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 |   Nothing official here; just come chill! |
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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. |
| What if fairytales began "Twice Below a Place" instead of 'once upon a time'? Okay, I'm just going to advocate against this "Twice Below a Place" introduction for fairytales, here.  Why? Well, firstly, history should not repeat itself. Look at our, human history. Or individual history, even. Many mistakes, you only make once before you realize that decision didn't exactly lead to the best results. You only bang a hammer onto your finger once, before you learn your lesson. Likewise, you would hope the characters in the story learn their lesson the first time, too. Plus, you really can only grow up once, in the case of Aurora and her long, prick-induced sleep. You would hope that Rapunzel's parents learned their lesson the first time, if they had a second child- no more stealing from the witch next door! Stealing is a crime, anyway.  Also, imagine if everyone did everything twice in the fairytales. Snow White took two bites from the poisoned apple. Cinderella lost her shoe twice. Or, better, she lost both shoes. The wolf in Little Red Riding Hood decided to have the girl for two meals. It'd get pretty repetitive and predictable, pretty quickly.  So, logically and logistically speaking, out goes the "Twice".  "Below a Place"- why would you want to be underneath somewhere?  It'd be dark, and likely rather unpleasant. I mean, unless that "place" is your bed or something, and you're under the covers. But that wouldn't make for much of a fairytale, would it? Besides, you think sunny skies, green pastures, and colorful flowers when people mention fairytales. Not to mention, a damsel in distress and a handsome prince who always comes to the rescue (sexist, anyone? ). As lovely and handsome as princes are, I doubt they'd crawl into a tunnel somewhere to rescue their fair maiden. They're trained to joust and climb and be big and strong and tall... how are they to fit underneath somewhere? I mean, unless they're small and scrawny, in which case, sounds like a wimpy prince most princesses wouldn't really want to have.Not to mention, princes and princesses live in castles. Large, ornate, elaborate castles. Those aren't going to fit underground. And, practically speaking, what happens if they get attacked? There's nowhere to run, and you can't see up as well as you can see down. The higher up you are, the more you can see. When you're underground, in the dark, how would you know if there's someone right above you, waiting for you to come out so they can do away with you? Would you want to live in constant fear your whole life? No? Then let's live above the ground, instead of below. Yeah, so "Once Upon a Time" is a much better beginning, than "Twice Below a Place". Maybe it's the fairytale notion already embedded to it, but "Once Upon a Time" feels dreamy. "Twice Below a Place" sounds like the beginning of a Brothers Grimm tale. Which, yes, are fairytales too, but the kind with the not-so-nice ending. |
| War Chest Wednesday! From a previous challenger... What's your opinion on children starting school at age two or three? Before I start, let me just say, this is my thing. Like, you know how everyone’s a semi-expert at something or another? I took Early Childhood Education (ECE) last quarter so everything is fresh in my mind. This was also the class I got an A+ in. Just sayin’. So yeah, I’m excited about this prompt! Whoever submitted this prompt, three is typically the earliest a child will start school. Unless it’s a private school or something that does toddler/infant classes in addition to preschool. As for actually starting school at 3 years old, it’s not as terrible an idea as it seems. Preschool isn’t actually real school, where you’re sitting in a classroom all day and listening to a teacher drone on and on. At leas, in theory, it shouldn’t be. As my ECE professor told us, “if your kid comes home just as clean as you left them, something is wrong!” Preschool should be a place to explore the world outside of home, and develop socio-emotional concepts. Like, the world doesn’t revolve around you, kiddo. Share. They learn how to act in a classroom environment. It prepares kids for kindergarten, which is super important, because once kindergarten starts, the kid will be watched, very closely, and in some places, placed on a “track”. You know how sometimes in school, there were those classes where you kinda knew the kids in there weren’t as smart as you or your class? That’s tracking. They put the kid on a certain path, based on their academic achievement, and sometimes, SES. That’s why, when you reach high school, sometimes those kids you saw in the not-as-smart classes way back when, either don’t end up in the “good” classes, or are placed on a path where they fulfill the minimum requirements for graduation. Scary how you perform at 6 can affect how you do when you’re 18, isn’t it? Granted, Pre-K is not for everyone. I did it at 3 1/2 years and cried every day after drop-off. like, wailing, crying. I do think it’s a good idea to at least give it a try, though. Many pre-schools are state-run, which means it’s free. It’s better than keeping your kid at home all day. What are you going to do? Not everyone can afford to have one parent always staying home to watch their child, and maternity/paternity leave usually doesn’t extend to 3 years. :- That, in itself, is another problem in general- the lack of/having too short of a paternity/maternity leave. Babysitting fees will probably eventually add up, unless you happen to have doting parents nearby who are eager to help babysit your child. Though, when you do that, your kid is missing out on crucial peer interaction with others. They don’t learn that it’s not nice to knock down someone else’s block tower, or that school has a set schedule that kids follow. With preschool, they're among their peers, and it's an even playing field, where they teach each other how to be in a situation together. That's another reason for preschool- it gives kids structure. The schedule is/should be the same every day, so it's predictable, and the kids will feel safe. As said before, it's an introduction to elementary school. Teaches kids how to be in the classroom, and then some. Like, the schedule- recess time, you go out to play, but once the bell rings, or the teacher rings the bell, it's time to line up and go back inside. You can't get that from playing with Grandma or Grandpa. So yeah. Preschool. It's definitely beneficial for kids to attend. I mean, it's almost literally playing to learn. Or, learning and playing? *shrugs* regardless, you learn through interactive, sensory play. And that is totally worth sending your 3-year old to![Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Hey, I said sensory play, right? 5 senses, how much more related could it be?  Pluuus, Hi-5, Early Childhood.... they go hand-in-hand.  I like this song- it's catchy, it's educational, it's preschool! As said, preschool is far from boring. This song, I'd say, targets fine and gross motor skills/development through the choreography. It also teaches body parts. And the 5 senses, obviously. It's a very active song. Instead of sitting there and listening, kids can get up, sing, and dance along to the song. The peppiness of it is helpful, too. Makes you want to get up and dance along. I still do. Well, yeah, I like to dance and sing and such, but I really think it can apply to anyone. I mean, when I was in Texas, I showed Baby Hi-5 and she loved it. At one point she started following along to "Ready or Not," which I found really cool. Shows that repetition can, indeed, sometimes help learning. She was learning the dance, and I hadn't even told her to follow along. I was seat dancing, of course, but that learning was all her. Plus, I mean, Hi-5 UK and HI-5 USA redid the song. And they redid it in season 13 as well. It's a Hi-5 classic, essentially. A few others as well, but 5 senses is definitely one of the songs you'd think of, aside from their awesome Christmas ones (I'm sure you've heard me go on about them as well, before ) Maybe I'll link some Hi-5 Christmas songs too, later.  |
Motivational Monday! Lloyd Bridges  , born on this day in 1913, once said "I'm foremost an actor. I feel embarrassed being compared to the guys who really work at it. I fake it, I make believe I know all about it, which is what you're supposed to do as an actor." What are your thoughts on this, in relation to the things you write?Ah, yes. “Fake it ‘til you make it” I think I learned that from Hannah Montana or something at some point or another. For me, though? I can’t do that. I mean, how do you write a piece about a topic you know almost nothing about? Yeah, there’s always Wikipedia, but that’s not the same as writing something you know about, and possibly have an opinion on. Your writing is going to be more interesting if you know what you’re talking about.Plus, there’s spelling and grammar and all those mechanics that, usually, are either right or wrong. Sure, there’s spellcheck, but even that can only do so much. It can tell you “you’re” was supposed to be “your,” or that your sentence is in a passive state, but it can’t fix that passive sentence for you. When you act, you’re already being fake. Lloyd Bridges had the right idea. You’re portraying someone you’re not, but writing.... I don’t think so. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I told you I was a Swiftie, didn’t I? If I didn’t, now I have. I suppose you could say the idea behind this song is the complete opposite from the prompt- be yourself, because there’s always going to be that one (or those few) people who call you out on what you’re doing- and put things in a negative light. And I’m probably not one to talk, but it’s usually a good idea to ignore those people. Sis had a scandal at one point, actually, while writing for her school newspaper- some white activists and men’s rights groups started calling her out online about something she’d written, and it got so far that the dean of her school or something had to call her in because she went from being a private citizen to a public figure overnight.  Their advice to her was to ignore them, but I think she wanted to address them and their comments- don’t remember if she did or not, but regardless, yeah, it wasn’t pretty for a while. She couldn’t walk in public without fearing for her safety, supposedly, and the school told her to avoid public transport as well- they were paying for her Uber/Lyft bills because of it. From that, I would like to say “be yourself, but not to the extent where you’re getting in trouble,” but that’s kinda hypocritical, isn’t it? So I suppose, be yourself, but be careful of what you say because you never know who might see what you post and decide to act on it. |
| Creation Saturday! So, what's happening here? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** They say there's a place where the forgotten lie, waiting for a second chance at life. Owners sort through memories, trying to find what they left behind- only to realize it's gone. This room of the forgotten, where songs and shadows lie, bring up to the surface remnants of days gone by. Sifting through melodies and getting lost in the thoughts- notes drifting through space and settling on dust. You can get lost here, and while people mostly don't, those who do, seldom come out, and are left there, forgotten as well. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Today/tonight's definitely a quiet, recharging night for me. I'm just realizing, as I type this, that as much as I love school (the social aspect- my classmates), I see some of them every day, because Desires is a Tuesday/Thursday class, and Classical Chinese is M/W/F. I'm very much an introvert, in case you didn't know that... online may be a bit different, because it's not face-to-face, but even recently, I haven't had much time for that either. Just look how behind I am on blogging! Anyways, this song... I was looking through Spotify and was thinking about posting "Almost Here" instead, because of the poem and the nagging "I've almost got it" feeling, but given my current mood, this felt more right. I was/am working on a knotting pattern right now- well, was, because I knotted as I wrote the poem, and now I'm doing the blog post, but the pattern's not done yet, so it's still am.  Regardless, as said, it's a quiet, recharging night for me, and after all the angst and drama from school, I think I needed this tonight. For me, knotting feels meditative. Instead of using prayer beads and chanting something to calm down, I've actually been sitting, cross-legged with a blankie on my head, and knotting for about 2+ hours now, though when I'm doing it, it's like time doesn't flow. I mean, yeah, at first, I put on Nashville just as something to focus on while my hands were busy, and then I figured I could attempt catching up with this blogging stuff as I watched and knotted- except, when the plot is too dramatic, I tend to forget the lines I thought up. And then at some other point I just decided to knot and write, and that worked.This still doesn't explain the song. And I'm not too sure I can, either, besides it's peaceful and the lyrics really fit the mood I'm in right now. I think the second stanza reflects what I said, too- about time not passing. The end, I also like, because it turns from (what I think is) self-reflection, to sharing it with the listener- "Can you feel it too? "Maybe you can, maybe you can't. I can, and while it might not be angels, it's peaceful, and for me, tonight, that's good enough. |
| Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1998, 19 European nations agreed to prohibit human cloning. What are your thoughts on cloning? Would you consider doing it, if you were guaranteed the results would be used for ethical purposes? Or would you and your clone decide a life of shenanigans was more fun? I’m so behind on this blogging thing, that I’ve read a few people’s responses already. And I’d have to agree- there really isn’t a legitimate, good reason to attempt cloning. The world is already overpopulated, so getting cloned... that’d double the population, wouldn’t it? which would probably lead to an even bigger income divide. And thinking of developing countries and stuff, adding more people doesn't really make sense. As for myself, I don't need a clone. I already have my sister. We look enough-ish alike that people do get us mixed up, even if others are way confused over how that happens. And we would take advantage of it when we were younger. Play tricks on people and all that. Family friends would be like "so which one are you?" and we'd make them guess. Alternatively, when I was way, way younger (1 or 2, maybe?) I would cry at "strangers"- this includes anyone who wasn't Mom or Grandfather. And at one point, Grandfather became Aunt- when Mom and I had returned from a trip of sorts once. Aunt was super pleased that I didn't cry at her, and amused that I cried at Grandfather instead. Yeah, so people told us apart through trial and error- get up close and personal to the kid, try your luck, and if they cry, that's Dragon! If not, that's her sister.  At one point, well, several points, it was where, if I was riding in the shared van (we called it the Bread Bus, because the van is shaped like a loaf of bread ) Grandfather would instruct everyone to hide their faces if I happened to turn around. Otherwise, off I'd go, all  and screaming. Back to the prompt... Yeah, what kind of "ethical" purposes would there be for cloning? Research? But then if they're research subjects, does that make them somehow "less" than the non-clones? *shrugs* I'm not convinced sorry. Speaking of not convinced: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Education is not convinced I can take on 27 units this quarter. I talked to the lady who runs the peer mentor program, since I'm supposed to have two mentees, and one of my mentees from last quarter hasn't contacted me yet. Apparently, she's not doing the program this quarter. *shrugs* Probably better that way, because I don't think we were a good fit. And then I figured I might as well follow up with the email I sent her, asking for the unit cap raise. Didn't go well. She thinks I should drop one of my other classes I'm currently taking in order to accomodate for tap. Heck no. I need those classes. And yeah, it's a "gamble" that I might not do as well because my attention is split more, but dance is a fun class. I don't even do anything for that class, for Pete's sake. I show up, I dance my heart out, and then go to my next class. Rinse, and repeat, every Tuesday and Thursday. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think I could do it. I made the Dean's Honors list last quarter, and I intend to do it again this quarter. And she's not going to stop me by not letting me tap. If necessary, I'll go back to the office tomorrow after tap and ask to see the other academic counselor (the one who's in charge of Honors students for the School of Ed) and talk to her. I need to get into that class. It's no longer a "Eh, I'll go crash the class"- I like the teaching style this teacher has- she gives the advanced tappers harder routines and I actually feel challenged, which is good. Anyways, yeah I chose this song because I'm in a "don't think you can tell me what I can or can't do" mood right now. The academic counselor should help, guide, and advise, yes. But they need to be supportive, too, don't they? I mean, I was pretty adamant in that office that I NEED to get into that class. Not just for the GPA thing, but because I enjoy tap. Annd as said, she's not convinced. I mean, I get her concern, but if I know I can do it, then just let me.This is also one of those songs where I can just listen to it when I'm in one of those quietly seething moods. Like now. It's very easily directable at people, which I like. And while that sounds mean, it's pretty cathartic, in a sense. For me, at least. *shrugs* |
| War Chest Wednesday! From a previous challenger... There comes a time when every life goes off-course. In this desperate moment, you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be haunted by your choice? This sounds like my whole college career so far. Seriously. I started out just as an Education Sciences major. Wanted to double with psychology, because that's what Mom wanted. Turns out, my university has 2 Psychology majors- one a BS and one a BA- the difference is whether they need math. The BA did not, and was called "Cognitive Sciences" instead. (Funny story about that, actually, totally unrelated to this...) ▼ Anyways. Yeah I went into Cog-Sci. And then my second year, determined I wanted to study Chinese as well. Actually, I knew I wanted to study Chinese since my first year, but then Mom wasn't too keen on it- a Chinese person studying Chinese must be really good in Chinese, was her logic, and since I'm not, it wasn't a good idea. Regardless. I tried declaring a third major before going to study abroad. The Honors Program needed an updated course plan as proof that I had room in my schedule to both study abroad and finish all the Honors classes they impose on students. The school of Humanities got finicky, saying I had to use their course plan, so I went "Forget you." and studied abroad without declaring that Chinese major. But I still intended to do it- triple major and minor in Linguistics. My theory? If I'm going to die from school, at least I'll look impressive. Some time in, oh, maybe September or October of 2016, I figured out in Melbourne that Psychology is not for me. There went that major. And good riddance to it too. Do I regret it? not really. Do I regret not going straight into Chinese my first year? Not really, either. I took some useful classes under Cognitive Sciences. Foundations of Computing, for example. I learned how to code in Python. Well, I was introduced to Python coding. Can't say I can produce anything worth using, but hey, it's a new skill I learned. *shrugs* To answer the question, I can't say I was labelled, but at the same time, I may be one of very few, if not the only, student(s) with a Chinese/Education Sciences double major and Linguistics minor. Lots of students do an Education Sciences/Cognitive Sciences-Psychology double major and a minor in whatever they may find interesting. I couldn't do that. If I had continued in psychology, I do think my grades would've suffered. I just don't have the interest. Now, whether or not it'll haunt me later in life is something we'll have to find out, isn't it? As for today's Soundtrackers: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I don't remember where I heard this first, but I do remember hearing it at the beginning of last quarter and going  because it did strike a chord with me. I've mentioned growing up so many times already, so I won't mention it again here, but yeah, part of the leap to follow what I wanted to do this quarter was spurred on from this song. Plus, with only 1 1/2 years left of school (unless I wanted to stay an extra, 6th year, which I don't!) going back to psychology wouldn't be a good idea. As for my mom, well, she dealt with it her own way. Once she figured out there really was no persuading me to go back to pscyhology, and considering how well I did last quarter, she's not in too much of a position to question my ambitions anymore. I also think last quarter solidified my decision- early education is the path for me, not elementary, and Chinese is a great add-on, even if it may seem like it's not extremely high in demand right now. We'll see. |
Talk Tuesday! In Sally  's entry yesterday ("Invalid Entry" ), her use of the term "writing kit" had me intrigued. Do you have a physical set of tools you rely on (certain pens/pencils, notebooks, etc.)? Different websites you rely on for particulars? Maybe even mood-setting accoutrements like music or candles? What's your scene?Writing Kit? Geez, Sally , you're organized. So if that didn't answer the question, no I don't have any sort of writing kit. I write when I can and when the mood strikes. And usually, that means when I'm not sick. Or busy, which is hardly ever. I guess I'm lucky enough that I got so much stuff written in 2017.... We'll see about 2018. I have a poem in the works right now that started when I was in Classical Chinese, but has nothing to do with that class. Just so happened I was checking out "The Writer's Cramp" in class and saw the prompt and went "oh! This might be something." Sometimes I play music when I'm writing, but only if it's not an essay or something, because I find the words way too distracting- I pay more attention to the ones I'm listening to than the ones I'm supposed to be writing. I've currently got music on, though, since I'm sitting in a hallway and busting this out before my meeting with the Honors Program. It's more a "don't disrupt me" than anything. Though, no it doesn't have to be any specific type of music. Just, whatever I currently feel like listening to at the moment, which, right now is Lady Antebellum. I don't have candles- as a student, I need to write on the go, so if I needed a full set of tools just to write, it'd take me forever to set-up and pack up. and then I wouldn't get any writing done. I DO, though, have a certain pencil I'll always use. Irony of that is, my pencil pouch is ginormous. And in reality, I really only use one pencil. And when it breaks, or if something happens, I use another one, but it takes some getting used to. I use the pencil for everything- writing, drawing, doodling, notes... doesn't matter. And, they almost always have to be mechanical pencils. I'm actually not a big fan of regular pencils- I think my issue with them is they're too thin, and that makes it harder for me to grip and such. I had a mechanical pencil that looked like a regular pencil at one point, and I couldn't use it without a pencil grip. It was a great pencil, and it lasted me about 5 years before I lost it in Melbourne somewhere in one of my classes. See- that's the other great thing about mechanical pencils- you don't have to sharpen it, just refill it with lead. And, yes, you could argue that buying the lead to refill it probably costs more than buying a regular pencil and just sharpening that, but I'd take into account the cost of a pencil sharpener and the time it takes to sharpen it.... not to mention what happens if you sharpen it too much and the lead breaks, and then you have to start the whole process over.... See? Mechanical pencils are better.The same goes for erasers, actually. I only use one eraser, though I might have 2-3 in my pencil pouch. It might just be an attachment issue. It might also be a "feel" thing- with the pencil, I know how heavy it is, and how it "feels" when I'm drawing, for thickness and lines and darkness and such. And the eraser, I know how thick it is, and where I can use to erase that won't erase the other stuff that was okay (that makes no sense, does it? )As for pens.... I don't use them unless I absolutely have to. I like the erasability of pencils. Ink is too permanent for me. I always draw in pencil, but if I'm really bored in class or if the finished product is actually for someone other than myself, I will outline it in pen once I'm sure that the product is what I wanted as a final product. As said, pen is permanent! You mess up, and you're doomed. Notebooks... I don't have a specific "writing notebook" though I have a doodle book and sketchbook. The first I bring in my backpack because it's nice and small and portable... my sketchbook I keep in my room, for bigger drawings (I tend to draw small). As for today's soundtrackers, it's very random. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I told warned you, didn't I? I was hanging with shadowfanglerz last week and I put this song on, with the disclaimer that "it's a bit weird for me." I couldn't quite pinpoint the right way to describe the song, but then we figured it out: it's not something you'd think I'd listen to, is it? It's also relatively swear-free, which I think is a pretty big accomplishment for something coming from Slash or hard rock in general..... I've also mentioned that Mom got a Google Home for Christmas- two, actually. from different friends. Anyways, I asked Google to put the song on, since I'd installed Spotify on Mom's phone and made it my account. Mom heard the intro- just the guitars- and she's like "eugh it's your country stuff again.  " "No, it's not country!" Far from it, actually.... The song kept playing, and the drums started, and then she goes "  it's your hard rock again! Google, stop the music!"Except, you need to say "Hey, Google..." in order for Google to register your request. So the song kept playing. She asked me who the artist was, and I told her "Slash! And some Myles guy whose last name I can't remember." "Because he's not famous enough!" She eventually stopped the music. As for why I like it, I'm not even sure myself. Can I say I just like it? If I really need a reason, I'm going to say Slash's guitar solo around the 3 minute mark. It's just a fun thing to bounce around and seat dance to. shadowfanglerz described it as "Wow, he just rips into it." It's Slash, what do you expect? But it's a good "rip". |
| Motivational Monday! Musician David Bowie, born on this day in 1947, once said "All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience. My work is always stronger when I get very selfish about it." How true (or false) is this about your own writing? What's more important: pleasing yourself, or your audience? I'm gonna be selfish here and say myself. I don't necessarily think much about my audience when I'm writing- I just write. It doesn't really matter if I'm writing to a prompt or not (usually I am) but yeah, I don't usually keep others in mind when I write. It might be because I'm slowly trying to not let Mom/the org get the better of me sometimes Kit  said something pretty well in one of her entries and I'm going to steal the general thought of it because I don't remember where it was. Sorry, Kit. I think, alot of times, people conform so that they don't get excluded. For me, at least, that is very much the case. There's been times where I try to be myself, do what I want to do, not what others want me to do, and most of the time, it fails dramatically. I don't have the backbone, I suppose. and there's just something in me that can't go against authority for too long without feeling guilty.  That's why writing.com's been great in this whole "growing up" process, I think. A little corner of my world to myself, that my family can't touch. A place to figure things out and rant/vent/discuss about my life and other, random miscellaneous stuff that would probably people in real life scratching their heads, wondering where on earth I found such stuff, or what kind of person I am. (For the record, I'm pretty sure I'm sane. I just have an odd taste sometimes ) I also don't have to be the "sweet" girl that my sister is not.Which, I suppose, leads me to the soundtrackers: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I checked. This came out in '98, and I was born in '96. It's hard to find music made in your lifetime, when you're only 21! Naturally, it didn't affect me that much when it first came out, but there was a time when I was really, really into country music, in high school and the beginning of uni, and I'd just add artist-loads of songs to my Spotify. The Dixie Chicks were one of the artists where I just added all their songs. Figured, it's easier to add them all, and then delete as I go if I don't like them. Anyways, I'm still trying to figure out who I am, but WDC and the internet is a great place for me to explore that. I suppose the song resonates with me because there have been times when I wish I could just run off and start new- and be and do what I want. I would, if I had a job, and somewhere to run to. I actually recall mentioning something like that to my high school counselor and she got very concerned for a second there, thinking that I actually planned to run away. Nope. Our place back home is way too far from anyone or anywhere else for me to go running away. From what I've heard, counselors have this "magic button" under their desks- they push it if they think their student is in trouble. And then they have to contact the parents and such. No, that didn't happen to me, but it did to a friend, apparently, who got burned out in senior year. I don't blame her, honestly, because our school district is tough- unforgivingly so. And at our school in particular, since most kids saw it as the "slacker school" (just to keep things ASR) you were either a really good student, or really bad student. Not much in-between. Most of the popular kids were the football players and cheerleaders. And the volleyball girls. *shrugs* A very small amount of students were smart and popular, and it really made you wonder, how or why the smart ones would hang around the not-so-smart ones. I did, at least. |
| The Sunday News! Ok, I know some of you don't like this day...and some of you don't care about sports. Sorry then that you're stuck with me ...but hear me out, cuz we all want good news. Buffalonians have donated over 300k to Cincinnati charities this week , and sent a truck including 1,440 chicken wings to the area as a thank you. For a fanbase that's known primarily for drunken exploits before games and throwing themselves through flaming tables, what do you make of this example of sportsmanship? (Disclaimer: I am a lifelong Bills fan, a #BillsMafia supporter, and will likely start drinking by tomorrow's 1pm kickoff because I haven't cared about football in January in a whole long time. Most of us won't slam you into tables or light you on fire. But if you say so much as one bad word about sports or news or Buffalo in your entries, I will banish you to somewhere that sucks more than where you are, and probably wish a 17-year pox of some sort on you, your family, and the house you live in. Be a good friggin' sport! I highly dislike sports. I mean, yay, the Bills won. But at the same time, had the other team won,I would've said yay, too. As for the sportsmanship, I'm not sure that the winning team sending chicken wings to the losing team (even as an act of charity) qualifies as being a good sport. I mean, yes, it's nice, but no, I don't see this as sportsmanship. Had the Bills lost (knocking on wood, because who knows what might happen if that happens after I write this! ) and then sent it, yes, I'd say they were being good sports. Honestly, I just see it as something they did because they won. Moving on to Soundtrackers: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Mwahaha.... You knew it was coming. You should've known. Hi-5!This is the very first song they performed. Song 1, Episode 1, Season 1. I have fond memories of dancing and singing along to Hi-5 (not necessarily to this song, but to another one which will hopefully come later....) though I still love this song. I remember learning how to cross and uncross my feet while jumping, because of this video. (Pretty sure it’s during “Simon says, ‘move faster now!’ If he sees you stop you’re out!”) I went into Mom’s bedroom all proud and I’m pretty sure Grandfather was there because I was all, “look, Mommy!” And Grandfather saw and said “那么厉害！” which made me all proud. See? Hi-5. Educational. Gross and fine motor skills! And probably some sort of coordination to get the feet to cross and uncross. Another thing about Hi-5- as I’m sure I’ve said so many times before, they were my childhood. And sis’s, though more for me than her because she grew out of it quickly. Meanwhile, I had my dreams of stardom and Hi-5, and becoming a cast member, which, as I grew up, meant I never actually “grew out” of Hi-5. Not to mention that I made them the focus of my personal statement for Jumpstart. Plus, hey, if I ever do make the move to Australia, Hi-5 might not be too far out of reach! Just sayin’.Finally, not to get petty here, but hey, Stevie, if you’re out there reading this blog entry, take THAT for fandom.  Doubt you can say they inspired your choice of career. |
| Fun Fact Friday! So, I can't choose which "fun fact" to use today...but here's where I usually get them from: Pick one and tell us how it relates to you, how it makes you feel, how it punches you in the gut, or just stirs up whatever it is inside you that makes you wanna write something. The 30DBC commentariat has already been marching/dancing/grousing to full effect...shake your engaging tailfeathers and work with what I gave ya! Okay, well, I'm not even sure why this is considered historic, BUT: A 15 year-old student pilot, Charles Bishop, crashed a small plane into a building in Tampa, FL. Bishop was about to begin a flying lesson when he took off without permission and without an instructor. Sorry, but that's just stupidity there. And I'm not usually one to call people names, but really? Why would you do such a thing? It's actually left me at a loss for words. Not sure if it's the kindergarten that tired me out, or just his lack of common sense, but I really don't have much to say about this news/fact except and . I won't say it served him right to die, but honestly, I'm not surprised he died. Thankfully nobody was hurt, aside from the kid, who died from the impact force.Today's song- "Encore" from Delta Goodrem: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I was actually looking for "Feline" and then this one started playing in my head, so I chose this instead. I've currently got a massive headache, which I plan to cure by sleeping way early- I'm meeting shadowfanglerz tomorrow too, so that will be a nice kid-unfriendly excursion. Somehow this song relates to the news, as well, the opening stanza: Can you hear the sound of the silence (Hush hush now) The spotlight's fading away Like a serenade of the quiet (Drown it out) The choir leaving the stage I mean, you (well, I?) can imagine it- the silence after a show, which, in this case, would be the accident and all the initial pandemonium it causes. "The spotlight's fading away," - slowly the news is no longer news, and people start to not talk about it (the serenade of the quiet) and move on with their lives (the choir leaving the stage). On a happier note about the song, though, Delta did sing this during her encore at the concert I went to last November (2016). Even though it's not the nicest message/lyrics, there is a way to rewrite this from a fan's point of view and make it so you do want an encore. No, I won't include it here. |
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