The "Unstressful" Playlist

The "Unstressful" Playlist:

1. "Dark Days" by the Punch Brothers

• This song is a part of The Hunger Games album and never becomes fast paced. The soft strumming of the banjo and guitar combined and the viola (or violin/fiddle-I'm not quite sure) create a relaxing song that calms me not matter how stressed I am. 

2. "The Living Sculptures Of Pemberley" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet 

• This song comes directly off the sound track of Pride and Prejudice bringing me, when stressed, into that part of the movie when Elizabeth is looking around at the beautiful sculptures in Darcy's house.I placed this song on this sound track because there are no words just a piano, a clarinet, and a few string instruments which helps me to take deep breaths and calm down from what ever I was doing. 

3. "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson

• I was introduced to this song last year as part of an english project. I fell in love with it because the words and the back ground, the entirety of the song is a reminder to value what you have and to keep breathing because everything will come out okay. The reason it is on this play list is because it reminds me that everything will be okay in the end no matter how bad it seems-just keep chugging away at it.

4. A recording lasting 5 minutes of "Rainy Mood" (it is a website)

• The sound of rain comforts me and so having this on my playlist will allow me to be unstressful by relaxing to the sound of rain. The reason I put this in the "Unstressful" playlist at #4 is because I would rather relax to music that I can think about and sing along with to clear up my mind than one that lets my mind wander. 

5. "Collide" Howie Day

• I remember this song from a long time ago, well actually, since I can remember I think. This song means so much to me because, when listening to the words, I think about picking myself and continuing what ever thing I was attempting to do. This song comes in fifth because it has drums which, for me, don't seem "unstressful".

All of these songs ended up on my playlist because I can relate to all of them at different times and combined, so much more. This "unstressful" playlist works for me and I hope it would would for you too!

Playlist!

Ever since I was like 7 my dad has had me listen to Broadway and classical music so here is my top 5 songs to listen to when I am riding in the car with my father...

1) Nothing Like the City- Ragtime

            Ragtime is my dad's all-time favorite musical (he has seen it performed about 8 times) and so this is one of his favorite songs to sing. Its got a female and male part so we always sing it together. Thats why this is number one!

 

2) 1812 Overture - Tchaicovsky

            Pretty much this piece is just awesome.

 

3) Finale - Les Miserables

            This piece is also just great!

 

4) Come to Me - Les Miserables

            Well though this is an insanely depressing song about her dying (like all of Les Mis), my dad and I sing it together and its really pretty!

 

5) Who am I? - Les Miserables

             Its really dramatic making it fun to listen to and fun to sing along to. So it has to be the last on the list!



Windows Down Bass Up!!

There are many perfect playlists to play during the summer time when your driving/riding with your brodies/girlies. This is just one in my eye of those many perfect playlists... (songs not in order of importance, just what came to my head first):
1. Baby*- Justin Bieber: You can never go wrong with a Justin Bieber song (said no one EVER), but still it's always good to throw in a J Biebes song for the ladies and Luda is on the track so you can rap hist part and still feel like a man.
2. We are never getting back together*- Taylor Swift: Once again more for the ladies, but us guys like to show off are vocal range and this song gives us the opportunity to show our talents with one of the best choruses ever...
3. Birthday Song- 2 Chainz ft Kanye West: With the emergence of the athlete turned rapper, it seems like everything he says is golden. This is a great song to bang with the windows down while driving.
4. All Gold Everything- Trinidad James: This rapper is even more new to the rap game than 2 Chainz. He has busted onto the scene with his Golden Single, "All Gold Everything," this song has some of the most well-known lyrics... "Pop a molly I'm sweating Woo/ Pop a molly I'm sweating Woo!"
5. And to round out the 5 songs I was thinking an Adele song but I think We Are Young- F.U.N.: is more summer appropriate since we are teens trying to live life to the fullest, and it just has some great sing-along-to lyrics.
* These are setting-appropriate songs, they should be played in only certain areas of Lexington, and be very cautious if you are singing along- for you will be judged.

The playlist that I'm going to be creating for riding around Lexington is as follows:
1. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson- This is just a great song to sing along to, it has its own little dance, and it's catchy.
2. "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber- Justin Bieber is a great young artist, and this is another great song to sing along to, because you start off whispering like the first verse and then he starts and then he even raps a little, so it has a lot of variety in it.
3. "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz- This is a just one of those that you have to sing along with; and the song just makes me want to "Ayyy-yoo! Baby, Let's Go!!!"
4. "Riding Solo" by Jason Derulo- This is one of my favorite songs, not just because it's by Jason Derulo, whom I love; but because I can relate to the song, since I'm single too.
5."Just Dance" by Lady Gaga ft. Colby O'Donis- And then of course #5, you can't have a party unless there is some Lady Gaga playing. This song will always be one of my favorite party songs, because it just makes you want to get up and grooove...

Playlist

I have random playlists on my phone that don't really apply to specific situations, so this one is going to be a playlist to listen to when you are going home or feeling nostalgic. 

1) Home by Phillip Phillips

2) I'm Coming Home by J. Cole

3) Country Roads by John Denver

4) My Old Kentucky Home (If you live in Kentucky) by Nappy Roots

5) Yellow by Coldplay

Most of these songs are pretty obviously related to home through their titles and lyrics, so I thought they were perfect to put in this playlist. Other songs like Yellow don't mention home at all, but the slow pace and lyrics reflect a somewhat nostalgic ones. They make people feel comfortable in their homes, miss their homes, or further appreciate their homes. 

The playlist of champions

Dancing is an addiction. Some nights I will up in the middle of sleeping, my legs twitching, needing to dance to maintain homeostasis. My philosophy is that every songs a dancing song, and that all the world's a stage. Unfortunately for this assignment I can only pick 5 songs to really get me dancing. My playlist is composed of 5 songs as follows:

1.) Dance - Big Sean - This is the perfect beginning to a dance playlist. The word dance is said over 90 times, and the beat of the song can make even the shyest person slide onto the dance floor and shake it. This song gets you pumped up and ready to dance, and really forces the listener to appreciate dance, and love it just as much as Big Sean does.

2.) Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepson - Now that everyone is on the dance floor enjoying themselves, it's time to throw on something for the stereotypical white girls. This song is familiar to everyone age 14-20, and will have the white girls jumping up and down and giggling in no time. It may be an annoying song, but it has to be included in the playlist because no matter how much you dislike the song, you can't help but dance to it.

3.) Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Akoi Dance Remix) - Kid Cudi - Not a very popular song for day to day listening, but certainly a must-have for any dance party. You are able to hear the bass in this song in your soul. I guarantee that you will release adrenalin if you dance to this song.

4.) Thriller - Michael Jackson - A classic dance song. Revolutionary for its time the choreography for this song is easy to pick up, and is satisfying when you pair the dance with the song. This song had to be included not only for its brilliance, but also for its impact on modern dancing.

5.) I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas - Tons of other songs are better dance songs than this one, but as a closing song for a dance playlist, this seems like the smartest choice. This song is has a fairly simple beat, not as complex a song as previous ones. The tempo is a little slower, but still fast enough to go crazy on the floor. The ending of the song also gives a feeling of final closure, and you are able to feel okay with the playlist being over.

The Perfect Playlist

Though it is ridiculed as probably the worst decade for music in the 20th century, I love alternative from the 1980's. To create this playlist, I went through my iPod to find the best alternative I could think of that I listen to on a somewhat regular basis. I chose the following songs because I typically listen to them when I am stressed out and want to calm down though some are high-energy. 

Roxy Music- Avalon

This song totally chills me down after a stressful day because of its relaxing beat and good instrumental background. I like the singing, but it is the actual music that is the best.

Spandau Ballet-True

Like Avalon, Spandau Ballet adds a jazzy feel to my playlist encouraging me to remain calm when I am super busy. This song also adds a touch of relaxation in way that Roxy Music just cannot add.

The Fixx- Saved by Zero

Generally, my playlist maintains a relaxed tone though the addition of this song really spices the playlist up with a hint of rock and a fast beat. The change really seems to indicate a change in my attitude about this time, I begin to feel upbeat and ready for more...

Eurythmics- Here Comes the Rain Again

I love Annie Lenox's voice, it simply amazing, enough said. Overall, the addition of this song continues the upbeat tempo of the playlist to this point. However, the song also adds a electronic feel to it, a nice change.

Genesis- Follow You, Follow Me 

This song makes me really nostalgic for my childhood and the integration of Phil Collins into my playlist seems to make everything better because he has a really good voice for an American, no offense to American singers of course, but I am not really a fan of American singers from the '80's. 

Sing Sing Sing

I don't know if this is just a me issue, but when I'm home alone--actually, I do this even when I'm not home alone--I'll sing my heart out silently while pretending like I'm performing in a music video. I don't know, maybe you can relate.

Since I've been doing this for a few years now and consider myself an erudite scholar on the subject (ha ha) here are five songs that will fulfill all your belting needs:

1) Jessie's Girl-Rick Springfield.

This song is my number one because the tune is so catchy and fun to sing along to. Honestly, it's the classic head-bobbing, feet-thumping, finger-snapping song.


2) Defying Gravity- the Glee Version

Why is this song perfect for dramatic singing? Because it's in a musical! And not only that, it's the friggin Glee version. Lhea Michelle's voice is flawless and the high notes she hits just make Defying Gravity an ideal song to sing sing sing.

3) On My Own- Les Miserables

Just like Defying Gravity, On My Own is also from a musical. The reason as to why it's on the list remains the same as #1, too. The notes that the singer can hit are frankly mind blowing. It's quite emphatic, really. 

4) Best Thing I Never Had-Beyonce

Because she is Beyonce. Aaaaaand also because the things Beyonce does with her voice in this song are just incredible. She has a wide range and often bursts into the chorus with spine-tingling trills. Basically, Best Thing I Never Had is on this list because it's Beyonce, the tones, it's Beyonce, and it's perfect for a post-breakup. And as we all know, breakups are sometimes the cause for the necessity of dramatic singing to begin with.

5)  Snuff- Slipknot

Okay I know Slipknot is known for being really screamo and loud, but the lyrics in this song are just so depressing and perfect and thought-provoking that it made the list. It's a song to belt out when you have tears streaming down your face and you're just angry at the world. It's absolutely perfect for that, my friends.

Perfect Playlist to Induce Feels

**ANNIE BRADFORD YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ THIS**

1. Rose’s Theme - Murray Gold and BBC Orchestra (Doctor Who Soundtrack)
2. Doomsday - Murray Gold and BBC Orchestra (Doctor Who Soundtrack)
3.  The Doctor’s Theme - Murray Gold and BBC Orchestra (Doctor Who Soundtrack)
4.  Vale - Murray Gold (Doctor Who Soundtrack)
5.  Song for Ten - Neil Hannon (Doctor Who Soundtrack)

*****IF YOU DO NOT WANT DOCTOR WHO SPOILERS DO NOT READ*****

These are my top five Doctor Who Soundtrack songs in order of emotional trauma. 

Excuse me while I fangirl over this blog. I literally cried as I listened to these songs trying to pick the most traumatizing one. Each of these songs reminds me of certain parts of episodes when they were used, and of course each one of these moments just makes me want to curl up in a ball and sob for the rest of my life.

****SPOILER ALERT******

First is Rose’s Theme. This one definitely makes me the most upset. I remember once I was at Paige’s house and this song came on shuffle on her iPod, and I instantly started crying before I consciously processed what I was listening to or what was going on. As I stated in my previous post concerning Doctor Who, Rose and The Doctor are my OTP and I just love them so much. Rose’s theme was used in the most emotional Doctor/Rose shipping moments, such as in Season 4 when Rose comes back from her parallel world and The Doctor First sees her. They run towards each other all dramatically with this song playing in the background. I am literally getting upset just typing this and visualizing the scene *sobs violently*

Doomsday comes as a close second. This song is from the end of Season 2, when we lose Rose. This song plays as Rose gets ripped away from us right before our eyes, and trapped away from The Doctor forever. It also plays as she tries to find him and makes her final contact with him through a hole between dimensions on Bad Wolf Bay. This induces extreme feels because in these scene Rose tells The Doctor she loves him, and he starts to say it back, and THE HOLE IN DIMENSIONS CLOSES AND HE DOESN’T GET TO SAY IT AND THEN THEY’RE BOTH JUST CRYING AND ASKDJHGAJKDSHFLAADKHJGK

The Doctor’s Theme brings nostalgic feels as well as painful emotionally traumatizing ones. The Doctor’s Theme was mostly used in the days of Christopher Eccleston, or the 9th Doctor. So whenever I hear it, it reminds me of the good old days when I first sold my soul to Doctor Who. But then, even worse, The Doctor’s Theme plays in scenes right before David Tennant (the 10th Doctor and my future husband) regenerates. I can’t even right now

Vale is also pretty emotionally. In the episode where it’s used, an Ood sings to David Tennant right before he regenerates. The Ood (which is an alien if you inferior human beings don’t know what it is) sees the 10th Doctor for the last time and says “We will sing you to your sleep” and starts singing this song. David is crying. Of course I am too. Who isn’t? The first time I watched the 10th Doctor’s regeneration I was with Paige, and we were literally rolling around on the floor screaming and crying like someone just murdered our entire families. Doctor Who brings on some serious feels.

And finally comes Song for Ten. This one makes me cry happy tears. I can visualize exactly what is happening when this song is played. It’s in the first episode starring David Tennant as the 10th Doctor, The Christmas Invasion. At the end of the episode The Doctor goes back into the TARDIS to look at his new regeneration and change his clothes and get ready for dinner with Rose. This song is playing as he tries on his new clothes and looks in the mirror and he’s just so cute and I want him back and I miss him so much and I can’t even describe to you how I feel right now this playlist is ripping out my soul

Have a nice day.

^^^^^^^

**SPOILER ALERT above do not read if you don't want Doctor Who spoiled**

Infinite Amount of Favorite Characters

Rose Tyler, Sirius Black, The Doctor, Lily Evans, James Potter, Eponine, Jake and Elwood Blues, Remus Lupin, Sherlock Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Jim Moriarty, Gavroche, Courfeyrac, Tony Stark, Jean Valjean, Amy Pond, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Troy and Abed, John Bender, Enjolras, Sybil Crawley Minerva McGonagall, Jack Harkness, Augustus Waters, Grantaire, Hazel Grace Lancaster.

My entire 150 words could just be comprised of characters' names if I continued, so I will stop my list now. 

As Courtney mentioned earlier, I realized that the majority of my favorite characters have troubled and arduous lives, or tragic deaths (James Potter, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Eponine, Gavroche, Courfeyrac, Enjolras, Sybil Crawley, Augustus Waters, Grantaire, Amy Pond,), and therefore, I would not want to be them. So in my opinion, I would not be able to answer the prompt correctly, because the answer would be conflicting; I think my life is much better than most of my favorite characters' lives. So I think I will answer only half of this prompt: who is your favorite character.

And now I can't choose.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

My immediate response would be to pick one from James Potter, Lily Evans, or Sirius Black, because I absolutely adore them and they have such a capacity of love for Harry and their friends. But as I'm thinking more about this, I think that a better choice would be Enjolras or Jean Valjean. And since I can't choose between those two, I shall write about both.

I am not ashamed to say that I blubber hysterically every time that both Enjolras and Valjean (SPOILER) die, in any production that I see. I mean when Enjolras is about to die and Red and Black starts playing and the red flag and GAH! I completely respect Enjolras' determination and devotion to his country, and wanting to make it better for the people. He has no time for Marius' "lonely soul." All he wants is a freer France. He is self-sacrificial all for the benefit of France, and even at such a young age. He even says "our little lives don't count at all." And he freakin' dies for his country! Plus he wears a pretty amazing xylophone vest, and we all know that Les Misérables didn't win the Oscar for best costume design because Enjolras didn't wear it.

I mean seriously, if they had put Aaron Tveit in the xylophone, it would have been perfection.            

I don’t even know where to start with Jean Valjean. He completely turned his life around, even though his first act that got himself into slavery wasn’t even that bad (stealing bread for his starving nephew). He became a man of God when a bishop gave him the option to become a better man. He leads a complicated life because while he did become a wonderful, charitable man, he still continues to live a lie, trying to escape his life of Jean Valjean. “Jean Valjean is nothing now. Another story must begin.” Along with creating a better life for himself, he also saves Cosette from the slums with the Thenardiers and gives her a better life as well. The entire rest of his life, he tries to live up to the bishop’s wishes for him to follow God’s will. When he hears that a man has been accused of being himself and will go to trial for it, he considers letting it go. “If I speak I am condemned, if I stay silent I am damned.” He knows that if he doesn’t do the right thing then he will have sinned, and so therefore goes to save the accused by admitting that he himself is 24601. And promptly runs away. And when he finds out that the man who loves his “daughter” is at the barricade and will most likely die, he goes to save him, risking his life for this boy he doesn’t even know. And when it’s finally his time to die, his last words are “forgive me all my trespasses and take me to your glory.” He still believes that his sins throughout his life will outweigh all the good that he has done. As if it wasn’t completely heart-wrenching enough, the movie had to go ahead and have the bishop leading him into heaven, the man who “saved his soul for God.” And he just happens to be the original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson. It’s like Valjean inception and just causes the tears to flow even more than they already were. And this blog is making me tear up as I write, probably because of the subject matter, and mostly because of the fact that the Les Misérables 25^th anniversary is playing on my TV right now and there’s just too many emotions.

My sincerest apologies for rambling on this long. I am so sorry.

Assignment 22: the perfect playlist

A Blast From the Past

"High Fidelity" (2000) was a film that was remarkably ahead of its time. The film tells the story of Rob Gordon, a washed-up music junkie (played by the fantastic John Cusack) who spends his days creating perfect 5 song playlists. There's his playlist for his worst break up ever, his playlist of the top 5 soul tracks released between 1955 and 1965, and his playlist for his ex-girlfriend's dad's funeral.

Today, thanks to Limewire, iTunes, the "genius" Itunes feature, and Pandora, creating a "perfect" playlist has never been easier.

On the other hand, Rob probably would be appalled by the slapdash way some of us throw together any group of songs above a certain tempo before we head to the gym, or take all those below a certain tempo and thoughtlessly label it “chillaxxx.” As Rob forewarned, “The making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do’s and don’ts. You’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.”

So for this blog assignment, create a "perfect" playlist for something. It could be your perfect playlist to listen to at the gym (boring!), perfect playlist for a rainy day, perfect playlist for anything. . . be as creative as you can. Once you have chosen a topic, select 5 tracks for this playlist, noting the song and artist, and write a few sentences explaining why you chose this song, what this song adds to your playlist, why you put it where you did, and how it works with the other songs you selected to create a cohesive perfect playlist.

If you want link it to a spotify playlist and share a link.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, April 14th at 11:59 pm

entry courtesy John Cowgill

Oceans of Options

Generally I prefer action movies over any other genre, but as I lay comfortably in my bed my mind doesn't enjoy the thought of dodging bullets. That being said, given the option of being any fictional character I would have to go with Danny Ocean. Ocean excels as a calm and thoughtful con-artist who has a very high success rate. When met with any obstacle be it human or mechanical Ocean is always a step ahead of the game. His prowess as a thief is contrasted by the three sovereign rules by which he lives his entire life. 1. Never hurt anyone. 2. Never steal from anyone who doesn't deserve it. 3. Play the game like you have nothing to lose. Much like Robin Hood he thieves with a greater purpose although he would never use the physical violence associated with his historical counterpart. I don't generally admire crime, actually I despise most of it, but seeing as Ocean is a fictional character and his victims are all deserving I may be able to look the other way to have the chance to work as such a sly individual.

Time Lords are 20% Cooler

Without a doubt, if I could be any fictional character I know of, I would be the Doctor from the eternal Doctor Who saga. I mean, what's not to love about being the Time Lord? You get to fly around both time and space at a whim, using a inconspicuous police box, and see all things imaginable of the universe! In addition, the Doctor usually has a trusty companion to accompany him on his adventures (My favorite being Rose), whom you can educate, and enthrall, and have an amazing travel with! And I would have fun with the ability to time travel too, spoiling future events both for myself and others, witness great historical events like battles, and meet historical figures maybe even Christ? And one of the greatest perks of being one of these time lords, is that you are practically immortal, regenerating once past your time into another form, just as Doctor-y. They do have a main downsides however, having to deal with the awesome, but at the same time annoying to the Doctor, Daleks. You can't have fun when you have to deal with these metallic tanks all the time, shouting "EXTERMINATE" into your ear. Regardless the benefits of endless time travel, practical immortality, and lack of responsibilities FAR outweigh the consequences of being the one and only, Time Lord.

Fictional Character

This question is actually terribly difficult for me to answer, contrary to what I initially thought. Most of my favorite characters seem to have less-than-pristine lives, and even though I love them like I love my friends, living their life would be incredibly hard.

For instance, I love love love Lily Evans Potter. She's bright and kind and spunky and independent and just delightful. She gets the perk of marrying James Potter (and being the mother to Harry!!), but then, just as their picture-perfect life is beginning, she and James die when they're only TWENTY-ONE. (*cue crying*) I could go on forever about Lily, but I'll stop here so as to spare you. Overall, I love her, but being her would be so sad.

Another example is Hazel Grace Lancaster from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel is honest and bitingly sarcastic with dry humor--when creating an ad for a swing set, she advocates for "Lonely, Vaguely Pedophilic Swing Set Seeks the Butts of Children" as the headline. But it's to be noted that she has thyroid cancer. Of course, this doesn't make her any less of a person (as she says, she may be dying but she isn't dead yet and shouldn't be treated that way), but leading her life would be one of the most difficult things in the world. She lives as "that girl with cancer," not as "Hazel, who has a great sense of humor and likes reading, especially poetry." Her personality is overshadowed by a disease that shouldn't define her.

On the other hand, I could never be friends with Natalie Goodman (of the musical "next to normal"), but she is still one of my all-time favorite characters. Natalie is a sixteen-year-old "genius and a freak" whose mother is bipolar depressive with hallucinations. The song "Everything Else" in the musical describes Natalie's outlook perfectly: "You play [piano] til it's perfect, you play til you ache. You play til the strings or your fingernails break so you'll rock that recital and get into Yale, and you won't feel so sick and you won't look so pale...and you know that it's just a sonata away and you play, and you play, and everything else goes away." Natalie also lives in the shadow of her brother--who died before she was born and who her mother sees in hallucinations. She feels that in her family, she and her brother are "Superboy and the Invisible Girl, son of steel and daughter of air."

These are not all of my favorite characters, but you can see that I tend to like the tragic characters. So I decided to look at this post as an actress--after all, with past roles, I say that "I was Colleen in that show" or "I was the Childlike Empress last winter." So technically, if I were cast as, say, Natalie Goodman, I'd be able to say "Yeah, I'm Natalie in next to normal! Come see the show!" Therefore, I could sort of be her. So I pick the three characters above as who I'd like to be, because I'd pay absolutely anything to be able to play any one of them.

Ginny Weasley is a lot like me.

First of all... Shout out to Anna Freed and James Green for picking characters out of some of my favorite books!

Secondly... a character. This might be a bit lame, but Ginny Weasley. (A side note- my nickname was Ginny since I was 2 way before the books came out so she is a bit like me.)

Ginny Weasley- a girl who is humorous, imaginative, smart, kind, good at problem solving, athletic, sneaky, and a whole other boatload of adjectives somehow manages to play a lesser role in the Harry Potter series. I am a lot like her sharing many qualities although in different ways.
Humorous- sometimes my sarcasm gets a little out of control, but many times I try to make people laugh. The reason? Laughing is a good medicine in general and making others laugh lightens my mood no matter how awful the day is going for either of us.
Imaginative-
Smart- I push myself to excel in all things I attempt. I try my best to learn more about topics than are needed and I love to help others in their study, usually teaching me a thing or two also. I am also smart when it comes to time management. My week is filled with a crazy number of after school activities (although not as much as other fellow academy students) from volleyball to band to church mission.
Kind- I am always here if somebody needs a friend. I can be talked to about anything and I don't let bullying happen even to a stranger. I pride myself in community service and providing help to those who seek it.
Problem solving- I provide a unique perspective when problem solving, having usually thought a little outside the box since I remember.
Athletic- I play volleyball. I used to play tennis, play softball, play baseball, and dance. Since I was little I always tried a sport just like Ginny Weasley. She excelled at quidditch and I excelled at volleyball.
Sneaky- She snuck around her 6 brothers learning their tricks (mainly fred and george) and borrowing their equipment. I am unusually good at planning surprise events and playing jokes on people (not cruel jokes of course). I suggest very clever jokes and help gather information about people for others to perform their surprise.

Lastly, her real name is Ginerva and mine is Virginia. A little rearranging and there you go! We share redish hair, brown eyes, similar interests and personalities!!

Pumpin up the party

If I could be any fictional character, I would be Hannah Montana. I would be Hannah Montana because lifes what you make it so lets make it rock, am I right? I mean, sometimes you're in a jam and you have to make plan. Nobodys perfect, but Hannah Montana is pretty close. I would consider myself unusual, not so typical, way too smart to be waiting around. So is Hannah Montana, she might even be a rockstar. I would also want to be Hannah Montana because she has the best of both worlds. In some ways shes just like all her friends and on stage shes a star.Who said, who said I can't be Superman? I say, I say that I know I can. Shes one in a million, a true friend, and shes got nerve. Mix it all together and you know you got the best of both worlds.

Peregrin Took

If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting one of fictions most outgoing and funniest characters, there's no time like the present. Peregrin Took is a character from J.R.R. Tolkein's story The Lord of the Rings. He is a hobbit from the Shire that also goes by "Pippin". He and the rest of the Took family stand out from the rest of the Hobbits, mainly because of their adventuresome spirits and curious nature. Pippin portrays his personality perfectly. He is goofy, lighthearted, and optimistic and shows that happiness can exist in the worst situations. Throughout the story he is proven to be a very optimistic and can change the mood of the story with just a sentence or two. He is cousins with Merry and Frodo, loves to party and drink, is a very good singer, and even smokes a little bit of Longbottom Leaf. He is just a fun character, with a surprising amount courage and bravery. By far my favorite character. 

Blog #21

This blog post is seriously right up my alley. It's my perfect cup of tea. I could blabber on about fictional characters for hours and hours because, well, fictional characters are just the freakin' best. But when pondering my vast bank of favorite fictional characters, I realized that loving fictional characters and wanting to be them were two very different things. However, after having that sort of a revelation, I decided to nix it because that means I have to throw away most of the candidates because their worlds suck.
Anyway, onto the quote-unquote "official" choice. Tris from Divergent was the first character to pop into my head mainly because the movie is casting a lot of the characters and just two days ago they finally cast my favorite character, so I obviously had to reread the book, and said book was on my mind. Anyway, I want to be like Tris from because she is a straight up badass. She acts completely on selflessness (even though she sees herself in a skewed selfish way) and her strength is something that I envy. Another thing about Tris is that she's flawed--terribly flawed, and that's what makes her an even better character. Her flaws make her human and make her seem more real and not like a perfect, cookie-cutter character. She is truly a strong and capable character to look up to for her flaws, not in spite of them. (Not to mention, her boyfriend is pretty cool, and his nickname is Four which is my favorite number, and he is tied with like four other characters for number one on my list of favorite fictional characters. So, yeah.)

Fictional Character

If I had to choose out of all of the characters that I’ve read about or seen in movies and shows I think I would either want to be Asher Lev from the book “My Name is Asher Lev” or John Dorian from Scrubs. I would want to be Asher because he as a kid he overcame  the disapproval of his parents and his mother’s sickness and was able to become a successful artist. I think it’s extremely admirable not only to overcome the hard life that he did, but even more than that, the fact that he was good at art because I can barely draw a snake let alone people or nature. I would want to be J.D because he always able to have fun and able to still become a successful doctor. Also the friendships that he has with his best friends, Turk , as well as his other co-workers are to be admired.

Blog Post #21--Tonks, Annabeth, Gwen (Guinevere), Ariel, Belle, Toph, Elizabeth... Need more?

Okay, let's get right to the point:
I simply cannot pick one character for this assignment.
I'm sorry, I just can't do it.  So, prepare yourselves for a description of many characters and why I would LOVE to be one (or all) of them.




The first one is my go-to character:  Tonks from Harry Potter.  Born Nymphadora Tonks (but don't call her Nymphadora), she's absolutely one of the spunkiest, most abnormal characters ever.  I'm pretty much exactly like her (we're both kind of quirky and we don't really fit in but we know that it's okay because we have some pretty great friends and that's really all that matters right?), which is convenient.  Why do I want to be her? Reason number one:  SHE CAN FREAKING CHANGE HER APPEARANCE AT WILL.  Sorry.  Got excited there.  But seriously (Siriusly), who wouldn't want to change their appearance from time-to-time?  Tonks wears short, spiky pink hair all the time, and if I had the ability to do that, you can bet that I would.  I'd be pretty anxious to try out some rainbow hair, too.  Okay, reason number two:  her man.  Remus.  Lupin.  Do not get me started on this adorable person.  I couldn't care less that he's a werewolf, because honestly he's so much more than his--as James Potter would put it--"furry little problem."  He's a book nerd, like me, and he's so kind, and he's smart, and he's just perfect.  He doesn't know it, but Tonks and I both do.  Sorry, I really love him.  Anyway, shall I move on to the next character?

Character number two:  Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson series.  She's wicked smart and knows everything about everything, since she's the daughter of Athena.  Annabeth can stand up for herself and what she believes in, and she's completely brave.  She's super pretty, and, ummmm, she has Percy Jackson, another ideal man that I adore.  Percy's witty and sarcastic (my favorite type of humor) and let's not forget that he's the son of Poseidon?  You could say that Annabeth is the luckiest girl in New York (or the world?)--except for the fact that she gets chased by monsters a lot and her boyfriend went missing and she is (SPOILER ALERT) currently trapped in Tartarus, but let's not focus on that!  Anyway, to summarize this:  Annabeth is intelligent, brave, and has one of the best boyfriends ever.  Ever.

Three:  Gwen (Guinevere).  She's from the British TV show Merlin, and I adore her.  She starts off as a simple palace servant to King Uther's ward, Morgana Pendragon, but she ends up falling in love with the king's son, Prince Arthur (soon to be King Arthur).  It's remarkable that she could stay true to herself for so long, and still end up being the queen of Camelot.  She has values that are admirable (virtue, patience, restraint, kindness, etc.).  Let's not mention the fact that she gets the man (the very attractive Prince Arthur).  She's someone to look up to, for sure!

Four and five:  Ariel and Belle from The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.  Okay, first off, they have two of the best Disney princes ever.  Let's just leave it at that in terms of the men.  Anyway, Ariel is so curious, and she takes a chance at want she wants, even though there were huge risks involved.  Belle does anything she can to protect her family, which is so brave I just can't even.  Plus, she gets that awesome library!  I'm just so jealous of them; if I could be either of them, my life would be complete.

Six:  Toph Beifong from Avatar: the Last Airbender.  I'm sorry guys, I have a soft spot in my heart for this show.  Not gonna lie, I still watch it when I get the chance (and the Legend of Korra is a great sequel show to it!).  No shame!  Anyway, Toph is pretty much one of the most badass people I've ever witnessed in my life.  For real.  She does whatever she wants, and she's the best earthbender to ever walk the planet.  I'm pretty sure she ends up marrying Sokka, who is up there on my list of potential husbands (sorry, I know I've always somehow ended up talking about all of these characters' boyfriends/husbands).  Toph also creates metalbending... She actually made a form of bending!  Like... just... what?!  Oh, and did I mention that through all of this, she's blind?!  She shows so much bravery, and she does her part to end the 100-Year War, and she's blind!  Good gravy.  Being this girl would just be such an accomplishment.

Last one!  Seven:  Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  Elizabeth is so outspoken, which is one of my favorite traits of hers.  She speaks exactly what's on her mind, whenever she's thinking it.  She isn't afraid to tell people what she thinks--especially Darcy--which gives this sort of fierce aspect to her. Also, she cares so much about her sister, and she doesn't give a crap about society and social norms.  She reads a lot and is very brainy... I'm babbling.  Okay, just one more thing:  she gets Darcy.  Sorry!  It had to be said!

I could go on with more characters--Lin Beifond, Ikki, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Jane Bennet, Lucy Pevensie, Susan Pevensie, Rose Tyler, River Song, Andromeda Tonks, Lily Potter, Victoire Weasley, Aurora (Briar Rose), Rapunzel--but I've already gone on long enough!

Sam Shakusky

Soundtrack: "The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Parts 1-7" - Alexandre Desplat - Moonrise Kingdom OST

Though I'm sure there is a better choice out there somewhere among all the endless fiction I have consumed, at the moment, the fictional character I would like to be is twelve-year-old Sam Shakusky from Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom. Honestly, I would simply love to inhabit the Wes Anderson universe, and Sam seems the best fit. He gets to be a Khaki Scout on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s. Though never a scout myself, I have a lot of respect for scouts, especially in the heyday of half a century ago. Sam clearly knows his survival skills, and with his abilities, he is able to evade those in his pursuit for quite a while. His family life may not be the best, considering he is an orphan, but in the end, he gets to have Bruce Willis as a policeman for a father. A kind-hearted policeman who is also Bruce Willis sounds like the best possible father - Sam even gets a matching uniform. Besides a great father, I would get a qt girlfriend Suzy Bishop, who likes reading weird fantasy novels and listening to records. This is a picture of childhood in the 60s which may have never existed, but in this film, I can continue to believe that such a life did exist. In a word, I would describe the entire world of the film as "cute," and being a romantic, I cannot help but to wish for a world as ideal and beautiful as this one.

Fictional Character

If I could be any fictional character I would be Emily Elizabeth. She's caring and sweet, and she has the best best-friend in the entire world, Clifford the Big Red Dog. As a kid, Clifford was always my favorite show and I remember I wanted, more than anything else in the entire world, to own Clifford. Emily always got to ride around on top of Clifford and have his big, friendly face greet her every day. I can imagine, I would be the happiest little girl on the entire planet if I could stay eight years old forever and play with Clifford. Emily has no worries at all and her biggest responsibility is to look after Clifford. Not to mention, Emily's sporty and smart. Emily Elizabeth isn't really my favorite character, but out of all the fictional characters I've met/read about/watched, I would want to be her the most (so I can play with Clifford all the time).

007

Yes, just like my friend Joey, I too would be James Bond if I had the choice to become any fictional character.
Deep inside every man, there is a yearning to be James Bond. It may be tiny for some or large for others, but no man can deny that there is some part of James Bond that they long to be. It has to be, in some part, due to the fact that he IS such a man. I mean, James Bond is this character that is always played by a strong-jawed, muscular man, but that looks absolutely dashing in a suit. The brute strength combined with simple elegance is enough to make you wonder at the sight of Mr. Bond.

If that doesn't make you want to be Bond (it certainly does for me), then there's also the part about being a spy. Espionage is his trademark, and his ability to take down any foe doubles as his forte. Bond bobs and weaves his way through enemies, smartly using his resources to take down anyone that gets in his way. Watching James Bond slice through bad guys, literally blowing up the competition, while still managing not to rip his suit is a feat that makes me want to become this fantastic character so much more.

Okay, if THAT still doesn't do it for you, then hold on, Mr. Bond still has some tricks up his sleeve. If you're not into the fighting and taking down the bad guys, then don't forget the fact that James Bond ALWAYS gets the girl. Wheeling and dealing his sensual social skills, Bond wins the foxy girl with a slight smile, some sexy small talk, and a speedy car, not to mention putting the whole show to bed with a nice sexual pun for the audience.

James Bond is one of the world's premiere characters, having been available for our viewing pleasure for over 50 years now. There's so much that makes me want to become this character, that it makes it almost impossible for me not to choose him. Even my middle name (Bond) suggests that I be more like James. James Bond is a character with multiple talents and smorgasbord of characteristics that fascinate all audiences. His array of abilities is unparalleled by any other, leaving me no choice but to choose him, because I like my characters shaken, not stirred.

ORANGES ARE THE NEW PINK.

If i was a fictional character I would be ariel.
I could talk to sea animals and go to the olympics ... except the olympics has that whole thing about how they strictly regulate what gender your competing in and ariel is well... she doesn't have a... well she has a fin.. and thats it.. sooooooo yeh. I would beat michael phelp's record with the help of the whales and condem him to the depths of the ocean.
In any case i would essentially be an androgynous liberal spirited white girl/fish thing with the capabilities to roam the free world to my hearts content... except for land..  because i would have fins
Also if i was ever stranded on an island i could make half of myself into sushi. I love sushi.

Micham Axen- fictional charcter

If I could be any fictional character I would be either Sam Axe or Michael Westen from Burn Notice. I know they are both guys but they are awesome for different reasons. Michael is crazy smart. He works on cases with his girlfriend Fiona, best friend Sam and other people as needed. Michael has the ability to quickly decide the best option for what to do. Sam is an immensely laid back, but still a smart crime fighter. Sam is basically a chill person all the time, of course except when he needs to be serious. There are aspects to each character which I would love to be. The sudden responsiveness to situations Michael has is fantastic. The laid "backedness" of Sam is perfect. Michael is often busy which is why I would love to combine him with Sam. A Micham Axen would be the perfect fictional character I would like to be. (In girl form of course.)

Fictional Character

If I could be any fictional character, it would probably be Ron Weasley. This may seem strange because Harry seems like a much more likely choice; however, being Ron has its advantages. First of all, Ron gets the girl (Hermione Granger aka my dream girl). Hermione is perfect in every way so I would want to be Ron. Ron is a wizard and can do incredible things like cast spells and fly on brooms in a game of Quidditch. Ron has had ups and downs over the years but for a while he was the goal keeper on the Quidditch team, member of Dumbledore's Army, among many other things. Also, I think it would be awesome to be friends with Harry Potter and get to experience everything with him without being given tons of responsibility. Ron played a supportive role in all Harry's quests against Voldemort, but was put in less dangerous scenarios and was not given additional pressure as "The Boy who Lived." Ron also lives in a very cool house and has an awesome and large family.

Assignment 20: Right Now

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe, there are people. Somewhere in this universe these people are sound asleep and somewhere in this universe it is 2 in the morning.  Somewhere, in this spacious universe, people are dreaming. These dreams are being taken advantage of somewhere in this universe and, somewhere in this universe, people will awaken and these dreams will be forgotten. Somewhere in this universe people have yet to slip into their slumber and somewhere in this universe it is 2 in the morning all the same. Somewhere in this universe people will not sleep. Somewhere in this universe people will not dream even though somewhere in this universe all one needs is a dream and even though somewhere in this universe all one needs is sleep. Somewhere in this universe someone is hopeless and wide awake but somewhere in this God forsaken universe someone is full of hope and sound asleep and somewhere in this universe life isn’t fair but somewhere in this universe someone will realize that not everything is fair and, although this is true, somewhere in the universe someone will keep going. Because somewhere, sometime in this universe—maybe not at this very moment but soon, always soon, they will find hope and they will find sleep and they will find dreams. And somewhere in the universe it will be worth it.

Assignment 19: Decent Human Being

How to be a decent human being:

In order to be a decent human being, one must simply complete a quick checklist. First we will start out with the easy questions:

    1. Do you care about people other than yourself?
    2. Are you typically a forgiving person?
    3. If someone came to you in tears, would you comfort them?

Hopefully you answered yes to all of these questions, If so, let’s move on. If not, well, to be frank, due to me being the optimistic person I am, I don’t really have a plan for you.

    4. Do you believe in complete racial equality?
    5. Do you believe in complete gender equality?
    6. Do you believe in complete sexuality equality?

If you answered yes to these, good job! You are on the right track to being a decent human being. Let’s continue:

    7. Do you believe everyone has the right to do with their body as they please?
    8. Would you agree that discrimination should never simply be an accepted malpractice?
    9. Do you think that sensitive subjects including but not limited to rape, women, and race are never acceptable to ‘joke’ about?

And lastly:

    10. Do you believe that these morals should be upheld at all times, no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the situation?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then congratulations! You Are Now A Decent Human Being. You are not brave. You are not progressive. You are not bold. But you are one hell of a Decent Human Being!

Assignment 18: Advice

One piece of advice that has stuck with me is the quote “I can bear any pain as long as it has meaning.” It really is hard narrowing down my favorite Murakami quotes, but I feel like this one has truly stuck with me the most. Through all the pain I’ve experienced in the past few years, this quote always helps me pull through. When I’m sad or upset I just think of what good this pain may bring me. It closely ties into the saying that everything happens for a reason, which also strikes close to home. While I am not religious, I do believe there is a reason for everything that happens. When I am pained I just think about what the meaning of the pain is. What good will come out of it. And, 99% of the time, I can think of a meaning for the pain, and 100% of the time, it eases the said pain. I owe a lot to Murakami, but this quote is definitely the reason for most of my indebtedness to him.

Assignment 17: Bucket List

The number one item on my bucket list for when I finish high school is to travel through Italy. It has been one of my dreams ever since I can remember. The Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Rome, I want to see it all. I’d like to stay there all summer. Hopefully thatwill give me enough time to experience everything I’ve always dreamed about.

Before I finish college I would like to spend a semester abroad. I’d like to learn Japanese and go to japan, or Chinese and study in china. This would be a great experience for me and would help me learn the language and experience the culture for when I continue my career in international business.

Before I finish living I’d like to travel the world (surprise). I just want to see it all. Every place and every culture fascinates me so much and I just want to be able to have said I have experienced (mostly) everything my planet has to offer. 

James Bond

Bond... James Bond... If I could be any fictional character to be, I would pick James Bond. The reason I would pick him is because he always has access to the most amazing gadgets, cars, and smart suits. He has an answer for everything, and no task is too difficult for him to complete. Just when you think that James Bond might die, he always narrowly escapes his defeat. James Bond is basically a super hero without powers. He does whatever he wants, he helps people, and he always gets the girl. You will never see Bond fail, or fall short with anything in life. He never disappoints people, and always has reasons for every action that he takes, which is how I wish I could live. If James Bond is on a mission and he orders a turkey sandwich it seems that he always has an underlying reason for getting that sandwich. He is truly the greatest secret agent.

The Son of Neptune

At first I was going to choose my name sake the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith, but considering I live his life that wouldn't be a fun blog to do. So instead, I am choosing Perseus Jackson from the fictional book series, "Percy Jackson & The Olympians." Percy Jackson is the Armani character of this series and the son of the Greek god of the Sea, Poseidon. Even though not much parental love is shown I still think it would be great to be the son of a god especially one of the Sea. You can breathe underwater, you can control water, you can cause earthquakes, you can make whirlpools and typhoons. Life would be great. And since your son of Poseidon instead of Zeus your not always looked at for leadership and responsibility. And also he has a pretty nice girlfriend ;)

Fictional character

If I could be any fictional character I would be Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl. For one, she lives in New York City. I would love to live in New York City. That is my dream. Two, she has an awesome wardrobe. All of her clothes are so adorable and it would be awesome if I could have her closet. Three, she eventually gets engaged to a very handsome Chuck Bass. Four, she runs her mom’s clothing line. I think it would be so much fun to own a fashion company and to design clothes. And five, she gets to travel the world very frequently. I love to travel and it would be amazing if I was able to travel as frequently as she does. She may be rude sometimes but her life is awesome and overall she has a good personality. If I could be Blair Waldorf I would be set for life.                               

Right Now

Don't wanna wait til tomorrow, 
Why put it off another day? 
One more walk through problems, 
Built up, and stand in our way ,ah 
One step ahead, one step behind me 
Now you gotta run to get even 
Make future plans, don't dream about yesterday, hey 
C'mon turn, turn this thing around 
Right now, hey 
It's your tomorrow 
Right now, 
C'mon,it's everything 
Right now, 
Catch a magic moment, do it 
Right here and now 
It means everything 
Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm, 
And nothing falls into place, no 
Only missed by a fraction, 
Slipped a little off your pace, oh, 
The more things you get, the more you want, 
Just trade in one for the other, 
Workin so hard, to make it easier, whoa, 
Got to turn, c'mon turn this thing around 
Right now, hey 
It's your tomorrow 
Right now, 
C'mon, it's everything 
Right now, 
Catch that magic moment, do it 
Right here and now 
It means everything 
It's enlightened me, right now 
What are you waitin for 
Oh, yeah, right now 
(solo) 
Right now, hey 
It's your tomorrow 
Right now, 
C'mon, it's everything 
Right now, 
Catch that magic moment, and do it right, 
Right now 
Right now, oh, right now 
It's what's happening? 
Right here and now 
Right now 
It's right now 
Oh, 
Tell me, what are you waiting for 
Turn this thing around