Senioritis: Pretty Accurate Definition

Review: Divergent Trilogy

THIS WHOLE SERIES SUCKS!

Okay, okay, maybe I'm being rude, mean, and inconsiderate of the time Veronica Roth put into her debut series. Regardless of the work she put in, which I wholeheartedly believe was mostly thrown away foolishly in her third book, these three books would have seriously benefited from a better editor, a second read through, and, to put it bluntly, a different author. 

Why?

They successively got worse, and with each book my hatred of the main protagonist grew. And that's not a goal authors strive for, people.

I actually found myself cheering for Tris' (the main character) boyfriend, Tobias, more than I did her. She's impulsive, self-punishing, eagerly, unnecessarily sacrificial, and just a sobby hormonal angry mess. While she does have her good moments where she's relatable and likeable, specifically in Divergent, those moments grow fewer and more far between with each installation. 

When I heard that movies were going to be made about this series, I cringed. Divergent will be a great movie. It's got action, humor, and romance, as well as a dystopian, based-off-a-book setting that's hot in the box office right now. However, Insurgent will not translate well into theaters, and Allegiant will, without a doubt cause many of the people who loved the first movie to throw popcorn at the screen and grumble at all of Tris' poor decisions. 

That all said, I don't want to discourage any one from reading Divergent. It is a great book with many twists, turns, and surprises. Despite it's thickness its a relatively quick read that starts off slow; once it picks up, it goes a mile a minute. The end will have you on the edge of your seat, so to speak, and therefore I wouldn't even say no to reading Insurgent. Just be prepared for disappointment after disappointment. The ending of Insurgent seems to promise greatness, give reason as to why you sat through a mediocre book, but trust me. 

Allegiant is not worth it. Period. Veronica Roth seriously spat on the world she carefully fabricated for her readers in Divergent and Allegiant and it's beyond disappointing. Even her writing is sub-par throughout the series, but while it is passable in the first two books because of decent plot and characterization, it is unacceptable by the third. 

Finish This Story (Part 1)

The pressure of the ocean's depth stopped the propellers of our submarine and we floated, coerced by the gently forceful breaths of the deep blue. The further down we got, the more constant the warnings became, and a fear settled inside of me.

What if we never get out?

All eyes shifted to Emory, our captain, as he contemplated our next move. Waiting for the movements of the water to push us upward, which was his original plan, wasn't proving its promise. We glanced at each other with shifty eyes as we sank deeper, deeper, and light became lesser, lesser. Soon, the submarine's emergency lights flickered on, along with the limited oxygen supplier.
"Emory," Uriah said, fear strangling his voice. "I think we need to expedite this decision making process."
Emory's fingers unraveled from the steering wheel, one by one, until finally, with a breath he seemed to be holding for ages, he tilted toward us. "We've run out of gas," he said gravely. "I was hoping upon hope that, perhaps, we'd manage to float back up, but, alas..."
His eyes took on a faded, overcast gray film, and the air, already dripping away by the second, dropped. My three other crew mates exploded in a frenzy that brought the air back, heat a paradox against the frigid depths of the ocean we were being swallowed into. I, however, remained calm.
I stood up and parted the arguments being spat back and forth between Emory, Uriah, Emilie and Xander slurring curses at our leader, who kept us in the dark. I made my way to the small storage closet, mind set on finding what may potentially save us all.
My hand hooked onto the latch, and with a hiss, the door slid open.
The diving suits.
"I wonder," I murmured to myself, sifting through the racks of full body suits in search for the oxygen tanks and masks. Tucked in the back corner, there were more than enough to for each of us to have one, but my concern was mainly on how much oxygen we would have to use.
A safe swim to the top from this depth is already unlikely, but maybe, maybe, if we had enough time spared to us and the deep's most menacing creatures steered clear, we could do it.
We could get out.
"Captain," I called, pulling out one of the suits, "There's hope."

Alphabet Story

"Anna!"
Before I got to the top of this tree, I thought it was a good idea to climb it to its peak. Carelessly, I didn't think to bring anyone with me who could catch me if I fell, or got scared, or stuck, or anything similar to the predicament I'm in now. Diana is my only hope for a savior.
Each dumb idea I have seems to compile itself onto the other in a giant pile of suckfest.
Fear envelopes me when another breeze rips through the tree, shaking the leaves, and making the branch I'm holding onto for dear life quiver.
"Good God," helplessly, I whisper.
I look back down to the ground which seems to zoom further away from me with every second. Jesus Christ!
Keep your head up, Anna, don't look down. Looking down is a bad, bad, bad idea.
Maybe I should just make a living here, stuck on this branch. Newts do it. Of course, I could become a mutant newt human and magically become able to slither down the trunk of this tree. People may laugh at my slithery skin and webbed fingers once I get down, but...
Quit being dumb, Anna, I tell myself. Really, that idea is just another I can add onto the top of my suckfest pile.
Suddenly, a new sense of determination surges into me. Taking a huge breath and bracing myself, I slowly unhinge each of my fingers and sit up straight, my legs straddling my branch of life and death.
Underneath me, I see Diana running back and forth from her house, gathering pillows, blankets, and other soft things that I can land on.
Very carefully, I maneuver myself so that I am aimed for the blankets.
Whimpers escape my mouth at just the thought of missing, and fear comes back.
Xylophones are played from across the street by the Miller kids, and to me, it sounds like the Jeopardy tone, taunting me as I take too much time. You never know how close you are to death when it's this close to happening.
Zomg, I fell.

Found Poem

These palms

Are not open

In our meaning we are not allowed

To present our science

It doesn’t go to the Queen

We color outside heart’s lines

Waste of education

These palms

Are not open

In honor we best men in tradition

She doesn’t ask me about why

Why is she fuller?

Located out of the performance of excellence

Thrive in the present

These palms

Are not Open

Exit your room of business

A vision for guidance

These palms

Open

Rewind

Episode One
Okay, so, maybe I should've expected something to happen.
Anything, really.
Anything.

Like, of course, it wouldn't go completely unnoticed by everyone that I was playing games with the time space continuum.
Why on Earth would I not expect to be approached by two bulky white guys in black tuxes and impenetrable shades?

I guess it was ridiculous for me to not expect that.
Especially fresh out of the shower.

Episode Two

"Mr. Waters?"

Except, really, it wasn't a question. It was more of a bark. Like they knew that they were talking to a boy named Mr. Eli Waters in his bathroom while Mr. Eli Waters was abashedly draping an embarrassingly pink Emma Water's Barbie towel around puny hips that belonged to a Mr. Eli Waters.  

Who, also, by the way, is me. 

Elijah Waters, 17. White as chalk and your basic gangly boned, slopped haired garage band guitarist, product of Midwestern suburbia, and apparently in a crapload of trouble.

Mr. Big Imposing White Guy #1 flashed a badge in my face, and it reflected off the bright white lights of the bathroom, breaking through the steam of my super hot shower. Mr. Big Imposing White Guy #2 said, "You're coming with us. Bring the device with you."

Sitting in the back of a white van now, I guess I should've figured that lying about having what they referred to as The Jikan wasn't the best idea. 

Todd, the strong jawed, blonde counterpart to Rod, the straight nosed redhead, ran the business down to me as soon as I started threatening to break my remote. Although they had it in some special box, I'd managed to convince them that I coded it with a self-destruct option that was activated by my voice.

Whatever my EBay find is, evidently, is quite important. 

Important enough to drag me from my shower, coerce me into following orders of pausing and unpausing my family at the breakfast table, and getting me out of school.

"We are members of PRSTC. Preservation and Regulation of--"
I interrupt, droning, "The Space Time Continuum, yeah, yeah."
Todd frowns.
I grin. "Look, you and I both know that I have the power in this situation."
Despite the fact that I was borderline ambushed and most definitely kidnapped...
Todd turns forward again, leaving me to ponder how I will exit this speedily moving moving van without injuring myself. I'd also look quite crazy, since the Imposing White Men only gave me enough time to throw my underwear and robe on.
"Todd," I condescendingly say. "How about we strike a deal?"
Three seconds pass in relative silence, Todd and Rod both keeping their heads straight, looking at the road. I can't tell if they didn't hear me, if they're just ignoring me, or if they're really concentrated drivers.
But, the minute Rod takes his eye off the road, an explosion deafens his response.

Don't worry about me.
I got out just fine.
Somehow.
My vision is blacked out around the edges, though, and I'm propped up in some sort of chair. I manage to keep my panic at bay when I go to stand up and I'm jerked back down. Both my hands and my feet are strapped to the metallic seat.
"Elijah Waters," a voice I don't recognize says from a location I can't see.
A bright blue light flicks on above my head, but it doesn't illuminate any of the room. Just me. Just me in the clothes that I didn't put on this morning.
I mean, no offense to super heroes and ninjas, but I don't get the spandex fix.
Wearing it now, I do have to say it is quite itchy.

About fifteen minutes later, I hear a quiet noise that shakes me out of my nap. There wasn't much else to do in the dark tied to a chair.
Steps of heels are paired with little squares of light illuminating the tiles on the floor, one by one. As the woman gets closer, I see more and more of her figure. The lights all brighten the room bit by bit. She wears the same get-up as I do: a black and navy blue spandex jumpsuit that covers every inch of her except her face, hands, and feet. Her dark hair is slicked up into a tight ponytail, without a strand out of place, and, when she finally gets close enough, I see that her red lipstick complements her eyes very nicely.
She stands at about five foot six and is twenty something.
When she stops walking, the entire room is lit up, and I see that we are in some sort of high tech, spy-like garage. Rod and Todd's van is in charred shambles in the corner, and they are tied up by their hands, ankles, and midsection to two chairs set back to back. Tape covers their mouth. They seem to be unconscious.
Their chairs are wooden, nowhere near as fancy as mine.
"Thank you for providing us with The Jikan," the woman says. I open my mouth to respond to her, because, really, I didn't provide her or anyone else with any type of Jikan, but she raises a hand that shushes me. "I am Myra. Those two men are impostors. The PRSTC does not exist."
I blink.
Myra smiles at my ignorance. "Elijah, what you have is a piece of equipment that originally belonged to me and my team, Mirage. It was developed by an ex-member, Julian Sharpe--"
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
She looks down at her feet, then up at me. With a lick of her lips that does nothing to the bright red color, she pulls a thin white, plastic stick from her sleeve. She presses a button and with a ding, an image appears, little digital photons glittering in the light.
In the image, is me.
"You, Eli," Myra says, "are Julian Sharpe."

  

The Science of Dreams

In honor of our "Dream" theme, I found two nifty little videos that kind of explain why and how we dream. The first o dips into whether or not it is possible to record dreams. 

I think it's pretty cool. The dry erase board drawings are also SUPER cute.

This second video, also by ASAPScience, is about lucidity during dreaming. It teaches one how to go about achieving lucidity, and how everyone has the ability to lucid dream. Also quite interesting.

The YouTube channel answers common questions (like, which came first: the chicken or the egg, what's the likelihood of a zombie apocalypse, does giving birth or getting kicked in the balls hurt more, etc.) in a scientific way every week. I definitely recommend subscribing to anyone with a curiosity. 

About Miley and JB

I saw on Tumblr about Miley's interview with Jay Leno and it really got me thinking. Of course, I dismissed it and kept scrolling, but now it's on my mind again. Maybe it's just on my mind because I'm listening to her song, "Adore You" right now, but Destiny Ray Cyrus has been getting a lot of unnecessary flak lately. And, maybe, right now, I'm perpetuating it, but I don't really care.
It's what she wants us to do, after all.
Ever since the infamous VMA performance, Miley has been called a wild child left and right and people constantly point out the differences that exist between Miley of '06 and the present one. Some could even say that the controversy about how she's going about growing up started when this picture was released of her at a party. But, I'm here to say that the changes she's making, while not completely normally and standard, it's not odd for someone of her age to do what she is.
Am I condoning drug use? No. Am I saying it's okay to twerk with teddy bears and married men? No. I'm just saying that it's not the end of the world that Miley is doing these things. As far as I'm aware, she is only putting herself in harm's way and it's by her own choice. She's twenty one years old and enjoying her life. Irresponsibly, some might argue, and I would see the credit in their beliefs, because it is quite irresponsible to endanger yourself, whatever you do. But, again, people of all ages do it all the time.
Despite the fact that Miley should be taking special care to keep her reputation squeaky clean because she does have impressionable fans from Disney, her Hannah Montana days, and what have you, can she be blamed for how those younger people respond to the way she's living the life that she wants to?
Some would say yes, but I'd say no. I think that it's a parent's responsibility to instill morals and a sense of judgement into a child that lets them know that how Miley is acting is not how you should act. I also believe that they should add that her actions do not make her any worse of a person, either. If anything, it makes her selfish, but, really, she can't keep tabs on how probably millions of sub-14 year olds think about and react to her actions.
Celebrities don't have many opportunities to be themselves without being criticized from every direction for it.
However, in a smart way, Miley's critiques are working for her. Her critics must realize that there is some responsibility in her actions, be they purposeful or not.
She's getting talked about, she's getting press, and she's remaining somewhat relevant with each action she makes.
Unlike Justin Bieber, Miley's outrageous acts are improving her career. There is no petition out there begging for her deportation. Ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen year olds are not cutting themselves (#cuttingforbieber) in hopes of getting her to stop behaving how she is. She's not getting locked up, drag racing, and running off to Teterboro to escape it all.
That said, I'm not knocking JB. His life is pretty messed up.
With instant success comes instant money. When no one tells you no and not everyone in your 'circle' has your best intentions in mind, running into trouble is oftentimes the only outcome. I wish he was mature enough to stop himself, but at this point he really needs someone that matters to him to step in and do something to control his downward spiral.
From what I've seen, he's truly a great guy that makes awful decisions when under influences and egged on by so-called friends that want to see him fail. I just think he needs a mentor that he really respects to sit down with him and be there. It would've been nice for him to be forced by his parents or something to actually serve his sentence. But apparently they suck at parenting and join him in abusing flight attendants and supply prescription drugs that her abuses.
It might be hypocritical for me to expect JB to monitor his behavior more closely than Miley, but I think it goes to the majority of one's fan base. Most people who follow Miley and are her big big fans are my age and older, and maybe a couple of years younger. We were there when Hannah Montana started, when it ended, and everything that came before and after. And we were old enough to understand that she was and is getting older.
The fans in Justin's fanbase are, as a majority, thirteen or fourteen or younger. The ones that are older than that have enough knowledge and, hopefully, wisdom, to know what he's doing is not the best idea. They have the ability to make logical, mature decisions about how they're going to respond to it. His younger fans, unfortunately, do not.
I think Justin needs to keep in mind that no matter how many tattoos he gets, how much weed he smokes, and how low he wears his skinny jeans, he has 6 years olds idolizing him.
I don't think the same goes for Miley.
This clip is what I was talking about earlier.

DJ Earworm

This guy is amazeballs.
I don't know, and frankly don't care, how everyone else feels about mash-ups, but DJ Earworm is the absolute best at them. Each year, he mashes up, as in mixes together, in a way of sorts, the top songs of every year. You've probably heard at least one, because all the radio stations play them New Years Day without announcing his name or the name of the song, letting him and his amazing work drift away into nothingness.
And that is not cool.
If it weren't impressive enough that he puts 10+ songs together seamlessly, lyrics and all, there are also videos that transition from one another without a hitch. I don't know if he creates these, too, but all the same they are amazing.

My personal favorite is 2009's Blame it on the Pop, found on his annually updated web-album United State of Pop.
The mashup includes 25 songs.

• "Boom Boom Pow" - The Black Eyed Peas
• "Poker Face" - Lady Gaga
• "Just Dance" - Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis
• "I Gotta Feeling" - The Black Eyed Peas
• "Love Story" - Taylor Swift
• "Right Round" - Flo Rida feat. Kesha
• "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" - Beyoncé
• "Heartless" - Kanye West
• "Gives You Hell" - All-American Rejects
• "You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift
• "Dead and Gone" - T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake
• "You Found Me" - The Fray
• "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
• "Knock You Down" - Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West and Ne-Yo
• "Blame It" - Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain
• "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" - Pitbull
• "Live Your Life" - T.I. feat. Rihanna
• "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" - Soulja Boy Tell 'Em feat. Sammie
• "Down" - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
• "The Climb" - Miley Cyrus
• "Best I Ever Had" - Drake
• "My Life Would Suck Without You" - Kelly Clarkson
• "Halo" - Beyoncé
• "Hot n Cold" - Katy Perry

Seriously, I recommend you go listen to it, and all of his other stuff. To put Kanye, Miley, Taylor and Soulja Boy in a song together and still make it sound good is a mad talent. I'm looking forward to big things from DJ Earworm. 

Here's a link to his website.

(Also, random trivia, he went to U of I and is from Evanston! He's homegrown, you guys. Super cool.)

Roomies by Sara Zaar & Tara Altebrando Review

Roomies

by Sara Zaar & Tara Altebrando

Goodreads' Rating: 

3.73 stars out of 5

Summary: 

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

So, disclaimer, this book is only for girls. I honestly cannot imagine any member of the male species pridefully announcing that they read this book. 

That said, it's a drama depot and I LOOOOOOVED it. 

Normally, I stick to the dystopian/utopian novels: the Hunger Games, the Maze Runners, the Legends, the 1982s and Divergents of the world. I'll eventually make a review on all of these books, I'm sure. 

But, anyways, actual review material. 

The book features a alternating POV between two girls, Elizabeth (AKA E.B.) and Lauren, who are randomly assigned to be roommates at University of California, Berkeley. The switching is nice, I suppose, because they both are going through very different experiences in terms of growing up during the last summer that they have at home. Also, I'd imagine it'd be very one-sided if we were only to see how one roommate felt about the other and not vice versa. Their voices are also very distinguishable and I never got lost as to who was who. 

Each chapter also ends with an email between the girls. As the book progresses, the emails become more personal and the girls really do become each other's best friends, in a way. Elizabeth starts off as the warmer of the two, reaching out to Lauren, but by the end of things they're both excited to meet each other.

Without spoiling the book, I can say that E.B. and Lauren have sucky friends outside of one another, and this is where the writing falls short for me. For as well as Lauren and E.B. are characterized, the side characters that cause the most drama (their parents, siblings, friends, boyfriends, etc.) are flat, in my opinion. They are flat and predictable, and hardly matter aside from the drama they stir. They don't seem to go through any changes at all, which is weird for a book all about growing up, moving on, and going to college. 

I feel like I'm smashing the book, because it is quite good to read just for the heck of it, not expecting a master piece or taking anything seriously. I only grabbed it because I thought it was timely to the fact that we are all (mostly all of us, anyways) going to be going to college, near or far, and will most likely go through meeting strangers who will become our roommates while juggling facing "the lasts" back at home. The last time you'll ever eat at this local restaurant, the last time you'll paint at this small shop, the last you do this, speak to this person, etc. Even though it will not, really, be the last time, I can't help but think that it will feel that way. The book did a really good job making these exaggerations relatable, and I felt for E.B. and Lauren as they went through their tribulations. 

The emotional bits were handled very well. 

I didn't cry, but still. 

For me, I'd give the book the same rating as Goodreads, if not a 3.5. Despite all the shortcomings in minor character's characterization, the ability the authors had for conveying the emotions both E.B. and Lauren were going through was fantastic. I couldn't help but feel for them and wonder if I would feel the same way when I leave. 

Also, their boyfriends seemed very nice. No douchebags or unnecessary love triangles.That's always a plus.  

Rewind

What can I say?
I mess up. A lot.
Well, I don't know what a standard base line of too many mistakes is. All I can say: I mess up.
A lot.
Good thing is, I've got this, I don't know...invention type caboodle.
Yeah.
I can rewind stuff.
Pretty much, it's cooler than the Easy Button and I got it off of eBay for $15.
Turn down for what?

Episode One

I told my best friend about my dohicky the night I got it and pushed the rewind button. You know? Those double arrow triangle things. 

I had told her about three or four times until I realized that she was being reversed and played back like a movie each time. 

I was like, "Check it out."

And she was all, "Okay."

So then I pushed the button, and was like, "So, what'd it do? Did it work?"

"Did what work?"

Seriously, it was super annoying until I started noticing her cat, Socks, repeatedly jumping up and anti-falling, I guess, from the window. Unnaturally, might I add.

The only thing that was missing was the TV static, like when you rewind old school VHS cassettes. 

Obviously, I had to wonder how great this remote's powers were. I wondered how accurate it's aim was, if I could make it specific to a certain person, room, or city. Did that person/thing/whatever else have to be in my vicinity, or could I, I don't know, pause Obama during his public address, rewind him, and see if he would say everything he just said over again, to the audience's dismay and confusion.

I tried it. 

To make sure my little experiment worked, I brought with me three clocks, an analog, a digital, and then a wrist watch. If I could really control time from a remote location, but in a way like I did at Sam's house, I could literally change the world. Like, how far back could I go. Could I kill Hitler before he was born without even stepping foot from my bedroom?

But, alas, it just worked on my TV, like a normal remote would do. No clocks ticked backwards and my mom still yelled at me in forward-moving nagging. 

I muted my mom a couple days later. 

Then I paused my little sister. 

No guilt. 

But, I can say I debated internally on how long I should leave them in their silent and statuesque states. Mom was so funny freaking out, mouthing, "Emma...what are you doing, young lady?" and Emma, of course, was doing nothing. She was frozen in the moment, mouth spit sogging the head of the Elmo doll forced in her mouth. 

I rewound mom back to the point right before I muted her, unpaused Emma, and then unmuted her. She remembered nothing. 

I had a Math test on Tuesday. 

Let's just say that the remote, if pointed at the chalkboard, can make things a whole lot easier for Mr. Chandler's Period 7 AP Calc class. 

The old bat didn't even notice, because, guess what, I paused him. 

Episode 2

All-Star Game Snubs and Surprises

Just last night, the NBA All-Star East and West game starting line-ups were released. Before I go into how I feel about them, because I have plenty to say about snubs and surprises, here they are:

Dwayne Wade, MIA, Backcourt
(SG)

East

Kyrie Irving, CLE, Backcourt
(PG)

LeBron James, MIA, Frontcourt
(SF)

Paul George, IND, Frontcourt
(SF)

Carmelo Anthony, NYK, Frontcourt
(SF)

West

Stephen Curry, GSW, Backcourt
(PG)

Kobe Bryant, LAL, Backcourt
(SG)

Blake Griffin, LAC, Frontcourt
(PF)

Kevin Durant, OKC, Frontcourt
(SF)

Kevin Love, MIN, Frontcourt
(PF)

Alright, so, I'm mad because Joakim Noah is not in the starting line up. I'm mad because there are NO centers at all! Like, what? I totally understand that the current league isn't as much as a "big man" league like it used to be, but, for real. Who's playing Center for the East? 

LeBron James?

I can't.

However, since I'm talking about the East first, I can't really say I would take out any of the starters and be absolutely okay with his absence. Like, yeah, Dwayne Wade's knees suck, it's at the point where I'm doubting whether he has any type of cartilage left, but who else would play SG? I can't even think of a worthy contender off the top of my head. "The Flash" isn't all that flashy anymore and, honestly, he's the only person I can see being replaced but that still doesn't solve the no center problem.

Maybe it won't be a problem. The East is going to get demolished anyways.

I'm happy to see Paul George for his second All Star appearance and Kyrie Irving is only there because D. Rose isn't. Did he play last year? 

I don't even know.

Nothing against Kyrie, but I like him as Uncle Drew a lot more. It's cooler to see an old man cross people up. Does he still do those commercials?

Speaking of! Kevin LOVE!!

AHHH I love Kevin Love!

He was in a Uncle Drew commercial, so me mentioning him isn't completely random, and it's also not random because he's playing in the All-Star Game! I'm so excited. This man came in the absolute clutch for me in my Fantasy League last year (as in, whenever he could play and he didn't have a broken hand/finger/whatever) and he's so talented all over. 

His defense sucks, but...well, actually, no, but yes, it does suck, but he can grab those rebounds like there's a basketball magnet in his bones!

That didn't make much sense, but, whatever.

I was really surprised to see him in the line-up.

Also, another surprise came up with Stephen Curry. Not saying he doesn't deserve it, because he totally does, just look at what he's doing with the Warriors now that he's managing not to break his own ankles every other week. He's a Splash Bro.. Super cool. But, you know, I kind of think he deserved it MORE last year. Again, not to say that he isn't an integral part of his team regardless, I just wasn't expecting him to ever get elected onto the team because what he did last season for the Warriors, in my mind, doesn't compare to this year.

Kevin Durant. Duh.

Kobe. What. The. HECK.

This man is injured! He's injured! How is he going to play off the bench?! It doesn't make sense. It's a wasted roster spot. GAWD these fans are so stupid, like, what's the point? I get it, I get it, there's bragging rights and records to be made as far as ASG appearances made goes, but he's not even going to play.

It's DUMB.

I breezed over the rest of the East lineup because I didn't have much to stay. The East is historically bad this year, so, obviously, the pickings were going to be slim. The only complaint I have has already be addressed with Joakim, but I suppose I can be fine with that as long as he's selected by the coaches. 

Easy A [Spoiler Alert]

"Easy A" Movie Review 

IMDB Synopsis: 

A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Year Released:

2010

Writer:

Bert V. Royal

Stars: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley 

[Disclaimer: I don't have half of an idea how a review goes--like, what am I supposed to talk about? Music? Scenery? Lighting? I am NOT certified.--but I'm going to give it a shot. Hopefully I don't sound like a ranting stupid idiot, but, whatever. My blog. My rants. My rules. Deal.]

Alright! Easy A! This 2010 film starred the wonderful Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast. Olive has a clean-cut reputation, does good, and, well, she doesn't really stick out as much as she blends in. She doesn't party too hardy, if ever, and she actually reads The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an assigned reading book for her English class.

That all changes when Olive decides to help a friend, Penn Badgley, who plays Woodchuck Todd, the school's mascot. By help, I mean pretend to f@%k. (hehehe PG, ya'll, keep it PG) Olive and Todd go to a big party hosted by the coolest kid in the school. Their identity really isn't relevant, because if it was, I would know it. I've seen this movie ten thousand times. Anywho, Olive walks in with Todd on her arm, and acts like she is drunk. She stereotypes just about every high school woozy all for Todd, who is tired of being teased for his homosexuality. To prove to all the guys bullying him that he is not, in fact, gay, even though he is, in fact, gay, Todd and Olive stumble into a room and commence and proceed to bounce on a mattress, simulating sex sounds.  (I tried to keep it PG, I tried)

This is where I see true, IDK, genius, because that scene could have been really awkward. Instead it was hilarious, especially when they finished. ESPECIALLY when they finished. Ha.

However, I can't deny the fact that I believe that the movie kind of took a lot of liberties just to advance the plot. Like, really, how realistic is it that someone would do what Olive did?

That is one HECK of a favor.

No judgement, but, I don't think I would be able to do that. Just because Todd is her friend, I see it as extremely unrealistic that someone would put their pristine reputation on the line to help improve a friend's bullying situation. There could have and should have been other solutions. (And, side note: I don't even remember if Todd and Olive were even that close of friends. Like, they might have in an imaginary past of the movie, but, I don't think they were besties in the present time)

Maybe Olive wanted to insert some drama into her life, tired of drifting between the lines. I can understand that, but, once again, I see it as implausible that someone like Olive would offer their body, even in a fake sense, just for the sake of drama. I feel like you already have to be half way on your way to being a floosy before you commit to pretending to be a full on floosy.

But, it's a movie, and it's entertaining. The dry humor is great if you like sarcasm, and I'd definitely recommend it right alongside Mean Girls (2004). Olive's conflict with Marianne (Amanda Bynes) is refreshing and goes through twists that are realistic. There are, actually, a lot of twists in the this film, more than you'd expect from a teen movie, anyways, and you'd never see the end coming.

So, I won't spoil it for you. But I shouldn't have to. The movie came out in 2010. You've had four years. It's on FX like every other day.

I also leave you with sunshine filled pockets. 

Captain Coates

She gasped with excitement and shouted over the noise of the propeller. "The islands in the clouds are real!!" Cap'n turned back, letting go of the helm and letting the ship sink into the buoyancy of the fluffy clouds. "Of course they are! This here land is just as real as the ground down thither. You think if I snap my fingers this will all disappear?"
Betty's jaw dropped, eyes large in their childish innocence. "Well, duh!" She undid her seat belt, fixed the frills in her night gown, and fluttered her hair and eyelashes. "It's not normal that this exists, but it totally does!" She turned to the captain, "Will it go away if you snap?"
Captain Coates laughed three hearty hoots. "Yer not afraid, now are you?"
Betty shook her head, even though she was a tiny bit afraid. What if the ship poofed away? Would she tumble and fall down back to the Earth?
"Not at all," she answered.

She watched Coates's fingers brush together with a wince, almost preparing herself for her likely, tumultuous descent. Her heart nearly imploded when the sound reached her ears...but nothing happened.
The excitement rushed back into her all at once.
Betty jumped from her seat and roamed around the ship, peering over the edge and checking everything out. The water, or what would be, of the beachfront was made entirely of clouds and they moved and shifted like an ocean. Every so often, when the clouds parted a certain way, she could see the yellow blinking light on Mr. Willow's porch. She wondered how far up she was. She wondered if she was dreaming. But the breeze that smelled like strawberries and chocolate brushed her hair off her face.It was very much real. The stars in the sky looked like glitter against a big sheet of black construction paper, sparking and glittering against the giant Moon.
Coates grinned, excited by her excitement, skin near his eyes crinkling warmly, like melted sugar crystallizing."What do you say we dock and join the other children?"
"There are others?" Betty squealed.
"Course there are. This is the Island of Dreams. If you dream it, it'll be."

This Happened

A for Effort!

Waking Life

I didn't know what to expect

It's a movie, with actors, and they are covered with cartoons

It's not your weekly Saturday morn

He explores his dreams lucidly

Philosophical, not what you'd expect