Road trips

Road trips can either be really fun, or one of the most boring things you have every gone through. To make the trips more fun here are 10 things that make the 3 hours seem like 30 minutes.

1. Have plenty of food and water. Being really thirsty and hungry can make a few minutes seem like a few hours.

2. Bring a notepad and take turns drawing a combined picture with the person next to you.

3. Have an iPod and headphones so you can listen to music. When in doubt jam it out!

4. Play 20 questions with a person in the car

5. Ask someone to name 5 random things, then draw a scene including all of the things that were said into the picture.

6. Write a song, short story, or poem.

7. Do homework, (you will be glad to have it done once you get to your destination)

8. Sing, if you have multiple people in the car that can sing try forming melodies to well-known songs

9. Create “car dance moves” with the people around you. Try to come up with the dorkiest looking dance

10. Ask questions that you have always been wondering about. This is a good time to catch up with your friends or family, or whoever is in the car with you. Share your life stories and your darkest secrets. (230)

Media's role in the strive for perfection.

The documentary “miss representation” states that 53% of 13 year olds are unhappy with their bodies and by age 17 that number increases to 78%. My question is: is media making these numbers so high?

 

In a survey of nine to 10 year old girls 40% said that they have tried to lose weight before. (Funded by the national heart, lung, and blood institute). Has media been a big part of these kids believing they should lose weight? Well in a study on fifth graders, 10 year old girls and boys told researchers they were dissatisfied with their own bodies after watching a music video by Britney Spears or a clip from the TV show "Friends". This shows how media does affect children’s view of themselves, by watching these things they learn that that is the desirable way to look. These guys and girls are reaching for perfection, which is impossible. The only way that the music videos, along with the pictures in the magazines look so perfect is because of a little thing called computer touch ups. Media is such a big part of many teens’ lives and some are taking extreme measures to lose weight to look as “good” as those seen on TV by smoking, or skipping meals. Read more about this issue here.

 

58% of female characters in movies had comments made about their appearance. This is significantly more than males were which only 24% was. These days the appearance of the people in the movies and commercials is so much more important than what the movie or commercial has to say. Women are judges so harshly about their looks in the media, even the tallest, skinniest, sexiest girls are pounded to the ground because they don’t look stunning every minute of every day. These awful words that are said about some of  the prettiest, most well-known actresses makes just the everyday girl feel bad because “If  Katy Perry can’t even look good enough for the medias eyes then I won’t ever be good enough.”- Is repeatedly thought in many young girls’ eyes. Celebs are always striving for perfection; this is what makes girls strive for it as well. “If Taylor Swift got breast implants, then I need to as well”. When is personality and talent going to be enough? Why is there a constant need to change yourself for perfection?

           

Ask yourself if there has ever been a time when you wanted to look like someone in a movie, commercial, or magazine. The answer most likely will be yes. And if it is no then you are lying to yourself. If there was no media we would only have the “normal” person to strive to be. Therefore we would want to be more successful rather than prettier because there would be no magazine that we can compare ourselves to, it would be only the natural beauty that is not photo shopped. If there was no media we could reach to a certain extent of beauty and be proud of whom we are, but because of the fake pictures of women we are always trying to get what we literally cannot have. Next time you strive to look like someone in the media remember, even they don’t look that good. Read more about how photo shopping has taken over the media here. (556)

The perfect present. Every time.

The best birthday presents to me, are the ones that are the funniest, yet things I can use. Recently I got a huge blow up donut tube for the pool. This present had all of the wonderful qualities that a present should have, it made me exited to use it, laugh, and donuts are something that I enjoy very much……very, very much!

When looking for a gift for a best friend first of all try thinking of something they mentioned they wanted from a long time ago, when they open the gift they will realize how you really do listen to everything they say.  (If they mention something that they think looks cool then write it down so when their birthday rolls around you can look back to the picture to see what they really wanted)

Secondly, try finding the perfect gift online. The internet is full of interesting websites you can buy from with way more unique gifts than any stores would ever be selling. Selling online also takes less time because you don’t have to go out and drive around in search of a gift, the perfect gift can be only a click away.

                Thirdly, don’t spend too much. If a lot is spent on someone than they think that when your birthday rolls around they have to spend as much on you, and they may not be able to afford as grand of a present.

 Fourth, when in doubt go with the picture collage approach, it works every time and it is always very thoughtful. To make this gift even more personalized make sure the colors that you decorate it with match their bed room so they can hang it up and it fits the space perfectly.

Fifth, if you’re still searching for the perfect thing try making a basket with all of their favorite things in it. For example, their favorite food, candy, hair product, makeup, movie, songs, clothes, jewelry, color etc. There is no way you can go wrong with this because they will know that you know all about them, inside and out!

Lastly, if you are worried the present will not show enough thanks to them for being a great friend then add a card. Having a card with the gift will show how you took the time to write to them and that they are worth the effort.

Finding a present for your best friend can be really hard sometimes. Another trick I use is just going with the first gift idea that pops into your head for them. Usually your instinct will drive you in the right direction. (437)

Should we ever be equal?

               As we grow up we learn about how unequal gender was in the past, along with this we learn that we are equal now. But are we really? Life has taught girls that as they grow up they only way to get a guy is to be skinny, have the perfect hair, and perfect….well, everything. As guys grow up they have been taught that all women should look exactly like the ones they see in the movies and magazines, and there is no more to a girl than her looks. Yes, I understand this is a harsh way of wording this issue. But I do believe that that is what we grow up knowing, maybe not to a conscious extent, but it is always in the back of our minds how each gender should act and look, no matter how far we push it away.

               I think gender would be more equal if there wasn’t as much media blowing everything out of proportion. Especial in this generation media is everything. And I mean everything. You go to a restaurant and the TVs show the perfect image of women. You see everyone always on their phones, weather it is twitter, instagram or who knows what else, there are pictures and words about how people should be. Even if you don’t realize it, your mind takes in all of these pictures and words that you see on those screens and tells you what you should think about the other gender.

               In some ways women and men should be treated differently. For example it’s perfectly fine that men don’t wear skirts (at least in America) and that woman carry purses. Style can be different because it is just the way people express themselves. It’s just when a women or man is not able to do something just they are not the right gender is what doesn’t seem right. Women should be able to get any job they want and be paid the same as men, to me that just seem like common sense. But in today’s society it still happens, luckily a lot less than in history.

               I don’t believe that gender will ever be perfectly equal because obviously we are different, we are different in looks and we are even different in the way we think in some cases. It’s just how life is, women are different than men. But just because we will never be treated exactly the same does not mean that women should be denied the right to be who she truly is. (424)

Inspiration

               Where does inspiration come from? It comes from the colors you see, the textures you feel, the sweetness you smell. It comes from the way you make people feel, the way others make you feel. It comes from memories, from hopes for what will happen in the future. It comes from music. It comes from singing and dancing on a big stage in front of hundreds of people. It comes from singing an angelic tune in the shower. It comes from nature. It comes from the intriguing things you find out about the world and about the people you get to know. It comes from the way leaves fall onto a waiting turquoise pool in the back yard. It comes from the rhythmic current of the waves on the oceans shore. It comes from the smiles you see of your friends in the hall. It comes from the little voices in your head. It comes from the delicious food your grandmother makes. It comes from the people that need your help. It comes from when you need help from others. It comes from the holidays. It comes from the atmosphere that you have grown up in. It comes from the internet, the magazines, and the books. It comes from all media. It comes from the way each person speaks to you and about you differently. It comes from the art you can find in anything weather it is a painting or simply a way a room is decorated. It comes from awaiting a very special day, or remembering a day that was very special. It comes from different cultures, different languages. It comes from new, exiting, surprising and even frightening experiences. It comes from the hatred that needs to be pronounced. It comes from the love that boils over your heart. It comes from animals, and companionship. It comes from the special someone that won’t disappear from your mind. It comes from those who are protective of you. It comes from the groups you are in. It comes from the places you have been, the places that have been traveled. It comes from the temperature of the different seasons. It comes from the sun and the moon and the stars. It comes from death and life. It comes from religion. It comes from what you believe in and what you will fight for. It comes from your talents and your weaknesses.

It comes from every aspect of your life, so don’t take that inspiration for granted. Use all of it, make something great, write something great, and find your calling. No matter what it is, inspiration is everywhere you look, so don’t be afraid to make something out of the inspiration that you find. (454)

Classical music

               How do you feel the emotions from the music that you listen to? For many people it is from the words that are sung, but for me it is the musicality of it, weather the notes flow, turn to major cords, and turn to minor cords, crescendo, and decrescendo, weather the music is allegro. This is why I find classical music like those of Mozart or Beethoven so intriguing to listen to. There are no words to base your feeling of the music off of so it really makes you think about how you feel when you listen to the songs because the words aren’t telling you how you feel.

               Classical music is so unique from all other types of music because everyone can feel something different from it. From Mozart’s song “Old Lambach” some people may think of a fun filled picnic with their family under a big willow tree. Someone else may imagine flying a kite at the beaches edge as the tide sweeps over their feet as they listen to the song. The good thing about music like this is that it can bring back memories. I don t know exactly how it can do it but it somehow opens up your mind to all of the emotions you have ever felt, it almost frees them with the music.

               Some other great things about classical music is that it is very good to listen to when doing homework because it doesn’t distract you from thinking about your homework, yet it gets your brain flowing. It is also very relaxing and it eases the mind.

The 1750’s to 1820’s was the time of classical music this time frame was known as the period of absolute music. At this time less and less people wrote music for parties and events that the royalty paid for them to play at, it now was more just for the freedom of expressing themselves thru perfectly combined notes and rhythms. (327)

Growing together

               The feeling of being in a team is like something that cannot be compared to. Being in a team means that you will lose some and win some together but no matter what happens you will have each other. There is just something about a bond that a team has, I wouldn’t really call it love, but it’s very close like love is. The bond is strong because you spend so many hours with these people and as you get further and further into the season you learn more about the people. I think the bond is also extremely strong because you see everyone cry, laugh, be angry and jump with joy during sometime during the season. You see every side of each and every person and you get to know their hopes, their fears, their strengths, and their weaknesses. By being in a group everyone improves because someone may be lacking in a certain categories, so the next person can bump it up. Pretty much what I am saying is that everyone balances each other out into the perfect group, the perfect team, the perfect family. I am lucky enough to have the perfect teammates that balance me out, I enjoy getting to know the people and living up as many experiences with them as possible. By now we all know a lot about each other, but I hope that we will continue to grow together and that the tears we cry will be of joy, and even if they aren’t we all know we have each other.  (259)

Five tips to having an mature, organized room

     1. Have nothing on the floors, even things like your slippers should have a place to go (like a drawer). A major thing that makes a room look cluttered is when things are on the floor.

 

     2. Do not have too many things on one shelf or table. Keep is simple, for example, if you have a vanity or dresser that has all of your “getting ready” things then keep that contained in the drawers or in a basket on top or the vanity. If there are multiple bottles and things of that sort cluttered all over the vanity then it will look sloppy and out of place.

 

     3. This one may seem really strange to people my age (a teenager) but keep your room vacuumed. It actually makes the space look less cluttered because the ground will be spotless.

 

     4. Make your closet as compact as possible, this means that ever type of clothing has the perfect spot, (t-shirts, nice shirts, pants etc.) by the perfect spot I mean, not too much space and not too little space. By having just the right amount of space for each clothing type then you won’t be wasting your precious closet space, especially if you don’t have a walk in closet.

 

5. I know this may go against what many teenagers like, but don’t put up posters if you want a cleaner, less junky type room. If there is a certain poster that you really love and you know you will want for a long time then have it framed and then hang it up. Posters can make a room look sloppy because they are difficult to hang well because usually they are just hung with tape which makes the room look dumpy. (291)

 

Music your parents grew up to

When you were in your car jamming to your favorite songs, have you ever thought of what music your parents might have grown up to? It’s really interesting to see how popular music has evolved throughout the generations.

One thing I love doing is listening to music from when my parents were growing up and trying to remember if I have ever heard them sing it before. My family is very musical and my parents are always singing or dancing, whether they are vacuuming, or just sitting down and reading the paper, so I have grown up around a lot of songs my friends probably have never even heard of.

I have a category from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s so if you are my age (a teenager) you can see what kinds of music your parents grew up listening to!

Here are some hits from the 60’s that you may recognize because they were very popular at that time:

Ø  Ring of fire by Johnny Cash

 

I fell into a burning ring of fire I went down, down, down and the flames went higher

And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire

The ring of fire

 

Ø  My girl by The temptations

 

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May.
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl (my girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl).

Ø  Twist and shout by the Isley brothers

Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby) Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now(Come on, baby)Come on and work it on out(Work it on out)

Hits from the 70’s:

Ø  American pie by Don Mclean

So, bye bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing...
This'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Ø  Imagine By John Lennon

 

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

 

Ø  I can see clearly now by Johnny Nash

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Ø  I will survive By Gloria Gaynor

At first, I was afraid, I was petrified

Kept thinking, I could never live without you by my side

 But then I spent so many nights thinking, how you did me wrong

 And I grew strong

and I learned how to get along

Ø  Dancing queen by ABBA

 

You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen

 

 

Hits from the 80’s

 

Ø  Livin’ on a prayer by Bon jovi

 

Whooah, we're half way there
Livin on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Livin on a prayer

 

Ø  Beat it by Michael Jackson

Just Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It
No One Wants To Be Defeated
Showin' How Funky Strong Is Your Fight
It Doesn't Matter Who's Wrong Or Right
Just Beat It, Beat It
Just Beat It, Beat It
Just Beat It, Beat It
Just Beat It, Beat It

Ø  love is a battle field by pat Benatar

We are young, heartache to heartache we stand
No promises, no demands
Love Is A Battlefield

 

Typing up these songs has made me realize how many songs I truly know that my parents grew up loving. It’s so fun to listen to the songs that your parents listened to when you were the same age that they were. These are the songs that they danced at school dances to; these are the songs they listened to with their friends. Music really has a way of connection you with people and it’s cool to be able to connect with your parents by talking about these songs with them.  (711)