Taylor Swift

            Taylor Swift is going out with a bang this year.  Her new album “1989” is currently the #2 album on iTunes, but it has previously been #1 for a while.  One of her songs, “Blank Space”, is the number 1 song on iTunes.  From what I know, that album is gold.  I haven’t listened to the full album yet, but I really like Blank Space, Welcome to New York, and This Love.  Her performance of “Blank Space” at the America Music Awards was really good too.  Her music video for “Blank Space” was really cool too.  I mean who wouldn’t want to film a video in a huge mansion wearing amazing clothes and bashing an amazing and expensive car?  I would love to.  Also on her 1989 album, “Shake it Off” was a huge hit.  

Taylor Swift also performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and she was stunning.  She's accomplished so much this year, I wonder what 2015 will look like for her.

Blank Space music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg

            In other news, she just celebrated her 25^th Birthday!  She started off the night by performing at the New York City Jingle Ball.  She kept the party going to her apartment where guests were Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Karlie Kloss, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, Jaime King, Emma Roberts, Ansel Elgort, Kelly Osbourne, Chrissy Teigen, Charlie XCX, Olivia Culpo, and the band HAIM.  25 and she has everything in life that any person could dream of.

 (Picture from www.perezhilton.com) 

The Power of Words

            I just want to address a well-known issue: the power of words- especially through social media.  You see cyber bullying EVERYWHERE nowadays and I think that’s a major issue in today’s society.  Attacking people through the internet is cowardly and it creates a ripple.  If you can’t address something to someone’s face, then why do it?  Anonymously hurting someone does nothing but makes you look dumb.  When one person writes/types one thing, it can cause a lot of damage to not just one person, but many.  It tears people down and pushes people to terrible places.

            I’ve seen people post videos on YouTube just for fun and to make other people happy, but there’s just one problem; there’s a comment section.  There will always be people who are very egocentric and who will always criticize anything and everyone.  People are choosing to put snippets of their lives on the internet because they enjoy it, and so do others.  People like Zoella have addressed the issue and Zoella blogged about it (like I am)

Check it out:  http://www.zoella.co.uk/2014/11/why-i-stopped-daily-vlogging-hate-on.html

           

            It’s not just YouTube.  People get harassed through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  One fad of 2013 was an app called Ask.fm.  You could ask people questions anonymously and when you answered them, they appeared on your profile page.  Obviously it was a very bad invention.  Just describing it makes me realize what a mistake it was.  It was giving people the opportunity to hide their identity and hurt people.  I feel like people are always going to find a way through the internet to cause unnecessary problems and when you’re a teenager especially, what people say matters. 

            

           You have to think before you speak (or type).  What if you found out someone was hurting them because of a comment you posted?  Would you feel guilty?  I hope so.  That’s not something to just brush off, we’re all humans.  Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions and you should feel free to speak them—without hurting others. 

            

            It’s in everyone’s best interest if we all look at things from multiple points of view before acting, make a good choice.

AMA's

            I realize the America Music Awards were quite a few days ago, but I’m just now blogging about it!  What did you guys think of Pitbull as a host?  I’ve always kind of found him weird but he did fine.  The night was full of great performances and wins for amazing artists.

            

            My absolute favorite performance was by our dear Selena Gomez.  She’s had quite the rough patch which I believe is due to on-again off-again ex, Justin Bieber, and the song she performed captures a lot of the emotions and  struggles she’s gone through.  This was the first performance of “The Heart Wants What it Wants” live and Selena was amazing.  If you watch any of the videos of her performance, you can see her crying and she whispers, “Thank you Jesus”.  You can also see clips of her close friend Taylor Swift shedding a tear or two for Selena during the performance.  The announcers kept calling it a very “personal performance” and it was definitely personal.  The beginning of the song starts with Selena crying about feeling crazy and worthless and it’s almost painful for everyone to hear what she felt.  Home run for Selena.

Selena’s performance of “The Heart Wants What it Wants”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQvutRHsaoc

Iggy Azalea was definitely under the spotlight that night.  During some of the categories, she was up against artists like Drake and Eminem and proved to be superior and she also triumphed against other talented artists like Lorde.  This breakout sensation performed live also just taking the night away.  Good for her!

Other performers in the show were Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, YG, Lorde, One Direction, 5SOS, Taylor Swift, Jesse J, The Weekend, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Skyler Grey, Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Charlie XCX, Magic!, Wyclef Jean,  Imagine Dragons, Sam Smith, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, Christina Milian, Garth Brooks, and Mary J. Blige.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show.  What did you think?

Feminism vs Meninism..?

            When you hear the term “feminism”, what pops up in your mind?  Do you think of self-righteous women?  Do you think of equality?  According to http://dictionary.reference.com/, it’s the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.  There is a lot more to think about other than “making women equal” as some would put it.

         

            I personally have seen a lot of tweets that are advocating “meninism”.  For one thing, that is not a word.  Another thing is that the standards for “meninism” and “feminism” seem to be completely different.  For almost all of time, females have been inferior to men in more ways than one.  They’re the people you look for to complete household chores, take care of the children, and please those of the opposite sex.  For a long time, they “didn’t deserve” to vote because they had little to no knowledge of the world and they couldn’t obtain jobs because that was for men and women had jobs of their own at home, where they belonged.  Being in 2014, a lot has changed for women.  Women do have a stronger role today than they used to, but they aren’t completely equal to men.  There are some cases where women are paid less than men, even when they work the same job, put in the same amount of effort (more or less), and receive less.   

I have seen multiple twitter accounts named “meninism” in support of advocating social, political, and all other rights of men equal to those of women (I assume).  With the 144 characters you’re allowed to use through Twitter, the accounts point out women receiving better treatment than men, but also some of their tweets can be harsh and sexist.  I do see some of the points they’re trying to make, like when a man hits a woman, he’s to suffer, but with women, it may or may not go in that direction.  There are some tweets, however, that seem silly and just starting an unnecessary fire.  There was one I specifically saw that criticized women asking men to run and get them some ice cream and men being criticized for asking women to make them a sandwich.  In society, it’s really hard to change an image and create a different way of thinking that everyone can agree on.  Really, no matter what you say, someone will have something to point out and criticize, because everyone is different.

I am a feminist myself, but to a certain extent.  I think chivalry can be a way of expressing someone cares.  I also think women should be able to be independent and powerful.  Each person seems to see feminism in a different way and to a certain point.  I can see both views for the different sides, but I think some of what the “meninist” people were saying was ridiculous.  Emma Watsons speech about Feminism was really powerful and made a lot of good points, so you should check it out! (also linked in my previous post all about her)

Emma Waton’s speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Dg226G2Z8

What are your views on the matter? Do you favor a side or share views on both?

Emma Watson

If you don’t know who Emma Watson is, I strongly recommend you find out.  She’s such a good role model and I don’t know who wouldn’t aspire to be her.  Emma Watson is a very successful British actress who got her break through her playing the part of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies.  She started those movies at age 9.  Now at age 24, she’s graduated from Brown University, she’s been in other successful movies, and she helped launch the “HeforShe” UN Women campaign.

HeforShe calls for men to support gender equality.  Watson is a UN Goodwill Ambassador and gave a powerful speech at a United Nations meeting in New York back in September.  Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Dg226G2Z8 Watson spread the word and got a major response through twitter.  There were responses from people like Benedict Cumberbatch, Pharrell Williams, Prince Harry, and a lot more.  The response was so big; Emma definitely got the word out and people talking. 

It’s inspiring that Emma can be so successful and still do so much and spread positivity.  Despite what I said in my other blog post about fame destroying people, it definitely didn’t destroy Emma Watson.  You don’t see many stars go back to school and make the decisions she does.  If you have a kid, you probably would want them to look up to someone like Emma Watson.

Fame Always Gets in the Way

This post kind of goes along with my previous post, “Childhood Ruined”.  As a kid, your idols were the stars of your favorite TV shows or movies.  They always seemed to pull through as a person and make the best decisions.  They were inspirational and talented, and you probably learned a few life lessons from them.

When you get older, you come to realize that the actress or actor was just playing a character that someone created.  They aren’t necessarily the person they played in the show they starred in.  I’m sure you’ve all heard of (hopefully) people like Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes (previously blogged about), and Lindsay Lohan.  I realize there are probably a lot more stars who’ve hit the bottom, but these three were the ones I’ve watched since I was a kid.  I used to watch “the Amanda Show” and one of my all-time favorite movies was “What a Girl Wants”.  Amanda Bynes did such a good job playing that role, and now she’s pretty crazy.  Check out one of my older blogs when I addressed Amanda Bynes’s current issues: http://emilypaplang.blogspot.com/2014/10/amanda-bynes-downfall.html Lindsay Lohan also proved to not follow the road of her characters.  She was such a cute young girl in “the Parent Trap”.  Maggie Peyton from “Herby Fully Loaded”.  Her character was inspirational because she taught you to follow your dreams as she does in the movie.  Child stars really are toxic.  Lindsay has had so many problems with drinking and making bad decisions that she’s not really brought up a lot for any accomplishments…  The last person I have to follow up on fame bringing people down, is Miley Cyrus.  I don’t dislike Miley Cyrus. In fact, I like quite a few of her songs.  What throws her into this category is all her insane changes.  She chopped off her beautiful hair (which isn’t a bad thing I just liked it long), her style changed, she does like to dance inappropriately a lot, and makes suggestive gestures.  Her songs have definitely changes since she made changes to her appearance.  Her songs are a lot more mature then they used to be. 

I haven’t seen many stars (especially child stars) that don’t change after fame.  I don’t know if it all just gets to their heads or if it’s pressure or what.  There are a few stars who have seemed to escape the troubles of fame like Hilary Duff.  She’s married and has a family of her own, and hasn’t been in the news for any trouble recently.  I hope that the troubled people grow up to be happy and don’t end up regretting all they’ve done.

Childhood Ruined

            I used to get so excited to watch TV as a child.  Disney channel had it all.  The best thing you could see while watching TV was the kid doing the splits in the air because it meant a Disney channel original movie was about to start.  The other best thing you could see was the list of what would be on next and after that.  The shows like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, That’s So Raven, Kim Possible, Lizzie Maguire, The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, and many more shows made life a little easier.  Nickelodeon had TV shows like Drake and Josh, Zoey 101, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, and more.  My cable box used to be filled all the time with the recordings of the shows I would be missing while I was at school.  I liked the kind of shows where the main character was a normal girl AND a rock star (Hannah Montana).  I liked the funny shows like Drake and Josh and Ned’s Declassified.  Those were just the TV shows.  The movies on Disney were always just as good. The High School Musical movie trilogy were Disney originals.  I still watch and sing along to this day! Holes and Cadet Kelly were “classics” too.

            What I’ve come to see now are shows like A.N.T. Farm (cancelled in May), Dog with a Blog, Fish Hooks (which finished back in April), Liv & Maddie, and other shows that I could never find appealing as a child.  A.N.T. Farm was about younger kids who were really advanced and talented who were put into High School.  I didn’t even contemplate Middle School while I watched my Disney shows as a kid, let alone High School.  Fish Hooks is about three FISH who actually go to High School.  I think the title, “Dog with a Blog” explains it all.  A talking dog who blogs about life.  I feel like kids are being deprived of the shows I used to watch at that age.  I understand it’s a different time, but the old shows were so good!

  Of course all kid shows have a moral of the story and put in as many life lessons as they could, but I feel like the life lessons have changed.  What I learned from my childhood shows were things like family and friends come first, you succeed if you try and put your mind to it, and don’t lose hope.  All of the shows I watched had all of that while making it entertaining.  I can see that shows nowadays still have lessons built into the episode but it doesn’t seem to be the same.  I think the shows are pushing kids into growing up too fast and education is most important.  While in a sense, that true, but you learn that as you get older.  As a kid, I think the most important values are to be good and your friends and family are your number one through life.  Granted I don’t spend all my time watching children shows now, but from what I’ve heard and the little I’ve seen make me question the values being pushed on a child now.

Relationships Within DWTS

            I did a post earlier on “Dancing With the Stars” (DTWS), and I have an update, not so much about the show, but the romance.  Janel Parish and her dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, have been rumored to have had a steamy bud of romance after the start of the show.  The two are seen together quite frequently and even had a matching couples costume for a Halloween party.  Neither of them are denying the rumors, but they are also not addressing them full on.  What I mean is, they really aren’t trying to cover up their feelings.  The two have been posting cute pics of each other on social media, such as Instagram and twitter, and tweeting cryptic messages. 

What I’m hoping is, they are actually together and the chemistry isn’t just for the show.  You always hear about the fake relationships that only exist only for the publicity for movies or tv shows.  It’s always sad to hear those are fake, because the movie loves are what everyone aspires to have.  No matter what though, I don’t think they should be bothered.  I think the fans and really anyone should let them live their lives in peace without being pestered about their relations.

Mama June's Doom!

“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” star Mama June, Alana’s (Honey Boo Boo) mom has been quite the topic of recent gossip.  There has recently been a lot of talk that Mama June and her ex, who recently got out of jail.  He sexually harassed Mama June’s oldest Daughter, Anna, at age 8 (she’s now 20 and has a child).  Mama June has been seen out with ex Mark McDaniel and rumored to be dating him.  Anna recently spoke out about this, saying she believes her mother in her heart that they are indeed not together again, but she can’t help wondering and feeling uneasy.  She said if the rumors are true, she will not let Mama June near her daughter until Mark is out of her life. 

Mama June was said to not have believed Anna when she told her mother what happened to her.  Anna briefly went to stay with her grandmother, Mama June’s mom, (who said she wanted to kill McDaniel after she heard about what happened with Anna) when Mama didn’t believe her.  What’s even worse is that Mama June and Mark have been seen together WITH ALANA!  Alana is now 8 and even if they aren’t “dating”, he’s a registered sex offender.  Mama June, you’ve screwed up if you’re hanging around someone like that with your young daughter (or even at all).  She even bought this guy a car.  What is she thinking?  There have also been some allegations that “Pumpkin” another of Mama June’s daughters witnessed Anna being molested!  What kind of a world do we live in?

The show also got cancelled because of Mama’s unethical actions.  Now, the show is refusing to pay Mama June.    There is a moral clause in the contract between the show and Mama, and by putting her children at risk and hanging around a sex offender, she’s violating the clause.  Is it all worth it, Mama?  Her whole family is basically screaming at her that this is not the right decision and she’s going to lose some people in the process if she doesn’t change things and make things right within her family.  Who knows how well Mama and Anna would have been doing, even if Mark never became a part of Mama’s life again.  After all, Anna went to stay at her grandmothers and came back in hoped to reconnect with her mom. Hopefully, all these restrictions against Mama June will knock some sense into her, because she’s not only risking her safety, but her families.  

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

            The transition from October to November is actually a huge step.  Halloween has come to an end and people are recovering from their hangovers (metaphorically and literally) and preparing themselves for what lies ahead.  After Halloween, you have Thanksgiving to look forward to, Black Friday, and Christmas of course!           Even if you don’t celebrate or participate in those events, it’s still a wonderful time of the year with the crisp air of fall leading to a snuggly winter.  It’s even better if you live in a place that gets snowy enough for snowdays from school.  I personally look forward to those.

            As I have come to get older, I appreciate Thanksgiving a lot more.  The food is the best part for me.  In my family, we have stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, (the basics) and Hershey’s pie.  I’m a big fan of pie, but Hershey’s pie is a must in my family seeing as I grew up in a heavily chocolate influenced family.  The other great part of Thanksgiving is the family.  This year, I have some family coming down here to see us.  I come from one of those switch off families for Thanksgiving with my mom and dad, so it’s nice to get a change of scenery each year.  The day after Thanksgiving is the time to be totally obsessed with Christmas and the tree goes up.

            On November 28^{th of} this year, it’s going to be like World War 3.  Black Friday is intense, but worth it.  I plan to camp out this year with my friends, but who knows if it’ll actually happen.  It’s the start of the holiday shopping season and the deals are so beneficial.  I can’t really think of a reason not to participate, unless you have bad roads or don’t like big crowds. 

Once the snow hits, it’s like a whole new world (“Aladdin” reference intended).  I put the Christmas CDs in the car and the fireplace is on.  Whether it snows before or after Thanksgiving, I have Christmas on my mind.  This year, my mom is taking my sister and me to Disney World and Universal Studios to Harry Potter World.  My level of excitement is through the roof.  The last time I went to Disney World was when I was 8, and I can only remember bits and pieces.  I love all things Disney and Harry Potter, so it’s going to be a really good Christmas.  After we stay in Florida for a few days, I’m going to spend Christmas in Utah with my mom and brother (who’s in collage), enjoy the snow.  

Even after all that excitement, there’s New Years!  Party central for most people.

Mockingjay

             Mockingjay, the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy, is coming to theatres near you on November 21^st, 2014.  The movie, awaited by many, will be part one of two.  The first teaser trailer released was on June 25^th of this year and there were 7 more to follow.  The official and last trailer released came out on October 29^th.

Trailers: http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=92388

            When the first book came out in 2008, it’s was all anybody was talking about.  The movie, “the Hunger Games” was later released in 2012 with Jennifer Lawrence playing as Katniss Everdeen.  It was amazing and the books were flying off the shelves.  “Catching Fire” came out in theatres in 2013.  Katniss Everdeen’s story continues and the news of the 3^rd book, Mockingjay, being split into a two part movie seems even greater.

            Divergent kind of reminds me of the Hunger Games.  The factions make me think of the districts, there doesn’t seem to be many parents guiding the kids, they all seem to be fighting each other, and there is one high-power government overtaking the people.  I’m only one opinion though, I haven’t actually read any of the Divergent books, I’ve only seen the movie.  I might read the books, but it really hasn’t hit me that I “need” to read them.

I am definitely a fan of the Hunger Games.  I read the books before the movies and immediately went to see them as soon as they were out.  I think the movies do a pretty good job following the books, which doesn’t happen too often. I think the movie really captures the life the people within the districts (specifically District 12) lives.  You can actually see the hardships the people go through.  Watching the games themselves is almost traumatizing.  Watching it on the screen makes it seem more real, rather than imagining it while reading it.

I’m also definitely a sucker for the Katniss/Peeta relationship, so every moment whether they were in the books or out, I was hooked.  This leads me to say I’m “team Peeta” or whatever. (Is this becoming like Twilight with team Edward and team Jacob?)  I’m all about the romances and becoming obsessed with imaginary characters.

Selena and Justin...

            When you hear the names Selena and Justin used in the same sentence, do you think of the duo Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez?  I don’t even know if I can call them a duo being perfectly honestly.  “Jelena” is pretty messed up.  Ever since they started dating back in 2011, their relationship has been on again off again and looks pretty complicated.  It pretty much consists of Selena and Justin dating and whatever but then he sleeps or goes out with someone else and Selena tries moving on and then the cycle repeat.  A lot has been said about Selena ever since Justin.  She seems to have been spiraling out of control like partying and maybe drugs?

            Most, if not, all of us know that Justin Bieber is trouble.  He’s been charged multiple times for all sorts of things. He’s always seems to be fighting (physically and verbally) people (like photographers), driving around like a maniac in all of his sport cars and driving under the influence, womanizing, vandalizing, and bringing shame to us all.  I guess Selena likes bad boys!  There have been a lot of rumors of Selena partying since the breakup(s) and whether or not they’re true, there has to be something going on for these stories to come up, right?  Why do they keep getting back together?  From the outside, it looks like a toxic relationship and there’s constant jealousy and fighting.  They don’t seem to be getting anywhere in my eyes but the fact is that they keep getting back together and that must mean there’s something worth it for the both of them in their relationship.

Social media seems to be a popular way for them to express their feelings without directing them to each other.  Not just “Jelena” necessarily, but in this case.  Talking is always a better option than posting on the internet, especially when it creates drama.  It doesn’t help that they both have strong fan bases that argue online about what’s going on or their cryptic messages.  From the way it looks, Bieber is never going to grow up and should probably own up to what he does and Selena should find a way to get away from the bad influences, for all our sakes.  I guess I don’t know what really happens behind the scene, I just see a lot of the same stories.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

            If you haven’t seen Ellen DeGeneres’s show, do you live under a rock?  This current season is her 11^th.  I LOVE her show (and her).  She makes you laugh and dance; she gives you stuff sometimes, and she asks people to come talk on her show.  She could even ask you to come on her show!  You have to be worth it though.  She has one of the best talk shows.  You can buy tickets for her show, but you have to buy them way ahead.  You can also purchase Ellen merchandise here at   http://www.ellenshop.com/

The show started back in 2003 and has been very successful considering its 2014.  Ellen has special episodes like her 12 days of Christmas is really huge giveaway and she has Halloween themed shows, she has specials that support Breast Cancer Awareness, and she gives to people in need. 

The show is well-known for the crazy and hilarious games created.  One of my favorite segments is “Kevin the cashier” when she sends Adam, who works on the show, and has him works at various different stores and she controls what he says.  You can probably guess how that goes.  I also love when she sends Andy and Amy to haunted houses around during the Halloween season.  If you’ve seen the show, you know Andy is one of the producers and writers of the show, and Ellen is always scaring him and tricking him into thing.  She had him get a flu shot while on the air and he was so paranoid she would scare him or if it was a real nurse, or if the needle was even real.  The show is really funny and can almost always make you laugh.

Ellen hosts of course and she invites all sorts of celebrities like Taylor Swift, Channing Tatum, Miley Cyrus, and so many more.  She loves to scare her guests too. Ellen’s best scares: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAj1iLxiRpI.  She also invites people who are well known from the internet!  Sofia Grace and Rosie are recurring guests on “The Ellen Show”.  They were originally found on YouTube because of a video of the two singing and dancing to Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass”.  Ellen got them on her show and basically took them under her wing and asks them back often.  She’s given them so much like the chance to meet Nicki Minaj, asked them to interview on red carpets for Ellen, and a lot more. 

Sofia Grace and Rosie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hTAp6KrGY

Wisdom Teeth Virals

            I don’t know when it became popular for people to video themselves or others after getting their wisdom teeth out… but it’s really funny!  I haven’t gotten the opportunity to get my wisdom teeth out yet, but I can only imagine the worst.  I’m extremely worried I’ll say something I’m not supposed to. 

            I admit to searching funny wisdom teeth videos on YouTube and you could actually spend hours just watching people make a fool of themselves in front of the camera.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idjo2fhLKDY THIS girl was videoed by her husband and she was upset that her teeth were worked on because she thought she would wake up looking like Nicki Minaj and be friends with Ellen DeGeneres.  She’s got goals.

            This video went viral almost immediately after it was posted and there are so many remakes of why the kid reacts the way he does, especially on vine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs

            Why are these videos everywhere?  I’ve seen people like Joey Graceffa and Josh Peck video their aftermath along with thousands.  The most views I personally have seen of videos like these was about 126,000,000 and that was thanks to David’s dad in the video above.  Why do we find these videos so amusing?  Probably because of the embarrassing things people say after waking up and still not themselves, which is why I’m concerned!  Sorry in advance, Dad.  

A Long Awaited Baby!

            If you’ve watched “Gossip Girl” a million times like I have, than you recognize the name Serena van der Woodsen.  Serena is portrayed by Blake Lively and that is where I first became associated with the name Blake Lively.  Through the ENTIRE show, you see “Serena” rocking every hair style, every outfit, and her character is hard not to love.  She’s like the definition of perfection, not to mention she’s gorgeous.

            Watching the “Proposal” introduced me to the phenomenon named Ryan Reynolds.  Those looks are to die for.  You love him on screen and off screen (from afar).

            Blake and Ryan first started after they met through the “Green Lantern” when Ryan was still married to Scarlett Johansson and Blake was dating “Gossip Girl” costar Penn Badgley.  As much as I would love Blake and Penn together because of their romance on GG, I love Blake and Ryan together.  They got married back in 2012 and seems to be going pretty well since, considering they’re having a baby!

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold have finally announced the new pregnancy through Blake’s post “Falling for Family” in the Preserve (her website).  She announces her pregnancy and posts baby bump pictures her brother Eric Lively took of her.  How cute?!  Ryan and Blake will no doubt have the PERFECT baby!  I mean look at them!  Blake is absolutely stunning and Ryan is extremely good looking. 

Preserve post by Blake: http://preserve.us/blog/celebration/preserve-celebrations-falling-for-family/

Giudice's 41 Charges and a partridge in a pear tree

        “Real House Wives of New Jersey” to continue in jail?  Or just Teresa Giudice?  The Giudice duo is facing some very real financial issues.  Some of which are illegal.  The couple has been accused with 39 charges, but now adds to 41.  Ouch!  They pleaded guilty thankfully.  That would be a lot to try and cover. Was it the mail and wire fraud?  What about the bank fraud?  I could go on but there isn’t time.  FRAUD is about all it is.  Teresa faces 15 months starting January 5^th. 

            

          The Giudice’s were ordered to separate their personal and business accounts.

Husband Joe Giudice tries to take full blame for all of the fraud and apologizes to his wife.  He also admits to a drinking problem so he’s really just laying it all down on the table.  Is Joe going to be deported, being an Italian citizen?  Joe’s attorney states, “He was not a citizen, but he has no history of violence. It could be possible for him to be deported. Some of these counts alone carry 20 years,” he says. “You serve the time and then you are deported but the US attorney’s office has no say. We will find this out some time after sentencing [in July] if they are going to take action. The judge told him today that he could be deported.”

What’s going to happen to RHONJ (Real Housewives of New Jersey)?

Amanda Bynes downfall

Do your parents put microchips in your head?  Amanda Bynes seems to think so.  Maybe she’s off her meds again…

            I think most of us have heard of Amanda Bynes past craziness.  If not, don’t worry, she’s back to her out of control self again so it is like she was never gone!  Back around July of 2013, Amanda was chucking marijuana bongs out of her window and getting REALLY attractive cheek piercings.  She also said she was obsessed with plastic surgery and that she always needed more done. Huh.  She was always trying to sue people for printing false information through blogs, magazine articles, and the internet.  She also created an “Ugly” list of celebrities for whatever reason she could think of on the spot.  Miley Cyrus, Sarah Hyland, the President and the First Lady, Drake, Jay Z, Lance Bass, Courtney Love, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Jason Biggs all made it on her famous list! Congratulations guys!  All seemed to respond to her pretty decently due to her unexpected rages.  She got into her own little twitter war with Perez Hilton to which she later apologized to.  She really had dug herself quite the hole.  From what I understand, she started taking her medicine and bettered herself.

Almost.

Amanda strikes back! She has traveled back to the times where she states the need for more surgery.  This time around, Bynes has been targeting her dad rather than other celebrities.   Through her twitter, Amanda has been pointing a pretty big finger at her father, Rick Bynes. She’s even suing again!  Businesses like “In Touch” are “being sued” for calling her insane and they all evidently don’t like her some reason so she’s suing.  .  She claims,

  @amandabynes  ·  Oct 8

“I will sue any one in the media who lies about me and says I ever gave them an interview when I never gave literally any magazine a quote”

Get ‘em Amanda.

            Onto her accusations regarding her father.  On twitter, Amanda tweeted that she needed to tell the truth about her dad.  She said he verbally and physically abused her and sexually assaulted her.  Her mother recently came to stand against these accusations and what Amanda said was completely false.  Lynn Bynes addresses Amanda to be in a critical mental state and Rick was the best husband and father.  Amanda then goes through social media to say her tweets about her father were not her fault and the microchip he put in her head made her say those things.  Seems pretty legit. Or rather not. 

TWD

The zombie apocalypse is real… in “The Walking Dead”.  Season 5 comes back October 12^th (Sunday), and I couldn’t be more ready.  If you haven’t been following the show, here’s a brief summary up to season 4:

Season 1 & 2: http://newtvshows.net/walking-dead-season-1-recap-summary/

Season 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(season_3)

Season 4: http://www.wetpaint.com/walking-dead/articles/2014-09-25-what-happened-season-4-recap

            I’ve been waiting for this season since the last season ended.  From what I hear, the beginning of the upcoming season (season 5), it’s going to be super intense.  That makes me nervous because my favorite character is Daryl, hasn’t been bitten or killed yet and it concerns me that the show makers will kill him off.  It’s clear to me that the people who are creating the show have no mercy for the fans favorite characters and will kill anyone that follows their plot.  I only believe this because in the previous seasons, we met a man named Hershel who became a favorite for the fans but they gruesomely cut him out of the picture. Daryl Dixon was never originally supposed to be a favorite of the fans but he has certainly grown to be.  There is merchandise for “The Walking Dead” and I’ve seen a lot of shirts with “If Daryl dies, we riot” etc.

            I think the show has done an amazing job and it hasn’t gotten boring yet.  They’ve been really successful.  Since the start of the show, they’ve created an app that allows you to transform a perfectly normal and sweet picture into a gruesome “walker” or zombie.  They have created a lot of merchandise following the show like survival kits, bags, clothing, zombie masks, Rick’s sheriff badge, etc.

“The Walking Dead” merchandise: http://shopthewalkingdead.com/features/29266989

            The show is based off the comic strips, The Walking Dead.  Of course the show isn’t going to directly follow the comic series, but since the creation of the show, there has been an increase of buyers of the comic series.  The success of both has TWD (The Walking Dead) popularly talked about through social media.  Facebook has a fan page; twitter has a profile, etc.  TWD is being transmitted any and every way to all viewers. 

Gone Girl

               I’m dying to see the new movie “Gone Girl” with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.  Of COURSE it’s rated R so unless you’re 17 or older or you don’t feel bad sneaking into movies, grab your 21 year old adult and go see it.

This thriller and drama is about a man named Nick Dunne whose wife, Amy Dunne, went missing on their fifth wedding anniversary and he’s searching for her/ what happened to her.  While searching for her, secrets of their marriage surface and the media, public, and police are questioning if he killed her.

The movie was directed by David Fincher and produced by Leslie Dixon, Reese Witherspoon, and Bruna Papandrea.  It’s 2 hours and 25 minutes and rated R.

“Gone Girl” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym3LB0lOJ0o

               Since this movie came out on October 3^rd, the purchase of the book the movie is based on, Gone Girl, has skyrocketed.  The book was written by Gillian Flynn and published in June of 2012.  Gone Girl was #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list for eight weeks and was on National Public Radio's hardcover fiction bestseller list for twenty-six weeks. Its genre is considered a thriller, drama, mystery, and suspenseful.  This book is on my top 10 list of must-reads this year and if you’re into mystery and suspense like I am, you might like to read it too.

Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game ....

Who knew the Kardashian game would get so much hype and become so popular??  I didn’t, but it’s currently number six of the Top Grossing apps on iTunes.  When you play this game, you create your own character and experience a red carpet life along with Kim Kardashian.  Your character is a celebrity and you get more and more famous as you play, but you can also lose fame.  “Kim” gives you tasks and you’re rewarded with money. 

Playing this free app has led game users to spend money on the bonus clothing or more energy… Is it worth ACTUAL money?  You get hooked on all your jobs and obligations as a celebrity trying to make it in Hollywood, and some spend hours playing and social climbing.

The game is said to be boring and fatigue by many.  The continuous tapping of the screen to accept “dates” and “photo shoots” about sums it up.  You have limited energy and have to wait for the energy to reload after a few minutes or spend actual money on a game if it really means that much to you.  Game users have the option to spend $99.99 for $175,000 virtual dollars in the game to use on energy, outfits, and so much more! SO worth it, right?  This game is free in the app store, but it’s making Kim Kardashian about $85 million from the title of the game.  Throughout the game, if you don’t do what you’re told, you lose fans and regress.  You WANT to be on the A-list being the highest, but the slightest of change or incompletion of a task could set you at the E-list level.  The newest update of the Kardashian game allows you to get married, like Kim and Kanye.  You also get the option to marry in front of a wall of flowers, like Kimye.  I think it really just annoys people really or gets you addicted, like flappy bird.  We all saw how that game ended.  I’m honestly surprised how high up on the iTunes Top Grossing app list it is for the game.

iPhone 6 and 6 PLUS release

On Friday September 19^th, the iPhone 6/ 6 Plus were released.  There are a lot of pros and cons to the newest releases.

I myself have an iPhone 6 and I upgraded from the 4s.  I haven’t experienced any problems and I actually like the bigger size better, but I can’t speak for all.

The 6 and 6 plus are known mostly for their size difference from previous iPhones.  The 5 was already noticeably bigger, and it doesn’t stop!  The 6 is 4.7” and the 6 plus is 5.5”.  Bigger is better may not be the case for most customers.  The thinness of the phone is concerning.  Recent stories tell that the phones are bendy!  Who would want to spend that much money to have it bent because you put it in your jean front OR back pocket?  I have found if you put a good case like an otterbox or zerolemon, you won’t experience any bending.  The iPhones are getting hit hard along with the “biggest release” of the iOS 8 software update.  The new program requires about 5.5 GB of data and many people were deleting their lives for the new update just for disappointment.  Videos, music, and pictures seem to take up most of the storage on iPhones, and for good reason, so shouldn’t those be the things you want to keep on your phone and not delete?  The 4s and iPad 2 were also experiencing a lot of glitches after installing.  It has been said that it may be due to the age of the device and how it might not have the capacity for the update.  People have also found it to have frozen while updating or have taken hours.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that much time to wait.  A lot of people don’t like the lock-button placement change on the new models.  They’re sure causing a lot of trouble…

Some of the better features of the phones are things like the display.  When you activate the phone, they give you the option to have your screen display be standard or zoom. On the standard screen, you get a 6^th row of apps rather than the usual 5 and the zoomed screen has the 5 rows of apps and since the screen is bigger, the apps look bigger.  It’s nice they give you the option.  The camera quality is so much better and clearer.  It has faster autofocus and a new addition called optical image stability that helps when your hand is shaking and you’re trying to take a picture  Some could say it’s definitely selfie-worthy (again, some).  The resolution of the phone is higher in quality and display.  The screen is just so much better and I like the bigger screen.  The battery life is one of my favorite parts.  I personally use my phone a lot throughout the school day and at home and I find at the end of the day I’m at around 50-40% battery.  It’s a lot longer and I don’t find the need to bring my phone charger in my bag.

What do you think about the new phones?

Pro.....crastination

Procrastination: the action of delaying or postponing something.  (Google)

I feel it’s a right of passage as a teenager to procrastinate.  There are just so many better things to do with your day other than homework.  There’s spending time with your friends, watching TV, and napping.  Those seem a lot more important than finishing your essay for History. 

Netflix happens to be the biggest way to procrastinate for most people, including me.  I would so much rather watch “One Tree Hill” then work on the Algebra II homework.  “The Walking Dead” is also coming back on October 12^th.   Honestly, I don’t understand how teachers expect so much when there’s so much to do and watch.  I realize homework is important (sometimes) to learn and better my education. Sometimes, though, when it’s just busywork, I don’t care to spend hours on it, even 10 minutes.  I want to maintain somewhat of a life without it revolving around school, so I put schoolwork off until I’ve fulfilled most of my day. It’s a pretty bad habit. Getting work done as soon as possible is the smarter way to approach life, but sometimes the distractions are too strong to follow that rule.

I usually do homework on my bed (also not smart because I think of napping) and I get out all my homework due for the next day. I’ll spend a few minutes writing down my name and writing out the number of problems to do. I then pick up my phone for like 10 minutes and then remind myself of my homework. I’ll work on it a bit longer and get hungry. I snack and then come back. I move around and get comfortable and fall asleep. That’s when you know you’ve screwed up.

I face these problems daily. It’s good to get into the habit of coming home and sitting at the kitchen table and avoid all electronics. It’s a better working environment and the sooner you get done, then the sooner you get to do what YOU want and not worry about it later at 10.  Getting into good habits can really benefit for your future.  If you’re planning on attending college, it would be really helpful to get your work done and succeed.  When you get a job, you don’t want to delay a task you were given or you may end up unemployed.  Procrastination is a big problem, so try teaching yourself to get out of those habits.

Not so Social Media

For most teens in this generation, Social Media is life.  I can honestly say I can completely relate.  I spend my days refreshing Twitter and Instagram during school and at home.  Facebook has died down in the past few years, probably because all our parents have joined.  Twitter and Instagram are nice because you can really post what you want and see what your friends and the people you know are doing.  With Social Media sites, there’s a lot to learn.  On places like Instagram where you just post pictures and videos, captions have to be kind of clever with a few emoji’s or hashtags.  You don’t want to just caption your picture with something like “Hi” on a picture of yourself of whatever.  On twitter, not many people want to know what kind of oatmeal you’re eating right now.  You may be a fan of “subtweeting” or tweeting about someone without tagging them, but really, everyone knows.  You may really like to retweet a lot of sporty stuff.  You also may just have one to see what everyone else tweets or you were pressured into getting one. 

Social Media isn’t so social though.  Sure, you’re keeping up with your friends online, but when you’re all at a party and everyone’s just sitting on their phones, it’s not being social.  I definitely do that.  Some people can get really offended because of social media.  People tend to post picture when they’re hanging out with their friends or at a party and if you’re not invited, it can really hurt to see a bunch of pictures without you.  It can really negatively impact people and then people get really dramatic.

Social Media also happens to be a HUGE distraction. It’s hard when you’re supposed to be studying or doing homework and your phone is right next to you just waiting to be unlocked and refresh your newsfeed.  It makes procrastination SO much easier. Why does it take up so much of our lives?  Who knows really?  It’s just a big part of our everyday lives.

YouTube

The internet has taken a huge toll on the lives of teens everywhere.  It’s a huge part of our everyday lives.  Stars have emerged through the internet, especially YouTube, and are seen at all the major events.  YouTube has had many stars originate from there.  On YouTube, people can post videos over whatever they want.  There are beauty channels, daily life channels, health channels, and so much more.  On each channel, you can subscribe if you really like channel or the YouTuber.  Subscribing will let you know when the YouTuber posts a new video.  You can like, dislike, comment, and (if you haven’t) subscribe on the video. 

At recent award shows such as the Teen Choice Awards, there have been categories like “Best YouTube collaboration” or “Best Female and Male YouTubers”.  YouTube and YouTubers have obviously impacted the lives of many for those categories to have been created.

YouTube has changed the lives of many.  Some people just started off on YouTube making videos in their bedrooms and just talking to the camera with a couple hundred subscribers and now win awards, release books, movies, and have about six million subscribers of fans all over the world.  There’s no secret to the fame of YouTubers.  They’re ordinary people who happen to make videos that people really enjoy watching.  People like Tyler Oakley, Zoella, Jenna Marbles, Bethany Mota, Joey Graceffa, and many more just started off making videos and now have so many great opportunities.  Zoella just launched her own beauty products and has a book coming out soon.  Tyler Oakley has won many awards, interviewed for award show carpets, and taken part of the Trevor Project- an organization for the prevention of suicide in youth.  Jenna Marbles has had her videos featured in The New York Times, and on ABC.  She has also has 14 million subscribers because of her hilarious and unique videos.  Bethany Mota is currently on “Dancing With the Stars” and has recently launched a clothing line through Aéropostale and previously partnered with Forever 21 and JCPenney.  Joey Graceffa is an actor and host of Teen.com.  These YouTubers received their big breaks through the world of YouTube. 

YouTube has also created a big impact on the lives of the fans.  The fans can receive the opportunity to see and meet their favorite YouTubers at meet-and-greets such as VidCon.  Fans can write to their favorite YouTubers if they have a P.O. Box and send packages, letters, drawings, etc.  They have also left comments on videos about how much this person/people have made them smile due to their videos and how it changes their attitudes, and how much they have helped them in their lives.  Without meaning to, YouTubers have provided people with so much happiness and entertainment, all through a computer or phone screen.

iHeartRadio Music Festival

                The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day festival held each September since 2011 by iHeartRadio at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This music festival is a focus on radio hits.  Performers differ from all types of music style like pop, rock, dance, hip hop, and country.

This year, the performers were Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Usher, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Mötley Crüe, Zach Brown band, One Direction, Weezer, Ed Sheeran, Paramore, Iggy Azalea, Train, Eric Church, Lorde, 50 Cent, Calvin Harris, Bastille, Steve Aoki, and Before You Exit. 

The successful iHeartRadio Music Festival ended today, September 21, 2014.

Recent Child and Domestic Abusive Athletes

In recent sport news, Raymell (Ray) Rice, the running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Adrian Peterson, running back for the Minnesota Vikings, have been involved in domestic violence and abusive incidents.

Ray Rice was seen on footage at the Revel Hotel and Casino elevator hitting his fiancée (now wife), Janay Palmer, knocking her out cold.  He then dragged her out from the elevator.  This incident took place on February 15^th, 2014 and he faced a two-game suspension.  John Harbaugh, the coach of the Ravens, wanted to cut Rice in February after TMZ released the first video.  Coach Harbaugh was reacting to a different video showing Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée out of the elevator.  The owner of the Ravens, Steve Biscotti, president Dick Cass, and general manager Ozzie Newsome overruled cutting Rice.  On September 8^th, TMZ released the second video of Rice actually knocking out Janya.  Ray Rice was let go by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after the new discovery. 

The security director of the Baltimore Ravens, Darren Sanders, allegedly knew everything that happened (even the footage released later in September) hours after the incident in February.  The case was almost resolved on February 19^th, four days after the incident, but TMZ released the first video that showed Rice dragging his wife out of the elevator.  Public news of the video made the prosecutor show the video evidence to a grand jury.

Rice, as previously noted, was fired from the Ravens for the charges of domestic abuse.

Another prominent NFL athlete, Adrian Peterson, has recently been charged with child abuse.  The incident took place on May 18^th when he whipped his child with a tree branch.  The child of four went to authorities telling them that “daddy” whipped him with a belt and “a lot of belts in daddy’s closet”.  The child also said Peterson put leaves in his mouth while being hit and while the child’s pants were down.

New texts were released between Adrian and the mother of the child: "… toughest of the bunch," Peterson wrote.  "He got about five more pops than normal.  He didn't drop one tear! So that was another indicator I'll have to try another system with him.  [Shake my head] he's tough as nails …" and the mother replied, “Well you can't hit him till he cries! That's just mean. He's trying to be strong for you. He's afraid of you. He's four, he's not playing mind games with you …"

On September 18^th, a new article was released stating Peterson abused two of his 4-year-old children.  These are children he fathered with a different woman.

Article: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2014/09/18/mitch-albom-adrian-peterson-vikings/15808613/

After the releases of all the information, some people question whether or not if it was just parenting and if it’s the same situation as spanking.

Peterson was suspended Week 2 but reinstated for Week 3.  While he still plays for the Vikings, he remains on the Commissioner Exemption list.  It is expected that Peterson will not hold a spot on the Minnesota team for much longer.

Start of the Stars

The hit TV series, Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), has returned for the 19th season on September 15, 2014.  For those of you who may not know of the ongoing reality show, recognized stars everywhere compete against each other each week with a unique dance and dance partner provided by the show.  They are judged by Julianne Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli.  The viewers have some influence over who to keep, and the remaining are voted off.

                This year, the stars competing: Jonathan Bennett, whose first break was in the movie Mean Girls; Tommy Chong--a comedian; Randy Couture--6 time world champion and hall of famer of Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting Champion; Betsy Johnson--celebrated fashion designer since 1960; Lolo Jones--one of the most amazing track athletes of her generation; Bethany Mota—YouTuber; Janel Parrish--singer and actor; Alfonso Ribeiro- best known for role as Carlton Banks on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”; Sadie Robertson--star of “Duck Dynasty”; Antonio Sabato Jr.--model; Tavis Smiley--host of “Tavis Smiley” talk show; Lea Thompson--best known for her part as Lorraine McFly in Back to the Future; and Michael Waltrip--professional racecar driver.

                Lolo Jones was voted off Tuesday (September 16th).  During Monday’s live premiere, she lost her timing while performing the cha-cha with dance partner Keo Motsepe.  She didn't seem surprised to be voted off, being at the bottom with Betsy Johnson.  Tommy Chong and Lea Thompson seemed probable to be the first people voted off, yet they remained above the bottom two and survived the first week.

Who do you want voted off? Who do you want to win? Who will be the next to go?

Pageantry and Miss America Overview

Miss America Pageants have been going on since 1921 when East Coast newspapers were looking for ways to increase their number of readers. Margaret Gorman won the Atlantic City “pageant”, which was originally a contest based off of looks and eventually added categories on talent and issues of the world. By September of 1922, she was known as “Miss America”.

Over the years feminists have projected their opinions and others have defended the competition. Many men and women protest this glorified event. What does it say for women and their self-esteem? Do they need to win a pageant like this to appreciate themselves as a human being? Pageantry can give children the wrong idea of beauty. It shows them that beauty is more importantly known to everyone on the outside, rather than the inside. Contests such as Miss America can give people eating disorders, increased dieting, and the feeling of being ugly and unworthy. Why are we giving money and attention to something that downgrades women?  

Others disagree and state these competitions can help participants get the money they need for school and a higher education, can RAISE self-esteem and confidence, and participating in a pageant is their choice. It is arguably a great way to practice skills such as interviewing, public speaking, learning class and elegance. You get to show off YOU and your personality to those who seek it. People with positive views on pageantry say looking up to beauty queens can be beneficial.  People like Alexandra Costa, for example, also known as “Miss Purdue” who has been dedicating her time to remove words such as “retard” from our vocabulary. People like Alexandra aren't the stereotypical bubble-headed girls who participate in pageants. Other winners or participants can encourage the youth and other people to do what they love.

Shows such as “Dance Moms” and “Toddlers and Tiaras” really try to emphasize that sometimes, the parents are the worst part of pageants. Some parents really push their children into being beauty queens and stars, rather than accepting who they really are. Maybe all the child wants to do is roll around in the mud and play all day if they’re young rather than introducing them to fake hair and makeup. Some parents may express disappointment if their child doesn't succeed and can lower the child’s confidence and lead them into a troublesome life. It can cause them to put themselves down for not being good enough in their parent’s eyes and eventually in their own.

Is Pageantry wrong? Is it harmless? Are parents what really makes or breaks the idea of the competition? What’s your opinion?