The Politician by Karien Deroo

Deaths That I'll Never Recover From, Fictional and Otherwise?

My love of news, books, gaming and movies, has unfortunately caused an ungodly amount of sorrow in my life,  mainly as a result of death. Anyway, my boredom and love of list making has inspired me to create a list of those whom my heart will forever ache for. Talley ho!

1. Heath Ledger, not fictional, but the one death that will always be "too soon" (for me that is)(I still cry)

2. Charlie, Lost. Hands down my favorite character from the first television series that I watched avidly. Damn it Charlie! Ruin my life why don't you.

3. Chris Miles, Skins. Yup. Skins will make quite a few cameos on this particular list.

4. Cal and Chloe, Harper's Island. Damn. The one couple that I actually wanted to survive. Actually, that's an exaggeration. Basically every death on Harper's Island was a traumatic one.

5. Qui Gon Jin, Star Wars Episode 1. Seeing as Star Wars is my favorite film series EVER, Qui Gon was a killer for me. But then again, it did fuel one of the most emotionally charged scenes I've ever viewed. I'm talking major goosebumps.

7. Every single death in X-Men. Pardon my French, but fuq dat shi.

8. Bambi's mom. Like come on Disney, can't you leave the poor deer alone?

9. Freddie McClair, back to Skins. Praise Shiva for Cook because otherwise I would've shat myself.

10. Ezio's entire fucking family, Assassin's Creed 2 *flips all the tables* 

11. Mikau, LoZ. Seriously Majora's Mask scarred me for life.

12. Dustfinger, Inkheart. I don't care if they brought him back, twas awful.

13. Biggie. I love you my king.

14. Subject Delta, Bioshock 2. Great opening though, can't deny that.

15. The Great Deku Tree, Ocarina😭😭😭

16. Satine, Moulin Rouge. They trick you into thinking that it's a happy ending, and BAM. Lives ruined.

17. Mufasa, Lion King. This is probably the most universally devastating death of all time.

18. John Coffey, The Green Mile. Great movie, even greater actor. Michael Clarke Duncan will be missed.

19. Sirius Black, Harry Potter. I feel like this was sort of an obvious addition though. Ironically enough, my three favorite Potter characters all died. What luck.

20. And finally, the obliteration of every character in Angel Beats! Yup, fml.

And an extra. Basically every single death in FMA. Dudes. 

Word of the Day

Sagacity--the quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted; wisdom

My Top Ten, Those Whom I Idolize?

I've been meaning to create a list of this nature for quite some time. There are many people, most of whom are considered "eccentric" or "quirky," who have inspired me to become my own being. This being said, let the list commence!

1. Stephen Colbert

Where to begin? Satire is what I enjoy most in life, and satire just happens to take form in the very being of Mr. Colbert.

2. Quentin Tarantino

Being one of the more controversial figures in the creative world, I immediately found myself respecting Mr. Tarantino.  He is a stylistic genius, referencing numerous cultures and works of art in all of his creations.  He is, in my opinion, one of the most talented people in all of the world.  

3. Tim Burton

Creepy. Amazing. Pure genius.

4. Gwen Stefani

I used to pretend to dress like Gwen.  She is her own person and I love that about her (also, she loves the Harajuku culture as do I).

5. Seth MacFarlane 

He's so absolutely offensive, but does so to prove a point. A true prodigy as far as I'm concerned.

6. James Thurber

My personal favorite American author, artist, and doer of awesome.  I was first inspired by Thurber when I was in the third grade, and he has yet to let me down.

7. Groucho Marx

The king of comedy, and that which I one day hope to evolve into.

8. Kristin Wiig

I have a strong feeling that Kristin and I could be best friends. 

9. Marty Feldman

Some people have difficulty understanding his humor.  I believe that those people need to reevaluate their lives.  Marty is a boss.

10. Robin Williams

Robin Williams can play anything.  He is completely mental--partially because of drug use--but hey, that's why we love him.

Honorable mentions: Ellen DeGeneres, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Hughes, John Belushi, Chris Rock, Gene Wilder, Bette Davis, Billy Bob Thorton, and of course, Joaquin Phoenix

Sure, the majority of the people listed are "just" some comedians, but they are comedians who have nonetheless affected the way that I look at humanity. 

I Love Food

 

I love food.  I would spend all day eating food if I could, which I basically already do.  I have around five a six meals daily.  Small meals yes, but meals nonetheless.  Actually, my absolute favorite foods are mushrooms, sweet potatoes and pineapple.  And raspberries.  And almonds.  Now this, my friends, is where the paleolithic commences. 

I have recently begun dabbling in the so called "paleolithic diet."  The name alone is very interesting, referring to the caveman's ancient diet of plants and animals.  In short, you can eat whatever the heck you want, as long as it isn't processed crap.  There are so many delicious recipes that go along with this lifestyle, and to be perfectly honest, I am seriously considering going full paleo within a few months (only I plan on eating yogurt forever because no one puts baby in the corner).  Rather than being used as an aid to weight loss, the paleo diet is carried out with the intention of lowering and eliminating the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cancers, and depression, along with other avoidable diseases that harm the quality of life.

I plan on giving my final thoughts regarding the paleolithic diet after a few months of participation, so wish me luck! Stay healthy my lemondrops :)

Put on Your Red Shoes and Dance the Blues

A Societal Rant

Middle school.  A time of pressure, both psychosocial and emotional.  To survive this precursor to high school--or as I like to call it, eternal damnation--one must dress, act, and appear like everyone else.  During my time in purgatory, one was judged by the clothes on their back.  It was only "cool" to wear brand names, these being Hollister and Abercrombie and American Eagle and whichever others styled a piece of cloth and put a label on it.  It is thanks to these stores that I have been inspired to rant.

Shopping at Hollister was a traumatic experience for my middle school self.  I would make sure that I looked "acceptable" on their standards, and even then I never felt good enough to be shopping there.  Maybe it was due to the super model looks of the employees, or perhaps because of the array of shirtless men posted to the walls.  Either way,  I felt so, absolutely self-conscious in these stores.  And to top it all off, the crappy tees and poorly fashioned sandals were ridiculously overpriced.  Why then, did I continue to put myself through the anxiety of shopping at said store?  It was simple.  I did it so that I could fit in.

This being said, I was not surprised to find that Abercrombie and Hollister truly are as superficial as they seem to be.  Their vision of the "all-American" girl is entirely skewed.  It is unfortunate that these are the stores that young girls are so attracted to.  I wish that I could go to all of the girls like myself, those that are stuck in a time of self-loathing, and help them to realize the unimportance brig "cool."

My advice to you?  Shop at Walmart for God sake.  Seriously, Walmart is awesome.

Time For Another Political Rant?

Dear Shiva,
I cannot mentally grasp the current mindset of the so-called "Grande Old Party." Obviously the happenings that have taken place in Benghazi within the past nine months have been less than favorable, but to attack President Obama in the hopes to impeach him from office? Ha, good luck with that, you lot of wingnuts. I, just as everyone else, was very disturbed with the death of Christopher Stevens and the three other officials back in September, but recognized it as a result of terror. The mere fact that the GOP is attacking Obama now, in reference to an event that happened eight months ago and is now regrettably irrelevant, makes me furious.

Sincerely,
A cynical libretarian

P.S. I hope that you do some destroying in the near future, for I do not think that I will be able to physically and emotionally handle the right wing conservatives who reside in this county for much longer.

Not Afraid? The Road to Recovery

Eminem is, for lack of a better word, a genius.  I may not love all poetry, but Eminem takes my perception of "poetry" to another level.  Eminem stands among the ranks of Tupac and Biggie, far above those self-proclaimed rappers that mar the modern era.  As far as I see it, Eminem is one of the leaders of the lyrical poetry, and is holding the genre of rap together with his raw talent.  There is a very obvious maturation displayed in his album, Recovery.  For years Eminem has only had his pain and anger from the problems with his mother and ex-wife to rap about. Now that he has gone through the hardships of life and gotten all of that out of the way he's rapping about real things. I have been a lifetime fan of Mathers, I have never fully hated any of his albums yet at the same time I felt he was just dragging on his effort.  Eminem in my humble opinion is now better than he ever has been and it shows in the production and effort he put into this album.

I chose to display "Not Afraid," for I feel as though it was the song that proved Eminem had reached the top again.   Though this was not my favorite track on the album, I find that the lyrics have an inspirational nature and are easy to relate to.  Anyway, I had planned on adding a short review of every track on the album, as a sort of ode to my favorite rapper.

1. Cold Wind Blows 8/10: This track is absolutely hysterical.  It was the first song that I had heard off of the album, and absolutely loved it.

2. Talkin' 2 Myself ft. Kobe 10/10: This song is very engrossing. I had never heard of this "Kobe" character before, but the track was very effective, and most importantly enjoyable.

3. On Fire 7/10: Awesome lyrics, and that's really all I have to say.

4. Won't Back Down ft. Pink 6/10: This song is a very good collaboration between the two artists (both of whom I love). However, I found the pairing between Pink and Eminem to be sort of awkward, but it's a decent song regardless.

5. W.T.P. 7/10: This is old school Slim Shady.  I can definitely tell that he put a lot of effort into making his rhymes meaningful.

6. Going Through Changes 11/10: This song was simply amazing. It was a suprise to me, but it melds pefectly and makes the track flawless.

7. Not Afraid 9/10: This song has been played heavily on MTV and other music networks. I felt this song was a very good way to put the new song and feel out there for fans to know Eminem was back and ontop once again.

8. Seduction 5/10: Not one of my favorites. It is alledgedly about Mariah Carey?

9. No Love ft. Lil' Wayne 9/10: The only reason I did not make this a 10/10 is because I had mixed emotions about this song from the start. At first I did not like it feeling the two didn't really mix, but then after listening more closely I found myself listening and singing along.  I may be a bit biased though, seeing as I completely despise Lil' Wayne.

10. Space Bound 10/10: One of my absolute favorites on the album. This song is totally out of the norm for Eminem, and to be completely honest, it makes him sound like a softy.  It's different yes, but it works and he set the track on fire.

11. Cinderella Man 11/10: The only other song I rate 11/10 because it has such a flow that you just can't help yourself but listen. I love the rhythm and his rhymes are sick. Great track.

12. 25 to Life 9/10: This song has a good feel and it seems he put alot of emotion into it while recording. The female vocals are a nice touch, and ultimately add more feeling to the track.

13. So Bad 6/10: Decent lyrics, yet for some reason the song doesn't quite feel the same as the rest of the album.  I cannot help but think that it might have been a filter track.

14. Almost Famous 10/10: This track just makes me want to get up and start moshing. The beat is sick, so mad props to the producer. The lyrics are very good as well as he takes many shots at himself for his previous failures in music.

15. Love The Way You Lie ft Rihanna 6/10: This may be an unpopular opinion, but there is just something about Rihanna that I despise.

16. You're Never Over 10/10: This gets a 10 because it is a very heart filled and melodic tribute to Proof of D12. Eminem made an effort to tribute Proof every chance he had. This song was not at all hard to listen to and may possibly have meaning to others.

17. Untitled (Here We Go) 5/10: I'm not actually sure why this track was added to the album.  I feel as though Eminem should have ended the album with "You're Never Over," but that is just my opinion. 

Eminem is a truly talented, truly inspirational artist, and I hope that his career and works continue to flourish.

Ichi, the Killer?

 

I have somewhat recently entered a cult phase, in which I am attempting to view every "Cult Classic" before going off to college.  Most of the classics I have seen thus far are campy horror films that should have been put out of their misery years ago, yet are entertaining nonetheless.  I remember seeing Ichi on the shelves of the Video Showplace that used to take root a few minutes from my home, primarily because the cover of the movie was so disturbing that it had haunted me from first grade on.  Ah but I digress, for I must begin my comments regarding the manga.

As it turns out, Ichi the Killer was originally a manga written by the great Hideo Yamamoto.  As it also turns out, all ten volumes of the manga were available on Manga Fox, thus provoking me to read the series. When the series was first released, it was actually banned in several sections of Japan and Malaysia.  Why is this?  Let me put it this way: the extremely graphic depictions of cruelty throughout the comic were seen to be 'too' controversial among many readers.  Nevertheless, I read, and to my surprise, adored the series! 

Despite the fact that the characters were just a lot of immoral Yakuza, most of them turned out to be extremely dynamic.  Kakihara, a masochist, is hands down the most twisted antagonist that I have ever come across (and I have seen a lot of twisted stuff, my friends).  He has a slit mouth, scars covering his face, and several dozen piercings, and wants nothing more than to find Ichi--the allusive murderer of his beloved Anjou.  The series itself follows the story of Ichi, a boy who has been psychologically scarred from being bullied as a child ( as a side-note, Ichi is socially inept and has the inability to smile like a normal person, as picture above).  I won't go into any more details as to prevent spoilers, but I would very easily present Ichi with a five star rating. 

Bullying, a Complicated Subject? (inspired by the documentary "Bully")

No.  There is nothing "complicated" about the topic of bullying.  If I were an authority, I would have shut bullies down yesterday.  When a person is bullied, it legitimately breaks my heart.  It is beyond frustrating when authority turns a blind eye when people are being targeted by bullies.  Children are taking their lives because of the cruelty of others, what more proof do you need?  When you hear authority say that "boys will be boys," and that "they need to work it out for themselves," know that a puppy is getting smacked with a phone book.  Take some responsibility for your incompetence, and reprimand the bully for once. 

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil?

I would rate this movie 7 out of 10 spinning midgets.  It was totally awesome, and the protagonists were really likeable, and didn't end up killing anybody (directly that is).  I think that my favorite aspect of the movie was the fact that it played off of multiple stereotypes--both expected and unexpected.

If I Had an iPhone

Drop in the Bucket

Webcomic Wednesday

Every Day After School

Prompromprom!

Okay so I was inspired by Adventure Time to blog about prom, thus I shall blog away!

Firstly, I love the idea of prom, primarily because everyone feels and looks absolutely beautiful. It's so difficult (especially as a teenager) to feel genuinely good about yourself, and I feel like prom gives everyone a chance to do so.

In negation, for a night that is supposed to be fun and celebrate youth and whatnot, it is ridiculously expensive. The ticket alone cost more than my dress, and honestly, that's kind of sad. A lot of the time people don't go to prom because they can't afford it, and that's really unfortunate!

Lastly, people are often afraid to go to prom by themselves. I went by myself to junior prom, and I still had the most amazing time! In the end, it doesn't matter whether or not you have a date. To be honest, going solo is probably 1000000x better than going with someone that you really didn't want to go with, just so that you could have a date. In fact, unless you're in a serious relationship, I would recommend going by yourself. I feel like there's less stress that way (and you can always get pictures with your friends so that's not even a concern).

Needless to say, I'm super excited about senior prom and cannot wait to show off my rad dance moves.

Happy Prom everyone :)

Song of the Day

I first started listening to Imagine Dragons because I thought they had a cool name, and after playing through the entire album (Night Visions0, I realized that they're fricking awesome.  Plus their lyrics are super inspiring, so that's always a positive.

Word of the Day

Tonic:  A medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being.

Some of the Most Underrated Actors

I get genuinely frustrated when I watch movies with truly talented actors, and realize that their talent goes unnoticed time and time again.  This being said, I kind of wanted to make a list of all of the actors that I believe to be truly masterly when it comes to their ability to portray a character. Listed in no particular order:

1.  Guy Pearce
2.  J.T. Walsh
3.  Danny Trejo
4.  Michael Jeter
5.  Michael Clarke Duncan
6.  Tommy Lee Jones
7.  Tim Curry
8.  Samuel L. Jackson (some people see Samuel L to be overrated, but seriously, he's a badass mofo and hasn't won a single Oscar.  Plus he and Steve Buscemi are in like EVERYTHING).
9.  Ray Liotta
10.  John C. Reilly
11.  James Cromwell
12.  Peter Postlethwaite
13.  Joaquin Phoenix (seriously he's been nominated for three Oscars and still hasn't won anything WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD)
14. Sam Neill
15.  Steve Buscemi
16. Tom Hulce
17.  Seth MacFarlane
18.  Patrick Wilson
19.  Joshua Jackson
20.  Paul Bettany

Bonus Round:  Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jesse Eisenberg, Don Cheadle, Emile Hirsch, 

And to think that people like Nicholas Cage and Tom Cruise and Rob Pattinson and Charlie Sheen and Dwayne Johnson (the list goes on) get more recognition than these guys -_-

Something--A Lyrical Comparison?

Rather than continue to beat "From Blossoms" to death with a chair, I decided to quit the generic analysis and compare the purpose of the poem with the lyrics to "Something."  Aside from the fact that Lee describes death as "that which defines life," both the poem and the lyrics share a very similar meaning.  It is "something in the way she moves" that attracts Paul, just as there is something about the beauty of nature that provoked Lee to write about the beauty of a moment.  Sometimes the simplest of things, whether it is eating a peach or seeing a woman for the first time, can have a lasting affect on a person.  

The most striking similarity between the works appears in the center of the two.  Lee describes everything will grow, "from joy to joy to joy, from wing to wing," just as Paul asks the rhetorical question of whether or not his love will grow.  The answer to both of their inquiries, whether they were direct of indirect are found at the core of nature.  Everything grows, for everything, in the end, must change.  As if to further the connection, Paul mentions that he does not want the girl to leave, implying that he wants to live in the joy of this moment.  As I mentioned earlier, Lee demonstrated the want to freeze a beautiful moment and live in it forever through his account in "From Blossoms."  I am not so sure that The Beatles were referencing the instability of life and the fact that death is the antithesis of life through the lyrics of "Something," but their is a similarity between the two themes nonetheless. 

SOAPS--A Method of Analysis?

Keeping with the previous theme of poetic analysis, I decided on apply the use of the SOAPS method in order to further my understand of "From Blossoms."  According to SOAPS, one must discover the subject, occasion, audience, purpose, and speaker of the poem, in order to form a substantial foundation of knowledge for analysis.  This being said, I am ready to analyze!

SUBJECT:  In the case of "From Blossoms," the subject takes the form of a peach blossom.  The blossom is understood as the source of the peach, and in the moment is seen as the creator of this delicious beautiful piece of nature. 

OCCASION:  The narrator reflects on a time in which he drove to a stand and bought a bag of peaches.  The particular occasion in which the speaker does reflect, is not necessarily important to the collective understanding of the poem.  Perhaps Lee intentionally left out any indication of the occasion, as to show that one needs no reason to reflect on the beauty of life and the source in which life and beauty is born. 

AUDIENCE:  Lee attempts to target every person who is willing to listen to his account of beauty.  He wants to share his knowledge and understanding of the world with everyone, so that he may provoke a deeper sense of understanding or inquiry in the minds of those who are willing to listen. 

PURPOSE:  Through "From Blossoms,"  Lee attempts to emphasize the importance of miniscule things in life.  He has attempted to illustrate the wonderful moments in life, regardless of their simplicity.  We all in our life where we wish that we could just freeze time, causing that moment to last for an eternity.  This desire was illustrated as the purpose in the third and fourth stanzas in the work, in the hopes that this message would leave a lasting impact on the reader. 

SPEAKER:  It is safe to assume that the speaker of "From Blossoms" is in fact Li-Young Lee.  Either way, the identity of the speaker is about as important as one's knowledge of the occasion--it's not. 

DIDLS: The Tone Acronym?

While looking through various forms of poetic analysis, I came across a method known as "DIDLS."  According to DIDLS, one analyzes the tone of the poem by focusing on diction, images, details, language, and sentence structure.  This being said, I figured that I might be interesting if I apply the DIDLS technique to Li-Young Lee's work, "From Blossoms."  Hobey ho, let's go!

DICTION:  "From Blossoms," is a simple, lyric poem with a romantic diction.  The narrator is thoughtful, and demonstrates his sensitivity in the last stanza of the poem, that "there are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background; from joy to joy to joy, from wing to wing, from blossom to blossom to impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.  Lee's particular choice of words in this piece, such as his decision to use the word "joy" rather than "contentment" or "happiness," evokes his attempt at a poem that is more whimsical in nature.

IMAGES:  Lee presents the reader with vivid details in order to evoke each of the five senses.  We can see the peaches that have been placed inside of a brown paper bag.  We can hear the laughter and whimsy in the fellowship of eating peaches together.  The idea of eating a fresh, juicy peach very strongly evokes the sense of taste.  The smell of the blossoms and the juices of nature fill the reader's nostrils with sweetness and joy, enabling the reader to reach out and touch the soft skin of the peach.  In short, this work is full of powerful images that help the reader to envision the blossoms.

DETAILS:  Lee including all of the necessary details in his work, as to successfully evoke the senses of the reader.  He omitted any unnecessary fluff that would take away from the simplicity of his work, and that would ultimately distract the reader from understanding the true importance of the work. 

LANGUAGE:  I would not classify Lee's use of language in "From Blossoms," as formal, clinical, or colloquial.  It is simply personal.  The language that he has chosen to use, is characteristic of himself as a writer and as a person.  It is easy for one to imagine Lee speaking like this in daily life.  He only used language that was common to himself. 

SENTENCE STRUCTURE:  The long, flowing sentences that make up "From Blossoms," create a dream like tone that allows the reader to float through the poem.  The lines themselves are only made up of a few words, but the sentences draw on until the end of the stanza.  It is quite a feat to achieve simplicity even though the sentences themselves are rather complex.  But perhaps that was Lee's point.

Why I Hate Poetry but Love Li-Young Lee

Whenever I think of poetry, I imagine a person sitting at a small table in the candlelight, thinking, "Now is the time for me to be all emo and write about my feelings, blah blah blah."  Don't get me wrong, I love modern poetry and sarcastic poetry, and I have a dream of becoming a rapper during my years in university, but I am honestly unable to sit down and enjoy reading a compilation of poems.  This being said, I wanted to focus on a poet that I knew very little about, so that I would have to preconceptions prior to reading his work.  Li-Young Lee has, surprisingly enough, stolen my heart.  I never imagined that I could read a poem about eating dinner or making a bed, and enjoy it.  Aqua Man must have drowned, because even I didn't expect this.

The first piece that I came across, was "From Blossoms," a little diddy that Lee wrote in response to peach blossoms.  Obviously there is more meaning to this poem--something that I will cover during a later entry--but it had a strange, cosmic affect on me.  It was simple, philosophic, and reminded me of my Asian homeland--all things that I complete adore.  After my reading of "From Blossoms," I sat at my computer and contemplated the meaning of life.  Once I realized that my contemplation just left me with more questions, I dove back into Lee's work.  I read a few more of his poems, and decided that I must drive to the library and grab a few of his compilations.  I ended up borrowing the lot, running back to my house and locking myself in my room.  I read his autobiographical work, Winged Seed: A Remembrance, and felt immensely closer with Lee as a person.  He bears his soul for the world to see, and that is why I am in love with him.  He is the bravest man that I have even encountered. 

After getting an understanding of Lee, I began to read his poetry.  I believe that I enjoy his poetry, in comparison to other works that discuss feelings and things that I personally do not care about, because I became aware of his life.  Every experience had affected him in such a way, that he was capable of recounting it through the written word.  He found solace in an art form, which I find to be beautiful.

In summation, I genuinely enjoyed getting to know Li-Young Lee.  There were no secrets or uncertainties in his works.  They are taken as what they are--beautiful accounts of life. 

Real Cinema

My Pledge

Little Boy Larry

For those of you who don't know, I absolutely love dogs, and have fallen in love with this little pekingese named Larry.  Anyway, I just kind of wanted to publicize the little guy, to maybe help him find a good home.  It breaks my heart that such a sweet, little creature would be so mistreated! I would adopt him in a heartbeat, but I already have three dogs of my own and just don't have the room (or the patience) for another.

 

Larry lost his eye due to the poor conditions that he grew up in, but he is still so sweet.  I'll post a link to his page below.  Help little Larry find a home! :)

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet/6604585-elizabethtown-pennsylvania-pekingese

BubzBeauty

I feel like this is kind of an awesome video.  Watch.  Watch now.

They Went to the Nightosphere

Yeah,
ugh,
political rap.
Yo yo,
demon apathy,
yo zappity.
Get ready.
Government,
where you went?
Yo, farmer’s market.
Ride bikes.
Get on it.
Geodesic domes,
science.
You heard?

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful"

Somewhat Personal Confession Hour!

When I was in sixth grade, I would make myself a sandwich every night after dinner. I called it the triple decker. It was three layers of peanut butter and bread, and I would eat it all. I would always hide the evidence once I was finished, because I didn't want my parents to know that I was stuffing my face after dinner.  Sometimes, I would even have a bowl of ice cream after my sandwich. 

 

That is the story of how I developed an addiction to food.

Three years later, I restricted myself to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal for every meal.  If I ate more than the allotted amount, I would throw it up and then exercise for an extra hour.  I even went so far as to use detox treatments.  I got down to 104 pounds, which is eleven pounds underweight for a girl who is 5"6.  To put this into perspective, I went from having a BMI of 23.0, to a BMI of 16.8.  Sometimes I would get really depressed, and binge on anything that I could get my hands on.  This of course resulted in more exercise and the occasional trip to the bathroom.  I didn't realize how out of control this was, until my friend asked me why I was exercising at one in the morning, after spending the day walking around Spain.  I had such a distorted sense of self, that I actually believed that I was still too "fat."  Fast forwarding to the present, my bulimia has been under control for over a year and a half, and I can honestly say that I am more than content with my body.  

This post may seem kind of random, but I was doing a lot of thinking about people my age and younger, who are bullied for their weight.  The thought of the pain of these people, made me really emotional.  Every malicious word or gesture made in reference to these people, breaks them down.  In fact, it destroys every once of self-confidence that they may have.  Too many of them feel ugly and worthless, when the fact of the matter is that they are all amazingly beautiful.  Eating disorders are not fun, and after years at both ends of the spectrum, I was able to learn this for myself.  

My advice to you?  LOVE YOURSELF.  Not in a narcissistic or pretentious manner, but in a way that exudes confidence and helps to make you even more beautiful. 

Hipster Hitler, the Webcomic

From Blossoms

From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

- Li-Young Lee

Charlie Boy

If You Can't Love Yourself, How the Hell You Gonna Love Someone Else?

My Heart Be Breakin'

The Abominable Charles Christopher, My Latest Ish

8 Ways Video Games Have Saved Our Society?

I saw a really cool post on Smosh the other day, about how video games have contributed to society in a positive way!  Anyway, I thought that it would make the perfect addition to my blog.

1.  Crime is lower
2.  Video Games have created a ton of jobs
3.  Video Games have turned everyone into nerds
4.  It is the greatest medium for story telling ever created
5.  Video Games will teach you stuff
6.  Playing games makes your brain good
7.  They help you to make friends
8.  Playing games are better than doing drugs

Of course all of this was on Smosh so they were not trying to be completely seriously, I just thought that they made some interesting points.

What Theater?

This week has really frustrated me.  My high school has again demonstrated it's preference to athletics.  Don't get me wrong, we have immense talent when it comes to our athletics, and it is wonderful that we do appreciate their accomplishments, but it would be nice if other our organizations got some recognition.  How often do you hear about the success of Theater, or Band, or Science Olympiad?  The answer, unfortunately enough, is rarely.
I'm not going to lie, but this is extremely disheartening.  The One Acts are this weekend and I have yet to hear a single person mention them.  Of course I am a bit biased, seeing as I take part in theater and obviously want that it be broadcasted throughout the state, but I'm not sure if my bias is the actual issue here.  So many extra-curricular activities accomplish amazing things, but remain unknown because the school fails to really appreciate them. 


Does anyone else feel this way?  Comment away! Your opinions are always appreciated :)

Word of the Day

Haptodysphoria--an unpleasant sensation felt by some people when touching peaches, cotton, or similar surfaces

Sketch V

There was once a dream that was Rome

We Can No Longer Tolerate Anti-Intellectualism

Ignorance is, in my opinion, one of the most abominable sins.  How many people even read the news nowadays?  Not very many.  I am beyond ashamed of those who have no idea of the happenings that are occurring on a global basis.  Being unaware of the revolution in Egypt is one thing, but not even knowing that the Inauguration took place this past Monday is inexcusable.  How are we supposed to move forward, when we coexist with an abundance of anti-intellectuals?  It is disgusting. 

My advice to you?  Form your own *explicative* opinions based on the information that you take the time to acknowledge. Get off of your lazy asses, stop being so egocentric, and maybe--just maybe-- inform yourselves about the world.  It is not that difficult.

The battle against anti-intellectualism has begun.

How Can I Live When We Are Parted?

Bear #3

Marianna

Mrs. Mia Wallace

Word of the Day

Trow--to think or suppose; e.g. "Will though labor for naught? I trow not!"

Word of the Day

Niveous--snowy or resembling snow

The Battle Continues?

Why is it that liberals and conservatives hate each other? Well, I have the answer to that inquiry. I myself find it very difficult to tolerate the conservative extremists, but have learned (through a few offensive rants on my part) that it is best not to generalize. In fact, I can be bipartisan at times, and am generally socially liberal while I am economically conservative. Anyway, my biggest pet peeve when entering into a political debate, is when the person or persons that I am discussing a certain policy with clearly does not know much about politics in general. In other words, I cannot stand when a person bases a belief on no facts whatsoever. Rather they have blindly formed their beliefs on discussions that they overhear from their parents.

I have found, that both sides can be contradictory at times. So if both parties are in the wrong, who is right? Stephen Colbert of course. Stephen, like myself, are libertarians, something that touches on both liberalism and conservatism, but is not quite on the same level of a bipartisan tension, because in all seriousness, not much can get done with such a tension in affect.

In summation, it does not seem that the bad blood between the two opposites will end anytime soon. Can't we all just get along? Scratch that. No one will be able to get along until the conservative extremists realize that everyone is equal (sorry, I had to say it).

Word of the Day

Aphephobe--a person who doesn't like to be touched (also known as haphephobia)

I'm a Gamer and Proud of It

I will never understand why video games are stigmatized.  Sure I have a DS.  Yes, I do play this DS.  Sure, Pokemon may be my favorite series.  Why now, is this a bad thing?  Playing video games is a perfectly healthy way to release stress after a long day at school or work, and playing games certainly doesn't make you any less of a person.

This mini-discussion was sparked by a story that I heard the other night, about a high school kid that was made fun of for playing his DS on the bus.  I found this to be really sad, mainly because the bully in this situation is obviously unaware of how awesome video games are.  To be completely honest, one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when someone makes fun of video games, and the people who play these games.  Is being "nerdy" a bad thing?  No, being nerdy is fricking awesome. 

Word of the Day

Backpfeifengesicht--a face badly in need of a fist

Word of the Day

Festinate--to rush; to act or move at a high speed

Word of the Day

Luciferous--literally illuminating; providing light.

The Word of the Day

Noctambulous--of or pertaining to sleepwalking

Ignition Point Actually Hamlet?

So I was watching Adventure Time the other day, as I often do on lazy afternoons, and noticed the very obvious references to Hamlet throughout the episode.  Finn and Jake were traveling to the Fire Kingdom to retrieve the Fire Princess' scented candles, and as they were doing so, overheard two people plotting to kill the King.  There just so happened to be a troupe of players in the kingdom at the time, so they donned costumes and thought of a way to warn the King of the plot:  they would act out what they had heard, in the hopes that the culprits would reveal themselves and the King would be saved!  Sound familiar?  Why yes, yes it does! The premise of this episode was in fact, inspired by "The Murder of Gonzago," the play within the play.

The moral of this story?  Adventure Time is actually educational, thus by watching it, I am not actually procrastinating, but am expanding my knowledge of the universe. 

America Again?

Stephen Colbert is my one true love, and the force that fuels all of my political ravings.  This being said, I must break from my challenge and compose a response to his newest work--America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't.  As perfect as America is in every way, our country is broken, thus launching Colbert's thesis into full effect.  He uses his sharp wit to pick out America's follies, and shares his solutions with those who are willing to buy his book.  Unfortunately, mere ownership of this book bound me into a non-disclosure agreement to not share the contents of the book with anyone.  This being said, I have decided to discuss the ingenuity of the work anyway.

One of my personal favorite quotes appeared in reference to our initial growing into an agricultural power: "We've defeated the Native Americans, the Nazis, and even the metric system" - I particularly appreciate the latter.  In his 'Easy Solutions,' he suggests retracing our steps to where we last saw our thriving economy, spicing up one of our clunker states (eg. new windows and rat traps) before selling it to a Saudi Prince, limiting maternity leaves to 15 minutes, and singing the National Anthem twice before football games.  Ah Mr. Colbert, you are too funny.  I absolutely loved I Am America (And So Can You), but America Again may be even better, given how it's focused itself on the current economic situation and offers advice on what America is doing well (just about everything) and the problems with it (mainly regular people). America Again is one of those books that I almost hated to read in public, because with all the time I spent giggling and cracking up, I'm sure I looked like a moron to people around me. But it's all but impossible not to laugh on just about every page of this, from the odd footnotes to the numerous "regular" voices in the book to the gloriously insane methods to help people with things like insurance forms and resume work.

It is important to remember however, that Mr. Colbert is not being serious.  He is simply being his character, a conservative Republican who hates gays and liberals.  America Again is by far, the most entertaining work that I have read in a very long time.  There is no word to describe my excitement about Mr. Colbert and his talent as a political satirist.  I love him, is that not good enough?

Another Year, Another Rant

Being the President of a country of very diverse people is in fact, a very difficult job.  It's unfortunate that people talk badly about President Obama, when he is truly doing all that he possibly can in the conditions in which he was placed.  You do realize that there is some serious bipartisan (which, yes, can be a good thing) tension, that is preventing the President from really get big things done.  Look around, our society is money hungry and self-indulgent.  Maybe once society is able to shape up and realize that in order to accomplish something big, we need to change the way in which we think.  We cannot throw all of our own responsibilities onto one man, just because we are not emotionally mature enough to try to fix things for ourselves.  Yes, it is vital to have a strong leader to guide use through times of darkness, but guess what, we have more than a strong leader.  We have a man who is willingly to put his own needs aside, in order to guide our country toward a successful future.  In the end, it is not physically possible for one man to do something of this caliber on his own.  This being said, stop complaining about what President Obama is "doing wrong," and maybe take the time to educate yourself regarding politics and the current state of your country.

For us, the poor, there is no action, but only to wait and to witness.