Okay, I am trying not to make my blogspace presence completely revolve around my hobbies, but I was just listening to the older BTS albums (as one does), and I couldn’t help but feel inspired to tell my fellow blog-spacers why their album, Skool Luv Affair, is my favorite. So bear with me as I elaborate on my obsession with this album by giving some descriptions of my favorite songs on it. 🙂 

5. Just One Day

This. Song. I am sure that every BTS fan has had an obsession with this song at one point or another. The beautiful vocals and raps throughout it just make listening to the song so enjoyable. Overall this song is just an amazing song, which is why there isn’t much more I can say. 

4. Boy in Luv

Another staple in the Bangtan Sonyeondan fan experience, this song is just too good. The beats in the song make it so fun, not to mention the raps in it. J-Hope’s iconic ‘Hakuna Matata’ in the song is always stuck in my head. I also find it kind of funny that the lyrics are basically just flirting with a girl and acting all tough when, at that time, BTS was rocking this style: 

3. Jump 

Ok. If you are familiar with BTS, you probably already know why I am obsessed with this song. Not only V’s iconic lines, but also the whole Jump performance makes this song one of my favorites to watch and listen to. Although the choreography and musicality of this song are some reasons why I love it, my favorite effect of this song is the “V” line. Because of Taehyung’s iconic lines in the song, a common occurrence when hearing the stage name is to completely blurt out his part of the song.  

The “V” Occurence lol:

2. Spine Breaker

This song is genius. The lyrics and every part of how it is set up is just so well planned. In the lyrics a jacket is mentioned, and the translated lyric exactly is “With shoes worth a couple hundred, padded jacket worth a couple thousand.” This lyric is calling out the societal standards in  Korean school and how the brand of padded jackets is a common indicator of social status there. The song then proceeds to call out the capitalistic ideals that society holds and how detrimental they are to the youth’s perception of “Wealth.” Overall this song is such a good call out to the world, and even though it was written in 2014, it still relates to the world today. 

1. Tomorrow 

Although I do indeed love the lyrics of this song too, I primarily am obsessed with how it sounds. Not only the vocals, but the backing vocals, ad-libs, rap, and most of all the electric guitar in the background. This song is just so different from most of their other songs in the ways in which it was produced and everything about it. The lyrics also talk about the common feeling of life when you feel as if you aren’t doing anything important. Really, this song is just one of my favorite styles of songs.

Anyways, that is it for this blog. I know K-Pop might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so if you have made it this far I applaud you! 🙂  

Hello everyone! This week I wanted to introduce a new series I’ll be doing on my blog. Every time a new horror movie comes out (that’s pretty popular) I will watch it and do a review on it about the things that I liked and didn’t like. I’ll give it a rating at the bottom of the review. Keep in mind that every time I do one of these blogs there will be spoilers and my opinion (duh.) Anyways, this week we’ll be reviewing the new addition to the Halloween series: Halloween Kills.

                                                     HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay, I’m gonna be honest and say that I was sooooo excited for this movie. As all huge horror movie fans know, Michael Myers is one of the most popular guys out in the horror genre and when the news came out of ANOTHER movie, some of us were happy and some of us just wanted to let the series die. I was one of those people who were super excited. I mean how can you not be? This is one of my mother and I’s favorite series. I’m always open to new additions to the story as long as they’re well-made. I’m looking at you Halloween II. Enough on that though. Let’s get into the review.

I just watched it last night so everything is fresh in my mind. I’ll start with the iconic opening theme, gosh it’s so addictive. My mother and I listen to it in the car multiple times, and I am currently listening to it as I write this. Anyways, in the beginning of the movie with the opening screen with that oh-so-familiar font, they played the theme song and it was just slightly different (in a good way.) Moving onto the movie, I thought it was super cool how they connected timelines of all of the characters including the cop from the first movie, Laurie of course, Tommy who was the boy Laurie was babysitting in the first movie, Lonnie who survived an encounter with Michael when he was a kid and he also turned out to be Cameron’s father. I thought that was a nice twist until they both died. They also had Marion Chambers, another lady who was a nurse that survived an encounter with Michael, Sheriff Bracket whose daughter was murdered by Michael. That daughter was also the babysitter of Lindsey Wallace, another survivor of Michael (until this movie.) All of these connections helped me piece the storylines together and it was just a great addition to the movie, it was so fun to realize that these people were all connected in one way or another.

Now for Michael. I mentioned in one of my previous blogs how this dude JUST WON’T DIE. He comes back like two times this movie. I liked this because it keeps in line with the set circumstances, though they changed some things about Michael that I just didn’t like. For example, in one of the flashbacks, they made him RUN. Michael doesn’t run. He has a steady walk. Though my mom tried to tell me it was just a “lunge.” Even if it was, it just seemed off to me. They also changed his motive which was also really weird to me. I always thought that his motive was to kill his family members which is why he always targeted his sister Laurie. He also went after his niece Karen(who he actually killed this movie but I’ll get to it later,) his OTHER niece Jamie who died in a car accident off-screen, Jamie’s foster sister was also killed, he attempted to kill Allyson his grand-niece but also fails, and of course, killed his sister Judith at the beginning of the very first movie. Even though that sets up his motive so well, this movie tried to say that he wasn’t after his family at all, but his home??? Which was like- what? Makes no sense to me.

There was hardly anything that I didn’t like about the movie, but there were just some scenes in the movie that bothered me. I’m not sure if the director wanted to pull that emotion from the watchers but whether he meant to or not it sure was there. There was a scene in the hospital where the mob thought that one of the other escaped mental patients was Michael. They swarmed him and eventually, he got too scared and jumped out of the hospital to his death because of the mob trying to kill him. Although it was a realistic reaction from the mob, I don’t see that this situation had anything to do with the storyline. It didn’t have any reason to be there other than to fill the time on the movie. Yeah, they said something along the lines of “Now Michael’s turned us all into monsters” but that didn’t carry on to anything else so in turn it was not needed and the time spent on that could be better used on different scenes.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie was when the mob had finally got Michael cornered. They beat him and beat him, but we ALL know that that isn’t gonna keep this guy down (as per my other blog on how to beat him.) Funnily enough, I like to see Michael just go all out. It showcases what kind of villain he really is and for me, it’s just really enjoyable to watch. So, in this scene, the mob thinks that they’ve got him down and dead, that is until he gets back up again and starts kicking butt. I love to watch Michael fight because he is just merciless and so strong. On the other hand, he ended up killing Karen (his niece) which was SO unexpected for me. It also leaves the night open for another movie, which I will always welcome. I can’t wait to see what Laurie does once she finds out that Michael killed her daughter. My prediction for the next movie is that Laurie finally ends up putting an end to Michael (preferably by decapitation.)

Rating: 9/10 >:) 

Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope you get to enjoy this movie as much as I did! Regardless of the things I mentioned earlier, this movie was really well-made and enjoyable for everyone! 

i will never forget the first time i heard the mystical voice of miss dusty springfield. i was about thirteen and utterly obsessed with the newman ballad, “i think it’s going to rain today”. the lyrics spoke to me in a way i had never experienced before, and i was searching for a version in which the vocals matched up. this was when i discovered dusty. her cover of this song is one of the most intimate, emotional takes on another artist’s words that i have ever heard, and only dusty can achieve this level of mastery.

dusty had one of the most unique, striking voices i have ever heard. she was smoky and soulful, but tenderness and truth rolled from her lips like honey. each perfect note is absolutely mesmerizing, and when her sound cuts through the air, one can’t help but stop and listen. dusty drew inspiration from the beauties of her time, donning a bleached beehive and heavy makeup that accentuated her naturally gorgeous features. her elegance and flair made for a truly revolutionary woman and artist.

dusty had an incredibly fascinating personal life. to me, she is easily one of the most interesting, complex musicians of all time. naturally, she was far from perfect. dusty suffered from extreme mental illness and addiction, but ultimately, she will forever be known for the music she graced us with. her story is quite tragic in many ways, dealing with more heartbreak than most. however, her legacy continues to inspire many artists. though she isn’t particularly well-known in the u.s. today, she is known as one of the most influential female artists in british history, highly acclaimed by many. her history of advocacy and activism for animal and human rights is a fascinating contrast to her mysterious nature.

i highly recommend giving her music a listen, particularly if you are a fan of soulful music from the 60s. a few of my favorites are “i think it’s going to rain today” (obviously), “you don’t have to say you love me”, and “son of a preacher man”. below, i included the link to some articles that taught me more about this complex, troubled, talented woman, and i highly encourage you to check them out! learning about the life, love, and legacy of dusty springfield has been fascinating, and i will forever be inspired by her artistry.

to close, i’d like to include a beautiful quote about dusty’s magic as a performer. simon napier-bell told the observer, “There, standing on the staircase at Philips studio, singing into the stairwell, Dusty gave her greatest ever performance – perfection from first breath to last, as great as anything by Aretha Franklin or Sinatra or Pavarotti. Great singers can take mundane lyrics and fill them with their own meaning. This can help a listener’s own ill-defined feelings come clearly into focus. Vicki [Wickham] and I had thought our lyric was about avoiding emotional commitment. Dusty stood it on its head and made it a passionate lament of loneliness and love.”

Dusty Springfield – Wikipedia

How Dusty Springfield made a remarkable comeback – BBC Culture

 

Dark Academia 8/10

Honestly, if you don’t like this aesthetic I don’t trust you. The color scheme in this is so pleasing to look at. My favorite thing about this one is the incorporation of different shades of brown. Just looking at it makes me feel smarter. I like that it has a sense of historical feel to it while still looking very modern. I recommend using very classy type of jewelry with this style like small pearls and diamonds. Basically something that not too sparkly or out there. Also try to add subtle color blocking, because it helps with dimensions.

Indie Pop 6.5/10

This is one of the most vibrant aesthetics I’ve come across. I personally am an all black and dark colors kind of girl, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate this beautiful style choice. The colors in this aesthetic helps to bring more attention to the fits, if that makes sense. I’d like to think that a lot these styles were inspired by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. A lot of his artwork incorporate bright and vibrant colors that you wouldn’t think fit together. It is really beautiful to admire much like this aesthetic here. With this style I suggest being minimalistic because the colors do enough. Pick bright contrasting, complementing colors and wear colorful jewelry. Add a painted or denim tote bag and your fit is complete.

Grunge 12/10

If you see me in any color other than black, then I probably didn’t have anything to wear. I relate to this aesthetic so much because it like a literal reflection of my personality. If you look in my closet right now you’ll probably be met with 15 different shades of black and maybe like a splash of color in the back. Even though the color scheme is very limited, my favorite thing to do is play with color. For instance, I’ll pick out a graphic tee that has a splash of red in it and pair it with denim or black pants. Next, I’ll add a pair of red shoes with silver jewelry. Sometimes I don’t like wearing jewelry because it can get in the way, so what I’ll do is add a chain to my pants instead. I am a strong believer that you should not only accessorize yourself, but your clothes also. All this to say, play with color.

Jooncore 1000000/10

This style has to be my absolute favorite and not just because Joon is my bias. I’ve always loved earth tone colors and he has a way of incorporating them so well. His fashion taste is a reflection of his personality and I love to see that in style pieces. Like I said before this style has a lot of earth tones such as white, beige, sage, moss, and crocodile greens with small hints of black. I think these colors go together very well with gold jewelry. Gold still plays into that earth theme, but it also contrasts against the colors making it stand out even more. Honestly, color-blocking clothes is the best way to style this. Also collared shirts and layering adds more dimension to this style.

Street Fashion 3000000/10

I mostly dress like this which why I love this style so much. This style has a lot of big graphic tees, baggy pants, biker shorts, and basketball shorts, which is something I can appreciate. Another thing I love about this type of aesthetic is the use of big chunky shoes. When I first got into fashion, the first thing I bought were a pair of white, chunky Fila. No matter what kind of outfit I had on, those shoes would go with it so well. So if you plan on getting into this type of style, make sure you have a good pair of chunky shoes. Another tip I would recommend is to have a variety of long solid color socks. This is really good for adding an extra accessory to more summer styles.  What also makes this style so perfect is that fact that it doesn’t have a color scheme. However, it can also make the process of creating an outfit more difficult. You have to see what colors work best with what and what makes it stand out. You can use any kind of solid color jewelry with this style, but I personally love big silver chains. Use all of your resources and add a hat to your fit and maybe a big or slender pair of shades. If you would like to layer, make sure whatever you put on top of your graphic tee is open. For me the shirt makes the fit and if you cover it up then it’s not really street fashion anymore. However, if your jacket is your centerpiece wear a solid color shirt underneath so it won’t take away from it, but PLEASE leave it open.

Hello and welcome back. This is the final part of this series and I’m so excited to share these with you. I want to put a disclaimer because these two movies are very gruesome, which in turn means that the means of escape are probably also gruesome. I won’t be super graphic, but this is your final warning. Reader discretion is advised. Anyways, lets go ahead and start. The chances of survival for these two are EXTREMELY low.

 

2. Leatherface and the towns people (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) 

Okay um… guys, I don’t know how to tell you this but you’re probably not getting out of this alive if you’re there alone. The chances are low… but never zero. Let’s start out with our regular analysis of our enemies. Yes, we have more than one enemy here. The entire community in this Texan town is in on this whole murder cult thing they got going on. That means you can’t trust anyone you meet there. Leatherface will be your primary predator though. As most villains do, he has some weaknesses that we can exploit. The mask of skin he wears probably doesn’t let him have the best vision, so our chances of being seen by him are low if we find a good hiding spot. He carries around this big ole chainsaw which cannot be easy to carry or run with, especially in crowded places. He is more likely to injure himself than you in those situations because you will not be carrying a chainsaw, but something small like a knife or a lead pipe. Speaking of weapons, I think that the best weapon in this scenario would be a tire iron. These are usually made of steel and are formed in an ‘X’ formation. They look like this:

This one in particular has a sharp side on one of the ends. Let’s hope that we get this type so we have more than one way to survive an attack from him. Let me explain to you why this is the most suitable weapon to counter a chainsaw. The chainsaw used by Leatherface is just a regular one and it has no metal reinforcements meaning that it cannot cut through the steel. The formation of the tire iron is also very advantageous. We can hold it up if we are pinned down and keep our hands safe from the chainsaw as it would be stuck between the other two edges. From there we can manage to keep the chainsaw in that one spot and carefully work the tire iron to the tip of the chainsaw. The point of least control for Leatherface. We can push the iron upwards from that one spot and get the chainsaw blade to go back at Leatherface. If it doesn’t reach him it at least gives you some time to get up and start running away again. Whatever you do, DO NOT contact any of the townspeople for help. If you get away just keep running until you find the nearest town that seems normal. Find the police and then inform them of the issue. Then that leads to the FBI getting in on it which would indefinitely shut down that town of freaks. If you fail to find a weapon or if you get caught, I’m sorry to say this but you have no hope here.

Chance of survival: 5%

1. Jigsaw (Saw)

Oh wow, um, it seems we have come to an end here. This is most definitely the HARDEST villain to escape, which is kind of funny because we aren’t even getting chased. If you haven’t heard of Jigsaw or the Saw movies before I’ll sum it up just a little bit. So, you wake up after being kidnapped and drugged. You’re in some type of contraption or escape room that if you fail to complete it, you die in a very… unlikable way. These rooms/machines play on many different things like your fears, basic human reactions, and religion. Though, it’s easy to not be selected by the mastermind behind the traps. He usually chooses people whom he deems to be ungrateful for their lives. He likes to believe that by putting them in these traps that if they survive that they will make more out of their lives and be more appreciative of it and if they die, that means that they never really had the strongest will to live anyways. So, for you to avoid being chosen. Don’t drink your life away, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t hurt others, etc., etc. Anything that could make you seem like you’re ungrateful for the life you have been given, just don’t do it. Now, let’s say that you’re in a trap (I’m not gonna specify bc you know… it’s gross) and this trap has a time limit. If it didn’t have a time limit just DO NOT do anything until you absolutely have to. Someone might find you before you die of thirst or something like that. Now, if it does have a time limit you first need to calm down and listen carefully to the instructions given to you. If you want to survive, you have to complete the task no matter how gruesome it might be. That is your only hope. If you’re in a trap that has other people in it, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT trust them. They might be in a separate game altogether and they might be instructed to kill you. Stay focused on completing your tasks and protecting yourself. Due to the severity and how gut-wrenching these traps are, I’d say:

Chance of survival: 2%

Childhood tokens. I feel like almost everyone has one, if not more, objects that represent childhood memories. Like a travelling memory token  that stays with you through the years, it is common to hold onto something that reminds us of past years. One of my main goals that I had hoped to achieve with these blogs was to make others who have childhood tokens feel less embarrassed, and to be proud of them.

On the topic of acquired tokens along the way, this week’s blog is about my dear friend Hannah Lockett, and her stuffed toy named, “Weeble-Wobble.” Weeble-Wobble is a small stuffed rabbit that Hannah has carried with her since she got it after a surgery. Hannah has recounted to me many times the stories of Weeble-Wobble and how devastated she was the time she lost him.  She told me the stories of times she’d bring him with her to different states, and she told me of the comfort he brings whenever she isn’t feeling well.

I wasn’t able to get a picture of Weeble-Wobble, but I am sure my audience can imagine a white stuffed rabbit pretty clearly.  The little stuffed rabbit is probably something you won’t have to try hard to imagine, seeing as most of us have had our very own stuffed attachments before, whether it be a bear, rabbit, dog, or cat plushie. 

Anyways, that is it for this week of “Adele rambling about lifeless objects.” See ya next week folks!

Hello again, my lovely little readers. I bring to you this week another installment in the series of posts dedicated to appreciating the people in my life I’m lucky enough to call friends. 

In all honesty, this week I struggled to pick someone. Not to say there was a short supply, but rather that I couldn’t meet my rubric of “who has continuous presence” to the degree I would like to. The reason for that is that I am, as a person, someone who tends to drift from friend group to friend group. I always have been, abiding by the same rule of thumb since my emergence into socialization in general. That rule being: maintain an extensive friendship with one or two constants, in this case Locklyn and Nyk, and then alternate with other friend groups. I tend to just pop in and out of different preconceived social circles on campus, rather than implant myself firmly into one in particular. 

Someone else that I tend to drift into quite often, however, is none other than the campus renowned Lauren Stamps. 

Now Lauren is someone who has had a very present presence, if that makes sense, in my life since she entered it. My earliest memory of Lauren, not that that necessarily means it’s the first, knowing my memory, is of meeting her on New Student Day. 

Granted, it may have had something to do with the story of hers that was read for the literary mock workshop. Truly, that story is one of the most amazing literary works I’ve ever read, and I’ve carried it with me from the moment I heard it spoken aloud, as I’m sure many people have, despite Lauren’s humble attempts at modesty; another thing that’s so very Lauren. 

All things considered, particularly my prominent, maybe even visceral excitement surrounding any and all things regarding my campus of Eden, the fact that Lauren was able to make an impression above the general masses is something quite note worthy. It’s also something that is so very Lauren.

Because that is the type of person Lauren is. She’s the type of person who just radiates happiness to those around her, a natural mood improvement. To be near her is to love her, as some book or another has definitely said before. Her support means the world, her praise makes your day, and should she choose to showcase one of her many interesting laughs, oh wow you should just prepare because it’s impossible to not join in. 

Being near Lauren is a perpetual serotonin booster, and I relish every moment of it. Lauren is someone who just sort of shares her happiness, which is a very rare quality in today’s world of negativity. 

I sincerely hope all of you can have at least one interaction with this somewhat erratic pink haired halo of happiness, because I promise you it is a lifechanging experience. Until next time!

Sincerely, someone basking in the glow of happiness. 

P.s. Close your tabs you absolute psycho! (said with love.)

Although I still am working on my series “Inanimate Attachments,” I recently watched a movie that could be described as nothing less but really good-bad. So, instead of publishing another installation in the inanimate attachment series, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a break and revisit some movies that I have a constant love-hate relationship with. 🙂

5. Ma

This horror movie starring Octavia Spencer is almost satirical in it’s attempt to make a scary “Cool Mom” stereotype. Throughout the movie Sue Anne, aka ‘Ma’ is a character that, due to her past high school trauma, seeks out revenge on the children of her classmate’s . While this movie is on this list for being ‘bad,’ it is actually quite fun to watch with friends. The mediocre teen acting and almost comedic plot twists lead to some very interesting jokes made amongst friends.

4. A Cinderella Story

A classic amongst many of our childhoods, this movie is the epitome of revisiting old favorites just to realize the acting… wasn’t that great. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a big Hillary Duff stan, but I can’t lie and say that the acting was phenomenal. Through the wonderful stylings of Jennifer Coolidge as Hillary Duff’s stepmother, and the outstanding “Waiting for you,” monologue towards the end, the nostalgia of the movie has stayed constant through the years. It truly is one of my favorite examples of when “too much is just enough.”

3. Daddy Day Care

While this can be said about many Eddie Murphy movies, this movies is just so incredibly good-bad. Throughout the story, Murphy’s character, Charlie, starts a day care center with the help of a friend Phil (Jeff Garlin). I always enjoy movies with Jeff Garlin in them, but especially in this movie. The reason may have been because I was so young when I first watched it, but this movie has always made me laugh my socks off. 

2. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

As a big fan of the books, I have to say the first movie did live up to all the cheesy expectations I had set for it in my mind. While many people feel as if the movies contain too much… gouda, per say, I think that the first movie has just enough parmesan grated on top of the perfectly plated spaghetti. (Yes, I am hungry right now mind ya business.)  Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship in that movie is almost exactly as I envisioned the books when I read them, so I for one thing it was just perfect.

1. The Twilight Saga (Yes, all of them.)

As I have stated in a previous blog dedicated solely to this topic, The Twilight Sage is collection of movies that I am unconditionally, and irrevocably in love with. (If you know you know.) Anyways, this sage was so bad for so many reasons, but also some of the best movies I have ever seen. I can’t even begin to try to explain it, but what I can say is that it just… makes sense. 

And that is the purpose of a good-bad movie.