R2 - Writing

Writing is one of my favorite things to do. I write because I feel like putting my feelings into a character that will either represent me or someone like me, helps to relieve the stress of whatever it is I’m feeling. I have been writing a lot this year, and I feel like I’ve grown in my style and the way that I think. I am proud of my works, but I also leave room for more improvement. I love writing ambiguous endings and suspense. I am finding it hard to write about writing…is that odd?

                Well…writing is a way for me to use my gift to explore another world. I love creative writing and I love to explore literature so I feel like it will always be a hobby for me. I hope to write a book someday, as I continue to explore my talent.

                I didn’t know that I liked to write until I took all of the classes that I’m taking this year. I am taking three writing classes so I have a full day and a lot of homework. I am okay with the homework because I love the subject matter – most of the time.

Online Publishing, Creative Writing, and AP Literature are my top favorite classes this year and I am finding that I learn a lot of different techniques from three totally different classes in one year. Creative Writing is my favorite kind of class in this bundle because I am able to fully express my creative side in every paper I write. I am glad to say that I have taken a class like Online Publishing too, however. I want to be a journalist so I know that this is really good experience for me. I have had a wonderful year in Online Publishing.

R1 - End of the Year

The end of the school year is my favorite time of the year because it means a whole summer away from high school. I feel like the end of the school year symbolizes a time for change. Many people come back from summer different than the last year. Though it is only 2 months, that time is critical in a student’s life because it’s a time to relax and prepare for another 8 months of learning. I personally love the end of this year because I don’t have to come back. High school is a tough place for many people because we think that who we are in high school is who were going to be forever. It’s hard to get around the idea that the friends you have now aren’t going to always be around. They won’t matter as you take you’re first promotion at a job you worked to get.

High School has its purpose it’s something that takes four years of your life to teach you the basics of education. Some understand it better than others, some drop out, and some wish it all to be over. I can’t think of a time that I will always want to remember because I’ve changed so much over the years. I know that the second I throw my cap in the air I will be on my own and none of those things will matter. 

                Alden’s education system is one of the best public schools I know, of course, but I can’t lie and say I will be sad to leave. I want to go and use the knowledge I’ve learned here and apply it in the outside world. Summer is my favorite time of year. I am very excited to graduate and head off to a new life. It’s been real Alden High School.

It’s been real.

Q4- Choice American Idol

I believe that I can write about this now. American Idol is coming to a close this season and we’ve got some seriously good singers poppin’ off. The top three include Joshua Ledet, Jessica Sanchez, and Phillip Phillips. The three are all unique in their own way but Joshua Ledet seems to be the shining star this season. He is an old soul and a throwback for the judges but he kicks the songs out of the park. He can work a microphone to his advantage and he knows just how much power to use. I think that if I had to choose who was going to win before next Thursday night, it would be him. He brings a huge gospel voice to the competition and it’s something the show has missed for a very long time.

He has been compared to Adam Lambert of season 8. He’s always consistent and continually surprising. We don’t have to worry when he gets on stage because we KNOW that he’s going to own the song and make it his own.  This is not the case with young Jessica. She has a very powerful Beyonce-like voice but she doesn’t have the consistency that Beyonce or Joshua has. She has conquered a few songs but fails to show us who she really is. I am surprised that Jessica is in the top 3 because I thought that either Colton Dixon or Skylar Lane was going to take her place, but throughout the season the others just didn’t compare to her power. She has a cruise-ship-like feel to her performance because she doesn’t make it her own. This is Joshua’s strongest point. He makes every song his own and shines every time he gets on stage. I am not sure who will win but I am positive in my heart, Joshua has taken home the prize. He deserves it, he’s an artist.

I don't like Phillip Phillips at all...so there's nothing to talk about.

Q3 - English

English is my favorite subject so I like a lot of the novels we read. I think that my favorite book is The Awakening by Kate Chopin. We read this novel in AP Literature. This novel was really well written and it talked about some of the things I’m most passionate about. The novel is set in 1899 and women were still considered property of the men of that time. I don’t know what that is like but I do know that I would not have survived in a time like that.  I feel like the life Edna lives is because she’s in survival mode. I find it difficult to understand how just because a society tells someone how to act they’re going to do it and be happy. If I lived in that time I wouldn’t be able to follow those rules. I don’t think of myself as a man’s property. I am independent and any man that I’m with has to treat me as an equal. Did Edna feel the same way I do? Is it because of the time period that it was so foreign for her culture?  It makes me think about the way we live today. Do the thoughts of people evolve over time? Is true independence for women only sought for in modern times?

I guess I liked this book because it made me think. I don’t remember a book ever making me think about life in such a way. I enjoy the Feminist Movement because I see myself as one of those women who just yearn to be equal in a world of superiors. I don’t know if that is ever truly capable because one is always higher than the other, but I do believe that it can level itself out. It’s definitely on its way.

Q2 - Cultural Icon Kirk Franklin

I have already written about my favorite actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, so I will not write about him anymore. I have chosen someone from my favorite genre of music. Gospel music has significantly changed my life and it started with a man named Kirk Franklin. Kirk Franklin is a man who has a talent that runs deep but understands the gift God gave him. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he is blessed with a talent. His music consists of Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and Contemporary. He directs a chorus of extremely talented people and preaches in the foreground.

Kirk has gotten me through many hard times. His songs, for me, are relatable and truthful. They explain what everyday people feel, every day. He works with some of the best Christian Gospel artists out there. The best thing about Kirk, though, is that he himself is a man who struggles with a bad past but chooses to follow Christ fully, and with joy. He has put 12 albums out in the past two decades. Every one of them have been filled with the best of the best when it comes to Talent and Spirituality. You can tell through his music that he loves himself some Jesus.

Kirk has won seven GRAMMY® Awards, 35 Stellar Awards, 11 Dove Awards (CCM), five NAACP Image Awards, two BET Awards, and an American Music Award.

I can’t imagine how I would have gotten where I am today without the influence of his music.

Kirk directs a chorus of extremely talented and undoubtedly anointed singers. They bring heart, drive, love, and peace to a very sticky situation. It’s a gift that I believes comes directly from God so that he is able to bless people like me with a voice like his. I can honestly say that out of all the music I listen to, Kirk Franklin brings it all to the table. He comes ready to play.   

Q1 - A Single Man

Look out; this choice blog is going to be FULL of spoilers. To all those who don’t like to know anything about a movie before seeing it, don’t read this.

A Single Man

A film starring Colin Firth as George, Mathew Good as Jim, and Julianne Moore as Charley. On November 30, 1962, George, an English professor at a college in Los Angeles is finding that coping with his life is becoming a hard thing to do. 8 months ago he lost his partner of sixteen years, Jim. He decides on this day that he can no longer pretend to be someone he isn’t.

“George: It takes time in the morning for me to become George, time to adjust to what is expected of George and how he is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect George I know fully what part I'm supposed to play.”

He dresses in the morning, like always, but changes his path forever. He has decided that he’d commit suicide that evening. Throughout the day he gathers his important belongings, his money, and his funeral outfit, everything for pre and post funeral. He goes through the day remembering his life with Jim, the love they shared, the dogs they had. Meanwhile, he meets people who are noticing him slowly changing. Carlos, an immigrant/actor, Charley, his best friend and ex-girlfriend whom still has feelings for him, despite his sexual orientation, and Kenny, a student of his who has a curiosity about who his teacher really is.

This film explores everything from a gay relationship, to philosophical truths, to beautiful cinematography. The scenes move from under-saturation to over-saturation based on George’s feeling of the situation he’s in. This film is absolutely beautiful and totally meaty. This is a true love story, one that you simply don’t see on the Regal screens.

“George: I always used to tell him that only fools could possibly escape the simple truth that now isn't simply now: it's a cold reminder. One day later than yesterday, one year later than last year, and that sooner or later it will come.”

Colin Firth was absolutely flawless in this film. He won ten awards for Best Actor was nomination for nine others. Mathew Goode was exceptional. I have written about him in Brideshead Revisited. This is another level for the both of them. You wanted to be in the room with them just to listen to them talk.

Alright I’m done, it was phenomenal…for real.

P5 - Choice #2

This blog is going to be one of the more intense. I have watched two movies in the past weekend that have significantly changed the way I view my life. These movies are meaty. They get your attention and they don’t let you go until you go to bed that night.

The first one is Dancer in the Dark, a crime and drama thriller. The film made in 2000, starring the Icelandic singer Björk, is all about a woman who moves from East Europe to America with her young son. She expects that life in America would be like a Hollywood film, little did she know, it’s a lot different than that. It’s 1964 and Selma is in search for a cure for her son’s disease. He is at risk of suffering from the disease she currently has. The disease will inevitably make her blind. She works day and night to save up for the operation. She has the energy because she lives life through her love of musicals. When things get hard, she can escape to the musical world she believes exists, but only for a few moments. This film was extraordinary, the writing was some of the best I’ve seen, and Björk was brilliant. As the lead actress and main character Björk won best actress in the Edda Awards (Iceland), European Awards, and many others.

Jeff: You can't see, can you?

Selma: What is there to see?

The Piano is the next film I’m going to suggest. This film was brilliant. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, and Sam Neill, this film explores life in New Zealand during the 1850s. Ada McGrath, a mute woman, her piano and her daughter, Flora, are sent to live with Alisdair Stewart, Ada’s new husband. The two were arranged, which can only mean hostility. The wealthy landowner brings his new wife home, and she’s soon lusted after by a local plantation worker. Her new home is not what she thought that it would be, and things get worse when her husband forces her to give her piano to the neighbor, George. She is asked to give him lessons on her piano. Soon she learns that she can get her piano back from George, under a few conditions. At first, Ada cannot stand George but as the relationship progresses it turns into something very different.  The film is beautifully shot, well-acted, and edited perfectly.

Ada: [signing] I have told you the story of your father many many times.

Flora: Oh, tell me again! Was he a teacher?

Ada: [signing] Yes.

Flora: How did you speak to him?

Ada: [signing] I didn't need to speak. I could lay thoughts out in his mind like they were a sheet.

Flora: Why didn't you get married?

Ada: [signing] He became frightened and stopped listening.

P4- Goals

My goals at the beginning of the year have been reached. Academically I have grown exponentially. I have never had the grades that I have now. I got into a school that only accepts 52% of their applicants; I am on the honor roll. I have succeeded in my scholastic goals, and now I’m working on my spiritual goals. I have a future ahead of me that will require me to be someone that I have to work on being. I don’t know what my future holds, and I don’t know how long it will take before I get there but I do know that I am going to do everything I can. I am putting my life into balance.

I can’t wait for graduation because that means my life is open for interpretation. I don’t have to attend Alden High School on a daily basis and wait for June 23^rd to come around the corner so that I can be around people who are interested in what I’m interested in. I can’t wait for college.

If it weren’t for the goals I set for myself in the beginning of the year, I wouldn’t be the person I am today which is the importance of setting goals. I didn’t hold myself to a standard in previous years so I didn’t try. I didn’t see a reason to try because I wasn’t even thinking about college, I didn’t care. So now, if I can give advice to any freshman coming into high school I would tell them that it ends quickly, and before you know it you need over $100 for college applications. I have switched my major over 3 times over the past year because I’m trying to figure out who I want to be in the future. I will do the same thing I did this year when I’m in college; I will set goals for myself and meet them all by the time I graduate.

P3 - Television

Getting the third question out of the way, I have 3 televisions in my home but only one of them is in use. I have one in my room, but I am rarely watching it due to the busy state of my life right now and lack of DVR. My mother also has one in her room that she never uses. The TV that is used the most is in the living room. Now, we use that TV almost every night, depending on the night.

On Mondays we watch Smash in the spring and The Sing-Off in the winter. Right now, we aren’t really using the TV on Monday nights, we watch Smash when we have free time on another week night.

Tuesdays are big…GLEE. It’s Glee night on Tuesday. We generally turn on the TV around 9 o’clock after dinner, dessert, and a little discussion. We DVR all of our shows so that we can fast forward through the commercials. After Glee New Girl is on so we watch that to end the night.

Wednesday nights are my personal favorite. American Idol night, I love everything about American Idol, even though America just voted off my favorite (Colton Dixon), we still have Asian Persuasion (Jessica Sanchez), Ham Hocks (Skylar Lane), and Mantasia (Joshua Ladet). We nickname the contestants because a family friend that watches it with us is bad with names so he just nicknames them and they stick.

Thursdays and Fridays aren’t really all that eventful anymore because I watch the IDOL results show on the weekends or I look it up on Twitter. We catch up on any extra shows we watch on these nights.

The TV is in use a lot at my house because we watch a lot of program. Here and there we will watch Modern Family, 30 Rock, House, Touch, and Bones. However, our favorites are So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, American Idol, The Sing-Off, America’s Best Dance Crew, New Girl, and Smash. I think that our TV time promotes discussion and gives us family time because we all love the shows for specific reasons. The negatives may be that some nights we are up until 12 at night catching up on shows we missed. I don’t think the amount of television we watch is a problem, I think it’s the time of day, the shows, and the emphasis we put on it. We watch it at night before bed so we can relax after work and school. I don’t think that watching TV is a bad thing unless it’s ALL you do. IDK…it’s my life, you can’t have it.

P2 - Choice #1

Choice blogs are my favorite kind of blogs because I can go on about whatever I feel like writing about. I am going to suggest some movies this week. I watch a lot of movies, some better than others. I, personally, am attracted to Dramas because I like the cinematic suspense that comes with each story. I don’t think I will do all drama this week though; I’m going to select a few one older drama and one comedy/drama I just recently watched. Get ready, they’re good.

Okay so the first movie I’m going to suggest is The Color Purple; Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Shug: I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

I’m suggesting The Color Purple because of the story line. It was originally a book (which I’ve never actually read) and I think that this adaption of the film is incredible. This is a really good take on the slavery that went on in the early 1900s. The characters are remember-able and influential to any movie buff like me. Follow Celie, pregnant at 14, by her father, for the next 30 years through a life that no one would even think about living, if they could help it.

Celie: The jail you planned for me is the one you're gonna rot in.

In Bruges; Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Elizabeth Berrington

After shooting an innocent child, the hit men Rey and Ken are sent to Bruges, Belgium by their boss Harry Waters. Rey has no interest in staying in Bruges, and all Ken wants to do is sight see. The two wonder the streets of the beautiful town. Rey comes upon the beautiful Chloe when he walks by a film shoot, and he begins to see Bruges a little differently. Chloe’s co-star is an American Dwarf, Jimmy, and Rey tries his best to make friends with the both of them. While it works, things seem to get worse for Rey and Ken when the memory of shooting a child affects all aspects of his life.

 Ken: Coming up?

Ray: What's up there?

Ken: The view.

Ray: The view of what? The view of down here? I can see that down here.

Ken: Ray, you are about the worst tourist in the whole world.

Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

If you are going to watch a movie, these are good ones to watch. The Color Purple is a rainy Friday night movie, and In Bruges is good for a Sunday afternoon.

P1- Teachers!

Reading this was a little scary because I have recently switched my major to Middle Grades Language Arts. I am looking into being an English Teacher for Middle Schools. I don’t want to think that far ahead in the future because I understand that by the time I step foot into my own classroom the rules will be completely different. I can’t ignore it, though, I realize that while I intern and sub for teachers it will be difficult for me to watch other teachers suffer because of the choices each student makes. There will always be one student who thinks that school is a waste of his/her time. The teacher shouldn’t be at risk of losing his/her job because of that one student.

I think that the Obama Administration has a good idea, but I don’t think they are thinking clearly about how many people this is going to effect. If students begin seeing teachers leave because they aren’t getting high enough test scores they may begin to drop out or think that the government has too much regulation. That is a lot of pressure on the students, to get good grades and pass exams (which they should do anyways but the teachers job shouldn’t depend on the scores of each student individually). The teachers that are coming in now may also have the wrong idea of what teaching is. If they get their own classroom and teach it for the exam and not for the students learning, the point isn’t getting across either. School is a lot more than an exam. It’s where kids spend 13+ years of their lives. They learn how to get along with other people, work as a team, play nicely, share, they learn how to think, react, and pay attention. It isn’t all about the exam at the end of the year.

I believe strongly that it doesn’t matter what school a future teacher goes to, or the education a teacher gets, if they are meant to be a teacher they will know exactly how to do it by the time they get out of college. Teaching is a gift. I don’t know what my life will look like in 8 years, but I do know that I will be 26 years old and I’ll have seen a lot more life. I will watch a president go and new one enter office.  I will watch the rules and regulations change.

O3 - Choice (The Reader)

What do you do when you can't allow yourself to open up emotionally, but you have so much to offer another person? Physically, mentally, emotionally. What do you do when a secret or a truth gets in your way of having an honest relationship with each other? You go through a whole summer of lovemaking and reading stories, you fall in love, you lie, then you leave. But the pain you feel inside isn't the extent of it, you've left another person, someone so attached to you, broken. It makes the viewers think, wonder, ponder, on what THEY think love is. What is love? Is it when things get to be too much, you fall too hard, you want to tell them everything, to be a better person for them? Or is it when you know you can't be what they think you are and then you leave because of it?

The Reader, starring Kate Winslet and David Kross. Hanna Schmitz (Winslet) found a young Michael Berg (Kross) in the alley near her apartment, ill. She cleans him up and takes him home. Three months later, after the Scarlet Fever has left, Michael goes to find Hanna and say "thank you" for her kind help. Hanna is twice Michaels age, but soon the two find a common ground. Michael helped Hanna bring in coal for her shower, mean while getting coal dust all over himself. This is the beginning of a relationship so deep and passionate, yet so secretive and impossible that they could only fall in love with each other. Michael brings his books home from school and begins reading to Hanna; she loves it and their physical relationship deepens.

It isn't until Hanna leaves him, suddenly, that he begins to see the truth. 8 years later, as a law student in college, he sees the woman he used to love on trial. The Nazi trials. Enter post-war Germany, where Hanna sits guilty of a crime she didn't fully commit. And Michael knows the reason she isn't to blame. A secret she kept from him, a love they both shared, a moment in time they will never forget. Take a journey to The Reader and see what happens to two people when they, unlikely, come together for a journey that will follow them for over 30 years.

The Reader, for me, was so intense and so riveting that I couldn't help but love it. The acting in this film was BRILLIANT. So spectacular. DO NOT watch this movie with children, however. There is a lot of nudity due to the artistic nature of the movie.


Michael: I'm not frightened. I'm not frightened of anything. The more I suffer, the more I love. Danger will only increase my love. It will sharpen it, forgive its vice. I will be the only angel you need. You will leave life even more beautiful than you entered it. Heaven will take you back and look at you and say: Only one thing can make a soul complete and that thing is love.

O2- My mother...

My Mother…

She is a mother. As a kid, it is common that you look up to your mother as a superhero or mother Theresa. I can’t say that I didn’t, but for me it stopped earlier than most. Teenagers often fight with their parents because they don’t get what they want because the parents are trying to do what they can for their kids. My mother fell down on that part of my life. I can’t say that she is a hero because she never was. A hero saves people, my mom didn’t save any one of her kids, she actually allowed us to stay children because she wanted to be needed and feel like she was relevant. While that doesn’t seem bad, it is when we look in the mirror and see how spoiled we are. Some are better at hiding it than others, but the effects are the same. I have to live my life fixing what my parents did to me. I don’t have the childhood of someone in Africa, that’s for sure, but I do have some trials of my own.

                 I thought my mom was the ISH, and so did a lot of my friends, but when my Dad left we got to see a little more about her. I won’t share all the details with you, but I will tell you that I have to work every day for the rest of my life to be a good person. If I don’t, I will suffer a miserable life.

                I want to be the best mother a child could have, I want to have the right balance of strict and love. I hope to be the opposite of what I saw as a child. I know that it’s possible, but I also know that it will take a while to get there. Have no fear, though, I will get there!

O1 - College

College pays for itself, I think. I have looked into a community college, a local public college, and a college outside of the state. I can’t really get over the fact that if I stay home, I won’t really be experiencing anything new. The only thing I will see is a new building and some new people, but I’d rather start my life. However, I also understand the huge money problem…

Money is a big part of the college experience, I think. Weather I go to TCU or ECC, I’m not positive yet, but I know where I want to go. I want to begin my life; I want to become my own person. Of course, I can do that while I’m here going to ECC, and it’s cheaper. I think the effects will be different, but I do understand that in the end, my life is already planned out. I can’t worry about my future; I can work every day to be the person I was made to be. I know that the money is incredible that comes out for college and that is a lot to think about. TCU will give me the best perspective on what my life will be. 4 years away from my family is like doing high school all over again, the right way. I feel like parents only let their kids go so far because they don’t want to lose them but I want to be able to say to my kids one day that if they work extremely hard for their middle and high school careers, me and my husband will work every day to give them the lives they each deserve.

                I didn’t grow up with a college fund or a trust fund. I have what I make and that isn’t a lot. I am relying on my faith right now because I can’t see what my future will hold. If I do end up staying home for the first year, I know there is a reason for it.

N3 - Brian Stoldt is as Suave as His Shower Gel.

Brian Stoldt, we all know him as the brother of Tyler Stoldt, quarterback of the Alden Bulldogs, and Senior Editor of The Bulldog. Well, I’m here to give you some more information on the semi-famous sophomore. I sat down with him over a nice cup of awkward, and I asked him a few questions to give us some more factual information. The first question discussed Brian’s favorite word. This question took him the ENTIRE interview to think about. I, however, am not positive on why it took him so long, but he REALLY thought about it. His “favorite” word is Heroic because he said he loves heroic people. Sweet, right?

                Brian’s favorite animal is the dog. He said that he loves Boxers and Bulldogs but soon after he said they were lazy…mixed signals. It takes Brian, all together, an hour to get ready, and if he doesn’t work out in the morning he gets up at 6:30. He uses Suave shower gel in the shower. He says that it is good smelling, fruity. I found that his morning routine is complicated. It depends on, of course, if he puts out his clothes before he goes to bed or not. Interesting.

                I asked Brian, out of curiosity, if his room was messy. He said that he was not the type of person to just throw his clothes on the ground. It’s just that there isn’t enough room, so his clothes are stacked on his floor. He stated that his room was “medium” in the messy department. I then asked Brian if his mother does his laundry, he said, “My mom does 100% of my laundry.” He seemed pretty proud of this so I don’t think there is really anything that I, personally, can say about that. Whatever works, Brian.

To end my interview with Brian, I asked him how he was feeling. He said that he had a bit of a tummy ache but overall he was good, bubbly, and happy. “I’m doin’ alright.”

Well folks, that’ll be all on our little champion. He’s a lovely kid.

N2 - Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin has rocked the Twitter world and shaken up Facebook's newsfeed.

I can't imagine what the father is going through. I am noticing that he's showing a lot of humility about the whole situation. His son, an African American teenager, has been shot by a white man. I believe, strongly, that racism is heavily involved in this instance. I think if this situation were reversed it would have gotten handled A LOT quicker.  A white boy killed by a black man. It's done, the case must be solved. This situation, however, is a little different. The sound of someone yelling "help" in the background on a phone call is a moot point when you think about a situation. A teenager was shot by another person. He should be arrested and put in jail for that alone. The police said that Trayvon was carrying a bag with candy in it...yes; clearly he's ready for a fight.

I don't know why the world is the way it is, but I think a lot of it involves human flaw. Our legal system is jacked up in the first place so for us to expect greatness is a standard that may not get met. I don't know where to put my feelings on the case because I don't know how it will turn out. I don't think Trayvon did anything wrong. I think he was killed under suspicion, and Zimmerman is at fault for a careless choice. Trayvon's family deserves closure and they should have that as soon as possible because the truth of the matter is, this situation affected a lot of people. The phone calls between the police and Zimmerman are all I need to see, personally. I don’t need anyone to tell me that Zimmerman’s choice was the right one. He was told to stay away from the boy and he didn’t. It is his own fault.

On another note, I believe that everything happens for a reason. Trayvon’s death may be to expose the truth about the law system and the racism that lies within it.

N1 - Future Talk

I am going to Texas Christian University for Journalism. A future career for me is a touchy subject because I'm still trying to find out exactly what I want to do. The Journalism industry isn't the same as it previously was, but the media is rapidly growing. Everything that I love involves the media. I don't think this is, simply, because I'm a teenage girl. I could talk about a movie for 2 hours after I saw it. I would review the snot out of it. Music is almost always on. I drive better with music, I work better with music, I sing better with music. I don't think that life would be as fun without music. Now, how does that relate to a career? I'm not sure because a profession involves a lot more than watching E! News and listening to the latest Madonna single.

I want to travel and see the world. I think that because I haven't seen everything that's out there, I'm not able to make a full decision. I need evidence that everything I thought I wanted isn't what I actually want. That is how I'll know that the career I'm in is the one that I'm supposed to be in. It's confusing and, perhaps, high maintenance but I can't help it. The world is a HUGE place, and there is so much to see. Art, music, clubs, cafés, clothes, architecture, cars, food, deserts, hotels, movies, TV, entertainment, these all will influence my choice in career. Why? Well because I am a little part of every one of those things. I hold every experience dear to my heart. I don't know life outside of what I'm doing now. College will change my perspective, friends, family, vacations, and food, will all influence my choice in career. I don't want to be a stay at home Mom. I'd be SO bored. I think, right now, that I want to work a lot. I want to run all over the place. Kids will come later in life, for me. There are so many things that I wish to do. I don't know if I can choose right now. I have to experience what life has to offer before I jump hard and heavy into a relationship with my future career. 

M3. Choicity Choice Choice

I decided to run for the border with this one. Let’s talk about my “Starred” playlist on Spotify. While I am a large fan of Pandora I always find myself back on Spotify listening to these 10 songs.

                Here we go:

#1 (in no order) Turn up the Music by Chris Brown.

I listen to this song because at the Grammy’s he KILLED his performance. His moves are solely based on Michael Jackson and in this music video we see a lot of great Breezy moves with a splattering of MJ. A party track for sure.

#2 I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz.

I feel that this song is a classy side of Mraz. It’s a sleeper for sure because it’s so slow that a lot of people would be turned off, but the lyrics are real and obviously meaningful to the artist. A lot of relationships involve conversations exactly like this.

#3 For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert.

Yes, I’m taking it back a few years but I have a reason. If you don’t want to listen to the whole song, skip to 2:40 and listen until 2:57. You will understand exactly why it’s starred.

#4 Glad You Came by The Wanted.

 This is a new favorite. I love the feel of this song; it’s fresh and gives a new feel to a pop song.

#5 Siberia (Unlike Pluto Remix) by LIGHTS. 

This song is rad. Her voice is captivating and the song is perfect for driving on around after dinner, on the way to a party or the latest club. Not to get to specific.

#6 Banner (SixSickSix Remix) by LIGHTS

This. Is. My. Jam. I can’t get this song to go away. A little dubstep, a little punk, a little love, a little snare. Seriously though, I’m speechless. It’s good.

#7 Cobrastyle by Robyn

FOREVER. This song is a forever song. I can’t not, listen to this song at least once a week. I think Robyn has swag. This song is fresh.

#8 Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye

This track is incredible. I think it’s the best song he’s come out with. Kimbra (the guest star on this track) is new and she’s rad. Her style is so different but that makes her album work for me. The two of them together are magical. In this track you are able to get a glimpse of a post break-up discussion that truly sums up the fact that there are always two sides of a story.

#9 A personal favorite Bad Girls by M.I. A

My swag G. She has swag for days. This track shows that she’s matured, and I’m not mad about it. This track has been running strong for the past few months and the music video is CRAZY. She has a unique sound and it takes a specific ear to get her beauty. Again, the girl is rolling in swag. If anyone has swag, it’s her.

#10 Think Like A Man by Jennifer Hudson and Ne-Yo

Can we talk about how these two need to get married? Okay. I’ve said it.   They killed this track. While it’s only for a movie, the song is the story of the lives of many. Jennifer Hudson is stunning and Ne-Yo is fly. This is a must listen to.

M2. Texting and Driving

Texting and driving is a something that should be seriously enforced. I think that it is hard, however, to get through to all teenagers. Even adults are checking e-mails and answering voicemails on their phones while driving. When you’re on the road it is essential that you’re paying attention at ALL times. Talking from experience, all it takes is a look to the left for one second too long, and you’re moving towards the shoulder of the road or into the next lane. I can’t imagine trying to text and drive. In traffic…that’s one thing but while going 55 on Broadway? Are we kidding? We can’t be away from our phones for the 30 minute drive it takes to get wherever we’re going? (Notice…I said 30 minutes because it takes exactly that to get anywhere relatively decent. This is a blog. I can speak my mind.)

Overall I struggle with the idea of texting while driving because I am so nervous to hit a child or a person on a bike. I could even hit a pole and seriously injure myself. I made a promise to my Dad that I wouldn’t text and drive so of course I have to keep it.

Now that I’ve expressed my feeling on texting and driving, I can talk about what technology is coming out that will hopefully erase this problem or at least lessen it.  Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech is already out but it isn’t perfect yet. There are a lot of glitches because it is new technology, but in the near future we will begin to see this expand. While you’re in the car your Bluetooth will pick up your text message and give you the option of hearing it through your speakers. You can listen to your text message and simply say “reply” to activate your Bluetooth voice recognizer and dictate your text message. Say “Period” and “Send” when you’re done and off your text message goes. This will eliminate some of the distraction that comes with using the touchpad or keyboard on your phone to send a text while driving.

M1: Em BARE Assed.

The most embarrassing moment of my life, okay. Well I find that the word embarrassing is rather embarrassing.  Em BARE Assed.

Okay, I’m ready now.

I think that I am most embarrassed when other people are embarrassed. I don’t really get embarrassed because I laugh at myself. But when someone else falls and I witness it…forget it. My face is beat red, I’m trying so hard to keep it together, and I have to walk away. So, if I had to choose an embarrassing moment I would pick the moment when an old friend and I were walking around outside, about to get picked up from school, and it had just rained. Now, let me introduce you to the place where this incident took place…Alden High School.  The walkway outside of the gym is great, right? Well not if it just rained and your foot slips into the half-grass-half-mud mess on the opposite side of the pavement.  This particular day it was extremely muddy and my friend and I went to turn the corner to get to our parent’s car. She was the closest to the end of the pavement and when we turned she ran out of room and stepped into the mud. Cue embarrassing moment: her foot rejected the ground and sent her body flying into the air, only to land, heavily, in the mud on her butt.

                I am dying.

Because of the way she fell, the mud was able to make a straight trail up her right side. She, of course, had shorts on (I believe they were white) and the mud was sloppy. I couldn’t help but bring out the loud laugh. The laugh where you begin laughing and then go silent for 3 to 5 seconds only to come back with a roar that could also be considered embarrassing (I happen to have one of those laughs).

Once we stopped laughing the embarrassing part, on my end, kicked in. HOW DO YOU ASK A PERSON IF THEIR OKAY AFTER THAT? Seriously though, it was really awkward.  On the real.

L3 - What are you afraid of?

What am I afraid of?

I can’t really say that I am afraid of anything…other than spiders, but even that is just a simple, strong, dislike. I try my hardest to fear only what I can prevent. If I allow myself to slip into a place of failure I fear for my future.  I fear, sometimes, that the bad side of my parents will show in my own life but the only thing I can do is work my hardest to not become them. I can prevent failure and if I wasn’t afraid of failing I wouldn’t be succeeding. This is a crazy spin on a simple question but I have to be honest.

I can’t say that I’m afraid of ghosts or things that go bump in the night. I’m not afraid of death and I don’t have stage fright. I used to hate rollercoasters but I don’t anymore. In fact…I went on the tower of terror, twice, this past break.

When I begin to fear something I remind myself that I’ve seen worse. If I haven’t, I work through it. I try to walk through my own feelings and self-correct. All of the female adult figures in my family are very fearful. They worry about everything from a bruise on a child’s arm to the common cold. I think that that kind of fear will leave the child in fear until he/she figures out, like I did, that not everything is the end of the world. I find it exhausting to worry about things I have no control over. If it’s flu season, wash your hands and don’t French kiss anyone who has it. If we were made to fear every situation this world would be in chaos.  

I probably talked too much and told you too much but hey, I answered the question.

L2 - Choice Blog!

Choice Blog! YEAHBUDDY.

Garden State is this week’s topic. I went on vacation with my family over the break and on the way to and from Florida we had 24 hours in the car so we brought movies to watch.  Garden State was highly recommended for us and my brother watched it and loved it but I was gone the night they watched it so they brought it on the trip for me to watch.  Well, I did and I will never regret it.  This movie was incredible. 

                Starring Natalie Portman and Zach Braff we are treated to a side of both of these actors that captures our hearts. Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a run-down actor who can’t seem to find happiness. He’s on medication that was prescribed to him over 16 years ago and he can’t remember what life was like before he started taking the pills.  Now, home for his mother’s funeral, feeling responsible for her death, and even being off of his off the medication he least expects to find the friend he meets. Sam (Natalie Portman) is a quirky girl who has some problems of her own.

                Garden State is all about letting go and forgiving your past.  Andrew and Sam’s friendship changes both of their lives.

Sam: “You're in it right now, aren't you?”

Andrew Largeman: “What?”

Sam: “My mom always says that, when she can see I'm like working something out in my head, she's like, ‘you're in it right now' and I'm looking at you're telling this story, and you're definitely in it.”

If I ever thought that a friendship like this was unattainable I realized that I was looking in all the wrong places. Sam and Andrew’s relationship was electric. Portman and Braff have an on screen connection that goes beyond The Notebook and Titanic. It is a truthful story of pain, struggle, love, and conquering the past.

L - The Super Bowl

My Super Bowl Sunday is generally spent at Brandon Hartwig’s house for his birthday.  I’ve only missed 2 years since 4^th grade.  This year was the first year we actually spent time watching it, in previous years our time was spent on the Puppy Bowl or playing hide and go seek.  I didn’t know who was playing until the day before and I decided to go with The Patriots because they lost the last time they faced the Giants so naturally they’d come back ready to win.   Well…it didn’t turn out so well.  BUT as always the food was fabulous and the cake was even better.   I ate my weight in rye bread and French onion dip on top of the few pounds of Sherbet Punch I drank.  The Super Bowl is cool and all but I watch it mainly for the performances.  This year M.I.A performed with Madonna and M.I.A is my girl. In previous weeks I saw her new music video for her new single Bad Girls.  Naturally the song has been on repeat through the past few weeks.  The Super Bowl was worth watching because of her. 

                This Super Bowl we stayed later and watched The Voice together and it was actually really cool.  I hadn’t ever watched the show before but it definitely got me excited for American Idol this season. Which is really good by the way.  So, that is my Super Bowl experience.

                In future years I will be in college so I’m sure that there will be bigger events and many more fans participating in the fun so I will be more invested next football season. I look forward to meeting people who are invested because that gives me a reason to watch…otherwise I will forget.

Yay for college, yay for parties, yay for good food, yay that this blog is over J



K4) Part Two

PART TWO

July 1^st 9:46pm;

I’m back and I’m sure you’re wondering where I am and why I’m in the same room with this kid.  Well, his name is Ronnie, and he’s 14 years old. He’s here for the same reason I am…kind of.  His brother, who is trying to sleep next to me, is here for the same reason and Ronnie had to come with him because there was no one else to watch him.  Joshia is a year older than me and a sophomore in college at the age of 19.

                I haven’t had time to write because on the plane Ronnie, Joshia, and I spoke about how our parents met and what little we knew about the situation and yesterday we were out all day exploring our new home for the summer.

                That Friday while I was saying goodbye to Auntie Ess and Nana I heard a car horn, and I thought it was Uncle Dev so I ran out the door and stopped about one foot from where Joshia stood.  My face must have given me away because he said, “You must be Elizabeth.”

                “Just Beth, but yes, and who are you?” I asked him.

                “I’m Joshia.” He extended his hand to shake mine. I ignored him in my confusion so he continued to explain himself while grabbing my bags and walking towards his car.  It was a blue Chevy truck, parked next to the Beetle. “I got a call from your Uncle about an hour ago saying that he told you about your parents and you wanted to go to Europe, too.”

                “‘Too’… as in you also want to go?” I asked.

                “Yes. I have begged him to tell me I can go many times before today. Finally, I am able to go because you weren’t going to take no for an answer.”  He was quick at packing up the truck. He opened the door for me and I sat in the front seat.  All the while, I’m trying desperately to figure out who this guy was.  How did he know my Uncle?  How did he find out about his parents?  Did he get a note, too?

                “Hi!” I heard from the backseat.  I turned quickly and found a little boy eating cheese puffs staring at me. “I’m Ronnie.” He paused and after he checked me out he started, “ Dammm--“

                “Ronnie, don’t say it.” Joshia cut him off and turned to me. “So, we have about 2 hours before our plane leaves so I figure we can drive to the airport, check in, and wait for the plane. I’m sure there is plenty to keep us busy.” He laughed.

                “Yeah,” I said dazedly “I guess so.”

I used the mirror to put on lip gloss and found Ronnie staring at me with a smile. “Joshia, who is he?”

                “That’s my brother Ronnie. You can just ignore him.” He replied nonchalantly.

That began my trip to Europe.  We did get to the airport on time and had about 15 minutes to spare.  Joshia explained that his Mother and Father have been acting suspicious since last summer so he took matters into his own hands.  He started by taking their phones and tracking numbers and realizing the area codes weren’t from the United States so he asked questions.  They refused to answer him because it was “nothing to worry about” so when he found Uncle Dev’s number under the name “Good Source” he called and asked what he offered. Uncle Dev tried to cover himself but Joshia came right out with what he wanted to know. Which was what were him and Joshia’s parents doing on all these phone calls. Joshia told him that his parents didn’t know that he knew about Uncle Dev so they could meet secretly.  They met last month and when Joshia was shown his own note that sounded similar to mine he began to ask to come to Europe to fight this battle himself. 

                I had to explain that there was no battle but we were going to find our parents and help with the case. His only reply was “Or we can solve the case ourselves.”

                So here we are now, in Europe for the second night.  We’re in a hotel on a busy street in London that only hasone queen and a single bed.  Ronnie begged for the single and because he snores and kicks in his sleep and Joshia promised to keep to his side of the bed, so I agreed to share a bed with Joshia.  

Tomorrow begins our journey.  We have talked strategy and explored the back streets of London in a taxi cab.  Whoever threatened us can’t know we’re here so we’ll have to outthink him.  We know that our parents will call us daily and we’ll answer to cover ourselves.  Of course it will add a lot the money on our phone bill but they won’t see that until after we catch the true murderer of  Kahi Macer.  We can worry about the bill when we get back.

                For now, Joshia is complaing that the light is still on.

K2.) Part One

June 28^th 4:30pm;

Well, I’m back, sleeping in the “bird room” for the second summer in a row. I hope that this summer will be a little different from last summer; it’s hard to believe that it could be worse. When I got here Nana and Auntie Ess greeted me with joy and I didn’t want to be rude so I pretended to be just as excited.  I understand that Mom and Dad want to “see the world” but I don’t understand why I can’t go with them.  I have the time and we certainly have the money so there has to be another reason…

 I can’t think about it now, I have to meet Uncle Dev for dinner at Racko’s. 

Ugh… I have to drive the beetle.

9:30pm;

Remember when I said I couldn’t think about why my parents won’t let me go to Europe with them? Well as it turns out, I didn’t have to.  Uncle Dev talked to me during dinner, trying to have a heart to heart, which just turned into me asking questions. He said that “Your parents aren’t who you think they are. They aren’t exploring the architecture in Europe.  They’re working with an agent to investigate the Kahi Murder.”

                “My parents are involved in the Kahi Murder?” I asked incredulous.

                “Not directly but they’ve been asked to help with the investigation.”

                “Uncle, that has been over for 5 years now.  They’ve stopped looking. His killer confessed!”

He looked at me like he knew I would say that. Sighing he said “Beth, you’re right it has been put to rest but the government doesn’t know about the investigation.  This is not a federal case.” He paused as my face changed from disbelief to confusion and worry. “Your parents are involved in an underground company set up to frame the real killer.”

I thought about the logistics of his statement and I couldn’t find a flaw other than “Why my parents? They are prison guards.”

                “Prison guards who watched over the alleged Kahi murderer.” He went on “Your parents have been working from home since February of last year, searching through evidence, secret meetings with other agents and many late nights researching the back streets of Europe.  They stopped after last summer, when they found what they thought was very little evidence, until the anniversary of their initial research when they got a letter in the mail.” He looked at me with sympathy and gave me the letter.

                Hello Elizabeth,

I am writing to inform you of the risky and highly dangerous business your parents are involved in. Dangerous how? You may be thinking. 

                It’s only dangerous because they’ve entered the wrong territory.

 Now I’m after you.

                Sincerely, Gronge.

My stomach flipped and suddenly my burger looked poisonous.  I looked up at Uncle Dev. My parents are in another country trying to find the real killer of a murder the government thinks is solved.  Now the real killer is after me because my parents are too close to catching him.

Here I sit, in the “bird room” on the bed. I’ve just finished repacking my bags.

                “If he wants me, he can find me in Europe. Pick me up in an hour; I’ll have two tickets booked, if you choose not to come I won’t blame you.” I told my Uncle just before leaving the restaurant. It’s been an hour. It’s time to leave.

With or without him.

K1.) Alvan

It’s been 17 years since this day, October 28^th, 1990 and I have always thought this book was stupid idea. Why would I ever need it? “Why take pictures Mom? Live in the moment!” I used to say to her as I stood mechanically in front of the Red Robbin mascot or with Mickey at Disney World.

“You never know, Honey, this may become a big part of your life one day.” She’d respond with her beautiful smile; and she was right, as Mom always is. This day and this particular memory stood out vividly though I was only five. His hands were rough on my arm but I knew he meant no harm, he was a strong man.  He showed me the boat and told me the story of when he rode that very boat across the Atlantic.  I remember thinking how heroic he was, so brave.  He was who I wanted to be.

I heard the door open and footsteps before she spoke. “It’s beautiful. How late was it? It seems so dark out.”

It was Kali. She came and sat next to me smelling of violets and vanilla with a hint of red wine.

“It was early, around 5 am. He woke me up along with my Mother, as promised.” I turned the book towards her. “The boat was his. He gave it to a group of fishermen after he came back from his trip. It had been over 20 years since he saw it last but he knew they were coming to town that morning.”

She responded by taking my hand in hers.  It was warm today, which came as a surprise to me because I am used to a slight chill. I looked her in the eye and she smiled with a hint of sympathy. I didn’t finish the story, I didn’t need to. She knew I’d tell her someday, maybe when I was telling my own son. We sat in comfortable silence, with her hand in mine. The grandfather clock rang at the hit of 7:00pm. Kali moved with a quick motion, startled, realizing the time. She paused before getting up and looked at me.  She wiped the only tear from my cheek.

“It’s time to say goodbye, Alvan. I’ll see you down there.” She kissed me on the forehead just before leaving.

I found out about his sickness just before my college graduation, it shattered my world because he acted so normal. So brave. After 6 months of hospital visits and late night ambulances he finally said his last words. That was three days ago.

“The boat returns in 7 days. Go for me, Alvan.”

“I will, I’ll go.”

Now I stand in my suit and tie, pick up the book and think to myself, Thank you Mom.

J - Choice

Ides of March starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (bolded because, as we know, he’s my favorite actor) has officially rocked my view on politics. The movie was spectacular and extremely captivating. For those who haven’t seen it I would stop reading now.

Ryan Gosling has recently taken a serious step in his acting and entered the world of suspense and drama. As the movie progresses you’ll see a switch in all the characters and those who start out as your favorite might end up being your least favorite. This movie gives its viewers and inside scoop on what really happens in politics while on the road between states. This includes the negotiations for the endorsement decisions, scandals, and affairs. George Clooney and Ryan Gosling had a strained relationship throughout the movie, Ryan Gosling playing Stephen Meyers is second in command of Governor Mike Morris's (George Clooney) presidential campaign and as he works his way up in the business he faces a decision that could be fatal for Morris’s campaign. As the story unfolds and Meyers invests in a romantic relationship with an intern he finds out that he isn’t the only one breaking the rules. Enter the plot thickener: who got her pregnant and why is Morris calling her at 2am?

Meyers makes his decision and weather it helped or hurt is unknown.

Going from:

Stephen Meyers: I'm not a Christian. I'm not an Atheist. I'm not Jewish. I'm not Muslim. My religion, what I believe in is called the Constitution of United States of America.

to…

Stephen Meyers: You can lie, you can cheat, you can start a war, you can bankrupt the country, but you can't f*** the interns. They get you for that.

…is proof of the character change in Meyers.

Was his change for the good or for revenge? Find out for yourself.

J - Music!

My favorite topic! Well, right now I have a few. As stated in other blog posts I am a big fan of music. Lately I have been into specific artists and those that I like have been on replay…all night. Drake’s new album Take Care was a pass through when it first came up but last week I was in the mood to hear him and I listened to his whole album through. It’s not an Obsession. That night as it was blasting through my room I called my brother in and showed him some of his best.

I’m afraid I started something.

It’s a favorite now, Marvin’s Room has been on rotation every car ride, while making dinner, during homework, before we all go to bed. Obsession.

It’s not because he’s attractive. It’s the story he tells, he keeps it real. You get to learn what it’s like to be Drake through every song he sings. His style has evolved, while it’s turned more towards Lil Wayne it would be hard not to when he’s one of your closest friends. 

While I listen to A LOT of different artists, right now, Drake is my escape. I find that he’s easy to listen to and open with who he is and what he’s feeling. The best on Take Care, I believe, are The Ride, Shot for Me, Make Me Proud, Marvin’s Room, Buried Alive, We’ll Be Fine, The Real Her, and Under Ground Kings. He’ll be rising over the next few years. He’s got what it takes to make it.

One of my favorite lines from him is from Marvin’s Room:

“I got some women that's living off me

Paid for their flights and hotels I’m ashamed

…Having a hard time adjusting to fame”

A lot of others include: Kirk Franklin, Justin Timberlake, Blackstreet, Francesca Battistelli, Usher, Erykah Badu, Beyonce, Mary Mary, Paramore, Jill Scott, and Lauryn Hill.