My 2000s Playlist

 Hey guys! As of lately, I’ve been working with my friend to create a new playlist for you guys to listen to. It consists of a bunch of “throwback” songs from the early 2000s to maybe 2015. I haven’t double checked that, but none of these songs are from relatively recent years and they remind me of a similar style. Anyway, I love all of these songs and I’m super happy with how it turned out! Also by the way, this playlist is like over sixty songs. It’s crazy long. As always, I’ll have a link on Spotify so that you can listen to it in order. Without further ado, here’s my 2000s playlist!

 The 2000s Playlist

Alejandro – Lady Gaga

Sweater Weather – The Neighbourhood

A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay

Story of My Life – One Direction

Still Into You – Paramore

Talking Body – Tove Lo

Love Runs Out – OneRepublic

Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey & Cedric Gervais

Mirrors – Justin Timberlake

We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus

Drag Me Down – One Direction

Steal My Girl – One Direction

Jealous – Nick Jonas

Replay – Zendaya

Here’s to Never Growing Up – Avril Lavigne

She’s Kinda Hot – 5 Seconds of Summer

We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift

She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds of Summer

Royals – Lorde

Classic – MKTO

Poker Face – Lady Gaga

Amnesia – 5 Seconds of Summer

Cool Kids – Echosmith

Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Habits (Stay High) – Tove Lo

Everybody Talks – Neon Trees

Troublemaker – Olly Murs & Flo Rida

Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne

Best Song Ever – One Direction

Jet Black Heart – 5 Seconds of Summer

Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) – Katy Perry

Heart Attack – Demi Lovato

Give Your Heart a Break – Demi Lovato

Die Young – Kesha

Bad Girls – M.I.A

Oops!… I Did It Again – Britney Spears

Womanizer – Britney Spears

…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears

The Way – Ariana Grande & Mac Miller

Tonight Tonight – Hot Chelle Rae

Fireflies – Owl City

Ain’t It Fun – Paramore

Made In The USA – Demi Lovato

Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars

What the Hell – Avril Lavigne

Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

Who Says – Selena Gomez

Complicated – Avril Lavinge

Bye Bye Bye – NSYNC

Payphone – Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa

Want U Back – Cher Lloyd

Gives You Hell – The All-American Rejects

Sk8ter Boi – Avril Lavigne

Grenade – Bruno Mars

Stacy’s Mom – Fountains Of Wayne

Toxic – Britney Spears

Gimme More – Britney Spears

You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift

Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down – Alicia Keys

All Star – Smash Mouth

Say My Name – Destiny’s Child

Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson

Umbrella – Rihanna & Jay Z

We Are Young – fun. & Janelle Monae


Here’s the link so you can listen on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aQdYhLO7kVCPikq9TAU2V

This school year is almost coming to a close so I just quickly wanted to thank you guys for sticking with me throughout this seconds semester. Whether you’re a classmate of mine or not, thank you for your support!

Representative Quotes

#1. “It can get really messy inside my head, and it’s usually just because everybody can get really self-centered at some point. And so what usually keeps me from quitting is that my reasons for quitting are just lame. I wouldn’t want anybody else to talk to myself the way that I talk to myself.”

Brie Larson (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/brie_larson_747461?src=t_lame)

#2. “I had everything I’d hoped for, but I wasn’t being myself. So I decided to be honest about who I was. It was strange: The people who loved me for being funny suddenly didn’t like me for being… me.”

Ellen DeGeneres (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ellen_degeneres_451763?src=t_funny)

#3. “We live in a diverse society – in fact, a diverse world – and we must learn to live in peace and with respect for each other.”

Stan Lee (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/stan_lee_894603?src=t_society)

#4. “We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean… and we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.”

Michelle Obama (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/michelle_obama_449072?src=t_respect)

#5. “People gossip. People are insecure, so they talk about other people so that they won’t be talked about. They point out flaws in other people to make them feel good about themselves. I think at any age or any social class, that’s present.”

Blake Lively (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/blake_lively_695164?src=t_age)

#6. “I’ve probably earned the right to screw up a few times. I don’t want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about.”

Emma Watson (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/emma_watson_415596)

#7. “I know very little about acting. I’m just an incredibly gifted faker.”

Robert Downey Jr. (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robert_downey_jr_375317)

#8. “I’m totally an anxious mess all the time. There’s a constant dialogue going on in my brain, and it’s just reminding me of all the failures that I have had, and all of the things I need to do, and all of the things I’m not doing good enough.”

Aubrey Plaza (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/aubrey_plaza_485942)

#9. “I want people to know that it’s OK to have feelings; it’s OK to be vulnerable. That no matter where they live around the world, teenagers all go through the same things.”

Khalid (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/khalid_894021)

#10. “I love to write down things I notice about people or things I’ve overheard people saying that are interesting. I love people-watching, and I love taking the time to notice the small things.”

Lily Collins (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/lily_collins_871418)

 

 

One-Syllable Jams

Was It Real?

 

It all came down in a scheme,

too fast that I could not see

how you were so mean.

Why did I not flee?

 

You used to sound like a dream,

but that was when I could count on you.

These days, I would like to just split the seam,

get rid of the past and get rid of the view.

 

I’m done with it now,

it is the tough part I have gone to do.

I am to take back my vows,

you are just a bit see-through.

Why Did the Divergent Series Fail?

I think it’s pretty clear by now that I’m a huge nerd for dystopian/post-apocalyptic science fiction books like the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner. Today’s post is no difference as I’ll be discussing the one hit wonder: Divergent. Just like always, I’ve read all the books (minus Four since I could never bring myself to read it after the mess of Allegiant) and seen all of the movies. Just as I said before I nailed Peeta with Gale’s superiority, I am ready to have this debate.

First of all, I do think that the Divergent book series is really great. I’ve read them all and although I’m not too happy with the ending, it was an enjoyable experience and I fell into a world that I loved. I thought it was beautiful even though at times the enemy and end goal was blurry. Honestly, it all went downhill after Tris cut her hair.

Divergent is not a bad movie. I’d go as far to say it was actually pretty good. It wasn’t the best and it didn’t even compare to the Hunger Games for me, but I enjoyed it and I’ve watched it again countless times over the years. I originally read/watched the entire Divergent series in fifth grade and saw the ‘last’ movie in sixth. The movie is not terrible. Insurgent and Allegiant? We’ll talk about them later.

Also while I’m here, I’d marry Theo James on the spot. That’s all. Carry on.

Anyway, the books aren’t bad at all. They’re actually pretty good even though Veronica Roth’s writing can be kind of stale at times. The story is great, there are amazing characters with their character development, and I love the setting of Chicago. Overall, I think the actual “story” part of the books was good but it just didn’t portray itself well in the movies.

While I’m here I’d like to pick out one character in particular: Tori. She was one of my absolute favorites in the book but she was just completely torn apart in the movies. We got no background on her and she seemed like an extra that’d do whatever she was needed to in a scene. She administered the aptitude test, gave Tris a tattoo, and taught her about Divergents. Sure, she did do all of that in the books too, but her character was more in depth than that. The movies never showcased how much of an important asset she actually was and how good of a friend she could be to Tris. They really did her character dirty and I’m not over it. If you’ve only seen the movies, I’d encourage you to read the books just to learn about Tori. Her story is incredible.

There are some great adaptations of books into movies, like the entire Harry Potter franchise or even the Hunger Games (I need to stop comparing everything to the Hunger Games). Divergent itself is not a terrible movie adaptation either, it’s just the other two in the series, Insurgent and Allegiant, that I have my problems with. Insurgent isn’t that bad compared to Allegiant, but the movie is still blurry as I said earlier. While you’re watching, you’re not one hundred percent sure what’s actually happening and who trusts who. Also, why in the world is Four’s mother the leader of the Factionless? It just seems unnecessary. I think it’s cool that we meet her- but c’mon, that’s a stretch. I think their whole love story is charming, but some things later throughout the series just seem too coincidental.

Insurgent isn’t the best movie, but it’s a saving grace compared to Allegiant. The entire story is all over that place and we’re introduced to new concepts in the third movie in. By the third installment, I still don’t know who the real enemy is! It was funny and playful throughout the first movie- perhaps- but not knowing who the true “bad guy” is all the way in the third book is insane. That’s a little too long for me.

Allegiant is just a complete disaster. If you’ve read the book Allegiant, then you’ll know how it ends and it’s honestly pretty upsetting. I’m pretty sure my fifth grade self cried. The books ended in a disappointment just because I believed the ending was pretty crappy, but the the Allegiant movie is a whole different story. Here’s a major spoiler (continue reading at your own digression): Tris dies at the end of Allegiant (the book). It was heartbreaking and I don’t think it concluded up the story very well, but that’s what happened. She never got her happy ending.

I tell you this because in the movie adaptation of Allegiant, she never died! Okay, I prefer it that way honestly, I didn’t want her to die. But the fact that she clearly died in the books and that was the conclusion of the story for them to just brush it off in the third movie installment is insane. Veronica Roth intended Tris to die, and yet the movies never showcased it.

I’d also like to point out that (I’m going to compare it again) Divergent tried to pull a “Hunger Games” and make the last book into two movies. Unlike the Hunger Games, they failed. Maybe in the conspiracy called ‘Ascendant’ which was supposed to be the final installment of the Divergent Series they had it planned out for Tris to die, but they never even made that movie because Allegiant just failed in the box office after the slightly better mess of Insurgent.

In conclusion, I have a love-hate relationship with this series. It’s killing me, but at the same time I have fallen for all of the characters and the plot. They really did this franchise so dirty in the movies, but the books were mediocre. If you’ve never seen the first TWO movies, I’d recommend them. Never watch Allegiant. It’s just bad. The books are also great though the writing can be stale. It’s not a bad series, it just had terrible production.

 

My “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Album Review: Current Events

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Billie Eilish, but I’ve always liked her. Usually with my reviews it’s something I’m overly passionate about, but today’s post is a little bit different. I’ve heard bits and pieces of Billie’s EP Don’t Smile At Me but I’ve never listened to it completely. However, I will say that I like My Boy and Ocean Eyes along with a couple of others. Today I’m going to be reviewing/ranking her new album that came out March 29th, 2019: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

 

14. !!!!!!!: 0/10

13. 8: 1/10

12. goodbye: 4.1/10

11. iloimilo: 4.2/10

10. listen before i go: 4.3/10

9. xanny: 5/10

8. wish you were gay: 6/10

7. all the good girls go to hell: 7/10

6. i love you: 7.1/10

5. my strange addiction: 7.2/10

4. bury a friend: 7.3/10

3. when the party’s over: 8/10

2. bad guy: 9/10

1. you should see me in a crown: 9.1/10

Total Average Score: 5.7/10

 

What are my thoughts?

Okay, my biggest problem with this album is the non-singles. I feel so disappointed. Like I said above, I’ve never been Billie’s biggest fan, but I had listened and saved the singles to my Spotify when they came out. Unsurprisingly, I like them! I never said I disliked her music, it’s just the fact that I’ve never followed her closely. I feel like the rest of the album is just a bunch of leftovers. The singles such as You Should See Me In A Crown and Bury A Friend are amazing, but the rest of the album is just severely underwhelming. Does that make any sense?

Out of the fourteen songs, there are four singles: You Should See Me In A Crown, When The Party’s Over, Wish You Were Gay, and Bury A Friend. I know it’s just my opinion, but if you look at my ranking, three of these songs are within my top half of the album. The only exception is Wish You Were Gay which falls at number eight, one spot behind the top half. To continue, I feel like we already got the best parts of the album (minus Bad Guy because I do really like that one) and the songs that she did release were just underwhelming leftovers.

Just for the sake of things, let’s not count !!!!!!! as a song. Alright, let’s continue. After that, there are nine new songs we got. I do like Bad Guy, My Strange Addiction, and I Love You fairly well, but it’s just hardly anything compared to the already released singles. They’re good songs, but I’m just disappointed.

Because !!!!!!! is still on the album and considered a song by Genius, I kept it in my average. Without the song, she scored a 6.1/10. In comparison, Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” scored a 6.3/10. I guess I’m just critical on everybody.

I’ll continue to listen to and support Billie, but I like her EP Don’t Smile At Me a whole lot better than this album. I dunno, maybe that’s just me.

As always here are the links to the music videos and where you can find the album on Spotify!

Bad Guy MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyDfgMOUjCI

Bury A Friend MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHC9tYz8ik

When The Party’s Over MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbMwTqkKSps

I thought Wish You Were Gay had a music video, but apparently it does not… Also, I really respect Billie for her music videos. I think they’re pretty cool. Plus one cool point for her.

Listen to WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0S0KGZnfBGSIssfF54WSJh

If you’d like to read my review of Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next, you can click the link right here: https://ambersoy.edublogs.org/2019/02/18/my-thank-u-next-album-ranking/

 

Billie Eilish’s “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Processed with C6 on VSCO

 

 

 

 

 

Ranking the Main Characters of The Office

I’m a huge fan of the TV show The Office. I started watching it last February and I haven’t stopped yet. I’m only on season five right now, so that may be why some of your newer favorite characters aren’t listed. I decided to only list the ones that are currently in the show for me. Also, I’m not going to be providing any explanations because honestly today is the last day before spring break and I’m pretty tired. Please do let me know if you’d like to see an in-depth  review of maybe the top five or something though.  Anyway, without further ado, here is my ranking of all of the characters in The Office!

 

#1 →  Jim

#2 → Dwight

#3 → Pam

#4 → Stanley

#5 → Michael

#6 → Creed

#7 → Darryl

#8 → Angela

#9 → Toby

#10 → Kelly

#11 → Kevin

#12 → Jan

#13 → Phyllis

#14 → Oscar

#15 → Meredith

#16 → Andy

#17 → Karen

#18 → Roy

#19→ Ryan

 

Everything But Time – Abetha & Aaron (May 10th, 2002)

April 2nd, 2002 – With their interlocking hands and the girl’s head resting below the boy’s shoulder, the couple moved longingly across the boardwalk of the New York City Harbor. The small lights that were draped across the wooden poles of the pier were flickering like tiny fairies granting miracles in the distance. The moon was slowly rising upwards towards the sky and the stars were becoming more vibrant as the sun faded away. The wind was only at a slow breeze, but it was just enough for the girl to be chilly. When the boy noticed his girl shivering, he quickly took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders, desperate to keep her warm. Pulling the beanie farther down on her tiny head, the boy drew her in closer; almost as if he was trying to keep her from falling apart.

After a few more moments of walking in silence, the boy spoke.

“We could get married, y’know,” he said softly, gentle enough to soothe her tired ears. At first, the girl let out a small unexpected chuckle, taken back by the illogical words he spoke. She looked up at his warm eyes and smiled. “Aaron, you can’t be serious.”

Without any hesitation, he spoke again, “I’m as serious as ever, Beth.” He began hugging her closer to him. “We have everything but time and we both know it will happen eventually, so why not now?”

Abetha looked away for a couple of seconds while a million different thoughts raced through her head.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”

Aaron paused, shocked by the words she whispered. “Wait, really? I didn’t think you’d agree.” He quickly pulled away and stood in front of her, stopping her from walking down the pier. He was grinning into his cheeks and his eyes looked at her wild. His new fiance started to nod her head as she smiled and bit her bottom lip.

“You’re right. We have everything but time. I’m in love with you, Aaron, so let’s do it. Let’s get married. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be here for but I’d like to die knowing that I’d been your wife.” Abetha spoke softly but with passion, meeting the eyes of her soulmate.

Aaron, careful not to crush her weak body, pulled Abetha into a giant embrace, closing his eyes as he listened to her breathing. The two stood there for several moments, uninterrupted by the traveling city around them. It was getting later and there was hardly anyone on the docks as the peaceful sounds of the Hudson River drifted into their minds.

Hand-in-hand again, the newly engaged couple continued down the harbor, slowly floating away from reality. After a few more minutes of listening to the sounds of the city, Abetha turned and smiled at Aaron, speaking to him quietly.

“You have to promise me something.”

Surprised by the lack of speaking just moments before, Aaron turned around and looked at her, confused. Abetha smiled for a moment and took a deep breath before starting.

“You have to promise me that you’ll be able to move on. I’m not going to be here much longer, and I need to know that you’ll find someone else and that you’ll be happy.”

She wiped a small tear away that slid down her cheek as she spoke. Once she looked back up at him again, she smiled.

Aaron could not comprehend the ache he felt in his heart. Swallowing his emotions, he kept his head high and cupped his girl’s face.

 “I promise.”

May 10th, 2012 – It was sunny that day, the day that Abetha had passed ten years ago. Aaron felt like it should be pouring but eventually came to think that it was her way of letting him know that she was still there. Even after all this time, he could still see her soft smile and the hope in her eyes. As he looked down at her grave in the gloomy cemetery, he reminisced on all of the good times they had together, even though it was only for a short while.

As he did every year, Aaron brought a giant bouquet of lilacs, Abetha’s favorite flower. She always told him that it reminded her of the old farm she used to live on with her mother in Virginia. As he started to remember things that he had buried deep inside of him, he put the flowers down on the grave.

After taking a deep breath, Aaron began to slowly speak.

“I miss you more every day, but I know that you’re no longer in pain. I brought you lilacs- again. I hope you still like them. I know that you’re quick to change your mind.”

He paused for a minute, making sure to choose his next words carefully.

“I miss your smile and the way you throw your head back when you laugh and I miss the spark in your eyes when you’re so deeply passionate about something. But most of all, Abetha, I miss completely and entirely you. You were taken far too early from this world and you didn’t deserve it one bit. I would take your place in a heartbeat. I hope to be with you someday, even if it is in another lifetime.”

“Daddy, c’mon! We’re gonna be late to practice!”

Aaron turned his head to where he parked his car and out came his little monster running towards him with half of a shin guard on and the opposite leg shoe untied. The kid’s scruffy hair was a disaster and Aaron was pretty sure he had just pulled another tooth out.

“Okay buddy, let’s go,” he spoke gently, leading his son back to where he came from. As they walked back, hand-in-hand, Aaron turned around one more time to say goodbye.

 


Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this assignment I did for class; I sure had loads of fun writing it. This post is actually based off of an obituary that I had found on Legacy.com. Here’s the link to the specific post!

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/abetha-aayer-obituary?pid=142650154

It’s a pretty “open” obituary so I decided to interpret it in my own way. There aren’t a lot of details, but I thought it was just so sweet. It almost made me cry in class because “Aaron” in real life posts the same post every year on the date that she died. Isn’t that heartbreaking? I don’t know, but I felt like crying. Also, thank you to my lovely grandfather who actually came up with the title! I originally just had it as “Abetha & Aaron” but he slept on it and came up with “Everything But Time” for me which is just so devastating.

On a side note, I never directly stated in the text what Abetha passed away from, but I intended for it to be leukemia. You can interpret it however you like, but it’s sort of difficult describing those symptoms.

One more thing- the featured image I chose was actually a picture I took in Destin, Florida couple years ago. I’ve never been to New York, but I’d love to go. Anyway, I didn’t want you all thinking that was what I thought New York looked like. I just thought I’d choose it because it has a similar dock/harbor/pier vibe I was trying to go for in the first scene.

Anyway, I’ll see you guys later for hopefully something… happier.

Ranking the Original Avengers

I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I’m a huge Avengers fan. I haven’t been there since the beginning, but I’ve been there long enough. In this post, I’m not going to include the new members of the team that joined during Infinity War such as Spider-Man (because it’s not even a competition, he’s my favorite) but instead I’m going to rank the originals: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. These guys will always have a special place in my heart, even though all of them are going to probably die in Endgame.

#6: Hawkeye/Clint Barton

Hawkeye just sort of does… nothing. I can’t remember what valuable asset he brings to the team. Sure, bow and arrows are kind of cool, but that’s nothing compared to the actual God of Thunder and Tony’s billion dollar high-tech suit. It’s just incomparable. Also, he sort of abandons the Avengers in the later movies and only arrives when he could be of help. Being an Avenger is a full time job, there is no break when you’re saving and protecting the world. He’s just lame.

#5: The Hulk/Bruce Banner

Don’t get me wrong, Bruce Banner is pretty neat, but the Hulk is just a giant toddler. At first it was funny, but now it’s getting kind of repetitive. Bruce is helpful in his own scientific way, but the Hulk has no idea how to follow orders or make peace with Banner. It’s like you get one character you love, and another character you cannot stand. Also, Natasha’s relationship with the Hulk is kind of creepy, but you didn’t hear that from me.

#4: Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

It’s sad that Black Widow is the only female Avenger, but whatever (not including Scarlet Witch since she arrived during Age of Ultron). I wish she was lower on the list, but I think her character is just written so poorly. It seems like she doesn’t have any flaws, which is extremely unrealistic. She never gets hurt, always defeats the bad guys, and is completely emotionally stable. With how much this team has been through, there is no way that all of that is true. I think Scarlett Johansson plays her beautifully, but the character is just flawed. Her character is just unrealistic. (And she’s never had her own solo movie).

#3: Thor Odinson

I’ve always liked Thor, but I started to love him during Ragnarok/Infinity War. If I were ranking the Avengers from Infinity War, he’d probably be #2 or #3 but out of many more characters. Anyway, I think he is just a cool character and also he’s a Hemsworth. That’s an immediate plus for me. He can be a little bit of an idiot sometimes, but I still appreciate him nevertheless. I also love his brother and I think it’s really cool that he’s a villain. Lastly, he’s an actual god.

#2 Iron Man/Tony Stark

There’s debate whether Iron Man is the ‘leader’ of the Avengers or Captain America, and I cannot tell you my opinion because I love them both so much. Tony can be arrogant and a little bit egotistical, but I love him anyway. Robert Downey Jr. does a terrific job playing him and I believe no other actor could do it better. During Civil War, I couldn’t choose sides between the two- I love them both. In the end, Tony’s character is what really shows that he’s one of my favorites. After all he has been through, go figure he’s over it. I also just absolutely love the father-son relationship he has with Spider-Man and it makes my heart heavy knowing he probably won’t survive Endgame.

#1 Captain America/Steve Rogers

The coolest thing about Captain America for me is how much of an ‘old soul’ he is. Sure, he was born in 1918, but that old school compassion still shines through him. He puts others before himself and his personality is so sweet. Listen up Hunger Games, this is how you’re supposed to write the sweet boy. Another thing I love about Steve is that he can be serious and deadly when he needs to be. He knows how to get the job done and he’s not afraid to step up as the leader when he needs to. He also will do anything to protect his family which is something that is honest in every superhero. Just another plus- it’s pretty cool he was frozen in ice, just saying.

Why Katniss & Gale Should’ve Ended Up Together

This post is dedicated to my lovely grandfather. The day I’m posting this will be his 79th birthday! I love him very much and he’s super special to me. Now, back to regularly scheduled events! P.S I love you a lot. Happy 79th dude. This one’s for you. (Also, for all you creeps out there, my grandfather loves the Hunger Games. He talks about it all the time- this isn’t just a random post. Maybe not this specific topic, but nevertheless I’m writing it).

Alright, I’ve gotten myself into this mess. Katniss should’ve ended up with Gale. There, I said it. You happy? Honestly if you know me in real life, I talk about this all the time. It’s probably not good for me, but I’m invested either way.

I originally read the Hunger Games in fourth grade back in 2013. Looking back on it now, I started it a little young considering it’s a Y/A novel. Along with the Hunger Games, I read Divergent in fifth grade. Apparently I just loved dystopian books in elementary school and to be honest, I still do. I remember doing a bubble chart or a flow-map whatever on the Hunger Games- that’s how young I was when I read it. Do not let my youth fool you, I’ve reread it many times over the years. I am prepared to have this debate.

Peeta absolutely sucks. Maybe it’s Josh Hutcherson V. Liam Hemsworth in my mind, but Gale is superior. I’m not just talking about looks, okay? There are… other reasons… too.

Gale had always been there for Katniss. Always. They had grown up together in District 12 and he had provided for her family when she was too weak to do so, including during her time in the games. Peeta is just helpless. When it was announced that two victors could be crowned from the same District, Katniss was literally the one who had to find a dying Peeta and nurse him back to health. To save him from death, she even fake fell in love with him. Their.. tragic relationship… also shows how caring and kind Katniss is towards other people, but she’s really out here doing charity work with Peeta. He is so helpless that it’s embarrassing.

His main skill is throwing 100 pound bags of flour. Throwing a 100 pound bag of flour. I’m not making this up. Out of the entire three books and four movies, that is his main skill that he shows off. During the training sessions before the games, they showcase him throwing a metal ball. He throws things- that’s it. What’s he going to do during the games, de-root a tree and throw it at his attacker? It’s absolute nonsense. Maybe he’s a ‘sweet boy’ that’s kind, but physically during the rebellion he’s useless, and that’s all Katniss seems to care about. That’s all he’s good for! He gets himself kidnapped, stabbed, and drugged and poor Katniss has to come to his rescue. He even gets captured after the Quarter Quell and loses his memory and Katniss falls in love with him again. How? Why? It’s embarrassing how much of nothing he does.

Also, his name is Peeta. He’s named after pita bread… get it? Because he’s a baker? Haha. Very funny, thanks Suzanne Collins. It’s really lame and I feel like that should be a point in itself.

I guess this next one is a pity point, but Josh Hutcherson is only 5’7 and that’s a negative for me. Not that height matters, but c’mon, Liam Hemsworth is 6’3. In the books, Gale is supposed to be two years older than Katniss and Peeta, but you don’t grow eight inches in two years. I mean, that’s not normal. And Liam is a Hemsworth, by default he’s superior.

Even more so, Peeta faked an engagement and a baby with Katniss. Without letting her know. Are you serious? Literally on national television broadcasting to the entirety of Panem he let everyone know that she was pregnant (she wasn’t actually and he didn’t tell her he was going to do that beforehand).

Overall, Gale is just superior in every way. You can argue with me all you want, but this is my opinion and I am standing by it. I obviously have a bias towards Liam Hemsworth, as you can tell, but I really just don’t like Josh Hutcherson. Also, since the Hunger Games, what has he even been in? I feel like he’s peaked.

To My Grandfather

Oh, I love you so much. It’s crazy that you’ve lived this long! I’m not complaining though. Seventy-nine, wow. Mom told me to make you a card, but I figured you might like this better since it doesn’t waste any paper and it will be on the internet forever. I am so appreciative of you, more than you probably know. I’m also grateful that you drove me to school today in the middle of a flood. Everything you do for me is so lovely and I’m incredibly thankful that you’re here. Let’s aim for eighty! I love you very much. Did I ever tell you that I read all three books in the Hunger Games?

 

 

My ‘Thank U, Next’ Album Ranking

Something I never really mention on my blog is how much I love Ariana Grande. Sounds odd, but I’m serious. My first actual concert was the Honeymoon Tour back in 2015. That’s when I just fell in love with her music. From someone who you can usually find listening to something alternative or an indie band, Ariana is pretty much the only pop girl I still listen to from my childhood. It’s been really cool growing up with her within these five or six years. Before I even saw her on the Honeymoon Tour, I had watched her on Victorious and Sam & Cat. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve loved her for a while.

I’ve also been to the Dangerous Woman Tour on Valentine’s Day of 2017 and I have tickets for the upcoming Sweetener World Tour that I’m going to in June. You could say I’m sort of committed by this point.

Anyway, on February 8th, 2019, Ariana’s 5th studio album “Thank U, Next” was released and I’m absolutely in love with it. Without further ado, here is my ranking of the songs on the album! (Worst to best).

12. Make Up: 2/10

11. Imagine: 4/10

10. In My Head: 4/10

9. Bloodline: 5/10

8. NASA: 5/10

7. Needy: 6/10

6. Thank U, Next: 6/10

5. 7 Rings: 7/10

4. Ghostin: 8/10

3. Bad Idea: 9/10

2. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored: 9.9/10

1. Fake Smile: 10/10

Total Average Score: 6.3/10

 What are my thoughts?

It was a little bit difficult ranking some of the singles like 7 Rings and Imagine because they were obviously released before the album came out and I’ve listened to them a bunch since then. I remember listening to Imagine while studying for my midterms, so it’s been a while. If it had come out with the rest of the album, it would probably have gotten a lower rank; I’m just used to it.

I know a lot of people love In My Head but I just don’t understand it. I think it’s good, yeah, but it’s definitely not one of my favorites. I love all these songs, but I really can’t tell why people like that one so much. It just doesn’t do it for me.

Make Up is by far my least favorite on the album; I just don’t like the message. I still find it stuck in my head a lot, and I’m honestly pretty annoyed by that. I can’t tell you why I dislike it so much, but Twitter seems to agree with me.

I’m a little bit disappointed that the album got a 6.3/10, I feel like it should be a lot higher. Even though I’m biased towards her, I rated them how I genuinely felt. There are some great songs on the album, but I suppose some of them are just fillers. Her vocals and her writing ability are actually incredible, so I still love this album.

A lot of people don’t like the message behind Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored and I totally get that, but I still love the song. It’s crazy how much I love this song. I literally don’t even have a ‘crush’ right now, but I feel like I want to throw an imaginary boyfriend out my window. Why does this song make me feel this way? I have no idea. It gives me a false sense of power and security. I feel invincible while listening to this song. I have no idea why.

Fake Smile is my #1 just because of how honest it feels. It really opens her up to her emotions. I could say the exact same thing about Ghostin but Fake Smile just really does it for me. I love the beat in Fake Smile and how the rhythm flows. Is that too cheesy? While I’m here, I will bawl my eyes out while listening to Ghostin because of how sad it makes me.

Thank U, Next MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1aHhXnN1k

7 Rings MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYh6mYIJG2Y

Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored MV:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH4Y1ZUUx2g

(Original cover art for “Thank, U Next” with the C6 filter added with VSCO).