What grinds my gears

I decided to make a list of a few random things that can seriously drive me up the wall. And seem to happen quite often a lot recently.

Here goes! Hopefully you guys can relate to some of these.

1. The sound of people chewing. Oh god. Sometimes I have to excuse myself from the table if it gets too bad and eat in a separate room.

 2. When something is asymmetrical. Everything has to be the same on both sides, or in the middle. Everything. Actually, I don't think this is too rare; I have a lot of friends that are like this too.

3. Gum that loses flavor after 3 seconds. *cough* Juicy Fruit *cough*

4. That one day you don't do your homework has to be the day your teacher decides to check it. Even though he never has for the past 90 days.

5. The one time you don't know the answer to the question is exactly when your teacher calls on you. I swear, teachers are out to get us.

6. People who think yelling like their life depends on it when you are half a meter away will get their point across better. It doesn't. Not for me, at least.

7. Being in line and seeing a freshman invite 900 of her cronies to cut in front of you. As long as it's behind her, it's totally okay. Of course.

8. Getting into an argument with someone, and coming up with the perfect comeback. Two hours later. In the shower.

9. Their, they're, and there. Your and You're. I think I've said enough.

10. People who are glued to their Blackberry's. Not that I mind much, except when they don't even make eye contact when I talk to them.

11. "Sure, you can copy my homework. But I got about half of those wrong for sure, that okay?" "yeah it doesn't matter, thanks man!" (3 hours later) "What the hell, I lost 20 points because you got #2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 16, 17, 19 and 22 wrong. Do a better job next time."

12. Out of all 200 seats in the movie theater, someone decides that YOUR seat is going to be THEIR footrest.

13. "Can I wear that dress tonight?" "Sorry, I lent it to a friend." "No worries, I can wait while you get it back."

14. Movie posters that use the same, generic orange/blue contrast. Stop it.

15. The one spot on your body that got bruised yesterday just had to have a stapler fall right on the exact spot a few hours later.

Hope everyone had an awesome January! IMO it went by too fast for me, but that's how it's always like.

Exams are done!!

Well, you guys can probably tell that I'm pretty pleased that exams are finally over.. well for another few months at least! I'm hoping I'll scrape by with a B or so, but it's not like I have high expectations seeing as most of my studying consisted of cram sessions :)

It's amazing the weight that's been lifted off me now that I don't have much to worry about for the time being. To share my happiness, here is a hilarious video I found! Normal posts will be up soon after I take a little break this weekend.

Ugh.

School would be so much better if we didn't have midterms or finals. I mean, honestly. It's ridiculous how you can ace the midterms and your semester average goes up by 3 points. And if you fail it, you go down two letter grades.And truthfully, no one really "studies" for it, more like "memorizes than forgets everything after leaving the test room". It's scary how much of a big emphasis most schools put on these exams which count for a big chunk of your grade but only show a little of what type of student you are.

Besides, I do so badly when they throw me in an auditorium with 300 kids with a freaking timer counting down in the front. Honestly, I wouldn't call myself a bad student but the exams always bring my grades down. Speaking of, I got two exams tomorrow (I apologize in advance for the shortness of this post) which I should be studying for now.

As a token of my apology for my short post, here's a squirrel (chipmunk? never learned the difference haha):

... and a baby chameleon

Okay, bye now!
Wish me luck, guys!

Movie soundtracks!

Exam week is nearing and I was scavenging for a good study playlist to keep me concentrated and motivated. I came across this one which definitely kept me going for a good few hours. And then, guess which song came out? It was the soundtrack from one of my favorite movies of all time! Eeek!

Many of you guys will probably recognize this song (you gotta love Randy Newman).. or at least this movie! This song definitely brought back some good memories. I gotta admit, I enjoy most types of movies but nothing gets me going more than a good Pixar or Disney movie.

Who could forget the first intro to TS1? I believe I was only in elementary when I first watched it. It's amazing how much 3D animations have improved since then.

I know there have been a few rumors about a 4th Toy Story and to be honest, I wish they'd just leave it at the trilogy, because it's perfect enough! Unless Pixar can find a way to make it even better, in which case I have no complaints! Any thoughts on a prospective TS4?

For anyone who also has exams like me, you should definitely check out the playlist I linked above by the way. :) It's definitely worth a listen!

5 MUST-HAVE Texture Packs for MineCraft 1.1!

Update: For anyone who is interested in more of my Minecraft antics, here's a recent video of my friends and I playing some fun "Lost in Minecraft". Check it out and let me know if you like it!

I know my blog isn't centered around games but I just couldn't help it- when Minecraft 1.1 came out I became way too excited! Anyone who has even played ten minutes of Minecraft probably agrees that the default texture pack is kind of... horrible.

 

...Sorry Notch.

I've compiled a small list of recently updated texture packs (note: they were not made by me, all credit goes to the proper artists I've linked to!) that can fit a lot of different tastes, hope you guys enjoy! The link to get each texture pack will be on the bottom of each post.

  1. John Smith Texture Pack | classy and medieval! 

I think this was the first texture pack I ever got and I am still in love with it! This is perfect for anyone who wants up update the default look without going too overboard with colors and flamboyant designs.

Get this texture pack here!

  2. Sphax PureBDCraft Texture Pack | cute, cartoon-y and very fun!

This texture pack is adorable and is for anyone who likes this sort of cartoon-like and blocky look; the creator of this texture pack describes it as "Designed to let you play Minecraft as if you were in a Comic book!" It also comes with new features, such as different colored mobs and really cool mods.

Get this texture pack here!

  3. Summerfields Texture Pack | dreamy and beautiful!


I actually found this one quite recently and I gotta admit it was really well-made and breath-takingly awesome. If you're the kind of person who likes a light, dreamy atmosphere, this is the one for you!

Get the texture pack here!

  4. Jolicraft Texture Pack | homey and natural!
 A friend of mine recommended this texture pack and I decided to check it out. I love the very natural and subtle look to it and the colors go really well together! Look at the pictures!

 Get the texture pack here!

  
  5. Misa's Realistic Texture Pack | extremely realistic... obviously :)

This one's for those who really like the realistic or photograph-like effect. In my opinion this one is very detailed and a good fit for anyone!

Get the texture pack here!

Well, that's it for now. I really hope you guys enjoyed this post, feel free to suggest more texture packs!

Have a great day!



 

A new (improved) view on procrastination!

If any of you guys have read this post, you will know that I am a major procrastinator. In fact, it took me a good half hour to get my butt off the couch and write this post for you guys. :) I was perusing some procrastination-related articles (when I was supposed to be doing my homework) and came to this article. It explains procrastination in a simpler, easier way instead of psychoanalyzing every little bit of it. Check it out if you want, but that's the main point of this blog post. No, it was the video that was included in the article that I particularly enjoyed! Here, see for yourself!

Here's what the website had to say on this video. 

The kids sat at a table in front of a bell and some treats. They could pick a pretzel, a cookie or a giant marshmallow. They told the little boys and girls they could either eat the treat right away or wait a few minutes. If they waited, they would double their payoff and get two treats. If they couldn’t wait, they had to ring the bell after which the researcher would end the experiment.
Some made no attempt at self-control and just ate right away. Others stared intensely at the object of their desire until they gave in to temptation. Many writhed in agony, twisting their hands and feet while looking away. Some made silly noises.

 ...

Mischel has followed the lives of all his subjects through high-school, college and into adulthood where they accumulated children, mortgages and jobs.
The revelation from this research is kids who were able to overcome their desire for short-term reward in favor of a better outcome later weren’t smarter than the other kids, nor were they less gluttonous. They just had a better grasp of how to trick themselves into doing what was best for them.

This article in itself was very fascinating, and I thought I'd share. Also, the video is pretty damn cute. Just saying. 

4 Hours of Music!

Today I just felt like sharing one of my favorite mixes from 8tracks. It's 76 tracks of hip hop- around four hours of great music. I may or may not have mentioned it before but I am the type of person that is open to many different genres, and I guess hip hop has find its way into my heart recently! This mix is really good to just relax and chill.

 

76 Great Hip Hop songs from semychuck on 8tracks.

Hope you guys enjoy.
I certainly did!
:)

American Horror Story!

Some of you guys might have seen the cheesy teasers for American Horror Story (a TV show that aired in 2011). I wasn't a huge horror/thriller fanatic at the time so I just ignored it.  Besides, it looked too much like a mashup of overused horror themes and stereotypical characters.

 

What finally brought me to watch it was because of boredom. Well, that's what I told myself. Truth is, a little part of me actually devours TV shows like these so I thought I'd give it a try! And it was possibly one of the best decisions I made, TV show-wise. 

What's so special about AHS is how it can already give you the chills by the way it's been filmed, its transitions, and its extremely spooky opening sequence. In addition, it's hard to find the one main character/protagonist. Now, people who like to follow the solid TV show structure might find this unappealing, but it in fact adds more mystery and gives you a chance to explore all the characters. AHS doesn't tell you everything from the start, there are even a few very vague clues scattered around for you to find out. Even by the season finale, you are left hanging to decide the answer to some of the questions. And... the plot twists! The plot twists are just... everywhere! And they are possibly my favorite part of the whole show. You can never predict what's coming and keeps you coming back for more. The actors in my opinion are great and it is very well-written overall.  I was devastated when Season 1 was over so fast, but I am glad there will be another one (different setting, story, house, etc. however). There is rarely any outright gore. No, the writers weren't that amateurish in trying to 'scare' you. It's the little things that really get to you.

AHS isn't your average horror story. I am so glad FX had decided to take up a new show that still has the old horror components, but have implemented so many unique elements that make it so creepy, so deranged, and so perfect! You will definitely be impressed (and creeped out) by the first episode. Even if you are not a huge horror fan, you will definitely enjoy this show if you enjoy mystery, drama, or thrillers. 

Now that I'm done with AHS for now, I'm planning on watching Sherlock. Any opinions on that?

Happy New Year!

I have 120 seconds before it's January 2nd, when this post won't be as legit. So let's make it quick. :)

Alright, I sincerely hope everyone has an awesome 2012! I know in the blink of an eye it'll be New Year's Eve again for 2013 (well, unless we all get wiped out on Dec. 21) because time seems to be going horribly fast! Here is a drawing of mine to symbolize the start of a new year.

I did mention I was in a bit of a hurry.