secretly worried that I'm going to get into something I shouldn't get into while I'm in college without him. Basically. He said, "believe it or not, you're actually very pretty," and that he trusts me, but he doesn't really trust other people. He also expressed to me that he was worried about what would happen if I wasn't in my right mind, so to speak. I assured him that I wasn't the type of person to do anything that I knew would hurt anyone else, especially him, and that I wasn't the type of person to get intoxicated out of my mind to the point where I would do something ridiculous.

Then, I started thinking about a few things. What I said was definitely true. I've always been considerate of other people's feelings. It's not even just the fact that he is my boyfriend and I do care about him. I'm just too nice of a person to want to do anything that would make someone feel bad in any way. At the same time, everyone else around me is constantly telling me to, more or less, keep my options open, including my mother and god mother. I don't really know how to "keep my options open" and at the same time not look like I'm doing this guy wrong. Sure, I'll make friends, and I don't do anything but converse with people, but is that me keeping my options open? I've gotten better at decoding people's motives, but what happens if someone that starts off as a friend tries to become something else? What do I do then, not be friends with other guys? Not really, right?

Also, I found it kinda funny that both of us are kinda worried about the same thing. We're miles upon miles away from each other. We're two crazy kids, one in high school and one in college. We don't know what the other is doing, and we don't trust other people. So we both get paranoid, even though, honestly, I feel a little more at ease knowing that he's just as concerned as I am. He says that, since I'm in college, anything could happen, from me getting into some crazy shit at a party to me just finding someone else to hang out with, I guess. And he's in high school. Who's to stay he's going to want to be in a serious relationship right now? Especially with someone that's a state away from him. It's scary. And we're both scared. But we've promised each other that we wouldn't do anything to hurt the other if we can help it.

I guess my main question is what happens if we can't help it? What if something comes up with one of us that makes the other uncomfortable or upset? I think if that happens, it'll just be a test of how serious we are about this. Like, if we break up, we break up. But if we take the time to fight it out, then maybe it's something worth fighting for.

He once told me that if I did ever cheat on him, he wouldn't break up with me. I thought that was stupid, since if he did it to me, I'd break up with him.. But it was also nice to hear him say that, because it made me feel like I was actually worth him being that stupid.

We're both stupid for each other.

I guess that's all I've got to say for now. Catch y'all tomorrow.

♥

Word of the Day: eclat [ey-KLAH] noun: brilliance of success, reputation, etc.; showy or elaborate display; acclamation, acclaim.

Black History of the Day

In 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery.

In 1868, the 14th Amendment was ratified, saying that any person born in America was an American citizen.

And, finally, in 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified, granting every US citizen [meaning males over the age of 21] the right to vote, regardless of race or ethnic background.

Take advantage of those rights. Register to vote, and go out there and vote. :P

So This is a Snow Day?

Sup kiddos.

Today, I'm having my first legit snow day. Once, when I was a wee lass, we got to leave school early due to a blizzard, but never have I ever had a legitimate snow day. This excites me, but, at the same time, I'm bored as hell...

Three things I'm going to talk about today.

1] In regard to the snowpocalypse that we will be having these next few days, I will be documenting the experience with my iphone camera. I've been looking out the window, and, so far, it doesn't look as bad as people are making it out to be. Yes, there's a lot of snow, but, c'mon. I'm from Chicago. This would have been a normal day. Ain't no days off of school in this. However, back home, there's word of a snow day tomorrow. So I'm assuming this means things will get worse.. So, from my window, I will be watching the upcoming monstrosity and hoping to not have to go outside and get blown to the land of Oz.

2] Today is the first day of February. This means a) the first day of Black History Month b) Langston Hughes's birthday. In honor of BHM, I will be posting something black history related every day of February. It'll just be a quick fact thing of some sort on an important African American person in history.

Also, Langston Hughes was one hell of a poet. He's awesome in any month. Here's one of his poems, Juke Box Love Song . I thought it was pretty nice. Other Hughes poems can be found all over the internet, so, if you enjoy poetry, check his out. It's nice.

Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902 as James Langston Hughes. He attended high school in Ohio and went to Columbia University under an agreement with his father that he would go to pursue an engineering degree. However, Hughes dropped out of school to pursue a writing career. His first published poem, as well as one of his most popular poems, was The Negro Speaks of Rivers . Langston Hughes died of cancer on May 22, 1967. His residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem, New York has been given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission. His block of East 127th Street was renamed "Langston Hughes Place".

[thanks famouspoetsandpoems.com!]

3] In case you don't read The Frisky [check my Other Good Reads section to the right], here's a new article that caught my eye today. In case you don't feel like switching pages or reading or whatever, here's the video for the product they talk about in the article...

....what...the....hell?

Lol, I wonder if dudes actually enjoy this thing...

Ta ta for now, y'all.

♥

Word of the Day: ambisinister [am-bee-SIN-uh-stuhr] adjective: clumsy or unskillful with both hands.

IIISSS MAAHHH BURFFDAY!

Sup, dudes and dudettes. Today is my day of being born. Yay for me. Am I excited? No. Am I happy? Meh. I got a nice little bouquet of fruit from my mom and apparently there's more to come. That's awesome. Got lots of happy birthdays from people on facebook. Totally cool. And, even though he didn't call me at midnight like he said he would, I got the sweetest birthday tweet ever from mah boo thang lol. AND a "happy birthday" from one of theee coolest producers, Dot the Genius, as well as, none other than Kid Cudi himself. [shit, yeah!! ;D]

I even got this little gem from my homie, Tara.

Which is even funnier considering I'm not a big fan of clowns...lol

But, I think that being away from home makes this birthday suck a bit. I don't have anyone physically around me to make me feel all special and whatnot. I'd appreciate a birthday lick or two from a friend or two. It would make me feel better lol. I haven't hugged anyone in forever. It's weird. I'm not that physical of a person, but I can definitely tell the difference, ya know? It's weird. It's not even like, I don't want to be here and would rather be in Chicago for the rest of my life. It's just that the things I've gotten used to and/or miss immensely are back at home, and it's taking me a while to get used to not having any of that here with me every day like it used to be. And it's not like, it's my birthday so I now suddenly I feel crappy about everything. This has been in the back of my mind since like, September. I can usually cope with change pretty quickly, but college is just a really huge switch. So maybe it's taking longer. Or maybe this is the one time I don't have something of comfort nearby to make me feel better about it. Shrruuuggsss.

Well, either way, I'm gonna wear a smile and a party hat, and I'll continue to mind my own business in hopes of not encountering something that will totally bring down my day.

Thanks for the birthday wishes if you gave 'em. I appreciate every one. :)

♥

Word of the Day: disconsolate [dis-KAHN-suh-lit] adjective: without consolation or comfort; unhappy; in reference to a place or thing, causing or showing a complete lack of comfort; cheerless

Entertainment Weekly: Robot Unicorn Attack

Let me start off by apologizing for slacking on the posting. I dunno what's been on my mind lately, but I just haven't gotten around to posting every day like I should. My bad.

Welp. Today's weekly entertainment post will be about a game I was introduced to last night: Robot Unicorn Attack. I do believe the game was originally created for the Adult Swim game site, but Facebook got ahold of it, and that's where I found it. The game is a simple two-key game. Press Z to make the unicorn jump, X to charge, and Z a second time for a double jump. So easy, yet so epically addicting.

There are two versions of the game, the original versions where everything is pink and purple and covered in rainbows, and the heavy metal version with heavy metal and fire and the color red and spikes and metal and that sort of thing. Both versions are practically the same, save for the actual design and color scheme aspect of it.

And, just like most Facebook games, Robot Unicorn Attack is addictive as SHIT, and is likely to start a new game craze.

Also, if you haven't heard the news, Facebook is adding Oregon Trail as well as Carmen Sandiego to its list of games. These two games in addition to R.U.A. will certainly ruin my GPA. *knocks on wood* Check it out. It's fun.

♥

Word of the Day: cacoethes [kak-oh-EE-theez] noun: an irresistible urge; mania.

P.S. My birthday is Monday. I'm partying tonight. Might not post tomorrow. Yuuup!

Legit Healthy. For Real. I Promise...

This is me totally moving on from the absurdity and frustration and awkward tension caused by that last post. *Deep breath* and we're done.

Today, for some reason I've been in a pretty good mood. Twice today, I actually declared my want to befriend new people. I've been in fairly high spirits, and, I gotta say, I kinda like it. It might have had something to do with the fact that I worked out today. If there's anything I've learned from watching Legally Blonde as much as I have, it's that exercising "boosts your endorphins, and endorphins make you happy!" [Oh, Reese Witherspoon.] Here's a few reasons why exercising can be awesome and can cause you to be as happy as a lawyer that dresses in pink that carries around a gay chihuahua. [Yes, I really liked the movie, what of it?]

♥ Exercise will "bring you into a totally new world and can forever positively transform your life."

♥ Exercise will tone your body. Therefore you will begin to feel better about the way you look.

♥ The brain chemistry changes while you are working out leading to feeling calm.

♥ You will feel a sense of accomplishment after each time you exercise leading to improved self-esteem.

♥ Exercise can be a healthy means of distracting yourself from your emotional pain. [That is, assuming you're sad..] Exercise can also be a means to face your emotional pain because the increased confidence will allow you to deal with internal traumas in a bold, self-assured manner.

♥ Exercise by itself is known to improve depression and anxiety. [endorphins, y'all!]

♥ Exercise has been proven to make you smarter. Therefore you will develop the skills you need to let go of your emotional pain and discover genuine happiness.

[thanks, exploringwomanhood.com!]

And from this day, I have concluded that I will make it a habit to hit the rec center as often as possible. I've already set up a schedule for myself. I'm excited. I think more people should be excited about working it out instead of looking at it like a chore. Make it a fun adventure; buddy up, make an awesome playlist, set a goal for yourself [work on that beach bod, ow ow!] and look forward to it instead of dreading it. You don't even have to do it every day. In fact, experts recommend giving yourself a couple of days off every week so you don't do too much.

Also, remember, getting in shape doesn't always just mean working up a sweat every day. Diet is a huge part of it all, too. But, I'll save that for another post. Happy sweating, everybody. ;D

♥

Word of the Day: dharna [DAHR-nuh] noun: In India, the practice of exacting justice or compliance with a just demand b y sitting and fasting at the doorstep of an offender until death or until the demand is granted.

[uhhh...what?]

P.S.

RANDOM: Read this article. It's kinda funny, I think. Chicago man gets fired for wearing Packers tie. Smh.

People.

If I would have known that that last post [which was not totally real, btw.....] would have started such a ridiculous uproar, I would not have done it. It was an experiment to see how many people I actually know read this blog. And now I know. But, I didn't discover this the way I wanted to. Instead of people coming to me like, "orly?" or "girl, that's nasty, you shouldn't have said that." I got a whole "secretive reading" in which NO ONE intended to say anything to me about it, but instead laughed and screamed and giggled amongst themselves.

All I have to say about that is, if you're reading my blog with the intention of finding something negative to say or laugh at, don't bother reading my blog. Especially if you're not going to say something directly to me. And if you do say something to me, don't be rude.

That's all for today, children.

How Healthy is "Too Healthy"?

***WARNING. THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT GENERAL HEALTH. IT CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT THAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW ABOUT. SO DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH.***

Yes, kiddos, I'll be talking about sex. So, once again, if you can't handle it or don't want to know about it, turn back now. Last chance..lol. If you're wondering why I'm even talking about this, I'm considering being a sex columnist [maybe. no conclusion jumping, please.] , so I have to learn to be comfortable with discussing such things with the public lol. Sorry!

So, during one of my random thinking adventures, I got to thinking about my pretty awesome relationship and what makes it so awesome. Long story short, I realized we have a pretty healthy sex life. And that's awesome. In all those magazines and girly blogs that actually touch on such topics, I always see and hear about how having a healthy sex life is so good in a relationship. Like, if the sex is boring, there's a chance you'll get bored with the relationship, and, sometimes, that leads to bad things. But the healthy sex life is fun and exciting and makes you proud to put your name on it, etc. But when does it go too far? When is it "too healthy" so to speak?

Like, some people would probably say, the healthier the better. But not everyone can handle that all the time. The dweeb and I live in two different states, so, naturally, we miss each other. In more ways than one. And we make that known, like, every day. Should that really be an every day topic? Or maybe we're just that open with each other that we can let each other know these things. Like, he tells me about his urges and such probably as much as he lets me know he's hungry. Also, the magazines and the random advice giving people of the media and such encourage doing "fun" things in public places. Well...... I won't talk about that. I'll just say, I think we're doing something right. I won't go into detail about the conversations we have on the phone either because I know discomfort may be caused....lol but I'll just say they're pretty descriptive. To the point where I have been labeled a nympho.......?

I'm about to be 19. This is around the prime time for us young folk to be getting it on. Pardon my terminology... But it's a natural thing that our bodies, and even the law nowadays, encourage us to do. But, if we do it every chance we get, do we have a problem? Are we overly-sex craved teenagers? If so, is there like an off button we can push to make it stop? Or maybe this is normal. I'm honestly lost. And then, when we get older, what if we crash like after a sugar high? What if it's all good great now and, when we get older, all the excitement goes kaput? I don't know if I'm worried about that or if I'm worried about things getting stale early or what it is... But it's weird. It's AWESOME. But it's weird.

But I know this is an iffy topic for a lot of people, and I know opinions may vary, so I don't expect input. Unless I start a debate, that'll be fun. :D

*****NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS POST AND DISREGARDED MY WARNING AND YOU STILL WOUND UP MENTALLY DISTURBED OR FELT OFFENDED, I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU. I TOLD YOU.*****

But, anywhoo, today makes 11 months. Yay us! ^_^ lol.

Word of the Day: paphian [PEY-fee-uhn] adjective.: 1) of or pertaining to love, esp. illicit physical love. 2) of or pertaining to Paphos, an ancient city of Cyprus sacred to Aphrodite. 3) noting or pertaining to Aphrodite or to her worship or service.

[Sidenote: Aphrodite was the goddess of love. In case you weren't aware. ;D]

♥

Also, regrettably, I must inform the public that I was in fact wrong, and we did not beat the Packers yesterday. And so I have decided I'm not watching the damn super bowl. However, I am STILL a Bears fan through and through, I still bleed orange and blue. Say something if you will. As always, it's just my opinion. :P

Clarification

So. Two things I'm gonna talk about today.

1) Let me clear up what I was saying on Friday, since somehow what I was saying was misconstrued and turned around to make me look like a bad person. [Still don't understand how I became a hypocrite in all of this, but. Who cares...]

I didn't go to anybody looking for sympathy. Where I come from, if something like this happens to someone, you're supposed to at least give your condolences, and if you see someone upset, usually you ask what's wrong. I didn't expect this from anyone, because I don't expect anyone to do anything. I just thought it was a little strange that absolutely no one said anything. Also, it'd be different if I was upset and the only people who knew would be the few people that are actually physically witnessing my presence and I didn't say anything regarding what was wrong with me. But I did. And I wasn't mad that no one said anything. I just thought at least one person would say something. But you know what, they didn't. And I got over it. Matter of fact, within a few hours, I was feeling much better. I took a nap, talked to a couple of people and watched some cartoons, and I was fine. I didn't hold it against anybody. But, apparently, that's still selfish and

pathetic and, somehow, hypocritical. I know some people have not experienced death like some have, so they wouldn't know how to handle these situations. I also know some people look at things differently. So, to whomever decided to call me selfish and pathetic, I'm sorry you feel that way. But I don't think I am. Also, I wish you didn't leave an anonymous comment. If I actually know you, don't hide behind the shade of the internet, come to me please. And, regarding the internet, I wasn't using media outlets to do anything but announce a death. People do it all the time. In no way did I say, pay attention to me, give me sympathy because I'm sad about this. All I said was my cousin died. This was the only place I said anything about people saying anything to me. And I posted it in the midst of being upset. So forgive me if you didn't understand where I was coming from. But I think "pathetic" is a little harsh. Unless you have something personal against me.. Now, I'm done with that. On to the good shit.

2) DA BEARS. Today, we play the Green Bay Packers. What I meant to say was today is the day we BEAT the Green Bay Packers. We haven't won a super bowl since '85, so, let's do it. Bear Down. Let's go, Chicago.

And I'm done. lol

Word of the Day: homograph [HOM-uh-graf] noun.: a word of the same written form as another but of different meaning, whether pronounced the same way or not.

♥

Entertainment Weekly: Silent Hill

I have decided that every Saturday, I'm going to post about something entertainment-related, just to fill up my Entertainment category. I need a break from being so passionate about everything, so to speak, and therefore, every Saturday I will talk about something less serious.

Today, I'm going to talk a little about Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. During the break, I finished playing the game (the Wii edition, in case anyone was wondering). For a while, I had pushed the game to the side because I had progressed pretty far into the game, and, somehow, the Wii turned off and I lost my game. Sad. Face. Over break, in the midst of boredom and spending time in my warm living room instead of my cold basement bedroom, I decided I would get to playing SH again. It took me approximately seven hours to finish two thirds of the game. It wasn't that long at all. Overall, it was a decent gaming experience.

***WARNING. THIS POST CONTAINS HELLA SPOILERS. IF YOU ACTUALLY PLAN ON PLAYING THIS SOMEDAY, BE AWARE THAT I REVEAL A WHOLE LOT.***

When I began the game, it flashed a quick "psychology warning," that I still haven't read all the way through. But the one thing I caught from it was "This game plays you as much as you play it." Or something along those lines. That freaked me out. Especially considering I started playing on a rainy day when the windows decided to start fogging up for no reason. [Probably another reason I stopped playing it for so long..] But what makes it so psychological, I guess, is the fact that, depending on how you play the game or answer questions posed by the psychologist that you encounter throughout the game, determines the type of person you supposedly are, which determines the ending of your game. When I figured this out [thanks gamefaqs.com ;D], I thought it was pretty cool. Starting out, I thought the game would be super scary for no apparent reason and I would pee my pants at any given moment. Honestly, the only truly freaky parts were the "nightmare" scenes, in which everything turns to ice and these disfigured figures chase you until you get to your destination. They scream, they jump out of nowhere, and you can't really do anything about it. The only way to survive it is to run the right way and shake them off quickly when they jump on you.

I think what tripped me out the most about this game was the fact that you play as the character Harry, who spends the entire time searching around for his daughter. At random times during his search, the player finds itself in therapy with a psychologist that has a bountiful liquor collection and lots of questions to ask about your personality. It's safe to assume that the person in therapy is Harry, right? Come to find out, the therapy patient is Harry's daughter, Cheryl, and the game was about Harry traveling through the memories in Cheryl's head. Harry died in the car crash in which he couldn't find Cheryl, but you don't realize that until Cheryl is seen 18 years later and is trying to portray Harry as a hero, but you learn that Harry isn't all he's cracked up to be. In terms of how scary the game is, like I said, the worst it got was the nightmare scenes where you're running from monsters you can't get rid of; there are also parts where you have to take pictures with Harry's camera phone when you come across a "ghost" which are basically images burned into Cheryl's memory. The only freaky thing about those is the fact that taking a picture causes a loud noise that sends a text message or voicemail to Harry's phone that tells a story about that ghost. The ghosts aren't that bad; they're just immobile images of people that you can only see clearly through the phone. The scariest one was the kid that hung himself in the storage area of the high school. Or the restaurant.. They're in the same area, I don't remember which one he was in lol.

Basically, if you have a Wii and the chance to play this game, play it. It's not that scary. Sometimes, it's kinda funny. It's a pretty decent play. The most annoying thing would probably be all the static that happens throughout the game. In certain instances, Harry's phone gets loud and full of static, even though he's not even on it. The static gets louder when you approach certain things, and it won't go away unless you approach it the right way.

That's all I have to talk about. I might reveal all the surprises of the game if I keep going. :P

This is the ending I got. Throughout the game, I was supposedly a sexual person, but I got the ending that happens when you are a supposed "family person," I guess. [Scroll down and stop the music before you watch this, unless you already did.] Stop it at the 5 minute mark. Enjoy that.

♥

Truisms: 50 Random Facts About Myself

1.) I hate to be wrong.

2.) I hate to be told about myself.

3.) I don't like when people are rude.

4.) I don't like inconsiderate people.

5.) I don't like sometime-y people.

6.) I don't like when others make false assumptions.

7.) I'm not a "people person" like at all. I just generally am not fond of people.

8.) I critique everything, whether it be verbally or in my head. But I don't judge anyone. That is to say, I'll make an observation about something or someone, but I won't be quick to say what kind of a person I think someone is because of what I observe.

9.) People fascinate me, but I don't generally like people in general.

10.) I hate to be told what to do.

11.) I'm a very sarcastic person.

12.) I will never think I'm good enough. I'm my own worst critic.

13.) I make odd noises.

14.) I take everything to heart, even if I shouldn't.

15.) I blame myself for a lot of things, even if I shouldn't.

16.) I find joy in doing random things like writing, taking facebook surveys, playing sudoku and doing other puzzles, taking pictures of myself, etc.

17.) I enjoyed childhood. I'd take it back if I had the chance.

18.) I give everything cultural a chance, mainly music. I listen to any and everything. If it's any good...

19.) I love my friends. No matter how much they get on my nerves, I love them to death and I feel like shit if I ever do anything to upset them.

20.) I give without expecting anything in return, but I'm only generous to people that deserve it.

21.) I've always been spoiled, but, now that I'm old enough to realize it, I try to deny the random things people try to give me.

22.) I'm not very talkative unless I'm talking to someone I'm completely comfortable with and I'm talking about something I'm totally sure about or something I enjoy.

23.) I don't handle sad things very well. Disappointment, rejection, death... All terrible things.

24.) I've actually seen a lot of death..

25.) I'm afraid of some really random things.

26.) There are very few people that I tolerate. If they get on my nerves, I get over it. Anyone else, I tend to drop like a hot potato.

27.) I have slight OCD. It's not legit, but random things need to be a certain way in order for me to be comfortable.

28.) I have a constant need to justify the things I say and do.

29.) I assume the worst in most situations.

30.) The few things in life that I'm really passionate about are music, my relationships with people I truly care about, my personal beliefs, and where I'm going in the future.

31.) I don't believe in organized religion. That's it, that's all.

32.) I get bored very easily.

33.) I need to have something to worry about or else I feel incomplete.

34.) I love Kid Cudi. For so many reasons.

35.) I hate being told one thing and then something different happens. [i.e. don't tell me you're going to call me and then....not.]

36.) I've decided I want to work for GQ when I grow up. For various reasons. The main reason being that I enjoy men's fashion more than I do women's.

37.) I really don't like typical girly things, but I will turn into a total chick in certain situations.

38.) I have a habit of planning pretty far into the future, which is strange considering I don't like to get my hopes up about anything.

39.) I'm not always upset. I just don't always like to be bothered.

40.) I think a lot of people take my lack of talkative-ness as a sign of bitchiness. Which it's not, I just don't have a lot to say.

41.) I don't like to completely rule out people that I don't understand until it's apparent that they don't want me to understand them.

42.) I don't like to be completely ruled out when people don't understand me. I like the people that stick around long enough to try to figure me out.

43.) I haven't even completely figured myself out yet. And I plan on doing it myself. I don't like talking about myself in regards to my deep thoughts and feelings.

44.) There is only one person that I feel comfortable with talking to about these things.. And, even so, I don't always want to tell him everything.

45.) I hold things in because a) I get over things pretty quickly b) I don't like to be told I'm overdramatic, which I'm afraid will happen whenever I say something c) most things I get upset about are pretty stupid anyway.

46.) Music is better therapy for me than actually talking to other people.

47.) It takes a lot to make me actually dislike any one particular person.

48.) I will not make an attempt to like another person unless they give me reason to. Otherwise, I can skip interaction with others. So, if I approach you first or try to hold a legit conversation with you, feel special.

49.) I'm afraid to put too much faith in any relationship. But I can honestly say the relationship I'm in now is probably the best one I've been in.

50.) For a pessimist, I'm pretty optimistic. True story.

"Pleasing everybody is never a responsibility. If they like you for who are, good. If not, its their problem not yours" -- @AverageBlackMan via Twitter

I Could Cope

Today, my 24 year old cousin passed away from a heart attack. I didn't spend too much time with him, but he was such a lovable guy. When I was a kid, I remember him being so nice to me. He was only six years older than me, he was like my first favorite big cousin. I know my mom was very fond of Chris. He was like her favorite little cousin. Like I said, I didn't spend too much time around the guy, but, from what I know, he was doing pretty good. I'm pretty sure he had a daughter. I spent more time with his younger siblings, and I know they have to be devastated. I know his mom is probably even worse. The last time I saw Chris was very brief, but he was still that cousin that I wanted to pay attention to me, to say something like "I remember when you were a baby," and hug me. That was probably a couple of years ago. And now he's gone. This is probably the second time someone in my family has died that I've been close enough to be really sad, the first being my great grandmother. I found out right before my first class today, so I've had to hold it together all day. As I'm writing this, I'm finally letting out what I've been holding in since about 11 something this morning. It hurts to know that someone that young that had things going for him and had people who loved the shit out of him had to pass away so early, and to think of how it hit so many people, and to think that maybe one day I'll be next or maybe his little brother or one of my other cousins. And to think I might have to go home on my birthday weekend for a funeral.

And what kinda upsets me is how I publicly announced that my cousin died, and the only person to say anything to me about it was someone I didn't even know. Am I being selfish for for wanting anyone that I want to care to step forward to show any sympathy? I mean, I'm not the type of person to walk up to someone or start a conversation like "hi, my cousin just died, say something nice to me." I feel like no one really pays that much attention when they should, or rather when I want them to. Either that, or I'm just surrounded by people that don't know how to say anything when I need them to. It's another case of how I always run to other people's rescue, but I usually have to fend for myself. The few times I do actually talk to people while I'm in my feelings, I get called overdramatic, or something's my fault, or the subject gets dropped awfully quick. I just don't know. Maybe Mr. Johnson really was right. For the rest of the day and, maybe, the rest of the weekend, I plan on keeping to myself. I don't really want to talk to anyone unless their offering some type of consolation.

I'm really not as moody as people think. I just don't say much. And I hold stuff in. So when I get upset, I don't want to say anything, because everything that builds up likes to rush out. And that's when the "overdramatics" start. I realize, you can't talk to everybody. I just don't really know who I can talk to sometimes. And sometimes, I don't want to always have to be the one to initiate the conversations. So, yes. I am in a bad mood. No, I'm not mad at anybody. But, if you really care, instead of brushing me off, be observant and try to figure out what the problem could be. That's it, that's all.

♥

Slaves and Fetuses........?

Former PA Senator, Rick Santorum compared abortion to slavery. Pause. Hold up. What? Yeah. That's what I said. In an interview with CNS News, Santorum discussed his opinions on topics ranging from gay marriage, gay couples adopting, and abortion, the former senator said, in reference to President Obama, that he found it, and I quote, "almost remarkable for a black man to say 'we are gonna decide who are people and who are not people.'" If I know anything about American history, I know about slavery and how slaves were handled. Santorum blatantly mentioned the value of human life in an attempt to make a connection to slavery, making it seem like Obama should relate to people that are "oppressed" and that deserve an equal chance at life. Obama apparently doesn't feel as if an unborn child counts as a human life [to my understanding, at least], which I somewhat agree with. And, at the same time, there's a difference between pro-abortion and pro-choice. Supporting women in making their own decisions with what they want to do with their body is not murder; no one is going around telling women to cut themselves up because they have some sick twisted desire to kill unborn children. But opinions on abortion aren't important right now. What bothers me is how this guy compared it to slavery and the value of human life, and implied that black people should be against abortion because of the similarities that he came up with. Is he saying that all African Americans should be against abortion? Is he saying that a slave's life, which was snatched away from him when he was taken from his home and was sold or even born into slavery, was worth the same as an unborn child, that hasn't even been given life yet? Does a fetus have the same opportunity as a grown, living human being? And why is it so remarkable that a black person has an opinion other than what you believe he should have? Black people have differences in opinions just like everyone else, for their own valid reasons.

I don't think it was a fair comparison that Santorum made and I don't think it was fair for him to say that that was the reason why he felt our African American President shouldn't feel the way he feels about this particular issue.

I guess that's all for now. I've been slacking on the posting, my apologies everyone. Hope everyone had a nice break is ready to get second semester on and poppin'. ;D

♥

[Info and a clip from the interview can be found here. http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/01/santorum-plays.php]

Btdubbs, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful grandma!

Do We Really Need A Resolution?

I've never been really big on New Year's resolutions. I mean, why wait until a new year to change something about yourself that you've been wanting to change for the longest? Why does putting the name "New Year's Resolution" on it make it any easier to change whatever it is? I dunno. It also bothers me a bit that there are so many people that make the same resolutions. Every year. And no one seems to stick to them. It's weird. Here are a few very overused resolutions that people tend not to stick to.

1] Lose weight.

America is a fat place. So we need to keep this one around anyway. But, still. This is probably the most overused and generic resolution I've ever witnessed. No one is ever very specific in the way they want to get this done, they just know they want to do it. It's like they think that waking up every day and taking a deep breath will make them one pound lighter throughout the new year. Child, please. Have a plan. Then, people hardly ever stick to the resolution. Which is why America is still such a fat place.

2] Make more money.

If you're still at the same job doing the same work and working the same hours, chances are you're not getting paid too much more than you were last year. Once again, no one has a plan, they just want it to happen. They just decide to make it happen, without any idea why they want all that extra money or how they're going to get it. And then they get mad when they're broke by the end of the year.

3] Be nicer to people.

I've been seeing this a lot this year. And it's coming from some of the rudest people I know. Excuse me, but, if for the past 18 years you've been a dick, what makes you think you're going to all of a sudden be everyone's best friend? No, hun bun, it doesn't work that way. Especially if you're like me and some of the other people I know, and you just don't tolerate a lot from people. [I, on the other hand, am a sweetheart ;D] It's not possible for anyone to just be a nice person if they weren't before. It will kill them inside and they will relapse. It's possible to pick one rude thing you do and tone it down a bit. But a complete 360 is not in your foreseeable future..

4] Get good grades.

Look here, kids. Before you can get good grades, you have to make sure you're capable of doing the work to get the good grades. Meaning, you can't go into another semester of school with the same attitude you had last semester when you didn't get your ideal GPA. Why don't you start smaller and try to do something like focus more or prioritize or work on stress? I mean, it's cool to want good grades, and it's not necessarily a bad resolution, but, again, it's really general and not something that's just going to happen without you taking multiple steps to get there first. And I honestly thinking making other more specific resolutions could assist in reaching an ultimate goal like this.

I guess that's all I can think of. I mean, they're not bad ideas to have, I just believe setting very broad goals for yourself makes it harder to reach them. And I don't think people are always ready to change themselves, I think they make the resolutions just for the sake of having a list of resolutions for the new year, in which case, they may not even be ready to change themselves. So, basically, I don't support the idea of new year's resolutions. And this is why. But, that's just me.

♥