I hate to be cliche but with the internet visibly vibrating with the buzz, I can't resist shaking it up a bit myself as well. I found it abhorrent when Prop 8 was passed a few years ago. It was absolutely astonishing the level of ignorance it takes to deny someone else a personal right due to one's own moral and ethical code. Often I found myself asking friends, peers, and family this question: "who is this hurting?" The general answer of the opposing side is that gay marriage ruins the "sanctity of marriage". Please dear readers, take a moment to ponder what this phrase even means? When asked to further explain this phrase, one comes up short.
Is the sanctity of marriage defined by a penis going into a vagina? Absolutely not. Couples don't even have to take part in sex to be married, although it is generally assumed they do. Marriage legally is defined as a contract between two parties to commit to, to live with, to be responsible for, and to be linked financially with one another. So therefore where does the actual sexual aspect of this union come into play legally? Religiously, whatever. We get it after so many years guys, you named it sodomy for a reason. However, the religious fear of homosexual normality should not be a basis for legal doctrine concerning an entire nation.
If you want to continue to believe homosexual individuals don't carry on committed, long term, and normal relationships with one another, go ahead. Consider them not married in Christ. Make up your own religious version of marriage. If you still have some sort of delusion that modern day "marriage" is a religious union and not a legal one, get out of here. Create a new religious marriage, in which two hetero sexual people get legally married, and then also married in terms of the church. However, you have no right to deny someone's right to be legally bound together. If you're going to discriminate do it within your own doctrine, not within the law. Update your dogma.
As it usually occurs my receiving of Bust magazine has once again sparked my interests and caused my opinions to start whirling around in my head. If you haven't heard of the debate let me intro it to you. Lane Bryant has come up with an ad for their full figured underwear. You can watch it here.
Basically, ABC and Fox refused to air the commercial defending their position by saying there was 'too much cleavage" in the ad for their airtime. Too much cleavage, or too much woman? both companies give air time to Victoria's Secret ads which show just as much if not more cleavage. The only exception seemingly is that these models are stick thin woman that are "acceptabley" sexy. I don't know about you, but I don't want major television corporations to define what is and is not sexy. Don't fuller figured woman have just as much right to buy lingerie that makes them feel like divine goddesses?
After all the headway Dove made with their real beauty ads, this just takes us a step back. So fight the good fight and make this ad viral. The more who see it, and here the story, the better.
It has come to my attention that there is a new obscure/freakish fad that day time television is teaching your parents to be afraid of right now. Apparently, some idiot preteen somewhere decided to start a "choking game" where one chokes themselves on purpose to retain a small dizzy high, while subsequently killing their brain cells. From the articles I have seen (on the front page of google, because lets be honest I'm too lazy for proper research today) the victims are in the preteen range around 13ish. Basically, they noose themselves in various ways and plan to release the choking pressure before passing out. The little problem in this plan is that you can't predict when you'll pass out when being choked, leading the choker to pass out hanging themselves for real in their noose or falling and breaking limbs/skulls. Did I mention you kill brain cells because y'know suffocation is cutting off oxygen to your brain? I don't really believe this is a true fad with kids these days, but for the small minority, wow you really help make teenagers look even stupider. We can kind of sort of forgive you for being naive enough to try drugs and alcohol, but if you can't see the potential dangerous of forcefully cutting off your air supply is there really hope for our future?
I don't mean to offend any parents or family members who have lost someone to this obscure new addictive game but it just sounds so ridiculous to believe that anyone even a preteen is naive enough to believe that this won't harm them. This is almost Darwin survival of the fittest stuff.
This is a serious thing though, and if you know anybody that's doing this slap them, tell them they're a certifiable idiot, and tell their mother. If you're really interested in the cause check out the GASP website
Miss Amanda Palmer has pulled a new album out of her bag of tricks featuring her magical ukulele.
New album aside the songs are actually covers of old Radiohead songs, adjusted to be played on the small Hawaiian instrument. The most remarkable part of this album is the Radiohead inspired pricing system. Previously Radiohead had made available their last album "In Rainbows" for free download on the internet for a period of time, trying to prove they were all about the music, and not necessarily the profit. People that wanted to pay for the album to support the band could donate any number of moneys for the album, or opt to just download it for free.
Palmer's pricing is based on a similar idea, however a base price of 84 cents was set to pay back Radiohead for the rights to their songs. Listener's could also pay more for it at their leisure, to help support the artist.
The second most remarkable thing about Palmer's new album is that she is not on a record label. All promotion of her CD will be done completely through her band of friends/roadies, and her fan base. She is completely throwing herself out there creating this album without solid knowledge it will be majorly promoted. A pretty bad ass adventure, if I do say so myself.
Now for my actual critique of Palmer's new album. Because, as she said the worst thing you can do to help her is say nothing about the album at all.
This is not my favorite album. A lot of the songs do not translate to ukulele very well, without getting intensely boring after a few minutes. My favorite song has to be Idioteque which has the most interesting ukulele part. However, the album is light and fluffy, and good background music. I would not discourage you from adding it to your collection, although if you are not already a steadfast fan of Palmer you just might not get it. I'm always pleased when she writes anything, performs anything, or gives us anything. It's always exciting to listen to her new music, almost like unwrapping a complicated new present.
So, listen to the album, and give the internet your feedback, because the only negative feedback is no feedback at all!
I have a great deal of respect for people that can accomplish things that I could never do. For instance, people that can do rigorous mental math, juggle (literally) more than two things, or have an intense amount of patience for meticulous detail. One such example of the latter is animators. Animation is possibly one of the most exhaustively monotonous art forms. 24 frames can make up 1 second of animation, meaning that 24 separate slightly altered drawings equal one second of action. To me, that's a ridiculous amount of work to produce a simple moving image, for instance someone waving their hand, or walking.
Therefore due to his overwhelming patience, and my respect for his art form I would like to showcase Brandon Chamberlain.
His choppy style is deeply reminiscent of Don Hertzfeldt. It's hand drawn simplicity makes it fresh, and keeps the focus on the plot line, unlike the wow and pow of CGI.
Brandon captures the emotions of his characters with precise timing to make the situations more awkward and hilarious. He leaves you waiting for a reaction just until you've almost lost interest and then delivers, the perfect comic timing. Every facial reaction is like a separate punchline.
I especially enjoy the close ups in this video. So there he is, upcoming animator, Brandon Chamberlain. Watch out, I might be convincing him to make his own animation blog, I'll keep you posted!
Have I mentioned how magnificent Betty White is? Probably not lately.
Are any of us going to be that bad ass when we grow up? Never.The older she gets, the funnier it is when she behaves the way that teenagers get looked down upon for today. Never have I had more hope about old age. Who said you have to get retired and slow down? Endless naps, sudoku, scratchy sweaters, and mah joghn every day after sixty? I think not. A new standard for mature women? I think so! Outstanding Betty!
Warning, this may end up being too obscenely personal for me to post on here, but it's late at night and I'm exhausted so why not. I'm so seemingly normal. I'd be so much more normal if it wasn't for my overwhelming anxiety. My anxiety to never ever be bad, or wrong. First off, this chunk of anxiety is completely inspired from one simple situation: my boss innocuously saying that we needed to speak before I left from work today. That was it, no note of a good or a bad implication. My mind spiraled. Am I going to get fired? Do I void items too much (something I didn't know got the store in trouble until today, and I thought was a simple computer issue), have I gotten guest complaints, did I do something wrong? Of course I did something wrong, because whenever something goes wrong, it is completely and utterly my fault, and I can't shrug it off. I really can't. I take way too much responsibility for my actions. This is something I don't think my parents ever understood because at school and work and everywhere else I give so much, and have so much wrong to correct that when I'm at home I just can't visualize all the errors I make there too. Not socializing enough, not volunteering to help out, and not picking up on their subtle emotional changes. This is a totally valid thing for them to feel cheated on, since I'm giving a hundred percent as much as I can to everyone else. The minute I think I've done something wrong my mind rockets to negative thought after negative thought in an endless racket of hypothetical scenarios of doom. So where am I safe from my own mind? My sleep? Thus why very often at these times I can't sleep. I really can't do anything properly until I calm myself or distract myself. It can go on for a very long time until I confront the situation completely. Also, this is why I stay up late at night doing everything I can until I physically exhaust myself at these times. It is a completely awful habit to have.
Let's move on to my second anxiety, nausea. The minute I look pale, feel feverish, or even have a stomach grumble I'm done. Until I can distract my mind from causing myself to feel overly more nauseous, I am just a miserable human being. I have weird rituals of vacant tv viewing and internet browsing at this time attempting to void my mind of the retching feeling that I know I am creating, but I can't stop. Thusly, what I'm doing now at 1 am when I'm exhausted and have to work at 8 tomorrow. I'm cracking. Hopefully this will be cathartic enough that I can sleep. I also feel utterly terrible that I'm in this condition considering my mother is alone in bed tonight with the absence of my father and wanted me to sleep with her. Of course I can't due to my obsessive rituals that aren't even working right now. Although the Courtney Love story on VH1 is very interesting. Hopefully I can run on adreniline tomorrow at work. Now why has this anxious scenario sprung tonight? Because I became pale suddenly accompanying my already sore throat and my stomach made a few weird noises. Sound stupid? I know it is rationally, but I'm a wreck.
Anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive order can go to friggin' hell.
Given by the name, Risk is a game of uncertainty and you know you're liable for disaster. What you didn't expect from the game's namesake is the risk of hating everyone around you by the end of the game. From personal experiences I have gleaned but one simple truth about Risk: by the end (if you even get to the end of the game) there will be blood. Never in my experience has a game ended in anything other than a major bought of shouting, and some severely bruised egos. Alliance's will be formed and then completely shattered leaving boyfriends and girlfriends pissed at one another, and best friends as ballistic enemies. Winners will be handed their asses to them by a person who buys a devastating card. Players will bitch when it's not their turn and become severely ADD. Oftentimes assorted detritus is thrown at the board in frustration or apathy, causing pieces to fly off the board.
Namaste mother f'ers!
Another probable cause with Risk frustration is the massive amount of rules to remember. Often times you should get cards or extra people in certain circumstances that are really easy to pass over. However, there's always that one guy that remembers all of the rules conveniently on his own turn. It's really easy to manipulate the game with newb players by not fully explaining the special rules.
Speaking from experience the most frustrating part of Risk is when you just can not roll above a two. This fact let's you get three pieces annihilated by one defender. It's probably the worst feeling of defeat in any game, ever.
The big however, HOWEVER, is that Risk is the most incredibly addicting party game known to man. There's something about the board game that just keeps you coming. Maybe the pieces are secretly coated in crack, or military strategy games are really that addicting (take Chess for example). I think the brute force of the game is what keeps you needing to try again. When you see the map monopolized by your pieces, there's a rush of ecstasy. This also explains why you feel as if you've had a swift kick to the balls when your entire territory is taken by the underdog. So no matter how consistently nasty and rude we are to one another by the end of the game, we simply can't stop having Risk nights. Perhaps we're just board game fetishists or perhaps there's something deeper here. Either we're eerily screwed up or the makers of Risk just really have it all figured out. Maybe they understand our deep psychological need to be repeatedly slapped in the face, as long as there's the promise of glorious victory.
So in conclusion, Risk is a game of theoretical and very actual warfare. My advice to you is to...
The end of the school year and graduation are a bummer, so I haven't written as of late. On top of that is my natural born gift of procrastination, and my knack for not giving myself and personal time to write. Here is my steadfast promise that sometime this week I will write many informative blog posts. I'm starting a new project to teach myself to knit, so that might glean some hilarious pictures of caddywhompus socks that look more like mutant yarn. Also, after spending about two hours watching the History Channel this morning I'd really like to do a bit on Houdini. Houdini is possibly the biggest bad ass in history.
hello ladies
However, at the moment there is just too much cleaning to do. My car looks like the pits of hell, so I'll update later tonight or tomorrow. Just reminding you all I exist!!
Last night I had a chilling encounter with a deceased feline. As I drowsily made my way down a back country road the late night moon shone on the most unwanted of omens. My headlights danced back at me from the eyes of the most darling pussy cat. He stretched across the asphalt grandiosely as if begging the Grim Reaper for a belly rub. The minute I spotted him I immediately got hit by a supreme wave of despair. I rocketed into a break down, swearing my car out of respect for the dead. My question is, dear readers, how can one hit a poor unassuming pussy cat, and not immediately halt? He was a perhaps a family cat, that preferred to dine in the kitchen, rather than on rats. Maybe he was a barn cat. Possibly, he was a beloved friend and co conspirator full of mischief with a predisposition for sleeping in the rays of sunshine beside the kitchen window. We will never know. I hope someone runs over the person who ran over Mr. Pussy Cat, and never looks back. Karma.
Watching Emily Yanek on stage you can't help but channel her energy. From intimate cafes to large auditoriums Emily projects herself into you through her poignant lyricism and impeccible delivery. Her voice cracks at the pinnacle of emotions, and her belting turns to the sound of aching longing in just the right way to make you feel it in the pit of your stomach. Her songs signal to that far off memory you push away making you recall the emotions we all feel. The set is a perfect balance drawing you deeply in, yet pepping you up. Amongst the depth she sprinkles some of the most light and cheerful covers and originals. Over all she's down to earth, and unintimidating. Her talent is raw and you can't help but become entranced. I'm lucky to have gotten a Q and A with her. Feel free to leave your own questions in the comments!
Listen while you read! Emily's original 'Utterly Neglected'
Q: What music styles or musicians do you think most encompass your style, and why do you find them inspiring?
A: Well, all must know I am a throwback of the 1970's. I live for those artists and those songs. My hero is Jackson Browne.. he carries the weight of the situation in his melodies, and his lyrics are a blend of being relatable yet unique, like, you'll always know when it's one of his lines. Melodically speaking, Dan Fogelberg taught me everything I know. I remember when I first got into him, and studied his chord changes, and felt so bad ass when I wrote a song that went from a G to an E major...and the song was in D ;) And he's so diverse, going from a crazy blues guitar song to a classical instrumental. Then rocks out on barre chords.
Q: So if you had to define your music in your own words how would you describe it?
A: I'd say that I'm aiming to bring back the singer/songwriter genre.. they way they did it in the 70's. Not just grabbing a guitar and writing lyrics about looking for your prince charming, haha. Taking actual observations on your life or being in some elses shoes, and writing from there. I am a Beatles fanatic and strive for every melody I put out to be a perfect one. Of course I write bad ones, but you have to know how to filter yourself. That's why albums were so short back in the day. 10 songs was a record. Side one and side two. Today it's 15. 2 or 3 good songs, and lots of filler.
Also, I need people to be brought together again and all feel the same thing for different reasons. Remember when Let It Be brought together the entire hippy generation? Well I can't seem to find our Paul McCartney in this generation.. music's gotta be brought back.
Q: Where do you find most of the inspiration for your lyrics? Are there any scandalous stories behind them? ;)
A: Haha, well my earlyyyy ones, like, middle school, of course all probably had some specific event or sentence and I'd write a scene around it in my head.. yea, that's how I used to do it, haha.
Today, my lyrics come from the melody. When I write a melody, a phrase comes with it, I have to craft the rest, but there's always that nugget that comes up on it's own, and I take it from there. Sometimes I'll write something and say "oh, this can't possibly be about me," but there it is, lurking in my subconscious..
Q: You seem to have an endless list of gigs, what keeps you on the stage continuously?
A: Booking, calling, and emailing my ass off! All I want is to tour and make albums. I get a high from performing, even if it's to no one. It's the only thing I want to do, the only thing I can possibly picture myself doing. I have to book all the time because if I don't I'll get anxious and I miss it and need to have a ton of shows lined up.. I want to be on an endless tour.
Q: What was the coolest gig you've ever done?
A: Hmm. Probably at The Lemon Grove in Youngstown, Ohio. It's a beautiful coffee shop turned club at night.. like a long hallway with a little stage, really dark, and lots of lights. And it's in my dad's hometown, which means a lot to me because of all his stories from 'back in the day,' where he used to play just around the corner. And it's the town he saw Dan Fogelberg in for the first time, before he was really 'Dan Fogelberg.' When I'm back in Youngstown, I'm channeling these things. It gives me chills, makes me want to cry and laugh all at the same time and it makes me feel like I'm really doing it.
Q: So what have you got going on now? Any new offers or big shows coming up?
A: Well there's this AWESOME band called The Janks that I saw in Harrisburg a year ago, and have been trying to land an opening slot for them next time they come around. Looks like that'll be happening, if I keep playing my cards right!! And I'll be graduated in a month's time.. and going to be booking in New York and New Jersey, mean while finishing my debut album called 'Watching The Highway.' And my second one, 'Aviator,' is pretty much mapped out. When I have my album, I'll be able to start looking for publishers, a small booking agent, and radio play. And I'm writing all the time.
If you'd like to check out Emily or learn more you can link to her on both myspace , facebook, and twitter!
Cabaret has been by far my favorite musical ever since the first day I borrowed the soundtrack from the library in the seventh grade. I found the raciness of the 1998 revival of the show absolutely shocking, crude, and mostly enticing! When I heard my friend was auditioning for a local production I was both thrilled and terrified. It could be completely up to my expectations, or it could completely ruin the show for me, and I'd be left at the end to say "Oh well, you did well!"
The show was astounding. For everyone and anyone reading this in the area you must go see the Little Theater of Mechanicsburg production of Cabaret! The Kit Kat girls are enticing, the Emcee is Alan Cummings approved, and Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz are absolutely adorable. I truly wish I would've written this the night of the show so i could recount to you all the moments that blew me away. Fräulein Schneider's solos brought literal tears to my eyes. The show perfectly pulled you in with the sex and fun in the beginning climaxing effectively right before intermission. The ending is perfect in it's seriousness, but if you haven't seen the show yet I won't ruin it for you!
Basically, come here the music play, come to the cabaret old chum, come to the cabaret.
I am absolutely proud of all the students today in my school, and across the nation that stood up today for every broken nose, every broken dream, every hurt feeling, every skidded knee from being tripped, every person whose every been called a 'fag', and for every homosexual youth in the generations after us. The time to break the silence, the time to rise up against the discrimination and change societies norms towards dealing with bullying based on sexual orientation and gender preference. I think today was a big leap in our small central PA school. Although, it was an arduous process to get the day up and going the turn out today was worth every moment of fighting. I would have to guesstimate the participants to between 160-200 students.
The backlash was much less than I thought would happen. There were a few mean words on the internet, stolen fliers, and an anti-movement on facebook. My main hope for next year is that the students will be just as passionate and carry it on. I hope the administration will be less restrictive, and more positively supportive. I do have to say Collin's outfit was most definitely my favorite. It was the most flagrant rainbow of the day. I loved his cape!
Some students wore duct tape, despite the pain of ripping it off. One boy wore duct tape and running mascara to emulate tears.
Tessa was definitely the biggest help to me today. She kicked ass at handing out things.
Do you have A Day of Silence story? Please do comment!
So, I've decided to do a section weekly about random things I like. This way I don't have to categorize everything into, cooking, opinions, political, personal and so on. Let's just consider this my little Blog Junk Drawer. That sounds like a good name for it. So to display my junk here are random knick knacks I found cool this week.
Obama Weather If you ever wondered what it would be like to turn on the weather every morning only to see our friendly neighborhood president on your news, here's the website for you. Your local weather is displayed by charming depictions of the President in various states of temperature appropriate garb. The weather, powered by weatherchannel.com, is also fairly accurate. The State of the Nation is a slight drizzle today, my fellow Americans.
Greg Rutter's Definitive List of Things You Should Have Already Experienced on the Internet Being a frequent victim of boredom, I have found the internet to be the best place for a quick fix. Sitting on facebook and refreshing every five minutes can be a drag. One can only tweet so much. In fact, social networking can be rather droll at times. That's when one must recall the good old days of viral videos and internet memes. Rutter's list is like the tv guide of the internet. I don't think you can every be bored again if you try to tackle this list. I believe the greatest gift I received from this link is the yatta video.
Dazzling!
Best Dressed 2010 The link above will take you to Unique Vintage. This is by far the best affordable dress shop I have found online. I, like so many other girls, was short on time to find a prom dress, too picky to settle for less than what I wanted, and frantically giving myself an ulcer trying to find the perfect one. Unique Vintage was my savior. Not only did I order a dress I'm certain no one else will be sporting at my school's prom, I racked up a list of vintage inspired dresses for everyday wear to idolize. I will review the dress and upload pictures the minute the Fed Ex man graces my doorstep with the package!
My dress in a different color. Move over Yatta boys!
... and finally I'd like to brag. I'd like to brag about just how amusing I find my lovely beau's artwork. While sitting in the kitchen chatting with his mom, he doodled this entire computer page and I stole it. I'm going to try hard to upload his first full length animation soon.
For the life of me I could NOT get this picture to rotate when uploaded! It's updated on my mac photo viewer, but not here.
Every year the GLSEN organization hosts a national day of silence to bring to light the issue of the bullying of students based on their implied or actual sexual orientation or gender preference. This year I've tried to get our school involved. At first things seemed to be going particularly well, the Principle seemingly approving. However, as time wore on, he became increasingly dodgy. He showed up half an hour late to meetings, and avoided approving or disapproving ideas leaving us floundering with a time constraint. After working diligently on posters for our Day of Silence he disapproved them based on the fact that we used celebrity images on them. He said we didn't have Ellen's permission or Angelina's permission to have their picture on our posters. Considering our school is in the middle of bumfuck nowheresville, I doubt Angelina Jolie will be prancing in anytime ripping down posters in rage. Not to mention the fact that the subjects of the posters were all openly gays, lesbians, or bisexuals and would most likely be thrilled to be used towards this cause. We will fight though. We will do whatever we must to get the student body revved up for Friday! We will be silent and make a stand. Because it's sick that homosexual teenagers are 300% more likely to commit suicide. Because no one deserves to be bullied. It is our generation that must take a stand to end the discrimination.
Barbie was a misogynist. Feminists decried her irresponsibly fake dimensions. To them she was not only an imitation woman, but a poorly rendered copy. Her stature is impossible to match, her human dimensions being five foot six inches and 110 pounds with an 18 inch waist 39 inch bust and 33 inch hips. Come on even the idea for Barbie was originally sparked from a German sex doll! However, as time has progressed so has Barbie. Today, she sports more reasonably natural dimensions, and is a one woman show- providing for herself fiercely with a myriad of jobs. From Nascar Driver to surgeon Barbie has done it all. She's a woman to be proud of.
So if Barbie is a more viable source of inspiration for growing young ladies what is the shallow figurine that teaches our generation's children to be nothing but pretty bimbos.
If that were my baby, she'd so be grounded.
I have never liked the Bratz dolls. They were always ugly to me with their clearly dysmorphic bodies. Plus you have to remove their feet to change their shoes, which I find highly unsettling. However, the more I saw Bratz the more unsettled I became. The girls are dressed in the skimpiest of all club attire. Clearly from their ads all they want to do is party and look for boys. Now, I'm all for the sexual empowerment of women. Let me now stress the woman part. Dolls are intended to be played with from girls the age of 4-12. If our country was over-sexualized enough, the marketing of dolls such as the Bratz to young girls is just asking for Lolita complexes to pop up everywhere. Looking back after puberty, childhood is really the only time that your decisions aren't in some way affected by sex or your sexual identity. There are no funky hormones, and you rarely worry about self image yet. Once again for example Noelle who has an allergy to brushing her hair. She gets very whiny about it. Now, as a woman whose reached that peak of puberty, I wouldn't be caught dead with nappy hair. Who might be looking? I might not be appealing. Blah blah blah, insecurity etc. Girls need to fully take in this time before they become the women of tomorrow who are worrying about their self image, and their sexual appeal. No matter how self assured of a woman you are, those little feelings will forever nag at you every now and then. Isn't there a better way to transition them into dealing with that, and being someone productive and less outward oriented? The Bratz dolls clearly are not it. Why not help them transition with a hero to look up to?
Young girls play with dolls. Originally, this was to promote motherly instincts, as young girls watched their mothers, and wanted to mimic them. If you think that's sexist then go ahead. I believe now a days however, dolls are just for the purpose of imagination, and in a way choosing to "be who you want to be" as some Barbie commercials proclaim. With Barbie you can be anything! There are Barbies for every race, and every occupation. Although Bratz dolls have the multi-ethnic thing down, they certainly have no other agenda other than partying. Case in point, my little sister's Bratz bus. Now, Noelle is most definitely a tom boy. There is no denying that. She is not usually drawn to the girly. One day however, I saw her toting around her beanie babies and Bionicles in a giant mauve bus. Peeking into the interior I found to my distaste, a dance floor, a hot tub, and (at this point I was beyound peeved) a mini bar. What standards is that instilling to young girls? I mean, Noelle shrugged an in a matter of fact way said it was a mini bar and laughed about it. She can handle it. She knows who she is and she's perfectly chill, a very well parented young one. However, for the girls who literally rely on looking up to something, and emulating it, Bratz are the worst example.
Even the name "Bratz" is implies some sort of attitude that I can't connect with.
These do not sound like endorseable behaviors to me. We need to be teaching children to be loving, and polite. Not spoiled, super self envolved, and beyound empathy for anything other than hot tubs, thongs, and the labels of their clothing.
So for you future moms, or you current moms think about this. Do you want your daughter to be a Barbie or a Bratz? Choose wisely, because I've dealt with enough brats to know the world doesn't need any more. Who are you rooting for?
If you're interested in some Barbie fun facts: click here
Despite the heaviness of winter spring break has finally sprung. It seemed like the ice would never melt! However, the snow days have made our break four days long. LAME. It began surprisingly well, and hopefully will continue to be fantastic. It all started with Emma spying something shiny. What was it? It's a Van de Graffe generator. As you can assume a room full of teenage kids trying to create lightning is always a good time.
emma is the phoenix
Brandon proved his status of demi-god by creating lightning from his very hands. Static Shock would've felt really comfortable in that room. Everything was pulsing with electric.
After a brief respite in Mr. Storrick's room playing with science, we finally head to Addie's house. I've very thankful for my committee in Amnesty International. We've all worked very hard and now the Day of Silence is happening. I'll post a blog about this later in detail to promote it. Everyone worked really diligently all night, and between boughs of irrational laughter we accomplished at least twenty posters, and facts to hang around the school.
the fact checkers hard at work
schemma likes lass bance
brandon's work pose
All things considered The Day of Silence against bullying based on sexual orientation or gender preference is a go!
-----
Now, menstrual time is a time of hell no woman particularly wants to talk about. It's come to my attention lately that pads and tampons are just ridiculously overpriced. Not only are they a major expense, they're also majorly bad for the environment. When I first was reading about reusable pads and period cups, it sounded gross. The more I thought about it though, the more it made coherent sense. Spend one sum of money a year on a cup. The cup can be in for up to 12 hours. It only needs changed and cleaned twice a day. That sounds much more comfortable! It also is better for the interior of your lady parts. Not to mention the pads are handmade and actually really cute. They're made of layers of fleece and sound really comfortable.
they're just so adorable!
I think maybe switching to this could be a.) more environmentally good b.) less pricey than constantly restocking feminine care products and c.) comfortable. The pads could make my period more enjoyable and comfortable. Let's face it everyone hates the feeling of having a pad that isn't on right sticking to your leg, or worse. It just sucks. Plus tampons are no joy to constantly worry about.
I'll have to tell you ladies how this little experiment goes. More to come.
Watching a phoenix die and be again reborn must be a sad yet inspiring event. How noble and mysterious ad beast, to live lonely in it's life as the only of it's kind, and die and die again. Clearly, the Doctor is a phoenix of sorts. he attempts to live as long as he can from regeneration to regeneration, but time goes on and death is inevitably probable. Each time he dies, is a new death, the first death. It never gets and easier. Though from the flames of regeneration he is a new man, he is one cycle older, one cycle closer to the ultimate end. It's surprising to think of our lively Doctor in such a hopeless light. his spunk and zest often dismiss the heavier aspects of his existence.
This is where Tennant, our dear now-late Doctor, specialized. As the Doctor he lit up. No one could bounce about with so much exuberance for exploration or fervor for the value of life. on the flip side Tennant could show hints of the fraying Doctor within. just as his eyes could beam with cleverness and excitement at times they would also harden with time lord reality. An example would be the recent episode where the Doctor is obviously troubled. He fears the way time is slipping by for him, listening for the four knocks that will signal his demise.
In The Waters of Mars the Doctor makes a decision he knows is incorrect. He changes a fixed point in time, possibly changing huge future events. At the end of the episode he is challenged by the woman he saves, who furiously demands he explain what gives him the right to change history. The woman decides to commit suicide to die as she was supposed to on mars.
As the first episode of Doctor Who from the new series makes its way across the ocean, we meet Matt Smith. He's charming enough with his doe eyes, and boyishly charming face. (see example below:) At first, we were all quite dubious of him. My boyfriend was skeptical of anyone being better than Tennant. I believe the Tennant years were great, but now Smith is the Doctor and we must give him a fair shot. We must ease into him, just as the Doctor eases into his new regenerations. It's new for him too! Like he said on the first episode of the new season, "Apples. Rubbish! I've a new mouth now. New rules."
Charming.
Through the duration of the episode Smith stays true to the whimsical nature of the Doctor. He even spits off some lines that are reminiscent of Tennant. The Doctor although still coming into his new body, is raring to go,discarding his loneliness to pick up a new fearless companion. What future adventures will they pursue? What new dangerous will present themselves? Already there is an ominous fracture in space in time that's made apparent. Will this theme take the Doctor somewhere even darker than last season? As always, he's the Doctor, listen to everything he says, don't ask him any stupid question, and don't wander off.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson This thriller starts cold. However, it is worth wading through the slow beginning. The novel picks up halfway through, once the enormous section of exposition is over, and the mystery begins to unravel. A marvelous piece of work, I suggest you read it. I'll reveal nothing!
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris Currently, this book is nothing but sass. The witticisms will sweep you away, in Sedaris's story telling. Unfortunately, having only completed a few small chapters, I can not yet reveal any more about this promising novel. I'll disclose more at a later time!
Posts
