Everybody Get Up!

I don't normally listen to new/current music but I must give credit to Robin Thicke, Pharrell and T.I for "Blurred Lines". I can't seem to get enough of it. It's a great summer song, up-lifting and just plain old fun. The video as well suits the song perfectly. I can't stand most music videos but I watch it this one all the time, they look like they're having the time of their lives just being silly and goofy. I get a good laugh every time watching Pharrell dance, he doesn't seem to care what the others are really doing. I loathe most other girls in music vidoes as well, I don't want to be them I want to be dancing with them, enjoying the bliss of "Blurred Lines". I think this is a good song to start the summer of 2013 off right.

 

Borderlands 2

Though I have not played Borderlands, I am in love with Borderlands 2. The story so far has been intriguing and captivating. The character's have all come to Pandora for their own reasons, but they become vault hunters and try to take down a man named Handsome Jack. Each character is appealing, all having their own special features and abilities. I like how there are different ways to level your character as well, between badass tokens and your skill tree. There's a lot of humour too in this game, from the description on the case to each non-playable characters' dialogue. The co-op mode is being cool too, since you are able to play 2 player at home, but can also play with others on your list or random drop-in matches. I bought the mechromancer content, so I play as Gaige. I've really enjoy using her and her killer robot Deathtrap. This is definitely a game I would recommend to any gamer. 

Hello vault hunters and welcome to Pandora! 

Smart, Strong and Beautiful

There has been a lot of news lately covering the rescue of Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, who had been kidnapped for 10 years. These women will have a long time recovery from their terrifying experience but these women are far more brave and strong than most people in this world. To be able to endure such a life for so long, being locked away from the outside world for a decade is unbelievable. They are going to experience post traumatic stress disorder and possibly more mental health problems, but with a lot of work they'll be able to reintegrate back into the world stronger and more beautiful than ever.

When such an event occurs it also brings up similar happenings from the past. Elizabeth Smart was another woman who had been kidnapped for 9 months, chained to a tree and raped daily. She's another example of an awe inspiring human being. After all that happened to her she is able to keep a smart head about her and speak out about the need to educate youth about sex, their bodies and their relationships with themselves and others. There needs to be more understanding of rape myths and let people know that they don't deserve to be raped and are not worthless because of what happened. Smart is a great advocate for this cause based on her upbringing, her experience and where she is today. http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/06/1967591/elizabeth-smart-abstinence-ed/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_content=tpsmart_may13&utm_campaign=healthfb&mobile=nc 

It's sad to see such websites as this http://www.mofopolitics.com/2012/02/19/that-sucks-elizabeth-smarts-husband-doesnt-get-to-have-sex-with-elizabeth-smart-in-her-prime/ trying to demean her and bring her down, but she is a beautiful human being, a prime example of the awesomeness of the human spirit. Our greatest accomplishments can come out of our lowest moments, and we can rise out of them a brilliant phoenix. That's what these women are, smart, strong and beautiful.

 

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs

I was fortunate enough to grow up in the 90's. My generation got to grow up still being kids. We'd look forward to getting a skip-it, bop-it, Barbies, Polly Pockets, Pogs, yak-baks for Christmas. We got to watch the antics of Will Smith on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", the make-ups and break-ups of Zach and Kelly on "Saved by the Bell" and the young and goofy Ryan Gosling on "Breaker High". The 90's was also when households were introduced to new technologies like personal computers. The book "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" written by Chuck Klosterman is an insightful book relating 80's and 90's pop culture to life issues. It's very clever, witty and full of humour. The book is written in short essays based on a subject and a pop culture topic that relates. This is one of my favourite books, I've read it multiple times and I'm still able to gain something new every time I do. It's a refreshing read about serious topics and has a humourous outlook on life. Though it may seem like Klosterman is taking an almost nihilist perspective on the meaning of life, I believe he's more of an absurdist. Perhaps I just believe so because I'm an absurdist and that's how I read this book. Regardless if you want a good laugh, but still want to read something with value, "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs", will provide you with both.

                                      

Perks of Being a Wallflower

I recently saw the movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and it's such an inspirational movie. It portrays the life of a gifted boy who is first entering high school and really just wants friends and to fit in. Stephen Chbosky did an amazing job of writing the book, which is a series of letters written by Charlie, the main character, to a person he's never actually met. The book is so emotional because Charlie is so honest and truthful, you are able to feel what he's going through. But Chbosky also wrote and directed the movie, which also did a great job of explaining Charlie and his life. Chbosky is extremely talented and I look forward to his future projects. What is interesting about Charlie is the fact that he is so smart but is confused by the world and the people in it. He spends his time trying to understand instead of just experiencing life. It makes me laugh because those who are intellectually gifted struggle with just this issue and people who are lacking smarts think they know everything. In actuality most people don't really know as much as we think and we all have things to learn. There's a lot to be learnt from this book and movie and I highly recommend both of these media. Especially if you are starting something new, whether it's a new job, new school, moving away, this book/movie helps you realize to just live. Right now in my own life, I'm about to graduate university, my best friend moved in with me a couple months ago, I've made amazing friends these past 2 years and I'm happy, I understand what it means to feel infinite. Thank you Charlie.                                                                                                           

Love always, 

TheTatteredTurtle

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/

After Undergrad

I am about to graduate from my undergrad degree and there are no words for my excitement, but I am also full of fear. I have so many different options open to me after I graduate how am I suppose to know what the right decision is? I could move to another country to start a whole new chapter of my life. I could start a career, gain work experience and return to grad school in a couple years. I could go to grad school now. For those of us who are aware of the many current articles out there that talk about this issue specifically are completely mixed. Some say it's a better idea to stay in school, others say it could be a mistake to continue your education in our current society. Ultimately the choice is your own and no outside source is going to make it for you. Just be aware of what you want out of life, make your decision about what will make you happy and help you become the type of person you want to be :)  

Christmas Season

The Christmas season is suppose to be a joyous time of the year, but in reality people have misconstrued almost every aspect of Christmas. We've made it about consumer products and political correctness. What we really should be focused on is caring for others, and feeling blessed for what we have. We should want to help those less fortunate and spend time with our loved ones. It may sound a little cliche, but currently in the world we live in these things are constantly put to the way side. To be honest it shouldn't be about religion either, religion seems to divide people and we should be coming together as a whole instead. These concepts should be followed in our everyday lives, all the time, but that isn't the case and if the Christmas season is the only time this is really emphasized we should talk advantage of it. I say we should abuse others with kindness not our religious integrity or consumer products. Just try and keep these simple but crucial concepts in mind this Christmas. With that being said:


MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!