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Welcome! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Welcome to my little Den! Here you'll find all sorts of things- mostly blog challenges, but mixed in, you'll notice:  I'm a bit of a fangirl  My life is very busy I enjoy using emoticons  I don't tend to swear, but stuff happens. |
| YOU are creating your own series and your show is guaranteed to air at least one season. Congratulations! Tell me about your show, who is in it? What's it about? What's the plot? I can't wait to hear. Oh man, this is going to be bad. My ratings would tank.  I guarantee that, 100%. Especially since I can't really think up of a premise for my show.How about plushies? It'll be a kids' show about plushies and the (mis)adventures they get up to when their humans are gone.  That should appeal to most young audiences. I want to make it educational, as well, though... not Disney-educational though, what with Doc McStuffins and such, but more like Hi-5 educational where it's quality content. Friendship would probably play a big role in the series, because at the early childhood stage, socio-emotional development is quite important- this is the time where they learn the foundations of how to be a decent human in the world.And now I'm smirking because I'm thinking of the plushies and figurines and dolls I have- I have 2 Slash Pop Vinyls (one came in a kinda damaged condition so they sent me a second, free of charge, saying I could also keep the first) and I'd love to have Slash voice his own Vinyl. And considering he's a rock-n-roll type of guy, I wonder how much money we'd have to shell out to convince him to sign. And if I could have anyone I wanted in the show, I'd also want Delta Goodrem. I don't know who she'd voice. I feel like she's such a kind soul, and having her voice Show wouldn't be quite right. Maybe Rosie, my shy turtle? See, the other thing here is, I don't know that many American voice actors I'd like. Taylor Swift would be cool. She could totally play Show. Kick-butt, no-nonsense, bossy Show. And I'd need a timid voice for Charlie Brown... Actually, scratch that. Carrie Underwood would be Show. Taylor Swift could be Miffy. Lauren Brant would be Nellie. I really don't know what male voices I could get, though. I'd need ones for Toothless, Chocolate, Charlie Brown, Little Ted, and Sunny. Not to mention all the plushies I have in Australia, who would probably love to have cameo roles, too. I'm thinking the first episode is an introduction to everyone and everything, and how the plushie world works. The episodes always start with their human leaving and closing the door, which is when the fun begins. They can move and talk and pretty much do anything and everything a human does, and more, because they never get injured.  And they always stay the same form, so no matter how much sugar and chocolate they eat, they'll never get sick and they'll never get fat. Though, that's probably not the best message to send kids, because that is totally not true. So we'll have to revisit that point, I suppose....  |
| Forget the theme today - It's FRIDAY! Have you had one of those days where you're just behind? What do you mean that is every day? Let's talk about what you have on your plate today. Share what you're doing - having a great day - or just holding your breath for Saturday to arrive? I look forward to reading and responding to every single one. :) I almost couldn't remember what I did on Friday.   And it's only Sunday night! Okay Friday.... I went to Stats lecture. Classical Chinese was cancelled, so I hung out in the Honors room with my friends and we worked on a crossword puzzle (unsuccessfully ). I went back to my apartment around noon and called Mom (and Sis, since she was in for the week) and we discussed where to go for lunch. They were coming over after my PA class. I also kinda dragged them to the computer shop with me. The air in there was suuuper stale.  It was also a huge place, so I suspect the air circulation isn't the best, what with all that space. Mom got bitten twice, apparently. And my computer didn't get fixed.  We went to lunch afterwards, a taco place not too far from the computer shop. It was delicious- I had a wet burrito in honor of National Burrito Day, Mom got a Carne Asada plate, and Sis got a few tacos. I'm pretty sure my plate was actually the biggest that day... for someone who supposedly "doesn't eat," I had the most food on Friday, for sure. I mean, yeah, Mom had, what, maybe 10 strips of Carne Asada tops? With a couple tortilla chips and half a plate of rice, and 2 tortillas. My burrito had meat, guacamole, salsa, and cheese. And I also had the half-plate of Spanish rice and a dab of sour cream with the tortilla chips. Plus I ate some of Mom's tortilla. And Mom gave me a piece of her Carne Asada. Afterwards, we went job-search hunting. Sounds weird, yes, buuut here's the thing- there's an app and it's called Job Spotter, which pays you to find and take pictures of "now hiring" signs and the places that put them up. I've had it for... maybe 23-ish weeks now and I've made $15 off it. Which isn't bad, when you take into consideration that 1. I don't have a car, and 2. That means I'm mostly limited to the school campus and its surroundings. Like, today I walked down to Albertsons to get some brown sugar to make flapjacks (the British kind), and afterwards I walked around the plaza to find hiring signs. I found 4, including Albertsons. I made about $6 from it. If you live in a small town, it's probably even better, because they pay more for small businesses, as opposed to large corporations who are almost always hiring. And after all that, they dropped me back off at the apartment, and I backed up all my files, and I did the factory reset on my laptop, which didn't work. So for the next 7 days, I'll be bringing my external drive with me to class so I can take notes. on the bright side, I won't be distracted by playing Gems, now that I'm not planning to reinstall anything until the screen is fixed. |
| A lot of people are talking about the revival of the 90's sitcom ROSEANNE. What other 90's popular sitcoms would you like (or have preferred) to see brought back? Some ideas: The 70's Show. Friends, The Fresh Prince, Freaks and Geeks, King of the Hill, The Drew Carey Show, Ally McBeal, Married with Children. What others can you think of? I...'ve never been much of a fan of 90s sitcoms.  Granted, I was born in the 90s, so for the most part, I barely understood what was going on, even if I did watch them. When I was in Australia, though, I'd watch Frasier sometimes. It came on before Neighbours so sometimes I'd watch the tail-end of the episode, and as I watched more of it, I started turning on the TV a bit earlier to catch the full episode. It wasn't bad.... it wasn't great either, though. Sure, the father was pretty funny, but that's about it, honestly. I suppose it was more an excuse to watch TV for me. Mom and Sis, though, loooove Friends. They watched it from beginning to end, together. I wasn't too keen on it either. I didn't find it as humorous as they did, I guess? Plus I find the music a bit annoying, honestly. One of the girls in the apartment watches it a lot at night. Like, 2 am at night. And I can hear it because the back of the TV faces my room, and I'm pretty sure that's where the sound comes out. Whereas she's probably having troubles hearing it. I wonder if the TV can connect to speakers, because if it can, maybe she can just use some and have it face away from my room instead  Win-Win, right?  |
| Let's get nostalgic today. Let's talk about that one show that you were really sad to see canceled or just couldn't understand why in the world was canceled. Tell us why you loved it and if you know what brought its demise, share that too. Oooh, the one I was sad to see go was Guys with Kids. Same with House Husbands. I think Guys with Kids only lasted about 2 years? HH lasted 5. Anyways, Guys with Kids was a really funny show. It's one of the ones I'd actually watch with Mom and Sis back in high school. And those shows are few and far between, actually. We've all got pretty different tastes- Mom's the comedy/sitcom type of person, I like my dramas, and Sis likes documentaries and/or sitcoms. I'm typically the odd one out when it comes to personal preferences in this family, unfortunately. But yeah, Guys with Kids- they had some pretty good punchlines. My favorite: "I heard you the first time. I stopped listening the second, third, and fourth times." A man's gotta be pretty brave to tell his wife that. And the wife's gotta be pretty nice to not slap the hubby for saying that. As for House Husbands.... It's a little like Guys with Kids- maybe a lot like it, which is why I liked it. But also, it's Aussie. And Delta Goodrem was in the final season, which is the sole reason I even started watching in the first place. And then I got hooked after the first episode. They have a very Aussie bloke-ish type of dry humor, which I appreciate. And the kids.... they're super cute. All in early education- past preschool, but not past 3rd or 4th grade. I also appreciated how they tried to incorporate all types of characters- one of the little girls ended up (potentially) having dyslexia. She wasn't learning her sight words, and at one point, pretended she could read by reciting one of the books, but got caught when her dad asked her to point out a word.  Unlike Guys with Kids, though, House Husbands has 4 families the plot revolves around. The drama is (almost always) about something really sweet. Like, one dad (Lewis) got mad at the new music teacher because the teacher was trying to tell the parents their kid was feeling neglected at home. and turns out the music teacher is right. As for why HH got cancelled, I think it's a completely bogus (but legit) reason: Funding. I did a short search, and according to the Daily Mail UK  : "According to TV Tonight, current funding models for locally produced dramas offer a 65 episode refundable tax offset, meaning that any series which goes on to produce more episodes automatically loses a rebate, causing costs to blow out by 20 per cent." I think that's a terrible funding model! I mean, they should be trying to promote longevity in shows. According to the article, the station's program director also said HH could've totally continued had they had the money, because its rating were actually quite good.  I feel like they should be promoting quality content- not just making more and more reality shows just because it's cheap. Do contestants even get paid when they make it on? Doubtful, right? So that's probably millions saved already in funds for the station. Yeah, so if I had my way, I'd want to reverse that model- after the 65 episodes, they get a 20% cost cut- maybe the government or whoever's in charge of the money gives the show's producers an extra 20% to make it even better. Buuuuut, this would also have to be dependent on its ratings- bad ratings means the show gets axed. Good ratings get the money. Then we'd have good quality TV, and not just reality shows all the time! |
| Okay, time to interject a little fantasy into this. If you could put yourself into any TV show as an active character, which show would it be and tell us about the character you'd play. Would you prefer to be yourself or someone much more exciting? Ooooh. Okay, how's this- I almost auditioned for the Hi-5 open call when I was studying abroad in Australia. I love that show. And I think the trinket I made to celebrate after meeting them kinda proves the point. Only 6 people have collected it so far, and it's open for 105....  if you can find it, it's yours! So yeah, to answer the prompt, I'd go into Hi-5. I love kids, I love dancing and singing, and I love traveling, so I think that's pretty much the perfect job for me. I think I'd either like to host the Puzzles and Patterns or Wordplay segment. Body Move would be fun, yes, but I'm not super active or flexible (anymore, unfortunately- maybe it'll improve when I start silks...) If I did do Body Moves, I'd request for the return of the hula hoop swing. I've always wanted one, honestly. It just looks so cool.... I think their contracts are for 4 years, so in theory, because I don't know where I'll be in 3-4 years, I might be in Australia if they do another open call, and you know I'll be there if I can! I was 20/21 when it happened, so I'd probably be, what? 24-25? I can still sing and dance, right? It would be pretty exciting, I think. Singing and dancing for an audience of kids for a living. If I got onto Hi-5, I'd also try to make the content a little more advanced. Fun fact: You can teach kids the word "saturation" and they'll be able to use it correctly if you teach them the meaning! Yeah, so I'd definitely try to get "saturation" up on the show, just as a shoutout to my Early Childhood Education professor (the one I'm PA-ing for this quarter) not that she'd ever see it (it's an Aussie show ), but it's the thought, right? |
| This time let's discuss that one show, with the character that just doesn't seem to fit. You wish you could just pluck them out of the show and replace them with someone else. What show is it and why don't you think they fit? aaagh I had one character chosen but I don't remember who. I'm just going to say Chloe Brennan from Neighbours. She's the newest arrival on Ramsay Street, and I'm not a fan of her. Honestly, I just want Tyler back. He and Piper made such an amazing couple, and in the few weeks I was gone, between CNY and Spring Break, I guess everything went downhill. I can't say I'm not glad that Piper and her mom are finally getting their relationship back on track (no, not that kind of relationship ) but I do miss Tyler. He was a cutie, actually, and kinda reminded me of CG in a way. Oooh, also from an Australian show- Tanika in Hi-5. I. Did. Not. Like. Her. She felt... fake. Her hair was raggedy-ann red, and I think she did that just because towards the end of her time in Hi-5, Lauren (the one Tanika replaced) had red hair. It didn't sit right with me, honestly. Apparently she worked for Universal Studios in Asia before or something, too, so I wonder why she decided to go all the way to Australia just to be on a kids' TV show. Just looking at her Wikia page, yes, she was born in Thailand. And not to say there's anything particularly wrong with that, but I felt that using the red hair was a means of disguising her ethnicity. In the original Hi-5, there was one Filipino girl and two Aussies, and the two guys were both Aussies. And in the subsequent re-castings, it's very much been the same formula- one Asian, two Caucasian females, two Caucasian males. So I felt that the bright red hair was a means to disguise her Asian roots and seem Caucasian instead. And fun fact- while studying abroad in Australia I nearly decided to audition for the open call for the newest Hi-5 generation. So yes, quite frankly, I would have liked to be in Tanika's spot. No, I'm not jealous, but at least I'm not fake.  |
| Let's start out simple. What is your favorite series to watch lately? It can be new or just something you found but it was canceled years ago. You tell us why you like it and what it's about. I have two three favorite series to watch right now. The first is SVU. I love crime shows, for some reason. I used to watch NCIS:LA all the time too but Hulu doesn’t have that so I don’t keep up with it. The banter in NCIS:LA is always funny to hear- especially between the guys. As for SVU, I do have a strong interest in the law. I would never become a lawyer, just because it’s way too much work and stress, but I guess, in a way, SVU lets me live vicariously through them. Not to mention, Hulu has all... what? 18? 19? Seasons? So binge watching is definitely a treat for me on the weekends and such. I also loooove Mariska Hargitay. She plays the role so well, and I think it’s actually pretty rare that you see a show with such a strong female lead last for such a long time. Plus, the show isn’t that gory, which definitely appeals to me. I’ve been known to say that I’m a rather squeamish person- and I am! I don’t like the sight of blood, and when Mom was describing her knee problems to me after her first doctor’s visit, I just felt my insides getting all tight and eugh. Yeah, if you want pity or sympathy from me about that, you’re not getting it. Ironically, I was the type of kid who almost always had some scrape, scratch, bruise, or scar on me because I was just that clumsy. Pair that with an adventurous spirit, and you’ve got those scrapes, scratches, bruises, or scars. And most of the time I could actually remember what I did to earn result in the said injury. I nearly broke my arm once in second grade while pulling on some viney trees in our driveway at home. Also in second grade, the Skip-It toy came out and I was playing it at school one time- I failed to skip it and the Skip-It ended up tripping me, so I skinned my knee on the blacktop. Next. Neighbours. I looooove, love LOVE Neighbours. The drama of it is so intense sometimes. Yes, it’s a soap opera. And an Australian one at that. I’m not sure if that makes a difference, though, honestly. I’ve never tried watching an American soap opera before. At first, I only started watching because I was interested to see what Delta Goodrem was like back in the day. She got her start as an actress, actually, and then used that platform to release her first single, “Born to Try.” At least, I think that’s how it happened. Regardless, I ended up getting hooked, and now, whenever I visit Australia, I watch as much as I can of it. As for what it’s actually about, the most badic synopsis I can give is, it’s about neighbors who live on the same street. And their daily going-ons. Romance, drama, catfights, pranks, you name it, they probably have it. Thirdly is The Traffickers. This one I found on the plane. QANTAS had three episodes to watch on the long-haul flight from the US to Australia but I ended up not having enough time to watch it so I ended up watching it on the domestic flight instead- the first one I watched was about black market gold. Nelufar Hedayat, an investigative journalist from London, investigates the intersection between “dirty” and “clean” gold. And as it turns out, there really is no such thing as “clean” gold, because everybody is corrupt. There are miners who are trying to find gold, but illegally, and those who are there legally are typically paying a protection fee to whoever owns the land so that they don’t get attacked. That fee they pay makes the gold “dirty” because it feeds into the black market syndicates. The police are powerless to do anything. They’re corrupt as well, because sometimes, what the villains pay the police pads the pocket better than their salary. I’ve watched 6 episodes now- all about different topics- gold, the dark side of adoption, hunting for pangolins, the red light district, weapons, and fake pharmaceuticals. There’s 8 episodes so far, and I’m not really looking forward to one of them because I’m already predicting it’s going to be bloody and gross. but I’ll probably watch it anyways if I can- it’s actually a fascinating series, and I think Nelufar provides some very real, raw commentary on the subjects, which I appreciate. |
| Creation Saturday! This is the title and cover of your next book. What's it about? And what are some of the world-famous authors saying on its back cover? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Plushies are known for mischief. They move about when you're not looking, throw glitter parties, and much, much more. This latest instalment of plushie mischief finds them experimenting with magic. And when a spell goes wrong and one two three of them are turned into an alpaca (yes, three plushies make up an alpaca. Who would've thought?  ) they set out on an adventure to find a wizard who can undo this spell for them."This book is the punniest- oops, funniest one I've read in a long time!"- Dave Barry "More action than Jack West Jr or Scarecrow would ever encounter"- Matthew Reilly "Magic? I'm there!"- J.K. Rowling ********************************************** I tried to do my homework but a show was on TV. A song was on the radio. A friend was texting me. My email chimed, and so, of course, I had to look at that. It linked me to a video of someone’s silly cat. I watched a dozen videos, and then I played a game. I almost didn’t hear her when my mother called my name. I looked up at the clock and it was time to go to bed. I didn’t get my homework done; just other stuff instead. I hope my teacher listens to the cause of my inaction. It’s really not my fault the world is just one big distraction. --Kenn Nesbitt That was me on Sunday. On Saturday, you guessed it- Jumpstart. It really was on, rain or shine. and it was more rain than shine, unfortunately, which also meant a low turnout rate. And last week was dedicated to painting paper bags for our team's art project stall- paper bag monster puppets. Two other team members and I were standing at the back, on Saturday, opening up the bags and making sure they didn't stick together. Unfortunately, one girl's (on the team) bags all stuck. And the bottom, folded part would stick to the bag part because that's how the paint dried. A good waste of 40+ paper bags if you ask me. I wasn't pleased with her, honestly. I really wasn't. She wastes her time, wasting other people's resources, and all she says is, "oops, sorry!"  Our booth was under a covered patio of sorts, which essentially turned it into a wind tunnel, especially when it rained. I was really glad to get out of there when it was lunch time. And afterwards, I got assigned to face-painting, where I just decided to stay for the rest of the time. Firstly, because it wasn't well-staffed, and secondly, because being out in the open was much better than being under cover. I did end up doing some cool designs. One girl wanted a heart pattern on her face, so I did that, and there was no shortage of flowers and butterflies. Someone else wanted a dog, and a boy wanted to be the red Ninja Turtle, so I did that. Amongst the Jumpstart Corps Members though, I started a "cherry blossom" fad, which was kinda cool.  Someone just wanted pink flowers on her face so I did that, and everyone ended up all "Oooh! Can I have that too?" so I ended up doing 2-3 different variations of the "cherry blossom" flowers- I'll link one below. That was definitely the highlight of the day- and probably what I enjoyed the most. I wish I could've just been there from the start, because I really felt in my element, and I was really getting along with the other volunteers at the face-painting area. Not to say that I don't with my team, but it's a different type- I think the team one is more forced, because, well, we're a team and we were assigned this, and that's how it is, whereas at the facepainting booth we all kinda had the common interest and common goal (aside from teaching kids in Jumpstart) so may've gotten along better.Face-paint pic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/145610433@N05/shares/aGx45P |
| Knowing the Chinese Language does have an advantage. I can count to ten and translation the word, “hen”... I know the days of the week, if a Chinese calendar is what you seek. Monday through Sunday, that’s all child’s play. But, you see, it’s not that easy. Strokes and characters aren’t simple to master. Monday through Saturday follow a pattern though Sunday’s translation could leave you tattered. One, two, and three are simple enough, but four’s a bit more rough. Wednesday is “星期三1” while Monday is “星期一2” Which, in English means “star period three” and “star period one” while Sunday is “star period sun3” So, fun fact four is, sadly, a fact no more. Mr. Jack may want to check his sources, or, next time, take some language courses! 24 lines Footnotes |
| Write about three things that really bother you. Ha this should be easy. With all the workload I take on, there’s lots to get irritated about when you’re stressed. The first one that came to mind is overly religious people. I sound like a really terrible person, I know, but it’s really irritating when you see people pushing their religion onto you all the time. I mean, I’m Buddhist. It’s an integral part of who I am. But I don’t go around flaunting it. It’s not like every time I end a conversation I say “May Buddha Bless you.” That’s just weird. okay, maybe not weird necessarily, since we’re all entitled to our first amendment rights and this’d cover two points of it, but yeah. Please, let’s leave your religion out of our conversations. When you insert it into everything you do, it feels like you’re trying to make others convert and join you... and that’s just not right, sorry. Like, it’s one thing if people ask you about your religion and you tell them about it, but another if you’re openly telling people that the deity of whatever religion you’re so devout to, is so great.Next up: slow walkers. Or, even, a group of slow walkers blocking a narrow pathway. I have a bunch of classes in the education/law area and the building is next to a parking structure that has a bridge connecting the structure to a sidewalk (it’s complicated) but that bridge goes over the walkway, perpendicularly. The walkway can fit about 3 people in a pyramid form, I think? Regardless, it’s pretty irritating when people are trying to get through and can’t. I don’t get road rage for slow walkers, but I do get annoyed. My backpack isn’t small, and I’m typically in a rush, getting from one place or class to another, so slow people are very annoying. Two people can fit, for sure, with some room in the middle, but just enough that you can’t pass. As for the last one... I might say oversharing. Lots of people in Jumpstart do it. Mostly the caucasians.... I mean, I don’t need to know if it’s that time of the month for you. Or if you “need to stay thick for your man” I suppose it’s also a difference in culture- I was brought up with the notion that whatever happens behind closed doors, stays there. As the professor for my Child/families/community class said, and I’ll paraphrase- even if things aren’t “fine” at home, the moment you step out the front door to face the world, you put your “fine face” on, and things are “just fine,” with a practiced smile, because who are they to judge you on what’s happening behind your doors? Not to mention, why would you tell your problems to a stranger? And honestly, I totally relate. We keep things private for a reason, and making the private, public...... no thanks. |
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