1. Maybe Aria and Ezra shouldn’t be together, but neither Jason nor Jake were right for her either. With Jake, the point is furthered in the many moments that they just don’t have the same chemistry. Arts and culture was always so important to Aria, and there were so many moments where he neglected that under the guise of “not being too similar.” Jason’s incompatibility was a lot less obvious, but he still just wasn’t… right for her. And don’t even get me started on Wes…
2. Besides Toby, Spencer’s most compatible match was Alex, all the way from Season One. Remember the guy from the country club? Yeah, he was absolutely right for her. He wasn’t afraid of her ambition, wasn’t put off by her attitude, anything. I doubt he would have been able to handle everything the Liars went through, but he was definitely a good match.
3. Spencer is the most well-developed character. In other movies and TV shows, the typical “rich kids” have no depth beyond their wealth or status. Especially in the first few seasons, she had so many things going on that were unrelated– things like her warped relationship with her sister, her parents, academics, even down to her priorities and goals. Yes, she always got what she wanted that could be bought, but she also gained things for herself by never giving up when she needed answers.
4. Ezra’s “tell-all book” was singlehandedly the worst plot point of the entire series, second only to the series finale. Up until this point, Ezra’s involvement with Aria was connected to one moment: their meet at the bar. He had no idea how old she was, he had no idea he was going to be her teacher, and there was no prior involvement that could be pinned to immoral intentions. The book through all of that out of the window, and I will never forgive the writers for that.
5. Not exactly controversial, but I would say that the series finale is one of the worst in TV history. I’m not even an avid consumer of media, and I still recognized that the whole “evil twin” and “twisted branches of the family tree” was a wreck of trying to tie loose ends but fraying even more.
6. Mike doesn’t get enough credit for his role throughout the series. He did so many things to take care of Aria and keep their family together, even when he didn’t exactly own up to it. He didn’t want to punch Ezra when their parents found out about their relationship, but he did anyways, because he knew that Byron was close to losing it. After one of his teammates spread a heavy rumor about Aria, it is heavily implied that he’s the culprit for bashing his car.
7. Noel Kahn was such a poorly developed character. It never seemed like he had as much involvement with Alison as any of the other characters did, but when things happened, they were just kind of… pinned on him.
8. Garrett Reynolds could have been so much more of a traitor than he really was, and I don’t think the writers took advantage of that. The Liars trusted him at first, especially because he was a childhood friend. He could have been the two-faced, backstabbing cop that was part of the ultimate betrayal, and he just wasn’t. He was another pawn in Jenna’s game, one that she wasn’t even playing with a strategy.
9. Hanna’s most prominent trait is her loyalty. Throughout the series, she stays true to Caleb, the other Liars, and most importantly, her mother. She was more than willing, without hesitation, to confess to a murder so that her mom could come home. She was dramatic and had her priorities out of whack sometimes, but she was an amazing friend, partner, and daughter.
10. Paige was THE WORST long-term partner that any of the Liars had. She tried to drown Emily at the start, then continued to be an obsessive crush and girlfriend throughout the whole series. Anywhere Emily went, Paige had to follow. It wasn’t even in a cute puppy dog kind of way, it genuinely felt like she never had anything better to do with her life than be with Emily. Even worse than an awful person, she was awfully written. She was nearly useless the entire time.

So, taking the ACT is a common and dreaded occurrence for any high school student. We’ve all done it, and chances are most of us will do it again and again. It’s an awful, grueling, tedious, mind-numbing thing to sit through, and I’m sure we’d all rather be doing literally anything else. Waste of time and undeserved determinant of college acceptance aside, the ACT test does, believe it or not, provide a thing of beauty. 

That thing is silence. Now, it might not be fully appreciated unless you’re someone who gets done early and has to sit there twiddling your thumbs. Frankly, I think most of us are to stressed by the test itself to ever even perceive the environment unless it’s during one of those lulls between tests. However, it’s in those moments of involuntary inactivity that the beauty of the space is observable. 

Whenever I’m sitting in that quiet, somber, still room with nothing but my thoughts, I find that, should I be able to keep them from dreading whatever test comes next in the sequence, they can go anywhere. It’s a wonderous thing to experience, on the rare occasions it happens.

Just today, I looked around at the junior class and I could swear that, for a moment, I could see the thoughts of the other students in the room with me. They were all kinds of things: bright, bursting, colorful things that were arcing and streaking above the multi-toned heads of the people leaning over test booklets around me. It was a wonderful thought to have, and I may even make it into a poem, but I know it can never be a full story. So, I brought it here to you, blog world. 

I figured, since everyone who will read this likely just sat through the same experience as me, I should share this little slice of wonder I discovered today. It isn’t much, but it kept me from going insane among pi calculations and scientific graphs, so maybe, just maybe, it can help you, too. 🙂 

Until next time! 

Sincerely, an imaginative ACT victim. 

I am sure that many of my friends know by now that one of my favorite shows of all time is New Girl. I actually wasn’t planning on making a blog about New Girl any time soon, but I got inspired last week when Jordan posted her ranking of the characters of the show (go check it out if you haven’t already). I actually have been watching the show since I was young and have always taken a liking to a particular character – Nick Miller.

Now, I’m sure that people reading this blog who are also a fan of the show are thinking, ‘Nick?’ Yes. I have loved Nick Miller since I was a wee little New Girl stan. Not for all of the reasons that you may thing. Not because of his lazy, slouchy look or his allergic to affection attitude – although those are small factors. So, I figured that with this blog I would compile some of the reasons why I love this character so much!

1. his endlessly quotable moments

“I’d give you a hug, but my shirt smells pretty weird today.”

“I’m not convince I know how to read; I’ve just memorized a lot of words.”

“Adele’s amazing.” (hehe)

“I like getting older. It’s like I am finally aging into my personality.” (felt that one)

2. he’s a writer

Okay, yes, his book may have sucked, but he wrote it! I feel like Nick’s passion for writing is glossed over most of the time. Yes, he did take a ridiculously long amount of time to write a book that was- not that great, but he was dedicated to it! Which is a big deal for Nick who is well-known for his commitment issues. 

3. king of being realistic

In the show, oddly, Nick is sometimes the voice of reason. He is usually the one who brings Jessica’s bubbly attitude down to a safe level of dreamy. Often he calls out when Jess’s positivity gets the best of her and leads her into situations that she gets stuck in. I don’t know, I just really like the idea of the “bummy friend being the voice of reason in situations. 

Anyways, those were just some of the reasons why I love Nick Miller. I was thinking about starting a series of these for each New Girl main character… but who knows what I’ll write next week!

— A 

hey, blog! i don’t know what this is, really. it’s essentially an excerpt from a morning pages exercise based on a conversation i recently had which made me question my views on guilt. this is it. yikes.

what do you do when someone you think of as family betrays you? maybe it isn’t really a betrayal. she doesn’t mean anything by it, and you know that. you have no right to be hurt by her friendship with an innocent person. but what do you do when that innocent person is an extension of the most disgusting creature on this earth? what do you do when the person who claims to love you also loves that which kills you? guilt by association is a nasty stigma, and the mind clings to it like a vice. but is that so wrong? there has to be a certain level of culpability for associating yourself with evil. evil by proxy? not necessarily. guilty of ignorance? absolutely. how should one confront the friend of the friend of their enemy? worse, how does one confront the family of the friend of the enemy? the family of the family of the enemy? and if that family (by the absolute simplest of definitions) is also your family? it’s a filthy cycle full of confused people who must choose a side. and if they don’t, the natural assumption is that they just don’t care.  lots of times, they don’t. if it doesn’t affect them and if the friendship benefits them, why care what feelings other people have? me, me, me. my, my, my. who cares if it hurts people who love me? who cares if they love me at all? it’s exhausting. explaining to adults why bad people are bad. why people who excuse bad behavior are bad. why they are one of those people. especially when it’s someone you love like your own family. it’s hard to see a monster through the eyes of a child, and even harder to recognize that monster as a friend.

 

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https://www.peopleinneed.net/donate/once?amount=1000&accountId=7

https://redcross.org.ua/en/donate/

https://www.inquirer.com/philly-tips/ukraine-charities-donate.html

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! This week we’ll be going back to Batman and talking about the infamous villains instead of the sidekicks. Most if not all of these characters are terrible people who have done terrible things that are FICTIONAL. I would not condone any of these actions in a real-life setting. Anyways, let’s get right into the blog.

5. The Riddler

Personally, I don’t think he is one of the most dangerous. However, I think that he is one of the most entertaining to witness in action. His witty wording and his exciting traps that Batman has to figure out are some of my favorites. Another thing that I really like about The Riddler is that he usually has a funky voice in any media that he is in. Recently I have watched the animated movie Batman: Hush, in which the identity of Hush changed from the comics to Edward Nygma, also known as the Riddler. That whole plot made me have a new understanding and appreciation for The Riddler.

4. Bane

Bane, also known as the man who “broke the bat” or, more specifically, the bat’s spine, is one of the more physically challenging villains that Batman has to face. Some versions of Bane have venom as his primary power source, like in Batman and Robin, but in other movies like The Dark Knight Rises, he is just a powerful guy with a face mask needed to conceal some of the unbearable pain caused by the prisoners of the pit. I enjoy watching Bane on screen, whether venom or pure strength, making him so dangerous. His strength and usage of his environment make him a great challenger for Batman.

3. Scarecrow

Scarecrow has always been one of my favorite DC villains in general. I love the whole concept of his character, but some of my preferred portrayals of Dr. Johnathan Crane would have to be in the DC live-action series Gotham and the video game Batman: Arkham Knight. His power or weapon is a fear toxin that he can spray or inject into his victims, causing them to be bombarded by hallucinations of their worst fears. This either causes them to get literally scared to death, traumatized, or in some cases, if the victim can overcome their fear, it makes the victim stronger.

2. Catwoman

Catwoman is one of the more beloved and famous antagonists of Batman because sometimes she ISN’T an antagonist. Occasionally Catwoman, also known as Selina Kyle, is a love interest of Batman or Bruce Wayne, or both of them simultaneously. This relationship helps Batman in many situations, but it also hinders him in others. For example, if other villains find out that they are together or that Batman has feelings for her, they will use that against him. An example of this would be in the video game Batman: Arkham City, where Two-Face kidnaps Catwoman to lure Batman in to save her.

1. The Joker

The clown prince of crime couldn’t be in any other spot. The Joker is probably most DC fans’ favorite villain for many reasons. One, he is actually pretty funny sometimes. The Joker is the mix of everything a fantastic villain should have. For example, he is hilarious, has super interesting weapons, is actually intelligent when it comes to some things, has no mercy, and has a posse that will stand behind him no matter what. Even though he usually lacks much physical strength or chooses to use weapons instead, he can still get away with a lot of crimes without punishment.

Thank you guys for reading my blog this week! I hope you enjoyed and make sure to keep an eye out for next week’s edition! <3

howdy, and welcome to the scrap blog! i didn’t have much inspiration for new content this week, but i did have an idea i thought was neat–sharing an unfinished piece of work. a scrap. the scrap i’m including here is something i started writing during the holiday season and abruptly stopped for reasons i honestly don’t remember. it isn’t a piece that i’m particularly proud of, but it is special to me because of where i was in life when i wrote it. keep in mind that it will end pretty abruptly, as i stopped writing it abruptly. without further introduction, this is “grief counseling”!

The lights from the tree were uncomfortably bright to George’s eyes, and he turned away to avoid them, instead observing his unfamiliar surroundings. Beige walls covered in posters with positive affirmations, a circle of seats occupied by equally average individuals, and a pot of coffee growing cold on a fold-out card table that held stale donuts. Just as he thought he was going to fall asleep from the boredom, the man in the center of the circle spoke up.

“Hello, everyone! We’re glad to have you all here. I understand that the holiday season can be a very difficult time for people, and I would like you all to know that I’m proud of you for seeking help and community. I see that we have a new face here in our friendly circle! What is your name, sir?” he asked, his eyes locking with George’s for an awkward length of time.

“Um… George. George Silva.”

“Hello, George!” the group said in eerie unison.

“Hello,” he replied, somewhat put off by the display.

“It’s very nice to meet you, George. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you’re here?”

“All right,” he replied hesitantly. “I’m a history teacher. I’m from Memphis. I’m here because… well, I’m here because of my daughter.”

“When did she pass?” the man in the middle asked, and George saw that his name tag read “Paul”.

“Oh, she didn’t. Lizzy’s fine. I’m here because she forced me to come. I don’t normally do this kind of thing.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘this kind of thing’?” Paul asked.

“Well, you know… things where a bunch of folks gather around and talk about feelings. It’s not something I’d normally do.”

“And that’s perfectly fine. Many people are apprehensive about group counseling, but I can assure you that if you give it a chance, you can see real benefits. Now, would you mind telling us why you’re daughter insisted on you seeking help?”

“My wife. She… passed away this summer.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that. How did she pass, if you’re comfortable telling us?”

“Car accident. It was very sudden. I guess my daughter figures I’m having a tough time with it.”

“Are you?”

“Well, sure. Of course I am. My wife’s car burst into flames on a random Tuesday- I’d think that would be enough to leave anybody broken up,” he said in a harsh tone.

“I’d say so. I’m very sorry. I’d also like for you to know that your aggression about the subject is perfectly normal and healthy. It makes you one step closer to working through your feelings. Tell me, how do you feel about the approaching holiday? I know that the first one without the loved one is often extremely difficult.”

well… there she is. i might pick up on this piece again, and i might not. but i have a deep connection to the characters in this scrap, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart <3

 

 

The other day I went to eat lunch at a new restaurant near me. One of the drawing factors of this restaurant was the little robot that brought appetizers to the table. (Great marketing by the way.) Of course, I ordered an appetizer that was delivered by the cute little robot that was programmed to greet you.  And although I should have just been enjoying the experience, of course, my first thought? “I should post this!” 

The reasoning behind why? I really have no clue. There was no value to the post I would have made other than showing people the dumplings being brought to me by a small robot… the more I think about it, the sillier I feel. I’ve noticed myself doing this on many, many occasions. Instead of my first thought during an exciting event being, “Wow, I am so glad I get to experience this.” it more times than not is “Wow, I should post this.” 

— And I hate it. I hate that I feel the need to do more than just experience the moment. But there is also the other side of that argument, which is I enjoy the experience I am having so much that I feel the need to share it with others. 

Recently, I have been kind of thinking over what I am actually feeling in those moments before my finger hovers over the post button. Do I just want to share with others? or Am I doing this for others?  In this day and age, posting our lives is almost a natural instinct to most people. Even in the older generations, facebook has become like a scrapbook for us to document almost every moment of our lives. Which makes me think about how much of the things we post we have actually experienced.

But of course, not all posting is related to sharing our own lives. There are forms of web sharing that can really make a difference. The internet can give you opportunities to support communities you would have otherwise never known of. The ability to share is something that I don’t want us as humans to take lightly. 

So next time I go to instantly share a part of my life, I want to keep in mind the notion that sharing everything isn’t always as valuable as living it.