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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: Taking Back Sunday Song: Your Own Disaster [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 15, 2014 Prompt: Hi, you were hired by Yelp, to write a restaurant review about an amazing restaurant in your city. Give us some examples of things you liked and disliked in your review. Convince us this is the place to go. I won't be the best at this prompt because I don't really eat out at restaurants much. I've already mentioned Niko Niko's in Houston before. It's a Greek cafe and they have the best food of any place I've ever eaten. I still think about their food at least once or twice a month when I'm with someone and they want to eat somewhere. I'm always like, man, I wish we had Niko Niko's. I could always go for that. I will say that if you want an amazing deep dish pizza, you go to Lou's. I don't really get into the deep dish pizza, I know, it's heresy. But if I'm with someone and they want to get it, we'll go to Lou Malnati's. We used to go to the mall and stop here afterward for dinner quite a bit. It's usually packed, but their pizza crust is just way too good to pass up. It can't be beat. Oh, it's in Chicago, by the way. I forgot that part.     August 15, 2014 Prompt: You are on a long flight when you reach into the pocket of the seat, you discover a handwritten note that clearly was addressed to you, but how? And what does it say? I stare at the yellow note, flipping it back and forth in search of a sender. Had it been here before I went to the bathroom? Surely I would have found it before. It looked like something a middle schooler would write. In big, bubbly letters it read, I fold the note up, looking at Norb who eyes me suspiciously and goes back to looking out the window and listening to music. I look around for a source and spot one of the flight attendants staring at me from the front of the plane. I look around to see if she's looking at something else, but when I turn back, she's heading into first class. Just before the velvet curtain falls behind her, I see a small yellow notepad sticking out of her back pocket. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 15, 2014 Prompt: There are strange sounds outside the tents but when shine to flashlights out there, nothing is visible. In the morning, we see these interesting footprints all around camp. It was Amy's turn to cook breakfast so she went to get the food supplies and discovered that everything was opened and half eaten. What are we going to do? What kind of footprints do you think these are? I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I've seen these footprints before. They belong to the Night Children who walk only on their hands. They were abandoned by their parents, condemned to roam the forests for all of eternity. The Night Children prey upon the sweet, motherly types using innocent puppy dog eyes to get just close enough to steal your sympathy. Yes, this is the work of the Night Children. In typical fashion, they ate half of our food. Check your personal belongings like jewelry and wallets because they're master thieves. They have a level 99 charm, just in case any of us were to wake up. We would feel too bad for them to do anything. We would be powerless against their mind control. Once they have our goods, they'll bring them to the nearest town to sell in exchange for child-size clothing and more bedding for their bunkers. My friends, we've been bamboozled, looted for all we're worth. What are we to do? Not even ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy  with her gun would have the heart to take one of these munchkins out. If we're lucky, they'll just move on and harass another set of campers. But if my past experiences tell me anything, they'll be back for more. We'll need to set up sleeping rotations. We'll have two on guard at all times. If you see the creepy children, walking on their hands, your job is to wake everyone else up. From there, we'll sit in a circle around our supplies and sing lullabies until they disperse into the woods. It's their only weakness.August 15, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 13: Ends With an R Time to do it up. I've been talking about doing a Taking Back Sunday entry and I better grab it up while I have a letter I can use because tomorrow is sadly the last day of BoM. I'm following my main man today, so I've got the letter Y. Taking Back Sunday will always remind me of my best friend, Noah. We were best friends from the time I was probably fourteen until two or three years ago. When I say we were best friends, I mean, we did every single thing together. I was extremely attached to him and it got to the point where I would always think about him when I was in a situation where he wasn't involved, like, "What would Noah do? What would Noah say?" I think because he was a bit older than me, I really looked up to him. He was already out of school and out of his parents' house, so I felt like he had already overcome the things I was still going through. I trusted him with my life, quite literally, on many occasions. I don't think I've ever felt that way about another person before or since then. I don't think I trust anyone now with my entire life. I'm way too guarded and jaded at this point to even let someone get to that level with me, but Noah was there. This is one of the more downer TBS songs, but it's also one of my favorite of theirs. The album Tell All Your Friends was basically an anthem for us. We would drive around in the middle of nowhere, get stoned and drive around some more. Our favorite thing to do was sing along with the lyrics and scream them out the truck window, which is pretty pointless. It works well though because he'd take Adam Lazzara's parts and I'd take John Nolan's. The song I picked today isn't the bet example until the end, but they sang back and forth or at the same time on that album. One of the best examples is in "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut From the Team)". But, as life goes, it didn't end up working out for us. A girl brought us together and a girl broke us apart. Ain't that a bitch? We'll still talk and it's like, "I love you, man" but it doesn't feel the same anymore. It almost feels like we're reassuring each other that everything's cool, but there's so much physical and mental distance between us now. It's just the way things go, I guess. Just forget me, it's that simple. |
Artist: Motion City Soundtrack Album: Commit This To Memory Song: Everything Is Alright [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 14, 2014 Prompt: Which fictional character have you fallen for? Definitely Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo . There's just something about a girl who can kick my ass that gets me going.  I loved the American remake with Rooney Mara .I think my tastes might be a little skewed from past trauma.  August 14, 2014 Prompt: Talk about some common sense things you feel every person should know.  If you're walking down a hallway and someone is coming in your direction, make a point of staring the way you want to go so you don't do that awkward dance when you meet up. If you want to go right, look to the right the whole time and it almost always works because they can see that you're going that way and they'll go the other way. If you say you're going to be somewhere at a certain time, be there or let the person know you're going to be late. When you're going to get on an elevator or bus, let the people exiting get out before you try to push yourself in. Don't blame customer service workers for something that is above their pay grade. Meaning, if your complaint is about a corporate policy or about a certain brand of product that you bought, you need to call the corporate offices of those places to complain. There's never any excuse to chew with your mouth open, sorry. If you say you're borrowing money from someone, make sure you pay it back without the loaner mentioning it to you. That's just awkward. When you go to a movie theater, just assume that no one else wants to hear you or see your phone. Don't give people your opinion unless they ask for it. So even if you disagree with your friend's new religion, just let them do their thing because it doesn't affect you. Don't live outside your means. If you don't have money for something, you can't buy it. It's that simple. Keep a distance from the person in front of you while standing in line. There's no reason to stand two inches behind someone; it isn't going to make the line move any faster. It's nice when you have long hair though because I'll just flip my head back and throw my hair in their face pretending like I'm 'fixing' it. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 14, 2014 Prompt: That was a lot to take in yesterday, how about we go into town and have some beers at the local tavern? Tell me about the conversations you overheard. If we're at a tavern, I'm just going to assume I'm the drunkest person there and I'm not really getting full conversations. I'd go find some of the townspeople and listen to them tell stories of urban legends about fallen sky gods and bear bait in their forests. I'd go find Lyn's a Witchy Woman  and ask for a quarter so I could play a song on the jukebox.I'd go find the elves from ElaineElaine  's tavern and challenge them to a duel, which Fivesixer  and 💙 Carly  would have to talk me down from before I got killed. I'd go get a scotch and coke with amy-Has a great future ahead  because beer just isn't my style either. We'd talk about her grandfather's great aunt who she found out she was named after during the whole cemetery fiasco yesterday.Noyoki  and Prosperous Snow celebrating  would be fully immersed in the culture of the people in the tavern. They would be sharing experiences and talking about yesterday's events, which would cause the locals to warn them about the dangers of the forests, especially the vengeful moose that's been running around terrorizing people. Finn O'Flaherty and ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy would vow to catch the moose and get a key to the city for being such a heroes. August 14, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 12: Ends With T Nice, okay, I didn't get an N today! Today's song is a huge throwback to my middle school days. It isn't the type of music I'm into at this point, so it almost seems like a random one thrown in, but this was my motherfucking jam when I was like thirteen! We had a new girl at school that year. Her name was Haley and all the guys were in love with her because she was new and pretty or whatever. I sat behind her in math class and I would always forget to bring a pen or pencil to class. She had a huge glittery pink pencil pouch and every day I'd have to ask her for a pen. She would get really annoyed and sigh, then comb through her pens and find the perfect one to give me, I'm assuming one she didn't care much about. Eventually she gave me a pen and told me to just keep it, but I lost in that twenty-four hour period and I had to ask her for a pen again the next day. She turned around in complete awe of my stupidity and bitched me out. It was the hottest thing ever. Summer break came and we met back up at this youth gathering place that was ran by a church. All the kids would go there and there would be church officials overseeing everything. They would make us go inside and pray at least once a night and all of us would scatter like little cockroaches because we didn't want to go pray in the middle of hanging out with our friends. One night she asked me to go back to her house after everyone had dispersed and I found out that she was living with a temporary foster family. She had been sexually abused by her dad and taken out of the home. Her parents were divorced and her mom wouldn't take her in, so she was bouncing back and forth between all these shitty foster homes with these shitty people who were only in it for the money. It was really sad. We ended up hanging out almost every day that summer and this was one of her favorite songs. They had her hopped up on so many medications for anxiety/depression that her hands would shake constantly and she would spill drink or drop food a lot. Her foster parents would start screaming at her and I would try to diffuse the situation by saying I was the one who spilled whatever it was, then I'd go back in her room with her and lay in her bed while she tried to calm down. I really cared about her. I hope she's doing okay now. Anyway, I loved this song and she said it made her feel better about having such bad anxiety and being on so many medications. I think she could relate to it then a lot more than I could. She loved music though and we would always lay in bed and listen to it, so there are a lot of songs and bands that remind me of her. I really hope things got better for her. Give me a reason to end this discussion, To break with tradition. To fold and divide. Cause I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes, Talking with strangers, waiting in line.. I'm through with these pills that make me sit still. "Are you feeling fine?" Yes, I feel just fine. |
Artist: Led Zeppelin Song: No Quarter [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 13, 2014 Prompt: Make a list of inspirations. People, places, colors, events, activities. Do these inspire you to write, go to work, help you through life or make your day a good one? I would like to hear about them.  Family and Friends My cats Psychology Religion A cabin in the woods Mountains Music ArtI think that about covers it. While writing my list, I had only things in mind that inspire me either to think or to write. My family and friends challenge me everyday and their differing opinions help me to see things in a different light. My cats are an inspiration for my writing because they're relaxing creatures. Psychology kind of speaks for itself, it just interests me. Religion is a big one for me because, while I'm not religious, there's so much to it and the psychology behind it is an inspiration. The next two, mountains and cabins just bring back memories and I feel like they're peaceful settings that are perfect for writing. I listen to music every time I write, so that had to be up there. When I see an interesting painting, it definitely sparks something in my mind and I want to make up a story behind it.  August 13, 2014 Prompt: Write your own motivational and/or inspirational quote and/or speech. "Do your thing and leave everyone else alone." I know what you're thinking. Wow, Charlie is a literary genius! Please, hold the applause. Seriously, this is the motto that everyone should live by. Just do what you enjoy and let everyone else do what they enjoy. If we all just stayed out of each other's way, the world would be a happier place. I try my best to not mess with people. I don't give anyone grief. I don't want to fight, I don't want to argue. I just want to enjoy my life my way and I want everyone else to do the same.  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 13, 2014 Prompt: We are going to one of Maine's oldest cemeteries. The headstones are amazingly in good shape considering the weather. We are packing a lunch and while we are there do some gravestone etchings. Everyone should look around and pick a different headstone so we can compare the age of the people buried here. However to your surprise, the headstone has your name! We want to hear your reaction and what you think is going on. Oh no! Well, first of all, what is the death year on the tombstone? Maybe someone's just super awesome and bought me a headstone ahead of time in Maine. If there is no death year, I can live to be eighty-five before I'm buried there. I'd actually be pretty much cool with that, even if I never found out who bought the gravesite. Those things are expensive! I feel like the fallen sky god must have something to do with this. He's such a tricky beast and I don't trust he's being kept at bay. Either that or those girls are playing a trick on us again. Or maybe us guys are playing a trick on the girls and I wasn't let in on it? Maybe it's a bad omen that our camping trip is going in a bad direction! You have to look at it from every angle.As a side note, I love old cemeteries. There used to be one next to my house and I would go down there sometimes and read the headstones, much to the dismay of everyone around me. Most of them had just simple bible scripture or a quick description of the person, "Husband and Civil War Veteran" or whatever. But there were a couple that had really interesting or creepy things etched into them. I remember one in particular that was slandering the dead person and calling him a cheater. I was like, damn man, you must've pissed the wife off right on your death bed. August 13, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 11 Ends with R Ah, so I got N again. I wasn't fast enough today and I think I'm the last one to go. So, I went with a song by another one of my favorite bands. I don't have any specific attachment or memories of this song, but I do like it quite a bit. I also don't have much time to dig deep about it because I have to work.Led Zeppelin is one of those fun time bands for me, typically. They remind me of driving around and listening to "Whole Lotta Love" or "Black Dog". Plus, you can't beat Robert Plant's hair. I'm even jealous of it and I've been told I have quite a luxurious mane. "No Quarter" is one of their less 'good time' songs, but it's good nonetheless! Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step |
Artist: Johnny Horton Song: North to Alaska [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 12, 2014 Prompt: Today the actor/comedian Robin Williams passed away. What are your feelings about his work? How deeply are you affected by a celebrity death? Is there a particular celebrity whose passing would/has cause(d) significant grief? If this prompt too depressing for you, tell me about your favorite celebrity, dead or alive. I'll start this off by saying that you know someone is talented when generations of people remember him from their childhood. He was in Mork & Mindy way before my time and that show brought families together as something people of all ages would enjoy. During my childhood, I distinctively remember watching movies like Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, and Flubber. Children from 2005 on got to see and hear him in movies like Robots, Happy Feet, and Night at the Museum. It's safe to say that he has been bringing light and joy to people's lives for over four decades. That doesn't even delve into his most amazing movies like Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society. There really are too many good movies of his to even name. One of my personal favorites of his was the role he played in One Hour Photo. It was such a different zone for him to be in and I thought he did an amazing job. More recently, August Rush and World's Greatest Dad were both excellent films. I think what's so shocking about something like this is that you assume that when someone gets to the age of 63, they aren't going to do something like commit suicide. It's horrible when anyone does something like this and it affects people a lot more when they remember that person as someone who devoted their life to making the lives of others better. The celebrity I remember passing that had the most effect on me was Heath Ledger. He was just so young and had already had so many amazing movies. What was so horrible about his death was that he had so much life left to live and his death was ruled accidental from the abuse of medications that were prescribed to him. I really feel that it wasn't his time to go and he would have gone on to make some amazing movies. In a time like this, I think it's important that we look at those around us and get the word out about mental illness that causes things like this to happen. We need to make everyone aware that their life is valuable to, at the very least, their surviving family that they will be leaving behind. We don't need to criticize the actions of these people, but rather give them the resources they need to seek help and also give them the emotional support they need if we do know them personally.   August 12, 2014 Prompt: Today is National Vinyl  Day. We are all different ages so let's hear what was your first vinyl record? If you have never owned a vinyl record what do you know about them. Did someone in your family have vinyl records? How many sizes were there since they were first introduced? Do you ever see them in music stores?It's hard to move on from the last topic, but we're going to lighten things up and make it work. I love vinyl and I have a pretty big collection of it that I started collecting back in '07, which definitely doesn't feel like it was seven years ago. I have probably somewhere around 75 vinyl records right now and I have them inside tall bookshelves. They look nice and add to the decor of the room, but we also listen to them all the time, especially when we're cleaning the house.My first record was Led Zeppelin III which has one of my favorite songs, "Tangerine" on it. They've gotten more and more popular over the length of time I've been buying them, so they're easy to find in stores now. The unfortunate part is that the more popular they've gotten, the more expensive they've gotten. I got Led Zeppelin III it was less than five dollars used. I believe I got it from a used record shop for 3.99 and it was in pretty good condition too. Now if you try to get it used from a store or record shop, they're trying to get like somewhere between 25 and 40 bucks for it. They've gone back in stye, so the supply and demand made the prices skyrocket. My grandparents had and still do have tons of old country music on vinyl. One of my grandmother's favorite artists is Johnny Horton and I remember her listening to the vinyls and dancing around the living room. She's such a happy soul, those memories are some of my favorite. I thought vinyl was interesting as a young child, but I was way cooler with my cassette tapes, which I could use to record music off the radio. That's illegal, by the way, I was a little eight year old criminal. There were CDs too, but my parents didn't let me use them because it was so easy to scratch the back of them and then they would skip. They didn't want to have to buy them again, so I used cassettes for a really long time just because I wasn't allowed to use CDs.As far as sizes go, I don't know the full history of vinyl. I do know that the most common ones are 12-inch LPs and then there are 45s which are 7 inches. I like to get colored vinyl because it looks cool when it's spinning. That's about the extent of my vinyl knowledge. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 12, 2014 Prompt: Norb and I are giving you the extra time to work on your reviews... if you have finished them all then write how you relaxed today at camp. Well, I did finish the reviews yesterday, so today is a day of relaxation. I like that! Today at camp, I slept in late and ate a nice, big breakfast. Then the leaders had a scenic hike planned where all the bloggers got to see some of the real beauty of Maine. It was a leisurely stroll without deadlines as we had nothing else to do today. We were lucky enough to see a moose drinking from a stream in the distance. Some of our photographer bloggers got some nice pictures as keepsakes. After that, I found a nice tree to climb where I could relax and read a book, something I used to do a lot as a kid. I'm reading Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury right now. Hey, maybe I'll actually understand it this time. Those stream of consciousness writers always get the better of me! Once I'm done reading, maybe we'll have dinner around the campfire and discuss our morning hike or anything else of interest. We can discuss books or life or home. During the night, we can do some stargazing, or at least the guys can. The girls are set on being the protectors around camp, just keep the bears and serial killers/fallen sky gods away from us, OK? August 12, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 10 Ends With A Alright, so my song ends with an N again today. There are way too many songs that end with an N, but we've gotta make it work. Basically what I'm doing is trying to get all of my memories out through the artists that remind me of those memories, whether it's the specific song or not. I've already talked in this entry about how my grandmother would play Johnny Horton on her record player and dance around the living room. We would laugh and just have such a strong positive energy. Those memories are just the best because I don't remember being concerned with anything other than the music and the happiness in the room. The song that reminds me most of my grandma is "Whispering Pines" by Johnny Horton . Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to get a song that ends with a W, as I'm cursed to N's for all of eternity. It's cool though, because "North to Alaska" is acceptable enough. I actually like all of his songs.What I like the most is that they all tell a story. Old country songs were like that a lot. They told historical stories, so it's like you're listening to music and getting a history lesson. Most people don't think I would listen to old country music, but I actually enjoy it quite a bit. Nothing can replace the memories I have with my grandparents, but I'll always have that music to bring me back to that warm place. Sam crossed the Majestic mountains to the valleys far below He talked to his team of huskies as he mushed on through the snow With the northern lights a-runnin' wild in the Land of the Midnight Sun Yes Sam McCord was a mighty man in the year of nineteen-one |
Artist: Bert Jansch Album: Bert Jansch Song: Needle of Death [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 11, 2014 Prompt: Tell me about RAGE: Yours, someone else's, the concept of, or any interpretation of this that rocks your socks. Rage isn't something that I feel very often now. I grew up in a house that was sometimes full of rage, and since being out on my own, I've tried to avoid it as much as possible. At this point, there are only two things that will cause my rage to boil over and they're things that I think makes everyone rage to some extent. My family and I tend to mind our own business. It's almost like a family creed. We don't get involved in other people's affairs and we don't let others get in the middle of ours. That's why I completely lose my shit when someone messes with me or my family. I've spent my whole life staying out of everyone's way and sticking to myself, so when someone thinks they can or should stick their nose in my business without my permission, I get pretty much furious. The same goes for my family because I know that they don't start issues with people. We have family drama, just like every other family, but outside people do not factor into our lives. So I know that when an outsider is causing problems, it's just that, an outsider trying to create havoc on us. I don't take to it well. But, honestly, those are the only two things that genuinely make me feel rage. I don't get road rage. I don't lose my mind when someone has a different opinion or lifestyle than mine. I don't even rage out when someone tries to shove those different opinions down my throat. I can roll with all the know-it-alls, one-uppers, and stereotypers. Just leave me and my family out of your drama and we're cool.  August 11, 2014 Prompt: The flower of the day is Lily of the Valley. Write a poem, story, or anything about Lily of the Valley. Have fun. Curled petals of ivory reach toward the stem dew dripping from the leaves of the lily of the valley. It's sweet scent draws, but natural poison defense protects the white buds of the lily of the valley. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 11, 2014 Prompt: Go on a port raid and review five of your fellow campers' items. It doesn't have to be all from the same person...just use the {review:####### tag in your blog entry, and if you're inclined, tell us why you read each piece. There just might be something in it for the winner (counselor's discretion). My main goal for this prompt was to explore people's ports who I hadn't really looked at before. I think we get caught up in reading each other's blogs to the extent that we start seeing each other as a blogger, when really, most of us are bloggers, poets, novelists, etc... We're a multi-talented group so it's cool to look into that every once in a while and see a completely different side to each other. I mean, we see each other's short story and poetry skills occasionally from prompts, like the BCOF prompt today. It's different though to see what we write about when we're doing our own thing naturally without having a specific writing topic.  Review of "Mulligans and Mix-ups"  by Fivesixer . This is the first one I reviewed. I remembered Lyn's a Witchy Woman talking about how she liked Norb's poetry a week or two ago, so I knew I could find something good in there that i wanted to review. I chose this prose in particular because I felt like I could relate to it and it was good writing. Review of "So Little Time" by Finn O'Flaherty . I had to review this one because it was such a fun story and I enjoyed reading it. I had never read any of Finn's short stories before, so it was a fun trip around her port. Review of "The Compound" by ElaineElaine . This story had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was hooked from beginning to end waiting to see what was going to happen to the captives. Loved it. Review of "Burning Bright" by Noyoki . The reason I chose to review this one is the details were so vivid in it that I felt like I was watching a movie as I was reading. Dana has a seriously talented way of describing scenes as they play out. Invalid Review by amy-Has a great future ahead . We've all seen the way Amy can twist a story before our eyes and this story, Run, is no different. I can't say too much about it without giving something away, but it's a quick read with a nice ending. August 11, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 9 Ends with H Today I chose a song that I hold so close, I never thought I'd actually want to include it in my blog. It's one of those songs that makes you happy and sad at the same time. It's hard for me to talk about it because it speaks for itself. It's funny to me that a song written in 1965 could be related so much to someone like me living in 2014. I almost don't even understand how it works. I don't have anything else to say about it, but give it a listen and check out the lyrics. I hope that when I do die, this song is playing. Hey, Cinn , remember when we were talking about drug songs?One grain of pure white snow Dissolved in blood spread quickly to your brain In peace your mind withdraws Your death so near your soul can't feel no pain Your troubled young life Had made you turn To a needle of death |
Artist: Hank Williams Song: Kaw-Liga [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 10, 2014 Prompt: Are you homesick yet, campers? Write a letter to those you've left behind on this adventure. Dear Family and Friends, It is Day 5 of Survivalist Camp and things have gone from bad to worse. What I thought was a serial killer is actually a fallen sky god, filled with vengeance and rage. I found out the reason for his rage is because somebody called him a "West New Yorker" when the correct term is "Western New Yorker". I've been trying to hide his fury or point him in the direction of my fellow bloggers, for they surely deserve his wrath more than I. If this is the last letter I write, just know in your heart that I did everything I could to throw everyone else under the bus and save myself from the fallen sky god. I even threw some of the girls in its path, just to afford me those few extra seconds of running time. Unfortunately, the fallen sky god has wings, albeit broken ones. We are still no match against his half-divine powers. The only hope we have is the rumor that one of us is a demigod, able to stand toe to toe with the fallen sky god. I'm not sure which one of us it is yet, though I have my suspicions. I'll be conducting some research over the next few days, if I make it that long. When I find the demigod, I'll have to convince him or her to use the powers for good. Wish me luck. Stay tuned, Charlie August 10, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 8 Ends With A All old country music, but especially Hank Williams, reminds me of my grandfather. He babysat me when I was a young kid, before I even started school, and old country music was all he listened to. We would play cards and talk about his childhood in Kentucky where he was born and raised. He had eleven siblings and they lived in a tiny shack in the middle of nowhere. I loved listening to all of his stories, especially about what they did for fun, like sit around the radio or kick a can down the street. It's so different than what kids experience now. They were so poor that they had the same meal almost every day which consisted mostly of beans. His father wasn't around, but he had so many siblings that the older ones helped take care of the younger ones. We grew so close during that time because my parents were both so busy with either school or work, I spent every day with my grandfather and only saw them for a couple hours before I went to sleep at night. It was that way for three and a half years before I went into kindergarten. Even after that, my grandparents lived next door to us my entire childhood and I would always be over at their house when my own house got too bad. I was always comfortable at their house and it was all of those memories are full of old country music pouring from the record player. Kaw-liga was a wooden Indian standing by the door. He fell in love with an Indian maiden over in the antique store. Kaw-liga just stood there and never let it show, So she could never answer "yes" or "no". |
Artist: Bright Eyes Album: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Song: Another Travelin' Song [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 9, 2014 Prompt: Was it a very good year when you turned 17? Tell us about things that happened in that year. I would never say that any year of my life was a "bad" year. I will say that my seventeenth year was a difficult year. I was in between homes, if you will, and most of the time I didn't know where I'd be sleeping that night. There was a lot of time spent trying to scrounge up enough money for a meal. I was very confused and naive due to my upbringing and I definitely felt like I had been abandoned or just thrown out into the world. I kind of felt like a butterfly exploding out of a cocoon that year. All of a sudden, I was in a big city and there were so many people to meet and they were all so different than what I was used to back home. I had so much fun at that age though. I didn't feel like anyone had done me any favors at that time, so I didn't owe anyone anything. That was a really good feeling. It was this overwhelming sense of freedom like I could just do anything I wanted to do and no one could guilt trip me for it. I met some really amazing people who were willing to take me under their wing when I needed it the most. They probably weren't good people by society's standards, but everything I believed in was skewed and I immediately fell in love with anyone who treated me well - man or woman, I'm not talking sexually here. I just idolized everyone around me and I was in love with everyone. So, I don't know, it was an interesting year. August 9, 2014 Prompt: What would heaven be like for you? I'm not religious, but I think the idea of heaven is in our mind. Teerich - 2019 had something great to say about this in her blog entry about happiness, "Invalid Entry" . Whether you're religious or not, you should never put off finding your own personal piece of heaven with the hope that it's going to find you later in life, or in this case, after death. My version of heaven may not be your version of heaven, but we all deserve a peace of mind, no matter what our lifestyle is.For me, my heaven is being healthy and spending time with the people that I love while doing the things that I love. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 9, 2014 Prompt: So while we're sittin' around the fire, tell us a story you'd tell around a fire. The first comment you make (on your fellow campers' blogs) equals a toasted marshmallow...and who doesn't love that? Did someone say "S'mores"? Once upon a time, there was a group of bloggers spending three weeks in Maine during a "survivalist/sustainable" camping trip. They were headed by a Mainah and a West New Yorker, who created increasingly difficult tasks for them to complete on their camping trip. Most of the bloggers felt decently prepared for the trip. The women were especially on top of all the necessities needed for the three week trip. The men plotted in their tent about ways to pull pranks on the women, mostly including frogs and outhouses. One of the more experienced campers, suggested ways that nature would play pranks on us with natural annoyances. One of the campers was sure there would be a serial killer somewhere in the woods. He had seen enough horror movies about camping to know that there is always a serial killer wandering around. The Mainah camp leader swore that there would only be bears to sneak into camp in search of food. The West New Yorker was the one who suggested having a storytelling night around the campfire. When everyone is preoccupied, that's when they come for you. During one of the guy's campfire story, which included an eerily similar setup to what the bloggers were now experiencing, he heard twigs snapping behind him. He spun around to see a man dressed in robes wielding a machete. "I told you, Lyn!" he screamed, as he ran into the woods, leaving the rest of the bloggers behind to fend for themselves. August 9, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 7 Ends With G You guys know I'm not going to waste any of our BoM days. I'm going to get all of my favorite artists out there and talk about what they mean to me. This is an example of a band that means more to me than I can describe with words. There aren't many like that, but Bright Eyes is. I love Conor Oberst and I think his writing is amazing. I don't care what anyone says about Bright Eyes, the lyrics completely changed the way that I view music and life. I'm happy to go with a more upbeat sounding song for this one. I don't think the average person knows Bright Eyes and if they have heard of them, they just think of them as some sort of whiny, immature band, which hurts my soul to hear because it couldn't be further from the truth. I wish people would give it more of a chance. I think Conor Oberst is one of those people who is almost ruined by his fans. You know the fifteen year old girls who think he's sooo hot and deep and sensitive. Shut the fuck up. Sorry, I've gotta say it. "Another Travelin' Song" is one of my favorite Bright Eyes songs off of one of my favorite Bright Eyes albums. I listened to this song and band so much when I didn't have a steady home. The music felt like my home and no matter where I was, I could put this band on and feel like I was at "home" in some capacity. I felt like I could connect to it on that level because the song is basically about being away from home. Just listen to it and read the lyrics, you'll either understand or you won't. Well I guess the best that I can do now is pretend that I've done nothing wrong And to dream about a train that's gonna take me back where I belong Well now the ocean speaks and spits and I can hear it from the interstate And I'm screaming at my brother on a cell phone he is far away |
Artist: The Dandy Warhols Album: Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia Song: Get Off [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 8, 2014 Prompt: If you were trapped in an elevator for 12 hours, which three bloggers would you most want with you in that situation? Keep in mind 12 hours is a long time.... Oh awesome, another prompt where we have to pick favorites. We get these a lot, don't we? I fully expect no one to want to be stuck with me in an elevator for twelve hours because I'd be curled up in a ball on the floor by the end of it.Can't we all smash ourselves into the elevator together? Okay, okay. I've gotta go with Grandma Joy  for moral support and guidance. Then I'd pick Lyn's a Witchy Woman because I know she'd talk my ear off and keep me in line the whole time. Finally, I'd throw Fivesixer in there for entertainment purposes because I'm pretty sure we could talk about music and life for twelve hours straight. But what about Cinn Frin! See, this is too hard. I think Cinn and I would only count as one person because she's basically the girl version of me from what I can tell. So, it would just be the four of us- me/Cinn Frin, Norb, Joy, and Lyn. Cool? I think what we need to do is have a whole labyrinth of connected elevators so we can all keep each other entertained for the twelve hours. Maybe have like a ventilation system that we can hear each other through. I'll be the one screaming song lyrics a cappella to keep myself entertained.  August 8, 2014 Prompt: Share with us what makes you happy...is expressing joy easy for you. So many things make me happy. This is gonna be a cakewalk.  Kira My cats My friends Writing WDC Road trips Books Concerts Late nights MoneyI could probably keep going, but I'll just cut it short there. As far as expressing happiness, that comes naturally for me. I use my blog as a place to whine about things that I don't talk about much anywhere else. In real life, I'm the "happy, chill" guy. People will ask how I'm always happy, so I think I kind of portray that when I'm at parties or hanging out with people. There's just too much serious stuff to worry about, so when I'm in party mode, there's no bringing me down. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 8, 2014 Prompt: Girls to the right... Guys to the left. It is up to you what cot you want top or bottom. Once you have your stuff stashed join us in the circle so we can get busy with camp set up. There are 4 Katdyn Base Camp Water Filter bags that need filling, and firewood to be collected. Typical duties. I am sure we will have lots of fun settling in. Now, that you have had a glance of what is around you take a few minutes to journal what you see and what you don't see. How observant are you? Well, hopefully I see Fivesixer and 30DBC Creator/Founder taking bottom bunks because I've gotta have top bunk. Wait we have cots in our tent? These must be huge tents. Camping can get a little creepy, especially if there's a crazy psycho serial killer on the loose. I need to be on the top cot because then I'll have time to react when they come after Norb or Earl. Sorry guys. Survival of the fittest.What I see: Trees Grass Animals that can be potentially used for dinner, for you non-vegetarians Maybe some berries for those of us who don't eat meat A source of water, a stream or potentially a lake with fish in it Things that could be used as weapons, like fallen tree branches All my blogger friends who are hopefully going to protect me from harm The orange bandana Noyoki brought me. (Team Orangutan, baby) A good place for a fire pit that is away from dry grass and trees so we won't start a fire Hopefully we have a compass and map, just in case we get lost.What I don't see: Cars Buildings People who aren't a part of our blogging trip Houses August 8, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 6 Ends with F Penny and Norb started us off right today and I was left with the letter "G" to start my entry. I'm totally down with that because I knew what song I wanted to pick right away. Do any of you remember The Dandy Warhols? How about now? No? Okay. Well, I love these guys.They're an interesting group because they were best friends with another band I love called The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I was just talking about them earlier with Cinn Frinn, so that's probably why those two bands are on my mind. Anyway, the bands ended up hating each other, for various reasons. They both have a kind of psychedelic feel to them, but The Dandy Warhols are a lot more poppy and playable on the radio. They got way more mainstream successful than The Brian Jonestown Massacre, which some people say caused a lot of jealousy and tension between the two. I think things got way rockier when The Dandy Warhols released their song, "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" which included the lyrics, I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passe. It was a direct shot at The Brian Jonestown Massacre and specifically their lead singer, Anton, who was heavy into dope at the time. Of course, The Brian Jonestown Massacre came back with their song, "Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth ", which had lyrics like, Take my money, take my time, take my sister, I don't mind.I love both of these bands, even if they ended up hating each other. They might get along now and it might've been blown out of proportion. I don't really care either way. They're both awesome in their own ways, it's just that The Dandy Warhols are a lot more marketable than a super drug band like The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I don't really listen to The Dandy Warhols much anymore, but I listen to TBJM all the time. They just have a more mature, lasting sound in my opinion. But, there were no TBJM songs that started with a G that I wanted to use, so we got the next best thing today. Yeah like it or not Like a ball and a chain All I wanna do is get off And feel it for a minute babe |
Artist: Third Eye Blind Album: Third Eye Blind Song: Narcolepsy [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 7, 2014 Prompt: Which door will you open? Narnia, Hogwarts, Wonderland, Camelot, Neverland, Middle Earth or Westeros {Lord Of The Rings Geography area} Ooh, all of these would be fun in their own way. I think Narnia would be pretty cool, but it's kind of cold in there, so I'm going to cross this one off right away. Can you see that I'm still clinging onto the summer dream? For this one, I'm gonna have to go for Wonderland. Wonderland is like a 24/7 trip. The Alice in Wonderland movie used to scare the shit out of me as a kid. Then I got a little older and I realized they were just straight trippin' the whole time. I wanna chill with Cheshire Cat. Down the rabbit hole for me!  August 7, 2014 Prompt: Today's prompt is "I knew it was going to be a bad day." Have fun and take it anywhere you like. The reason I chose this prompt for today is because I knew it was going to be a bad day. I woke up with a massive headache. The drinking is never kind to me. That's okay though because I'm still going to try to make the best of the day. I'm starting to get cabin fever in my apartment, so I'm going to go see my friend, Julia, for lunch at some point today. Probably at three or four o'clock, you know, the normal lunch time. I guess my favorite part of waking up in a bad mood is that the day can only get better from there. Wait, what am I talking about? My current problem is completely trivial. This day could get so much worse. If this day doesn't get any worse, it'll be a good day. There's that optimism! You know my favorite part of being the one to send the prompt out? I can't disappoint anyone by having a dumb ass response. Like, I'm not going to read my response and be like, "Really, Charlie? That's all you have to say?" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 7, 2014 Prompt: This is your sleeping quarters for the next three weeks. The guys will be in one tent and the girls in another. We have provided cots so hopefully you brought your bedding. There are some important things one should know about camping in the wilderness and lots of information available on the web in case you don't know. Do you know how to purify water? Do you know how to build a fire? Finally what does it mean when it says Sustainable Camping? Inquiring minds want to know how prepared you are for this adventure. First of all, can Fivesixer do the sleeping arrangements because I don't see why I can't sleep in the girls' tent. They had the best lists of supplies yesterday. I think they're seriously prepared for this adventure. I mean, seriously, aren't Norb and I the only guys anyway? Wait a minute. On second thought... Norb and I are chilling in the guys' tent. No girls allowed. Stay away. You all have cooties.Moving on, I don't know how to do any of these outdoorsy things. I used to know how to tie a bunch of knots. I think I could start a fire at one point. Well, I might not have been able to start it, but I at least knew the knowledge it took to start one. I don't think I ever actually put it into practice. But since Lyn's a Witchy Woman mentioned that there's information on the internet, I'm thinking I better go research it. I'm going to get in trouble if I half-ass this one.I saw these water bottles that have a purifier built into them. You can put disgusting, dirty water in it, but it'll be crystal clear when you drink it. I think that's a good idea and it sounds easier than trying to boil water over a campfire, although that would be another option. Here's more information on purifying water while in the wilderness.I know that you need to rub two things together to start a fire. We need flint and steel! Will we be provided with flint and steel? Wait a second, I'll have my lighter, right? You guys don't wanna see me without my smokes. It won't be fun for anyone. So, since I have my lighter, I'll just get some firewood with leaves and other flammable things in the middle and use my lighter to light the fire. I'm a wilderness genius! I'm not sure what sustainable camping is. I've never heard that term before. I can only assume that it means that you're able to maintain it for a long period of time. Like, you'd have to be super prepared and knowledgable in order to do it for a prolonged length of time. In this case, we're going to be camping for three weeks, which I'd say is a pretty lengthy stay in the wilderness. I'm like, half-prepared, just like I am with everything else. Don't worry about me. I'll just be bumming all your supplies the whole time. August 7, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 5 Ends with a Y Nice, we're starting with an N today and I've got one of my favorite bands on tap. I think these guys catch some shit because everyone only remembers them for their songs like Semi-Charmed Life and Jumper, which are both amazing songs, by the way, but this entire album is great from start to finish. Some of the lesser known songs on it are the best, which seems to be the case with a lot of good albums. This band, and this song in particular, reminds me of when I lived in Houston. We only had a CD player in the car we had at the time and this was one of the CDs on the constant loop for a couple years. We don't always agree on every band. I think we both of a good taste in music, but our favorite bands vary wildly. Kira likes some that I don't like and she likes some that I can't stand. So when we find a band or an album we agree on, we tend to run it into the ground because it's always like, "Well, it's better than listening to X band that I don't like." There's such a strong nostalgia that comes over me when I hear any song off this album. It's like a heavy, sweet sadness. I love the album, but it reminds me of different times, different places, and different circumstances. It reminds me of humid nights with the windows rolled down and flying down the 290 between Houston and Austin. And there's a bone in my hand that connects to a drink In a crowded room where the glasses clink And I'll buy you a beer and we'll drink it deep Because that keeps me from falling asleep I said |
Artist: Death Cab For Cutie Album: Narrow Stairs Song: No Sunlight [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Lyrics Okay, guys. I'm back. I'm ready to do this. All I can say is that custody battles can get wicked insane. Prepare yourself for my long entries. Just follow the pictures.  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 6, 2014 Prompt: List the 5 most beautiful words you have ever heard. Cellar door. Cellar door. Cellar door. Don't they say that's most beautiful phrase in the English language? I'm not so sure. I think, "Not guilty" or "The test is negative!" might be more beautiful, depending on the situation. Maybe, "You are the father!" That one definitely depends on the situation. But, enough stalling, let's do this list: Celestial- Not sure the reasoning behind this one. I knew someone named Celeste and she was beautiful. Elixir- This one isn't really beautiful, it just sounds kind of cool. Elysium- I don't even know what this one means. Maybe I have something for words that start with an E? Lithe- This is a beautiful word to me because it sounds and looks like what it means. Wicked- Last but not least has gotta be wicked, because it's wicked awesome.    August 6, 2014 Prompt: Have you ever written a poem, short story, or essay while you were listening to a piece of music? If so, how did listening to the music effect the story, poem or essay? If not, what is your favorite relaxation music? I do this all the time. I'm listening to music as I write this. I actually almost need to listen to music while I write. I can't stand the little noises during silence. You know, like car doors slamming outside or the neighbors TV. Those kinds of things are super distracting to me, whereas blaring music through my headphones almost puts me in a trance and helps me concentrate better. It's weird how that works. I'll listen to pretty much anything that I like. It's not like I have to listen to classical music to concentrate. I'll listen to rock of most sorts or hip hop of very few sorts. I don't really listen to country or pop music. That wouldn't be distracting, just infuriating. I don't mind old country music, but the new stuff es no bueno. If I'm really needing to relax, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I'll listen to some chill indie music like Fleet Foxes . If I'm trying to fall asleep, I'll usually throw on some Sigur Rós . If you can't fall asleep to that band, you just aren't sleeping that night. You might as well give up because it's the most relaxing music in existence. Not good for writing or reading though, because you'll fall asleep instead. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** August 6, 2014 Prompt: Tell us what you are going to pack to take with you for your 3 weeks of Survival Camp. Since you signed up to do this unusual adventure, what are your expectations of completing this ultimate challenge. Convince us you are up to the challenge. I think I'll take some Norb with a side of Lyn along for the trip. They seem like they know what they're doing with this challenge. Let's see, what am I going to pack for a blogging survival camp? All I really need is my computer and my internet. My brain I can take or leave. It isn't the most important thing. I mean, is there more that I need? You guys better tell me if there's something else I need. I'm gonna be super mad.As far as my expectations of completing the challenge, I'd say they're pretty high. I mean, I'm definitely going to put forth a lot of effort to finish. I've recently realized that life things can happen and completely knock you off your feet though. Basically, at this point, if I'm not updating my blog every day, there's something wrong. So, as long as there aren't any unforeseeable bad things headed my way, all systems are a go for our survival camp. I'm pretty excited to see what Norb and Lyn have in store for us this month. Whatever, guys. Bring it on. You know I'm good for it. August 6, 2014 Prompt: BoM Day 4: Ends in T Now that I have a minute to actually write, I just want to say that I'm having a ton of fun with this challenge already. What I love about the Soundtrackers stuff is that it forces me to listen to bands I haven't listened to in a while. Especially now that I'm trying to think of a song that starts with a particular letter. It's a lot of fun to stretch my mind thinking of different songs and bands that have kind of fallen to the backdrop recently. I'm finding myself giving them all another listen and falling in love all over again. Death Cab For Cutie is such an important band to me and my life. I started listening to them, Modest Mouse, and The White Stripes at the same time. I always lump the three of them together in my mind because they were so prominent in my life the year I discovered them. It was sixth grade when I started listening to the three of them. The first album I heard by Death Cab For Cutie was Transatlanticism and, I'll be honest, it completely changed my life at that time. I still think it's an amazing album, but I was so incredibly impressionable at that time. Those three bands, especially Modest Mouse, completely shaped my frame of mind and thought system during that time. The thing is, when you're really into music, different parts in your life can completely be represented by one album or one song. I have so many different artists and full albums that are so dear to me because music has always been such a huge part of my life. It's on par with writing to me, so of course it's very highly regarded in my mind. I don't ever plan to stop discovering and listening to music. When I think of Death Cab For Cutie, I automatically think of the most cliché thing in the world. It's almost embarrassing to even say. But I was dating a girl when I was thirteen to fourteen and she absolutely declared this as "our song". It's the only time I've ever had a song so clearly defined as "our song" in a relationship. It gets even better though. After we broke up, the girl really started getting weird about stuff. She started showing up outside of our school, even though she had graduated. I had to change my number several times because in a small town, she somehow kept getting a hold of it and would call me at all hours of the night telling me she was going to kill herself. I really know how to pick them.Anyway, the lyrics to the song are, "I'll follow you into the dark..." It's a super love song, one of the sweetest ever if you read the lyrics . So my friends would all make fun of me and change the lyrics to, "I'll follow you into the park." They actually had changed all the lyrics to make it a creepy stalker song. Those bastards.Basically though, I've loved this band for ten years and in ten years, I'm still going to love them. You disappeared at the same speed The idealistic things I believed The optimist died inside of me No sunlight No sunlight |
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