Ok so basically I have been working on building the world for this like fantasy novel I want to write, and I have been doing this by writing prologue as a way to just get some of baseline lore of this world down. I decided it might be fun to put it out there and possibly get feedback on it. 

 

A soft breeze blew through spring’s misty air whistling through the trees, rustling through Milo’s rich brown hair making it appear messy, something he couldn’t mind as it’d give Lorena an excuse to run her fingers through it later. It had been a while since he’d seen her, but he had written her everyday, each of her letters still laid on his desk, he thought of them higher than any jewel or any medal, their own special treasure. 

 

He smiled to himself as he headed toward his stable where his stallion Barnabee stood strong and tall, just as he was.

 

“Hey there girl” Milo cooed at her running his hands through he main before he saddled her up to prepare for the day. He had many plans for later, he would try and get King Antonio to let him off early so he could go to the Midinite Forest and hunt for Borphis, that would allow him to make Borphida a dish used to show love or adoration. 

 

It wouldn’t be easy to get the king’s approval, not because he was particularly strict in nature, in fact he and Milo were much more than just the roles they held within the castle. They were in fact best friends ever since they were school boys. Milo’s family had a long history of being loyal servants to the throne, his father had been Antonio’s tutor so they were able to built a friendship that survived till he followed in his fathers footsteps and decided to dedicate his life to protect the throne. Only recent tensions were driving a wedge between the two friends. 

 

Antonio along with most of the village folk spoke down on Milo and Lorena’s relationship, Lorena took most of the harsher lashes. Rumors that she was merrily using Milo to exceed her certain status as a commoner. Milo knew better than to listen to these false narratives, Lorena’s love for the knight was the realest thing he had ever felt. There was no opinion in the world that could make him doubt that. 

 

Soon Milo arrived at the castle where he stood in his post for the day until he was alerted by a servant that Queen Calliope had needed him. 

 

“My Lady? You called?” Milo said  entering her chambers bowing once he was in her presence. 

 

“Sir Milo, I thank you so much for coming. I am in need of your assistance.” Calliope responded with a fragile voice Milo could tell she was distressed. 

 

“Of course your highness, it is my pleasure.” he said bowing once again. 

 

“Oh Milo, please give me a break with the pleasantries you know they’re quite unnecessary.” Calliope paused to allow Milo to stand tall once again. 

 

“I am worried about Antonio, he seems to not be his usual self.” Calliope informed him twiddling with her fingers and motioning him to a seat. 

 

“How so?” Milo queried, becoming increasing concerned by observing her mannerism. 

 

“Locking him in his study for hours at a time, secretly sending letters back and forth.” she answered. 

 

“How has he been delivering them?” Milo asked. 

 

“By Harthwool Swallow” she answered looking down. 

 

This caused Milo’s already growing worry to skyrocket as it was common knowledge that letters delivered by Harthwool Swallows were of not only dire importance but secrecy. He wondered how Calliope even managed to find out about them. 

 

“I do not wish you to spy on him, I just want to know if he’s alright, I’m sure there’s reasons for his secrecy but I just must know if he’s ok…will you please do this for me?” Calliope begged tears welling in her gorgeous amber eyes. 

 

“You have my word Madame” he said once again without a bow this time. 

 

“I infinitely thank you Milo, you’re truly the best among me. I wish to excuse you from your post today. I know there’s a special lady you’d rather be seeing right now. I know Antonio has been quite disapproving of the two of you but I’m sure if you think highly of her she must be quite the lady.” Calliope said, looking at him sympathetically. 

 

“Thank you my Lady, have a great night. I shall see you in the morrow.” Milo said, trying not to rush out back to Barnabee with excitement.

 

His feet carried him at a speed that can only be compared to light. He mounted his steed with great haste and carried himself off into the night. He cut through the forest of Niteshade.

There could be found the Brandile, a species comparable to that of a hog, known amongst the kingdom as a delicacy of great romance. Although it is deterred to seek them out as they inhabit the same forest as the night feeders. Inhumane creatures that resemble that of humans but lack the souls of the species they imitate. They’re known for feeding on the flesh and blood of those who are lucky, the others are left half-dead and infected. 

 

This didn’t stop Milo, he was knight afterall. Bravery pumped through his veins like the women and men before him. He unsheathed his blade and walked into the forest with his head held high. He is hyper aware of his surroundings, a predator. His eyes hooded and blood hungry as he observes the terrain, the  moonlight paints the green fauna a navy blue, it would be beautiful if one wasn’t aware of what lurked in the shadows. 

 

He crept through the forest, steps soft as to not be detected by anything that lurked in those behind those trees. 

What’s up everyone, it’s been a while hasn’t it. I think my last blog was a month ago, dang that was a long time ago. Wow that feels like a long time ago but anyways, this blog isn’t about how time, if I even start to think about that I legit might start crying while writing this so let’s move on.  

So, I didn’t really know what to write for the blog so I’m just going to talk about this that I’m trying to get for Christmas. It’s called Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim, who was also South Korean volleyball player. She is a former member of the South Korea women’s national volleyball team which placed fourth in the 2020 Summer Olympics and fifth in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Isn’t this lady amazing like image doing all this while completing a five-year, book series, which I think is awesome.  

But this blog isn’t about how amazing Suji Kim is. This blog is about her most popular novel Under the Oak tree. I don’t really know where to start with this, who am I kidding yes, I do. So, I found out about this series on Webtoon, yes yes laugh it up I can hear some of y’all now. It doesn’t matter where I found the series just know that you really should check it out for yourself. 

Ok enough of that I know the three people reading this are eager to know more about this story so let’s go.  

                                                                                                                    TW: Mention of Abuse 

Now image you’re the daughter of a duke and your being made by your father to marry a knight that works for him because your dad is a coward who didn’t want to get to war and fight a dragon that was killing hundreds of people, but he also didn’t want to disobey the king of your kingdom. So, what does he do he picks one of the low-born knights that worked for him and as him marry you so he can technically be a part of the family and go to war instead of your old, crusty, evil, good for nothing father could live another day. Well this might not really be happening to you but this is what happened to young Maximilian Calypse, or Maxi for short. She’s a young woman only 22 years old in the first novel. She is heavily abused by her father for a studder that she has had since she was really young.  

The novel starts off with the day of Maxi’s wedding and quickly moves to the night before, which I going to skip over because even though it most definitely doesn’t get skip over in the book, I’m writing this blog for school and don’t want to get in trouble so. After a passionate first night as a married couple Maxi wakes up to find that her husband has went off to war and she is once again left alone. Then for the next three years Maxi stays with her evil father and continues to be mistreated by him and everyone around her. Then one day she is told that he is coming back but now he isn’t just some lowly knight, he’s a sword master who defeated the powerful dragon Sect. Because of her father and some of the people around her she is told that now that Riften, the man she married, has more power he is only coming back to divorce her. Maxi believes them and is so scared to be seen as useless to Riften that when he does show up, she tries to do everything she can so he would want to keep her. Riften tells Maxi that he’s taking her back to his home. She quickly agrees and they set off to Anatol, his home.  

So, I’m going to leave off here because I don’t really want to spoil everything if somehow the two people still reading end up liking what’s happening so far and what to read more. So far only the first volume of the novel is out in English but the second one is coming out in May, so you still have a lot of time to catch up, and the manga is complete, so you don’t have to wait for updates with this one. 

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoyed my final blog for the 2024 year. Its been a great year and I can’t wait to see what going to happen in our new year. 

 Chao~ 

Shows

Some of my favorite shows were wrapped up for their final seasons (or so they say) in 2024. 

So why not talk about some of them, especially the ones that left me crying at 4 a.m. during Thanksgiving break. 

Only Murders in the Building

 

I’ve talked about this show before and about half a month ago, I finished the fourth season. Which they say is the last season, but if you watched the ending, then you know that has to be a lie.  It has to be.  I mean, they can’t just leave the dead doorman sitting in the fountain without any justice, right?  Right?!  

Anyway, the whole show, to me, had some of the best plots.  And I genuinely loved all the characters and the cast who played them.  That’s why I have to give them their flowers by adding them to my wrap up.  

If you all haven’t checked this show out yet, I highly recommend that you do.  This isn’t a regular whodunnit show. 

Arcane

NO ONE SPOIL THIS FOR ME!  I haven’t finished Season 2. I’m planning to, but I want to talk about what I’ve watched so far.  I’ll try my best not to give any spoilers. 

Seeing these characters again had me crying silently.  I mean, any of you who watched Season 1 may understand my cause of distress.  Personally, my favorite characters are Jinx and Kaitlyn.  I don’t know much about that now.  I think I’m leaning more towards Victor than Jinx because I’m liking Victor’s story more, currently.  Again, I haven’t finished it, so that may change.  Now with Kaitlyn, I’m kind of iffy here. See, because I don’t know if I’m loving where her character arc is going.  She seems more reckless to me.  But I do still see old Kaitlyn there.  Also, after what she went through, she does deserve to shake things up a little.  

Back to my point, I have heard that this is reportedly the last season.  So, I’m going to add it to my wrap up.  Arcane, you are the best show I’ve watched so far. 

Death’s Game 

                                                 

Unless you watch K-Drama, most of you will not have any idea what this show is.  But that’s okay, because I’m going to talk about it anyway.  Death’s Game, y’all, y’all, this short show left my jaw on the floor.  It was so serious that I emailed some Youtubers to watch this show. I’m totally not embarrassed.  But anyway, Death’s Game is a South Korean fantasy anthology mystery thriller that is based on the many lives that’s taken over by the one life of a man who decided that his life wasn’t worth living anymore.  Yes. This show was sad.  But yes. This show kept my attention throughout.  I mean the way they executed its theme, chef’s kiss. Listen, in the email to the Youtuber I said; It’s a beautiful story about redemption and the moral theme is executed neatly.  It has a diverse mix of thriller, action, and romance. There are moments that make me cry and there’s moments that make me want to shake the main protagonist.  I mean it too.  That’s why it made my 2024 wrapped highlight. 

Movies

If I’m going to talk about shows, then I have to talk about some of the movies I’ve watched in 2024.  That may be a lot, I don’t know.  I can’t even remember the beginning of 2024. 

Moana 2

This automatically came to mind because I just watched this Saturday and felt that it was the best Disney movie that came out this year.  I was like, no wonder Wish wasn’t as good. Disney had to make sure that all their elbow grease went towards Moana 2.  This movie to me, was quite different from the first but in the best way possible.  For example, the music was on a different level.  The lyrics to all the songs were on point.  And I’m not belittling the work of Lin-Manuel Miranda for working on the first Moana, it’s just the music in this one gave me more symphonies, and they weren’t just lyrical, but had more meaning.  If that makes sense.  I just think you need to watch it. 

BERNIE (2011)

This is a movie based on an actual crime that happened, but the movie is a literal comedy.  I mean I felt so bad when I was laughing, but the movie stars Jack Black.  I mean, throughout the movie it was like these witness accounts told by these hillbilly people (I promise this was how it was being portrayed) from like the same neighborhood that was telling the most insane jokes and encounter statements.  I mean, I don’t know.  It was something.  Any who, the reason this movie made it to my 2024 wrap is because it was quite interesting.  I did do research on the actual case, and I don’t know, you’ll have to look at it yourself to understand.  But without looking at the case, the movie was neat.  I think the cinematic story was quite interesting. Also, Matthew McConaughey was in there and he played his lawyer role well too.  But yea, this made it to the wrap also. 

Podcasts

I’ll make this quick.

Rotten Mango and Murder with My Husband

                                                                           

These are true crime podcasts, but both styles are different.  If you listen to these types of podcasts, then you should check it out.  

React Cast 

Quite lighthearted and funny.  If you get tired of music for a moment and just want to chill, then this is the podcast. 

John Merrick, known under another name, “The Elephant Man” is the starring protagonist in many a media today. As of now, there is a Broadway play (That David Bowie starred in??), a book, and a movie. In this post, I’ll be talking about the movie.

There are so many things I’d love to talk about in this movie. I only just watched it the other day but I’m already obsessed. It expands upon so many hidden issues. Hidden is an ironic word in this case, given John Merrick’s condition. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A quick synopsis:

The Elephant Man is an unfortunate story about a man born with “Proteus syndrome”
A rare condition that affects the growth of tissue, bones, organs, and skin. It enlarges them abnormally. It can cause extreme pain. It can also disfigure the face, like John Merrick’s

One man, The Circus man, takes interest in his appearance and uses him in his “Freak Show” for the circus.
Not only was he not paid, but he was also forced to live in awful living conditions.
A Doctor of Anatomy, Dr Fredrick Treeves, takes him away to the hospital. In the hospital, he’s given food, water, a warm bed, and much more. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

One thing that kept coming to mind as I watched the movie, was how… no matter what environment he was in, John Merrick was always being observed. From the circus to the ending scenes where he was being applauded, he was always the center of attention, which he most definitely did not want.

In the beginning, he was observed in the circus and onlookers who found his appearance strange and frightening.

Then he was displayed in front of scholars and doctors. Doctor Treeves, as hospitable as he might have been, was still only doing what the circus man did. Just in a different lighting. |

The security guard in the hospital would often sneak those who paid enough into the hospital to take a look at John. This eventually led to the circus man coming back and kidnapping John from his new home. In the picture below, he is being held against his will and displayed to people outside the window.
This scene was very traumatic, It was hard to tell if John was limp from shock, or maybe, as a defense mechanism, he just tuned everything out, trying to wait for it to pass. The scene gets more graphic as they force John and one of the women to kiss.

(I hate this security guard with a burning hell fire passion.)

Near the end of the movie, John and his friends go to a play, he was absolutely in love with it. But at the end, his actor friend came out and claimed to dedicate the show to him. This did nothing but put him in front of the audience again. He was once again displayed in front of everyone. Only under different light. 

What hurts, is that he only stood because the Doctor told him too. from the looks of it, he didn’t like being the center of attention, even positive attention.
Throughout the movie, it seems like he has been nothing but a tool for attention. Whether to make money off of it or to put nobles in a better light for being in his company. And yes, they do treat him well, but It feels more like an exchange, rather than goodwill at times.

The Beautiful thing about John Merrick though, is that… throughout the movie, he found beauty all around him. He found so much beauty in the world and showed so much appreciation and wonder. When invited to the doctor’s house for tea, he saw the pictures over the mantle piece and was absolutely star-struck at the beauty of not only how it was arranged, but also of the pictures of the beautiful children and relatives. 

In the beginning, Doctor Treeves tries to prepare John for an interview. He tries to get John to memorize a Psalm from the Bible. At this point in the movie, it was assumed that John Merrick was unintelligible and illerat. This was excruciatingly false. Doctor Treeves brought in his director, who would be the one conducting the interview. John had been very nervous and stumbled over his words that he already had trouble enunciating. 


The Director politely leaves, talking to the Doctor outside. He had seen through the facade. However, John started reciting more than what he was taught from behind the door. It caught the attention of the Docter, “I hadn’t taught him that part” He said. When asked how he knew the rest of the Pslam, John said that it was his favorite and that he thought it was very beautiful.  

Near the end of the movie, an actress comes to his room, giving him a framed photo of herself John takes it, saying he needs to set it in a place of honor. He places it right next to a framed photo of his missing mother that lies on his bedside.

The point of what I’m saying is… Even in a world that looks upon him as if he is a monster, John Merrick finds the beauty in everything, and appreciates everything. I think one scene in this movie could sum up every moral that it told throughout the two-hour film. 

—–

Throughout the entire film, after he is brought to the hospital, we watch as John builds a cathedral out of boxes and other materials. He uses the cathedral out of his window as a reference. However, he can only see the very top, so he has to imagine the rest.

THIS PART DUDE!!!

HE CAN ONLY SEE THE SURFACE, THE VERY TIP OF THE ICEBERG IF YOU WILL, BUT HE DOESN’T STOP OR JUDGE IT, HE WANT’S TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND EXPLORE IT, AND GUHH!!!




This part sums up that we shouldn’t look at the tip of the iceberg and think we know everything. We shouldn’t call it quits and think we have the whole idea from just looking at the surface. We need to have an unbiased curiosity. A genuine intrest in people. 

I love this movie so much, I would strongly encourage everyone to watch it. Yes it’s filmed in black and white, but I think that helps with the atmosphere and time of the film. The story is filled with such detail and so much depth that I can’t help but watch it again. 

(p.s)
I just wanted to add a small bit about my favorite scene. After being kidnapped by the circus man, he escapes and runs away with the help of his friends who had also been titled “Freaks.”

He rides a boat and eventually finds himself at a train station. Where a series of events leads to him being chased into the men’s bathroom. Where he is crowded and surrounded by everyone, where he is once again on display for everyone to see. In the most desperate voice, that almost made me cry, he shouted,

 

Heres the Link to a Youtube Clip

“NO!”
“I AM NOT AN ANIMAL”
“I AM NOT AN ANIMAL”
“I AM A HUMAN BEING”

With shocked faces, the men look amongst themselves, then John faints, eventually taken by the police, and returned back to the hospital.

Thank you for reading! I hope this interests you enough to watch the film, it’s really a masterpiece. 

Before I sit down and write, there’s one word on my mind: snow. 

            Beep! 

            “Chunks of snow and frost tumble down from the disturbed hillsides. They’re sloped like mountains and could just as well hatch one. Like an egg tooth bursting from the rounded peak of its shell. Egg teeth are probably white, like snow. So, there’s egg teeth and frost tumbling down from cracked nests that are convex instead of concave. Not a very good nest, mama bird. Unless you’re looking to have them soar. The hillsides, I mean. The mountains are dead with that. But the hillsides reach higher than dead mountains, likely because the dead mountains are dead. You think a hillside could fly as long as it kept breathing?” 

            Dr. Faraday opens her mouth to speak, but she’s quickly cut off by the beep of an input and an automated voice. 

            Beep! 

            “—Don’t answer that. These are my words, the thought of you speaking makes my mouth itch. Prickle. It’s not going away. It’s like a tickle with nails but soft like a buzz, like the feeling from a fly zipping across your ear minus the fly inside your mouth, and you don’t flinch so much as cringe, which could make frost and teeth fall off your shoulders, which would make your shoulders hillsides. I don’t want birds on my shoulders. Those are mine. These are mine. I’m gonna sprout mountains from my hillsides to punt them off. Choke on the teeth in the sky.” 

            “Shut off the audio both ways.” 

            Beep! 

            “The s-” 

            The laboratory goes silent as a collective, save for the shuffling of individuals subconsciously moving closer to one another. The shuffling brings them further away from their creation, and it would be laughable if not for the enormity of the subject. A human brain, lab grown, hooked up to walls of monitors and tubes, sits in a small, square, see-through containment unit upon a pedestal. It is labeled ‘The Terrarium,’ by a fancifully penned sticky note. Dr. Faraday wrote it, and placed it, herself. 

            Still, nobody speaks. Someone in the back brings up a transcript of the brain’s conversation onto a large monitor. It is read, clear as day, silently, by all present. All at once: 

            “That’s a bit aggressive, right?” 

            “It’s making up sensations for itself.” 

            “Absolutely none of that made sense.” 

            “That sure is some data.” 

            “We made that.” 

            “Interesting…” 

            “Oh, man.” 

When I finally take the time to look up from my mind, I see a hundred different words alongside the simple starting point of ‘snow.’ 

Boy, did we drift off from snow. But I don’t dislike it. It’s raw, and might not make sense, but it was freeing to write, and likely influenced by the absolutely freezing air conditioner in front of me. It’s probably laden with other little bits like that. Little bits of me. In any case, it sparks ideas, and it was fun, and I think everyone needs to have some fun with their writing. There are the agonizing bits of writing, the joyous bits of writing, and what you get when you start off with the word ‘snow,’ then get paragraphs leading up to an ethical dilemma. Maybe the next time I simply want to write, I’ll sit down with the word ‘brain,’ and see where I’m taken. 

 

What’s up my beautiful lords and ladies and the stables folks in the back. Today’s blog is going to be something special. So, Me and Tiara, who didn’t want me to make this blog, are currently working on a big project right now and I wanted to share it with y’all.  

AKA:  I couldn’t think of anything to write and waited till the day before. 

So anyway! The thing that we are working on is a novel. Isn’t that exciting, it’s not for NaNoWriMo so don’t worry this is for just our own little fun. So, sit back and relax or whatever you do when you read these blogs and enjoy the ride. 

 

Welcome To Etherwind!!!  

    Long ago when the world was first created there were many different creatures that walked all over the land, many of them magical and others not. One day after a star fell out of the sky and on to a tree in the forest the power from this star caused a ripple that would in turn forever change life on Etherwind. From the tree a small being came out this creature had oak colored skin with pointy ears and when it touched the ground flowers and grass shot from the ground. The small beings looked around and when they noticed how damaged the tree looked from the impact of the star, they used their new power and brought the tree back but instead of the 40-foot oak tree it was before it became almost 100 feet tall. As the tree grew and grew the pointy eared creature noticed more beings coming out of the tree some looked like it, some with darker skin, and some with lighter skin.  

   On the other side of the world another miracle was happening. Dust from the fallen star sprinkles over an ocean and on the shore of a beach laid a creature who looked just like you and me. The being opened its eyes, which sparkled from the sun they walked around the beach the sand sticking to its feet and toes. When they got off the beach, they were met with the sight of vast land that stretched almost forever with pom trees and other plants and flowers. As thy looked around they missed as just as the small point eared creature more beings that looked like it came out of the sea, and they also took in their surroundings.  

   Lastly, on another side where the winds have a very cold bite many magical and nonmagical creatures, Werewolves, unicorns, foxes, bunnies, and others gather around a lake that was formed form the impact of the star’s fall. These animals gathered around the newly form lake and each took a sip. As each animal drank form the lake their bodies glowed, then one by one they were covered in a blinding yellow light. When the light cleared from all the animals, they could see that there weren’t really animals anymore. They now looked just like the other beings that came out of the ocean but there was something different about them. The creature who used to be a bunny could jump higher than normal. While then being that was once a phoenix has an unnatural heat coming of its body. 

 

After a while these beings bring new life to Etherwind as they learn how to live on the world. Even discovering each other. This doesn’t go over well at first but after hundreds and thousands of years they finally find peace with one another and live in harmony.  

 

Thank you for reading about this world that we created. I can’t wait to share more with y’all, but as of right now this is all we have. If you have any questions or comments don’t be afraid to leave them down below and I’ll answer as best, I can. Again, thanks for reading my blog today. 🙂 🤍🩵

Beneath The Bridge of Aberdeen

                                                           

The 90s was an incredible decade for music. Dozens of albums were made that will certainly outlast the test of time. Grace, Adrenaline, In Utero, The Color And The Shape, The Bends, OK Computer, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Siamese Dream,  Either/Or, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, and countless others. All these magnificent albums were made within the span of a few years, each one sure to outlast all of us through the course of time and musical history. The most amazing part about these albums is that even though they were made over two decades ago, generations from then and now can both relate to them. Newer generations are falling in love with music that their parents fell in love with.  It shows that bonding over music can’t be held to the laws of time. For instance, Nirvana is now a disbanded group after the tragic death of Kurt Cobain. Even now, decades after their last tour, they still have millions of monthly listeners from both newer and older generations. 

_______________________________________________

Nirvana quickly took the world by storm. With their debut album BLEACH, released in 1989. BLEACH is one of Nirvana’s lesser-known albums. It shows more of their hard-rock side. With more grungy and distorted songs.

Most people know Dave Grohl to be Nirvana’s drummer, however, this was not case for this album. Throughout Nirvana’s earlier years, they had a hard time keeping one drummer. Bob McFadden, their first drummer, only played for about a month. Then Aaron Burkhard, then their most regrettable, Chad Channing.

Kurt had said that Chad Channing had severe anger issues. He was hot-headed and just didn’t fit in with the other members.

Nevermind was recorded in 1991 with the help of Butch Vig as the producer.
Butch Vig has been a major help for famous artists like The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth. From interviews and articles, it is easy to tell he’s a master at his craft. Although Butch wasn’t the biggest fan of Kurt’s perfectionism, they appreciated each other’s hard work.

On September 24th, 1991, Nirvana released their sophomore album Nevermind. One of the most successful albums ever released. A severe lack of stock caused the album to be held in high demand. You would be lucky if you even found a copy months after its release. Everyone wanted it.

The Album held thirteen total tracks, one of which, was “Something In The Way” one of Nirvana’s slowest and softest songs. “Something In The Way” contains a quiet guitar, slow vocals, deep yet soft drums, and most surprising of all, a cello. The hit grunge band had shown that their talent far exceeded anyone’s expectations and proved they couldn’t be held to just one standard.

The lyrics behind this song talk about a boy, who lives beneath a bridge, traps animals, tames them, and makes them his pets. It talks about how he lives off the drippings from his ceiling and the grass that surrounds him. It also mentions that “It’s okay to eat fish, ‘cause they don’t have any feelings.” which could be assumed to mean that this boy might be against eating other kinds of animals.

Conflicting rumors have said that this song takes inspiration from Kurt Cobain’s personal life as
a young adult. He was kicked out of his house in 1983 for quitting high school two weeks before his graduation and wanting to pursue his passion for music. Contrary to what the rumors say, on multiple accounts, it’s been said that he often stayed with his friends, sleeping on their couches. It wasn’t until three years later, in 1986, that he got his first apartment.

During the recording of “Something In The Way” Kurt Cobain had been adamant about making this song perfect. Butch Vig said,

“‘Something In The Way’ was definitely the hardest track to record on Nevermind. After three or four takes on trying to cut it live in the main room, it just wasn’t happening. Kurt came into the control room out of frustration, sat on the couch and basically said it needed to sound like this. He laid on his back, he played his guitar, and he was barely singing. It was coming out at almost a whisper.”

He stopped Kurt, turned off all the fans in the room, put a microphone in front of him, and told him to just do what he had to do, and after three takes, they had the base of the song.  Kurt had wanted a cello’ in the song. However, it was the last day that they rented the studio. They began calling friends, asking if anyone could play the cello. Thankfully, one of their friends, Kirk Canning, who lived in LA at the time, was able to help them produce the last parts of the song. Contrary to how Butch felt, Kurt talked about how thankful he was for how easy the recording of “Something In The Way” had been. He compared it to Dominos, everything just fell into place.
Despite their personal beliefs and differences, they came together and created one of history’s most successful albums of all time. Forever to be remembered.

I’m gonna throw myself off the Empire State Building.

You ever find a show that like fully encompasses your person, like who you are as a character and a belief system? Well, I haven’t yet, but I got pretty close with the Cartoon Network show, Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart.

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart is a pseudo-action/anime/cartoon about the adventures of Mao Mao Mao, an aspiring “Hero” who has to protect the town of Pure Heart Valley. Because he crashed in to the Ruby Pure Heart, basically a magical force field for the kingdom that is now broken, monsters and villains threaten the kingdom on the daily as he fights alongside his “co-heroes” Adorabat and Badgerclops.

This show isn’t very complex at all—no more complex than season 1 Gravity falls! You don’t need a bible to understand it’s lore. But even if it’s not, it’s still surprising. I could talk on and on about what I want to follow in this show and all the things that impress me but man.

For one, the main characters are absolutely standout. You can tell they’re such strong reflections of real life, mixed with the absolute absurdity of just this world, like. There’s the Sweetie Pies which are basically glorified Muppets and then you have Badgerclops and Mao Mao, just sort of two normal guys?? And Adorabat’s an absolute freak of nature, it’s amazing. There’s compilations of her character where all she does is scream, she is genuinely unhinged in the most inhuman ways possible, and at the same time, she’s just a regular nine-year-old (but the show states that’s she’s five. So.)

We’ll get to Mao Mao and what I like about him, but I’ve edited this multiple times, I’m on my third, and I haven’t talked about Badgerclops once. It’s a little surprising if I’m honest. He’s a pretty swell character and perfect for a “straight man” archetype, but in the same way, he’s also undeniably batshit. Like if you don’t know what it is, I’d recommend looking into what a straight man in comedy is, but he’s so funny. Like if Mao Mao’s unfriendly, he’s an absolute asshole. It’s fantastic.

This show also blends comedy and sincerity in such a captivating way. Like bear with me here, but it’s reminiscent of LEGO Batman. Have you seen how that movie uses comedy? It fully engrosses you in the scene with just how bizarre and weird it is and then gutpunches you with lore. They play their cards right because it’s not in your face, it’s really sparingly used. But when this show does lore, it can get really beautiful. And with the animation to accompany it? Holy hell man. I can point to several scenes that absolutely make me lose my mind, but my chest would hurt to describe them. Shout out to Small.

And back onto the characters, I mentioned the Sweetie Pies, but there are some real of side characters here, some of the funniest I’ve seen on television. The Sky Pirates? Changed the game. I see them on screen, and I think, Oh Man, This is Gonna Be Good. Even if the episode isn’t that funny, they still shine 9/10 (even more than that, probably.) In fact, most of the unfunny episodes they Elevate. Pinky is a similar monster of just being a disgusting mess of a creature, who shouldn’t even get to call himself an animal, a really good use of absurd comedy.

This show has some kickass themes by the way, absolutely stellar storytelling.

There’s a big theme of identity in the show—who you are to other people, to who you want to be, and yourself as a whole. God, it’s so good! Mao Mao struggles a lot with the person he is and the person he wants to be. Who are you without these things, who do people think you are? Who do you want to be? Do you love themes of self-relationship which a character who needs to constantly relearn it? Well, they got it!

Another massive theme of the show is family: specifically between Mao Mao, his old family, and his new family. Mentoring and “fathering” overlap in stories like these, but Adorabat is fundamental to his character and his growth across the story. Mao Mao adopts a fatherly dynamic with Adorabat by like the second episode they know each other. Hilarious. (Shout out episode: “Adoradad” for unrelated reasons.)

And you can tell through his dynamic with her, he’s trying to be a good influence on her. The thing is, he’s not perfect at it. They want the same thing: to become a HERO. But being a “hero” as much as it is a storytelling device as it is a metaphor. Because what Mao Mao believed he needed to be a hero, isn’t the same as what applies to Adorabat. And that changes things. And Mao Mao is wrong about a lot of things.

How Mao Mao was raised affects him greatly—it’s pretty much hammered into you throughout the show. He’s crazy paranoid; chases glory, fame, and attention; and cannot admit failure or defeat no matter the obstacle in his path. He goes to therapy! Really! And he still turns out wrong 90% which I think is pretty good. A lot of the things he believes are wrong as much as they are right. But teaching Adorabat, he realizes he needs to challenge these things about himself and maybe what it means to be a hero altogether.

I can’t look you in the eyes and tell you this is some of the best on television because that’s subjective. But it’s funny, heartwarming, action-packed, and has a great story to tell. So if you’re looking for something to sit down with and have some fun with, I can’t recommend it enough.

 

Unfortunately, this show only got one season. And I’m forever going to be as bitter as probably a [joke redacted] but I’m glad it got a chance where it did.

And with even more unfortunate news, is not on any streaming services! Or network channels! The story is messy and convoluted as it always is, but you cannot find it on MAX or Netflix, and Amazon Prime does have it, but I don’t know if you want to pay $120 for 40 episodes of television but hey. So, I can’t recommend you to sail the seven seas, but I will emphasize to you that the only place you can watch this show makes you pay $2.99 per individual episode. 🦜🏴‍☠️

 

 

Oh my God, the entire show is a pun on the phrase, “My dad is my hero.” I’m gonna go get a drink.

I open up to a blank page, document, note, and begin to write. My typing is faster than my mind and my mind is faster than my typing, but there are still words, and I’m still writing. My handwriting is messy and overly spaced, but so is my mind, and I’m still writing. Even if I may loathe the outcome, at the end of the day, it’s still writing. 

Journaling, though at times a battle to start, is entirely worthwhile. I am no expert at it, but if there is an expert at something as personal as journaling, I think I’d furrow my brow. The entire point of journaling is to write, well or not, about anything you want. A journal for you and you only, so you can really make it whatever you want. I use mine with no theme involved. The pages hold whatever is on my mind. Still, even with how free a journal is, I have found some advice and collected some experience that helps, because ironically the hardest part of writing a journal is the writing part. You can know it’s supposed to be messy and whatever you want, but it’s difficult to stay true to something so undefined. Freedom in messiness lets you discover more things about yourself, and that’s daunting, but immensely helpful. You can think more clearly once your thoughts are on the page instead of on the brain. 

One piece of advice I have found helpful is to write notes anywhere, everywhere, and on anything. Take that napkin from a restaurant and turn it into a notepad, then copy it down in your journal if you feel like it. You can also cut out bits from notepads, worksheets, sketchbook pages, etc., and glue them into your journal. Heck, stick entire sticky notes in there. It’s fun. The more chaotic your journal is, the easier it is to write chaotically in it. 

Telling yourself to write chaotically and messily can still leave you with the itchy feeling that you’re performing a task wrong. You become all too aware of every sentence you can reword, every punctuation mark you should put, the reading speed of your words. I find it helps to turn this into a more solid challenge. Challenge yourself to write with absolutely no punctuation, making the lack of punctuation undeniably the point, and only cast a glance at the last word you wrote if you must. Messiness goes from something you feel like you should be doing to something more fun with a mysterious outcome. 

Don’t confine your journal to only words. For me, my journal serves the purpose of writing every day, but I still draw in it. Journals are creative outlets where any urge you can fit on a page goes. You don’t even have to be good at drawing or writing if you think you aren’t. From the stone age to the day you’re reading this, humans from early ages have indulged in finger painting and writing and warbling tunes. It is human nature to create, and nobody has the right to say you must be good at it to do it. You, Picasso, and the people who drew on cavern walls are all united in the act of creation. That is good. Things can be good, messy, and upsetting. Go wild. 

Journaling, though at times a battle to start, is entirely worthwhile. I hope this helps you with your journaling joys and endeavors. There are still many ways to journal, and experimenting with different methods reveals different results for everyone. Even if these methods don’t spark a fire for you, keep messing around with all sorts of things. You’ll get there.