One thing I'd Like to Learn right now...

I'd really like to learn to play guitar. Last year, I got a guitar for Christmas, and it has been sitting there, doing nothing. I'd really love to be able to play, simply because that would enable me to play songs I really like, like Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" or "A Case of You". Also anything by She & Him, or M. Ward or Taylor Swift. That would simply be the coolest thing ever.

Joni Mitchell: "The Circle Game"

Joni Mitchell: "A Case of You"

Tavi Gevinson for HelloGiggles.com "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell 

She's so good it's not even funny. God.

"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here" by She & Him

I do realize it's not the best video.

**All of these videos I got from YouTube**

My favorite song right now is...

Actually, I don't have one favorite song. I have quite a few different ones... for example there's...

• "Us" by Regina Spektor
• "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift
• "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele
• "Science & Faith" by The Script
• "Exit Wounds" also by The Script
• "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri
• "King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles
• "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble
• "Clocks" by ColdPlay
• "Summer" by DayPlayer
• "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars
• "In The Sun" by She & Him
• "Don't Look Back" by She & Him
• "Rave On" by M. Ward
• "Rumour Has It" by Adele
• "Brotherhood of Man" by the "How To Succeed..." Broadway Cast. (Yes, Dan Radciffe can sing... <3)
• "Paris Original" by the "How To Succeed..." Broadway Cast, again.

These are just a few of the songs I like. There's like a bazillion more.

A Simple Guide to Helping You Achieve Your Goals

I’ve never been particularly good at sticking to any goals I set for myself. Not even my New Year’s resolutions, as far as I can remember. The longest time I have done was perhaps the last five months of eight grade, when I promised myself I would keep my math average at a B.  I did it! But it wasn’t something I did for the pure satisfaction of doing well in class, or the knowledge that I was able to commit to something for more than a week. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t fail math was because my parents had told me that if I didn’t get my grades up, I wouldn’t be allowed to watch Harry Potter or Bones anymore.

Lately I have been thinking more about things I have never really thought about, like what I can change about me that really bothers me? or how can I maybe connect more with other people my age? or even how can I just be more comfortable in my own skin? (Reading this out loud to my dog, I realize that it sounds crazy and even cliched, but life is filled with cliches, and she doesn’t really care.). I have decided to make answering the above questions my goals for the year. Which leads me to how I figured I would follow through on them.

1. Pick something You really want to accomplish, that way, you can do it the whole year. I mean, last year my biggest goals included doing the dishes right after dinner, and being more organized in the mornings. It got to the point that after two weeks, I couldn’t bring myself to even set out real dishes for dinner and used Dixie plates instead (I KNOW! TREE KILLER :(). And in the mornings, I just could not be bothered putting my pillows on the bed nicely.
2. Keep inspiration handy. I started seriously thinking about my New Year’s resolutions after reading this piece on HelloGiggles.com and this one on Rookie. Since then, I have gone back and read them a few times, and I even forced my sister to read them. I tried to get my parents to read them but they shook their heads at me because they thought I was going to launch myself into a very (very) spirited ‘Pro-Feminist’ rant. Pssht. Honestly, thought just keep any form of inspiration handy. I remember Kim Possible forced herself to work at that Fast-Food place by staring at a picture of the black leather jacket she wanted. Remember: TUNNEL VISION!
3. Don’t be too hard on yourself if it’s difficult to stick to your goal. Or be, if that’s what works for you. Personally, punishing myself never works. Instead, I give myself little pep talks and stuff. I also just ask myself what (insert fictional character) would do if they were me. I find asking myself what Jess from New Girl would do helps at times. Also, what would Hermione Granger do? and what would Bones do?  I feel that if arguing with your self is crazy, then punishing your self is too. But if, I dunno, talking to yourself in a very serious sort of way works, go ahead.
4. Don’t get frustrated if it accomplishing your goal is harder than expected. One of my sister’s friends tried becoming a vegan in a month. She wasn’t able to because she didn’t realize that in order to be vegan she would need to give up her UGG boots and earmuffs, and Thanksgiving turkey, and her mom’s awesome baked goods. Also, she didn’t realize that giving up meat and dairy products and not eating beans and rice and stuff was really not smart. She lasted about two months, until finally she couldn’t stand salad and ballet flats. So don’t forget: BABY STEPS.
5. Celebrate all those little milestones that get you closer to reaching your ultimate goal. It keeps you motivated, and it’s a lot of fun. Last year, for example, when I got a good grade in a math test or a quiz, I’d get to stay up later and watch the latest episode of Bones when it aired. Afterwards, I would get exactly ten minutes plus commercial breaks to over-analyze, and really drive everyone crazy with my excessive cheering/crying over whatever had just happened. So, maybe you won’t get as excited about a TV show about dead people as I did/still do, but find a way to reward yourself on your progress.

Some Deep Stuff: New Year's

Reason

• Them: It is an opportunity  to get a blank slate or whatever. It's an opportunity for a fresh start, resolutions for a new, better new year.  *corny comercial voice* "It's A New Year and A New You!!"
• Me: It doesn't actually change anything. Life just goes on as normal. It's a made-up holiday. GODDAMMIT. I FEEL OLD.

Best Music Videos Ever

BE WARNED:

THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS AN ALMOST OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF AWESOMENESS. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE EITHER ZOOEY DESCHANEL OR M. WARD, I SUGGEST YOU A) FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO OR B) START LIKING THEM

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? (Bank Dance)

This video, featuring (500) Days of Summer's Joseph Gordon-Levitt, has almost a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. I dunno. It's just really cool dancing, Zooey Deschanel looking amazing as always and a really hot dude who can dance (Yes, I'm talking about Joseph...).

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

Again, this video has Zooey Deschanel looking awesome. And being awesome. I mean, all those little angel dudes. Totally adorable.

Don't Look Back

I don't even know where to start with this one. Oh yeah, it's all really retro/space age and insanely cool. Also, there's more than one Zooey and more than one M. Ward at some point of the video. And that piano-thing that plays itself?  AND THAT COOL PHONE SHE HAS? Way too cool. I'm serious.

In the Sun

So Zooey and Matt go back to highschool. And they wear awesome clothes. And there's dancing in the hall ways. And there's hoola-hoops. 'Nough Said.

And finally, one of my favourites. I KNOW this isn't actually a music viideo, but it's awesome nonetheless.

I Put a Spell on You 

This was an appearance of theirs with Conan O'Brien. AWESOMENESS.

Caring

We all know the time comes when we find it hard to get excited about stuff like we used to as children. We find it hard to get as stoked about Halloween, and Christmas and Santa as we did when  we were three, or seven or even eleven years old. We might no longer count down to the days, hours and minutes. In fact, we might forget we even have a count down. I did, in fact, my Christmas countdown still says "4 days until Christmas!" in fake-cheery script. And it's almost New Year's. These things no longer evoke the whimsical feelings they once did. This year, for example, I had to force myself to listen to Christmas music from November in order to get myself through the holiday weirdness that seems to take over. I didn't quite succeed, but I got an amazing album out of it.

Part of it is growing old, as I discovered after reading this and getting through most of this*. It'd be kind of weird if after however many years have passed you didn't think any differently of things like Gumby and Disney Princesses and Hannah Montana. We all have to evolve and mature, so it totally makes sense that we suddenly see things in a different light. For example, the other day I was listening to some of that weird Disney music: all that High School Musical, Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers stuff, while lying in a pool of self-loathing wondering how on earth my mom put up with that rubbish. It's no wonder she's skeptical before listening to She & Him or Joni Mitchell and Carole King. My bad, childish taste in music has left her forever scarred.

 But the other part is not caring anymore. Like Honestly Not Caring Anymore. As in: "I no longer care enough about this commercialized holiday that has no actual religious roots, therefore I will not be excited about it." or "Next Year will be just as awful/boring as this one. I no longer care enough to make life interesting. I will just allow Fox and ABC to take care of that for me. Also the lovely people over at Rookie Mag and the YA librarians can keep me from going insane, if they'd like.". I think that just admitting that I don't care for a lot of things is depressing. AND I DON'T FRIGGING CARE. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN.

I will read this in the morning an die of self-loathing. This is/will probably be one of many posts that will scare people off and possibly make them wonder what the hell my problem is. And they will know the answe. I Don't Care enough to actually figure anything out. And that is just one of the many things that are wrong with me.

 *The second link is an interview by (the amazing) Tavi Gevinson for her online zine, Rookie, with Dan Clowes. Although I have no idea of who he is, I found I could relate to/understand what he was saying.

This is a cool song... my friend Holly was talking about it today... (yay Holly!!)