Lets face it my dear readers -- 2016 sucked. It was stocked with many moments of dread, horror, and outrage that affected all of us as a collective. Most of us are in a daze, feeling completely overwhelmed, and for certain feel that 2016 was a travesty. I am so looking forward to throwing away my old calendars as soon as the clock and ball drop at midnight but before I do -- I read this great article from my radical self love guru Gala Darling which encouraged me to take a step back and look at the year for what it truly was. Nothing is wholly bad or perfect and therefore many bright spots in my year. In her article, she asked 10 questions and below are my answers for them. But first a quote from another inspiration of mine -- Sophia Loren: “It is a good reason to talk to yourself, to ask yourself what you have been doing, what you are doing and what you will do. Girls who can’t go off and talk to themselves stay girls and never become women. Women who can’t take stock turn to drink, take pills or worse, but I can take stock. I can send for the bill of life and add it up too. If I ever feel depressed I consider what I have done and what I have accomplished — starting from nothing and arriving now with so much happiness.”
The truth is -- most of 2016 I was either living in a circle of drama, walking on eggshells with a lot of people, or going on autopilot. I think is why I am in crisis mode a lot of the time nowadays -- I haven’t been continually assessing, planning, and course-correcting. However, I am trying to change that by looking at honestly at what’s going on and make adjustments, then making sure where I will end up and where I want to go. So with the being said...lets get on to the question and answer portion of this latest blog.
WHAT WERE YOUR TOP FIVE MOMENTS OF THE YEAR?
1. Definitely one of my top five moment of the year was finally being promoted to a full fledged teaching position. I do not have my own class per say but I am finally get paid the right salary for all of the hard work I have done and will continue to do for the future of America.
2. Creating a tighter and more close knit bond with Veronica. She is simply amazing. There are so many things I could say about her but she knows how I feel. Also getting to meet my new nephew was a big moment.
3. Getting into the band Postmodern Jukebox and seeing them live in Radio City Music Hall. It brought out the creative muses in me.
4. Getting back into what I enjoy, especially independent wrestling. I stopped going to independent shows in 2013 simply because no one wanted to go with me or no one had an interest. That should have never stopped me. I learned and experienced Pro Wrestling Magic and brought myself back to Ring of Honor and Jersey All Pro Wrestling and I was in my element and glory. I must never forsake myself again.
5. The announcement of Nerd Herders Radio returning to the air on Filling the Void network. I missed giving book recommendations and talking about books. I can not wait to get back to saying The Book is Better!
WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GLAD IS OVER?
--Even though it took a lot of waking up and a lot of getting my head out of my ass and realizing that I was, essentially, having battered woman syndrome without the visible bruises -- my relationship of 2 years with the man I thought was "the one". There were many red flags, many issues, many problems, and I tried my best to make it work but relationships are 50/50 and he wasn't putting his end of the bargain into it and I, in turn, became a paranoid codependent insecure person who again completely forgot herself. Now I am not going to say the demise of the relationship was all of his fault, I had my faults as well, but I was only reacting on how he was acting. I do wish that he is happy and that he has a good life.
HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT TODAY THAN YOU WERE 365 DAYS AGO?
--Well physically, I cut my hair. That is something I did after my relationship was ended, sort of a cleansing in a way. Got that man out of my hair to be so cliche. Emotionally, well that is a different story. Most of 2016 I was a beat puppy who didn't stand up for herself, didn't stand up for what she believed in, forgot about my interests and hobbies, and overall was not glowing and was not the "Dani" that everyone I know grew to love. Now I am making sure to stick to my guns on certain things, being more open and spontaneous, and smiling.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ACHIEVED THAT YOU FORGOT TO CELEBRATE?
--I do not think so but will ask around to be sure.
WHAT HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS YEAR?
--From talking with Veronica and other people I have changed my perspective on how to be with people. I must not try so hard. Also that relationships are 50/50 and I should have never lost the sense of who I am.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY CAME THROUGH FOR YOU THIS YEAR?
From nerdy bff's to people who bring the law when I need a heavy hit -- those are the people that really came through for me this year. Granted I bet that they all want to bash me upside my head for not thinking clearly and ignoring their advice or just plain ignoring all the red flags and signs. But for them, I am eternally grateful for bringing me back to ormal.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU TOLERATED FOR A LONG TIME, BUT NOW YOU WILL NOT?
--Heavy drinking that leads to alcoholism. I really should have stuck to my guns on how I will not date someone who is a heavy drinker. My family has a history of alcoholism and I have seen the unfortunate repercussions of it. Having one drink at dinner is fine, but visibly intoxicated to the point of being verbally abused in public, yeah, will not stand for that anymore. Also I will not put in all of the effort into something and get nothing in return. Whats the point?
WHAT OLD BELIEFS DID YOU LET GO OF?
--What old bullshit did I let go of: That in order for me to be in love and in a relationship, I must change to fit them. NO. A relationship should be the joining together of two souls; not the mishmash of two people to form one collective. We should be compliments of one another, make each other stronger and better and spread the love. Not beat each other down unto submission.
WHAT WAS ONE THING THAT YOU FOUND REALLY CHALLENGING, BUT CAN NOW SEE SUPPORTED YOUR GROWTH?
--It will sound weird, but my relationship that ended. It supported how strong I can be, how supportive I can be, how caring I can be. It also provided me the strength that I needed to walk away from toxicity.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
--That he isn't worth it and that I deserve so much better in my life. That this isn't love -- this is abuse and narcissism. Get out and focus on yourself for a while.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sorry for My Absence
The last post I wrote on here was on September 6th when I discussed the death of my beloved best friend Sweetums. Ever since then I have not had the feeling to really write much. I have also noticed that I have not posted a Things I Love Thursday since July 19th! That is unacceptable. I need to start that feature again as I always felt good after writing it. You must be grateful; even for the tiny things in life. So this Thursday while I am in my Advanced Beginner French class at the French Institute Alliance Francaise (www.fiaf.org) a new TiLT will be posted. I also found a bunch of my old creative writing pieces that I did while in college and I am thinking of posting those too for your amusement/reading pleasure. Furthermore, I purchased a book called One Good Deed a Day. I will chronicle those too. Writing seems to be what keeps me grounded and happy so I must get back into it!
Friday, December 30, 2011
My 2011 Pop Culture Favorites
With some inspiration from Stephen King, I asked myself this question -- Did I have a great year pop culturally speaking? I would have to say yes; even if some of the things I enjoyed did not appear in 2011 and that is fine. Here is a list of 20 things that made me squee with fandom. Please remember -- I am more interested in entertaining myself than in a OMG this is a great moment/statement. So let us get this ride started.
20: The Secret Circle (television show on the CW Network, Thursdays at 8pm)
--When I found out this series is based on another series written by L.J. Smith, I had my tread lightly shoes on as the CW Network took another series by L.J. Smith and made a televised version of The Twilight Saga. Yes I am talking about The Vampire Diaries. 'The Secret Circle' did not redefine my idea of what a supernatural drama can be or what a program about witches and warlocks can be. But the main pieces of a teen drama are laid out perfectly from the young women learning about their abilities to first loves/crushes to the bad girl troublemaker and the history of a small town. 'The Secret Circle' demonstrates an admirable confidence in its pace and destination, and it also has the excellent Britt Robertson ('Life Unexpected') giving the journey of Cassie Blake an emotional grounding that is likely to make the whole affair satisfying to genre fans and myself.
19: Bye Bye Beautiful by Nightwish (song)
--When I asked a friend to make me some metal mix compact discs as I needed new music, little did I realize this song would hit me so hard. The power chords, the lyrics, the thumping of the drum...love it.
18: The Walking Dead (television show on AMC, Sundays at 9pm)
--My feeling about season 2 of the Walking Dead were summed up by Stephen King. Here is what he said verbatim: No romantic zombies (good), and a terrifying premiere episode set in a traffic jam outside of Atlanta (better). I only wish the survivors weren't quite so talky. In all those weighty conversations about the Meaning of Post-Apocalypse Life, I sense AMC chintzing on the budget.
17. Dork Whore by Iris Bahr (book)
--If you enjoy the type of humor where you want to turn away from the painful embarassment and yet you can't all the while you're in stitches, then you'll like this book.
16. Jenna Marbles (comedian who posts videos on YouTube)
--This girl is hilarious and real. She says things that most people would be afraid to say. I like that.
15. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (movie)
--For all those that do not know, yes I am a Twilight fan. I am on Team Alice by the way. I can not stand Bella and Edward and I can write up a blog post on just that subject alone but that is not what I am talking about here. This first part of the movie version of Breaking Dawn was done very well and ended at a great point leaving the viewer wanting more.
14. Hack/Slash by Tim Seeley (graphic novel)
--Zombies? Check. A goth heroine? Check. Lots of blood and gore? Check. Great stories that you can somewhat relate to? Check.
13. Zenescope Entertainment (graphic novel publisher)
--I love fairy tales; especially Alice in Wonderland. When I heard that this publisher has writers adding comic style art/retelling of various fairy tales, i was hooked. Thanks to Veronica for turning me on to this company!
12. Gossip Girl (television show on the CW Network, Mondays at 8pm)
--This show is not new by any means. I still love it.
11. I Have Fun Everywhere I Go by Mike Edison (book)
--I love reading sorrid, twisted memoirs as well as an entertaining autobiography. When I found out about Sugar Slam 2011 from Natalie Slater of Bake and Destroy (who is straight-edge and a pro wrestling fan which I found odd that she would have Mike Edison judge this contest as he has no plans on sobering up but then I learned that she is not a preaching straight-edger and since Mike worked in the wrestling industry, well there you go.) and wrote a blog about it, the author of this book was one of the judges. When I looked into his career and his book, I instantly bought it and read it in a week. It is that good. Sharp, powerful writing. Get the book!
10. How Do I Look (television show on Style Network, Mondays at 10pm)
--Here is the show description: Hosted by Jeannie Mai, this show lets two of your closest friends and relatives and a celebrity stylist take turns at dressing you the way that they want to. Each one goes on a shopping adventure in your name to buy three new outfits and chooses a new hair and make up which contribute to the 'new look'! I am all about transformation and change for the better. Yes i do know that looks are not the be all end all but it is the first thing you see in a person and it is usually how first impressions are made. Some of the outfits on this show are classic; some not so but it is fun to watch.
9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (book)
--Let me first give you the description that is on Amazon: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is a lush, tragic urban fantasy that crafts its own genre, and has a solidly interesting heroine as well....unlike that other vampire romance series. Definitely a must-read.
8. The vocal stylings of Corey Taylor (musician and lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour)
7. Worship Music by Anthrax
--I got into heavy metal through the influence of my big brother and Anthrax was one of my favorite bands. Unfortunately, when Joey Belladonna left the band,I felt the essence of the band left as well. Their sound was turned down and their metal sound turned more of a hard rock sound. It wasn't bad, as i enjoy that hard rock sound. but just wasn't the Anthrax that I loved. I pretty much wrote these guys off during the John Bush era. But now that Joey Belladonna is back, so is the thrash metal sound. This is by far their best album since Among the Living, and it's good to have them back. If you're a fan of classic Anthrax thrash, then I think you'll really love this album.
6. The passing of Elizabeth Taylor
--She was an Hollywood industry icon; looked up to by various young actresses; a heart of gold. She will surely be missed and there will be no one else like her.
5 Page by Paige by LauraLee Gulledge (book)
--A graphic novel about a young teen growing up in NYC? Sign me up! According to Gulledge's bio on her website "the story is her journey as an artist and transplant in New York". In the book, Paige is 16 and has moved from VA to NYC with her writer parents. It is a tough time to a teen's life to move and teen readers will resonate with this aspect of the story as well. Despite Paige's many wonderful traits/characteristics, she is filled with myriad of insecurities as well. Through her developing friendships with Gabe, Jules and Longo, as well as with her sketchbook, Paige discovers more about herself and how she fits into the world around her and how others may see her. All of these are themes that will connect with especially female teen readers. As I read this graphic novel; which took me one day; I was throughly impressed how the illustrations perfectly matched the story. Some of the images were just so expressive and vivid which moved the story along and made it relatable. Another book recommendation!
4. Drew Brees surpassing Dan Marino's all time regular season passing record.
--Do I need to say any more than that? WHO DAT!
3. The Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax) concert at Yankees Stadium on September 14, 2011
--My brother and I have always gone to heavy metal concerts together so when I heard that the Big 4 were finally coming to NYC , I had to get tickets. Much thanks to David for helping us with this endeavour! It was a metal good time, even though both my brother and I were very tired at work the next day...
2. The Occupy protests.
--I am all for people who fight for what they belief in. As many of you are aware, I fight for animal rights. At least I have an idea of what I am fighting for. These protests started popping up worldwide without a clear vision of what they were protesting as well as offering any solutions for their issues. Then celebrities started to get involved which in retrospect was a complete conflict of interest since they fall into the spectrum of the rich otherwise known as the 1 percent. All in all this ranks as my #2 pop culture favorite as it will fall into pop culture more due to the entertainment/celebrity influence instead of the history books.
1. The Big Bang Theory (television show on CBS. Thursdays at 8pm, also in syndication on TBS and FOX)
--A show about geeks and their lives? Definitely can relate. This show is well written with humorous lines as well great character acting. I can overdose on this show all week and even if I saw all of the episodes already, they are still hilarious.
So my fellow readers, what are your 2011 pop culture favorites? Why not answer the question in the first paragraph as I did? Remember -- what you enjoyed or were entertained by in 2011 does not have to be from 2011.
20: The Secret Circle (television show on the CW Network, Thursdays at 8pm)
--When I found out this series is based on another series written by L.J. Smith, I had my tread lightly shoes on as the CW Network took another series by L.J. Smith and made a televised version of The Twilight Saga. Yes I am talking about The Vampire Diaries. 'The Secret Circle' did not redefine my idea of what a supernatural drama can be or what a program about witches and warlocks can be. But the main pieces of a teen drama are laid out perfectly from the young women learning about their abilities to first loves/crushes to the bad girl troublemaker and the history of a small town. 'The Secret Circle' demonstrates an admirable confidence in its pace and destination, and it also has the excellent Britt Robertson ('Life Unexpected') giving the journey of Cassie Blake an emotional grounding that is likely to make the whole affair satisfying to genre fans and myself.
19: Bye Bye Beautiful by Nightwish (song)
--When I asked a friend to make me some metal mix compact discs as I needed new music, little did I realize this song would hit me so hard. The power chords, the lyrics, the thumping of the drum...love it.
18: The Walking Dead (television show on AMC, Sundays at 9pm)
--My feeling about season 2 of the Walking Dead were summed up by Stephen King. Here is what he said verbatim: No romantic zombies (good), and a terrifying premiere episode set in a traffic jam outside of Atlanta (better). I only wish the survivors weren't quite so talky. In all those weighty conversations about the Meaning of Post-Apocalypse Life, I sense AMC chintzing on the budget.
17. Dork Whore by Iris Bahr (book)
--If you enjoy the type of humor where you want to turn away from the painful embarassment and yet you can't all the while you're in stitches, then you'll like this book.
16. Jenna Marbles (comedian who posts videos on YouTube)
--This girl is hilarious and real. She says things that most people would be afraid to say. I like that.
15. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (movie)
--For all those that do not know, yes I am a Twilight fan. I am on Team Alice by the way. I can not stand Bella and Edward and I can write up a blog post on just that subject alone but that is not what I am talking about here. This first part of the movie version of Breaking Dawn was done very well and ended at a great point leaving the viewer wanting more.
14. Hack/Slash by Tim Seeley (graphic novel)
--Zombies? Check. A goth heroine? Check. Lots of blood and gore? Check. Great stories that you can somewhat relate to? Check.
13. Zenescope Entertainment (graphic novel publisher)
--I love fairy tales; especially Alice in Wonderland. When I heard that this publisher has writers adding comic style art/retelling of various fairy tales, i was hooked. Thanks to Veronica for turning me on to this company!
12. Gossip Girl (television show on the CW Network, Mondays at 8pm)
--This show is not new by any means. I still love it.
11. I Have Fun Everywhere I Go by Mike Edison (book)
--I love reading sorrid, twisted memoirs as well as an entertaining autobiography. When I found out about Sugar Slam 2011 from Natalie Slater of Bake and Destroy (who is straight-edge and a pro wrestling fan which I found odd that she would have Mike Edison judge this contest as he has no plans on sobering up but then I learned that she is not a preaching straight-edger and since Mike worked in the wrestling industry, well there you go.) and wrote a blog about it, the author of this book was one of the judges. When I looked into his career and his book, I instantly bought it and read it in a week. It is that good. Sharp, powerful writing. Get the book!
10. How Do I Look (television show on Style Network, Mondays at 10pm)
--Here is the show description: Hosted by Jeannie Mai, this show lets two of your closest friends and relatives and a celebrity stylist take turns at dressing you the way that they want to. Each one goes on a shopping adventure in your name to buy three new outfits and chooses a new hair and make up which contribute to the 'new look'! I am all about transformation and change for the better. Yes i do know that looks are not the be all end all but it is the first thing you see in a person and it is usually how first impressions are made. Some of the outfits on this show are classic; some not so but it is fun to watch.
9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (book)
--Let me first give you the description that is on Amazon: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is a lush, tragic urban fantasy that crafts its own genre, and has a solidly interesting heroine as well....unlike that other vampire romance series. Definitely a must-read.
8. The vocal stylings of Corey Taylor (musician and lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour)
7. Worship Music by Anthrax
--I got into heavy metal through the influence of my big brother and Anthrax was one of my favorite bands. Unfortunately, when Joey Belladonna left the band,I felt the essence of the band left as well. Their sound was turned down and their metal sound turned more of a hard rock sound. It wasn't bad, as i enjoy that hard rock sound. but just wasn't the Anthrax that I loved. I pretty much wrote these guys off during the John Bush era. But now that Joey Belladonna is back, so is the thrash metal sound. This is by far their best album since Among the Living, and it's good to have them back. If you're a fan of classic Anthrax thrash, then I think you'll really love this album.
6. The passing of Elizabeth Taylor
--She was an Hollywood industry icon; looked up to by various young actresses; a heart of gold. She will surely be missed and there will be no one else like her.
5 Page by Paige by LauraLee Gulledge (book)
--A graphic novel about a young teen growing up in NYC? Sign me up! According to Gulledge's bio on her website "the story is her journey as an artist and transplant in New York". In the book, Paige is 16 and has moved from VA to NYC with her writer parents. It is a tough time to a teen's life to move and teen readers will resonate with this aspect of the story as well. Despite Paige's many wonderful traits/characteristics, she is filled with myriad of insecurities as well. Through her developing friendships with Gabe, Jules and Longo, as well as with her sketchbook, Paige discovers more about herself and how she fits into the world around her and how others may see her. All of these are themes that will connect with especially female teen readers. As I read this graphic novel; which took me one day; I was throughly impressed how the illustrations perfectly matched the story. Some of the images were just so expressive and vivid which moved the story along and made it relatable. Another book recommendation!
4. Drew Brees surpassing Dan Marino's all time regular season passing record.
--Do I need to say any more than that? WHO DAT!
3. The Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax) concert at Yankees Stadium on September 14, 2011
--My brother and I have always gone to heavy metal concerts together so when I heard that the Big 4 were finally coming to NYC , I had to get tickets. Much thanks to David for helping us with this endeavour! It was a metal good time, even though both my brother and I were very tired at work the next day...
2. The Occupy protests.
--I am all for people who fight for what they belief in. As many of you are aware, I fight for animal rights. At least I have an idea of what I am fighting for. These protests started popping up worldwide without a clear vision of what they were protesting as well as offering any solutions for their issues. Then celebrities started to get involved which in retrospect was a complete conflict of interest since they fall into the spectrum of the rich otherwise known as the 1 percent. All in all this ranks as my #2 pop culture favorite as it will fall into pop culture more due to the entertainment/celebrity influence instead of the history books.
1. The Big Bang Theory (television show on CBS. Thursdays at 8pm, also in syndication on TBS and FOX)
--A show about geeks and their lives? Definitely can relate. This show is well written with humorous lines as well great character acting. I can overdose on this show all week and even if I saw all of the episodes already, they are still hilarious.
So my fellow readers, what are your 2011 pop culture favorites? Why not answer the question in the first paragraph as I did? Remember -- what you enjoyed or were entertained by in 2011 does not have to be from 2011.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
30 Day Book Challenge: Day 1
Everyone, well mostly everyone, knows that I am a bookworm. Does anyone here remember the show Gilmore Girls? You know how Rory always had a book in her bag as well as having amazing concentration reading in a noisy area? Yeah that is me.
Here is a story for you--About 7 years ago I was at a wrestling show (I know shocker!) and one of the matches going on completely bored me. I could not tell you who was wrestling or the finish or anything. So what do I do? I took out my book to read. Well...one of the wrestlers in the ring saw me reading, climbed out of the ring, grabbed my book out of my hand and FLUNG IT all the way to the other side of the venue. Yeah...luckily I got my book back at the end of the night. So now whenever I go to wrestling shows and if I am bored--out comes my book!
So when I saw this challenge on Snippets and Doodles I knew I had to do it. So here we go with Day 1:
Day 1 - a book series you wish had gone on longer or a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)
I think for myself a book series that I wish had gone on longer was J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I personally did not like The Return of the King but think The Two Towers had more of a story to expand on.
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