CURRENT ACC GAMES: we’re done
Hey guys! I made a custom Animal Crossing Community deck for the online Cards Against Humanity game.
Check out the cards here and here (NSFW), and feel free to leave suggestions in the comments or on ACC.
Wanna use the cards? On chat, say ” /addcardcast ##### ” and you’ll be able to use the cards. To remove, say ” /removecardcast ##### “. Note only the host can do these actions.
Card codes: 9GKP6 and SQFPD
#NASCARgoesWest — Part 3
400 miles. 200 laps. 200 mph. All this in a fun Sunday at Auto Club Speedway at Fontana for NASCAR race weekend. This was my first race, and I loved mostly every minute of it.
Of course, my dad and I started the day sitting in an hour of traffic trying to drive 2 miles so we could get to the parking lots. Yeah, the traffic getting into the speedway was not at all organized, and it was pretty terrible.
Finally, at around 9:30, we reached the speedway. Unfortunately, we missed an autograph session, but at least we made it into the speedway. We had pit passes, so we first proceeded to Pit Road.
Narwhals, narwhals, swimming in the ocean, causing a commotion, ’cause they are so awesome…
I first heard this song about narwhals at camp, when one girl started to sing it. It became pretty catchy to me, so when I got home that day, I looked it up and found this video:
Okay, so when you live in Southern California, you have a few benefits:
1) You’re near the beach, and if you’re where I live, the beach is only a few blocks away.
2) It doesn’t snow a lot, which I guess is a good thing or bad thing the way you look at it.
3) It’s always sunny outside (mostly) and the low is usually about 50 degrees. Fahrenheit, of course.
I hate to break it to you guys on the East Coast and basically anywhere in North America that’s not California, but we’re probably in the middle of a mild spring right now. And it’s not even March yet. I hope you are jealous. You should be jealous.
I think this is an accurate representation of the East Coast right now.
Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for the cold weather and the very low temperatures and the many inches of snow you’re experiencing. To be fair, the groundhog was right.
To make you feel better, I guess I should list the things that you have that California doesn’t have:
1) Water. Seriously, we’re in a drought.
2) Snow, and snow days. Plus, you have all four seasons. We only have two: the summer, and the other 9 months of the year that are a little cooler.
3) We have earthquakes. You don’t. Honestly, we’re not prepared for earthquakes. At least you get warnings for tornados and hurricanes.
So, now we’re even. That’s fair.
I’m still laughing at you for having the cold weather though. Haha, sorry.
First of all, happy February. There’s a few things to look forward to this month, more importantly the start of NASCAR season.
But February also means FAWM: February Album Writing Month. FAWM is when you write 14 songs in the 28 days of February. I did it last year and it was lots of fun, but it took a lot of time away from me.
I told myself that I wouldn’t do FAWM this year; I was too busy. I told myself that I would write one song this month, and that it would be for my own personal gain. It would not be part of FAWM.
Well, after I saw Errol’s post on Twitter about FAWM, I was like, “Oh, I should do it.” I don’t know why, but I logged into my account and made two songs.
So much for not doing FAWM.
I guess that I kind of dragged myself into that situation of doing FAWM, but there’s no turning back now.
By the way, here’s the audio file for my first song, “Summer Song.” Enjoy!
Lyrics:
I guess I’ve got a lot on my mind
With all this summer daze and
I guess I need someone in my life
To lift me up and give me a cheer
I guess I want some fun in the sun
Instead of being cooped up in this shadow
Come on someone, I know you’re out there
Just say the word and I’ll be there
Head out the window
Feel that cool summer air
See your face in the sunlight
Who knows what memories we’ll share
Head out the window
Feel that cool summer air
See your face in the sunlight
Who knows what memories we’ll share
Who knows what memories we’ll share
I still remember how I discovered this certain geek band called Debs and Errol: it was a November, the November of 2012 to be exact, and I was on the NaNoWriMo website finding ways to distract myself from writing my novel. I clicked on the tab for NaNoToons, and from there I discovered NaNoWriMo: The Musical. I watched the first episode, and then the one after that.
A month later, I found myself watching the final episode of NaNoWriMo: The Musical. There was a link to a geek band called Debs and Errol. Of course, I clicked on it, but nothing made any sense. I left a comment on the final episode, though.
I came back a few days later, and then this huge “Choose Your Own Adventure” comic came out. I didn’t know who the characters were or what the plot was, but I still clicked through many different scenarios, curious about what this Debs and Errol Geek Band was.
I made my first comment on the website under a comic about Errol’s kids, I think. Errol was saying that his kids were growing up so fast, his eldest almost a teenager. I tried to give him some advice, saying that it’s always important to be there for your kid and to remind him/her that you love him, since the teenage years are a bumpy ride. Errol responded, saying that he remembered me from when I made a comment on the NaNoWriMo video.
And that was the beginning of my two years with Debs and Errol. Continue reading
Excerpt from I, A Collection of Short Stories and Musings.
Ask any person that lives in California what country music is, and they’ll tell you that it is the supposed heart and soul of Southern rednecks. In fact, I’m pretty sure that if you ask anyone who is not from the South what country music is, they’ll give you the same answer. Originating from Tennessee, country music is just a whole lot of banjos playing with singers with Southern accents, right? Man, that twangy accent… Besides that, all the songs are about drinking and being drunk, if I’m not mistaken. Oh, and don’t forget about their music videos: people in cowboy hats sitting in the back of a pickup truck in the countryside or a bar. Yep, this is country music.
News flash: this isn’t country music anymore. While yes, country music does have songs about being drunk, it’s much more than that. Country music has become more upbeat and modern; it’s mixing with the future, while still keeping elements from the past. There is a new country music movement happening. Now, there are ballads about love and songs about chilling with your buddies and the past. A lot of songs are pro-American and actually celebrate what this country stands for. Of course, there are still songs about drinking and spring break in Cancun, but country has changed and it no longer fits into the Southern accent with banjos stereotype.
What I love about country music is that it’s relatable and the artists put so much emotion into their music. The lyrics are actually understandable, and there’s a story to each song. Some songs are about love. One talks about wanting to find love and crushing on girls, and another talks about dropping a girl off at home and wanting to kiss her. Another love song is about finding the perfect girl, and of course there’s the breakup song, where the girl leaves for another man. It’s a sad goodbye, but the singer hopes that the girl will never forget him. (And yes, I’m aware that I have used male pronouns. Well, most of these love songs are sung by males.)
There are also upbeat songs about having fun and enjoying life. There is one song about being at the bar in a club, and another is about eating fried chicken. There is one about hanging out at the riverbank and another is about the highway.
Speaking of highways, having a playlist of a bunch of country songs on the radio makes some great road trip music. Honestly, they make you want to put on your sunglasses and drive off into the sunset. Country music has such a relaxing vibe to it. The songs are also super catchy, and they will pop into your head at the most random times. This doesn’t bother me, though – these songs help me keep moving through life.
And before you start calling me a redneck for listening to country music while I’m living in California, hear me out. I promise you that country music is a million times better than the pop trash that people listen to on the radio in California. Let’s be real, half the music is about sex and relationships, and it does portray people of both genders in negative ways. I don’t like this, and this is why I stick to country music.
I started listening to country radio to try and listen to more Taylor Swift music a few years back. (I know she’s pop now, but country music radio still plays her old country music.) Anyway, what I found instead on country music radio was a community of good music that hit me in the heart. Every note being sung in each of the songs was so beautiful and pure. There was no autotune or anything. At that moment, I knew that I was in love with country music.
So for all y’all (yes, I know I said y’all) bashers on country music, just stop stereotyping and give it a chance. Ten minutes on your Pandora radio is all you need. And if you don’t like it, then you can respectfully disagree with my opinion. However, you shouldn’t judge something you don’t know anything about until you’ve actually experienced it. Truth.
And I’ll put my small little country-stricken heart into that.
Dear 2014,
In the wise, wise words of many people across the internet, I think it’s safe to say that you sucked.
Honestly, if I thought last year was bad, think about this year! I feel like no matter how much we tried to make 2014 better than 2013, we ended up making it worse. Some stuff is personal, but some stuff is worldwide. But as always, there are a few positives in the many negatives of the year. Let’s take a loot at the highlights and the lowlights of 2014: Continue reading
Recently, #HighSchoolTaughtMe was trending on Twitter, and it had me thinking, “What have I learned in high school?”
Well, there’s calculus and how to write an analytical essay, a bunch of Latin grammar and genetics. But then there are also life lessons learned in high school, and I’m not talking about the funny ones like “teamwork” to help you cheat on a test. I mean, you learn about how much high school doesn’t matter and how to get on people’s good (or bad) side. But most of all, I have learned what a true friend is.
It has come to my attention that many people in Generation X believe that us young-uns (you know, the people born in the 1990s and beyond) don’t know anything about the past. They think that we don’t know anything about our parent’s stories about “back in my day,” and that we’re so ignorant of the past. Seriously, why? Is it because we have computers and cell phones and everything is digital? Is it because we’re uneducated and we don’t like to reflect on the past?
Look, it may come as a surprise to you, but I (and many other young-uns) actually know about the past and the “fancy” little devices you have. I know what a Polaroid camera is, and I know that after you take a picture, it will come out of the camera and you have to shake it until the picture comes through. I know what a rotary phone is, and even though I don’t know how to use it at least I have some knowledge on what it looks like and what it’s used for. I know what a payphone is, and no it’s not because of that Maroon 5 song. Look, when I was young, people still used payphones, and you had to put the quarter into it before you could use it.
The older generations of the world, we are not that ignorant. We are definitely smarter than you think we are, and if you think that we’re going to ruin society, then you’re wrong: that job goes to the people born after 2005, the ones who are getting iPhones for their next birthday and know how to use an iPad before they can add. These are the people that you should be lecturing about your old technology to. These are the people that don’t know what a payphone is.
I rest my case.
Meli's Musings 