Reality TV: The End of Imagination?

Last year my roommate was obsessed with the Bachelor. I can not stress how much I loathe this show. If it were up to me the creators & producers on that show would have their own personal ring of hell for putting the self respecting public through the crap they did not only on a weekly basis on TV, but tabloids were effected likewise. There was, & is, no escape. Shoot me in the face! I digress...

I'm not a fan of reality TV. People making drama for the sake of making drama, with no foreseeable plot line make me roll my eyes into the back of my head & scream like a crazed banshee... or something. It's one of the lowest forms of entertainment only slightly higher up than the gladiator games we as Americans so fondly call "football". I know there are a lot of shows out there that have solid stories & creative writing teams who make magic on the small screen (I watch them!), but it seems like more & more "reality" shows keep popping up.

What does this say about the way our culture & consequently the world views entertainment? Are we going to become a society that tries even harder not to think about issues than we are now? I am afraid for the imaginations of generations to come. We already don't think reading is enjoyable, because we have to be engaged & create our own scenes, what happens when all of the TV shows that make us think are gone? How will we instill individuality & imagination in our children without showing them a product of society that givens them inspiration?

My mind & my imagination are my most valued possessions. With them I can do anything. When our entertainment becomes something that no longer sharpens our minds, but dulls them, it's time to think outside the box & create something that will bring out imagination in a whole new way. Hopefully, by the time the world needs such a revival I will be gone, but I pray for those who may have to live through such dark times, if we can not turn the problem around before it gets too out of hand.

My Love of Books (Pretty Little Liars in Particular)

I want ice cream... & the second book in the Pretty Little Liars series. Mostly just the book.

I read the entirety of the first book today during work today, in about 3 hours. The book centers around a group of girls who share one thing, they each confided secrets to their friend Allison who brought them together in the first place. When Allison goes missing the girls grow apart until they all begin to get mysterious messages from someone named "A".

This book was very enjoyable. It was not the sort of thing I normally read (at least not since 8th grade), but I love the TV series and I vaguely remember reading the book when I was in middle school. The scandal & revelations the girls have are believable & well written.

 Pretty Little Liars kept me entertained & makes me want to read more, not just of the series, but anything by this author, because of her attention to detail & her amazing ability to craft an enthralling & realistic story.

See you tomorrow!

P.S. I really love all books. If it has a good plot... I like it. Pretty Little Liars is only one example of the awesome that can be amassed in one story.

The Titanic... Sunk.

I'm not a huge fan of the movie Titanic... Wow! That collective gasp was astonishing... moving on.

The romance in the movie wasn't very interesting to me and that is what your emotional bond to the characters and the movie hinges on. You have to think "OMG!!! Somebody do something!!!" when Leo is freezing to death & all I could think about was how unrealistic it was that they both couldn't fit on that door. The desperation that was meant to be portrayed came off kind of whiny to me. It's not that I don't like the concept or the actors, but the whole thing kind of screamed "CHEESEFEST" to me. I love Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio, separately.

I hope that you can forgive me. This movie is so beloved, it's hard to speak out against it. I came into the movie the first time I saw it with a preconceived notion of it's brilliance. I was disappointed & am still not convinced that it is as good as everyone says it is.

Pottermore: Thoughts, Fears, & Insanity

The apple I'm eating right now has been in my fridge for more than a week, & it's still crisp. But that is not the point... Wait, what's the point again? Oh, yeah... the leading cause of stress among the Harry Potter community!

Early registration for Pottermore has been going on this week. Millions of fans have been trying relentlessly to gain access and find the magic quill, which will open to them the gates of heaven* for those of us who love the boy wizard. They want to be the first to enter J. K. Rowling's site that is a gift to her fans. All new information. Backstories. A real sorting quiz that doesn't just ask you your favorite color & which house you want to be in. I'm getting nervous just thinking about it!

 Here's a break down of my reaction to the first 5 days of registration:
Day 1: I didn't even know about the challenge... I feel shame...
Day 2: I woke up at 4 in the morning** because I sure as Hell was not going to miss the most amazing opportunity of my life thus far, again.***
Day 3: Empathetic anxiety for those who hadn't registered yet.
Day 4: Near neurotic texts sent to my friend Kaycie who wasn't anywhere near a computer so she couldn't register even though I was metaphorically jumping and screaming telling her to get to the quill cause IT WAS GONNA CLOSE!!!!!!
Day 5: Complete & utter panic trying to set up three accounts (one for Kaycie, one for my dad & another for my sister) in a time span of about an hour, while trying to eat, because I was on my lunch break when the clue went up. Luckily, I was at my computer and not trying to use my phone****.

While this has all been very stressful, it could have been a lot worse had I not had a plan. I have three different alerts that are sent from twitter to my phone telling me when the clue is up. I have a link on my desktop that goes to the Pottermore homepage. A Sticky Note specifically placed in the middle of my screen that has the "quill.pottermore.com/" base on it so that all I have to do is type in the clue and click. I have this down to a science.

I do all of this because I love this book series more than anything. It's what motivated me to start my YouTube channel & this blog. It's also the reason I don't shy away from expressing my love of books when I meet new people. This book series is so much more than a book series to so many people. It means that I'm not alone in my love of books... It means that somewhere someone understands why stories, and the people who tell, them matter.
Well... this is a bit more serious than I planned.

Have I mentioned how nervous I am about which house I'm sorted into... In the name of all that is holy Jo put me in Ravenclaw!!! If not I'll take Slytherin, cause I'm so not a Gryffindor. Basically, I can abide anything but Hufflepuff. That's just where she put the leftovers, & I refuse to be one of them!

Check out my Twitter (@glowinthedark7) & my YouTube channel (SheGlowsInTheDark)!
See you tomorrow!


*Yes. It's a religious experience. Hey, why are you running away?! Come Back!
**IN THE MORNING!!!
***Not hyperbole... I cry a lot...*****
****A mental break down would have ensued. I'm sure of it.
*****That is a reference to a movie. Guess which one!

P.S. Tomorrow the madness begins again, because I have a request from my friend, Meagan, to set up an account for her. Oh, my poor nerves...

So Tired...

I working in my University's library & my job was particularly demanding today. I had to clean shelves (move heavy books to cart, clean shelve, clean heavy books individually, move heavy books back to shelve) for eight hours today instead of the normal four I do during my eight hour work day. Suffice to say, my back hurts a bit...
I have also moved into my dorm room for the upcomming fall semester, which would be more exciting if I had all of my stuff here so I could decorate, & maybe set up my TV*. When I get better settled in and such, I might post some pictures, or something.

This post is kind of boring...

I'll see you tomorrow**.

*Don't panic! I have Netflix instant watch on my computer.
**With a more interesting post.

P.S. Check out my YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/SheGlowsInTheDark) or follow me on Twitter (@glowinthedark7) for some interesting stuff that doesn't include my whining.

Friendly Strangers on the Street (BEDA Day 2)

I am sad to say I have become one of those people who smile at others as they walk by. I used to have an intense fear of talking to the people who take your order at fast-food restaurants*, so this change is kind of a big deal for me.

Before I became all sunshine & rainbows towards the other people walking, I was very careful about making direct eye contact. Now, when I pass someone I pretty much stare at them**. In turn one or more of the following responses may occur:

Awkward smile: This person doesn't know you & only smiles back, because they think it's rude not to.

Friendly smile: This person is one of the ones that smiles, too. You must have beat them to it. They could also just be friendly people who smile every time someone smiles that them***.

Blank look: This person wants nothing to do with you, even if you are being nice to them. They either have phobia issues or are in a terrible rush to get somewhere****.

Confusion*****: This person doesn't know you, but they think they do because you're smiling & that must mean something, right?

Obliviousness:This person is not paying attention to you, because (surprise!) you're a stranger.

Panic/fear : This person doesn't know you... you are a serial killer to them. It is best to walk quickly past these people & try to forget their look of complete & utter terror.

There is a real satisfaction I get at seeing any of these emotions, as I enjoy people watching & judging people's reactions to awkward & strange occurrences. It's like my introverted Christmas (... or something...)!

What do think about people who smile at you while you're walking? Is it fun to be the smiler? Give your answers on Twitter & wondrous things will happen*******. Also, check out my corresponding YouTube video on my channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/SheGlowsInTheDark. I DARE YOU!

See you tomorrow!


*This made ordering at Starbucks difficult, I can tell you...
**This stare can be likened****** to that of Maureen Johnson's.
***Or zombies hungry for your brain.
****No one smiles when they're late to class.
***** This is possibly my favorite. You can see them try to work out where they know you from. It's quite hilarious.
******My nerd is showing! (Also, are you tired of asterisks, yet.)
*******I cannot verify the authenticity of this statement. Here's my username so you can find me, anyway: @glowinthedark7

BEDA Insanity (Day 1)

If you didn't know I was crazy already, I've got news for you. I am. This month I will finally undertake a challenge I've been putting off for about 2 years. I will be blogging everyday in August.

But, Amethyst, that sounds perfectly reasonable.

Yes, yes it does. This is why have decided to make a reasonable challenge into a challenge that very well might put me in the grave, should I decide to take time and produce quality work*. Everyday, I am going to write a blog post AND make a video for my vlog**!

This is madness!***

Indeed.
I hope to force myself into a creative frenzy, although, I'm not sure how...
Anyway, if you are joining my in Quixote-esque quest to creative absolution, Twitter message me: @glowinthedark7.

See you tomorrow!

*This statement may or may not be hyperbole.
**If you haven't seen my YouTube Channel, you should check it out.  You know you want to.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/SheGlowsInTheDark
***Note to self: In future, resist the temptation to make a 300 reference... it only makes you look more exceptionally lame that you do to begin with.

And, now, the shameless plugging, and self promoting comes to an end. As does this post.