Limitless Ramblings

Jordan lost his passport in Europe and had to take a train to Paris... hahahaha...


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And Donnie decided to be a dork on the golf course...


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Find more videos like this on New Kids on the Block



Find more videos like this on New Kids on the Block

I half expected a Happy Gilmore-esque melt down during this one... lol. THAT'S YOUR HOME! WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO HOME??? ARE YOU TOO GOOD FOR YOUR HOME?

Bratz Dolls May Give Young Girls Unrealistic Expectations Of Head Size

So... as some of you may have noticed, and even more of you may NOT have noticed, I wasn't online Friday morning to laaaaaaaaaaaate Saturday evening and, as devastating as it was to surf the web during that time without my presence, I promise I do have a good reason for denying the internet the awesomeness that is me (and for those of you that are reading my current story - my real promises are kept better than my fake ones... hahaha).

Anyway, my excuse for being gone for two days: I. SAW. WICKED. As in the Broadway smash hit Wicked?? Yeah... that one.

Anyone who's known of my obsession knows I've been waiting for FIVE YEARS to see that musical. Anyone who hasn't known... well, now you do. Five years... there's only one thing I've waited longer for... hahaha. So... before I get into the details of the trip, let me get this out of the way...

*runs around room and screams*

*a lot*

Okay.

We left Friday because Sean had to be at Vanguard camp at 9 in the morning on Saturday and, well... that's too early to get up on Saturday morning and drive from Merced. So, we went up Friday night and stayed at Travis, which was fun, and meant I was free for 48 hours - my thoughts were consumed only by Wicked. Star Trek, Heroes, Watchmen, New Kids... it was all out the window... and I could think of nothing but the musical. We had dinner at Chevy's, which was pretty good... they served us something called corn tomallito or, as I effectionately referred to it - Corn Blob.

That's what it was... it was a blob of corn... kind of like mashed potatoes... but... corn. And it was sooooooooo good! It was like eating mashed potatoes that looked like a corn blob and tasted like corn bread! Serious mind trip... but it was really sweet and quite possibly my favorite food item of the night... haha.

I was up by 5:50 the next morning and ready to go by 7... we got to the city (San Francisco) by 11.... and the show was at 2... XD SO - we walked from the Orphium to the business district and had lunch in the mall down there, across from Union Square, then walked back so we could meet up with everyone. I'm not sure who all went... but it was a fairly big group. Took us a little while to get inside - we spent some time taking cutie patootie pictures in front of the big wall advertisements for the show and what not, and then we got our seats and the show started.

I started crying half way through the FIRST song... not because the song was sad or anything, but because I was seeing it. A five year long ambition was finally being achieved... You all saw how excited I was after waiting 2 years for the Star Trek trailer, and that was just a trailer! This was the whole show, with a 5 year wait! *screams again* The actors were AMAZING, and much to my excitement, Nicolas Dromard was Fiyero, and Teal Wicks was Elphaba. *screams again* The show was absolutely amazing... I mean, I knew I was going to love it, but there is SO much that goes on between the songs. I know, I know, duh - but still. There is SO much that goes on between the songs! This was the first musical I knew the whole story of, had every song memorized, everything... BEFORE I saw it. And there was still so much that just made my jaw hit the floor and my eyes tear up.

The stage was amazing... I couldn't get over how magnificent the stage was. I was impressed by everything... just bawled my eyes out because I related to Elphaba and just because I was there, actually seeing it. And the ending... OMIHECK... I didn't see it coming!!!

Afterwards I was absolutely giddy and tear covered... and in need of a restroom XD

We got together and all took a few more pictures afterwards... by this point, I'm in the most MAGNIFICENT mood, and just having fun. My friend, Stephanie - who is also an Ozmazing Wicked Fanatic - directs me to the stage door. I just stood on the sidewalk and stared at it. I really, really, REALLY had to use the bathroom, but I also really, really, REALLY needed to see Nicolas Dromard up close and personal. So... I had this decision to make... and I don't have a lot of time to make it, at which point, I leaned up against he railing for the BART and directed my attention at the empty stairs. While I'm staring, someone walks down and catches my eye, we make eye contact, I smile and wave, and he smiles, waves, and nods... and I freeze.

"So, do you wanna go by the stage door?" My mom asks.

"Hold on," I say, still staring at the once again empty stairs. "I'm trying to figure out." I ran mental image after mental image through my head - head shot after head shot - and smiled despite myself before turning and saying. "No, we can go, because Nicolas Dromard isn't back stage anymore."

"How do you know?"

"Cuz he just said bye to me!" I felt like doing a dance! FIYERO FREAKING ACKNOWLEDGED ME! NICOLAS DROMARD SMILED AT ME! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Which means nothing to most of you, but to this humble little aspiring theater geek, it's the world. And then some. It's like all that and a bag of chips... and the bag of chips was 4 for a dollar, so I got 8, cuz I happened to have an extra dollar. (The first dollar is implied, Heather.)

So I pretty much floated around on a Wicked/Fiyero cloud for the rest of the day. Fantastic. Amazing weekend. Amazing play. Amazing moment. No. Not Amazing. OZmazing.

If you ever ever EVER get the chance to see this musical, DO IT. It's simply... wicked! And worth EVERY PENNY! And the performance... everything was amazing. A couple people said it was better at the performances they saw, but honestly, I can't see it getting any better... unless I got a performance with Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Joey Mac, and Nicolas Dromard... THEN I'd probably wet myself with excitement... haha.

BUT - a fantastic day/experience/weekend. Awesome. Perfect. Beautiful. Another adjective I can't think of right now.

I'm STILL on Cloud Nine... hahahahaha.

*runs around room and screams more*

~Lauren

I'm actually going to do this. I've been pushing this thought around in my head, trying to figure out if I should write it. It's a complicated idea, and I know it can be received incorrectly but... part of me keeps screaming that it needs to be said. I know I'll probably get my head chopped off and buried in the woods somewhere... I won't be deemed worthy enough to be given a proper burial, but I blogged about Twilight and DARNITALL I'm blogging about this!

I'm going to say this right out - if you're one of those insane fans that flips out at the mention of your heroes name in a negative light (i.e. Michael Phelps is a pot head, Edward Cullens SUCKS, etc.) then please, REFRAIN FROM COMMENTING ON THIS, because I really don't care what you have to say. It probably sounds extremely close minded for me to say that, but I'm going to put a bit of effort into this. It is not a blog to sing Phelps' praises, but he will be mentioned... if you won't take the time to read it and reply to the topic at hand, and instead want to drop explitives and insult me and the people who read my blog, then I won't give your comment the time. I will delete it, you will be dropped from my facebook, and that will be it. No response. No message. No warning. THIS is your warning. If you want to be one of the many people that further convince me that you can't fix stupid, then I don't want you on my page.

(I wrote all of that, in the hopes that it would idiot proof my blog. My mom just sent me a piece of flair that said "Make it idiot proof, and they'll make a better idiot.")

That is NOT to say that you can't debate the topic at hand. If you disagree with me, feel free to say so. I'm all about debating. I'm all about discussing. But I am not all about being called "effing crazy," and if that's how you want to start your debate, it won't be accepted well. Are we agreed?

Everyone who answered that question with a "NO," kindly click the home tab, or any other tab that will navigate you away from this note. Everyone who answered "YES," I want you to close your eyes and think of something for me. Imagine you have children - if you already have children, picturing them would be easy - and then think of someone you'd like them to model their lives after... celebrity wise. I think we'd all pick Jesus, if given the chance... haha. He's possibly the only exception to this discussion.

Have you thought of someone?? OK... chances are, you've chosen someone in the limelight that's painted positively... like, say, Michael Phelps.

I picked Donnie Wahlberg. No, not because I love him - though that's indirectly part of it - but because Howard Stern was already taken.

SAY. WHAT? Howard Stern? The SAME Howard Stern? THAT... Howard Stern?

Yes... that Howard Stern... and yes, THAT Donnie Wahlberg. Up until a few days ago, I probably wouldn't have picked him... but then I read this blog about Howard Stern, and why he was the best person to pick to be a role model, and I tell you what the guy had a POINT. A REALLY good one, too!

Think about it... how real are the people we'd normally pick? How innocent were Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Michael Phelps, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan, any of them, before the world got a hold of them? And how much did they change?

Britney's pretty obvious... it's painted everywhere. She was a sweet young girl, and now it's a fight everyday to keep her face out of the papers and away from the negative comments.

Michael's probably the least obvious... some would argue that he's still innocent, but I don't think he was innocent to begin with. Give the boy a few gold medals and he's nabbed himself a pretty DUI and a nice pic of him smoking pot to go with it - AND BEFORE YOU SAY "but Lauren, it was a one time deal!" Do some research, he's done pot before - and now people are upset with him... really upset with him. But who's fault is that? It's kind of ours... I know I know, I'm kind of pointing fingers, and none of us forced that joint into his mouth, but think about it. If Michael Phelps didn't have a pool, then he'd be just another stupid 23 year old kid. I'm 20... I know how stupid we are. But, like the other article pointed out, someone put him in the water and he shot around a few times, and someone realized they had something there. He wins a few medals, and he's America's golden boy... then he screws up, falls down, and people get upset. It happens, it's the design of the human. We pick role models, and they let us down because we hype them and paint them as gods. No matter how little their offense is, they're gods, so they can do NO wrong, and when they do, it's heart breaking. One of the most depressing things in our lives is when things aren't quite what they seem...

Take the Twilight books for example. How many people have read them? Because I have... and let me tell you, it was a disappointing experience. I personally love books... LOVE them. I had lunch with my Aunt a few days ago, and she told me she had the second Bolyn book, and I about peed myself with excitement. Books are amazing, and I'll read just about everyone I can get my hands on. So when Twilight rolled around, and the world went CRAZY for it, I was excited, and immediately went to read it... and I did... I remember closing the first book and just staring at it, expecting it to come to life and jump up.

"Just kidding!" I expected it to say. "Here's the REAL Twilight!"

"Oh, you and your jokes, literature!" I would say, waggling my finger in his face. And I would read the book he handed me, and I would love it.

But that never happened. The book remained a book and quite frankly, pardon my french, a piece of crap. I just stared at it... here I am with the "best book ever" in my hands, and I hated it. "This can't be it... it must get better," I kept saying. So, I read the next one. "No... no it MUST get better." I read the next one... and the next one... and it never gets better.

I had expected an epic literary romance between vampires, werewolves, and humans. I expected a tale of forbidden love, adventure, and fantastic lore. Instead, I had read a series chalk full of incest, abuse, teen pregnancy, and grammar mistakes. Oh man, the grammar mistakes were enough to make me want to rip my eyes out... It's one thing to write fanfiction with grammar mistakes... e-mails, messages, wall posts, blogs... but a PUBLISHED PIECE OF LITERATURE? It's ridiculous.

Rolemodels and celebrities get treated the same way... everyone says it's one thing, and you're excited. OOOO! Someone perfect! Someone golden! Someone that will never mess up! And then they do... and you realize, not only is this person not a god, but they're flawed as well... and it's depressing. We feel let down.

Unless... unless for some reason, we pick role models we wouldn't pick. When I read the blog about Howard Stern - and I advise everyone to read it, I'll supply the link at the end - I commented on it. I was sooo surprised that I agreed with everything that was said, and surprised to realize that I should have known it all along.

The comment that I left ended with this phrase:

"It took this blog to make me realize that all the role models I have that have never let me down, are the ones I NEVER should have picked in the first place."

Basically that means, I have a few role models that are a little more unconventional. Most the people I stick in that role model slot, I just wait for them to fail. I did it with Michael, and lookie there, he did.

But - interestingly enough - Mr. Wahlberg has yet to do that.

First, let's look at why he shouldn't be a role model: He's definitely rough around the edges. He's from Boston, so the explitives drop a little more freely and one would like. He's a free spirit, a tad on the wild side, and he's not perfect.

*GASP* Say that last part again???? Here's why he's a good choice for a role model:

He's not perfect.... and he isn't trying to be. Donnie Wahlberg always has been Donnie Wahlberg... at least while I've been alive. There was a moment in time before my conception where he was a little good kid, but he snapped out of that pretty quickly. He's never really shocked the world, because he's been a bad boy from day one. That was his reputation. He wasn't a polished little puppet, he was himself. He had fun. He was himself. He was REAL.

Unlike Michael Phelps, Donnie Wahlberg got into trouble... and no one thought he wouldn't. He wasn't a golden boy when he was 23, he was a 23 year old when he was 23. No surprises there. In fact, people's expectations for him were SO low, he ended up getting arrested and being sentenced for something he never even did... interesting.

So... reason #1. He isn't fake. He's real. He's a human being, and no one expects him to be more, because he doesn't lie to the public. Take him or leave him, that's who he is.

Reason #2. He surprises.

Let's go back to Michael Phelps for a moment... I've been attacked a bit the past few days because I stated that I would like Michael to recieve proper consequences for his actions. That's all. This is one response that drives me crazy:

"He's under a lot of pressure. He's super popular, and he probably doesn't know how to handle it. He's under so much pressure, he's going to mess up. You don't know what it's like to deal with his amount of stress."

First of all... I'm thinking having everyone notice you is a small price to pay to have millions of dollars. Second of all, I'm a college student, finances are tight, and I'm not super popular. I know people who are struggling with far worse, that have been through far worse... and I know people that are going through so much that they would WILLINGLY give up their privacy to have the kind of problems Michael has... so I kind of do understand.

But let's forget all of that...

Here we have this young kid from Baltimore. He's been popular since roughly the age of 19. 15, if you wanna kick and scream and scratch my eyes out for getting the age wrong ;P. He grew up having to deal with getting picked on... as a kid he was funny looking, but extremely talented when he hit the water. He had to deal with fame from roughly about the age of 19. He made history, and is now super popular. Everyone knows his name, everyone knows his face, everyone loves him... and he has fat girl syndrome. He apparently has stupid girl syndrome, too, but I won't get into that.

If you want to blame his screw ups on the pressure and hard knock life he's had to deal with, then consider this:

You've got a young boy from the wrong side of the tracks in Boston. He grew up in the theater, and at 15, he was thrust into fame. His entire life, the only expectation anyone had for him was failure. He had fame and money like he never could have imagined, and he was a young kid, forced into a label. The expectation of failure that was on him was so harsh, he was arrested for something he didn't do. ARRESTED FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T DO. As he grew up, the expectation for failure gets steadily more apparent. He switches careers, quickly gaining fame in his new choice. He finds happiness and loses it, and constantly deals with hate and cat calls of failure. And yet... nothing negative in the news, save for the trumped up charge. Now, if anyone's ever had a reason to screw up and scream "PRESSURE!" It'd be him. But he hasn't done it yet... interesting.


Reason #3. He appreciates his fans.

This probably doesn't mean anything to most others, but as an aspiring actress, I love to hear how much Donnie cares about his fans. He gives more attention to them than any celeb I know. He meets with them when he's sick, and almost every blog he writes, he states how impressed he is, how BLESSED he is, to have such amazing fans. He let's them... well, I suppose I should say US lol... know he hears us. Let's us know he notices... and I have to say, it makes me excited to be a fan... if that makes sense.

It's nice to see someone with as much fame as he's got, past and present, still care about the people who essentially got him there (I mean, honestly, without fans, no one can be famous).


There are numerous other reasons, but those are the most prevalent ones. Surprising, isn't it? Wait till you read the one about Howard Stern - I found myself respecting the guy on some level... crazy, huh?

I guess, if you're going to take one thing away from this blog, let it be this: Don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't count someone out just because they aren't what you want them to be. You may be surprised if you take the time to pay attention.

I for one would kill to have my child grow up and be real, respectful, and strong, rather than some flashy fake freak that's destined for disappointment. (NO, PHELPSIES, I did NOT just call Phelps a flashy fake freak. Chill.)

So... that's it... just wanted to get that out there. :) Hey, at least I don't want a child like Sylar, right? XD And I AM curious as to what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? Wanna state who your role model is? Go right ahead! :D Just watch the explitives ;)

And, as promised, the Howard Stern blog. I don't think there is any bad language in it, but I could be wrong... I skimmed it again just to be sure, but may have missed some. If there is some in there, I apologize.
TV 101

~Lauren

P.S. I feel this needs to be said. I don't hate Michael Phelps... I have a huge colage of him on my wall... I just don't like what he does with his free time. I still recognize his swimming talent... and recognize that he did something amazing that's never been done before... BUT - to everyone who's response to me is, "Let the swimming do the talking," consider this. He can swim as fast as he wants, it will never change who he is. I can't swim worth crap, but it doesn't mean I'm a horrible person. Likewise, no matter how fast or how well Michael swims, it won't make what he did any less wrong.

If you're going to use that to defend Michael, then no one can complain about TO, Plaxico Burress, Jim Carrey, Zach Braff, or any one else... Being an amazing swimmer does not mean he's not an idiot. It just means he's an amazing swimmer, who's an idiot.

Last night, at 12:12 am, I had a heart attack. I was going to the restroom, and the tv was on... Red Eye was on - and I froze. I freaked. I had gone an entire day without posting a blog... I HAD FAILED MYSELF, and NABLOPOMO!

Then, almost as immediately as the heart attack started, it ended, because I realized - IT'S FEBRUARY, SUCKAZ, and I'M FREEEEEE! How did I let January end without even the slightest inkling that I was done with the January challenge? Easy... the Super Bowl... oh football... hahaha.

So, if any of you are wondering - which you probably aren't - I have decided to NOT take part in this month's NaBloPoMo challenge, because I like being free.

I will be blogging regularly, though... it's just that my thoughts have been consumed by really one thing the past few days... STAR TREK. It's a driving force, no joke. It's taking everything I have to not geek out and post an epic blog about how much I love the original show and cast, how much I want to watch the movies but can't cuz our VCR is being lame, how much I miss DeForest Kelley and Jeffrey Doohan, how thrilled I am about the new movie, how much I want to see the new cast in action, etc. etc. I'm holding back... I don't want to geek out too bad, but I don't know how long I can hold off... as much as I don't want to give you a blog about all of those things... like the Heroes Eclipse, it's coming.

There are other things I've been thinking of but, due to their controversial nature, I can't publicise them... lame.

BUT - I think I will talk about Heroes and the fact that I'M FINALLY CAUGHT UP! Monday's episode was pretty epic... Sylar's getting more and more intense... (GAH! It just leads back to Star Trek!! Stupid BRAIN!!!...BRAIN...SYLAR...CONTINUE) he's still got the mystery and layers that I love about the character... but there's something innocently sinister about him. For instance, I have a hard time hating him when the people he's killing are working for Nathan...

I also find it insanely fascinating that I have no problem rooting for Noah, no matter what side he's on... and it's awesome when he's against Sylar, because then, it's like the Seahawk's against the 49ers... sure, they're both my teams, and either way, one is going to lose, but it's going to be a good game, and one of my teams are going to win... and in the case of Sylar and Noah, it's usually a draw... haha. I think it's because Noah's morally grey... he made that clear, so whatever he does, he does for the greater good, even if he has to break the law to do it... he's also the only character that has stayed consistant. He said he was morally grey, and he's stayed morally grey.

Not to mention, I like the idea of morally grey... I mean, yeah, I'm soooo against breaking the law - but in a character, morally grey is fantastic, and I honestly can't think of anyone outside of Noah Bennet who's pulled it off so well... except maybe (NO NO STAR TREK!!!!)... nope... just Noah XD. The concept is just... it's great. He's not a good guy, but he's not a bad guy. He's a help and a hindrance... and yet neither. He's like a drifter... I just love it.

I hope he's okay. XD

Alright!! As promised, here is the Super Bowl Vlog!!! And below are a bunch of questions about the vlog, just to give you all something to do... :D All answers are in the video, so... have fun! Post your answers in the form of a comment, or message. :D

1. The song I sang at the beginning was a rendition of a song from what Nick Jr. TV show?

2. Who sang the National Anthem?

3. When talking about the banana pudding, I say "banana" a certain way - what show is that from?

4. Who flipped the coin?

5. Who won the toss?

6. Who's babies did I say I would not mind having?

7. Who did I say played Spock?

8. Why were the guys sitting upstairs?

9. A little less than 3 minutes into the video, we watch a fairly violent commercial, only to rewind it later and watch it again. What product was the commercial selling?

10. What were my "famous last words"?

11. What question did Ellie ask me when I came out of the bathroom?

12. Why did I eventually ditch the TiVo tv and move upstairs?

13. After the Cardinals touchdown that brought the score to 23 - 20, I let out a noise (6:11). What movie (and/or tv show) is that noise from?

14. At about 7 minutes and 40 seconds, I say that there wasn't a fumble, because the ball had "forward progress." Was that the right terminology?"

15. There's no hushing in football" is a variation of what phrase, and from what movie?

16. According to my mom, who won?

***BONUS***

1. How many times has Jennifer Hudson been nominated?

2. During the coin toss, what is the number of the player closest to Gen. Petreus?

3. Where did I say the Star Trek TV Spot was?

4. At about 2:16, what is the first food you see on the table?

5. What color were Aunt Sandra's flowers in the kitchen?

6. What am I?

It's Super Bowl Sunday! BUT - it's only 1:51 AM... so the game hasn't started yet. Being the football lover that I am, it's a given that I'll be watching the game... however, lucky for all of you, I am on a mission to supply you all with a fantastic Super Bowl blog! I mean, first I have to go to church, and then GET to the destination... but then, the fun will start... I hope to take a bunch of little videos, compile them all together, and then cut a scavenger hunt for you guys... it'll be fun! :D And I hope that insanity will take place at the party, so... here's hoping!

GO CARDS! :)

And now... some fun links!

Top 10 Worst Super Bowl Somethings...

Best Sports Quotes of 2008