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These words are my diary screaming out loud

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

What a feeling!

I just paid off my car, and damn does it feel good. For the first time in 8 years, I don't have a car payment.

This brings me one step closer on my quest towards debt freedom. Which will take forever at this rate. But at least I can use that old car money to help rebuild some of the savings I depleted over the last few years. It is FAR easier to get into debt than it is to get out of it!!

I'm all about getting some ideas from fokls for helping me do it faster. All things considered, I don't REALLY have that much - a bit more credit card debt than I care for, and a mortgage. But that's it. I wish I had the discipline to do one of those financial fasts, where you spend no money at all for a set period of time except on what's absolutely necessary (groceries, rent, bills, etc) - no eating out, no shows, no shopping, nothing non-essential. Yeah right. I'd be bored to tears.

What are some of the ways you help keep yourself financially in control? I need all the pointers I can get!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Train Wreck Syndrome?

Does anyone have a TV show that they know is absolutely awful, but they still can't stop watching it? I do.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager might be the worst show on TV. And right now, I'm admitting that I'm watching it, and I've watched it from the start, and I can not stop. I mean, I really can not stop watching this train wreck of a show.  The acting is horrible, the storylines are totally unrealistic, and its an ongoing dialogue between 16 and 17 year olds about sex, marriage, and babies, of which there is one and another on the way in this group of teens.

The fact that Molly Ringwald is in the show gave me hope. But the fact that Brenda Hampton, the creator of Seventh Heaven, is the creator of this one as well, should have kept me away from the beginning.  The cameos by several of the cast members of Seventh Heaven (less successful than Jessica Biel ones) have even made reference to it.  (The actress who played Ruthie, the sweet little girl, plays a straight up whore, and the actress that played Lucy plays a guidance counselor, and the first time they passed in the hallway there was this long glance of recognition. I snorted.) 

This show is seriously ridiculous.  The first season was OK - a teenage girl hooks up with the hottie drummer at band camp and ends up pregnant, and it showcases the hardships and how she deals with being a pregnant teen where the dad is not so much in the picture.  If it had ended after one season, it would probably have been OK. But for a show based solely off of that, how do you continue? I'll tell you how. Lots of talking about sex, especially with their parents, of which include Josie Bissett, Bobby Bacala, and the aforementioned Molly Ringwald. Teenagers getting married, or getting fake IDs to try. Or doing it just to try to manipulate the exes. Or because they think that's what happens when you have sex.  And don't get me started on the actress that plays the original pregnant teen's little sister. AWFUL.

But even knowing all of this, and knowing how utterly bad this show is, why can't I stop? I tell people the reason I don't play video games is because I have an addictive personality. Maybe that explains why I keep watching this show. Or maybe I just keep hoping that its actually going to get better...

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Kalani Soul

I know I've mentioned before that my boyfriend Matt is an amazing musician.  He's been playing guitar since he was 9 years old, writing for almost that long, and can play anything - its kind of amazing, actually, I wish I could play at all, much less anywhere close to that well.

Well, he has recently teamed up with Maurice Mangum, formerly of the DC band Evenout, to form a new project they're calling Kalani Soul.  With the magic of Travis Daniels at Trace Studios in Atlanta, they've just finished recording three songs, and let me be the first to tell you that they're amazing. They should be releasing at least one of the songs in the near future, and Facebook and ReverbNation will be the best way to find out when (and, of course, I'll probably post something as well - I want as many people as possible to know about this).

Do yourself a favor, please, and go find them on Facebook (just search Kalani Soul) and ReverbNation. This is gonna be big... and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased!

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Boat Dumb

The cruise was amazing, but this explains why you're getting no recap yet. Enjoy!

Sixthman Public Service Announcement: Boat Dumb from Sixthman TV on Vimeo.

Thanks again to all the folks at Sixthman for all the wonderful work they do. If you're unsure about what to do for vacation, look no further than their webpage and pick one.