Guilty Pleasure

My guilty please is that I enjoy the television show, "Teen Mom." I began watching it when it was still "16 and Pregnant" and kept following as it morphed into "Teen Mom" For some reason I was intrigued by the lives of these four girls and their children. It was interesting to see how they were treated when they were pregnant and after they had their children. The show is centered around four girls, Caitlyn, Maci, Farrah, and Amber. I think I enjoy it because they are just average teenagers who are forced to be adults. I can in no way relate to this, but never the less it is interesting. I felt like after watching enough episodes I could begin to predict what they would do, and I could predict what others were going to do to them. They almost always had problems with their boyfriends, but they still stayed with them for the betterment of their child's life. I would have to say I enjoy watching the segments about Maci the best because she seemed to have the most stable life, and seemed in my opinion to be the best fit to raise a child. I also liked the fact that she had a southern accent. My least favorite is Amber. She is by far the least capable of raising a child because of her random burst of violence. I was always intrigued however by her situation because her boyfriend Gary was a pretty good father, and was incredibly nice to her even though she was vicious to him. I would describe this as a "guilty pleasure" because this show is generally a show that girls watch. I told only a handful of my friends that I watch it because I find it strange that I enjoy it. I never got into the other episodes of "16 and Pregnant." I have a sort of connection with the girls on the original shows, and I am not about to desert that. The third season just finished up, and I am eagerly awaiting season four next summer.

Blink-182: Enema of the State

Blink-182's album, "Enema of the State" is Blinks most popular album and arguably one of the greatest albums ever made. The first track really sets the tone for the entire album; it is titled "Dumpweed." This is also the first song that is played at each Blink-182 concert. This song discusses how Tom Delong (Co-Lead Singer) needs to "find a girl he can train." He depicts previous issues with girlfriends and also the tension between his father and himself. The lyrics, "Turn your back and run now, you haven't got a chance now" provide a foreshadowing into the rest of the album, which depicts low self-esteem and girl issues. The next song, "Don't leave me" discusses a break up between Mark Hoppus (Co-Lead Singer) and how the girl told him that he brings her down, and is no longer fun. The third track is called "Aliens Exist” which is a little deeper of a song. Tom is referring to himself as an alien, in the fact that he is unlike the rest of his friends and family. Track four is one of my favorite songs that they ever produced; it is entitled "Going Away to College." This depicts a high school relationship and the struggles they face while trying to keep their relationship during college. My favorite lyrics are, "This worlds and ugly place, buy you're so beautiful to me" The fifth track is a very powerful track titled, "What's My Age Again?" This is the story of Mark and his struggle with immaturity. He states that, "My friends say I should act my age, what’s my age again?" Next on this great compilation of ballads is "Dysentery Gary." This song is one I can relate to very well and that is what also makes it one of my favorites. It discusses how for some unknown reason girls always "choose the guy that makes you want to kick and scream" This song has one line that really speaks to me, and that is "girls are such a drag." That idea is a pretty common theme throughout this entire album. The Seventh song is titled "Adams Song" and is my favorite song they every created. It is their most serious song, and discusses a teenager who is struggling with depression and the hardships of growing up. My favorite line is “I traced the cord back to the wall, no wonder it was never plugged in at all” The best part of this song is that at the conclusion he is feeling better about life and has a new positive outlook on his life. Blinks’ most popular song is next titled “All the Small Things” It is about Mark’s relationship with his girlfriend. All the small things refer to the little things they do for each other that make their relationship work. Blink-182’s album Enema of the State is a great album for any teenage boy who has had struggles with girls or self-esteem, and enjoys partying.

Mundane Act (Blog 2)

Crack!! Everyone turns to look at me. I think to myself, "Dammit, that was louder than I anticipated." I pretend to be working really hard on my computer and avoid any eye contact. I wait, give or take thirty seconds, then I begin to indulge myself with a hefty swig of ice cold Coca-Cola. Hindsight being twenty-twenty, I probably shouldn't have cracked open a cold one in the middle of the library, but the deed has been done. After my first gulp I set my can down and begin to work on my paper. I keep getting this urge to drink the Coke. Its like it is watching me. Staring me down saying, "Darren just one sip can't hurt." I look back at the can in desperation as if to say, "Please, just one more paragraph." But then it does the most irresistable thing possible. It starts to let little beads on condensation down its side. This is a view straight from a Coke commercial. My foot begins to tap. It's like I have a nervous tick or something. My entire body is dying for the sweet bitter goodness that lies in the bright red can sitting next to me. Finally, smash!, I slam my computer shut! (which forces everyone once again to glare at me) and I grab the can, crinkling it a little bit, and slowly begin to sip every last drop of my can of Coca-Cola.

1st blog

I believe the best place for me to write would be in a quiet atmosphere without any distractions. I have not yet found this place here on campus, but at home it was always in my room at my desk. Here I could close my door and have silence. I have also noticed that I write best later at night. I think this is because I am calm and there are fewer distractions. Depending on the subject I am writing about I can sometimes have background noise. This is typlically from a radio. I cannot write as well if the music is playing directly into my ears. I prefer to have the noise coming from behind me. I think this is because in my room the stereo was always to my back, and I have just come accustomed to this. I usually write in spurts. I will think of what I want to write and be able to write a full paragraph non-stop, and then I plan for the next paragraph. I get a stream of ideas going and in vision the points I want to make, but when those points run out, it usually takes me a while to get back on track. I like to look over my papers, but in high school I usually did not revise. In my English class we did a lot of practice for the AP exam, so we would have one hour to write a paper, and therefore there was no time for revision, just checking for small errors. I always start my papers with the beginning, and my favorite way to start a paper is either with a quote, or a fact that grabs the readers’ attention. I enjoy the act of writing because I think it is a great way to express your thoughts and ideas. I also love the feeling when I can get on a roll and spit out all my thoughts at once. I believe writing can be a fun activity, and is a great way to get a point across, when utilized correctly.