An open letter to 2016,
You, my friend, were awful from the moment that ball dropped, until you ran out. You took so many wonderful people this year. You damaged the very fabric of our world with the holes that you have left in our lives. I have seen the worst, I have seen how terrible things could get. Thanks to your constant hardship, I no longer fear Hell because I lived it. I need to not only acknowledge the celebrities that you took, but the wonderful people in my life, and the ones that were damaged along the way.
So, here is my personal vent for this year:
F@%K You, For giving my best friend cancer, twice!!!!!! The radiation, the chemo, the surgery!!! The Hell, the pure Hell that you have put her through, and we know it's not close to being done yet. She is still kicking but F&$K you for this!!!!!!
For giving a little girl cancer and watching her go from healthy to a shell. F$$K You! She is still fighting too.
For the entire last part of the year that was so personally bad to me I almost ended it, twice. For the Hell of a personal situation that will effect me for the rest of my life..... For the Hell that makes me shake and keeps me up at night....
You didn't win all of 2016:
I had the most wonderful friends in the entire world to get me through this. I had more support, love, and people who were able to pick me up when I couldn't even see straight. When I wanted to stop, they pushed me to keep going. When the impossible happened, and kept happening, I had love and support from people that I will never ever be able to pay back. I have my Mom close to me now which is so wonderful. I have fallen but I have been picked up. I fought until my knuckles were bloody and I kept punching. I kept going even though I was pushed beyond any limits I thought I had. I found strength in almost nothing that I had left. I am so lucky for my friends because without them, I never would have gotten through 2016.
So goodbye. I know that the clock striking midnight won't change things. It's not a magical wand that will make everything a clean slate. There is still lots of Hell coming. I know what I am in for, for the most part, and I know how bad it can get. But I know that you didn't kill me, 2016, even though you tried. You almost took everything that I had, but I'm still breathing. You taught me to keep fighting even though I didn't have any breath left. It's a new year, and it only is a change in what we write on a calendar. It can be whatever we make it to be, but you won't beat me. 2013 didn't and neither did you, 2016. Three years of Hell and more to come, but you didn't succeed in taking everything away from me. I'm still here, and you are over!
To all those we have lost this year, I miss you. To all those who have been sick, I'm praying for you. For all those who felt hopeless, so did I, but I'm still here and you are too. Congratulations, because being here is a huge accomplishment. For all of those who are scared, I am too, but we can get through the impossible together.
You are not alone!
Lisa and her Underdog
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
The Force is Stronger Today
Good Bye, Carrie Fisher
And Thank You From This Little Girl Who Needed You:
Carrie Fisher passed away today after suffering a massive heart attack. My heart is broken, and I have cried. I will cry more. I didn't know her, just like I didn't know David Bowie, or Prince or George Micheal...F$%K! That doesn't mean that her passing didn't hurt. She brought to life a character that I needed as a child. Every little girl needed Princess Leia. Generations of little girls grew up seeing Carrie Fisher give life to Princess Leia and that character would not have been the same if played by another person. She had sass, she took charge, and she was classy. She showed fear, showed leadership, and wasn't afraid to fight.
When I was a kid, we didn't have those type of women in film or on TV and she was such an influence that she shaped my life. We still are lacking strong female charters today, but we are moving in the right direction and it has to do with Carrie Fisher. We never would of had Rey, who is so sorely needed for girls today! We never would have had female Ghostbusters, and on and on and on. No, I didn't know her, but I knew her influence. She was a face that I saw since I was a baby and grew up with. She was someone I watched and enjoyed seeing. The Force Awakens had me crying at many parts, but one of them was seeing Carrie Fisher being General Leia once more. We needed her, we still need her, but the Force needed her more. Just like David Bowie and all the rest, Carrie Fisher isn't gone, she is everywhere. Thank you for giving this girl HOPE!
Monday, December 26, 2016
What has past is coming again?
As many of you know, not only do I love doing research into conspiracy theories, and the paranormal, but I also enjoy looking into past lives. I see what I would consider evidence all of the time, especially from children. I have my own tough story that I struggled with for years and still wish I could find some way to validate what I believe. That I have lived before and this particulate life is one that I came to kicking and screaming the whole journey. I have been watching videos on Youtube which I am referring to as research. Yes, there is a lot of stupid stuff out there, but there is also a lot of things that lead to good research and ideas, so I don't have an issue with people using the resources they have at hand to assist them in finding an answer.
The video, "11 Signs you have reincarnated before" caught my eye so I watched it a few times. It was put up by Fridaykiss but I am not sure if they are the ones who have made the video, or are the ones who just posted it. Any who, I will give credit to Fridaykiss since that is where I saw this in the first place. I decided to go through this list myself and see what, if anything that I can relate to and have an experience that I can share. What I am willing to share, anyway. Come on, if you want really juicy details, I'm going to need more subscribers and some money rolling in! I know that none of this is proof of anything. I don't need proof because people are willing to die and kill for what they "know." I am looking for a good idea because ideas can be expanded and ideas can change. It's a lot easier to change an idea than something you think that you know. Thanks to my college logic teacher, that is something that I have been very cautious about. So here is the list and what I can relate to,or the lack of what I can relate to in some instances.
1. Recurring Dreams:
A recurring dream is just simply a dream that you have more than once that is exactly the same, or very close to the same as previous dreams. This is one that I actually can't really relate to. I have some vivid dreams once in awhile and some of those dreams have stayed with me for years. However, I don't really recall having the same dream more than once. It's possible that I have in the past and have talked about it with my friends, but as of right now in this moment in time, I can't remember having recurring dreams.
2. Out of place memories
Out of place memories is something you recall but have no reason to because you weren't even there. I have one strong example of this, and several other smaller ones. One took place when I was about 5 or 6. I was in my brother's room, with my Mom and I she was reading us a bedtime story, Star Wars. I was messing around and laughing. I stopped and told me Mom that I missed that song that she made up about Aaron that she used to sing. Aaron and Mom just looked at me, and Mom asked me what song. I then sang her the song that I remembered and she turned pale. She got mad and Aaron yelled at me that I wasn't even there! I was confused but Mom finished reading the story and we went to bed. A few years later and I asked my Mom about that incident. She told me that there was no way in the world that I could known that song. I told her I was there, sitting on the bed, listening to them sing. She then told me something that turned my blood cold. "Lisa, you couldn't have heard that song because you weren't even born yet. I didn't sing it again because I forgot about it until you brought it up that day. You couldn't have remembered it. You must have heard it from Aaron." I then went on to tell my Mom what she was wearing and what Aaron was wearing, and the subject was dropped forever.
3. Strong sense of intuition:
This is something that I can relate to very strongly. My sense of intuition has gotten me out of life threatening ordeals, helped me stay away from certain people, and even predict big events. Sometimes the events are good, and sometimes it's horrible. I wish I didn't have this sense sometimes. I knew almost down to the day a year in advance of when my Dad would pass away. I call that Hell. I also call it Hell when I can get feelings about people's health and it turns out I am right. There are times when this is handy and pushes me to listen to what my gut is telling me. It also tells me to not take for granted time that I have with my loved ones.
4. Deja Vu:
The sense of feeling that you have experience an event previously. This is something that I have had bits and pieces of feeling. One big event happened to me that actually changed my view on life. It is very personal, but I will give you a small bit of the story. I was at a concert in college and in the crowd, I saw a man. Every part of my being knew this man, even though I have never met him. I was actually shaking, and when we made eye contact it was like I was seeing a long lost soul that I knew very well. It was't a romantic thing, it was't a fearful thing, it was a recognition beyond anything that I have ever experienced before on that level. However, I would experience something very similar when I met my two best friends. Both at separate times, in separate places, when I met them the clearest thought in my head was, "there you are, I've been trying to find you!"
5. Empathy or Empath:
I was once told by someone that I trust that I walk into a room, and can absorb all of the emotions in that room. It was the first time that I have ever heard someone say that out loud and it was wonderful! I finally had words to describe what was going on in my life. Being an Empath is beyond taking clues and coming to a conclusion. It is actually being able to feel what another person is feeling such as anger, fear, happiness, or even illness. I can tell people how they are truly feeling even though they are fooling everyone else. I can sense illness and so many things. It's not just that. It is sometimes so bad, so overwhelming that I have no clue if what I am feeling are my feelings or someone else's feelings. I can walk into a room and literally not understand why I am so angry, or sad, or upset. It's extremely tough and exhausting. Sometimes, I will understand what is going on and let it, so other's don't need to feel so much pain. It is hard on me, and my health, but it has been proven to help others and that's what I do.
6. Precognition:
The ability to tell what is going to happen before the event happens. This is something outside of logical signs. For example, when I was in first grade, I predicted the earthquake during the world series the week before it happened. I told my Dad all about it and it happened exactly a week later. I knew the day I got into my life changing car accident that something terrible was going to happen that day, even though I wasn't clear on the accident. Another car accident years later, I got my cousin's dog out of the very back of the car and held her because I wanted to snuggle. I didn't want her being in the back of the car and I couldn't explain why. I actually begged my cousin to let me hold her. Good thing that I did because if she would have been there when the car smashed us in the back a few minutes later, she would have died.
7 Retro Cognition:
This is a term that I have never heard of before so I had to look it up to get more examples of the video. It is described as the ability to know things from a past event not through traditional means. For example, you have knowledge of an event that happened before you were even born, such as where a room was built in a library in a town you have never been to before, and it was built 10 years before you were born. You know about it, and can even describe the scratches in the floor boards. This is different than Deju Vu, but I am not well versed in this area so I can't tell you the exact reasons why. Since I am still looking into this because this is a new term to me, I don't feel comfortable giving an example from my life at this time. I'm sure that will change after more research because what I have done so far isn't really clicking with me.
8. Old Soul:
I have been called an old soul since I can remember. I never understood people my age and related to people older than me. It's not because I was around adults and was used to adult conversation. It was because I looked at what people were going through, and to the annoyance of my friends, I couldn't related to the childish things that they were going through. I didn't understand why they made such big deals out of such small things. I didn't have time for those small things because big things were coming. I was highly responsible and even have strong traits of an oldest child even though I am the youngest. I was very aware of what was going on around me, even if it was well beyond my years. I felt so very old growing up. Ironically now I feel younger than I ever have before. A friend of mine has a theory that this is because I have never lived past this age before, or it has been so long since I have made it adulthood. It makes me fearful because now I don't know what to expect. Maybe I am growing more immature. Maybe I am having a mid life crisis. Maybe she is right and I haven't been here in a long time.
9. Great affinity for culture and periods of time.
Oh do I love the 20's, the 60's and Egyptian time! I have such a fascination, love, and understanding of those time periods. I have done study and research and I can picture myself there, and I can feel it! Those aren't the only time but those are the ones that stick out the most to me. Now, this could be a nice hobby and there are many people who do research because they really do enjoy learning about a time period. It might be due to past life, or they just really like it. I can't tell you the reason for mine are, but I can tell you those certain points in time hold something very familiar to me. Something that I am willing to spend time researching and learning more about because it feels right.
10. Unexplained fears or phobias:
If you have ever had met me, you will know I have a massive fear of clowns. It is horrific and it has been around since I was a baby. My Mom told me I used to scream when there was a clown around. It is still pretty bad, but it isn't my worst fear. My worst fear is unlike many people, and it is ruining my life even though I have sought help for it on numerous occasions. I fear driving. I can almost tolerate being a passenger in a car but there are times that is almost too much. I hate this fear, and I don't really have a reason for it. Yes, I have been in terrible car accidents. I keep thinking that if I don't drive, then I can't hurt someone and I have had that thought since I was a small child. I don't know if I had hurt someone in a past life and am still paying for it in this one. I hate this fear but I can't get rid of it no matter how hard I try, or how much support that I get. It is blood curdling, flat out fear. Do I have some fear of heights, yes, but I rather hang off the side of the Empire State building than get behind the wheel of a car. I also have a massive fear of time. That one is hard to explain, but I have so much fear of time that it's mind bending.
11. Feeling as though Earth is not your home.
This is something that I said over and over again while growing up. I wanted to know where my real home was because there was no way that I belonged here. I didn't fit in anywhere and I didn't want to fit in anywhere because nothing felt right. My milestones were staggeringly behind, or way ahead of my peers. It wasn't just a small town girl wishing to live in the big city. I knew that I didn't belong anywhere. I didn't understand that the milestones in life such as a long term career, marriage, kids was what made up life. That couldn't be all that there was and what would define me. To this day, I still have issues understanding why I feel like I am on a different plane or wave length that almost everyone else. I am not trying to make myself seem better, or above anything. I truly felt and still feel lost because I can't believe that this is all that there is. That there isn't another world that I belong and I am here by mistake. Don't get me wrong, I have some wonderful loved ones, but I feel so empty and lost because of this that sometimes, I feel crazy. I am grateful and very much love and care for my loved ones. I always will be. I just don't know how to live. I am not in place here. I am behind what is considered normal and it is shameful and embarrassing. It's sad and frustrating. It's very lonely.
So, there was some connections that I have to this list. I don't know if this is evidence of a past life but I have something to relate to for most of these. I live each day knowing that many of these things are true in my life. I have no clue what to do with that information. That's why I keep looking. I keep researching and reaching out to find an answer. I do this blog for fun, but I also do it so people can not feel alone. Sometimes, we may come off as crazy. Maybe we are a bit, but not enough to make me realize that there is more out there that what we can explain. It's a sad, cold world, and trying to figure out our place is normal. I'm trying to find my place, including understanding the past, whatever that means.
The video, "11 Signs you have reincarnated before" caught my eye so I watched it a few times. It was put up by Fridaykiss but I am not sure if they are the ones who have made the video, or are the ones who just posted it. Any who, I will give credit to Fridaykiss since that is where I saw this in the first place. I decided to go through this list myself and see what, if anything that I can relate to and have an experience that I can share. What I am willing to share, anyway. Come on, if you want really juicy details, I'm going to need more subscribers and some money rolling in! I know that none of this is proof of anything. I don't need proof because people are willing to die and kill for what they "know." I am looking for a good idea because ideas can be expanded and ideas can change. It's a lot easier to change an idea than something you think that you know. Thanks to my college logic teacher, that is something that I have been very cautious about. So here is the list and what I can relate to,or the lack of what I can relate to in some instances.
1. Recurring Dreams:
A recurring dream is just simply a dream that you have more than once that is exactly the same, or very close to the same as previous dreams. This is one that I actually can't really relate to. I have some vivid dreams once in awhile and some of those dreams have stayed with me for years. However, I don't really recall having the same dream more than once. It's possible that I have in the past and have talked about it with my friends, but as of right now in this moment in time, I can't remember having recurring dreams.
2. Out of place memories
Out of place memories is something you recall but have no reason to because you weren't even there. I have one strong example of this, and several other smaller ones. One took place when I was about 5 or 6. I was in my brother's room, with my Mom and I she was reading us a bedtime story, Star Wars. I was messing around and laughing. I stopped and told me Mom that I missed that song that she made up about Aaron that she used to sing. Aaron and Mom just looked at me, and Mom asked me what song. I then sang her the song that I remembered and she turned pale. She got mad and Aaron yelled at me that I wasn't even there! I was confused but Mom finished reading the story and we went to bed. A few years later and I asked my Mom about that incident. She told me that there was no way in the world that I could known that song. I told her I was there, sitting on the bed, listening to them sing. She then told me something that turned my blood cold. "Lisa, you couldn't have heard that song because you weren't even born yet. I didn't sing it again because I forgot about it until you brought it up that day. You couldn't have remembered it. You must have heard it from Aaron." I then went on to tell my Mom what she was wearing and what Aaron was wearing, and the subject was dropped forever.
3. Strong sense of intuition:
This is something that I can relate to very strongly. My sense of intuition has gotten me out of life threatening ordeals, helped me stay away from certain people, and even predict big events. Sometimes the events are good, and sometimes it's horrible. I wish I didn't have this sense sometimes. I knew almost down to the day a year in advance of when my Dad would pass away. I call that Hell. I also call it Hell when I can get feelings about people's health and it turns out I am right. There are times when this is handy and pushes me to listen to what my gut is telling me. It also tells me to not take for granted time that I have with my loved ones.
4. Deja Vu:
The sense of feeling that you have experience an event previously. This is something that I have had bits and pieces of feeling. One big event happened to me that actually changed my view on life. It is very personal, but I will give you a small bit of the story. I was at a concert in college and in the crowd, I saw a man. Every part of my being knew this man, even though I have never met him. I was actually shaking, and when we made eye contact it was like I was seeing a long lost soul that I knew very well. It was't a romantic thing, it was't a fearful thing, it was a recognition beyond anything that I have ever experienced before on that level. However, I would experience something very similar when I met my two best friends. Both at separate times, in separate places, when I met them the clearest thought in my head was, "there you are, I've been trying to find you!"
5. Empathy or Empath:
I was once told by someone that I trust that I walk into a room, and can absorb all of the emotions in that room. It was the first time that I have ever heard someone say that out loud and it was wonderful! I finally had words to describe what was going on in my life. Being an Empath is beyond taking clues and coming to a conclusion. It is actually being able to feel what another person is feeling such as anger, fear, happiness, or even illness. I can tell people how they are truly feeling even though they are fooling everyone else. I can sense illness and so many things. It's not just that. It is sometimes so bad, so overwhelming that I have no clue if what I am feeling are my feelings or someone else's feelings. I can walk into a room and literally not understand why I am so angry, or sad, or upset. It's extremely tough and exhausting. Sometimes, I will understand what is going on and let it, so other's don't need to feel so much pain. It is hard on me, and my health, but it has been proven to help others and that's what I do.
6. Precognition:
The ability to tell what is going to happen before the event happens. This is something outside of logical signs. For example, when I was in first grade, I predicted the earthquake during the world series the week before it happened. I told my Dad all about it and it happened exactly a week later. I knew the day I got into my life changing car accident that something terrible was going to happen that day, even though I wasn't clear on the accident. Another car accident years later, I got my cousin's dog out of the very back of the car and held her because I wanted to snuggle. I didn't want her being in the back of the car and I couldn't explain why. I actually begged my cousin to let me hold her. Good thing that I did because if she would have been there when the car smashed us in the back a few minutes later, she would have died.
7 Retro Cognition:
This is a term that I have never heard of before so I had to look it up to get more examples of the video. It is described as the ability to know things from a past event not through traditional means. For example, you have knowledge of an event that happened before you were even born, such as where a room was built in a library in a town you have never been to before, and it was built 10 years before you were born. You know about it, and can even describe the scratches in the floor boards. This is different than Deju Vu, but I am not well versed in this area so I can't tell you the exact reasons why. Since I am still looking into this because this is a new term to me, I don't feel comfortable giving an example from my life at this time. I'm sure that will change after more research because what I have done so far isn't really clicking with me.
8. Old Soul:
I have been called an old soul since I can remember. I never understood people my age and related to people older than me. It's not because I was around adults and was used to adult conversation. It was because I looked at what people were going through, and to the annoyance of my friends, I couldn't related to the childish things that they were going through. I didn't understand why they made such big deals out of such small things. I didn't have time for those small things because big things were coming. I was highly responsible and even have strong traits of an oldest child even though I am the youngest. I was very aware of what was going on around me, even if it was well beyond my years. I felt so very old growing up. Ironically now I feel younger than I ever have before. A friend of mine has a theory that this is because I have never lived past this age before, or it has been so long since I have made it adulthood. It makes me fearful because now I don't know what to expect. Maybe I am growing more immature. Maybe I am having a mid life crisis. Maybe she is right and I haven't been here in a long time.
9. Great affinity for culture and periods of time.
Oh do I love the 20's, the 60's and Egyptian time! I have such a fascination, love, and understanding of those time periods. I have done study and research and I can picture myself there, and I can feel it! Those aren't the only time but those are the ones that stick out the most to me. Now, this could be a nice hobby and there are many people who do research because they really do enjoy learning about a time period. It might be due to past life, or they just really like it. I can't tell you the reason for mine are, but I can tell you those certain points in time hold something very familiar to me. Something that I am willing to spend time researching and learning more about because it feels right.
10. Unexplained fears or phobias:
If you have ever had met me, you will know I have a massive fear of clowns. It is horrific and it has been around since I was a baby. My Mom told me I used to scream when there was a clown around. It is still pretty bad, but it isn't my worst fear. My worst fear is unlike many people, and it is ruining my life even though I have sought help for it on numerous occasions. I fear driving. I can almost tolerate being a passenger in a car but there are times that is almost too much. I hate this fear, and I don't really have a reason for it. Yes, I have been in terrible car accidents. I keep thinking that if I don't drive, then I can't hurt someone and I have had that thought since I was a small child. I don't know if I had hurt someone in a past life and am still paying for it in this one. I hate this fear but I can't get rid of it no matter how hard I try, or how much support that I get. It is blood curdling, flat out fear. Do I have some fear of heights, yes, but I rather hang off the side of the Empire State building than get behind the wheel of a car. I also have a massive fear of time. That one is hard to explain, but I have so much fear of time that it's mind bending.
11. Feeling as though Earth is not your home.
This is something that I said over and over again while growing up. I wanted to know where my real home was because there was no way that I belonged here. I didn't fit in anywhere and I didn't want to fit in anywhere because nothing felt right. My milestones were staggeringly behind, or way ahead of my peers. It wasn't just a small town girl wishing to live in the big city. I knew that I didn't belong anywhere. I didn't understand that the milestones in life such as a long term career, marriage, kids was what made up life. That couldn't be all that there was and what would define me. To this day, I still have issues understanding why I feel like I am on a different plane or wave length that almost everyone else. I am not trying to make myself seem better, or above anything. I truly felt and still feel lost because I can't believe that this is all that there is. That there isn't another world that I belong and I am here by mistake. Don't get me wrong, I have some wonderful loved ones, but I feel so empty and lost because of this that sometimes, I feel crazy. I am grateful and very much love and care for my loved ones. I always will be. I just don't know how to live. I am not in place here. I am behind what is considered normal and it is shameful and embarrassing. It's sad and frustrating. It's very lonely.
So, there was some connections that I have to this list. I don't know if this is evidence of a past life but I have something to relate to for most of these. I live each day knowing that many of these things are true in my life. I have no clue what to do with that information. That's why I keep looking. I keep researching and reaching out to find an answer. I do this blog for fun, but I also do it so people can not feel alone. Sometimes, we may come off as crazy. Maybe we are a bit, but not enough to make me realize that there is more out there that what we can explain. It's a sad, cold world, and trying to figure out our place is normal. I'm trying to find my place, including understanding the past, whatever that means.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
My personal Mandela Effect
Hello my readers,
I want to take a moment to say, yes, I have done a blog about this in the past. However, I have several personal examples that conflict with many people's recollection about some of the big topics. This is actually an incredible phenomenon no matter if you believe if it's is true or it is not. If it's not, then it's something I think we need to study to see why people have such altered memories of the actual facts. There has to be a very good reason for it and it should be examined. If it's true, then we have more questions than answers to contend with and that also deserves to be studied. I am going to make of list of some of the most popular theories out there and comment on how I remember them even though many disagree.
The very thing that caused the Mandela effect was disagreement if Nelson Mandela died in prison, or if he died years later. Some people have the memory of Nelson Mandela passing away while in prison while others never heard of that story before. For me, I personally recall sitting at my Grandparent's house and reading how Nelson Mandela died in prison. My Grandpa was sitting across from me, and my Grandma was making eggs and bacon on the stove. It was morning, and a very bright day. I think it was a Saturday or a Sunday. It was in the newspaper and I read it, and then my Grandpa did. We all talked about how sad it was for him to die. I remember asking Grandpa what he did to be in prison, and he told me his was a political prisoner.Until then, I hadn't heard that term before so I remember it! From that day on, I assumed that he was dead, because he was. When Morgan Freeman played him in the movie years later, I literally assumed that it was because they were telling the story of Mandela's life and death. However, he hadn't died. I had to look it up. I was so confused!! I know with every single fiber of being that I not only heard about him passing away in prison, but read it in the newspaper and discussed the event with my Grandparents. I would ask them, but they are both gone now. But I am sure they would back me up on this.
As a child, I loved books. I would fall into the world of the written world and loved it so much that I have dedicated my life to it. I knew books, especially children's books because I didn't have many friends growing up. I read the Berstein Bear's books as a child and that's how it was spelled. It was not pronounced that way, however. It was pronounce Berstain. At some point, the stein changed into stain and I truly thought at one point I heard that it was a publishing error. However, I really don't know. I thought it was stein. I remember this change happening around the time I was in middle school. Another publishing error is Interview with a Vampire,and Interview with the Vampire. Would you believe that you are both right and it has nothing to do with the Mandela effect but a publishing error? I am a huge Anne Rice fan and have read many of her interviews. The book she wrote is called Interview with a Vampire, because Louise is the one being interviewed. At first, this was a short story published that was vastly different and that was called, Interview with the Vampire. When the "real" book was published, it was titled the same using "the" instead of "with a" which is not want Anne Rice wanted. There are copies out there that have both titles. The movie ran into some issues with rights so at first, it was titled, "the" instead of "with a." That's how I recall it anyway.
I also had a great love of music that really began to form in middle school. I was branching out and discovering all sorts of music, including Queen. I remember buying their greatest hits on cassette tape, because I'm old, but not that old! I played "We are the Champions," and clearly recalling that at the end of the song it says, "we are the champions," and then the music cuts off. I remember thinking, "Wow, this really sounds like it just stops. It sounds like it should continue with, "of the world," but it doesn't. I think this is simply a thing that the mind heard it so much in the song itself that it was expecting to hear the entire phrase sung out at the end, but it wasn't. That abrupt stop was confusing, but that's how I remember hearing it. I know that there are live versions of this song where the entire phrase is sung out at the end. I can't give that any merit because people change their songs live all of the time. I will admit that I was surprised that day when I was in middle school, to find that the song just cut off because up until that point I had also thought the whole phrase was sung out. I thought it was an odd choice because it just stopped. I really can chalk this up to my mind wanting to hear the whole phrase and that's why it was a shock.
I also watch a lot of TV, so naturally Sex and the City comes up...or is it Sex in the City. For the record, I hated this show but it was everywhere and this is one thing I literally don't know what is right or not because I actually thought they changed the title of this show. When it first came out, I watched the first episode called Sex and the City. I stopped watching it soon after but I saw lots of ads and the show was now called Sex in the City. That made more sense to me, and I thought it was just a marketing thing. But then I actually saw and heard it both ways. I didn't know what the actual title was anymore because "in the" and "and the" were interchanged so often in both print and media. Years later when I worked in a perfumer, Sex and the City perfume came out. However, there were some boxes that said Sex and the City, and others that said Sex in the City depending on the shipment. Everyone I worked with was confused. I literally have no idea what the real title is anymore!
Speaking of perfume, I have worked with perfumes for years. I have studied them, tested on them, got certifications in sales of certain perfumes including Chanel. Chanel No. 5 packaging is not the way I remember, or the way I studied it. Today, if you look at the package of Chanel No. 5, you see a big N and a small o with no period following. This is making me crazy, because the packaging I have worked with, have studied, and have used had a period following the small o. It doesn't look right! I look at the packages and I get confused because it's not the same! Before you ask, no, I am not just expecting to see the period because that is normally what you see after the abbreviation. I was certified to sell Chanel No. 5 with the period appearing on the packaging. It had been there since the beginning of the product and now it's gone! Could it be a marketing thing, yes, but why can't I locate what the packaging looked like only a few years ago? What about everything that I studied. I saw that logo daily for years, trust me, I knew it. I know the mind can do some strange things like create memories that weren't there. I'm not above saying that I could be mistaken on this, or anything here, but this one is so personally hard for me because I saw something different for years and now it's like it never existed.
I have seen many examples of logo changes that people are claiming that are the Mandela effect. While it could very well be, most of the time I think it's just a simple logo change. I know that my perfume claim above is considered a logo, and could have change. True, but I can't find any evidence saying that their has been a logo change. What is strange is when a company all of a sudden changes something very big and important about their company name, such as the spelling. For example, the Jif/Jiffy peanut butter debate. I seriously think that there was a peanut butter called Jiffy. My Grandparents kept two kinds of peanut butter in the house. One was Peter Pan which was Grandpa's favorite, and Jiffy that Grandma got for the kids. There could be a mix up because there was a jingle about Jif peanut butter that sang about Jiffy or said Jiffy. Or it could be two separate products. I don't know for sure anymore but I really thought that there was once a peanut butter called Jiffy.
I know all of this seems random and it truly could be a mistake in memory. However, why do so many people have a shared memory. It is hard to wrap your mind around it, especially when we know almost nothing about the human mind or body. We only have people who practice medicine. We don't have a cure for the common cold. We can map out parts of the body and have a good idea how things work but there is still so much unknown and unpredictable. We have many mentally ill people that get misdiagnosed all of the time. We don't really have a good grasp of being a human so this all could be due to something in our brains that are making us think one thing when the truth is completely different. I'm willing to admit that this could be the case, but if it is, we really need to put some serious study into the Mandela effect and why people have these shared memories.
I am also open to the option that this could be an alternative universe, or something else. I watch Doctor Who and read comics. I think we are extremely vain if we believe that there is nothing in this universe outside of us. I think that this option needs to be looked at time. Once you eliminate the impossible all your are left with is the probable. It is hard to believe that we are all sharing the same illusion. I have read 1984 and I know that things have been changed just like in the book, including history. Why would someone choose to change something as small a the name of a peanut butter, or a song lyric? What is the point in that? Changing history has been done forever and we are uncovering a truer version of the story every day. Why would one bother spending time altering a children's book or a logo? Things just aren't making sense. That's what this whole thing is about and it is very confusing. I hope someday we will find answers but until then, I'm open to the possibility that it could be a collective mistake, or it's something deeper. I know that more needs to be look into this and not dismissed, because something strange is going on here.
.
I want to take a moment to say, yes, I have done a blog about this in the past. However, I have several personal examples that conflict with many people's recollection about some of the big topics. This is actually an incredible phenomenon no matter if you believe if it's is true or it is not. If it's not, then it's something I think we need to study to see why people have such altered memories of the actual facts. There has to be a very good reason for it and it should be examined. If it's true, then we have more questions than answers to contend with and that also deserves to be studied. I am going to make of list of some of the most popular theories out there and comment on how I remember them even though many disagree.
The very thing that caused the Mandela effect was disagreement if Nelson Mandela died in prison, or if he died years later. Some people have the memory of Nelson Mandela passing away while in prison while others never heard of that story before. For me, I personally recall sitting at my Grandparent's house and reading how Nelson Mandela died in prison. My Grandpa was sitting across from me, and my Grandma was making eggs and bacon on the stove. It was morning, and a very bright day. I think it was a Saturday or a Sunday. It was in the newspaper and I read it, and then my Grandpa did. We all talked about how sad it was for him to die. I remember asking Grandpa what he did to be in prison, and he told me his was a political prisoner.Until then, I hadn't heard that term before so I remember it! From that day on, I assumed that he was dead, because he was. When Morgan Freeman played him in the movie years later, I literally assumed that it was because they were telling the story of Mandela's life and death. However, he hadn't died. I had to look it up. I was so confused!! I know with every single fiber of being that I not only heard about him passing away in prison, but read it in the newspaper and discussed the event with my Grandparents. I would ask them, but they are both gone now. But I am sure they would back me up on this.
As a child, I loved books. I would fall into the world of the written world and loved it so much that I have dedicated my life to it. I knew books, especially children's books because I didn't have many friends growing up. I read the Berstein Bear's books as a child and that's how it was spelled. It was not pronounced that way, however. It was pronounce Berstain. At some point, the stein changed into stain and I truly thought at one point I heard that it was a publishing error. However, I really don't know. I thought it was stein. I remember this change happening around the time I was in middle school. Another publishing error is Interview with a Vampire,and Interview with the Vampire. Would you believe that you are both right and it has nothing to do with the Mandela effect but a publishing error? I am a huge Anne Rice fan and have read many of her interviews. The book she wrote is called Interview with a Vampire, because Louise is the one being interviewed. At first, this was a short story published that was vastly different and that was called, Interview with the Vampire. When the "real" book was published, it was titled the same using "the" instead of "with a" which is not want Anne Rice wanted. There are copies out there that have both titles. The movie ran into some issues with rights so at first, it was titled, "the" instead of "with a." That's how I recall it anyway.
I also had a great love of music that really began to form in middle school. I was branching out and discovering all sorts of music, including Queen. I remember buying their greatest hits on cassette tape, because I'm old, but not that old! I played "We are the Champions," and clearly recalling that at the end of the song it says, "we are the champions," and then the music cuts off. I remember thinking, "Wow, this really sounds like it just stops. It sounds like it should continue with, "of the world," but it doesn't. I think this is simply a thing that the mind heard it so much in the song itself that it was expecting to hear the entire phrase sung out at the end, but it wasn't. That abrupt stop was confusing, but that's how I remember hearing it. I know that there are live versions of this song where the entire phrase is sung out at the end. I can't give that any merit because people change their songs live all of the time. I will admit that I was surprised that day when I was in middle school, to find that the song just cut off because up until that point I had also thought the whole phrase was sung out. I thought it was an odd choice because it just stopped. I really can chalk this up to my mind wanting to hear the whole phrase and that's why it was a shock.
I also watch a lot of TV, so naturally Sex and the City comes up...or is it Sex in the City. For the record, I hated this show but it was everywhere and this is one thing I literally don't know what is right or not because I actually thought they changed the title of this show. When it first came out, I watched the first episode called Sex and the City. I stopped watching it soon after but I saw lots of ads and the show was now called Sex in the City. That made more sense to me, and I thought it was just a marketing thing. But then I actually saw and heard it both ways. I didn't know what the actual title was anymore because "in the" and "and the" were interchanged so often in both print and media. Years later when I worked in a perfumer, Sex and the City perfume came out. However, there were some boxes that said Sex and the City, and others that said Sex in the City depending on the shipment. Everyone I worked with was confused. I literally have no idea what the real title is anymore!
Speaking of perfume, I have worked with perfumes for years. I have studied them, tested on them, got certifications in sales of certain perfumes including Chanel. Chanel No. 5 packaging is not the way I remember, or the way I studied it. Today, if you look at the package of Chanel No. 5, you see a big N and a small o with no period following. This is making me crazy, because the packaging I have worked with, have studied, and have used had a period following the small o. It doesn't look right! I look at the packages and I get confused because it's not the same! Before you ask, no, I am not just expecting to see the period because that is normally what you see after the abbreviation. I was certified to sell Chanel No. 5 with the period appearing on the packaging. It had been there since the beginning of the product and now it's gone! Could it be a marketing thing, yes, but why can't I locate what the packaging looked like only a few years ago? What about everything that I studied. I saw that logo daily for years, trust me, I knew it. I know the mind can do some strange things like create memories that weren't there. I'm not above saying that I could be mistaken on this, or anything here, but this one is so personally hard for me because I saw something different for years and now it's like it never existed.
I have seen many examples of logo changes that people are claiming that are the Mandela effect. While it could very well be, most of the time I think it's just a simple logo change. I know that my perfume claim above is considered a logo, and could have change. True, but I can't find any evidence saying that their has been a logo change. What is strange is when a company all of a sudden changes something very big and important about their company name, such as the spelling. For example, the Jif/Jiffy peanut butter debate. I seriously think that there was a peanut butter called Jiffy. My Grandparents kept two kinds of peanut butter in the house. One was Peter Pan which was Grandpa's favorite, and Jiffy that Grandma got for the kids. There could be a mix up because there was a jingle about Jif peanut butter that sang about Jiffy or said Jiffy. Or it could be two separate products. I don't know for sure anymore but I really thought that there was once a peanut butter called Jiffy.
I know all of this seems random and it truly could be a mistake in memory. However, why do so many people have a shared memory. It is hard to wrap your mind around it, especially when we know almost nothing about the human mind or body. We only have people who practice medicine. We don't have a cure for the common cold. We can map out parts of the body and have a good idea how things work but there is still so much unknown and unpredictable. We have many mentally ill people that get misdiagnosed all of the time. We don't really have a good grasp of being a human so this all could be due to something in our brains that are making us think one thing when the truth is completely different. I'm willing to admit that this could be the case, but if it is, we really need to put some serious study into the Mandela effect and why people have these shared memories.
I am also open to the option that this could be an alternative universe, or something else. I watch Doctor Who and read comics. I think we are extremely vain if we believe that there is nothing in this universe outside of us. I think that this option needs to be looked at time. Once you eliminate the impossible all your are left with is the probable. It is hard to believe that we are all sharing the same illusion. I have read 1984 and I know that things have been changed just like in the book, including history. Why would someone choose to change something as small a the name of a peanut butter, or a song lyric? What is the point in that? Changing history has been done forever and we are uncovering a truer version of the story every day. Why would one bother spending time altering a children's book or a logo? Things just aren't making sense. That's what this whole thing is about and it is very confusing. I hope someday we will find answers but until then, I'm open to the possibility that it could be a collective mistake, or it's something deeper. I know that more needs to be look into this and not dismissed, because something strange is going on here.
.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
My first Video Review: Amazon Prime Pantry
Hello everyone,
Even though I love writing, I also have found that the video review is very important. I follow a lot of different things on social media and I find myself drawn to video reviews because you are more likely to get an honest view. I will continue to write, but I want to try something new to branch out and keep this blog going for both of you who enjoy it!
So, here is the deal, I tried to make another video and it uploaded it to Facebook first. It went...somewhere.... I literally have no clue where it went. By the time I realized it was lost, it was too late for what I had truly wanted to do which was show a "Live unboxing." Sadly, that is lost or somewhere chilling so I made another one that wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be like. Ah, the learned art of trying to make a review. I will chalk up most of it to operation error. It was fun, however, and I would like to do it again.
So, here it is and enjoy. Please comment and like this and my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/andtheunderdogwins/
Even though I love writing, I also have found that the video review is very important. I follow a lot of different things on social media and I find myself drawn to video reviews because you are more likely to get an honest view. I will continue to write, but I want to try something new to branch out and keep this blog going for both of you who enjoy it!
So, here is the deal, I tried to make another video and it uploaded it to Facebook first. It went...somewhere.... I literally have no clue where it went. By the time I realized it was lost, it was too late for what I had truly wanted to do which was show a "Live unboxing." Sadly, that is lost or somewhere chilling so I made another one that wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be like. Ah, the learned art of trying to make a review. I will chalk up most of it to operation error. It was fun, however, and I would like to do it again.
So, here it is and enjoy. Please comment and like this and my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/andtheunderdogwins/
I'm on Facebook, Ya All
Hello everyone,
I decided that I would try to get real traffic to this page by making a Facebook page and seeing if that helps. It may not, but it's worth the shot. Because if you aren't going to shamelessly self promote, then who else will?
I started this blog just around 5 years ago. It was something that I did for fun, and I still enjoy it to this day. It's not traditional like a blog that is very focused on one thing. If you want a focus on one thing it all comes from one mind, mine, and it's crazy.
I am trying a few different things such as making videos, and writing more. This is something that I want to take more seriously and maybe people will want my reviews or my thoughts. If you would like to send me products to review, or have suggestion, then please let me know! Reach out to me via email:
ltebrinke@outlook.com
Anywho, maybe someday I will be able to blog full time. In the meantime, I will continue to work hard at my life, and keep my passion of writing alive by keeping this blog alive. Yes, I do have other blogs but this one is my passion! Thanks for being part of my underdog family and I will keep the stuff coming as long as you are still willing to read it, or even if you aren't! LOL
Check out my page: https://www.facebook.com/andtheunderdogwins/
Good Karma and a Cookie,
Lisa
I decided that I would try to get real traffic to this page by making a Facebook page and seeing if that helps. It may not, but it's worth the shot. Because if you aren't going to shamelessly self promote, then who else will?
I started this blog just around 5 years ago. It was something that I did for fun, and I still enjoy it to this day. It's not traditional like a blog that is very focused on one thing. If you want a focus on one thing it all comes from one mind, mine, and it's crazy.
I am trying a few different things such as making videos, and writing more. This is something that I want to take more seriously and maybe people will want my reviews or my thoughts. If you would like to send me products to review, or have suggestion, then please let me know! Reach out to me via email:
ltebrinke@outlook.com
Anywho, maybe someday I will be able to blog full time. In the meantime, I will continue to work hard at my life, and keep my passion of writing alive by keeping this blog alive. Yes, I do have other blogs but this one is my passion! Thanks for being part of my underdog family and I will keep the stuff coming as long as you are still willing to read it, or even if you aren't! LOL
Check out my page: https://www.facebook.com/andtheunderdogwins/
Good Karma and a Cookie,
Lisa
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Holiday Season: Breaking the Mold
Hello loyal readers, all two of you! I am so thankful for you both and your continued support of my blog, and my books. Thank you for taking the time to read, and comment, and share. I really thank you if you bought something, because let's face it, I am a creative person so I am poor and every sale of my book means that I can eat, and so can my dogs. Well, at least my dogs can eat! So for this holiday season, I am going to write about something we all dread, drama during the holidays.
**********************************************************************
Many of us have grew up with the Norman Rockwell and Coke images of what a happy family should be during the holidays. You see parents, grandparents, children, cousins, and friends gathered around a big feast with smiles plastered on their faces.They have a big Christmas tree full of decorations, lights and lots of presents under the tree for all. Television and advertisements also ushered in this ideal of unobtainable happiness and joy during the holiday season by seeing everyone get along even when there were big differences happening in the background. It has truly set up people for failure and heartache because life just doesn't work that way. Those moments were structured and fictional. While they are a nice image to have, and a few people are lucky enough to have some of those moments overall, it just isn't going to happen. This can lead to depression and feelings of failure and wondering why your family isn't "normal."
People are dreading the holiday season now more than ever before. I have seen such an increase lately on social media addressing how horrible it is to spend a holiday with the family. People make comments about that one, or several family members that are sexist, racist, homophobic, and all around judgmental. They make observations on your life style and sit in a place of judgment as if the one time they see you a year is enough to make a blanket statement about how your life your life, good or bad. I know people are blaming this on the election this year, but I beg to differ. I think people are too hung up on an out dated notion of the family unit, and they are trying to live up to impossible standards and really suffer when they can't. It's time for us to take the holidays back and make them simple instead of trying to live up to an ideal that is exhausting and damaging.
Remember that there is no such thing as normal. People are widely different and they bring those differences with them. They don't check them at the door when they come inside the home. I think this is why so many dread spending the holidays with their family, because they feel like they must put on an act. They want to keep the peace and not upset certain family members because of a choice in career, relationship, or political views. Or, the exact opposite happens and all of that stuff they are trying to hold is spills over into a big fight. Either way, it is an uncomfortable situation and people leave with feeling hurt,and are let down instead of being able to just enjoy one another's company.
So, how do you enjoy the holiday season with people you are concerned about? One thing you can do is forget that the holidays are "supposed" to be peaceful and perfect. Any time you get more than one person in a room at a time, conflict can arise. This isn't something to blame yourself or them about because it is just human nature. If you are going for that perfect holiday facade, then maybe set up some ground rules. Try to keep certain hot button topics out of the conversation and all agree to just enjoy each other's company while you are together. This can be difficult but if you all work together, it can be achieved. If you are worried about limiting your conversations, play a game, help with the dishes or the cooking. Better yet, make yourselves tired and give back in your community by helping serve food to the homeless. If you don't have shelters in your area, spend time making sack lunches and handing them out to those in need. Do you have family members that knit or sew? Make scarves, or hats to donate to the cancer centers, hospitals, or shelters.Go visit a nursing home and visit residents. When you are so tired after spending your day doing good deeds, you won't have the energy to fight. Make this a new tradition instead of going home and crying into a bottle of wine.
If you don't feel like giving back to your community or you can't, try a different approach. Make your own traditions that keep everyone busy. Why not do a scavenger hunt that is good for all ages? Do a silly photo shoot that involves everyone. Have a cooking contest for the best side dish that you vote on when you are celebrating the holiday. If it is a nice day outside, go for a walk or do something outside. Help the kids write their Christmas letter to Santa, or thank you notes for the gifts they were given. If you do them all hand made, then it becomes a craft activity and that can last for awhile. So can the cleanup! Play Bingo, have a dance contest, look for holiday deals together. The more planned activities that you have, the less likely the drama will happen. It still can, but it will be less likely. In fact, the more traditions that you create that keep people busy, the less you will focus on the things that don't matter like the huge meal, and presents. Learn to replace those with things that really matter!
If those ideas still don't work then just remember to appreciate what you have, and this won't last forever. The perfect holiday with the family isn't real, but your attitude is. You can go into the day already sullen and angry, or go into it knowing that these few hours aren't really going to make a difference in your life. You have people who are going to try to tell you how you should live and lead your life, but remember, they don't walk in your shoes. You don't walk in their shoes either. You may be related, but neither one of you are going down the same exact path. That is okay. You can choose to learn from one another, or fight. If it gets to the point where people are getting hurt, then walk way right after you agree to disagree. You live your life every single day, as they live their life every day. A few hours spent with people that don't agree with each other really won't make a differences in the long run unless you allow it to.
Holiday season is so stressful because people are constantly trying to live up to something. We are made to feel that we aren't good enough. If we don't spend money that we don't have to buy presents that are only going to be temporary, we aren't good enough. If we can't spend a holiday with family without getting into a fight, then there is something wrong with us. If we don't feel like celebrating when things are going bad in our lives, and it's too hard to pretend, then there is something wrong with us. The holiday season is unrealistic because people feel they must obtain this ideal of what a holiday should be like.
If we got over the fact that a holiday doesn't magically make the rest of life disappear, then maybe we could get through them. Instead of scrambling to spend lots of money on lots of food, and spend hours cooking a meal, make the day simple. Instead of going into debt to buy presents, teach people to be thankful for what they have, show them how to give to others, and if you want to buy gifts, don't break the bank. Your bills aren't going to go away, and presents don't show a person how much they are loved, your everyday actions do. It's time to truly make the holidays your own by not having expectations that are too high. Enjoy the company that you have around you. Give each other memories,not overly expensive presents.Give to others because no matter how bad you have, someone has it worse. Are you having a bad day? That's okay, you are human and just because it is a holiday isn't going to magically cure that. You have no one to live up to but yourself so why not make the holiday season your own by breaking the mold!
**********************************************************************
Many of us have grew up with the Norman Rockwell and Coke images of what a happy family should be during the holidays. You see parents, grandparents, children, cousins, and friends gathered around a big feast with smiles plastered on their faces.They have a big Christmas tree full of decorations, lights and lots of presents under the tree for all. Television and advertisements also ushered in this ideal of unobtainable happiness and joy during the holiday season by seeing everyone get along even when there were big differences happening in the background. It has truly set up people for failure and heartache because life just doesn't work that way. Those moments were structured and fictional. While they are a nice image to have, and a few people are lucky enough to have some of those moments overall, it just isn't going to happen. This can lead to depression and feelings of failure and wondering why your family isn't "normal."
People are dreading the holiday season now more than ever before. I have seen such an increase lately on social media addressing how horrible it is to spend a holiday with the family. People make comments about that one, or several family members that are sexist, racist, homophobic, and all around judgmental. They make observations on your life style and sit in a place of judgment as if the one time they see you a year is enough to make a blanket statement about how your life your life, good or bad. I know people are blaming this on the election this year, but I beg to differ. I think people are too hung up on an out dated notion of the family unit, and they are trying to live up to impossible standards and really suffer when they can't. It's time for us to take the holidays back and make them simple instead of trying to live up to an ideal that is exhausting and damaging.
Remember that there is no such thing as normal. People are widely different and they bring those differences with them. They don't check them at the door when they come inside the home. I think this is why so many dread spending the holidays with their family, because they feel like they must put on an act. They want to keep the peace and not upset certain family members because of a choice in career, relationship, or political views. Or, the exact opposite happens and all of that stuff they are trying to hold is spills over into a big fight. Either way, it is an uncomfortable situation and people leave with feeling hurt,and are let down instead of being able to just enjoy one another's company.
So, how do you enjoy the holiday season with people you are concerned about? One thing you can do is forget that the holidays are "supposed" to be peaceful and perfect. Any time you get more than one person in a room at a time, conflict can arise. This isn't something to blame yourself or them about because it is just human nature. If you are going for that perfect holiday facade, then maybe set up some ground rules. Try to keep certain hot button topics out of the conversation and all agree to just enjoy each other's company while you are together. This can be difficult but if you all work together, it can be achieved. If you are worried about limiting your conversations, play a game, help with the dishes or the cooking. Better yet, make yourselves tired and give back in your community by helping serve food to the homeless. If you don't have shelters in your area, spend time making sack lunches and handing them out to those in need. Do you have family members that knit or sew? Make scarves, or hats to donate to the cancer centers, hospitals, or shelters.Go visit a nursing home and visit residents. When you are so tired after spending your day doing good deeds, you won't have the energy to fight. Make this a new tradition instead of going home and crying into a bottle of wine.
If you don't feel like giving back to your community or you can't, try a different approach. Make your own traditions that keep everyone busy. Why not do a scavenger hunt that is good for all ages? Do a silly photo shoot that involves everyone. Have a cooking contest for the best side dish that you vote on when you are celebrating the holiday. If it is a nice day outside, go for a walk or do something outside. Help the kids write their Christmas letter to Santa, or thank you notes for the gifts they were given. If you do them all hand made, then it becomes a craft activity and that can last for awhile. So can the cleanup! Play Bingo, have a dance contest, look for holiday deals together. The more planned activities that you have, the less likely the drama will happen. It still can, but it will be less likely. In fact, the more traditions that you create that keep people busy, the less you will focus on the things that don't matter like the huge meal, and presents. Learn to replace those with things that really matter!
If those ideas still don't work then just remember to appreciate what you have, and this won't last forever. The perfect holiday with the family isn't real, but your attitude is. You can go into the day already sullen and angry, or go into it knowing that these few hours aren't really going to make a difference in your life. You have people who are going to try to tell you how you should live and lead your life, but remember, they don't walk in your shoes. You don't walk in their shoes either. You may be related, but neither one of you are going down the same exact path. That is okay. You can choose to learn from one another, or fight. If it gets to the point where people are getting hurt, then walk way right after you agree to disagree. You live your life every single day, as they live their life every day. A few hours spent with people that don't agree with each other really won't make a differences in the long run unless you allow it to.
Holiday season is so stressful because people are constantly trying to live up to something. We are made to feel that we aren't good enough. If we don't spend money that we don't have to buy presents that are only going to be temporary, we aren't good enough. If we can't spend a holiday with family without getting into a fight, then there is something wrong with us. If we don't feel like celebrating when things are going bad in our lives, and it's too hard to pretend, then there is something wrong with us. The holiday season is unrealistic because people feel they must obtain this ideal of what a holiday should be like.
If we got over the fact that a holiday doesn't magically make the rest of life disappear, then maybe we could get through them. Instead of scrambling to spend lots of money on lots of food, and spend hours cooking a meal, make the day simple. Instead of going into debt to buy presents, teach people to be thankful for what they have, show them how to give to others, and if you want to buy gifts, don't break the bank. Your bills aren't going to go away, and presents don't show a person how much they are loved, your everyday actions do. It's time to truly make the holidays your own by not having expectations that are too high. Enjoy the company that you have around you. Give each other memories,not overly expensive presents.Give to others because no matter how bad you have, someone has it worse. Are you having a bad day? That's okay, you are human and just because it is a holiday isn't going to magically cure that. You have no one to live up to but yourself so why not make the holiday season your own by breaking the mold!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
And it's time to learn more ways to get free stuff and save!
Hello faithful readers. I'm so happy that all 2 of you are still here and supporting my blog by reading it, sharing it, and posting your thoughts and feelings on Facebook. Thank you for the 3 of you that bought my eBook about this blog as well. As a thank you, I want to bring you some more tips on how to earn some free stuff and some ways to save some money! It has been several years since I have done a post like this, but this time I am going to feature some pros and cons of what is good and what isn't so good about these ways to earn and save! Check out these sites for yourself to find ways to save, earn free items, and maybe get some samples!
1. Bing Rewards:
Bing rewards is one of the easiest ways to earn free gift cards. All you have to do is go to Bing and sign up for the free reward program. After that, all you do is search and earn! Most of the time every 2 searches earns you 1 point. Some are 1 point per search but those are pretty limited. You can also earn points by doing their daily quiz and weekly quiz. Points can add up fast and you can exchange you points for things like gift cards from Starbucks, Amazon, and more. You can also use your points do donate to certain causes like Boys and Girls Club and Teach for America.
Pros: It is super easy to use. I use my laptop and just go down the line of recommend stories that they have and earn points quickly. I like the quizzes because they are fun and you learn something about many different subjects. You can use your computer and your mobile phones to earn. This is literally the easiest way to get gift cards. It really helps to do this around the holiday's if you are needing extra money for gifts. If you are like me, and you are broke, this is a great way to still get coffee or items on Amazon. Gift cards come in $5.00 increments, and you can let your reward points add up because they don't expire. (As of right now)
Cons: They limit how many searches that you can do per day so it can take time to get your rewards. They also took away their referral program and that was a big point earner for many. The gift card selection has become very limited. When I first started, you could get cards from Burger King, Applebee's, and more. Now the selection is down to Amazon, Starbucks, and Gamestop and a few others. They have points that you can use in the Microsoft store but unless you are really needing the items offered it really isn't a great reward. Another con is that they are going to change the format again. This form of Bing Rewards is going away and I am not sure what the future will hold. However, I am going to do all I can go get my points and cash them in before they switch over to something new I would advise you to do the same thing, quickly because I have a feeling the new system won't be as agreeable as Bing rewards.
2. Ebates
If you buy anything online then this is your place to start shopping! There are many stores and sites that participate in Ebates which earns you cash back when you use their site to buy the things that you want They also have some great coupon codes from time to time that you can combine with your cash back for some huge savings. For example, you want to buy some gifts on Bath and Body works and want to earn cash back. Go to Ebates and type in your search. If the store is part of Ebates, a link will appear and you click on that link which takes you the site and shop. That's it! They will tell you prior to getting to that site how much you should expect to get back on your shopping experience. You can also earn money with their referral program. This is great for two reasons. One, you get money for the referral. Two, the person signing up will get a bonus $10.00 gift card after making there first qualifying purchase.
Here is the link to my referral code. Start shopping!!! Copy and paste this into your search engine and it will take you to Ebates to sign up and get your gift card offer.
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=8pO4ASt4DY%2FdVNu3S7ALDA%3D%3D&eeid=28187
Pro: Very easy to use. Most of the time I am going to be shopping at a certain site anyway so why not earn some cash back?
Con: They pay you by a percentage of cash back of your total purchase. Sometimes you can get really good deals like 14% back. Sometimes, they have double the amount back around certain times of years. However, a lot of them I use only give 1% back which isn't much at all. Also, it takes a long time to get your check in the mail. I believe they send out your payment every 3 to 4 months. Plus, you might end up spending more money to try to get more back in savings and end up not saving a thing!
3. Qmee:
Qmee is something that you download on your computer and will run while you are doing normal searches. It will pop up on the side offers to click on the site for to earn money. You don't have to do anything but click on the site and the offers pay a few cents. They will also give you coupon codes on some items. This is all paid out through Paypal so you will need an account.
Pros: This is very easy to use and you can cash out at any point. You don't have to wait to have a certain dollar amount. You can choose to do as little as one cent. You can also do surveys and you can donate your earnings to charities. Click and go on your way! That's all it takes!
Con: There is no predicting what will get you a Qmee hit to earn money. You also have to download this on the computer. While I didn't have any problems with viruses, it doesn't mean that there won't be for anyone else. That is a risk you must decide if you want to take. The payout isn't great but it is something. I have been working with Qmee for a few months now and have less than $5.00 in my account.It is frustrating not knowing what will get a hit and what won't, and there are no suggestions or aides to help you get more. You get what you get. They have a referral program but they tell you when you have been part of the community long enough before giving you access to a link. I guess I haven't been with them long enough.
4: Elite Deal Club:
This site will give you chances for several deals on Amazon which are either deeply discounted or they are free. The catch is that you must write a review the product that you get. Make sure that you include the line in your review, "I am doing this fair review in exchange for this free or deeply discounted product." That is mandatory because it could effect people's view on the product. Everyday, this club offers many items that you may want to try out, or gifts you would like to give. Many of these are free! The good part is that if you are a member of Amazon Prime, and choose the no rush shipping you may get some sort of credit. It's like you are getting a free product, and getting a bonus on top of that! It is great!
Pros: Many free and deeply discounted items are available each day. I have gotten the following things for free: Dog potty bags, Shampoo, Eye Cream, Skin Care System, Dog Order Spray, Essential Oils, Vitamins, and more. All of these free items would add up to hundreds of dollars if I had paid for them and had to pay shipping on top of that.
Cons: The deals go fast so make sure you are on top of them. I suggest that you follow them on Facebook and Twitter. The free items can be kind of boring because they can be the same items over and over again. The deeply discounted items are geared towards children so unless you have them in your life, it won't be a great score for you. They ask you to do reviews, but they are terrible at keeping track. I have submitted the same reviews and over and over because they say I haven't done them. I follow their directions but for some reason it says that I haven't done the review. That is annoying! There is no referral program either which I personally like to have.
5: The Penny Hoarder:
This is a blog/website that gives you many ways to earn and save money. Sometimes, they will give you tips on how to earn free items. This is written by people who check out these items and give their honest opinion of these leads. You may find some work at home leads, or ways to earn money through websites.
Pro: Very easy to use and a great way to learn about some options to get money or free items that you never have thought of before. If you are looking for a job, this is a good way to start finding some options.
Cons: Many of the offers start with some sort of initial investment like setting up a new bank account, or prepaid card. It can be a lot of work to find some real good offers, but they are there. You just need to be willing to put in the effort to find them.
6: InboxDollars.com:
This is another very easy way to earn money and great offers by signing up for Inboxdollars.com. You will get $5.00 by signing up and will get daily emails that you just read and earn money. It is super easy. You also get more chances for money through surveys, and offers. A lot of offers they have may be something you may need anyway, so you might as well get paid for it! I recommend if you are going to sign up for Inboxdollars.com, that you get a separate and free email account because you may get a lot cluttering your inbox.
Pro: Very easy to use. All you do is click on the spot in the email that says Confirm. It will take you to the site on a separate tab, and you can click out of it quickly. They have offers for many different things, games and ways to earn money. It is very simple to use and you get money for doing little to no work. There are also referral programs that will get you more money.
Here is my link to click and start your account off with $5.00!: http://www.inboxdollars.com/?r=ref18815135
Con: Even though they have lots of surveys, it can be difficult to qualify for one. Sometimes the qualifying process seems like it should be the survey and you find that you have spent 20 minutes only to not be able to take the survey because you aren't needed. That is a risk for any sight with a survey. IBD can stop sending you emails because they feel that you aren't doing enough. I have been working with them for almost a year and doing everything that they have asked, but for some reason they have limited my emails. It takes A LONG TIME to cash out. You must earn $30.00 before requesting to cash out and unless you are willing to pay to do some of these offers, you will not see that money quickly at all. It's "easy money" but it takes a lot of time.
7: Recite Hog:
This is an app that you download on your phone. You snap a photo of your recites using the in app camera icon and it will upload it for you. Points are collected based of where you went shopping and how much you spent. You can also earn in addition to your points, spins to get more points, and entries into contests that can earn you money or points. You can earn points to redeem through Paypal or Amazon. You need enough to cash out at $5.00 and nothing less. These points don't expire so you can save them up and cash them in for a bigger amount.
Pros: Very easy to use and this gives me a place to keep track of my recites in one place. This has been helpful when I needed information and had them archived. I like spinning for more points. It's fun and you can earn lots of points. I like that you have the choice for money through Paypal or a gift card through Amazon. It's pretty nice. They also have surveys but they don't have lots of them.
Con: It takes a long time to collect a lot of points. Sometimes, they won't accept your recite for one reason or another. Every single recite doesn't work so it can be frustrating. I have also never won any sweeps or anything like that. I also don't like that they will tell you that your recite is old or the quality is bad and they can't read it even though you can check and see that it is fine. There are glitches but it is still a very good program.
****Another way to make money is to write an eBook like I did with Kindle. You can write on almost any subject and put your voice out there for people to find! Here are the links to my eBooks that you can purchase now!
51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1D5H2Q#navbar
And The Underdog Wins: 5th Anniversary Edition: http://amzn.to/2bDYvVq
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Lisa's New Ebook: Exclusive Interview
![51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts by [Tebrinke, By Lisa]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DDqcjjdrL.jpg)
Well hello there my two blogger fans! I know you both have been waiting for my new book to come out, and I hate to disappoint one of you, so the link will be included in this post for you to go purchase the book!
I thought to myself today, why not take advantage of this opportunity and do an interview with the author. I know what you are thinking, that Lisa is off her meds again. True, but I hear interviews sometimes help sales of books so why not do an interview with myself because a little self-promotion never hurt anyone!
So here you go, the exclusive interview with author Lisa Tebrinke from And the Underdog Wins!
ATUDW: Lisa, you have been published a few times before including in magazines, anthologies or poetry, and a few ebooks. What took you so dang long to write. You have only been out of college for, like, 25 years now? What's going on? What have you been doing with your time? Not writing, that;s for sure!
LT: Wow, well, first of all, thank you so much for doing this interview and prompting my new Ebook available on Kindle, "51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts." It is truly an honor to get my book out there and share it with the world! Like many of you know, I suffer from low self-esteem and untreated depression. While it is great fuel for my stories, it does very little to help me get going and get my stories done and published. I also have this thing called responsibility where I have to pay bills and take care of other humans. That's what took so long. For the record, it has not been 25 years since I've been out of college. But this whole process has taken longer than I had hoped for.
ATUDW: This book isn't really a book. It's just a collection like your first one, but this one is writing prompts.
LT: Yes, this book is a collection, but it is a tool for writers which I have found extremely helpful. There are many writing prompts out there but sometimes you just want to write about a certain genre and the Supernatural and Mysterious things have always been a favorite of mine. That's how, "51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts," came to light!
ATUDW: It's that just kind of lazy. You aren't even writing full stories.
LT: Not from my perspective. It was a lot of hard work to create each of these. There was a lot of time and effort to make sure that these prompts could go in several different directions. The key was to make these focused on a certain topic or area, but have them universal enough to be able to write from any perspective. I had a lot of fun with these, and found inspiration in writing these prompts to help me with other projects.
ATUDW: Why did you stop at 51? Why not go to 52, or 100?
LT: That was kind of a joke due to area 51. It all goes along with the theme of the book, "51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts."
ATUDW: Why do you keep repeating the name?
LT: You will remember it, won't you. Thanks, RuPaul for the advice via" RuPaul's Drag Race!"
ATUDW: Okay, I may be have been a bit harsh. This was a lot of work and I can see that you truly want to help inspire people to write. Is this only for professional writers?
LT: Not at all, "51 Supernatural and Mysterious Writing Prompts" is for anyone! This is good for the beginner or a professional. However, this book isn't just limited to writers. This is a great tool for stress relief, a hobby, or a laugh. I have used writing prompts while doing papers for college that had nothing to do with anything I was working on. I found that by taking a few moments to write on a prompt, my mind became freed up and I could find inspiration to work on my project. It was like doing a cross-word puzzle to keep your mind sharp. Anyone can use this book, it's not just for writers!
ATUDW: What's different about your Prompt book compared to others?
LT: I have included something a bit different called "Fun Alternatives." This is a prompt for the writing prompt. It gives you yet another direction to go towards. It's not on every single of the 51 prompts, but it's on several!
ATUDW: What advice would you give people who want to become writers?
LT: Keep trying. Keep writing. Don't beat yourself up too much. Rejection is just the first step towards getting to your goal.
ATUDW: Do you recommend publishing through Kindle?
LT: Publishing through Kindle is a very painless process. You are self-publishing, but you have acess to a wider audience. It is a learning process and I recommend trying it out. There will be trail and error but it is worth it.
ATUDW: What can we expect from you next?
LT: I hope to do okay with this book. I may publish another collection of writing prompts. I have one Ebook that I have been rolling around in my mind for some time. I hope to keep up writing and keep publishing. Maybe someday, I will be lucky enough to earn some money too!
ATUDW: Do you think you can make money for writing?
LT: I will never stop trying!!!
ATUDW: And we hope that you never do! Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking time out of your busy day to do an interview with us. We are new at this so sorry if it was bumpy.
LT: No problem. I enjoyed myself! Thanks for talking with me!
Lisa Tebrinke's Ebook is available for purchase on Amazon. Follow the link to buy the book!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1D5H2Q#navbar
You can also buy other published works from Lisa Tebrinke here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BESNA1W#navbar
Monday, August 8, 2016
Support Amy's Cancer Battle
Please follow this link, share, and donate! This is my best friend, cousin, sister from another mister!! She needs help and you can support her battle!
https://www.gofundme.com/2pfdvgw4
https://www.gofundme.com/2pfdvgw4
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Strange Day July 30th
However, other people call this the Mandela effect.
Okay, stay with me here because this has been a strange day. Apparently for the last two years I have found a glich in the matrix on the same day. Let me explain....
First, this isn't supposed to be shameless self promotion, but it works out so I am not going to argue here. I am writing another E book that is about writing prompts. Today, I wrote a new one that goes very similar to this. It isn't done yet but keep in mind that I wrote this today while watching Bob's Burgers....
Writing Prompt:
You are a sub teacher and you got called in to teach 7th grade history. You glance at the lesson plan and are excited because you see it has to do with JFK. However, you read the suggested essay and become extremely confused. The question says, "discuss who was the better President, John or Robert Kennedy?"
You are obviously confused and ask to see one of the students books, then another, and another. According to this history book and lesson plan, JFK never was killed and lived until the age of 52 where he passed away from a heart attack. Robert served 2 terms as president. When you ask about him being assassinated, no one has any clue what you are talking about. What is going on?
The strange thing is this.... About two hous ago, I put on Youtube to watch Good Mythical Morning and had a video recommend to me about Jackie Kennedy killing JFK. What? I had to look into that! So, this video shows for some strange reason this video shows a new angle of Jackie killing JFK. Now, could this video be fake? Of course it could. It is very easy to change things to make people think that it is real. The big thing that people are questioning besides this video is how many people were actually in the car? Records say at one time, there was 4 people in the car. Now, it is being shown that there were 6 people in the car. Back in the day, the car was shown as a four seat car with no bullet proof glass. Today, this car is a 6 seat car with JFK and Jackie in the very back, the Governor and his wife in the seat in front, a bullet proof glass barrier and a driver and another secret service agent in the front. People today are swearing that there were 6 people, and not 4 in the car.
I asked my Mom what she remembered. Mom has an interesting link with JFK. The week before, he was in a parade in Minnesota. At the time my Mom was working as a nurse in a Catholic Hospital. They gave all the ladies time to go and watch the parade. Mom remarked to her fellow nurses that he shouldn't be in this parade without any protection around him because someone will shoot him. He was in a car without any protection, and even walked in some parts. A week later, he was shot and killed in Texas. Mom clearly remembers 5 people being in the car and it only seated 4 people. In back was JFK and Jackie. In front was the Governor, his wife, and the driver. There were secret service people walking and driving behind them. So....who is correct or is history changing.
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| Official Replica Car |
If you have ever read 1984, you know that book is become more and more real every single day. They talk about manipulation of memory and distorting history to match what Big Brother wants you to believe. Others call this situation memory issues. People hear lots of stories and don't realize that a memory isn't instant recall and a exact recording of what happened. You are removed from what happened to so your memory will not ever be exact. You may even be mixing up an event that happened with another event, or something that you have read or seen. Fair enough. I know that I have mixed up things before and it won't be the last time that my memory has failed me. I am human and I understand that I am not a computer.
However, other people call this the Mandela effect.
The Mandela effect is how some people recall that Nelson Mandela died while in prison in the 1980's. While others knew he lived and he died much more recently in 2013. I personally recall hearing that Nelson Mandela passed away in prison and I was actually confused when I heard he was released from prison. Now, could myself and many other people be confusing one story with another. Sure. I do remember having a conversation about this with my Grandparents, however, and we all believed that he passed away while in jail. The people who believe in the Mandela effect think that being mixed up or misunderstanding this story is more than poor memory. They think that it is a glich in the matrix. They think it is history rewriting itself because of either timelines being crossed or an alternative reality.
While you may or may not believe in this effect,it ties into my very strange day. Not only did this strange JFK thing happen with me writing this prompt and seeing this Youtube Video, but Facebook also showed me that today was a strange day a year ago. Timehop showed me this status posted one year ago today:
"Random Disney movie question. Does anyone remember watching snow white and seeing the dwarfs making her a coffin? I saw this question asked in a book and the lady asking swears it was in the movie. I do too but Disney films says no. What do you remember. Disney is famous for trying to change their own past."
I remember researching this for a day or so trying to find out the answer. Now, I do understand that Disney has changed things from their original releases and when they bring them back out of the vault. I have seen "Song of the South" when I was a kid and I was so offended even though I was still pretty young. Disney had to change it to get it released again because it was so horrid. My Grandpa who watched it with me when I was a kid said he say it before and it was even worse. So, I know this could be just due to being a change Disney made. Here are some of the comments made after I posted this because I still swear I saw the coffin being made by the 7 Dwarfs.
Person A: I remember that. Saw it in the movie.theater when Disney re-released the movies in the 80's
Me: I thought that too but according to the Disney spokes person everybody was mixing up the story and the movie. He said in the movie it was a bed not a coffin. But I swear it was a coffin!!!
Person B: I think theres a coffin in the book, but not one in the movie. I just you tubed it.
Me: Im so confused because I swear I remember seeing the coffin back in the 80's theatrical release. Maybe its something that was once there but has been "remastered?"
Person C: My mom has the 80's VHS, it's in there.
See, no one can agree on this. All of this recall is very strange but what is very weird to me is that I recall the time and space and the glich in the matrix the same day in the last two years. What is happening here? I am very, very confused!!! I'm also confused as why this is highlighted while I am typing and I can't get it to stop. Anywho, I have no idea what is going on here but something strange is going on! I think the world is a big place, and we have no clue what is the truth verses the perception of truth. The internet is something we don't fully understand but we use it all of the time. You can use these little machines to do everything from making cat videos, to banking, to putting information out there that you have made up. People will believe what is put in front of them if they are told over and over again that it is the truth. We don't even understand the human mind let alone how memories work. If this Mandela effect something that has some merit to it or is it something that is another false memory. I'm not sure what is correct but I can tell you that July 30th is a strange day for me.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
My Top 10 Musicals
Just in case you didn't know, I love Broadway Musicals. I love them so much! I secretly wish that I had enough talent to write and maybe even star in my own musical. Ever since I was a small child, I was amazed and moved by any musical performance that I ever was lucky enough to see. There is nothing quite like it and I highly recommend that you go out and see whatever live musical theater that you can. Support your local theaters because trust me, it will be well worth it. Since I have not written about my deep love of musicals before, here is my top 10 personal favorite lists if you are not sure what to go to first.
1. Hair:
Hair is my all time favorite musical. I knew the music from the show before I had ever saw it or realized that the songs were from this play. I have a deep love of the "hippie counter culture" that took place in the 1960's. I'm pretty sure that I lived a past life during that time and have been told that by a multitude of different people my entire life. Hair is a snapshot of people living their lives during the height of the Vietnam war and the reality of the draft and young men dying by the thousands. There is nothing more heartbreaking than Claude singing "Flesh Failures" and hearing the words of Shakespeare being combined with sorrow and loss of life. ("Eyes look your last, Arms take you last embrace" from Romeo and Juliet.) Even through the horrible pain and loss of their friend, the group still tries to "Let the Sunshine In" and live their lives as full as they could for the one that they lost. I was also highly impressed with the actors participation with the audience which is encouraged during this show. This is also a highly controversial and historic show with full nudity, transgender, and strong language. There is a reason this show has been banned over and over again, but there is a reason to keep coming back to this show over and over again. As my Mom likes to say, don't forget to bring your flashlight!
2. Wicked:
I have never been so impressed with a more beautiful set in my entire life. I had no idea so much could be done with sets, lights, and how they can move actors around by defying gravity. Not only that, but this story is one of the only ones centered around how strong the female friendship could be. It also ties nicely into the world of the Wizard of Oz with lots of nods and winks to the famous show and books. The lyrics to the songs are well thought out and like the main characters, are two sides which are both beautiful and tragic at the same time. For example, there is a lyric where Glenda is singing that she couldn't be happier because she got everything she wanted, but in that moment she realizes what it costs her. There is a love story, a underdog, a popular girl, a struggle with a family, school, politics, and the complex/simplicity of the strong bonds of friendship. There is nothing more complex, and beautiful than the music that matches the very strong tone of love and friendship in this musical.
3. Rent:
The exact opposite can be said about Rent and their sets. I have never been so impressed with what you could do with little to no sets and still maintain a very strong story. Rent takes place in the 80's during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Each one of the characters are effected by the diseases either themselves, or know someone who is struggling. The show follows a group of poor, artists who struggle with poverty and art. The most important part of this story is learning how to live with an illness that is killing them, which could be transcended to any illness. One song asks over and over if they are going to lose their dignity, and if anyone cares? Simple lines with some much behind them makes this one of the best musicals out there, reminding you that there is no day but today and to measure the moments of your life in love.
4. Rocky Horror Show:
I'm not talking about the movie, I am talking about the musical the movie was based on. If you have seen the movie then you are familiar with the story of Janet, Brad and their crazy night at Frankenstein's place. However, there is nothing like seeing this show live because most of the time there is encouraged audience participation and interaction. The sets range from expensive to the back of a movie theater. Every single time I go see this live, I not only meet some amazing people, but I am surprised and impressed with how different each performances are. If you are looking for a fun time, go to this show. Keep in mind this is not family friendly by any means.
4. Cabaret:
Sally Bowles.., once you realize that this character has been around since 1932 you tend to have more respect and awe for her. The most free spirited, clueless, and tortured artist that has ever been portrayed on stage with the style of Bob Fosse. The show centers around Sally, her lovers, and her life in the Cabaret. It's an ominous situation as Sally goes though her life as carefree as possible while World War 2 is going on around her. Sally is almost immune to the horror around her quite possibly not understanding the real danger which is just like what she is going through in her personal life. She creates havoc but she keeps going because she's an artist. Sally is an innocent and very likable which is wonderful because if you didn't root for her, you may despise her. That is the beauty of the parallel going on throughout this show.
5. Bye Bye Birdie:
If you aren't an Elvis fan then you probably should skip this song and dance number about singer Conrad Birdie going off to war which of course is the basis of this comedy. There are many classic moments in this classic sing a long story of teenage girls and their idol, and his manger fighting to find his own true love. If you have ever been a teenage girl, you will love this play and look back with nostalgia! This is truly a lot of fun, especially the phone scene!
6. Hairspray:
The story of Baltimore's big hair, big heart, big dancer Tracy Turnblad is based off of the great John Water's movie of the same name. For once, a big girl is at the center of the musical full of fun, dance, and purpose. This show tackles sexism, racism, and of course body issues. This show takes place in the 60's where Tracy wants to be a dancer on her favorite TV show. However, they aren't ready for a big girl, and they aren't ready to expand beyond an all white cast.. Tracy becomes an unlikely hero and helpful voice to those who are being oppressed. What a fun, and beautiful, upbeat story with many good life lessons!
7. Chicago:
Another Fosse inspired dance number following a young woman, Roxie Hart going from wanna be famous to infamous. In Chicago, you can be anything, including a person who becomes a celebrity by killing and that's exactly what lands Roxie in the hot seat. She kills her lover and hires a lawyer to help her get off. The song and dance shows how easy guilt and innocence is bought and sold, as long as you have the charm and the look. Roxie just doesn't just have to worry about her trial, but keeping her name in the news to make sure people don't forget who she is. Her fellow jail mate is the famous singer and dancer Velma who also is playing the same spotlight game. They are surrounded by women who are accused of murder and mayhem, which is just another day in Chicago.
8. Spam A Lot
Seriously, if you don't like Monty Python or are familiar with their work, then you better prepare yourself by watching their movies! Then go see this wonderful satire! You know the humor. You know you are going to love it! Go see this show because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
9. The Song of Music:
The tale of the former nun turned nanny to a family of singing Von Traps. Everyone knows these songs and they hold a very special place in my heart. Both my parents sang these songs to me when I was little. You know the story. You have most likely seen the movie, but do yourself a favor and see the stage version. It brings more to life than the screen ever will!
10. Rock of Ages:
If you ever had to choose between going to a rock show, and seeing a musical you can do both with Rock of Ages. This is literally like going to a concert! Please, do not watch that POS movie!!!!! They butchered the story and casts a whole bunch of dumb asses who can't act or sing! It is a story as old as time. Girl follows dreams of being a singer, ends up in LA as a waitress, falls in love, cheats on boy with big time singer, leaves waitress job to become a stripper, and eventually finds her way back to boy. While boy who dreams of being a rock star works at same bar, gets girl job, falls in love and puts himself in the friend zone, leaves girl behind to peruse music career, music career becomes less than he hoped, finds himself and his girl. The bar: meets people, people protect the bar, and there is lots of talk about Arby's. Seriously, this show is a lot of fun with power ballads from the 80's. This is worth seeing. Just never, ever watch that god damn movie!!
5. Bye Bye Birdie:
If you aren't an Elvis fan then you probably should skip this song and dance number about singer Conrad Birdie going off to war which of course is the basis of this comedy. There are many classic moments in this classic sing a long story of teenage girls and their idol, and his manger fighting to find his own true love. If you have ever been a teenage girl, you will love this play and look back with nostalgia! This is truly a lot of fun, especially the phone scene!
6. Hairspray:
The story of Baltimore's big hair, big heart, big dancer Tracy Turnblad is based off of the great John Water's movie of the same name. For once, a big girl is at the center of the musical full of fun, dance, and purpose. This show tackles sexism, racism, and of course body issues. This show takes place in the 60's where Tracy wants to be a dancer on her favorite TV show. However, they aren't ready for a big girl, and they aren't ready to expand beyond an all white cast.. Tracy becomes an unlikely hero and helpful voice to those who are being oppressed. What a fun, and beautiful, upbeat story with many good life lessons!
7. Chicago:
Another Fosse inspired dance number following a young woman, Roxie Hart going from wanna be famous to infamous. In Chicago, you can be anything, including a person who becomes a celebrity by killing and that's exactly what lands Roxie in the hot seat. She kills her lover and hires a lawyer to help her get off. The song and dance shows how easy guilt and innocence is bought and sold, as long as you have the charm and the look. Roxie just doesn't just have to worry about her trial, but keeping her name in the news to make sure people don't forget who she is. Her fellow jail mate is the famous singer and dancer Velma who also is playing the same spotlight game. They are surrounded by women who are accused of murder and mayhem, which is just another day in Chicago.
8. Spam A Lot
Seriously, if you don't like Monty Python or are familiar with their work, then you better prepare yourself by watching their movies! Then go see this wonderful satire! You know the humor. You know you are going to love it! Go see this show because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
9. The Song of Music:
The tale of the former nun turned nanny to a family of singing Von Traps. Everyone knows these songs and they hold a very special place in my heart. Both my parents sang these songs to me when I was little. You know the story. You have most likely seen the movie, but do yourself a favor and see the stage version. It brings more to life than the screen ever will!
10. Rock of Ages:
If you ever had to choose between going to a rock show, and seeing a musical you can do both with Rock of Ages. This is literally like going to a concert! Please, do not watch that POS movie!!!!! They butchered the story and casts a whole bunch of dumb asses who can't act or sing! It is a story as old as time. Girl follows dreams of being a singer, ends up in LA as a waitress, falls in love, cheats on boy with big time singer, leaves waitress job to become a stripper, and eventually finds her way back to boy. While boy who dreams of being a rock star works at same bar, gets girl job, falls in love and puts himself in the friend zone, leaves girl behind to peruse music career, music career becomes less than he hoped, finds himself and his girl. The bar: meets people, people protect the bar, and there is lots of talk about Arby's. Seriously, this show is a lot of fun with power ballads from the 80's. This is worth seeing. Just never, ever watch that god damn movie!!
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Shameless Fundraiser for my Sister from another Mister
Shameless plug time:
Please, if you are able to, purchase this shirt to help my best friend, cousin, sister from another mister Amy Burch. She is battling cancer again for the second time in less than 3 years! I hope you follow the link!
T Shirt Fundraiser
Please, if you are able to, purchase this shirt to help my best friend, cousin, sister from another mister Amy Burch. She is battling cancer again for the second time in less than 3 years! I hope you follow the link!
T Shirt Fundraiser
Monday, April 18, 2016
Vendor and Craft Fundraiser
Hello everyone,
Here is a shameless ad:
We are having a vendor and craft fundraiser on May 1st, from 1-5PM. This flyer has all of the details. I hope you can join us to support local business, and help raise money for Job's Daughters Bethel #68!
Here is a shameless ad:
We are having a vendor and craft fundraiser on May 1st, from 1-5PM. This flyer has all of the details. I hope you can join us to support local business, and help raise money for Job's Daughters Bethel #68!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
What's in a name: Part two series for Women
What is in a name? It's a question that has been asked every since we have looked at objects and people and decided that they need to be called something. We have names, titles, and adverbs to describe who and what we are. Being a female is very hard and the modern world isn't it making it any better. So many of social norms are and traditions are holding us back and keeping us down. If you are a strong women, and want to fight for gender rights you are called a few various names which are just as damaging as the struggle women have ever day. Let's take a look at names of women.
It's not just the word for a gender that is unfair. A woman has a title that tells the world if they are married or not. Women are known as Miss if they are single, and Mrs. when they get married. There is the neutral title of Ms. but this is an often a unused and confused word Many people use it as interchangeable for both Mrs. and Miss. Men have never had a title that reveals if they are married or not. Our titles change because of marriage Something as simple as a title that is generally excepted by society shows how much we under value women. Being themselves isn't good enough. This projects prejudice even on an unconscious level. We are asked to fill out forms all of the time for various reasons including job applications and checking accounts. A woman has to determine their status by their title and men don't have to ever worry about it. They are always a Mr. and will never have to check a box or change anything to show if they are married or single.
When I was very little, I recall my Mom trying to help me learn words and how to spell. I couldn't understand the words woman and women. Not because of the tense, but because of the word itself. I didn't understand why the word with man or men had to be included in describing us. Look at the words for this gender: female, woman, women. You can't spell us without them. Men, man, and male are the root word. To me that was so unfair. I begged my Mom to tell me what out real word was because we certainly didn't need them to describe us. Why didn't we matter enough to be separate from men? It really hurt me and I realized from that young of an age that we are just a second thought in the eyes of the world.
It's not just the word for a gender that is unfair. A woman has a title that tells the world if they are married or not. Women are known as Miss if they are single, and Mrs. when they get married. There is the neutral title of Ms. but this is an often a unused and confused word Many people use it as interchangeable for both Mrs. and Miss. Men have never had a title that reveals if they are married or not. Our titles change because of marriage Something as simple as a title that is generally excepted by society shows how much we under value women. Being themselves isn't good enough. This projects prejudice even on an unconscious level. We are asked to fill out forms all of the time for various reasons including job applications and checking accounts. A woman has to determine their status by their title and men don't have to ever worry about it. They are always a Mr. and will never have to check a box or change anything to show if they are married or single.
What about your last name, ladies? That name is not your name. Your first name is most likely something one or both of your parents agreed upon. However, your last name is generally your Father's last name. Go back farther on your family tree and I'm sure you will find that generation after generation has a surname only from males. Unless your last name is made up and has no connections to your family tree, your surname is a man's name. This is something many women don't even think of but we should. When does our names matter? We go from having our Father's last name to having a husband's last name. Where is our identity? Not ever female takes her husbands last name is she decides to get married, but even if they don't change it, they still have a name that isn't their own. Even if you are in a same sex marriage and you decide to take your spouse's last name, that name is still not yours, it's a man's name. We don't matter enough to have a name of our own.
There is great deal of unfair pressure on both men and women when it comes to family names. Men get pressured to have children and pass their last name on. Especially if that family name is close to becoming obsolete. However, the girls in that same family will be encouraged to give their children the last name of the Father of the child. Women are not seen as name carriers, generally. Legally, it is easier for a child to have their Father's last name. This is why you don't normally see a woman passing on her own last name to her child. Her own child could have a hyphenated name made up of both parent's surnames. In that instance the Mother's last name is usually first, then followed by their Father's last name. Or, her child will not carry her last name at all and will only be the Father's. It is very rare to find a single mother who passed on her own last name to her child. It's even more rare to find a married women who's child has her last name only. This makes it seem as though a woman has less a right or even claim to their own child.
.
This is all traditional of course and there are exceptions for almost all of these issues. However, these issues are very real and show how much a woman is valued and devalued.We have to put up with huge levels of sexism that is accepted by society every single day. We have to live in a world where we must define ourselves by our martial status yet men live without having to define themselves. We don't have our own names nor our own words that describe our gender that aren't heavily influenced by males. So tell me what is in a name, because if you are a woman, your name isn't yours.
There is great deal of unfair pressure on both men and women when it comes to family names. Men get pressured to have children and pass their last name on. Especially if that family name is close to becoming obsolete. However, the girls in that same family will be encouraged to give their children the last name of the Father of the child. Women are not seen as name carriers, generally. Legally, it is easier for a child to have their Father's last name. This is why you don't normally see a woman passing on her own last name to her child. Her own child could have a hyphenated name made up of both parent's surnames. In that instance the Mother's last name is usually first, then followed by their Father's last name. Or, her child will not carry her last name at all and will only be the Father's. It is very rare to find a single mother who passed on her own last name to her child. It's even more rare to find a married women who's child has her last name only. This makes it seem as though a woman has less a right or even claim to their own child.
.
This is all traditional of course and there are exceptions for almost all of these issues. However, these issues are very real and show how much a woman is valued and devalued.We have to put up with huge levels of sexism that is accepted by society every single day. We have to live in a world where we must define ourselves by our martial status yet men live without having to define themselves. We don't have our own names nor our own words that describe our gender that aren't heavily influenced by males. So tell me what is in a name, because if you are a woman, your name isn't yours.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Shamless Promotion Time
Time for some SHAMELESS promotions. I'm poor people and I want to earn extra money any way that I can in the Freelance world so these are some options.
Here are my lists of Gigs currently active on Fiver.com:
1. I will do a Tarot Card reading for relationships:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/do-one-relationship-tarot-card-reading?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
2. I will write you an awesome and creative blog:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/write-you-an-awesome-and-creative-blog?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
3. I will write what you don't want to write: (example a breakup letter)
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/write-what-you-dont-want-to-write?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
4. I will promote your website or product on my blog: (this on here)
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/promote-your-website-or-product-on-my-blog?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
5. I will do a Celtic Cross Tarot Card reading:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/doing-a-tarot-card-reading?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
Here are my lists of Gigs currently active on Fiver.com:
1. I will do a Tarot Card reading for relationships:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/do-one-relationship-tarot-card-reading?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
2. I will write you an awesome and creative blog:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/write-you-an-awesome-and-creative-blog?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
3. I will write what you don't want to write: (example a breakup letter)
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/write-what-you-dont-want-to-write?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
4. I will promote your website or product on my blog: (this on here)
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/promote-your-website-or-product-on-my-blog?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
5. I will do a Celtic Cross Tarot Card reading:
https://www.fiverr.com/ltebrinke/doing-a-tarot-card-reading?arrived_from_manage_gigs=true&display_share=true
Friday, February 5, 2016
Part one of Being a Woman series: Stop whining
I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out why women are the way that they are and I am one. I see us doing very unhealthy and abusive things to ourselves and I can't help but to want to do something to make a difference even if it's just recording my observance of our culture. I don't want to say I'm a feminist because there is so much stigma attached to that word and it's not positive. However, I feel that women are second class. I see it every single day and I have even written about this topic several times in the past. The reason I keep writing about it is because we need to take a good look at ourselves as females and really start to live different and demanding more of ourselves or this cycle will continue. Since this has become since a hot topic, I am going to write about the struggles of women in a series so I will stop accidently repeating myself and just get to the topics at hand.
Part One: Women can't do it all so ask for help! Stop whining!
I recently read a blog about a woman who just wanted a break. She is a mother and works full time. All she wanted was for her man to take care of everything that she did for a day so she could rest. She listed off examples of getting the children up, getting them dressed, packing their lunches, taking them to school, going to work, leaving early to go to soccer games, go home and fix dinner, wash dishes, get kids to bed and go to bed herself. That is in between her full time job, paying bills, getting groceries, and trying to be a friend and a wife. Did you see this list? That's impossible! No one woman can do it all. No one man can do it all either. We need to start realizing that we are human and we just need to do the best that we can. However, you can't neglect yourself even though it's very easy to do this.
Was I upset because she wanted her man to take care of her? Not at all because everyone needs a break once in awhile. The thing that got me upset was this woman clearly wasn't telling her husband that she wanted help. I think part of this stems from the fact that women have a need to take care of everything and not ask for help. They truly fear they will be perceived as weak. She should have taken the time she spend writing this blog and actually talk to her husband and voice her concerns. She is not only doing herself an injustice, but she is doing him one as well. The longer you take on the world and do everything yourself, the easier it is to become exhausted and resentful. There may come a day for her when she wakes up and realizes that she has raised those children herself but is a complete stranger to her husband. She had years to reach out to him and say that she needed more help but instead she whines about needing time off because she does it all.
I'm a tired of women feeling this way. This is what society has made us out to be. If we can't be a wife, mother, and juggle all their activities as well as work full time without any missteps then we aren't really women. This comes from years and years of having to try to prove ourselves as being just as good as men. Women really haven't been able to vote for very long compared to men. We still make less money and aren't represented in business or politics equally. Female athletics are looked at much differently than males. We still are seen as Mom's and nothing more. Look how we are represented in TV, magazines, movies, and advertisements. While there is nothing wrong with being a Mother, it's not the only thing that a female can be. Women are either highly sexualized or made to be matronly.
One of the biggest reasons women are second class citizens is the Bible. If you look through the Bible women are mostly portrayed as objects, evil, and of course whores. If you grew up in a religious household then you have been surrounded with stories and teachings that are showing women as nothing more than a man's helpmate. My personal feelings on this are that men wrote the Bible and women were disregarded and their roles became less and less as time went on. I feel that people who were doing the translations put their own spin on things and a lot got lost. It is sad because if you believe in the Bible then you have heard that humans were created in God's image. Females weren't made up as a second thought, they were made in God's image too which makes us just as important as a man.
We need to realize that even though we have been taught to believe we are less than men we really aren't. We need to ask for help from people in our lives instead of living in fear of being perceived as weak. I can't tell you how many times I have heard women utter the phrase I am fine when nothing could be further from the truth. Women will even go so far to neglect their own health out of fear of being seen as someone who can't do it all. People get sick, need help, and have weak moments. They need to reach out and stop staying silent. Are you married with children? Don't keep the tasks you have daily to yourself because what good are you really doing? You have a partner, use them. If you don't feel like they will help you then you have bigger problems and should probably seek help. There isn't anything wrong with getting help! Being a woman doesn't mean that you have to do it all and not complain. Being a strong women means knowing that you can't do it all and you need help. Using your voice makes you strong, not weak. If you stay on the path of never asking for help and begging for a day off because you do so much, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Part One: Women can't do it all so ask for help! Stop whining!
I recently read a blog about a woman who just wanted a break. She is a mother and works full time. All she wanted was for her man to take care of everything that she did for a day so she could rest. She listed off examples of getting the children up, getting them dressed, packing their lunches, taking them to school, going to work, leaving early to go to soccer games, go home and fix dinner, wash dishes, get kids to bed and go to bed herself. That is in between her full time job, paying bills, getting groceries, and trying to be a friend and a wife. Did you see this list? That's impossible! No one woman can do it all. No one man can do it all either. We need to start realizing that we are human and we just need to do the best that we can. However, you can't neglect yourself even though it's very easy to do this.
Was I upset because she wanted her man to take care of her? Not at all because everyone needs a break once in awhile. The thing that got me upset was this woman clearly wasn't telling her husband that she wanted help. I think part of this stems from the fact that women have a need to take care of everything and not ask for help. They truly fear they will be perceived as weak. She should have taken the time she spend writing this blog and actually talk to her husband and voice her concerns. She is not only doing herself an injustice, but she is doing him one as well. The longer you take on the world and do everything yourself, the easier it is to become exhausted and resentful. There may come a day for her when she wakes up and realizes that she has raised those children herself but is a complete stranger to her husband. She had years to reach out to him and say that she needed more help but instead she whines about needing time off because she does it all.
I'm a tired of women feeling this way. This is what society has made us out to be. If we can't be a wife, mother, and juggle all their activities as well as work full time without any missteps then we aren't really women. This comes from years and years of having to try to prove ourselves as being just as good as men. Women really haven't been able to vote for very long compared to men. We still make less money and aren't represented in business or politics equally. Female athletics are looked at much differently than males. We still are seen as Mom's and nothing more. Look how we are represented in TV, magazines, movies, and advertisements. While there is nothing wrong with being a Mother, it's not the only thing that a female can be. Women are either highly sexualized or made to be matronly.
One of the biggest reasons women are second class citizens is the Bible. If you look through the Bible women are mostly portrayed as objects, evil, and of course whores. If you grew up in a religious household then you have been surrounded with stories and teachings that are showing women as nothing more than a man's helpmate. My personal feelings on this are that men wrote the Bible and women were disregarded and their roles became less and less as time went on. I feel that people who were doing the translations put their own spin on things and a lot got lost. It is sad because if you believe in the Bible then you have heard that humans were created in God's image. Females weren't made up as a second thought, they were made in God's image too which makes us just as important as a man.
We need to realize that even though we have been taught to believe we are less than men we really aren't. We need to ask for help from people in our lives instead of living in fear of being perceived as weak. I can't tell you how many times I have heard women utter the phrase I am fine when nothing could be further from the truth. Women will even go so far to neglect their own health out of fear of being seen as someone who can't do it all. People get sick, need help, and have weak moments. They need to reach out and stop staying silent. Are you married with children? Don't keep the tasks you have daily to yourself because what good are you really doing? You have a partner, use them. If you don't feel like they will help you then you have bigger problems and should probably seek help. There isn't anything wrong with getting help! Being a woman doesn't mean that you have to do it all and not complain. Being a strong women means knowing that you can't do it all and you need help. Using your voice makes you strong, not weak. If you stay on the path of never asking for help and begging for a day off because you do so much, you have no one to blame but yourself.
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