Favorite Internet Entertainers

I love me some Internet TV (as I call the shows I catch on the web). In fact, I follow quite a few series. You may have heard of some of them, maybe not. Either way, get yourself introduced to what I love to watch when I should be writing take a break from writing/editing for hours on end.

They all have one thing in common: they are humor-based. And are mostly done by dudes. Okay, that's two things...

Achievement Hunter
I have to thank my sister for this one. She's been watching them for a while before she told me all about them. It all began with the Minecraft Let's Plays. Oh jeez, these dudes are a funny bunch. And yea for regional love (they're based in Texas!). In case you're wondering, my favorite Achievement Hunter is Ray (my sister's favorite is Gavin). I love having their stuff on background as I edit my writing and/or goof around on the computer.

The Cinema Snob
He's definitely a preferred taste. Yet, I frigging love Brad Jones*. I'm a huge fan of dry, sarcastic humor; not much so of exploitation films, but I know so much now that I could be considered an acolyte. I did watch a Herschell Gordon Lewis film (Color Me Blood Red) after I saw the review of Blood Feast (which has some hilarious one-liners from Jones, like: "Wow, that shocked the acting out of him!"), which I want him to review in the future. That film was bad.

The Nostalgia Critic
Ahhh, I remember when Mr. Doug Walker was on YouTube. I ran across his review of Cartoon All Stars to the Rescue and was immediately hooked. He hit me right in the nostalgic feels over and over (with Space Jam, Twister, and Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird) while indulging my funny bone. He's hit and miss these days, not a huge fan of his new take on the character, but he still has his signature brand of shouty humor.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series
Thanks to this show, I know way too much about this anime. Like how the game works and stuff. But man, I love this show to death. It is immensely funny and oddball, and doesn't update too often. Oh well, it makes each new episode a special treat worthy of breaking out the good beer and queso for.

PushingUpRoses
I started to love her work shortly before she left ThatGuywiththeGlasses (while on there, she was the solitary lady music geek and PC gamer). She's still doing her own thing, teaming up with LazyGameReviews (whose Sims 3 reviews are alone the price of admission) on occasion while doing the solo thing with old-school PC games. She's like Spoony, but less offensive and more punny (which, when done right, is wonderful). She also has an excellent blog and a mean artistic streak!

Vag Magazine 
I haven't seen an update from this show in a long time, but it's still funny. It's basically a satire of feminism and  its followers (see? Feminists do have a sense of humor!). I love the straight girl character, she seems like she would be me in that situation. Now that I look like it, it predates Girls, but it actually knows how to make fun of itself. Ms. Dunham, take note.

Freeman's Mind
I already loved Half-Life 2 and all, but this series made me love it even more. I love how the wonderful, brave, and noble Gordon Freeman is turned into an arrogant goofy jackass. I quote this show in real life a lot. My favorite thing to say is "this place is deeaaaaad", followed by "man, this place got whomped!" (often in reference to work). And congrats to Mr. Scott and his show: they are new additions to ThatGuyWithTheGlasses!

This post brought to you by the best YouTube video ever:




*Fun fact: He was the inspiration for a character from another novel I'm working on. She is an Internet movie reviewer, doing mostly random flicks like Courage Under Fire. She also wears hilariously big aviator glasses like the Snob does.

Random-ass announcement

I have decided, after really thinking about it for a few months, that I'm going to try for grad school again. After learning from my mistakes last time (not sending in my best work, etc.) and really changing as a person from the last time I did it (which was two years ago, for anyone who's counting); I feel that I'm prepared to try again. If I fail, I'll do it again, until my GRE scores expire (they last five years from the day of testing... I think).

In lieu of this, that means I will not participate in NaNoWriMo in November because I rather concentrate on the application. Instead, I'll do Camp NaNoWriMo in July! It's like the original thing, but in the summer! And with camping metaphors! I have no idea what I want to do for that, but I'll announce it in due time (and when I make up my damn mind).

And yes, I'll still be looking for a job even with the grad school thing happening. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it when it is time.

Quick question

Hey y'all, should I move my reviews from Jupiter_Nova back onto here or leave 'em on Nova?

I can think of good reasons for why and then why not to do it. I did put some effort to make my reviews blog (which I could return to when I feel like it) and moving all the reviews on there. I could also double-post, but that feels like "cheating".

I dunno. What do y'all think?

I have no idea... (tw: self-esteem issues regarding fat)

why I think I'm fat. I look at pictures of myself from last year (where I was either the weight I am right now or just a bit less) and I honestly don't get it. If the camera adds ten pounds (whether that's true or not is a whole other kettle of fish), then I actually don't look as bad as I thought. Now, in my family, the weight goes all over the place and not just one specific area of the body. I look like I have some curves (which I do) and that I'm broad-shouldered and built stocky (thank you German heritage!).

On the bright side, at least I haven't gained more weight. Something's going right.

If I was a betting woman, it would be that I drink water now.


I love how despite my thoughts, there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Gotta love perspective.

Misandry Is for Losers or Why I Almost Abandoned the Feminist Ship

Side note: this blog post is not for any woman who had been mistreated/abused/assaulted by men and they have come to distrust them. Y'all have my deepest sympathy and support. 

Earlier this year, I made a horrible realization. I was becoming the very thing I dreaded. Whenever dudes expressed an interest in helping the feminist cause, I rolled my eyes and claimed they wanted "ally cookies". I considered never dating since men were "basically scum" anyway. And I also became a bit hostile to the idea of men in general.

I was becoming a misandrist.

Sweet Lord, when it hit me, I about flew all the way to Milwaukee (who am I kidding, that would've been awesome. For one thing, all four seasons! ...I'll shut up). It was horrifying to see myself becoming that very kind of person.

The first thing I said to myself when I decided to become a feminist five years ago was "I won't be a man-hater" (the second being "if feminism excludes women in any way, I'm gonna go somewhere else"). I grew up with hearing the stereotype of feminists hating men and being generally hostile towards them. I wanted to subvert that and even consider men to be potential allies (which I do, believe it or not).

After realizing this, I looked back on my interactions with men. While thankfully I've controlled myself in public, there have been times over the Internet that I could've handled it better. I could've addressed my points without parroting a bunch of words and actually said what I wanted to say in my own way (like I'm doing here!). I didn't want to be one of those social justice folks that got angry and threw a bunch of f-bombs when someone posted something ignorant. Instead I wanted to address it with a sense of level-headed passion. In other words, I wanted to be a person that men and women could turn to and ask about feminism in general; leading them towards the sources that helped me shape my ideas and even form my own opinions on things.

I backed away from a ton of sites that weren't helping me in this regard (like ONTD_Political and even some tumblr blogs I used to follow) and opted to find more sources to help me explore politics, feminism, race issues, and so forth on a deep level without worrying about extremism. Let me be the decider on the fact I want to be a radical feminist, not have someone "tell" me I have to.

Y'know, it helps a lot that I was raised by a father who didn't take a look at my gender and go "welp, ain't teaching her nothing". He taught me a lot about people in general, home improvement/DIY, being independent, financial knowledge, and so much else. (In fact, he does laundry, cooks food [he makes a mean bowl of Thanksgiving mashed potatoes], and cleans the house; all without the assumption that he doesn't have to do it because he's the breadwinner and so forth.)

In all honesty, I think men can help in the feminist cause. There is so much they can learn, teach their fellow men, and do to help us women. There are times that they should step aside (like abortion rights, etc.) and times they do need to address problems within their culture (like rape jokes and so forth).

Like how I was the complete opposite of what I am when I was a teenager, I was in danger of going the same route. I want a healthy middle ground. And so, I stopped myself before it was too late.


P.S. And gentlemen? Misogyny is also for losers. Be like my dad and teach your daughters how to change the oil and don't expect your spouse to be a hired maid.

Why I May Not Return to Tumblr

There are such things as Tumblr blogs teaching people how to shoplift. One of them even said B&N is an easy place to steal from.

Alright, listen up, you entitled brats. Here's some breaking news for you: YOU'RE NOT SOLVING ANY PROBLEMS. You think you're getting the Man? The Man don't care. Really! If the Man cared, there would be more things us retail employees could do other than do our usual jazz hands.

(And the fact that people who need things resort to shoplifting shows us what the real problem is. Our society has an odd-ass view about low-wage jobs, education, living wages, and the like. All that seriously needs to be fixed. Taking it to the Man [I swear, last time I'll say it] is like giving someone a bandage for a broken back.)

Oh and by the way? Thanks for posting your tips. I now know what to look out for and I'll be extra-vigilant next time I'm at work. AND I'M TELLING EVERYBODY I KNOW AT RETAIL WHAT I'VE LEARNED.

With Two Middle Fingers,
Lindsey, a current retail employee

*memes do not belong to me*

My Favorite Blogs

I try to limit my time on the Internet so I can do other things, like reading and writing, but whenever I finish up a project or a goal, I love to settle down and read a good blog that makes me motivated to change things, stay informed on my loves and passions, and even entice a giggle out of me.

Unf*** Your Habitat
This blog gets "Funniest Blog Title Ever" for me. It is a blog on how to clean almost anything, from stubborn carpet stains to rooms with junk piles as high as Mount Vesuvius. It also has an iPhone app (Android forthcoming!) that helps you keep goals and motivates you with caps lock messages. Good times to be had by all, even those who hate to clean.

Adulting
Yea, there is a famous twentysomething that isn't making all of us look bad! She comes in the form of Ms. Williams Brown, a gal two years my senior who gives wise and funny advice on how to become one of these mystical adult things we've heard so much about. Her book is quickly becoming my favorite of the year.

My Beauty Bunny
Here is where I found the most help on CF (cruelty-free) products. They have a frequently updated list of who is staying CF and who is not (sadly it includes L'Occitane, who had the loveliest rose perfume I'd ever smelled). They also have great guest bloggers and tons of tips to look glamorous without hurting bunnies! Gotta love that.

And Then We Saved
I mentioned this blog before on here, but it's so good, I have to mention it again! A lot of my inspiration to save money and be frugal, etc. has come from this blog. I'm immensely happy to have stumbled upon it. Thank you so much Ms. Newell Jones! Keep doing your thing!

Flavorwire (mostly the music and book sections)
I don't know how I found out about this website, but one day, I discovered it, and the sections I love... and the rest, as they say, is history. I found a ton of great book recommendations from them, more than even NPR! It's likely that the demographic is for folks roughly around my age, so it would make sense that it all seems to appeal to me. Though their worship of "edgy" writers is a bit eyebrow-raising...

Under the Radar
Even though I no longer subscribe to the magazine, I enjoy their news page a lot. It keeps me up to date on musical trends, new releases (the main thing I keep up with), and tour dates for bands I like. That's how I found out that Editors and Franz Ferdinand are releasing new albums, and even heard song samples from them and even Empire of the Sun. Why not Pitchfork? Here, this should refresh your memory.

Lifehacker
Thanks to this website, I was more than prepared for my iPhone's arrival. I knew how to conserve battery power, what apps to try out, how to use certain apps to their potential, and even what to do in worst-case scenarios (thank God none have happened yet). This website also helped me with computer stuff and even things to do to make my life easier.

NPR
Okay, I know this a left-leaning news group. At least it is honest about what it is. Unlike something else (*cough* Fox News *cough*). Either way, the news I get from here are more than just local and even national, it covers the whole world. I do rely on other sources (see my FAQ for others) but when I'm in a pinch, I listen to NPR on the way to work and I'm caught up for the most part.

Tiny Buddha
When I was making the arduous but worthwhile recovery from years of letting depression and OCD rule everything about me, I was looking for positive and life coaching blogs to help me learn more about myself and life itself. This was the one that I loved the best and still find joy in every week (I get their weekly emails on Friday, so it's a great thing to do while I'm eating breakfast). I always find something that either will help me or a loved one.

Got a favorite blog? Share it below!

This post was brought to you by one of my favorite documentaries:

Some Random Thoughts on Depression

I've been reading quite a few DIY, minimalist, and life coaching blogs these days. Mostly to get a grasp on how to figure out life and what to do in a myriad of situations.

I've had depression since I was 19 and OCD since I was 13, so I've lived with these two ornery gits for a long time, almost half my life (at least, in the case of OCD). So I'm having to learn how to live with them in my life, but taking on a different role. A backseat one, if you will. One where I have more control of my emotions, how I react to things, and so forth. Prior to that, my emotions could be all over the place and even out of control at times (at the worst possible times too, like at work and even with loved ones). It was ugly, no wonder I really hated myself. I wasn't that pleasant to be around.

Besides doing a lot of psychological healing, I have to do a lot of physical (both bodily and outside myself) work too. I've mentioned about having so much stuff because I bought things whenever I was emotional or in need of something to fill the hole up that depression drilled into me. I've been selling and getting rid of a lot of stuff. I find myself not wanting as much stuff anymore, but save enough money to live off of feasibly. In terms of my body, I've been eating better and drinking more water. I save sodas and alcohol as treats but I rarely have it anyway. I enjoy treats like cookies and cake more when I have it less often. It makes me appreciate it all even more. Plus, I also put on weight when I was depressed (about twenty pounds actually).

I've been incorporating exercise (Pilates and running via treadmill and Zombies, Run!) into my life, keeping a journal both here and on paper IRL, looking for another job that utilizes my skills and keeps me on a good health plan so I can continue to be mentally and physically healthy, making plans for tomorrow and further into the future, and all this blog-reading has helped me save money and even budget better.

It is a long road of recovery, probably one I'll be on for the rest of my life. I'll stumble, have to pull into the breakdown lane (insert reference to Jerry Harrison/Casual Gods song here), and I may even have another episode. Who knows? But at least I'm more sure of how to handle it and even work through it if it gets to that point.

Yes, depression is not fun to live with. Yes, you will have to deal with it for the rest of your life. But it is better than the other option (speaking of death here). Just trust me on this one, my friends, from someone who's been on the brink more than once.

In Which I Reveal My True Reason I Want A Time Machine (or Lots of Money)

I love to tickle my brain with these questions Music Memoirs puts out. Today's is no exception: 5 bands I wish I have seen live, but haven't. Sadly, too easy... and kinda predictable (if you know me IRL).

1. Talking Heads (it huuurrrts...)
2. Radiohead (it also huuurrrts...)
3. Genesis (this may happen, if Phil Collins comes out of retirement and he's in good shape)
4. Bat for Lashes (y u no come down to Texas?!)
5. Dum Dum Girls ('cause why the hell not?)

Don't you hate it...

when you write something, think it's great, look it over and consider sending it out into the big 'ol world for others to read... and you come across a glaring continuity error?

Allow me to have the Beastie Boys express the reaction I had today when this very thing happened to me...

Okay, well good thing I'm not submitting the thing until next month.

Lesson learned.

*meme does not belong to me*

Baby Houses and Other Possible Avenues of Home Ownership

For a while, I considered getting a tiny house, or as I like to call them "baby houses". Don't know what a tiny house is? Check out this excellent definition from Wikipedia.

It seems like a great idea, downsizing to fit enough into a small space. Besides me and my cat, there would be all the stuff I could feasibly keep in there. The only issue I would have is where would I put the dang house? If it stayed at my parents' place, well why bother? Just live in the house already on the lot! And where else could I put it? I can't begin to consider it.

Sadly, my baby house dreams will remain only dreams. Though it is still fun to waste an hour or two looking at pictures of them.

Despite that, after thinking about it for a long time, I have decided I would rather own than rent. For some reason, I would feel better about it in the long run. It's a long time investment. Also, I have an awesome father that taught me a lot of things regarding home improvement (and then some), so it's not like I'll be completely ignorant on owning and maintaining (thanks Dad!).

The family home is very old, built in the forties, so there are a ton of things that most houses don't have these days (e.g. lead paint, asbestos, natural gas heaters [we still have all the vents for the space heaters throughout the house], giant backyard) so I would have some knowledge of older appliances if I happen to go that route of getting a home older than my parents. Not getting into fixer-uppers though, more like a time-sink than anything.

But that is far into the future. Dunno if the house will be in my current town or somewhere else. Kinda leaving that up in the air right now.

Doing What I Can

After thinking about it for a while (and reading the archives of And Then We Saved) I have decided to do a Spending Diet of sorts. I really want to have a nice chunk of change saved up in my bank for whatever things, and of course for San Francisco. In fact, I had two unexpected expenses to worry about: my glasses' temple bar broke off completely and my Fossil watch started to act weird. Thankfully I was able to find an exact replica of my frames on eBay for half the price I originally bought them for; for the Fossil watch, I got a battery replacement. So far, everything seems to be back to normal (?). My glasses fit great and my watch hasn't been acting like a doofus.

I also got my haircut at SuperCuts instead of my usual stop at JcPenney (their salons are awesome, but pricey). The stylist at SuperCuts did a great job and I only paid half of what I normally do at JcPenney (and that was with a generous tip!). Also been avoiding going out to eat and buying books and music (which hurts, I can't even begin...) Been utilizing the library more often and my job's book loan program. I checked out the new Joe Hill novel* instead of buying it (but Lordy I did want to buy it. I want to support Stephen King's son! I'll buy its eventual paperback release...)

Since the only thing I don't pay for is most groceries, this is still covered by my parents, I'm doing pretty well for someone who only works a part-time job. My car was a gift, though I do pay my share of the insurance. I pay my share of utilities (no rent, since the house is paid off. Go Mom and Dad!) I'm doing what I can with what I have at the time. I do want to move on to a better-paying job (also with great health benefits, since there are meds I need to be on, otherwise remain very healthy) but I'll have to make do. And you know what? Better to learn it now than later.

*Don't worry, B&N customers, I take excellent care of the books I borrow. And if I ever damage them in any way, I always buy it to remain fair and honest.

FYI: the title of the blog entry is a Lindsey Buckingham song.

Random-Ass Facts about My *Newest* Novel Project

Yep, it's that time again. I'm working on something else, which y'all will know it as Dolls. And yes, might as well share with y'all some stuff about the project.

• This used to be a Silent Hill fan fiction before I took the arduous task to divorce it from its source. It took me two years, on and off, to do it.

• Its original title was An Absence of Innocence.

• I first started writing this when I was 19. And here we go, 7 years later...

• It is set in my home state of Texas, though in cities I haven't been to since I was a kid (Houston and Galveston).

• The full current title came from a Sylvia Plath poem.

• Remember when I said three characters from another story made an appearance in Spiders? Well, the three are in this novel.

• The two main characters have the last names of Buckingham and McVie. And unlike Spiders, this was a coincidence. I had the characters created for separate works originally, but when I had them join forces... well, there you go.

• The name of the neighborhood that the main characters live in used to be the name of the town they lived in the events of the fan fiction: Briar Lake. It was supposed to be half a day's drive away from Silent Hill. Now it's a fictional neighborhood in Houston.

• One of the main characters has a former dream job of mine: record store clerk.

• Some of the nightmarish elements in the story were loosely inspired by dreams I had, especially my run of nightmares about haunted houses I had when I was 19.

• Here is the novel's theme song ('cause we gotta have this too): 

Thank you for your time to indulge me concerning a novel project that no one may actually read in its final form for about eight years.

Here, have a LOL:

*meme does not belong to me*

New York City: Day 3

Sorry that it took me so freaking long to get this finished. Not gonna do this for San Francisco. Alright, let's wrap this burrito up and call it a day.

Previously on this program...

(All of the pictures here, unless otherwise indicated, were taken by me)

My sister and I woke up to a misty morning, drizzle falling from gray skies above. We ate at Starbucks (dammit) for breakfast and then decided to begin our journey to the Met, which where we were gonna meet a friend. You see, my sister has a friend up in New York State. They met online on an MMORPG several years ago and have been close ever since, mostly playing through Xbox Live. She and her sister and father were gonna come down and meet us at the museum  where my sister and her would actually meet.

The Met, after the weather cleared up.

We walked through Central Park, where it was still drizzling and cool. Thanks to the park app I downloaded, we managed to find our way to the museum  We first stopped to see Cleopatra's Needle and then went around to the front. We sat at the front steps and decided to wait for my sister's friend to show up. After twenty minutes, I saw a tall young woman approach my sister sneaky-like. They agreed that if one saw the other, they would surprise them. My sister was busy with her iPod, wanting to listen to some music. I about alerted my sister, but thought it would better not to interfere. I knew this was her friend. She got to surprise my sister. They hugged and I introduced myself to her. Soon, her younger sister and her father joined us. We went inside and began our long journey through the museum.

One of the exhibits brought back memories; the Egyptian temple area. I used to borrow old Sesame Street videos from the library as a kid, and one of them was called Don't Eat the Pictures; where Big Bird and friends got locked in the Met overnight. The subplot had Big Bird and Snuffy helping the ghost of an Egyptian prince go to heaven. They found the prince at the temple. It was pretty awesome to see the real thing.

I also had read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (R.I.P. Ms. Konigsburg) earlier in the year and was looking forward to seeing what the kids probably experienced in the book. It was much like how the book described it, how the beds were huge and how the kids could've lived in the museum  I'm sure nowadays it would be impossible, but it was cool to imagine it.

My sister's friend gave us gifts, mine was a lavender-scented lotion bar, which works very well and smells lovely. I forgot what she gave my sister. Either way, we toured around and even attempted to have some snacks in the very busy cafeteria.

We saw many things, not all I photographed. I completely goofed and forgot to snag some pics of some O'Keeffe paintings I saw. Deeply regret it. Otherwise, here's some things:

Probably Greek art, but I may be wrong...

The Chinese Garden Court

Rousseau!

Chagall!

F*** yeah color field!

F*** yeah Monet!

We spent about three hours perusing all the art, it was a freaking huge place. After all that, we had to part ways. My sister said goodbye to her friend and family, I did too, and they left to catch their bus back to their home. I ate a hot dog and we decided to take a taxi to do some other last-minute sightseeing. First stop: Grand Central Station!

I about yelled at that kid with the iPad, but
it was impossible to get a shot without him in it.

The ceiling was quite interesting, had various constellations that (I bet) lit up at night. It was quite loud, but it was almost cathedral-like in its solemnity  After some photos, we took the subway to another area of town. I wanted to find a record store that I heard about, so we decided to go. On the subway, we were talking about which stop we needed to get to when a local overheard us. She was very lovely, helping us and even making some small talk about the Met stuff we had. Who said New Yorkers were jerkasses? They were quite wonderful! Helping us with directions and stuff.

When we got to the record store, it was closed. Turns out the one day it doesn't open was that very weekday. Dammit. I flagged a taxi and we decided to hang around Times Square until the sun went down to see the area at night.

And so we did!

Quite lovely at night, I agree...

After doing our oohs and ahhs over Times Square, we went to Subway and got food, then rode the subways back to our hotel room one last time, where we ate our dinner and fell asleep to Scarface. 

We woke the next morning to ride in a lovely town car (ooh fancy) to the airport in Queens to fly back to the Lone Star State.

~

That about wraps up my adventures in New York City. Next time, I will head to the City by the Bay! Will the food be good? How worthwhile will it be to use the city's mass transit? Is the hotel as awesome as it promises? And by God, will I have not to worry about a Starbucks?!

Tune in late June for Frustrated Lady Writer Takes on San Francisco!