Day: February 7, 2012

Plan B.

Yourcupatea1 Comment

Plan B

Yes Plan B may be a name for the morning after pill but is also the name of a great and talented young rapper.

Plan B or Benjamin Drew is a 23 year old rapper, singer and song writer as well as actor from Great Britain. A talented man, Plan B has had two debut albums, gaining great success with the help of his adoring fans in the last few years.

Plan B is primarily known for his high pitched, soulful voice and strong powerful lyrics. A man who lived a rough and troubling childhood, he is not a person who holds back when talking about his abandoning father or his feelings of being a social outcast.

Plan B released his first album in 2006 “ Who Needs Actions When You Got Words” and then went on to release “The Defamation of Strickland Banks” in 2010 which went straight to number 1 in the UK Charts.

With the release of his second album Plan B’s success really began to peak. With people singing his songs on street corners, playing them in bars and clubs as well as shops he became quickly known. This success only grew after he reached out to a new crowd with his collaborations with Drum and Bass stars Chase & Status.

He is a rapper that is absurdly easy to relate to and likable. He does not try to put on a front to conform with other hip hop artists, instead he stays true to himself and that is why I like him so much.

So if you’re not usually a big hip hop fan but fancy listening to some soulful, rap, indie rock, give Plan B a listen.

Samantha Who?

yrreskrapLeave a comment

What does the movie, the Anchorman (featuring Will Ferrell and Steve Carell), and NBC’s show, Up All Night (starring Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph), have in common?

Christina Applegate!

And she is making her way up my favorites list again with the tv show, Samantha Who?

I started watching this show just recently and I fell in love with it.

The story begins in a hospital. Samantha Newly, Christina Applegate’s character, has just woken up from an 8-day coma after being hit by a car. She suffers retrograde amnesia meaning she cannot recall memories from a certain time period before the accident. In the few episodes that I have watched, Samantha is on a backwards journey trying to find out who she was and changing herself for the better.

I absolutely love it.

Here’s a starter video that will give you a good summary of what it’s about:

And here is a scene from the Anchorman-a bit random but something funny!

EX-Caliber

venturatrekerLeave a comment


Many teenage boys are absolutely enthralled by cars.  Car that go really fast or cars that can go over almost any terrain. Most boys have a fetish towards one or the other.  Me personally, well I drive a classic.

Now when I say classic I really don’t mean a true classic but rather my way of making me feel better about my “ride.”  I drive a blue 2010 Dodge Caliber.  Just to clear it up, I love my car, the rest of the world doesn’t seem to agree with me.

In December, Dodge discontinued the production of the Caliber.  Well I took this as extraordinary news because that meant that there was now a finite number of people in the world with the same car as mine and therefore made it limited.  On top of that, with the rate at which they break down, I estimate in ten years I will be one of the last owners of an iconic American hatchback.  Therefore it will be a classic.

Now all this is assuming my car does not break down, explode, implode, catch fire, or any other nature of destruction.

Senioritis

rangerthecat5 Comments

SENIORITIS!!!!

It’s here. And it’s kicking in BIG TIME.

I was extremely motivated to do well in school in the beginning of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to do well, and I haven’t completely given up. But ever since college applications have all been turned in, I have noticed a shift within me and my friends that I thought I would be able to resist.

It also could be more apparent in me than in my peers, considering the fact that I have been in high school for 5 years rather than the average 4. I have had an extra year of wanting to be out of here, and it is eating away at me little by little.

Some people might not agree, but for me, I actually like going to school for the most part. But the fact that it’s the SAME THING every single day, and the fact that I feel like there’s more and more homework each week.
SO. MUCH. HOMEWORK.

I hope that this upcoming break will help dissipate some of these feelings, at least a little bit, but I’m pretty sure it will not be solved until the day that I graduate. The more I keep thinking about it, the worse it gets. I guess I just need to try harder than ever to keep myself motivated and not slack off!

Just about 4 months and 3 days until graduation, it’ll all be over. At least, for a little bit.

Nick Haverland, I Remember You

kirbyfullyloaded1 Comment

When I moved to Ventura, I met a guy named Nick.

I hadn’t seen him in close to five years when I heard he’d been killed by a drunk driver on May 11, 2011.

I was devastated.  Nick had been one of my first friends in this city.  While we had only spent short amounts of time together, he moved something in me with his uncommon kindness, his superior intellect, his patience and his love of animals.

Around Christmas, boat owners bedeck their vessels in lights and glide through the Ventura Keys and the Harbor in winter celebration.  I think I was 7 or maybe 8 when Nick came to my house to watch the Parade of Lights.  His mom and my mom knew each other somehow.  Nick and his brother, Griffin, strode out onto my deck.  Nick made a beeline for the ramp to the boat dock, running his hand down the white light-wrapped rail.

Ventura, CA

“Do you ever catch crabs?” he asked me.

“What?”

“You know… put meat on a string and try to catch crabs.  They come pretty easy if you let them nibble on the meat for a while then you can put them in a bucket and play with them.”

I was stunned and surprisingly happy this older guy was talking to me.  Shaking my head, I followed him onto the ramp.

Even though it was getting dark, he swung down from the ramp, landing lightly on the rocks several feet below.

“Come on,” he said, holding his hand out to me.

I took it, still happy and slightly confused.  He helped me down and knelt near the waterline, his eyes darting back and forth across the rocks, searching.Read More »

Dear Dad

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Daddy,

Words can’t begin to describe what you mean to me.

I don’t know what it is

about your voice.

maybe because the years

turned it so frail

and shaky.

Your hearty laugh

that one, so contagious

I don’t hear it as much.

But when I do,

words can’t describe how it makes me feel.

Dear Daddy,

Today, you told me

you were proud of me

and I knew you were speaking the truth 

because you are such an honest man.

It made me feel so good

when you told me that you knew

I’d get far

because of my heart and determination (I get it from you, you know).

Daddy,

you know how you tell me 

that the happiest moments 

are with me eating?

You’ve always loved watching me eat…

I’ll never forget that 아빠.

아빠, you are an amazing man.

You are honest and kind,

selfless and hardworking.

You gave up so much for me

You fought for me 

and you rarely ever, ever told a lie

아빠, God truly blessed me

with you 

and someday dad,

I’m going to marry somebody just like you.

You are the greatest man in my life

The only one that looks into my heart & truly understand

The one to see me as I was

You believed in me always

You loved me always, through it all…

I’m so sorry I wasn’t better

but I’ll be my best from now

You taught me so much

But the greatest lesson you’ve ever taught me was

how to love.

Thank you daddy.

Words can’t describe what you mean to me.

You’re the best

and you deserve all you want.

I love you 아빠.

Stay healthy and be always happy. 

Depressing Monday

thehungryrunnergirlLeave a comment

I hate Mondays. I get depressed because the weekend is over and I have to tolerate another 5 stressful days.

Here’s an interesting fact: the Ministry of Health in Japan compiled statistics on the suicide weekly rate. The statistics show that about 80.7 male and 27.3 female on average commit suicide on Mondays. On the other hand, the numbers go down on Saturdays to 53.5 male and 21.2 female. In Japan, this is known as the “Blue Monday Symptom”.

FYI: Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

More interestingly, people get myocardial infraction; higher blood pressure, as well as they get into car accidents more often on Mondays.

People in Japan feel a lot more pressure and stress than they should. They excessively sacrifice themselves in order to succeed. My impression of Japanese is that they don’t simply enjoy their lives, but work and try to be beneficial for others more than they should. I want them to be more easygoing and cheerful instead of thinking about committing suicide…

No Putin

frog3Leave a comment

In the wake of the protests and rebellions that have swept the world comes a new series of protest. It is a protest of freedom occurring in Moscow, Russia. Thousands of Russians have been standing outside in Russia bitter cold to protest the elections or lack of ones.

Protesters brave frigid weather in Moscow to participate in a mass anti-Putin demonstration.

Vladimir Putin the man we have all come to know and hate is well known for being the Russian Prime minister. In 2011 an exciting piece of news came out of Russia. Prime Minister Putin would be running in the 2012 “Democratic” Elections. A major problem with the elections is that Putin controls them, showing the rest of the world how far corruption runs in the Russian government.

Demonstrators brave bitter cold temperatures Saturday as they flood downtown Moscow during a massive protest demanding fairness for next month's presidential election.

Don’t get me wrong though Putin is not without his supporters. Amidst the cry of free elections and no Putin you also hear the very opposite. There are often clashes between the groups in the streets of Moscow. These protests often end with police breakups and arrests.

It remains to be seen whether Russia will emerge democratic or if Putin’s authoritarian government will take control.

Disappointing results

venturatrekerLeave a comment


Today we had a soccer game.  The team we were playing we have already played and we won 5 to 1 or something like that. Point is we beat them bad. But not today. Today we ended with a tie game.

I played a forward position so it fell to me as well as our other forwards to score. Unfortunately we could not finish, without lack of trying. We had ALOT of shots but nothing could just go in.

For the most part of the second half I felt like I wanted to strangle something I was so frustrated.  Nothing is more frustrating than having their goalie get the ball over and over and over again.

Sometimes these things happen where there seems to be an invisible wall preventing us from scoring, and it is infuriating. Next week we have another game and I really hope for my own sanity that we get some goals.

Gossip.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

gossip

Gossip is one of those few things in life that you really shouldn’t do but when you do participate in this sport it is extremely rewarding. Yes you get to hear about everything that’s going on but also you get to vent all those secrets that are on your chest. Secrets are not to be shared I must admit, but there are so things in life that are meant to be talked about.

I admit gossiping is my favorite sport, but if someone swears me to secrecy I will never tell.

There is a fine barrier between mean and rude about a topic and sharing important information and it’s a line that should never be crossed.

I give you permission, get gossiping.

XOXO