Xtreme Emigma/Sam, you were right; today wasn't as bad as yesterday or the day before. I suppose that was inevitable, because, after all, today is Friday, and yesterday was... not.
And, hey! Guess what! Turns out I wasn't just talking to myself. In July, there were 118 pageviews. In August, 104. In September... 369! This is because of you, AverageWizards. (: I know it because 231 of those views were on my Harry Potter speech, which was, of course, part of a published AW story. Gotta love you all... baby I'm not alone, 'cuz you're here with me.
Aaaanyways.... now I'm done with annoying shout-outs to people who are probably not even reading this... I'll skip straight to the annoying depressing blathering of a random teenager with a totally uninteresting life! Hoooraaayyy!Haha, no, I'll skip it (directly, anyways), and talk about something cool. Something cool other than Harry Potter (which will, today, include AVPM, MAMD, LWL, AW, AW forum, WWoHP, and Helena Bonham Carter).
Oh, right. This totally goes against what I just said, but since I brought it up earlier, and I said I might talk about it, I guess I'll explain what my dear madre and I were arguing about so profusely yesterday.
It all boils down to StarkidPotter and "Not Alone." And me being OCD. Basically, she was making fun of the song/me and singing it with the lyrics "You're all alone/'cuz it's all about me" which really, really bothered me. Anyone who's been on AW for a while and knows my username there will know why, and for those of you who have not, let it suffice to say this song means A TON to me, for a variety of reasons. I actually thought long and hard about whether or not to sing this song at chapel, and open it up to the wide variety of opinions and jokes that were sure to follow, but I finally decided the opportunity was just too great to NOT sing a Starkid song. My mom, of course, could never understand this. I feel like a total angsty teen when I say this, but she really has no idea whatsoever what Starkid, "Not Alone," and AverageWizard mean to me. So when she calls AW "that god-damn website," I get much more upset then I would be if she swore at me.
So, yeah, that's pretty much it. AVPM is hilarious and amazing, but making fun of it is NOT cool. And neither is making fun of AW. At. All.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The most horrible parts of my day, which was not, after all, as bad as it could have been.
Even though I had already written a more wonderful post than this, I'm going to write this one now, because THAT ONE'S GONE. But I'm going to write again because I'm upset, and sad. And it's by far easiest to write when you're sad and upset. However, the result is not always amazing. But it gets written, anyways.
Today was another "I'm so exhausted I burst into tears at the slightest provocation" kind of day. It was also a Thursday, which is always kind of stressful, and I had a screaming headache, and I had to sing in chapel. So the day was kind of difficult, and then, of course, socially, I simply fought with EVERYONE today.
Today my mom called me an insensitive, self-centered b*tch, and I believe her. Which, of course, makes me self-centered and insensitive. I just feel like everyone hates me today, which shouldn't really affect me since I kind of hate them, too. But I keep getting yelled at.
And this stupid student log in tech thing. Of course all the help sources our teacher gave us are out of town, and of course she doesn't answer my email to her. I'm going to get another reminder card for this, which'll put me at two, and all of them in tech. I got screamed at for 20 minutes straight, and I'm still going to get a reminder card. FABULOUS.
Oh, and the milk was sour. And I drank half a glass of it in my tea.
The problem with having amazing role models (Darren Criss, Lindsay Carpenter, Emma Watson, etc.) is that you will never achieve as much in your life as they did, and will constantly be in a state of comparison. I have the sinking feeling that I will never accomplish much of anything in my life, and leave the world without having made a difference at all, quick to be forgotten, never having made myself or anyone else happy. I'm afraid I'll never meet these role models, never do the things I've set my hopes on, and live a dull, uninteresting life and then die.
What a day. I feel like punching a baby.
Today was another "I'm so exhausted I burst into tears at the slightest provocation" kind of day. It was also a Thursday, which is always kind of stressful, and I had a screaming headache, and I had to sing in chapel. So the day was kind of difficult, and then, of course, socially, I simply fought with EVERYONE today.
Today my mom called me an insensitive, self-centered b*tch, and I believe her. Which, of course, makes me self-centered and insensitive. I just feel like everyone hates me today, which shouldn't really affect me since I kind of hate them, too. But I keep getting yelled at.
And this stupid student log in tech thing. Of course all the help sources our teacher gave us are out of town, and of course she doesn't answer my email to her. I'm going to get another reminder card for this, which'll put me at two, and all of them in tech. I got screamed at for 20 minutes straight, and I'm still going to get a reminder card. FABULOUS.
Oh, and the milk was sour. And I drank half a glass of it in my tea.
The problem with having amazing role models (Darren Criss, Lindsay Carpenter, Emma Watson, etc.) is that you will never achieve as much in your life as they did, and will constantly be in a state of comparison. I have the sinking feeling that I will never accomplish much of anything in my life, and leave the world without having made a difference at all, quick to be forgotten, never having made myself or anyone else happy. I'm afraid I'll never meet these role models, never do the things I've set my hopes on, and live a dull, uninteresting life and then die.
What a day. I feel like punching a baby.
GRR.
Once again, I wrote a brilliantly insightful post, and then, *POOF!* it was just as gone as Slughorn's stupid goldfish in the movies.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
There's this guy... HA! Not really.
I'm just going to post like Sam M. isn't reading this. I'm going to post like this is still just between me and the rest of the world, where I remain anonymous and so do you. I'm going to post like that because my other option is to start a new blog where I am entirely anonymous and pray to Wizard God that Sam doesn't find that one, too. And then I would lose all the hard work I've put into this one.
But all the same, I am a little despondent today. More tired than anything else, really. But when you're tired, everything seems a little gloomier, and then you start to feel like the day would have been that crappy even if you weren't tired, and it all starts to go downhill from there. And having a unit test in geometry certainly doesn't help.
And when you get into this mood, it's really hard to get out of it. Everything anyone says to you feels like a personal assault. The oddest things annoy you no end.
Today it was my name. I just hated it, and everything that went along with it. I just simply couldn't STAND my name. Someone just saying it in passing made me cringe.
I was also really annoyed by being alone, all day. I mean, I was in crowded classrooms all day, but I just felt kind of seperate. I just missed really, really close friendships and I wished I had someone I could share all this stuff with. I felt rather unloved. Sometimes I wish there was just someone of the opposite gender who found me, if not amazing, then at least not repulsive. You get my drift. (And this is why I want you far, far away, Sam.) I went back into that ancient method of protection, and I buried myself deep away inside, like curling up inside a warm fuzzy blanket on a squishy armchair when it's cold outside, which it never is here. But that armchair got boring, and I wished there was someone to talk to. That's the closest I can come to comparing it to normal people's lives, if you didn't understand.
The whole day was like that, until I came home and just said to myself, "I could care less what everyone thinks of me and I can speak to my blog if I'm lonely. I might as well have fun if I'm going to be so out of place, so I decided the best way to have fun was to go on AverageWizard, write some on Facebook and elsewhere without giving a thought about how people would view me if I posted it (and I don't mean rude or disrespectful things, don't get me wrong), and posted on my blog. And other things, like cleaning my room. Not fun, but I had to do it anyways.
So, basically, I was tired, and sad, and lonely, and then I came home and said, "Screw this and them."
But all the same, I am a little despondent today. More tired than anything else, really. But when you're tired, everything seems a little gloomier, and then you start to feel like the day would have been that crappy even if you weren't tired, and it all starts to go downhill from there. And having a unit test in geometry certainly doesn't help.
And when you get into this mood, it's really hard to get out of it. Everything anyone says to you feels like a personal assault. The oddest things annoy you no end.
Today it was my name. I just hated it, and everything that went along with it. I just simply couldn't STAND my name. Someone just saying it in passing made me cringe.
I was also really annoyed by being alone, all day. I mean, I was in crowded classrooms all day, but I just felt kind of seperate. I just missed really, really close friendships and I wished I had someone I could share all this stuff with. I felt rather unloved. Sometimes I wish there was just someone of the opposite gender who found me, if not amazing, then at least not repulsive. You get my drift. (And this is why I want you far, far away, Sam.) I went back into that ancient method of protection, and I buried myself deep away inside, like curling up inside a warm fuzzy blanket on a squishy armchair when it's cold outside, which it never is here. But that armchair got boring, and I wished there was someone to talk to. That's the closest I can come to comparing it to normal people's lives, if you didn't understand.
The whole day was like that, until I came home and just said to myself, "I could care less what everyone thinks of me and I can speak to my blog if I'm lonely. I might as well have fun if I'm going to be so out of place, so I decided the best way to have fun was to go on AverageWizard, write some on Facebook and elsewhere without giving a thought about how people would view me if I posted it (and I don't mean rude or disrespectful things, don't get me wrong), and posted on my blog. And other things, like cleaning my room. Not fun, but I had to do it anyways.
So, basically, I was tired, and sad, and lonely, and then I came home and said, "Screw this and them."
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Effects of Harry Potter on the World Today.
The influences of Harry Potter have spread further, perhaps, than any other fiction, non-religious book. It has been translated into 67 languages, which is very close in number to the amount of languages the Qur’an has been translated into, and is greater than the amount of languages Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl is in. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites devoted to Harry Potter, podcasts, books written on the subject and author, musicals and parodies based off of it, huge parties at releases, a genre of music devoted to the Chosen One, a sport based off of one mentioned in the books, events, a theme park, and so much more. For someone who really tries, you can find references to the series anywhere, and quote it in any situation. It is THE best selling book series in the world, with over 400 million copies sold, and the Harry Potter Alliance, which raises money to support literacy, LGBT rights, and alert the world to “the dangers of global warming, genocide, and poverty” recently won the Chase Community Giving prize of $25,000. J.K. Rowling also raised over $30,000 for the Comic Relief fund.
However, I think the real affect of Harry Potter is how it impacts individual people. I know that I, for instance, would be an entirely different person without the lessons and support of this book series. Countless children were inspired to read because of these novels. Hundreds of fans were, as unlikely as it seems, brought back from the brink of suicide because they simply had to know how the final book ended, or were so inspired by the love that was shown to them from their fellows. This is another thing that is shocking and amazing about Harry Potter- the fandom is so close-knit and supportive of each other. For example, recently, a huge Potter fan, HPA member, and nerdighter, Esther Earl, died of cancer. The outpouring of kindness and respect towards her family was really spectacular- she was spoken of on Facebook, Mugglenet, the HPA website, AverageWizard, and many blogs (as well as this speech).
I suppose I should explain about AverageWizard. AverageWizard is a website devoted to stories about awesome, Harry Potter related things that people experience. One might post a story about having a wizard duel with someone, or giving a speech on the effect of Harry Potter on the world today. The truly magical thing about AverageWizard, though, is that it’s not just funny or cool stories- people truly care about what you have to say, and will go out of their way to make your day a little better. I haven’t noticed this (to this degree) on any other website. The members of the site are, really, however cheesy and dorky it may sound, a family, brought together by our love of The Boy Who Lived and each other. There have been several stories on the site about people suffering from depression who won their internal battle by recalling Harry’s hardships and triumphs over them, and the friends they had in this community of fantasy-obsessed, literary freaks. The comments were so overwhelmingly beautiful and heart-filled, I must admit, I start to cry each time I read those posts.
Now, onto these morals and lessons I keep mentioning. Some are obvious: never give up, even in the face of extreme opposition; maybe the person you thought was so horrible will be the one who helps you most in the end; everybody has a story that can change your opinion of them; even the smallest actions or creatures can make a huge difference. Some are direct quotes: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” “Do not fear death... it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.” “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!” “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts open...” I could go on for about 4,100 pages. I would like to note, however, that nowhere in the books can you find a statement in support of witchcraft as it is known in the “muggle” world, and there are few mentions at all of religion in the books. The idea that thousands of children are converting to Wicca because “that’s what Harry Potter did” is absurd- almost as absurd as it would be if a kid climbed into their parent’s car and tried to make it fly because “Harry Potter did that, too.” There are very few real examples of either happening.
In addition to these life lessons, Harry Potter offers strong role models, especially female ones. Other literary series don’t always have such formidable female characters. Take Twilight, for example. The main character lacks much personality, and shows little initiative, but is instantly popular, then meets Edward and suddenly, her life focuses solely around him. She really has no interests, no hobbies, no goals. Then, later in the series, she is constantly defended by others, doing hardly anything to defend herself, but instead being continually protected and rescued by Edward, Jacob, the Cullens, and the wolf pack- male characters always taking charge, ordering her about, and, in Edward’s case, showing all the signs of an emotionally abusive boyfriend. Now, take a look at the Harry Potter girls- there’s Hermione, who is intelligent, quick witted, independent, and top of the class, Luna, brave, rather... odd, also independent, brutally honest, sweet-natured, and accepting of the bizarre, Tonks, highly trained dark wizard hunter, Order member and mother, McGonagall, strict but very smart, loyal, and daring, also an Order member, a Hogwarts teacher, and an animagus, as well as dozens of other well-developed female leads.
Harry is also a bonding point for a generation; for people around the world. Having been translated into so many languages, it clearly has international recognition. There are few things that can bring the world together in such a way- sporting events like the Olympics, disasters, and Ms. Rowling’s masterpieces. Even if you don’t enjoy the books, they’re right up there with the weather as a safe topic to discuss- pretty much everyone’s heard of them, even if they haven’t read them. The fact that the people of today can be united through literature gives me hope in the fate of the world.
Full of role models, morals, and lessons, Harry Potter has helped an innumerable amount of people become better readers and defeat depression. It has also affected the greater world through the HPA, Comic Relief, and sheer numbers and popularity. It has inspired a community of friendship and support, and has crossed the barriers of age, nationality, gender, and religion to spread unity and hope around the world. As Severus Snape once said, “It’s real for us,” and it truly is. To twist a famous Dumbledore quote, “Harry Potter will only truly be gone from the world when none here are loyal to him.” The movies say otherwise, suggesting that “it all ends here,” but the true fans of Harry Potter- the real Dumbledore’s Army- knows better.
However, I think the real affect of Harry Potter is how it impacts individual people. I know that I, for instance, would be an entirely different person without the lessons and support of this book series. Countless children were inspired to read because of these novels. Hundreds of fans were, as unlikely as it seems, brought back from the brink of suicide because they simply had to know how the final book ended, or were so inspired by the love that was shown to them from their fellows. This is another thing that is shocking and amazing about Harry Potter- the fandom is so close-knit and supportive of each other. For example, recently, a huge Potter fan, HPA member, and nerdighter, Esther Earl, died of cancer. The outpouring of kindness and respect towards her family was really spectacular- she was spoken of on Facebook, Mugglenet, the HPA website, AverageWizard, and many blogs (as well as this speech).
I suppose I should explain about AverageWizard. AverageWizard is a website devoted to stories about awesome, Harry Potter related things that people experience. One might post a story about having a wizard duel with someone, or giving a speech on the effect of Harry Potter on the world today. The truly magical thing about AverageWizard, though, is that it’s not just funny or cool stories- people truly care about what you have to say, and will go out of their way to make your day a little better. I haven’t noticed this (to this degree) on any other website. The members of the site are, really, however cheesy and dorky it may sound, a family, brought together by our love of The Boy Who Lived and each other. There have been several stories on the site about people suffering from depression who won their internal battle by recalling Harry’s hardships and triumphs over them, and the friends they had in this community of fantasy-obsessed, literary freaks. The comments were so overwhelmingly beautiful and heart-filled, I must admit, I start to cry each time I read those posts.
Now, onto these morals and lessons I keep mentioning. Some are obvious: never give up, even in the face of extreme opposition; maybe the person you thought was so horrible will be the one who helps you most in the end; everybody has a story that can change your opinion of them; even the smallest actions or creatures can make a huge difference. Some are direct quotes: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” “Do not fear death... it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.” “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!” “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts open...” I could go on for about 4,100 pages. I would like to note, however, that nowhere in the books can you find a statement in support of witchcraft as it is known in the “muggle” world, and there are few mentions at all of religion in the books. The idea that thousands of children are converting to Wicca because “that’s what Harry Potter did” is absurd- almost as absurd as it would be if a kid climbed into their parent’s car and tried to make it fly because “Harry Potter did that, too.” There are very few real examples of either happening.
In addition to these life lessons, Harry Potter offers strong role models, especially female ones. Other literary series don’t always have such formidable female characters. Take Twilight, for example. The main character lacks much personality, and shows little initiative, but is instantly popular, then meets Edward and suddenly, her life focuses solely around him. She really has no interests, no hobbies, no goals. Then, later in the series, she is constantly defended by others, doing hardly anything to defend herself, but instead being continually protected and rescued by Edward, Jacob, the Cullens, and the wolf pack- male characters always taking charge, ordering her about, and, in Edward’s case, showing all the signs of an emotionally abusive boyfriend. Now, take a look at the Harry Potter girls- there’s Hermione, who is intelligent, quick witted, independent, and top of the class, Luna, brave, rather... odd, also independent, brutally honest, sweet-natured, and accepting of the bizarre, Tonks, highly trained dark wizard hunter, Order member and mother, McGonagall, strict but very smart, loyal, and daring, also an Order member, a Hogwarts teacher, and an animagus, as well as dozens of other well-developed female leads.
Harry is also a bonding point for a generation; for people around the world. Having been translated into so many languages, it clearly has international recognition. There are few things that can bring the world together in such a way- sporting events like the Olympics, disasters, and Ms. Rowling’s masterpieces. Even if you don’t enjoy the books, they’re right up there with the weather as a safe topic to discuss- pretty much everyone’s heard of them, even if they haven’t read them. The fact that the people of today can be united through literature gives me hope in the fate of the world.
Full of role models, morals, and lessons, Harry Potter has helped an innumerable amount of people become better readers and defeat depression. It has also affected the greater world through the HPA, Comic Relief, and sheer numbers and popularity. It has inspired a community of friendship and support, and has crossed the barriers of age, nationality, gender, and religion to spread unity and hope around the world. As Severus Snape once said, “It’s real for us,” and it truly is. To twist a famous Dumbledore quote, “Harry Potter will only truly be gone from the world when none here are loyal to him.” The movies say otherwise, suggesting that “it all ends here,” but the true fans of Harry Potter- the real Dumbledore’s Army- knows better.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Mulan.
So... it's Friday night, and you know what that means!
Disney movies!
I'm sitting here on the couch, watching Mulan, and cracking up at every random moment.
"I have a name... and it's a BOY's name, too..."
Alternatively, I'm sobbing at every random moment. And singing.
I am so going to by the soundtrack when the movie's over. Especially "Make a Man Out of You," which I've been singing for years anyways.
Disney is amazing, and so is Mulan. People don't understand how cool these movies are. They're funny, and really well animated, and have great, catchy music. And there's Mooshu. He's adorable. And a DRAGON. I think I laughed harder in the past hour than I have in weeks. Also, the Captain's adorable.
Go. Watch Mulan. RIGHT NOW. You heard me- shoo!
Disney movies!
I'm sitting here on the couch, watching Mulan, and cracking up at every random moment.
"I have a name... and it's a BOY's name, too..."
Alternatively, I'm sobbing at every random moment. And singing.
I am so going to by the soundtrack when the movie's over. Especially "Make a Man Out of You," which I've been singing for years anyways.
Disney is amazing, and so is Mulan. People don't understand how cool these movies are. They're funny, and really well animated, and have great, catchy music. And there's Mooshu. He's adorable. And a DRAGON. I think I laughed harder in the past hour than I have in weeks. Also, the Captain's adorable.
Go. Watch Mulan. RIGHT NOW. You heard me- shoo!
10 Hilarious Things to do In an Elevator (Sparknotes submiss.)
So, how many times have you found yourself stuck in an elevator with some boring old people and nothing to do? (Never? You need to get out more!)*yawn* Thankfully, this isn’t a problem anymore…
1. Get into a ball in the corner, and rock back and forth, chanting: “It goes up and up and up, and then it comes down and down and down, and people get on, and people get off, but nobody ever stays, and nobody ever talks to poor Smeagol. *cough* Gollum. Gollum. *cough* “ Repeat until other passengers get off.
2. Carry around a cooler with “frozen head” written on it in sharpie. Check on it occasionally and make disgusted faces.
3. Pick one other person and stare at them for a while, before screaming: “You’re one of them!” and getting off at the next stop.
4. Make the strangest faces and noises you can possibly think of.
5. Pick your nose. And pretend to eat the boogers. Offer some to another passenger, and look hurt if they refuse. If they say yes, you should probably call 911, or the asylum.
6. Have a very loud and imaginary breakup with your boy/girlfriend over the phone. (Tip: Make sure your phone is off before doing this. Nothing is more embarrassing than having it ring while you are supposedly talking.)
7. Wear a strange Halloween costume, and go trick or treating in the elevator. (Funniest in summer.)
8. Pull a pointy hat and a “wand” out of your bag and start cursing people with Harry Potter spells. Repeat louder when the spells don’t work. If you get the chance, look exasperated and put it away, muttering under your breath.
9. Start singing, preferably something from a musical. Make sure you dance along.
10. Stuff your face with microwaved popcorn. While your mouth is still full, offer some to the other passengers.
Hope that helped… If you get kicked out of whatever building you were in, don’t blame me: you didn’t hear these ideas from me.
1. Get into a ball in the corner, and rock back and forth, chanting: “It goes up and up and up, and then it comes down and down and down, and people get on, and people get off, but nobody ever stays, and nobody ever talks to poor Smeagol. *cough* Gollum. Gollum. *cough* “ Repeat until other passengers get off.
2. Carry around a cooler with “frozen head” written on it in sharpie. Check on it occasionally and make disgusted faces.
3. Pick one other person and stare at them for a while, before screaming: “You’re one of them!” and getting off at the next stop.
4. Make the strangest faces and noises you can possibly think of.
5. Pick your nose. And pretend to eat the boogers. Offer some to another passenger, and look hurt if they refuse. If they say yes, you should probably call 911, or the asylum.
6. Have a very loud and imaginary breakup with your boy/girlfriend over the phone. (Tip: Make sure your phone is off before doing this. Nothing is more embarrassing than having it ring while you are supposedly talking.)
7. Wear a strange Halloween costume, and go trick or treating in the elevator. (Funniest in summer.)
8. Pull a pointy hat and a “wand” out of your bag and start cursing people with Harry Potter spells. Repeat louder when the spells don’t work. If you get the chance, look exasperated and put it away, muttering under your breath.
9. Start singing, preferably something from a musical. Make sure you dance along.
10. Stuff your face with microwaved popcorn. While your mouth is still full, offer some to the other passengers.
Hope that helped… If you get kicked out of whatever building you were in, don’t blame me: you didn’t hear these ideas from me.
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