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 |   My first blog about my life, my favorite music, my opinions, my feelings. Whatever. |
This is the first blog I've ever had! You'll have to bear with me because I'm still learning how to do this whole thing. I'll admit that it's bit of a mess right now. I started blogging for "The Soundtrack of Your Life"  and I couldn't just let it end there! I don't think there's any point in keeping a separate blog for all of the blogging groups I want to join. I'm going to keep them all in this one so I can grow into an eclectic pot of confusion.What you'll find here:  My opinions on everything. Blog prompts for various groups. A different song everyday that means something to me. Experiences I've had in lifeWARNING This blog is rated GC and will contain offensive language, stories, and opinions. Please don't read if you're easily offended! My intentions aren't to offend anyone, so trust my warning and turn back now or forever hold your peace!  Things I'll be using this blog for:  "The Soundtrack of Your Life"  "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" I want to hear from you! As I mentioned before, this is my first blog. I'd love to hear from anyone who reads this. Leave a comment, rating, or review. Let me know what you like to read about. Have a suggestion for me to write about? I'd love to hear it. The best thing about a blog is the exchanging of opinions between bloggers and readers. I want to keep us all interested. Plus, it's just nice to get a little love sometimes. Let's get to know each other.   Charlie ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **   ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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Artist: Slowdive Album: Souvlaki Song: Dagger [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics Roads are all the same. Some are winding, hilly, bumpy, smooth. Some are full of cars, others are empty, desolate. This road is dark and Dillon has made it his mission to make everyone aware of that. "I think we missed the exit, Kira. I don't remember it being this dark before. I can't even see the map. Did you see that highway marker, Charlie?" It's people like this that you don't understand. Really, what's the worst-case scenario? What's the bottom line here? "We need to go back. I think there was a gas station like ten miles back. God, it's so dark, I'm trying to read this stupid thing. Did you hear me, Kira? We should go back." "Would you shut the fuck up?" Kira snaps from the driver seat. "I've lived here for twenty-five years. I think I know where I'm going." Twenty-five, you think. Hmm, that's quite a while. But everything seems like a long time when you're eighteen. Silence falls over the car, the awkward kind like when mommy and daddy have just had a troubling argument. You don't know what to think of either one of them quite yet. He's constantly whining and she's not consistent enough to even gauge. After what seems like an hour of silence, a small voice from the backseat pipes, "Is your phone dead, Charlie? I really can't see a thing on this map." Kira's jaw tenses next to you as the car speeds up. You look out the window as he continues. "Come on, man. Please stop." Try to figure out exactly how you got here, bouncing down a dark Texas highway. Let your life link up like a concept map in your mind. Put home in the center. Branch out to different cities, different states, different people. Your stomach growls, twist your torso to make it stop. Hungry. Always hungry. Always sacrificing. Decisions, decisions. Shake an empty water bottle from the floor. Push your hand into your stomach, silently begging for it to stop. You're hungry. I know. I get it. "Can I have a cigarette?" "Huh?" she asks. That asshole annoyed her. You point to the pack on the center console. "Can I bum one?" She smiles and it lights up her whole face, or maybe it's the moon hitting it just right. "Sure." Decide you love her. Immediately change your mind. What a stupid thought. Roll down the window and light up. Drag the smoke deep into your lungs, might as well make it count, at least it staves off the hunger for a while. The air is humid, like every southern Texas night. "Charlie, the wind is hurting my ears," the whining voice reemerges. "My ears, Charlie. Can you hurry up with that thing? Can you at least roll it up a little?" Sigh loudly. Of course he'd want to take the one good thing you have away. Lightning flashes to your right and a field is lit up briefly. "There's your light, Dillon. Did you have time to check the map?" you joke. She laughs next to you, light as a bell and you glance over. Will it ever be just the two of you? She catches you looking at her and raises one arched eyebrow in response. "Music?" "Music, yes, music is good." She flips the stereo on and you know the song almost instantly, a shoegaze band that reminds you of home. Reminds you of lying in bed all night. Reminds you of prescription cocktails. Rest your head against the window and let yourself float back to the blue-carpeted floors and big picture window of your childhood. "What is this? I don't like this song. Can you play the Beatles?" Not even the incessant crybaby in the back can break your trance. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** She whispers while I'm sleeping I love you when you smile I didn't really lose you I just lost it for a while |
| 30DBC Alright, everyone! Who's ready for The 30-Day Blogging Challenge Unofficial Elimination Style Fundraising Blog Challenge? Name kinda has a ring to it, yeah? So, let's lay it all out there. I love blogging and I love the 30DBC group. That's why I'm here. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I might not be the most competitive person. Okay, let's face it. I AM NOT the most competitive person. On top of that, I'm working full time and in school full time right now. I fully expect to be the weakest link on whichever team I end up on. Buuuuuut, my blogging habit speaks for itself. If it's blogging that's required, I've got it under control.  WHAT I NEED Because I always need something, right?  If you feel like supporting an awesome group that really needs it, click on the image above and sign up for this month's challenge. It's not gonna be high pressure, and just remember, I'm probably going to suck more than you. You have nothing to worry about. You can sign up until Feb. 2nd at midnight. When you sign up, tell 'em Charlie sent you and I'll do something real special for you.   |
Artist: Cat Stevens Album: Footsteps In The Dark Song: If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics Welcome to another WDC Soundtracker challenge! Are you all geared up for this one? I'm super psyched because the February challenge marks the one year anniversary of both the Soundtracker challenge and my first blog entry. It's awesome to see the way the group has grown over the last year. It really is such a fun challenge every time. Once you start it, you've gotta join right up for the next one. I mean, what could be better than meeting new friends and sharing music? It's just the best possible combination. When we started out last February, I kicked it off with "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" by Bob Dylan. It's hard to start things off that strong again, but I've got faith in my Day 1 choice, Cat Stevens. What a perfect song for a challenge about music. If you've read my blog before, you could probably already guess that I'm a big fan of him, because, well, he's amazing. The thing is, I'm going back to my roots for this challenge and it's going to be a bit weird at first. It's probably going to feel awkward, it might make you uncomfortable at times, but just give me the steering wheel and let me do my thing in my natural habitat. I promise I'll make it worth your time.   ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You watch her stride across the splintered hardwood floors and slide the DVD in. You'd rather be playing cards, but you somehow lost an ace, which everyone knows is one of the most important in the deck. Simple pleasures like this are all you have at this point. No computer, no phone, no internet, no cable... just yourselves and a beat up DVD player. She swears by the movie. "I've seen it about a million times, Charlie. Relax a bit, you're so tense. Are you tweaking?" Your skin itches, the bones inside too uncomfortable to sit still. Your mouth goes dry as cotton and you feel a skeletal hand on your neck, only to realize a branch is peaking in through the casement window. You crank it shut. It's too humid anyway, but with no central air, you know she'll be complaining before the opening credits are over. "Harold and Maude, Charlie. It's Harold and Maude." Her mouth forms a perfect O on the last word and you can't quite tell what she said. Harold and Mod, Mauve? Harold and Mauve? The room aches and pulsates around you and you feel yourself break out in a sweat. A fly lands on your neck and you scream, sure that it's a spider. "The movie, pay attention. It's starting," her mouth hangs open a moment too long and you think she might just devour you whole, her jaw unhinging like a snake. Shake your head to rid the thought. A dark staircase, patent leather shoes, and names, so many names, flash across the screen. "SONGS COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY CAT STEVENS" A folksy tune greets you, calms you for a moment as the well-dressed boy finishes a letter, lights the altar candle, and... hangs himself. You jump up. "No, nope. No. I'm not watching this. Not right now. You pace back and forth, antsy as hell. Pull your wet-with-sweat shirt over your head and immediately get the chills. "I can't breathe." She ignores you, eyes dancing in the light of the following scene. "Sit, love, he's not really dead. Come on, I wouldn't do that to you. It's Harold and Maude, Charlie." Harold and Mold? What the fuck is she saying? By the time "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" comes on, you're in the fetal position on the couch completely reevaluating your life. The ending is decidedly cruel. "What did you think?" she asks, as the closing credits scroll across the screen, Harold walking away with his banjo. "Cat Stevens," you say in response, enunciating each letter of his name. "Cat Stevens." If you want to sing out Sing out And if you want to be free Be free Cause there's a million things to be You know that there are |
Artist: The Kooks Album: Junk of the Heart Song: Junk of the Heart [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Rework your previous blog entry into a (minimum) twelve line poem in any form. Blog City: Do you remember the thrill of meeting the person you thought was right for you? Do you think your story stands the test of time or are the circumstances locked in the moment when it happened? Was their ultimate joy or sadness with this experience? Conspiracy Theorists on a Lazy Afternoon With a tired roll of her eyes, she says again between labored sighs, "We never landed on the moon, listen real quick, smoke and mirrors, it was all a trick that you bought into quietly like a sheep. The government lies and their talk is cheap." No talk of evidence or living proof could convince this chick it wasn't a spoof. What could I do with my impaired wife but say something shitty amid the strife? "They must not educate you well in the South, because the stupidest shit just falls out your mouth." She took a step back and gasped in shock. "You're just like your father," she began to mock. "Any real man wouldn't speak like that," she crossed her arms and angrily spat. Such drama, what a scene! I couldn't help but laugh as I stared at my vicious, yet better, other half. "Something funny?" she asked, her tone said it all. Between laughing I howled, "This is absurd, doll, to come to blows over something so weird." "Yeah, well you started it," she foolishly sneered. But as soon as the words came tumbling out, she stumbled into her own laughing bout. And that was the end of our conspiracy fight, it actually turned out to be a decent night. This happened long ago, but even now, when the light catches her right, I wonder how she's managed thirty years with an opinion so dumb, but I'm a good boy now and just bite my tongue. I think that about sums up yesterday's entry.  Now let's talk about first loves for Blog City. I fell in love with this girl when I was 16/17. Man, I'm talking head over heels, wouldn't listen to what anyone had to say kinda love. You know, the unhealthy variety where you're so codependent on each other that everyone who cares about you is trying to intervene.I met her not long after I moved out of my parents' house. She would hang out at the dive venues I'd go to for local shows. I'm not exactly sure what it is I liked about her now, honestly. I think I just thought she was really cool? She felt rebellious and weird. Nothing like I'd ever seen back home and I completely ate it up. I even moved across the country to be with her, which was a total bust. It was funny because it just kept getting worse and worse. Like, in the beginning, all of my friends and family hated her, straight from jump street. My parents thought she dressed too promiscuously, which wasn't good for their Catholic boy. My brothers thought she treated me like shit. My friends thought she was cool, ya know, for a night, but not as a long-term girlfriend. Then when I told everyone I was going to move like 1200 miles to be with her, I remember the look on everyone's face. I didn't tell them all at the same time and some of them I didn't tell at all. But the ones I did couldn't believe it. I remember being told by multiple people, "You're going to regret that." And I did, but, you have to make your mistakes. It's part of life. Was this a fleeting thing where the circumstances are locked into it? Definitely. Like I said, I can't even remember why I liked her anymore. She's truly such an awful person, and I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. I've never been so wrapped around someone's finger before, to the point where I won't even talk to her now because she scares me. She's way too manipulative. The thing is, fleeting love like that just isn't healthy. Being into someone on that level isn't good for you, like when you put them on a pedestal and think they're better than you. I wouldn't say there is joy or sadness in the experience. It's bittersweet. It was a learning experience, kind of like taking a difficult school course. There were good times and bad times and I look back at it occasionally and remember both aspects. It was a lesson learned, to say the least. See, I notice nothing makes you shatter, You're a lover of the wild and a joker of the heart. |
Artist: Alex Turner Album: Submarine OST. Song: It's Hard To Get Around The Wind [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Voltaire once said, “I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: Oh Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it.". Has someone ever upset you to the point that it was actually funny? WTMR: What tips and tricks do you have for managing stress that you can share with others? I feel like this is the second time we've talked about Voltaire during this challenge, or at least it's the second time I have. I think I got him mixed up with someone else a while back. Everyone is Voltaire in my eyes. To answer the main question in today's prompt- a million times, yes! I don't handle stress very well (we'll talk about that later), so it's easy for me to get overwhelmed in a situation and just start laughing or crying or both. Have you ever gotten so angry that you just started crying? It's, like, highly embarrassing. I've gotten to that point with Kira before where we're fighting and everything just seems so fucked that I can't help but start laughing. We've actually both done it at the same time before, especially if we're arguing about something stupid. We got into this argument one time because she kept saying that the moon landing was a conspiracy and I kept saying it wasn't. It turned into this, like, arduous two-hour long debate. You know a debate is over when you start personally attacking each other too. Like, "Dammit, they never landed on the moon and you're just like your father!" It ended with us both yelling at each other and then, while she was yelling at me, I kind of took myself out of the situation and saw how silly it really was. I burst out laughing in the middle of her bitching at me, which didn't go over well at first, but eventually it caught on. It was kind of like, "Why are you laughing? It's not funny. I'm not laughing... Stop laughing, Charlie... Stop. Seriously, stop. Heh, it's not funny. I mean, ha ha, seriously stop." Once you're doing the mouth twitch to try not to smile, you know it's over. Oh boy, stress management! Like I said before, I'm not great at managing stress. My method goes like this: 1) avoid the problem 2) panic about the problem 3) do something about the problem. There are several steps between realizing there's a problem and actually taking action to solve the things that's causing me stress. Like right now, I'm stressed out about my maths test next week. Instead of just calming down and studying for it, I feel panicked every time I look at the review test. I need to just slow down and take it one problem at a time until I understand it. Stress management is funny for me because I know what needs to be done, I just don't know how to go about doing it. One thing I do try to do is remind myself that nothing is going to get done as long as I'm freaking out. If I'm in a state of panic, I don't accomplish anything and I can't retain information because my mind is going way too fast. If a situation gets too stressful and I really feel like I'm losing it, I'll try to get out of the house and see one of my brothers or a friend because the people around me know what's up when I'm stressed out. The second they see me it's like "Okay, what's going on? Why are you freaking out?" People can easily talk me down, if they know the right things to say. I can talk other people down too. I just can't turn that advice on myself and use it for good. Ah well, I'll figure it out someday. I'm gonna go study. It's like you're trying to get to heaven in a hurry And the queue was shorter than you thought it would be |
Artist: Arctic Monkeys Album: AM Song: Knee Socks [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Is there ever justification for revenge? Has vengeance ever paid off for you personally? WTMR: Forgive and Forget is something we are often told is best for us. Are you able to forgive and forget when you have been hurt by someone you love, respect and/or trust? Why or why not? The good thing about a shitty day is that the next day is usually much better. I don't know yet if that's the case for today or not, but I guess we'll see. The two prompts go together really well today. I knew I was saving this WTMR one for a reason. I can't wait until the Soundtrackers challenge starts. I feel like there's a lot of community spirit with them at this point. They're a lot of fun, so go sign up if you haven't: "The Soundtrack of Your Life" .Revenge and vengeance are inherently immature words to me. But, fuck it, I'm not a saint and hell yes, I practice them liberally. It's pretty much known among myself and my friends that if you do some shady shit, you're going to get yours. It's happened to me before, so it's only fair. Plus, the fear of revenge is what keeps people in line. I mean, our entire justice system is based on revenge. "You do something you shouldn't do, you sit in a tiny prison cell or get lethally injected, depending on the crime." It's human nature to want to get back at someone when they've wronged you. For me, it's not about the 'eye for an eye' philosophy, it's more about feeling better myself. I mean, if someone hurts a family member or a friend and I go punch them in the face, have I won? No, of course not. But do I feel a little bit better? For sure. One thing I can't do is sit around while someone is being harassed or hurt. I feel like it's the same as hurting them myself because I'm condoning it by just sitting by idly. Talking is great, when the person is willing to listen, but my fuse is somewhat short so if I'm trying to have a serious conversation with someone and they keep blowing me off, I tend to lose my cool. So, yes, I do think revenge is justified in some cases. I think people are seeking vengeance even when they don't call it by name because it has a negative connotation. And, yes, it has paid off for me personally in the past. To be fair though, I am omitting the times it hasn't paid off. Now, let's talk about the total opposite. Forgive and Forget is something we're told all our lives. I would consider myself to be an extremely forgiving person, despite what I just said about exacting revenge. All I want when I'm wronged is for the other person to own up to it. I've forgiven unspeakable things committed by people I care about. Like, to the extent that the other people around me are like, "How could you possibly ever speak to that person again?" I'm a well-decorated fuck up myself, so I can hear other people out when they've messed up. If I get the feeling that they're truly sorry, I'll almost always forgive them and try to move past it. Life is just too short to hold anger for people who made a mistake. Of course, there are legit unforgivable things. Hurting a child, sexual assault, etc... aren't forgivable to me. I will never forgive someone who abuses a child, sexually assaults someone, or intentionally hurts animals (outside of hunting/fishing). To me, those are red flags that are indicative of a dark soul. There is no cure for those people. Forgiving and forgetting are two completely different things. Just because I've forgiven something that someone did doesn't mean I've forgotten about it. When someone breaks my trust, I'll usually forgive them and find a way to work it out. It takes a long to forget about it though. There's always a stain on the relationship after. My best friend and I are a perfect example of this. We've both wronged each other in pretty horrific ways, so even though we're still friends, certain topics are completely off limits. There are a couple things that will unequivocally result in a fight, so we stay clear of them. It's not a matter of avoiding topics. It's all about respecting tender feelings from past indiscretions, and that's sometimes just what it takes to carry on with someone. Well you cured my January blues Yeah you made it all alright I got a feeling I might have lit the very fuse That you were trying not to light |
Artist: Taking Back Sunday Album: Louder Now Song: Liar (It Takes One To Know One) [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Name a totally useless possession and tell us how you came to acquire it. WTMR: What motivates you? Ugh, deffo not in the mood for class right now. I'm wading through empty liquor bottles here and I'm not even the one drinking. When the fuck did that happen? I've got this weird role reversal happening and on a scale of 1-10, I'm not diggin' it. Is this what it's like when I'm binging out, plastered across the floor all helpless? Damn, that must be annoying. I never thought I'd be saying something like, "Dude, I've got class tomorrow, can you piss off?" I haven't got a clue what's going on in my house. It's a big clusterfuck. Anyway, what are we talking about, oh, useless possessions? Uh, yeah, I've got a thing or two. I could lose a hundred pounds of vomiting mess in my bathroom right about now if anyone wants to take her off my hands. Ahh, give me a sec, I'll think of something legit. I have a lot of random cat-related things because extended family members pretty much just know that I like cats. I mean, my other recreational interests are rather hard to explain to great aunt Sally over the phone, so I think it's just like, "Charlie, uh.. Charlie likes cats?" This has resulted in me having quite the collection of cat artifacts, like cups with cats on them, shirts with cats on them, towels with cats on them. Because everyone knows, the best way to show you love cats is to dry your balls with their face. (=^人^=) Ah, well, that was easier than expected. Now we're on to motivation sources, and I gotta admit, my forms of self-motivation are so immature. This is me doing homework- If you finish this assignment, you can have a cigarette. Only 3 more problems. You can do it. I do this pretty much every time I'm trying to motivate myself to do something and the 'reward' at the end is, like, never anything healthy. I'm like a cheerleader in my head, Send this work assignment off for approval before midnight and you can go get white girl wasted with your friends. Yeaaah! It might be the most childish thing ever, but dammit, it works! I know people do this with their kids, like, "Clean your room and you can have a lolly" or something like that. This is just the semi-adult version of that. I can't help but think of working in an office and having these incentives given to me by upper-management. The thought cracks me up. I mean, really, "Finish that data entry before five o'clock and you can go snort a line off a stripper's tits.  " I'm an addict for dramatics I confuse the two for love |
Artist: Elliott Smith Album: Either/Or Song: Rose Parade [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Share an item or blog entry from any of the eligible competitors this month. Include a review link for bonus points. WTMR: Who is the one person who can make you laugh like nobody else? Blog City: Do you think wishful thinking, dreams, and illusions for what’s to come might spoil future happiness? Or, on the other hand, is it the dreams and positivity that ensure future happiness? Alright, Twofer Tuesday. No drama this week. I'm going to share 💙 Carly's blog:
It's crazy how many good blogs there are on this site. Sometimes I just think about all the writing friends I've made through blogging and I'm so appreciative to be a part of the community. Anyway, I'm gonna go review this real quick. How have I not reviewed your blog before, Carly? That's criminal!  Anyway, here's my review of Carly's blog: Review of "Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style"  Now can we move on?  Who makes me laugh? Easy one. My best friend is the funniest person I know. It sucks because I'll be trying to have a serious conversation with him and he keeps making me laugh because he's just a goofy guy. He has no filter on his mouth at all. It's like, if it pops into Jordan's head, it's coming out whether it's appropriate at the time or not. I swear, he's the type who if you tell him to act normal, he'll tell the next person who walks into the room, "We're acting normal! Everything's normal."  My brother's girl has no filter either, but she sucks. Like, her no filter means she says horribly offensive things to people then says, "Oops, no filter!" in an obnoxious voice. Jordan's is hardly ever offensive, it's just super goofy. He's a really fun guy to be around, which is annoying when he pisses me off because it's hard to stay mad at him, even though I know I should. His favorite thing to do when I'm upset is start quoting stupid viral internet videos. I don't know if anyone here has seen a lot of viral videos; it doesn't seem like this crowd's favorite pastime but you never know. Anyway, he'll respond with quotes from these videos in the exact same accent with same inflection and it cracks me up. He's just a funny guy. Positivity and goal correlation? I don't think it ever hurts to be positive. I've never heard a positive thinker say, "Aw man, I should've been more negative throughout my life because now I'm disappointed!" An optimistic person will shift their goals and dreams as life goes without feeling much inner turmoil. Things don't always work out the way we planned them to. They just don't. It's a personal decision to choose whether you let that get you down or not. I try not to get down on myself when I don't get something I want. It's best to alter the plan and continue along until you reach it. In that sense, I do think that positivity is what ensures future happiness. As long as you are aware that things might not go exactly according to plan, you'll be ready for potential hiccups and it won't feel like such a dramatic thing when they arise. You can be a wishful thinker and still be realistic about life expectations. The trumpet has obviously been drinking Cause he's fucking up even the simplest lines You say it's a sight that's quite worth seeing It's just that everyone's interest is stronger than mine When they clean the street, I'll be the only shit that's left behind |
Artist: Hot Hot Heat Album: Make Up The Breakdown Song: Bandages [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: What does it mean to you if someone says "It sounds like you've got a case of the Mondays"? WTMR: Do you enjoy keeping up to date with local and global news, why or why not? If someone says, "It sounds like you've got a case of the Mondays", it means they want you to punch them as hard as you can right in the throat. It's sort of like a slang phrase for someone who's into that kinky sorta shit. You should be openminded and accepting of other people, so if someone says this to you, show them your support for their lifestyle by karate chopping their throat as hard as physically possible. Trust me, they'll appreciate your tolerance and they might even give you one of those cool stretchy bracelet that shows you supported their cause so you can feel superior to everyone else at the party. I mean come on, it's just. so. bad. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] How could it ever be justified? I hated all those stupid sayings when I worked with other people. The worst one in retail, and anyone who has worked retail will agree with me here, is: "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean!" Fuck you, jerkoff. I've been here since like six in the morning without a break and the THREE SECONDS I don't have a customer, I want to lean against the counter, just piss off! As you can tell, I'm still a bit salty from the experience. Oh, I forgot to mention that the worst part of it all is that, in retail, your 'team leaders' who tell you what to do all the time barely make more money then you. Legit, it's like a dime more an hour. In fact, at my last job, I made more money than the assistant manager. How does this happen, you ask? Take a tiny, privately owned movie store with like ten employees. Put down what you made at your last job (include raises) for expected hourly wage. Be careful here. It has to be somewhat reasonable. If min. is 8.25, don't say you want 15 an hour, say you want 9.40. Next step, interview with store owner who lives in another state and came in that day specifically for interviews. Back up your expected salary with relevant experience- act confident, because why not. Theeeen, eventually, six months down the line, watch your manager's face when you casually mention you make more per hour than him. Bonus points if you do it right after he gets done bragging about getting a ten-cent raise. "Hey guys, I'm up to $8.45 an hour!" In light of the continual Sunday News prompt, I figured I'd answer this one today. I don't keep up with the news at all. I tend to know more about global things than local things, just because I see global things when I'm on the internet. Not many people are talking about the latest gang shooting or armed robbery in my city when I'm browsing the internet. Still, I feel like I can pretty much guess what's going on in the news on any given day. It's always bad things. Good things aren't considered newsworthy, so we don't really hear about them. If there is a 'positive' news story, it's some fluff piece about a dog who founds his way back home after a year of being missing or something like that. It's not a 'real' news story with moving pieces. It's just something lighthearted to feel like they're not always being negative. So no, I'm not too on the up and up when it comes to news. I figure if something major happens, I'll definitely hear about it at some point. Otherwise, I don't have much need to worry about it. I mean, with all our electronics these days, it would be impossible to avoid hearing about a major event. Until that happens though, I'm all lalalalalala about the news. Don't wanna hear it. I've been hoping you're moping around the street again I've been tripping from sipping the dripping dirty water tap I've been poking a voodoo doll that you do not know I made For you, of you, let's see what needles do |
Artist: Kasabian Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Song: Underdog [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics 30DBC: Pick a random article from the headlines and talk about it. Share your opinions and feelings about it. Encourage a conversation. Aw man! I thought we might not have to do a news story today with Joel here. We'll miss you!I feel like Sunday news story is such a throwaway day. It's like a lazy Sunday thing. I'm just going to go write about whatever the top news story is on yahoo right now. This is it: http://news.yahoo.com/oklahoma-police-release-video-of-cop-fatally-shooting-arme.... Greeeat. I think that there's obviously a big disconnect between the police officers and citizens in the U.S. I don't know if more of these incidents are happening now, or if the media is just reporting on every single one that happens. It's probably the latter because they tend to hype things up as much as possible. I don't have very many things to say on this particular topic because I can see where both sides are coming from and they are 'sides' whether we want to admit it or not. Basically, police have an extremely difficult job where they put their life on the line. I think it's natural in a high tense situation to react a bit dramatically. It's easy to say after the fact, "Well, the suspect wasn't going to do anything..." But, in the moment, if you thought you were about to be shot, things would be different. Situations like that happen very quickly, so there isn't really time to think, "Well, he's probably not going to do anything." Then, on the other hand, I do believe that certain people in our country are heavily targeted by police, and I just say this from personal experience between my friends and I. We're a small sample size, so it's hard to say, but apparently we aren't alone in that thinking. I think police need more training on how to handle high stress situations and they also desperately need more sensitivity training. All these videos that have been released since last fall have shown that there is a huge level of distrust between police officers and citizens, on both sides. They just simply don't trust each other. When I'm out with my friends and we see a cop, we're like, "Oh shit, oh shit" even if we aren't doing anything wrong. When I'm out with my family and see a cop, my heart might race slightly, but I definitely don't feel the panic that I do when I'm out with my friends. It shouldn't be like that. There shouldn't be such a huge level of fear from police officers. Some people say that if you're not doing anything wrong, you have no reason to fear the police. I can say that I completely disagree with that. If you run into the wrong cops, at the wrong time, shit's going to get bad for you. If you're not a type of person the police target, that's awesome for you. You don't have to really worry about it, which is nice, but you can't say that just because the cops don't harass white mothers on their way to soccer practice doesn't dissolve the police of any wrongdoing. Of course, the citizens are a huge problem of this too. Police do get shot at and killed by citizens on a regular basis, and that leads to this level of fear from the police as well. It's like both sides are afraid of each other and I don't think we'll stop hearing news stories like this until the two sides find some sort of compromise. Now, I don't know how that will ever happen, because issues between police and the people they're supposed to protect have been going on forever. I don't see it stopping any time soon. Another thing I hear sometimes is, "Well, yeah, he got killed because he was arguing with cops/wouldn't put his hands behind his back." To that, all I have to say is it's scary that someone would think, If he had just gone quietly, nothing would have happened. Police aren't educated enough to be the arrester, judge, jury, and executioner. It isn't their job to decide whether or not someone is guilty of a crime and what their punishment should be. They have many means of arresting people who are resisting. The first response should never be to perform chokeholds that are against protocol or otherwise go above the level of force needed. I guess I don't have anything specific to say about this case, just more of a general thought on all the recent news on this topic. I can definitely see why each party feels the way they do. It's a sad situation. Love in technicolor, sprayed out on walls Well I've been pounding at the pavement 'Til there's nothing at all |
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