Over the next few days I will be in and around Chicago. I'm hoping that I will be able to get some sort of educational benefit from it. Now there are many different modes of transportation. My family went by the way of a car as well as train. I thought it was going to be the coolest thing in the world, in the hopes it would be somewhat like Harry Potter. Well, I was wrong. There were no platforms. There were no cute little rooms for you and your family to sit in. No magical chocolate frogs or super cool jelly beans. Just about the only similarity is that you are on a train.
To put it into simpler terms, I was a bit disappointed. The train was supposed to depart at 10 and didn't even end up arriving until 1:25. And it didn't even alert us that it was going to be even later than it originally intended. Not only was this annoying, but it was a rather large burden for my handicapped grandmother. When your specifically reserve a seat in something that effects your entire trip, I believe that it is only necessary for them to update you about any and every change there is in the trip just as a common courtesy so that you are not sitting on the pavement for over half of an hour thinking you might miss the train if you are anywhere else. Trust me, it isn't pleasant.
Even with the set backs, there is something that makes it all worth it. The view. Boy was it amazing. Not only do you get to ride over the Mississippi river, which is impressive itself, but you also get to drive through all of these little towns no one had ever heard of. There are plenty of beautiful houses. Ones that you can't see in cities even as big as Cedar Rapids. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to go over little creeks or even under bridges that you might question. You get to see animals, fields of lord knows what, and most importantly, the joy on your younger sibling's face when they hear that they have just crossed state borders.
There are also all sorts of people you can meet who come from all over the country or even world! I study Chinese and was lucky enough to meet a lady from China! I was able to practice my Chinese at the train stop and learn about their culture from someone other than the teacher I see every week. It was a great experience!
So while yes, the beginning was a bit annoying, and it wasn't exactly what I had hoped, it was still a great experience and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else!
In a different state
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Site Seeing
The opportunities I had in Chicago were unbelievable! I mever thought I would be lucky enough to do as much as I did. I got to go shopping a lot which is nice for a teenage girl. The most impressive place to shop was probably the water tower. There were seven total floors purely of stores. And they were often expensive!! Then again, when you aren't in a small town, when are things inexpensive?
There are plenty of other things to do than shopping. My family is personally big into animals. Therefore, we decided to go to the Shed Aquarium. It was amazing how many different things there were to see in there! For me, the most impressive was the anaconda. It was over twice my size in width. With that giant snake being rather impressive, there were a lot of other very cool animals to see. If I had to choose an exhibit, my favorite probably would have been the ocean exhibit due to the fact that there were beluga whales as well as otters and sea lions that did tricks. Something that I found cool was the penguin exhibit because it is currently mating season. I was able to see a mother and father penguin guarding their egg as well as two penguins choosing their mate by singing. It had me in awe.
One other place I find worth mentioning is the Navy Pier. All my grandma did was talk about how cool it was and how there were so many cute little shops. Well, this time it wasnt necessarily the case. Not only was it raining, but there was a butt load of construction going on. It made the trip there go not very swimmingly. My sister got very excited to go on the ferris wheel as well as the flying swings, but due to the rain, the rides were nit running. This especially sucked because we had already bought our tickets for the rides online and there were no refunds. I believe that there should be refunds for those type of things because no one can truly predict what the weather is going to be like and a lot of people end up wasting their money that they might need for something else.
I may sound like a debby downer but it's true. Prices in Chicago are extremely expensive. The only reason they are that way is because the retail sales people take advantage of the tourists. It's rather upsetting, but I guess that's the way the cookie has to crumble. The point being is that sometimes you have to be willing to spend a little more to have key moments in your life. In the end, it is all worth it.
Spending quality time
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are plenty of other things to do than shopping. My family is personally big into animals. Therefore, we decided to go to the Shed Aquarium. It was amazing how many different things there were to see in there! For me, the most impressive was the anaconda. It was over twice my size in width. With that giant snake being rather impressive, there were a lot of other very cool animals to see. If I had to choose an exhibit, my favorite probably would have been the ocean exhibit due to the fact that there were beluga whales as well as otters and sea lions that did tricks. Something that I found cool was the penguin exhibit because it is currently mating season. I was able to see a mother and father penguin guarding their egg as well as two penguins choosing their mate by singing. It had me in awe.
One other place I find worth mentioning is the Navy Pier. All my grandma did was talk about how cool it was and how there were so many cute little shops. Well, this time it wasnt necessarily the case. Not only was it raining, but there was a butt load of construction going on. It made the trip there go not very swimmingly. My sister got very excited to go on the ferris wheel as well as the flying swings, but due to the rain, the rides were nit running. This especially sucked because we had already bought our tickets for the rides online and there were no refunds. I believe that there should be refunds for those type of things because no one can truly predict what the weather is going to be like and a lot of people end up wasting their money that they might need for something else.
I may sound like a debby downer but it's true. Prices in Chicago are extremely expensive. The only reason they are that way is because the retail sales people take advantage of the tourists. It's rather upsetting, but I guess that's the way the cookie has to crumble. The point being is that sometimes you have to be willing to spend a little more to have key moments in your life. In the end, it is all worth it.
Spending quality time
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Taxis
Oh the joys of nearly having a heart attack! I am talking about riding in a taxi. Sometimes I wonder how people get their license. Keep in mind, I am in Chicago. The experience may be completely different in another city. But here, boy does it keep you on edge! One second you can go from slowly moving forward, to popping u-turns illegally and almost hitting another car. I'm not sure which is scarier, the way they drive or the fact that they never say a word. They are completely silent until they honk their horn and yell at the next person. It can come to the point where they literally make you jump because you are not expecting it!
There are multiple businesses for taxi services. I rode in each of them at least once and they are both equally scary. However, there is a new service called uber. This is a taxi service that is a bit cheaper than the regular service. There is also the upside that you get to ride in nicer black cars. I got the chance to ride in a Nisan as well as a Lexus. When you are going out somewhere nice, I would recommend using this service.
Now the question is, how is the service? Well, to be one hundred percent honest, it's not much different. Just about the only thing they do differently is stand outside of their car and tell you a set price before you get in. That and the way of payment. You do everything over your smart phone. You can order a car, track where they are at, get an ETA, and you pay with your card over it! Everything is taken care of in those few moments! Even the tip! It's actually quite nice! You have nothing to worry about while in the car except for your life! While that sounds sketchy, it's still better than a regular taxi.
Once you're in the taxi you then start to worry about the roads. Chicago has a ton of drivers and barely any of them drive well. Normally there are lanes that people drive in and turn signals are used. Not here. The lanes are almost non existent. The drivers basically just go wherever they want so they can get to your destination as fast as they can and move on to the next customer. It's not exactly focused on customer service. But oh well! You're in Chicago!
Hanging on for my life
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are multiple businesses for taxi services. I rode in each of them at least once and they are both equally scary. However, there is a new service called uber. This is a taxi service that is a bit cheaper than the regular service. There is also the upside that you get to ride in nicer black cars. I got the chance to ride in a Nisan as well as a Lexus. When you are going out somewhere nice, I would recommend using this service.
Now the question is, how is the service? Well, to be one hundred percent honest, it's not much different. Just about the only thing they do differently is stand outside of their car and tell you a set price before you get in. That and the way of payment. You do everything over your smart phone. You can order a car, track where they are at, get an ETA, and you pay with your card over it! Everything is taken care of in those few moments! Even the tip! It's actually quite nice! You have nothing to worry about while in the car except for your life! While that sounds sketchy, it's still better than a regular taxi.
Once you're in the taxi you then start to worry about the roads. Chicago has a ton of drivers and barely any of them drive well. Normally there are lanes that people drive in and turn signals are used. Not here. The lanes are almost non existent. The drivers basically just go wherever they want so they can get to your destination as fast as they can and move on to the next customer. It's not exactly focused on customer service. But oh well! You're in Chicago!
Hanging on for my life
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 20, 2014
2048
Recently I have became addicted to a new game. It is called twenty forty eight. If you don't like numbers, puzzles, or simple math, I do not recommend playing it. That is literally all the game is. However, I am addocted to these kinds of things and I have definitely met others who are just the same. Believe it or not, there are people more addicted than I am.
All you have to do is slide tiles with like numbers together to make the number on the tile larger. You do this over and over again. Yet it never gets old. You learn these new skills and new levels to beat. The hole is infinitely dug.
There are people who stop functioning socially just to get a little further along. Thank God I am not to that stage yet! However, I am guilty of procrastinating during class or before I get out of bed, just so I can play. It is amazing that something as simple as sliding your finger across a screen can become an addiction.
Now I'm not talking the kind of addiction where it completely controls your life or your health is at risk, I'm talking about the kind where you get mad enough to throw your phone accross the room to hit it against the wall. Yes, we all have been there. You get so close and then at the very last minute you make a wrong move and you lose. It sucks and leaves you thinking about why someone would go something so cruel and make such a thing. Well, they make bookoo bucks from making it and "ruining" all your lives. The more you play, the more they get paid! So there is obviously some kind of strategy behind it. The only question is, will their strategy make it farther than Flappy Bird?
We will never know
~Hangin' from a clothesline
All you have to do is slide tiles with like numbers together to make the number on the tile larger. You do this over and over again. Yet it never gets old. You learn these new skills and new levels to beat. The hole is infinitely dug.
There are people who stop functioning socially just to get a little further along. Thank God I am not to that stage yet! However, I am guilty of procrastinating during class or before I get out of bed, just so I can play. It is amazing that something as simple as sliding your finger across a screen can become an addiction.
Now I'm not talking the kind of addiction where it completely controls your life or your health is at risk, I'm talking about the kind where you get mad enough to throw your phone accross the room to hit it against the wall. Yes, we all have been there. You get so close and then at the very last minute you make a wrong move and you lose. It sucks and leaves you thinking about why someone would go something so cruel and make such a thing. Well, they make bookoo bucks from making it and "ruining" all your lives. The more you play, the more they get paid! So there is obviously some kind of strategy behind it. The only question is, will their strategy make it farther than Flappy Bird?
We will never know
~Hangin' from a clothesline
"Hoppy" Holidays
Today was a very special day to many families. It was a day to celebrate Jesus Christ. Many families come together and spend this day watching movies, saying prayers, hunting for easter eggs, and most of all, spending time with each other. However, this year went a little differently for some families. Why? Well, there was another holiday being celebrated. Don't know of it? Be proud of yourself! I'm talking about 420.
This "holiday" is celebrated on April twentieth every year due to the fact that the reason for celebrating was made at this exact time. What is this mystery product getting in the way of the Easter bunny's trip? Marijuana.
That's right. People all over the world are celebrating together due to the making of weed. It is not a religious holiday, therefore there is a larger variety of those who participate. If you do it have not, you might be wondering how one would celebrate this day. Well, you smoke. A lot. With friends, by yourself, on the way to the store, or maybe even in a deserted parking lot. Pick your poison. But with us living here in Iowa, we have to keep in mind that it is still illegal to have, smoke, or sell. Yet people still participate.
With those few who participate, there come some nicknames and sayings. For the holiday, that is. One of the most popular sayings this year with 420 falling on Easter is, "Blaze it and Praise it". If you don't know that this means, I'll break it down. Basically itus stating that you use the day to get extremely high and then go celebrate other Eater festivities throughout the day. Pretty simple. Yet it gets annoying.
If you are one to smoke and celebrate this holiday, phrase don't go posting it ask over social media. Chances are there are plenty of people who could care less as to if you are stoned or not. Also, there are people simply trying to celebrate their religion. Leave them be without the constant interruptance of your pictures and statuses regarding how high you are or even of pictures of you in the act.
I have nothing against it or anyone who does it, that's not my place. But I would rather keep it private. Just a thought.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
This "holiday" is celebrated on April twentieth every year due to the fact that the reason for celebrating was made at this exact time. What is this mystery product getting in the way of the Easter bunny's trip? Marijuana.
That's right. People all over the world are celebrating together due to the making of weed. It is not a religious holiday, therefore there is a larger variety of those who participate. If you do it have not, you might be wondering how one would celebrate this day. Well, you smoke. A lot. With friends, by yourself, on the way to the store, or maybe even in a deserted parking lot. Pick your poison. But with us living here in Iowa, we have to keep in mind that it is still illegal to have, smoke, or sell. Yet people still participate.
With those few who participate, there come some nicknames and sayings. For the holiday, that is. One of the most popular sayings this year with 420 falling on Easter is, "Blaze it and Praise it". If you don't know that this means, I'll break it down. Basically itus stating that you use the day to get extremely high and then go celebrate other Eater festivities throughout the day. Pretty simple. Yet it gets annoying.
If you are one to smoke and celebrate this holiday, phrase don't go posting it ask over social media. Chances are there are plenty of people who could care less as to if you are stoned or not. Also, there are people simply trying to celebrate their religion. Leave them be without the constant interruptance of your pictures and statuses regarding how high you are or even of pictures of you in the act.
I have nothing against it or anyone who does it, that's not my place. But I would rather keep it private. Just a thought.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, April 17, 2014
It's Hip
Apparently fashion adapted uniqueness as a trend. Yet a year ago we would have made fun of these people for wearing what they do. Now, it has become cool to wear your mom's jeans or your grandma's old sweaters. I guess the 80's never die in more than one way.
Why is fashion taking this turn and is it for the better? Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and pretty much any model in teen vogue. All of these celebrities have their style in common. They wear bizarre things to stand out. However, it works for them. Then all of a sudden their fans start adapting to it and end up adopting it. Who is to say if this is good or if it isn't?
Well, I take it upon myself to say that when the majority of the general population is uncomfortable with it, it probably shouldn't be worn. So high waist pants, grandma sweaters, combat boots, they are all fine. But when it comes to girls wearing belly shirts, shirts that are see through, or anyone wearing pants that allow their butt to hang out, I believe that is where we can draw the line.
I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not prude or extremely conservative when it comes to my choice in clothing. However, I do consider the position I put others in while in a public setting. Also, I was raised to have respect for myself, therefore I do not believe that leaving over half of my body out there for all to see lies under that respect. If you think otherwise, that's great. Just try to make sure you won't make the people around you uncomfortable with what they are seeing.
There has also been a kick in what some would consider the "hippy" style. Acid wash pants, flower print shirts, beach wave hair, so on and so forth. There is not a downside I can think of coming from this trend other than if they end up going with all natural detergent or hygiene routines that don't end up working. If you keep up with the good smell, that;s fine by me!
If the trend is harmless, I see no reason to have a problem with it. When bodies are not respected, reputations are ruined, and the future generations of our country are raised to think that having half of their body hanging out is what they need to be considered cool or attractive, that is when we need to take a step back and reconsider what we value. Are clothes really that important to you?
Clothes are not the only thing that have changed recently, but hairstyles too! Especially when talking about girls. With boys it is simple, you have the typical kindergarten cut, the long swoopy hair, or you have something I would like to call the Macklemore. This is when it is short on the sides and longer on top where the boys style it. And man can I tell you how happy I am they adopted this haircut!
With girls things are constantly changing. There is color, length and style. Girls pride themselves on what their hair looks like, whether it is long, or colored, or if they can curl it or not. It makes them feel like brand new, and I can speak from experience! Whenever I get my hair done, it is one of the happiest days of my life, mainly because I like change, and I mean frequent change. There are so many colors and ways to color your hair that the opportunities are almost endless. You can go with highlights, lowlights, ombre, or a tint. It never gets old! I have gone through it all! Nowadays, it seems like less and less girls have plain and/or simple hair. There is always something done to it. Who says that's bad? Well, your hair. Due to how much you color or style it, it can die and you can get nasty little split ends everywhere. It's not pleasant.
So what do you do? You chop it all off! Yes, bobs are becoming a big hit in the celebrity world with stars anywhere from Jennifer Lawrence to Shailene Woodley. There are the major extremes, if you don't have super short hair, chances are you have this long flowing hair that every girl seems to want but can never keep. There is another new style that has recently popped out of nowhere for girls. You shave literally one third of your hair off! I am not joking here, it's a thing. And while I would never be able to pull it off or even get the guts to try it, people like Alizabeth VonPresley and Demi Levato pull it off quite nicely! It's amazing what people can do and still rock it.
Then you get to the point where you wake up with this mess of hair on the top of your hair. Ah bed head. What on earth can you do to fix this and not be embarrassed in public? You can do this lovely thing called styling. There are many different varieties and some work better with certain hair types than others. But boy is it fun to try them all out! There is curling, teasing, straightening, crimping, blowing out, braiding, or simply putting it up in something as simple as a pony tail or bun. Didn't think there was that much? Well you are in for a surprise! There are so many products and tools that you can use on your hair to get it to look just how you want. I, myself am a big fan of curls or straightening it with a little poof in the back. However, I never go without my products. I always have something in my hair. Chances are, nine times out of ten, that it is my argan Moroccan oil. I LOVE IT! It does wonders. If you don't know what to do or how to use something for your hair, ask around. I'm sure someone close to you will know. And if you just need some new ideas, you can always look to the red carpet or any award show. The celebrities have this department in the bag!(You can trust it more than their choice in clothing as well!)
Changin' it up
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Why is fashion taking this turn and is it for the better? Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and pretty much any model in teen vogue. All of these celebrities have their style in common. They wear bizarre things to stand out. However, it works for them. Then all of a sudden their fans start adapting to it and end up adopting it. Who is to say if this is good or if it isn't?
Well, I take it upon myself to say that when the majority of the general population is uncomfortable with it, it probably shouldn't be worn. So high waist pants, grandma sweaters, combat boots, they are all fine. But when it comes to girls wearing belly shirts, shirts that are see through, or anyone wearing pants that allow their butt to hang out, I believe that is where we can draw the line.
I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not prude or extremely conservative when it comes to my choice in clothing. However, I do consider the position I put others in while in a public setting. Also, I was raised to have respect for myself, therefore I do not believe that leaving over half of my body out there for all to see lies under that respect. If you think otherwise, that's great. Just try to make sure you won't make the people around you uncomfortable with what they are seeing.
There has also been a kick in what some would consider the "hippy" style. Acid wash pants, flower print shirts, beach wave hair, so on and so forth. There is not a downside I can think of coming from this trend other than if they end up going with all natural detergent or hygiene routines that don't end up working. If you keep up with the good smell, that;s fine by me!
If the trend is harmless, I see no reason to have a problem with it. When bodies are not respected, reputations are ruined, and the future generations of our country are raised to think that having half of their body hanging out is what they need to be considered cool or attractive, that is when we need to take a step back and reconsider what we value. Are clothes really that important to you?
Clothes are not the only thing that have changed recently, but hairstyles too! Especially when talking about girls. With boys it is simple, you have the typical kindergarten cut, the long swoopy hair, or you have something I would like to call the Macklemore. This is when it is short on the sides and longer on top where the boys style it. And man can I tell you how happy I am they adopted this haircut!
With girls things are constantly changing. There is color, length and style. Girls pride themselves on what their hair looks like, whether it is long, or colored, or if they can curl it or not. It makes them feel like brand new, and I can speak from experience! Whenever I get my hair done, it is one of the happiest days of my life, mainly because I like change, and I mean frequent change. There are so many colors and ways to color your hair that the opportunities are almost endless. You can go with highlights, lowlights, ombre, or a tint. It never gets old! I have gone through it all! Nowadays, it seems like less and less girls have plain and/or simple hair. There is always something done to it. Who says that's bad? Well, your hair. Due to how much you color or style it, it can die and you can get nasty little split ends everywhere. It's not pleasant.
So what do you do? You chop it all off! Yes, bobs are becoming a big hit in the celebrity world with stars anywhere from Jennifer Lawrence to Shailene Woodley. There are the major extremes, if you don't have super short hair, chances are you have this long flowing hair that every girl seems to want but can never keep. There is another new style that has recently popped out of nowhere for girls. You shave literally one third of your hair off! I am not joking here, it's a thing. And while I would never be able to pull it off or even get the guts to try it, people like Alizabeth VonPresley and Demi Levato pull it off quite nicely! It's amazing what people can do and still rock it.
Then you get to the point where you wake up with this mess of hair on the top of your hair. Ah bed head. What on earth can you do to fix this and not be embarrassed in public? You can do this lovely thing called styling. There are many different varieties and some work better with certain hair types than others. But boy is it fun to try them all out! There is curling, teasing, straightening, crimping, blowing out, braiding, or simply putting it up in something as simple as a pony tail or bun. Didn't think there was that much? Well you are in for a surprise! There are so many products and tools that you can use on your hair to get it to look just how you want. I, myself am a big fan of curls or straightening it with a little poof in the back. However, I never go without my products. I always have something in my hair. Chances are, nine times out of ten, that it is my argan Moroccan oil. I LOVE IT! It does wonders. If you don't know what to do or how to use something for your hair, ask around. I'm sure someone close to you will know. And if you just need some new ideas, you can always look to the red carpet or any award show. The celebrities have this department in the bag!(You can trust it more than their choice in clothing as well!)
Changin' it up
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Sunday, April 13, 2014
MTV Movie Awards
Boy oh boy are these bad boys a hit! Not only are these awards on half the televisions in my house, but I am almost guaranteed to go to school tomorrow to hear over fifty percent of the student body talking about it. But why?
Well, teenagers just might not have anything better to do on a Sunday night cause they got their homework done a head of time unlike me (whoops). Other than that, there a ton of super talented people featured as well as amazing performances! If you don't care about the awards, the performances alone are enough reason to watch. There is some great music being performed raw so there aren't any chances for them to auto tune their voices or lip sync. Everything is very fresh and real. Personally, I think it's cool to see some of my favorite artists perform when there isn't a set with a ton of background dancers.
Not a big fan of music? Well, there are plenty of other things to watch or focus on! I find it interesting to see what society thinks of the movies out, especially since I tend to critique movies while I watch them. There are a lot of outcomes that may surprise you. It could be fun!
Then there are the celebrity award announcers. Goodness are they interesting. There are some people who watch specifically because there is a certain celebrity as a host. I personally will tend to want to watch more if I know that the host is funny. If they are then I obviously want to see what they have to say. This year it was Conan O'Brien. I knew that it was going to be hilarious right after that. Therefore, I watched. I am guilty as charged. And let me tell you, I cracked up.
There was something this time that I did not expect that I really enjoyed. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am a teenage girl, and the other because it was new. There was a skit where two very attractive actors and a very funny actor had to kiss the girl who had a golden ticket with that actors' name on it. Boy did I freak out. Other than extremely attractive people, the actors tended to give funny thank you speeches. Matt Damon was my favorite speech giver.
On the softer side, they had a tribute to Paul Walker who died very unexpectedly this year. It brought tears to my eyes having one of his coworkers give the speech about it as well as having his best friend talk about him in a clip. It gave the award show a whole new side, and I enjoyed it very much.
I cannot wait for next year's awards.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Well, teenagers just might not have anything better to do on a Sunday night cause they got their homework done a head of time unlike me (whoops). Other than that, there a ton of super talented people featured as well as amazing performances! If you don't care about the awards, the performances alone are enough reason to watch. There is some great music being performed raw so there aren't any chances for them to auto tune their voices or lip sync. Everything is very fresh and real. Personally, I think it's cool to see some of my favorite artists perform when there isn't a set with a ton of background dancers.
Not a big fan of music? Well, there are plenty of other things to watch or focus on! I find it interesting to see what society thinks of the movies out, especially since I tend to critique movies while I watch them. There are a lot of outcomes that may surprise you. It could be fun!
Then there are the celebrity award announcers. Goodness are they interesting. There are some people who watch specifically because there is a certain celebrity as a host. I personally will tend to want to watch more if I know that the host is funny. If they are then I obviously want to see what they have to say. This year it was Conan O'Brien. I knew that it was going to be hilarious right after that. Therefore, I watched. I am guilty as charged. And let me tell you, I cracked up.
There was something this time that I did not expect that I really enjoyed. Part of it has to do with the fact that I am a teenage girl, and the other because it was new. There was a skit where two very attractive actors and a very funny actor had to kiss the girl who had a golden ticket with that actors' name on it. Boy did I freak out. Other than extremely attractive people, the actors tended to give funny thank you speeches. Matt Damon was my favorite speech giver.
On the softer side, they had a tribute to Paul Walker who died very unexpectedly this year. It brought tears to my eyes having one of his coworkers give the speech about it as well as having his best friend talk about him in a clip. It gave the award show a whole new side, and I enjoyed it very much.
I cannot wait for next year's awards.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Project Nat
As you can imagine, being a typical teenager, I am constantly on my phone. What am I doing? I am on social media sites. I happened to scroll along a news feed to find constant posts about something called Project Nat. I continued to wonder what in the world this was and why was everyone talking about it?
I went ahead and did some of my own research. I came to discover that it is this plan for a ton of teenagers. The plan is to get a ton of people together and do a spin off of the movie "Project X". Don't know what that is? No problem! I would love to explain it to you. More or less, it is a huge party with a ton of illegal drugs and underage drinking. There are a lot of events that are very unfortunate. That's to say the least.
Now the question is, is this a good idea or not? In my opinion, as a teen that would rather eat pizza than party, I think that it is a very bad idea. I think that all that will come out of this is a lot of horrible accidents. Drugs are risky in a private setting let alone in a public one. Especially one where you probably don't even know half of the people there. The problem with this is that when you don't know people very well, they could have a lot wrong with them. Diseases being one of those things.
It is not a joking matter. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. No matter what drug you are doing and/or using, there is always a downside. There is almost no way to get around it, especially if you are with a ton of people. And if it is a large get together where you cannot stay at the location and you are drinking or under the influence of a drug, what happens when you have to drive home? There are so many possibilities I cannot even begin to imagine because I have known so many people who have seen the dark side of the instance.
There are enough parties where things go wrong and lives get ruined. While it seems like a great idea at the time, it can be very hard to say no. However, I can guarantee that you have all the time in your life to make mistakes. But try and save that for when your brain is fully developed and please do it in a safe area with people you trust. It will mean the world to you later in your life when you are successful and didn't lose your life or great friends due to one "fun" night
Stayin' in
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Rumors or Worries?
There are many instances where people go to a dark place in their life. Depending on how they deal with it can make things get out of hand. If you go to any news site and look up school threats, chances are you will find a hand full of stories. While this is unfortunate, it is not something to blow off. Whether it be a threat, or an actual action, it should be taken seriously. With this day and age, you never really know what to expect out of people. There are plenty of medication, drugs and alcohol that can change someone's way of thinking or their actions.
If it comes to the point where you feel like someone is making a serious threat, there are plenty of actions and precautions to take. First off, assess the situation. If you know the person is in a dark place, or wouldn't joke about it, you need to tell an adult. Whether this be a parent or a teacher or even someone you are close to. They can then take further steps that will be taken more serious than if it were coming from someone in school years. If you are the adult that is being told, then you should think about what you just heard and act upon whether you find it serious, or even plausible. If you do, then it is time to take it to a higher authority.
These authorities can be an administrator at your school, your boss, or even the police. In the end, chances are that the police will be contacted anyways. The next step for you would be to step back, stay calm, and let the big shots handle the situation properly.
Well, what happens if it is too late and the person acts before the police are involved? Depending on the place you are in, there are multiple things you can do. If you are in a school, you should have safety procedures that you went through at the beginning of the year. Act upon those as long as it is still a safe option. If you are in a public place, then your best bet is to run to a place you know you will be safe and use your cellphone if you have one on you. If not, run to a room with little windows and lock the door as well as block it. This will make it harder for the offender to get any closer to harming you. If the room has a phone in it, call the police and tell them your location and situation. They should be there within an matter of minutes with help and backup. Stay there until you are alerted by the police that it is safe to come out.
With that said, make sure that you are not listening for just anyone's voice to tell you that it is safe. Make sure it is communicated by trusted ways. If you are in your safe spot for more than a couple of hours, chances are it is safe and you should be able to hear any more commotion. If all sounds clear, then you can silently make your way to a public place and make sure the situation is for sure over with.
As someone who tends to put others before myself, I would be sitting there thinking, well what about the other people around me? How can I help my friends? It is the same as if you were on an airplane and the oxygen masks came flying down. Assure yourself that you can help yourself and be safe before you worry about others. If you are in a situation where you can keep safe while protecting others, then please, go right ahead. The only exception I can think of is when you are already liable for other lives than your own. This goes for teachers, school officials, and parents. If you have children with you, I encourage you to protect them first. It is a heroic action and will end up making the lives of many people.
The thought of any kind of threat is scary, whether it is carried through or not. However, you have to stay calm and assess the situation appropriately. There is a definite difference between a rumor and a threat you should be worried about. But keep in mind, rumor or not, you should always take it seriously and not take it as a joke.
Under serious consideration
~Hangin' from a clothesline
If it comes to the point where you feel like someone is making a serious threat, there are plenty of actions and precautions to take. First off, assess the situation. If you know the person is in a dark place, or wouldn't joke about it, you need to tell an adult. Whether this be a parent or a teacher or even someone you are close to. They can then take further steps that will be taken more serious than if it were coming from someone in school years. If you are the adult that is being told, then you should think about what you just heard and act upon whether you find it serious, or even plausible. If you do, then it is time to take it to a higher authority.
These authorities can be an administrator at your school, your boss, or even the police. In the end, chances are that the police will be contacted anyways. The next step for you would be to step back, stay calm, and let the big shots handle the situation properly.
Well, what happens if it is too late and the person acts before the police are involved? Depending on the place you are in, there are multiple things you can do. If you are in a school, you should have safety procedures that you went through at the beginning of the year. Act upon those as long as it is still a safe option. If you are in a public place, then your best bet is to run to a place you know you will be safe and use your cellphone if you have one on you. If not, run to a room with little windows and lock the door as well as block it. This will make it harder for the offender to get any closer to harming you. If the room has a phone in it, call the police and tell them your location and situation. They should be there within an matter of minutes with help and backup. Stay there until you are alerted by the police that it is safe to come out.
With that said, make sure that you are not listening for just anyone's voice to tell you that it is safe. Make sure it is communicated by trusted ways. If you are in your safe spot for more than a couple of hours, chances are it is safe and you should be able to hear any more commotion. If all sounds clear, then you can silently make your way to a public place and make sure the situation is for sure over with.
As someone who tends to put others before myself, I would be sitting there thinking, well what about the other people around me? How can I help my friends? It is the same as if you were on an airplane and the oxygen masks came flying down. Assure yourself that you can help yourself and be safe before you worry about others. If you are in a situation where you can keep safe while protecting others, then please, go right ahead. The only exception I can think of is when you are already liable for other lives than your own. This goes for teachers, school officials, and parents. If you have children with you, I encourage you to protect them first. It is a heroic action and will end up making the lives of many people.
The thought of any kind of threat is scary, whether it is carried through or not. However, you have to stay calm and assess the situation appropriately. There is a definite difference between a rumor and a threat you should be worried about. But keep in mind, rumor or not, you should always take it seriously and not take it as a joke.
Under serious consideration
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Bangin' Summer Bod
With spring break just passed us and the warm weather kicking in, there are a lot of people trying to get a bikini body back. Or maybe even get one they have never had ;). There are many ways to go about this. However, you need to think about whether you will be able to stay healthy while doing so.
Starving yourself is never a good idea. It is actually very bad for your body. It is also not good for you to over eat. The ideal eating style is to have up to seven small meals a day including servings from all the food groups, especially protein. By doing this, it gives your body time to digest while you go about doing your activities through the day as well keeping you full throughout the day. You will also feel less miserable from eating large proportions for supper. This will allow the food to process through your body faster so that you do not obtain that weight and get a food baby.
While you do this, it is recommended that you exercise every day. Just a jog every morning is enough. By getting in exercise, you burn calories that you intake through the day and you can lose weight. However, sometimes losing weight isn't enough. There are some people who prefer to be tone for the bikini season. That can be a blessing or a curse for you. If you have a hard time eating right and don't have the time in your schedule to work out, it can be harder for you to accomplish. If you are someone who eats very healthy and exercise on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to do since you already incorporate it into your life. To get tone for a bikini some areas you would want to focus on are legs and the abdominal area. If you do workouts such as squats, planks, leg presses, logs, and sit ups or crunches, it will tone those areas making that muffin top and cottage cheese on your legs fade away.
There are other ways to go about losing weight. There are vegetarian diets, as well as organic. These are thought of to be good and work well for some, and then there is the complete opposite opinion on the other hand. There are diets that involve shakes and vitamins that supposedly help you lose water weight as well as keeping you healthy and encouraging your body to produce what it needs without eating all the calories. I have known a few people where this method works, however it is sometimes harder then dieting and working out due to the fact that you are only allowed to eat certain things and proportions at certain times. It is very sudden as well.
I have also heard about a wrap that you can wear for a certain amount of time. Supposedly it burns the fat away, yet I find a hard time believing that. I also haven't found very many cases where it has worked. There are other things advertised on television that are supposed to help such as salts, pills, shakes, and meals. I do not think that these things work as well or as fast as dieting and working out do, but whatever floats you boat will work just fine for you.
The major thing I would like you to keep in mind is that whatever method you do end up choosing, put your health first. It is not worth loosing your health and getting sick just to look a bit thinner.
Curvy and proud
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Starving yourself is never a good idea. It is actually very bad for your body. It is also not good for you to over eat. The ideal eating style is to have up to seven small meals a day including servings from all the food groups, especially protein. By doing this, it gives your body time to digest while you go about doing your activities through the day as well keeping you full throughout the day. You will also feel less miserable from eating large proportions for supper. This will allow the food to process through your body faster so that you do not obtain that weight and get a food baby.
While you do this, it is recommended that you exercise every day. Just a jog every morning is enough. By getting in exercise, you burn calories that you intake through the day and you can lose weight. However, sometimes losing weight isn't enough. There are some people who prefer to be tone for the bikini season. That can be a blessing or a curse for you. If you have a hard time eating right and don't have the time in your schedule to work out, it can be harder for you to accomplish. If you are someone who eats very healthy and exercise on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to do since you already incorporate it into your life. To get tone for a bikini some areas you would want to focus on are legs and the abdominal area. If you do workouts such as squats, planks, leg presses, logs, and sit ups or crunches, it will tone those areas making that muffin top and cottage cheese on your legs fade away.
There are other ways to go about losing weight. There are vegetarian diets, as well as organic. These are thought of to be good and work well for some, and then there is the complete opposite opinion on the other hand. There are diets that involve shakes and vitamins that supposedly help you lose water weight as well as keeping you healthy and encouraging your body to produce what it needs without eating all the calories. I have known a few people where this method works, however it is sometimes harder then dieting and working out due to the fact that you are only allowed to eat certain things and proportions at certain times. It is very sudden as well.
I have also heard about a wrap that you can wear for a certain amount of time. Supposedly it burns the fat away, yet I find a hard time believing that. I also haven't found very many cases where it has worked. There are other things advertised on television that are supposed to help such as salts, pills, shakes, and meals. I do not think that these things work as well or as fast as dieting and working out do, but whatever floats you boat will work just fine for you.
The major thing I would like you to keep in mind is that whatever method you do end up choosing, put your health first. It is not worth loosing your health and getting sick just to look a bit thinner.
Curvy and proud
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Baby Bumps: When to Show it Off
I am like every other teen in America. I look and read into what's going on on the red carpet. I look at how the famous people look and obviously have my opinions. However, lately I have been looking at baby bump pictures. For some odd reason, it seems as if there is another minor baby boom. Every corner you turn you see another pregnant person. Just recently, I was on a social media website and scrolled through my news feed to see four posts talking about or showing a picture having to do with pregnancy.
It seems that every pregnant person that has a social media site posts pictures of their baby bump, but when is it acceptable to start? While documenting your pregnancy by taking pictures of your stomach is perfectly fine as soon as you find out, posting pictures of it is a different story.
Recently it was released that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were not only engaged, but expecting a baby. I personally found this exciting since I used to watch them act together on "That 70's Show". Then I thought about how tiny she was and ended up wondering what she would look like. I then looked up how far along she is. When I found the picture "revealing" her baby bump, I was not impressed.
Normally when you see the revealing of the baby bump picture, there is a bit of a bump to show. However, this time you could barely tell that she was pregnant. While anyone can post pictures of themselves at any time, calling it a baby bump reveal photo when you are barely even showing is a bit of a let down.
Therefore, I have come up with the conclusion that there is a time and a bump size to post your "baby bump reveal" photo. There should be an obvious bump there that you can see without squinting your eyes. If you are on the red carpet, it is easier to see the bump in an outfit that accents it. A big poofy dress or a dark sleek dress does not help you.
There is another option if you are planning on doing home photos or the big reveal in the end to document your happy pregnancy. I saw something cool recently where the couple took a photo of their bare stomach from a side view every month and creatively put it into a collage. There were multiple ideas and themes and they were all extremely cute. By posting about your baby bump this way, it not only keeps your pregnancy more private, but you don't keep people wondering if it is just the poparazzi talking or if you are really pregnant.
Baby fever
~Hangin' from a clothesline
It seems that every pregnant person that has a social media site posts pictures of their baby bump, but when is it acceptable to start? While documenting your pregnancy by taking pictures of your stomach is perfectly fine as soon as you find out, posting pictures of it is a different story.
Recently it was released that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were not only engaged, but expecting a baby. I personally found this exciting since I used to watch them act together on "That 70's Show". Then I thought about how tiny she was and ended up wondering what she would look like. I then looked up how far along she is. When I found the picture "revealing" her baby bump, I was not impressed.
Normally when you see the revealing of the baby bump picture, there is a bit of a bump to show. However, this time you could barely tell that she was pregnant. While anyone can post pictures of themselves at any time, calling it a baby bump reveal photo when you are barely even showing is a bit of a let down.
Therefore, I have come up with the conclusion that there is a time and a bump size to post your "baby bump reveal" photo. There should be an obvious bump there that you can see without squinting your eyes. If you are on the red carpet, it is easier to see the bump in an outfit that accents it. A big poofy dress or a dark sleek dress does not help you.
There is another option if you are planning on doing home photos or the big reveal in the end to document your happy pregnancy. I saw something cool recently where the couple took a photo of their bare stomach from a side view every month and creatively put it into a collage. There were multiple ideas and themes and they were all extremely cute. By posting about your baby bump this way, it not only keeps your pregnancy more private, but you don't keep people wondering if it is just the poparazzi talking or if you are really pregnant.
Baby fever
~Hangin' from a clothesline
Celebrity "do-gooders"
I was looking for a little inspiration on what to blog about this week. I went to the good ole internet due to the fact that I don't get the newspaper or any magazines. I was looking for something on celebrities and I got the usual search answers. There were relationship scandals, baby announcements, etc. However, I wanted to focus on something with more of an upside. I decided to ponder on celebrities that somehow "do good".
There are many celebrities that indeed do good. They take their talents and what those talents have given them to give back to the community. The majority of the stories you hear about are ones where these very famous beautiful celebrities go to countries with bad water supply or little to no food. While this is amazing, and we should definitely appreciate what they do, we also need to think about the celebrities that do things other than pose for a picture.
There are countless celebrities that constantly donate to good causes. However, you don't see pictures of them posing with a check every time they donate. Just because they aren't advertising it all over the place does not mean that it should not be acknowledged. These charities as well as other administrations and corporations can use help just like the third world countries that newspapers and magazines publish.
If you go onto Google and type in "celebrity do-gooders" then click on images, there is far more than just pictures of popular celebrities posing with children from Africa. You can even read through some stories about these celebrities. There are many accounts where they fund organizations for the less fortunate. They participate in food drives as well as working/volunteering at homeless shelters. They can help by doing anything from stating their opinion in a debate over horse usage in the streets of New York City to adopting kids that have never had anything. There are many more things that us Americans should recognize our celebrities doing. We should stop focusing on the good looking popular celebrities that go to third world countries and pose for a picture then leave. We need to start recognizing and acknowledging that there are many celebrities that give back locally, even if it means welcoming home soldiers or reading to children.
If you can, when you get a chance, look into some of the good deeds that celebrities do, yet aren't publicized all over. You will be surprised the things people do and never get credit for.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
There are many celebrities that indeed do good. They take their talents and what those talents have given them to give back to the community. The majority of the stories you hear about are ones where these very famous beautiful celebrities go to countries with bad water supply or little to no food. While this is amazing, and we should definitely appreciate what they do, we also need to think about the celebrities that do things other than pose for a picture.
There are countless celebrities that constantly donate to good causes. However, you don't see pictures of them posing with a check every time they donate. Just because they aren't advertising it all over the place does not mean that it should not be acknowledged. These charities as well as other administrations and corporations can use help just like the third world countries that newspapers and magazines publish.
If you go onto Google and type in "celebrity do-gooders" then click on images, there is far more than just pictures of popular celebrities posing with children from Africa. You can even read through some stories about these celebrities. There are many accounts where they fund organizations for the less fortunate. They participate in food drives as well as working/volunteering at homeless shelters. They can help by doing anything from stating their opinion in a debate over horse usage in the streets of New York City to adopting kids that have never had anything. There are many more things that us Americans should recognize our celebrities doing. We should stop focusing on the good looking popular celebrities that go to third world countries and pose for a picture then leave. We need to start recognizing and acknowledging that there are many celebrities that give back locally, even if it means welcoming home soldiers or reading to children.
If you can, when you get a chance, look into some of the good deeds that celebrities do, yet aren't publicized all over. You will be surprised the things people do and never get credit for.
~Hangin' from a clothesline
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