New Years Resolutions

2013 is over and 2014 is here. Some people are making resolutions and others are making fun of the people that have resolutions. I heard on the radio today a woman said that she doesn't make resolutions because she would be lying to herself. I don't see how you could be lying to yourself if you make a resolution and don't stick with it. That's just giving up. Every year, I have made a resolution to get flexible. And every year I fail miserably. I'm not going to make that resolution this year. Not for fear of failure. Rather because I already know I'm not going to do it. I don't have the patience. I give up after the first day. I'm a patient person, but enduring the pain of stretching is just ugh.

Here are some common New Years Resolutions that people set:

• Lose Weight. Almost everyone tries to set this goal. But a few months in, they give up. The gyms know it. In January, you see a bunch of gyms everywhere. Then by June, there's only 1 or 2 left in the area. And the ones that are left are usually 24 Hour Fitness and the Crossfit gyms. Reason being the 24hr Fitness still open, people can go when there is no one else around. And the Crossfit centers are for people who's lives revolve around athletics. 
• Improve relationships. People (especially teens) want boyfriend/girlfriends. They want to make new friends. But the problem with this is that people don't want to go through the effort of trying to make new friends. Another thing is that they don't know how to. It's easy to make friends in school because you are surrounded by people your age. But for adults, it's nearly impossible. The only people they are around is their coworkers and maybe the people they go to church with. Adults don't necessarily like their coworkers. Start introducing yourself to random people at the store. It's going to be weird, but over time, you'll get more comfortable and have actual conversations. 
• Manage stress. This is a good one for me. I'm ALWAYS stressed out and I know I'm not the only one. For me, the best way to manage stress is by letting your anger or sadness out. Don't keep your feelings bottled up. But take anything out on another person. Just scream. Cry. Do whatever you need to do. Talk to someone you trust. Don't let yourself feel bad by holding everything in. While all of these things are good, the best thing I could tell you is to just take a break and BREATHE.

There are many other resolutions that people set. I would like to talk about them, but I don't have any experience with them. What I would like to tell you is to not feel like you should or shouldn't set a goal for yourself. But don't limit your goals to the first of the year. You should set goals everyday. 

I turn 18 this year. My resolution is to get the job before the job of my dreams. I want to work at Volkswagen of Lewisville as a receptionist or some sort of assistant. Eventually I'll get into sales. Then one day, I'll open up my own VW dealership. This is the first stepping stone on my journey. 

Tell me your New Years Resolutions! I want to hear them. Do you think you're going to stick with it? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time...

God Bless You and God Bless America!

-Rachael

Let's Talk Music

Hey. Let's have a conversation. As we all know, I'm interested in music and couldn't live without it. How does one have a music blog? I'm really not sure. But if I knew, I would do it. So until then, I'm going to wing it.
I think for now, I'm going to discuss my Top 10 favorite songs on Earth. Let's go?

1. Of course, my favorite song ever is Rush 2112. It's 20 minutes long. But it's length is required to tell a wonderful story. It lines up with the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand. It's very strange, but great. Basically, in the future, everyone is exactly the same and their future's are chosen for them by the "Council" or government. So this guy finds a guitar in a cave behind this waterfall. He learns to play it and thinks that it could be useful, so he shows the council. They say that they already knew stuff like that existed and didn't want it because it would start some kind of revolution. So he's depressed and goes back to his cave. He falls asleep and has this dream of an Oracle. This Oracle shows him the world before the government took over, when there was music everywhere. He woke up from this dream super depressed and killed himself. I know that's kind of a weird part. But it's not over yet. I think the ending was left open to interpretation. I believe that the people who really ruled over the Earth came back in their spaceships and destroyed everything to reclaim their planet. I like that ending. I like this song, partially because of the story, but also because of the melodic features. There are tempo changes, melody changes, and man does Alex rock out. Who am I kidding? They all do!
2. Now that I'm getting into the shorter songs, I'm going to have shorter descriptions. But for the sake of this blog, lets keep going. I think it's only fair that my favorite song be a Linkin Park song. They are my favorite band on Earth. I've loved them since BIRTH. Not really. Turns out they weren't popular until 1999. But they did form in 96. So there. Anyways, my favorite song by them is The Little Things Give You Away. It was on the album Minutes to Midnight released in 2007. I just need to say something right here, this song is great when heard live. But Linkin Park is really good live, in general. Mike isn't that great, but I think he knows it. Chester on the other hand, sounds really really good live. I have the Road to Revolution DVD and CD which is pretty much their live performance in Milton Keynes. It looked like a great show. I really like this song because of the layering and rounds. I don't have any connection to the lyrics really. But the thing is, I don't like songs because I "relate" or "feel the feels." I like a song when it sounds like a musical genius wrote  it. Sure there are plenty of other songs that LP did that I absolutely love, but this one is just different. It speaks to me musically.
3. I think my third favorite song would be Zombie by The Cranberries. This song actually does mean something to me. What I like is that the lyrics can be interpreted in different ways. It could be a war with yourself, a war with the world. It could be about the government (that's what I think). It could be about many things, even if they wrote it only thinking about one thing. But this song means more to me than just it's lyrics. It was the first song I learned on the bass guitar. I'm sure that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is to me. 
4. This next one I like for a silly reason. But to me, it's the most important reason to like a song. It sounds PERFECT when turned up really loud in my dad's truck. This band inspired a lot of things from my childhood. It's strange to say that Disturbed made a huge impact on my life, but hey, everyone get inspiration in different ways. Indestructible is a good song because it's like a warriors anthem. No person wants to feel like they can be torn apart. This song gives people like me belief. The music in it is very powerful and singing along to it makes you feel, quite literally, indestructible. You could wreck your car playing this, and you wouldn't be touched. You were "INDESTRUCTIBLE!"
5. In my opinion, So Cold by Breaking Benjamin really shows Ben's vocal capacity. It shows what he can really do. I like the acoustic version more than the original studio version. I think about it, and I don't think Breaking Benjamin has ever done a song that I didn't like, just like LP. But So Cold is my favorite song of theirs because of Ben's vocals. I listen to it and I just... ugh. It's too great. He's gentle, then he's "angry," then he gets all screaming-opera on you. It's like, amazing. It just seems to me that the people who had problems with drugs and alcohol abuse are the best musicians. 
6. Even though The Red was the first Chevelle song I heard and was the song that made me fall in love with them, it's not my favorite. Saferwaters is. I love this song to death. the guitar riffs actually make it sound like you're surrounded by water. It's different. I think Chevelle is a very unique band. They do have some songs that I don't like, but no two songs are the same. And they also have some interesting music videos. But regardless of all the weird stuff, there is one thing I find amusing about the band. Pete. Like Ben, I think Pete has a unique voice. He can go from really sweet to super angry. I get the feeling like he was born with such a beautiful voice and didn't take any lessons. Or he taught himself. I never actually did that much research on them. But that doesn't mean I don't love Chevelle!
7. Okay, 10 Years is a weird band. I love Jesse Hasek, but he is a freak. And their music is OMG AMAZING! I keep switching my favorite song by them. It's weird because, I'll like one song a whole bunch, but then I'll hear another one and be in love with that one. I think for them, I'm going to have to stick with Fix Me. When in doubt, go with the one that makes you "feel the feels." And that's exactly what this song does to me. The words actually speak to me. It's about someone who apparently "wastes all of their time" and people are trying to fix them. They try to get them to do something, but they know where they are supposed to be. At least, that's how I see it. I really love this song because I always feel like people are trying to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong and they are telling me what to do. 
8. I once came up with a really good idea for a web series. It was called "Jenny's Musical Life." It was about this girl in New York who's friend from CA visits her. Her life is like a musical and when he sees her and everyone else dancing around, he gets freaked out. Eventually, he realizes that the musical stuff is really cool. It had a very sad ending though. He died in a plane crash. After awhile, she got a boyfriend who was abusive. She killed herself and it ended with the abusive boyfriend regretting everything, singing to All These Things That I've Done by the Killers. Man that was a good idea. I don't know why I like this song. Maybe because the tones and melodies make me super happy when I listen to it. Whatever it is, I'm glad this song exists. I love it. 
9. Tongue Tied by Grouplove is another song that makes me super happy for no reason. I love listening to this song really loud in the car too. I love being able to hear all of the different parts of this song. I remember when I first this song, I HATED it. I thought it was so stupid. But then I heard it one day on Spotify radio with my speakers turned up real loud. I heard all of the parts and I was amazed. It did something to me. It changed me. I felt so good listening to it. I can't even describe the feeling to you. 
10. Ah yes, we save the last for last... It's not the best, because then it would have been number one. I would have done the countdown backwards, but I don't know how to do that without manually typing the numbers. This song makes me sad and then happy. Like an emotional roller coaster. I like it for many different reasons. One being that it talks about a girl leaving her significant other to go to New York. If you don't know by now, I really like New York, even though I have never been there. One day.... Moving on, the song I am talking about is Bright Lights by Matchbox Twenty. I grew up listening to MB20, so I'm real fond of all of their songs. But I like this in particular because of the way Rob uses his voice. Like Ben, he really shows off what he can do. Along with his voice, there is something about him that makes all of the ladies' ovaries explode. Okay.

So those are my Top 10 favorite songs. Do you know or like these songs? Tell me your opinions of these. Or you can tell me what your favorite songs are! Until next time...

God Bless you and God Bless America

-Rachael

The Secret Life

I've heard rumors about this show. Apparently the ending was really terrible and the fan base was super ticked off. Well, I have taken the liberty of watching the first two seasons and I am not impressed. I can''t understand why there would be a fan base in the first place. I get it. It's addicting because it has a very good plot. The drama is exciting and overwhelming at times. But as far as I can tell, it's just a bunch of teenagers getting into each others business.

Okay, so if you have never heard of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, I'm going to do my best to explain it to you. So it starts off with this girl Amy ---------->>>
She's a freshman at a new school who is really good at the French Horn.

She hooks up with a guy named Ricky at band camp. He's a Sophomore and a drummer. He's very charming with the ladies. They all want him and he just wants to get laid.--------------->>>















So on the first day of high school, she finds out she is preggers. And she's not too happy.








She tells her two stupid friends. Lauren and Madison. These two cannot keep a secret to save their lives. So they are pretty much the ones that ruin everything. They can't shut their mouths and they tell someone, who tells someone, and so on.

So anyways, these three totally random people, Ben, Henry and Alice are introduced. Henry and Alice are dating and Ben is just their rich friend.

                  Alice!                          Henry :/                                                    

Ben!!!



Ben was falling for this super Christian girl, Grace. She's really pretty, and dating this jock, Jack. He's interested in getting laid, but she is not concerned about that. Alice pressures Ben into finding another girl. So he goes for Amy.








Eventually, Ben and Amy get together and she tells him that she's pregnant with Ricky's baby. He still loves her and decide he wants to marry her. They "get married" and try to elope. But the parents catch them. Turns out it doesn't count if you try to get married with a fake ID.








A bunch of other stuff happens but I don't want to go into too much detail. I will only tell you the main points. Pretty much, Amy's family is really messed up. Her dad was having an affair with Ricky's girlfriend's (Adrian's) mother.

Amy's dad, George                                   Adrian's Mom, Cindy


Adrian plays a major role later on. Right now, she is just a sex addict and wants Ricky to herself. She's a majorette in the band and is living with her single mother.















So moving on, Amy has the baby and everyone is happy, for now. Her parents get a divorce and then her mother gets pregnant. She thought it was David's (her current boyfriend) baby. And then she finds out George lied about his vasectomy. So it's his baby. They start talking about getting back together. It's no big deal really.












This is getting difficult to explain. There's just so many little details, I'm afraid if I leave something out, it will get too confusing. Basically, a bunch of teens get into trouble. They get in each others business. They spread rumors and secrets about each other. And everyone's life is ruined. We find out that Ricky was sexually abused by his father. He gets shared custody with his son. No one really pays attention to her sister Ashley, which makes her the coolest character on the show. Adrian get's jealous of Amy and Ricky spending so much time together, so she sleeps with Ben. That was a HUGE mistake because she gets pregnant with Ben's baby. Grace and Jack break up because he couldn't get her to have sex. So him and Madison get together. Lauren gets a boyfriend too. Just a bunch of stuff happens. It's overwhelming to watch.

There are some good things about this show though. It makes me never want to tell anyone a secret. It's good birth control. I never want to have a boyfriend or get married. I guess the best thing is that it's very unrealistic. I'm sure there are things that happen like this, but not where I'm from. People aren't all that stupid in Texas. Sure there are a bunch of pregnant girls in high school. But the thing is, no one really cares that they're pregnant. We know to mind our own business. The people in this show did not. The acting was pretty good and I did like the drama. From what I have seen, I would give it 3 1/2 (out of 5) stars.

If you've seen the Secret Life, tell me what you think. NO SPOILERS PLEASE! I do intend on watching the entire thing. I anticipate finishing it.

Until next time, God Bless You and God Bless America.

-Rachael

15 Things Girls Look For In A Guy

This one is for the guys. I can already tell, this is going to be a really weird post. Especially since I'm not a normal girl. But I'll do my best to be general about this.

1. I think the first and most important thing a girl likes is physical attractiveness. Ladies, I know you tell your friends that you don't base people on looks. You know what I have to say about that? You are all LIARS. Guys, we don't "friendzone" you because we only see you as a friend or a brother. We do it because we would be embarrassed to call you our boyfriend. We don't think you are attractive enough to date. But you look okay enough to call you our friend. 
2. You have to be funny. Seriously, if you can't make a girl laugh, then she's not into you. Even the girls that act like snobs like to laugh. If you're trying to get with a girl like that and you've constantly been trying to make her laugh, just give up. There is a reason she won't open up o you in a humorous way. Hehe... humorous.
3. This goes for girls and guys. The person that you are trying to date should make you want to be a better you. the best you that you can be. If this person is constantly tearing you down and feel bad, you probably shouldn't be seeing them. 
4. This one is probably optional for some girls. A guy that can sing or play guitar is really cool. Some girls might not really care. In fact, I'm sure there are some girls that think a guy who can't sing is cute. Personally, I wouldn't be okay with that. I'd like someone who makes up for my lack of a singing voice.
5. Have some interests and some differences. Girls like when they can have conversations about their favorite things. I think girls just like hearing themselves talk. But if you like the same type of music, talk about that with her. If she likes something that you don't really care for, ask about it anyways. She'd love to think that she's teaching someone about that topic. 
6. This kinda goes with number five. Be a good listener. Don't just nod and think about what you want to do to her. Girls can tell when you;re not listening. Ask her questions about whatever it is she's talking about. It shouldn't be that hard. These are basic people skills. 
7. Girls love gentlemen. Hold the door open for her. Lend her your jacket if she's cold. Help other people in front of her. Man, if you do stuff like that, you've pretty much got a new wife. Girls love guys that help other people. But I think if you're going to do something like that, you shouldn't just help others in front of the girl. You should always be trying to help people. Even when the girl isn't around. 
8. Confidence, man. I cannot say it enough. Just be confident in who you are. Not arrogant. There is a difference. Just believe that you are doing your absolute best in everything. Smile. Show the world that you are not afraid of anything.
9. That leads me to number 9. When first dating a girl, do your best to not show fear. She wants to feel like she has someone protecting her. Later on as the relationship develops, you'll open up more and show that you are afraid of certain things. She won't think any less of you.
10. Personal Hygiene. Girls hate it when guys smell bad. Stay neat and groomed. Use deodorant and cologne. Girls LOVE the smell of some colognes. Some are nasty. Find out which one your girl likes and continuously wear that one. But don't drown yourself in it. A girl will not hesitate to gag if the smell is too strong. And I'm sure she would tell you right away if you were wearing too much. Just know when enough is enough.
11. Don't swear. Swearing is never cool. Maybe when you're with your friends, you have the mouth of a sailor. But you should never swear with ladies around. They will look down on you. Swearing does in fact make you sound less intelligent. 
12. Most girls don't like guys that smoke, drink, or do drugs. They know it's unhealthy. Think about it, most girls are looking for husbands and don't want their children to pop out "different." Just be smart. Son't do drugs. Stay in school and all that jazz.
13. Don't look at other girls. We know when you look at other women. It's disgusting and make us hate you. A lot of girls already feel insecure. Don't make them feel even more insecure. Don't talk about other girls. I hate that I am making a list of things not to do, but this is serious stuff. Girls are not pretty when they're jealous. Sure there are some girls that think its funny and will agree with you when you mistakenly (or purposely) talk about how hot other girls are. But it's usually because they really are jealous and are hiding it, or they're secretly gay. 
14. Be a lover, not a fighter. Sure some girls might like the dangerous type, but in reality, if she see's you get in a fight with someone, she might not feel safe. All a girl really wants is to feel safe. Don't be that guy. Not to mention that will give you a bad reputation with other girls. 
15. The last thing (on this list, there are plenty more things) is to just be positive and smile. A smile is a persons greatest feature. If you have a genuine positive attitude and a great smile, every girl will automatically fall in love with you. It's like looking at this guy. Ugh, that beautiful face.

If you are a guy and reading this, do everything I say and you will have a girlfriend and/or wife in no time. Oooh Kill 'Em!

Thank you for reading. Did you know I'm on twitter? @_rachaeltroy_

-Rachael

Grungy Girls

Oh dear. I just drank 2 Mountain Dew's. You know what that means. I'm gonna be revved up all night writing. Or goofing off. Or both. I have something I'd like to rant about. My love for female grunge artists. For example, Megan McCauley, Kerli, Amy Lee. Sure some of these are technically "gothic rock" but they all have something about them that I really like.

Megan McCauley has a deep voice. I seriously love her voice. She has very good control and sounds great live. I only recently discovered her music. Unfortunately, she only had one album released in 2007 and is now hiatus. Like any other great grunge singer, she had trouble with drug abuse. It's terrible, but going through all of that gave her the reputation as a musical genius. I admire her. I don't have much to say about her because I'm still learning about her. There isn't much on the internet about her personal life or career. All I know is that she started modeling and singing around the age of five and she had so much pressure put on her by her mother. Now they have a bad relationship on something. They were on Dr. Phil talking about it in 07 when her album came out. That's really all I know. Regardless, she's an amazing singer.



I think we should have a chat about Amy Lee. There are a few things I like about her. But overall, I don't think she's all that great. Don't get me wrong, I think she is an amazing singer. She has a great voice and uses it well. But it doesn't make up for her attitude. Before she recorded Broken with Seether, Megan McCauley was originally asked to record with them. She didn't get the gig because Amy Lee was dating Shaun Morgan (Seether, lead singer) at the time. Lee got all mad and made a huge deal about not being asked to perform with them. I guess Morgan gave in and was like, "Yeah well I'm kinda dating this woman. I guess I should let her sing with us. Even though I like McCauley better and so does the band. But ya know, my lady friend might get a little PO'd. Should probably try to please her." Ugh come on Shaun. I don't like Lee simply because of her actions. Her voice is nice though.I tried looking for a good picture of her that really shows all of her facial features. But every picture I find of her is very high contrast like this one. I think she's going for a ghostly type look. Maybe she thinks she's a ghost.




There's something about Taylor Momsen that is just... Ugh. She's so great. She has that deep voice that sounds like she sings while she's high. I wouldn't be surprised. I really like her band, The Pretty Reckless. My favorite song that they did was Zombie. Oh my goodness, it's such a good song. It describes how I feel about everyone at my old school. There's seriously too much to say about Momsen. I am so jealous of her hair. I know they're extensions, but I would love to have hair that long. Everything about her is just wonderful. Except for her recent nose job. I don't like it. She kinda looks weird. This is her before the nose job and without extensions. And also without all the make up that actually makes her look like a zombie. She might be a little crazy, but I still like her. Ain't she perty?



Alright, let's talk about Dolores O'Riordan. Technically she's not a grunge singer, but I think her old look could put her there. I believe that she has one of the most unique voices on Earth (aside from Paula Cole). If you don't know who she is, you might know her band, the Cranberries. They also have a song called Zombie, but it's very different from The Pretty Reckless' song. In fact, I think it might be better than theirs. Just my own opinion. This picture is back from the 90's I do believe. Back when she was cool. I think sometime in the last five years she left the band and started a solo career. I could be wrong. She might still be with the band. I really don't know. I don't actually pay attention to them. I just really like their music.

The last person I want to talk about is Lacey Mosely (or Lacey Sturm. She got married or something). I think I look up to her the most. She's originally from Arlington, TX, which is about 25 miles from where I currently reside. Obviously, that's not the reason why I like her, although it does contribute. Like McCauley, she went through drug abuse. But eventually, she became a Christian and joined Flyleaf, a Hard Christian Rock band. I still think they could fall under the grunge category. She has the voice that I desire. I mean, I would kill for any of these ladies' voices, but Lacey's stands out the most to me. She can do a lot with it. I'm a little upset that she left the band, but I think she wanted to. I don't really know how I feel about the girl that replaced her. I haven't been following their new stuff lately. I should probably go listen to it. She's so cute. Did you know she's only 4'11"? I finally feel tall for once. (I'm 5'5").

Theme

I've been doing some research about how to have an effective blog. Apparently I am supposed to have some type of theme. By theme I mean, what is the purpose of my blog? Why did I create it in the first place? What is the message I want to convey to my readers? Honestly, I have no good answer to these questions. Is there a right answer? No clue. I created the blog because I felt like it. I want to show my readers my personality and just have conversation. But, even though there is really no purpose, I still want to have a blog that people like to read and tell their friends about. Now, let's get to brainstorming.

What do people like? Cats, memes, humor. But all of the typical things are too easy. Politics, freedom, 'Murica. Those topics are hard to talk about. It requires a bunch of reason and in the end it's worthless. People will only criticize your thoughts. Health & Beauty. HA. I am definitely not one to be talking about that. And I'm not a mother so I can't have a "mommy" blog.

Okay, what do I like. Music. But how does one have a music blog? What do you talk about? "Music."No really? I thought you were supposed to talk about ham... But really? I could talk about my favorite artists all day, but who really cares? Pokemon. I do love Pokemon, and like music, I could go on all day talking about Pokemon related things. But it's only targeting a certain audience. Ice Skating. Well, as much as would love to talk about that, I don't get to skate very much. And even if I did, I'm not really that good. Movies. Oh how I love movies. I love watching them over and over again making stupid comments. I love taking notes while watching a series, trying to connect everything together. That's probably really weird. Something you might not know about me, I really love architecture. If I was going to college, I would major in Architecture Design. I seriously love it so much. That might be a good topic.

After going through this, I've realized something. I can't just pick one topic and stick with it. I am not a person that can choose something and stick with it. I need variety. My readers need variety. Everyone needs variety in their life. If you keep doing the same thing over again, don't you think things would get boring? Well that's how I feel. So I've decided. I'm not going to change a thing. this is my blog. I can talk about whatever I want to. And this will be the best blog ever because of it's variety. There is something for everyone.

Thank you guys! I know I rant a lot, but that's the point. Tell me what you think. What kind of things would you like me to write about? Let me know.

- Rachael

Dream Bedroom

I recently put up a string of lights around my room. They aren't "Christmas" lights. They kind of look like bubbles... Here, I'll just  show you.

They're so pretty. It's like I'm in  fairy realm when they're on in the dark. Stringing them up gave me a good idea. I went through Pinterest and collected some photos of bedrooms that I thought were pretty. I'd like to share them with you and tell you why I like them.

This first one is really elegant. I'm not much of a elegant person, at all. But if I had this room, I would feel like a princess. Maybe when I'm married and rich, I'll do something like this. I enjoy light colors. They're peaceful and help me sleep. I also really like the headboard of the bed. If it's leather, it's perfect. Anything else, eh.
                                           
Okay this next one is really cool. I love the lights, but the large windows is what really makes this room stand out to me. It kind of has that winter cottage or cabin feel to it. Oh and that sexy moose on the pillow; perfect. Maybe when I build my house in Colorado, I'll have something like this in it.


This is probably my favorite one. I think I would have something like this in my studio apartment in New York. Yes I plan on living there for a while. It would be really cool if the entire room was a black and white color scheme. I'm not fond of the brown drawers on the sides of the bed. But you know what I really love? That rug! It's so cute! I'm a fan of faux fur rugs. I would probably need some picture frames that say something a little cooler. For example; "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." Or, "You are not your job. You are not how much money you have in the bank.You are not the car you drive. You are not the contents of your wallet." Something like that. Yes those are from Fight Club.


Tell me what you think of these rooms or send me links to some rooms that you like. Thanks for reading. God bless you and God bless America.

-Rachael

Pokemon: Red vs. Ash

Today I would like to talk about a topic that no one really cares about. Red. not the color.. The character from Pokemon. I would like to explain why I like him so much. Let me start off by showing you this:

Alright. That's all for today...

No but really. Seeing this makes me understand how much I really hate Ash. He's a whimp. Everything that was said in this picture is true. I recently Pokemon Origins and for a while, it made me hate Red. In the first episode, they made him out to be as bad of a trainer as Ash. But by the end of the mini series which consisted of four episodes, he became the Kanto Champion and caught them all, while learning what training pokemon was really about. Well, all except Mew. But the last words he says is that he's going to catch it. And just having that determination is brilliant. Ash meets every legendary pokemon, rescues them, and even rides their backs. But never once does he try to catch them. In fact, he thinks that catching them would be the wrong thing to do. And he still expects to be a Master. Sorry Ash, but you're an idiot. 

That is really all I have. Sorry I don't update very much. It's hard coming up with things to write about. 

To all my Pokemon Fans out there, what do you think of Red and Ash? 

God bless you and God bless America. 

"Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning lest these three Titans wreck destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting alone its song will fail. Thus the Earth shall turn to ash. O, Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three. Their treasures combined tame the beast of the sea." 

-Shamouti Prophecy

- Rachael A.

Why Am I Doing This?

To express my craving love for Miley Cyrus (that was sarcasm), I have decided to watch and review EVERY SINGLE EPISODE of Hannah Montana... Kill me now. I will do one episode every day for however many episodes there are. If I miss a day, I apologize in advance. I will also be comparing Miley then and how she acted to who she is now. Maybe we will be able to see what went wrong.
Episode One. "Lilly, Do You Want To Know A Secret?"
14 year old Miley Stewart is living her double life as a pop star, Hannah Montana. When she's at home, she's just a normal, unpopular girl that has normal friends and goes to school.
Okay, so her BFFFF Lilly, got two tickets to go see Ms. Montana in LA and she invited Miley. Well that's a problem, considering Miley is Hannah. See Lilly doesn't know that Miley and Hannah are the same person. Awkwardddd..... So Miley declines to going to the concert.
Enter Corbin Bleu. I used to have the biggest crush on him. But I think he's dead now? Turns out Miley Stewart has a huge crush on him too. I hated her for that. But I got over it quickly. Anyways, she rubs ketchup all over his hands and claims it's a moisturizer so that she doesn't look like an idiot. Too late for that. Uh oh... It's the "populars" AKA Amber and Ashley. In the fifth grade, I had two friends named Amber and Ashley. They always did the "ooooh tssss.." thing. Back then I thought it was cute. Now it's just annoying. Already in the first episode, you can tell that some stuff is gonna go down with these two girls.
Enter Oliver... OLIVERRRRR... (House Bunny reference). This guy is my hero. I love him so much. Not Mitchell Musso, the actor that plays him, but Oliver Oakin, the character. He goes through so much through this entire series and manages to stay strong. At least, I think that's what happens. We'll find out.
You know, for a 14 year old, she was a really strong singer. When I hear her now she sounds like she got younger compared to back then. Like she's lost some control.
Lilly sneaks into Hannah's dressing room and things get crazy. I don't really want to go into details but basically Lilly finds out that Miley was Hannah the whole time. Lilly is pisssssed. Of course she forgives her. But things turn around when Miley shows Lilly her "Hannah Closet." Lilly wants to tell everyone about Hannah and Accidentally calls Miley "Hannah." Now Miley is super pisssssed. Pretty much from what I can tell, Miley is just some tween that has a loud, heavy country accent that yells when she talks about her problems. You know, she was a really bad actress back then. I can see why her famous father was the only reason she got that role. Emily Osment was so much better. But you know is a really good actor? Her brother Haley Joel Osment. He was great in A.I.  which just so happens to be one of my favorite movies.
And of course, the episode ends with Miley and Lilly being salty with Amber and Ashley. Just awful. But things happen.
I just thought about something. If she's 14, shouldn't she be in high school already? Isn't that the age of a freshman? I don't know. Just a thought.
So now that the episode is over, here are my thoughts:
Lilly did not freak out enough when Miley revealed that secret. If that were me, I would be freaking out for days.
Miley Cyrus is a bad actor. Maybe it's because that was the first acting role she's ever done. She just needed practice. After all, that was filmed back in 2006.
It will get better.
It's hard to think that someone so sweet, young and innocent can turn into something so... vile and trashy. I think she's worse than Kesha.

Until tomorrow,
-Rachael A.

Look at that face.... *tear*

The Voice

It's so hard for me to listen to songs sung by a woman. I know why that is. I'm jealous. I can't sing to save my life. I was not blessed with a singing voice. Even if I took lessons, I would still be awful. There is no possible way I could be a good singer unless I had surgery, but that's not an option. I'm not that insecure. But still, I get upset and overwhelmed when I hear really good women singers. You're probably thinking, Oh Rachael, I'm sure you're not that bad! Has anyone ever heard you sing? Yes. People have heard me sing and they all said I sound like a 12 year old girl. Each time, it really discouraged me. It made me so mad that I don't even want to sing when I'm by myself. I'll try so hard to sing really well and just end up crying because I know I can't do it. God did not bless me with the gift of singing. But in the place of a voice, He put voice. No, not singing. He gave me the gift of using voice in my writing. If you aren't familiar with my writing, I like to add my personality into each post. I've been told that I'm pretty funny... Yeah, I'm hilarious. Deal with it. No but really, I like to add my witty humor and have conversations with myself in my writing. It's probably hard to understand, which makes sense... That was a contradicting statement.
But yes, I love writing. When i was young, I liked writing songs. Yes, I have always kept a journal (or diary if you prefer). It's important to write your thoughts out so that they aren't bottled up inside of you. It works for me. But maybe another method works for you. The point of this is to say that you shouldn't get jealous or upset because someone else can do something that you want to be able to do. But rather you should focus on doing what you can do. Or even better, learn how to do the things that you really want to do.

That's all I have for now...

-Rachael A.

Miley... Why?

EVERYONE knows who she is. I don't even have to say her full name for y'all to know who I'm talking about. Miley, Miley, Miley. Why are you so crazy? I'm not a Hollywood gossip blogger and I really don't care about most of the actors in Hollywood. But I feel like I need to express my opinion about Miley Cyrus. Why? Because it's my blog and I can write about whatever I want. 

So we all know that Miley is nuts. She used to be this really great role model that little girls could look up to. She was Hannah Montana. And now... she's a talentless, wannabe stoner that dresses salty (in a bad way). My theory is that she really is living a double life and this new Miley is the fake popstar while the Miley we all knew and loved is secretly back in Tennessee living with her parents. But that's probably just me. 
I think the problem with Miley is that she used to be this great person and a bunch of little girls looked up to her. Then when she turned crazy, all those little girls that looked up to her thought that what she was doing was okay. That's why people hate her. 
I hear a lot of people asking, "Well what does her father think?" Lucky you, I did some research. He is okay with what she is doing. At least, that's what he told the press. "I heard my little girl say, ‘I’m the happiest I've ever been in my life.’ That’s all I ever wanted to hear from her" So I'm guessing he's okay with it. He just wants her to be happy. And you know what? I'm glad that she's happy. What she's doing now, if that's what she likes, by all means let her be. People are still going to criticize her but she's over it. I'm almost 100% positive she doesn't care about what people say about her. And I admire that. I still don't like how she's acting. One day she'll look back and regret what she's doing. But until that day comes, keep on keepin' on. 
If people don't like how she is impacting their children, then don't let her. I don't mean tear her down and criticize her. Just be aware of what your children are watching and putting into their minds. It's very simple. Don't let the media raise your kids. Seriously.

In honor of Miley, "It's my mouth I can say what I want to."
- Rachael A.


                                               Is this not creepy?

Finances?

It's like, every time I am about to do something really productive or get excited about something, someone always ruins it. It just happened to me a few minutes ago...
I was about to work out. I never get to work out because I'm too tired from work or business meetings. I was motivated to work out tonight. I had a bunch of energy and I was ready. As soon as I was about to start, my mother comes in and tells me I need to partial pay for my contact lenses. Let me tell you a little something about my finances. The last paycheck I got said $387.30. I spent the entire thing on my laptop that I am typing on right now. The one I got today said $474.36. Not bad right? Well, my contacts cost $431.92. I already feel bad about spending my last check on this laptop. I didn't really need it, as much as I convinced myself I did. I don't really want to spend this check on small pieces of plastic to shove in my eyeballs. No. I have three pairs of glasses. I don't need contacts. I don't even wear them that much. I only wear them when I'm not breaking out, which is never.
I'm looking at buying a car soon. I thought I would have to wait until January, but I recently hit the jackpot. No, I didn't win the lottery (that would be nice though). A woman came into my work with her stupid Mini Cooper. She had three bags of stuff in her trunk. She said she was going to donate them, but she didn't really want to go down to the shelter, so we could have them. Okay lady.... Anyways, so we went through her stuff and found these two really nice watches. A Breitling Navitimer and a Cartier. The Breitling (according to my own appraisal) is worth anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000. The Cartier is worth around $2,000. Now why this lady would get rid of these watches I don't know. Maybe it's because she was recntly divorced and used the money to buy herself a new (crappy) car and get custom leather in it. They were his watches and didn't know how much they were worth. But that's just my theory.
The watches belong to me now (my precious) and I am free to do what I want with them. If it wasn't for them not fitting my wrist, I would have never known how much they were worth and had a pretty new toy that would get super damaged and be worth nothing within minutes. I'm not good with watches.
So the moral of this story is, keep your watches. They might be worth something....

what

Outcast

No not the band. I've felt like an outcast my entire life. When I was in elementary school, if seemed like everyone had something like they loved to do. For example, one of my best friends loved sports. Other friends loved video games or music. At the time, those were hobbies. In middle school, it was understandable why people didn't like me. I dressed really weird. I wore the crazy colored pants with non-matching tops and shoes. I had serious problems back then. But when I got to high school, it only got worse. And maybe that's my fault. I did act like a hoe. It got me into situations I didn't want to be in or now regret. After I was homeschooled, I was isolated. Everything was downhill from there. It's still getting worse. I have very few friends. I can count the number of friends I have on one hand. I'm probably going to get comments saying, "Oh Rachael, I'm your friend!" No you're not. Stop acting like it. Stop taking pity on me. I don't want it.
I thought that going to a youth group would help me to be more social and feel accepted. But I think it made me feel more like an outcast. All I wanted was to immerse myself with people my own age and hopefully make new friends. That didn't really happen. I didn't want to open up to them, but I forced myself to. It's not that I didn't trust them. i trust people very easily. But I didn't necessarily feel comfortable telling some things. It's my own fault for opening up in the first place. I thought those girls were my friends, but they weren't. No one every tried to hang out with me or see how I was doing. I'm over it.
As some of you know, I'm involved in a business with my parents. And I love it there. But, it's just another place where I feel like an outcast. Don't get me wrong, I love being around the business. Unfortunately, I'm still just a kid in their eyes and they don't treat me like an adult. It sucks. But it's understandable. I still act like a kid and I don't really talk to anyone about adult things. So, that's my fault.
Even though I feel like an outcast a lot, I know there are still people that are willing to help me. Maybe I don't want help. Maybe I just want to figure things out on my own. Or maybe, what I really need is someone to help. I honestly don't know. The way I see it, I'm still a kid and have a lot of things to figure out before I start involving people in my problems.

Today is the day.
- Rachael A.
(that rhymed)

Touchy Subject

So I recently had some time to think about things. Something I rarely get to do anymore. I saw an episode of Kids React and had mixed feelings about it. It was the episode where the kids were reacting to gay marriage. Before I saw that video, I was completely against gay marriage. I thought it was completely wrong and everyone that is gay should be condemned. But seeing that video, made me think twice. Not in the way that you're probably thinking... Those kids were accepting of gays, BUT they were not accepting of the people that were against gays. They were standing up for all of the gay people, but trashing the homophobes. That really made me think. If you're going to stand up for one person, you better be prepared to stand up for every person. You're contradicting yourself.
Another video I watched really changed my opinion. Gigi Gorgeous is a pretty popular YouTuber (500,000+ subs), and he/she is openly gay. He told his coming out story and how he handled it. He said that he once had this girl that he never met stand up for him. He said that you can't go through life on your own. You need someone there to help you through it. Not codependency, just a friend that you can count on to always be there for you. It made me realize that gays are people too.
Now on to the legal matters. I now think that gay marriage should be legalized. Used to be, there was a huge deal about interracial marriage and they got over that. I think you should in fact be free to love whoever you want. Now when people start wanting to marry animals, that is when the REAL problems will start.
Okay, I do understand that the biblical perspective on this subject is kind of tricky. Sure Genesis and Leviticus said some stuff about man and women and how God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. But Jesus, the only Son of God, the guy that died to SAVE us... Yeah that guy... He died so that we could be forgiven for everything. (Just so you know, as I am writing this, I am still thinking about how this ties in biblically.) So, Jesus did die to save us from our sin, but it doesn't mean that people should continue to sin. I don't know, that thought came to mind. But regardless, Jesus loved everyone. Prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers. So I'm guessing he probably loved gays to.
What makes me really upset about this whole dispute is how people treat each other. A while back, people used to make fun of gay people because they were gay, but now, people pick on and terrorize people that are anti-gay. That is so stupid. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you can't hurt someone just because of what they believe. And yes, I know that this has been going on for centuries, so don't try and give me your witty comments about all those wars back in them days. I already know. I'm not an idiot -___-

Tell me what you think. And please, nothing hateful...
Love all.
<3 Rachael.

Love All

You never know who you're going to meet. Who knows? The next new person you meet through a mutual friend could build a multi-million dollar business and want you in on the gig. Or they could be a potential mate. Don't underestimate people and respect everyone. Even if you don't think they deserve it. You must respect someone before they will respect you. Be the bigger person.

Love All.

All I Really Want

All I really want...
Is to be beautiful.
To be loved.
To be noticed.

All anybody wants...
Is to be loved.
To be appreciated.
To be recognized.

We all want...
To have fun.
To love and be loved.
To be cared for.

Why do we think...
People hate us?
We aren't good enough?
We will die alone?

God has a purpose.
Stay faithful.
Don't lose hope.

Wrecks

Now that I am working a full time job, I have to drive through the terrible traffic you hear about in movies and on television. Some days, the traffic is good and some days it's just awful. But I never complain. Mostly because I'm not the one driving. I used to carpool with one of my coworkers and business partners. He would always try to find the fastest route to work, but it would always end up taking a long time to get there. Whenever the traffic was really heavy, I'd look in other peoples cars at their expressions. They'd be mad and angry. I could picture them thinking, "Man whoever is holding me up is going to pay. I need to get to this job that I hate." From what I've learned about my commute, the traffic is only bad when there is a serious wreck. After a while, I thought about how ignorant most of the people that I share the road with are. Someone was just in a really bad wreck and could have died, and you're complaining about going to a place that can't support you and your family? I would like to say, "Now I understand where these people are coming from," but I really can't. How can someone be so caught up in themselves that they not care about another person in danger. I can say that I do understand why people wouldn't want to put themselves in life or death situations for another person, but not being considerate of a person in that situation is just... ugh. It makes me so angry. I don't like being angry. I age faster when I do that.
This is kind of a short post, but I wanted people to be aware for when/if they go into the working world. Be safe and don't drive when you're upset. It puts you and others around you in danger.

A P.S.A. FROM RACHAEL ALTERMAN
But seriously guys... Thanks for reading. God bless you and God bless america.

Inspiration Or A Cry For Help?

I recently bought a book by a very amazing woman that I look up to. Terri Brady's Letters to Lindsey. She is a former engineer, now a blogger, mom, and wife. (This is just a note to her: Terri, if you ever read this, I want you to know how much I look up to you. You are an amazing influence and role model.) I wish I could have said this to her when she signed my book. Yeah, that's right. I got my book signed by her. I always thought she was really pretty from a distance, but up close, she's SUPER pretty. She has soft blue eyes that radiate joy and make you feel safe. I would have liked to tell her that she was my inspiration for writing my blog. Unfortunately, I was so nervous and didn't want something that sounded bad to come out (even though she knows it is God's place to judge, not hers). Regardless, I couldn't say anything but thank you. Before I could leave, she said "Thank you for waiting." Just that little remark made me feel better about myself. Maybe it was because of the aura she gave off, or maybe because people (besides my awesome parents) rarely say nice things to me.
So I guess I should tell you what her book is about right? Okay, it's a compilation of her blog posts. There are cute little sticky notes in the sidebars that have quotes from her children. Almost all of her posts are about how motherhood teaches her life lessons. There's humor, there's sadness, and overall there's inspiration. Five years ago, Terri was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Before then, she was struggling with infertility. She tells her stories and how her friends, family, and God helped her to get through it. Personally, I wasn't a big sap for inspirational, life-threatening stories until I got involved with the community I am with now. In many ways, I was inspired about how amazing God truly is. But there was something inside of me saying that there is nothing special about me. Whoa... Harsh much? Let me explain. It seems like the only thing that really gets people closer to God is going through a really dark time and finding the light, whether it be medical problems, death, or some other tragic event. I've never gone through anything like that. I mean, my cat died when I was 11, but I got over that pretty quick. My parents are happily married, we have a house that is about to fall apart but it's still tolerable, and I got everything I wanted as a child (except a car, but that's a story for a later post). I have a pretty good life. I don't have many friends, but I would rather be friendless than have people poisoning me with poor thinking. The point of all of this is to say that I've really never been involved in a "dream, struggle, victory" situation. And maybe that's my own fault. Do I really have a dream that I'm willing to struggle so I can have my victory? I suppose not. What I would like to ask someone is "what does God have planned for me?", but the only one that knows is God himself. Once in my youth group, my leader gave the analogy of a stitching hoop. The hoop is over us and when we look up, all we can see is a huge mess, while God is looking down on this beautiful piece of work. It just makes me realize that He is all knowing and He has it all planned out for us.
Now I want to make everyone reading aware that I am only a 17-year-old girl and I'm still just a child. I don't understand everything yet. I will never understand everything. But I do know that one day, God will put a difficult trial in my way that I will be able to get through with hard work and determination. Maybe I'm in one and I just can't tell. The title is not to say that people put out their inspirational stories so that they can get attention. No, people do that so they can help others get through their tough times. Know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and God is always with you.

Thank you to everyone that reads my blog and special thanks to Mrs. Terri Brady. May God continue to shine light in your life (which I know he will). www.terribradyblog.com
I love hearing stories! Message me your dreams, struggles, and/or victories. God bless you and God bless America!

- Rachael A.
I AM SPARTACUS!

Bucket List

Everyone should have a bucket list. You know, a list of things you want to do before you die? It helps you to feel like you've done something worthwhile, even if it didn't contribute to society. I don't have this long rant about how we should live life to the fullest (even though we should). Instead, I want to share my bucket list with you. Here are my 25 Things I want to do before I die:

1. Go to a NASCAR event
2. Write a book
3. Restore a bunch of old muscle cars
4. Move to Australia long enough to develop an accent
5. Build the ultimate 3-screen gaming computer
6. Go drag racing
7. Meet Kesha
8. Learn guitar
9. Write a strongly worded letter to Satoshi Tajiri telling him to stop making Pokemon
10. Go to New York
11. Buy an ice rink and skate whenever I want to
12. Own a Volkswagen dealership
13. Have the coolest wedding ever
14. Get cornrows for a day
15. Go to a peace rally
16. Sit in a tree and just write, soaking in my surroundings
17. Get married to the perfect guy
18. Have the awesomest kids
19. Be mentored by Danika Patrick
20. Swim in a pool of Mountain Dew
21. Go to a rave
22. Be able to do the splits
23. Create a really cool musical web series
24. Succeed in The Sims without cheating
25. Sign up for Spotify Premium and Pandora One

Some of these things sound ridiculous. Some unreasonable. Some fun. But regardless, I want to do them all. Like I said before, everyone should have a bucket list. Do something that takes you out of your comfort zone! Live LIFE! Thanks guys :)

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I'm working a full time job that is killing me. But I'll get through it. Prayers would be appreciated.

Homecoming

Homecoming always makes me sad. Every single year, I end up crying for some reason. Not once was I asked to go with anyone. Not once was I able to make a mum. Not once did I buy a dress that actually liked. And of course, no one cares. All I ever wanted was a date that I could do the stereotypical Texas homecoming thing with.
Let me start off by explaining what sucked about each year. Freshman year, I was a fifth wheel. In fact, the "friend" I went with asked the guy that I wanted to go with. I wore a dress I got at a garage sale for $5. Pretty much, I felt left out.
Sophomore year was the worst. I went with some friends. Now, this year was bad not because something happened to me, but another one of my friends. That same "friend" had someone ask her, but she said no. When she found out my other friend was going to ask this guy, she turned around and said she would go with him. She's one of those girls that doesn't want anyone to be happy. That's not the only thing that happened that year. I had asked my crush since 8th grade to go with me. Yeah, I was thirsty. Anyways, he said he probably wasn't even going to go. The next weekend, I found out that he had wanted to ask my BEST FRIEND to go with him. Why I still went to the dance, I have no idea.
Junior year. Ah yes, this was actually not a bad year. Mainly because I didn't go to the dance. I went to the movies with my folks instead. I had been telling people since summer band started that I wasn't gonna go if no one asked me. Naturally, no one asked. Which now that I think about it, I was kind of happy. I didn;t have to deal with any of that bs hoco drama.
We all know that I dropped out of school, so I couldn't go to hoco unless I had a date or someone invited me. For the longest time, I thought this guy was going to ask me, but once again, I was fooled by an oblivious guy. So I'm not going this year. But I still have my hopes up that someone will ask me to prom. For once, I want to have a date to SOMETHING. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get asked. That's what I want more than anything.

Thank you to everyone who is reading my blog. It means a lot. I know most people don't actually care about what I have to say, but I care. And I am going to continue saying what I want. God bless you and God bless America.

Oh My Gosh, I'm Writing a Book!

I had the craziest dream last night. It was like a movie. There was a beginning, middle, and end. There was a plot, conflict, and semi-resolution. It was amazing. I woke up and immediately wrote down everything I could remember. I want to give you a quick intro to what it's about (just so you know, the rest of this blog will be me thinking of ideas for characters and story progression).
So I'm thinking of a few good names for the main character. In my dream, it was me (it's always me), but I want it to be someone else for the story. I really love the name Gwen. But I feel like that wouldn't fit the character. I could definitely see her being named Bree or Kennedy. Something like that. For now we'll just call her MC (main character). MC is just a plain old normal teenager in the US of A and of course, the government is really terrible at being a government. So aliens invade the Earth (I have the coolest dreams) and all they want is to live in peace. But the US, being the place that it is, won't allow that. Oh no, no peace for ANYONE. WAR IS THE ANSWER! No but really, Obama attempts to fire missiles at the aliens (thanks Obama!). Obviously that was a stupid idea because the aliens are far more technologically advanced than we are (I mean seriously, they brought their entire race to Earth from a completely different solar system and we can't even get a person to the next planet over). They take over Washington D.C. first and then slowly start heading around the world. Back in (enter city name here), MC is just doing her thing on the internet like she does everyday. Everyone has heard about the aliens and stuff, but they aren't really doing anything about it. Instead, they make stupid memes and update their twitters about how ridiculous the government is.
The aliens were putting people in these camps. I guess you could call them concentration camps. But they only did it if you disobeyed their two laws. 1) you owned certain types of synthetic materials (I suppose they were trying to clean the earth?) or 2) you were hiding fugitives. But if you were a fugitive, and were caught, you were sentenced to death. Basically, MC did something to become a fugitive (not sure what yet) and she goes on a journey to run away from the aliens chasing after her. I know how it ends, but obviously I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to read and find out what happens. I'm gonna start writing this week and have the first chapter out by next Friday. I do want feedback on any ideas you have for characters, conflicts, or small scenes. I really like ideas from other people (hint).

I also want to thank everyone that has read my blog. It means a lot to me that people actually like to read my writing. I work really hard on every post and most of the time I think about taking each one down because I don't think people will like them. I don't get much feedback so it's hard to tell, but I am confident that each post will mean something to someone. Once again, thank you :)

Beauty

Ever since I dropped out of school, I've been isolated. I haven't hung out with anyone my age (except my church group on Sundays) since the beginning of June. It's not so bad. I don't have any drama in my life. I get to spend a lot of time with my parents, who are actually pretty cool. I had a lot of time to go ice skating (I now have a full time job so I can't skate anymore). And I'm able to become closer to God. The only problem I think is bad about being isolated all the time is that I have more time on the Internet, whether doing research or just surfing the web. Which could only mean, that I'm more exposed to the cruel "standards" of society.

Earlier today, my mom told me I needed to buy some more jeans because my other ones are too small. Naturally, I was reluctant to go because I absolutely HATE trying on clothes, but my mom had a coupon that expired today, so I had no choice. In the car on the way to Kohl's (love that place), I started tearing up and eventually broke down crying. My mom asked what was wrong and I told her that my pants were to small because I had gained weight. I didn't want to go up a size (I actually went up 3 sizes, not because I'm like, super fat or whatever, but because they didn't have the style I wanted in the size I really needed. So I had to settle for a 6 instead of a 5.) Anyways, we decided to start me on a workout routine. I just recently got a desk job which can really kill someone's figure. My mom gained 15 pounds when she started a desk job 12-13 years ago. She's a fitness instructor now and is in great shape. Much better shape than I'm in.
Okay, this post isn't supposed to be about me. The point I'm trying to make is, you shouldn't feel bad about who you are. I was at my church group tonight and one of the girls said something that really hit me. Everyone is beautiful to someone else. She recommended a song for me to listen to; "Another is Waiting" by the Avett Brothers. It's a really good song. My favorite lines from the song are;
"She's a rose, she's a queen,
But she's starin' at a magazine
In the dark, on the path
Where they doctor every photograph."
These lines really hit me. For the longest time, I wanted to look like a super model. But after the discussion we had today and listening to that song, it got me thinking. If someone doesn't like me the way I am now, then they aren't worth having in my life. That might sound harsh, but it really isn't. What's harsh is not accepting a person because of the way they look.
God accepts and loves everybody. He made us to be exactly the way we are. Everyone should be comfortable in their own skin. I know I say that people should be, but not everyone is or will be just because I said it. And there's no way that I can force confidence on someone. I'm not even going to try. It's up to you when it comes to confidence and the way you feel about yourself. You have to believe you are beautiful. Whether you are a size two or size 18, you're gorgeous. Maybe size isn't your problem. Acne can lower a person's self esteem (it does for me). Just know, when the right person see's you, they won't be looking at your acne. In fact, they won't even see it. They'll see you for who you really are.
You don't have to look like a photo shopped model to feel beautiful. Confidence is the best accessory.

Thankssssssss for reading. I've been coming up with a lot of ideas lately. I might start doing car reviews now that I got a job working with cars <3 Anyways.... yeah. I'm bad at talking.

Dear Niko

We have a huge announcement. So as some of you know, we've added some widgets to the blog to make things easier. Now you can follow the blog just by entering your email address. New posts will be sent to your email and you can pass it on to other people. If you like reading my blog, this is the perfect option for you.

We've also added at the bottom of the page, a message sender thingy. You can send the writer ideas, links, or anything you think would be helpful. We will also be using this for our advice posting. Now to the main point. We are starting an advice day. Every Thursday, we will be posting advice and opinions from the readers. We ask that you put the new widgets to good use. We want to be more effective and have more reader involvement. Right now I feel like I'm talking to myself (hence, the pronoun 'we'). You can keep things anonymous or use a cool fake name. I LOVE clever fake names. 

So yeah, please check out everything we've added. We've set a goal for 1,000 views by the end of the year, so we'll be trying our best to post consistently for the next few months.  

So check out all the new stuff out and contribute! This is OUR blog. Not mine. Thanks friends :)

P.S. I might possibly add another main writer to help me keep up with everything. So if you like writing and want to be apart of something big, let me know. 

Woman's Rights

Recently, one of my favorite YouTuber's, Steve Greene, posted a video of him "interviewing" female rights activists protesting on Venice Beach. They were protesting the right to go topless in public. Of course Steve made a huge joke out of the whole thing, but it did spark some thoughts. I go on 9GAG every once in a while (okay, everyday) and there is a meme called the "Hypocrite Feminist" meme. It goes a little something like this...

Woman: EQUAL RIGHTS! EQUAL RIGHTS!

Men: *punches woman*

Woman: You can't hit me! I'm a girl!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Feminism is a joke. Like, I get you are a "strong, independent" woman that's wants to be successful. But let's face it, you don't want to be treated EQUALLY. You want attention. Many feminists are this way because they don't have a man that treats them right. If you're really that desperate for attention, go tell your parents. I'm sure they'd love to help you out. The thing is, people take womens rights way too far. I mean, showing up at a public place completely exposed with children around? That's so messed up. I understand that there are places where that is allowed, but it's socially unacceptable here in America. 

If you really want equal rights, you're gonna have to pay the price. By this, I mean you will have to take on ALL of the responsibilities of a man. I did some research and found something that made this so much easier. Being treated equally means that you get treated like a man. So when you're on your period, you can't complain about doing something just because "it's that time of the month." 

So pretty much, women have it so much better off than men. I prefer it this way. Women can do anything a man can do. If you really need to feel like a "strong, independent" woman, then stay single and show people you're independent. Don't complain about it. Start a business. Volunteer for something. Stop making a big deal out of things. The women's rights movement happened in the 70's. We have everything we need as american citizens. We have the right to vote and we can plan out our lives for ourselves. Not to mention, women get time off from work when they get pregnant. Guys don't have that luxury. I also really like the fact that us women don't have to be drafted into the army. I love our troops and respect them for fighting for our country. But that's something that we have the option of not doing. Seems to me that women are now complaining about the dumbest things. "Oh no! We have to wear shirts in public!" "What?! We have to shave and be ladies like we were raised to?" "Let's protest so that we don't have to do what is usually expected from women!" It's unattractive and these ridiculous protests are the reason why you are single.
In Genesis 3:16, God says,
"I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband;
and he will rule over you."
I don't usually like using the biblical perspective on debatable topics because not everyone is a Christian. But this does apply. Men were meant to rule over women.

This is a 100% OPINIONATED blog and if you don't like my opinion, let me know what you think is wrong with it. If you are offended, I'm sorry that you let other people's words get to you. I'm not sorry for anything that I say.
Thank you for reading this and let me know what your thoughts are on feminists and women's rights. Do you think women have it better off? Or do we truly need to make everyone equal? Let me know in the comments or drop me a message at the bottom of the page! Thanks friends :) 

Smallville - REVIEW

About a week or two ago, I started watching Smallville. For the first season and a half, I loved it. Maybe it's because Superman is my favorite superhero. Or maybe it's because Tom Welling is so attractive. Either way, I wasted a lot of time in this series.
Don't get me wrong, it's an okay series... if you like unrealistic investigations and a stupid love triangle. Before I get any further, let me explain what the series is about. It all started in 2001, when Jerry Siegel thought it might be a good idea to make a series about Clark Kent's teenage years. The story line states that twelve years before the series began, there was a meteor shower where a lot of people died and Clark came down in the spaceship. Along with him, came Kryptonite. Everyone just called them meteor rocks (until season two when Clark 'mysteriously' finds out their name). Over the years, Clark is developing his powers. AFTER twelve years, he discovers he's an alien when his parents show him the spaceship. It's like, seriously? It's kind of obvious you're not from this planet.
Things in Smallville start getting weird. Humans are effected by the meteor rocks and they're getting strange powers. Right off the bat, this is a stupidly put together series. Why would people only start being affected TWELVE YEARS after the meteor shower? They never really tell you if there were things like this going on before the time frame, but I think they should have made it clear that there were. So when all of these weird things start happening, it's up to Clark and his friends Chloe and Pete to figure out the mysteries of Smallville and "get rid" of the bad people. He never kills them because he wants to help them. But there are people that are so bad, they don't want his help and they end up killing themselves, accidentally of course. Karma. This is pretty much every episode of the first season. I just want to put something in here about one of the episodes. So y'all have seen Mean Girls right? Okay well, Lizzy Caplan (Janis Ian) was in an episode of Smallville. She played a shape-shifting lesbian who is in love with Clark's crush, Lana Lang. She goes crazy and shifts into Lana's dead boyfriend, Whitney (stupid name for a boy). Sound familiar? I died laughing watching this episode. I know, that's bad.
In season two, Clark is discovering where he is from. It's no longer about fighting off random people affected by the meteor rocks. There's is actually a story line. Unfortunately, it's a crappy story line. After awhile, it got really boring. I think I liked it better when Clark was fighting off random people. There isn't much else to say about this series because I stopped watching it halfway through.
Onto my conclusion, if you want to waste a bunch of time, you can watch this series.  I wouldn't though. The only reason I started watching this is because one of my favorite bands have a song on the soundtrack. 'Forget It' by Breaking Benjamin. Great song. If I can figure out how to autoplay music on my blog, I'll put the song on here. Or you can look it up. Seriously, it's a great song.

I really like doing reviews. I'm not all that great at it yet. But like anything else, you have to practice to get good. Give me ideas on any topics you want me to write about or other things you want me to review! If you've seen Smallville, what did you think about it? Let me know in the comments! Thanks friends :)

What Are Clothes?

I was home schooled for the last 7 months so I'm unaware of the trends that people are following nowadays. But occasionally I would drive past my old school right as it lets out, and sometimes on YouTube or Instagram, I'll see girls wearing something really weird. I'm probably going to offend some people when I say this, but here goes... What the heck are you wearing?!
Not only do some of the clothes people wear look ridiculous, but why are you wearing these things in public? Shouldn't some of that stuff be against the law? I don't understand what has happened to this generation. I might just be freaking out over nothing. But trends lately are getting weirder and weirder.

*WARNING* 

I want let everyone reading this know that this is an opinionated blog and most of everything WILL offend a lot of people. I do not apologize for having an opinion or offending anyone. If you're offended, then that's your problem. I am however sorry that you let someone else's words control how you feel. Okay, moving on. 

Floral print pants are pretty cute... If worn correctly. They look good with blazers and light or dark plain shirt depending on the color of the pants. Floral print does NOT look good with a floral  top... Or any top with a design for that matter. Please stop doing that. Also, brightly colored skinny jeans are unpleasant. I was that kid in middle school that wore brightly colored skinny jeans every day. It looked horrible. I just think they're played out. (Was that hipster of me to say?) 

I'm not going to spend too much time on this because it bothers us all, but sagging. Seriously? Have you not learned by now? For years we have been making fun of you people, and telling you to put a belt on. Please, for the love of God, PULL UP YOUR PANTS! The sad thing is, most of the people that sag, wear belts....

Anything that shows your midline is salty (not in a good way). Honestly. If you're wearing something that shows any part of your torso, besides a swimsuit, you should be burned. People in other countries get their limbs tied to goats and pulled in opposite directions for wearing things like that. Unless you're wearing something under it. That's okay. The only exception to this rule is strippers. Young women should not be wearing things like this. "Young women should not be trying to win the eyes of young men, but rather the eyes of God." - Chris Brady

Next on the list, and the most irritating to me, bikinis. Now, I don't have a problem with bikinis. I do have a problem when girls pull up the back of the bottoms to make it look like they're giving themselves a wedgie. I mean, you might as well be naked. I once watched a video of Cait Barker interviewing a pro surfer, Bree Kleintop, and they were sharing some of their workout routines. They mentioned that they like to show off their butts because they worked hard to get that. Okay, now I understand that if you work hard for something, you want to show it off. But your butt? Really? I'm done. I'm so done. 

Maybe I grew up differently (I know I did), or maybe I have different tastes. Maybe it's because I've been sheltered so long and just haven't caught on. But regardless, I hate most of the trends today. Why can't we all just wear jeans and t-shirts?! Whatever...

Tell me what you think of today's trends. Tell me what today's trends are because I think I'm missing something. If you can't tell, I post these as incomplete a lot. But thanks anyways :) 

The First Blog Series!

So I've been thinking of ways to make more effective blogs and this idea came to me. I am involved with a business that focuses around the 8 F's of life and making them better. The 8 F's are Faith, Family, Finance, Fitness, Freedom, Friends, Following, and Fun. I was thinking that every week, I could write a post on each 'F' and have a YouTube video to go along with it. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below OR give me suggestions on anything else you'd like me to write about:) God bless you and God bless America.

Rude People

Being a waitress, I have to put up with a lot of irritating people. I have a new found respect for waitresses. I remember hearing when I was younger that people would treat waitresses poorly because they might not always provide the best service.  Customers think they're above their servers. Well, here's the thing; customers don't realize everything we have to do.
I'm not saying that all customers are rude, it's mostly the ones that have never experienced being in the service industry or are just unhappy in their lives. I understand that you're hurting and you want someone to feel sorry for you, but please stop having a pity party and ruining everyone else's lives. Instead of being negative, try helping someone else out. Serve.
I once was serving a pretty big group of people and it looked like they were having a good time, so I tried not to disturb them as much. When they got up to leave, one of the women came up to me and put $0.50 in my hand. She says to me, "This would've been $5.00 if you had come back and waited on us." Now you should probably know, she was yelling at me. Honestly, all I could do was laugh. Sure it hurt, but I refuse to take people seriously when they act rude like that.
One of my managers used to be a waiter at another restaurant. Once, a lady gave him a tip of $0.10. He saw it on the table, picked it up, and ran out to give it back to the lady. He put it in her hand and said," Miss, you forgot something," then walked away. He was so insulted that he didn't want the tip. I probably would have been too. That's pretty messed up. I could tell you many waitress stories, but I have something else I'd like to share.
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you've probably read this story. One Saturday morning, on my way to school, I made a stop at McDonald's. I went in the drive-thru and only ordered a drink, When I got to the window, they gave me a big bag of food with no drink. Why I kept driving, I'm not sure. Anyways, I pulled into a parking space and went inside. When I walked through the door, there was a guy complaining about the service. Turns out they must have been having trouble that morning because they messed up a lot of people's orders. I went up to the counter to fix my order. I let the lady know what happened and she got it all sorted out. While I was waiting, I noticed the guy at the other register talking to himself. I tried distracting myself from listening to his negativity by seeing how cute my new beanie looked. I could not believe my ears what I heard next. The guy, still talking to himself, said, "Wearing a [expletive] hat when it's 105 degrees outside. Stupidest [expletive] thing I've ever [expletive] seen." If I'm not mistaken, this guy was talking about me. My natural instinct would have been to turn to him and start a fight, but I know better now. I wasn't sure what else I could do, so i just kept looking straight forward. Luckily he left before I did. On my up to the school, I was thinking of all the things I could have said to him. One thing stuck in particular. I should have looked straight forward and shouted, "THIS IS HOW STUPID YOU LOOK TALKING TO YOURSELF." Although this would have been clever, it's a good thing I didn't say anything. I didn't know this guy's story. He might have a mental issue. You never know.
The point of this post was to show you that you should respect the people around you. You never know their story. Smile and try to brighten their day. It might seem painful at first and you think it will hurt your pride, but honestly, you will be the better person if you show others respect.

Conversation time! What are some of your experiences with rude people? Did you handle these situations well? How could you have resolved them? Let me know in the comments! Thank you friends for reading. God bless you and God bless America :)

YouTube

We all know what YouTube is. A place to watch stupid cat videos. But for some people, it's like a television replacement. At least, that's what it is for me. I'm a huge fan of some big "youtubers," such as Smosh, Shane Dawson, Ryan Higa, etc. Then there are the "vloggers." Joey Graceffa, Connor Franta, Jc Caylen, (pretty much everyone from Our2ndLife). To me, YouTube is just a big community of people that watch other people live their daily lives. And I will admit, I want to be a part of it.
In all honesty, I think being a YouTuber would be so much fun. It looks like they're a tight knit community and they have a lot of fun together. So I've decided, I'm going to start making videos. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I know I want to get big and move to LA one day. The only problem is, once I'm on camera, I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO SAY. I'm sure a lot of people start out this way and they eventually get used to it. Like anything else, you're not going to be good at something as soon as you start. You have to work at it for a while before you can really get good at something. The hard part is finding that thing you want to get really good at.
I've done a lot of things and it's about time I started something new. I spend a lot of time on the computer and on my phone, I might as well do something productive with it. YouTube would be a really good opportunity to do something good and possibly leave some type of legacy. People might actually know who I am. I might actually make some friends. And I could also make some money. The way I see it, YouTube is just a big networking company, which I have experience in. If you've ever heard of Michael Dell's Three C's, you'll know exactly what I'm about to talk about. For those of you that don't know; Content, Commerce, Community. For most companies, the community part is difficult. But with YouTube, it seems to me that content would be the most difficult. Although, people are easily amused. 

People tell me I'm funny all the time. And I know I have a lot on my mind, that's why I started this blog. I feel that people would me more interested if I did videos instead of blogging because not many people read anymore. I won't stop blogging, but I will start linking my videos and blogs with each other. When I get the channel up and running, I'll add a link to this post. Until then, enjoy this picture of a zebra showing a lion who's boss:)