Selena Gomez's Heartbreaking AMA'S Performance

Over the years, we’ve all watched and kept tabs on the infamous Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez relationship and if you have, you would know that they just recently broke up…again. If you’ve been keeping up with pop culture at all, then you probably also watched along with most of America as the American Music Awards premiered on TV on November 23, 2014. I remember as I was watching performance after performance, there was one specific one that caught my attention. Selena’s performance of her hit song The Heart Wants What It Wants.

                After starting out the song with an emotional entrance of her crying over her break up with Justin Bieber, she continued the song to perform one of her best shows yet. The emotion that she sang throughout her song with was enough to make the audience tear up, even her best friend Taylor Swift who was shown to be crying at the end of Selena’s performance. The song was originally written about her relationship and breakup with Bieber and the performance was centered on her heartbreak. So what does Justin Bieber think about this song?

                Selena revealed to Ryan Seacrest that Justin Bieber is in fact a fan of her single. He told Selena what a beautiful song he thought it was, even though it was hard to hear those lyrics about him.  Really though, who wouldn’t be hurt to hear lyrics like that about them? Especially with the prerecorded phone conversation about him that is in both the music video and the live performance, that would make it 10 times harder. It’s hard enough as it is to break up, but it makes it even harder when you’re both stars and your whole breakup is publicly broadcasted. That can’t make it any easier of an experience to go through, especially when the couple had been dating for so long.

                As you can imagine, Bieber was hurt to see the intensity of Selena’s emotions on stage during her performance and he tells friends that seeing what he did to her hurts him but he isn’t a big fan of how she portrayed him during the performance. The show was centered on Bieber and made it seem as though most of the faults in their relationship as well as their breakup were all because of him. He went publicly and explained that although he felt sorry for Selena and everything that happened between them, he wants people to understand that he wasn’t the only one at fault.

                Justin did also say how he wanted Selena back in his life and he supposedly went to the AMA’s to surprise her after her performance with flowers. What do you think? Will this vocal power duo end up back together?

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Crisis in Ferguson

                The world has watched on for months as the people in Ferguson, MO have dealt with the tragedy of losing fellow community member Michael Brown who was shot to death by Ferguson police officer Darrin Wilson. People in New York dealt with a similar situation as they mourn the loss of Eric Garner who died after being put in a chokehold by New York City police officer. So how many times do tragedies like this have to take place for people to realize that these things don’t have to happen and that they can make a difference?

                My parents raised me saying that violence was never the answer to any situation. Now granted, most of the time my situations that I experienced were pretty small compared to what is happening right now in Ferguson, but why can’t that slogan relate to what is going on there now? Why do we have to resort to burning down buildings or fighting with others? No matter how tragic the situation, if people could use the experience and join together to create awareness and fight back in a non violent way, then maybe there could be a way to prevent the cases like Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and Rodney King.

                In all your years of school, you’ve most likely heard the phrase “the US is one big melting pot.” That may be true, but just because we all look different doesn’t mean that were any different on the inside. Wouldn’t it be great if we could live in a world where all the racial barriers that we see today wouldn’t exist? So if we can dream of that world, then why can’t we make it a reality? If people are aware of the racial diversion that’s present around them, then they would be more likely to do something about it.  We can prevent parents from having to grieve the loss of their child or children having to mourn the loss of their parent. There is so much that could be done before we should need to revert to violence.

                The Ferguson situation is just one example. It started out with the death of one young man, but overtime through the series of events that have taken place, more people have gotten hurt than needed. Through the riots and the burning buildings, it's caused an immense amount of hurt on the suburb as well as people living within. Although it may feel good to get revenge and destroy things in the beginning, those initial feelings do wear off and all you’re left with is the hurt that you had in the beginning and a broken city.

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Trouble in Kardashian Paradise

What’s up with the Kardashian’s and all of their relationship troubles? First Khloe and Lamar then Kris and Bruce and now Kourtney and longtime beau Scott Disick and on the rocks. 

As many of you probably know Scott Disick has a major drinking problem (I mean it’s not like he tries to hide it) and if you’ve ever seen the hit TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians, you know that Kourtney Kardashian has always done whatever she can to get Scott to grow up and take responsibility. You also probably know that time after time Scott continues to break the many promises that he makes to Kourtney to keep her and his two soon to be three children in his life. If I was Kourtney, I would be long gone by now, but somehow she manages to stay because she wants to keep Scott in their children’s lives.

Over the past 6 months, he’s broken the two biggest promises that he made to Kourtney. Back in June, Kourtney sent him to rehab in hopes that he would get clean and be able to be apart of their family, especially with a new baby on the way. Unfortunately that fantasy was short lived as Disick left rehab after having been there for only 5 days. After coming back from rehab, he made yet another promise to Kourtney that he wouldn’t drink until after their third child was born, but that was quickly broken when he was spotted chugging cocktails at a party in the fall.

So how many times can Scott “slip up” before he loses Kourtney for good? According to inside sources, Kourtney has decided that if Scott doesn’t fulfill her ultimatum and clean up his act, she plans to leave him come the new year. Might I say, good for you Kourtney! There’s only so much that one person can take before it becomes to much and from what they’ve explained on the show as well as in tabloids, Scott has messed up quite a bit and doesn’t seem to be learning from his experiences. 

My belief is that he doesn’t actually believe that if he doesn’t sober up, Kourtney will really leave him. Maybe what he really needs is for it to happen so he can see that she was serious. What is it people say? You never realize what you have until it’s gone? If Scott can only see the greatness that Kourtney and his children bring to his life, then maybe he wouldn’t be so quick to take them for granted. 

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Bill Cosby Allegations

            As many of you probably have heard, Bill Cosby has been slammed recently for the accusations that he has been molesting girls for years now. All it took was for one girl to come forward, and now, it seems that every day there is a new girl stepping forward to add to the accusations. Now, Cosby’s entire world is crashing down for him and his family as he steps up to face these allegations.

            Bill Cosby is continually denying the allegations against him that he repeatedly drugged and molested young women who came to him seeking guidance about their career. But no matter how much Cosby denies it, that doesn’t stop these accusations from taking their toll on his reputation as well as his wallet. I know that when I got my weekly issue of People magazine and saw this story headlined on the cover, I was absolutely stunned. As a girl, I look at stories like this and it reminds me how bad some people in the world can be.

            Although Cosby is denying everything, the number of girls coming forward saying they were drugged and assaulted in astronomical and totaling up against Cosby. There comes a point when you can’t believe that that many girls would risk everything and lie about this. Maybe I’m wrong, but it just doesn’t feel to me that it’s something that that many girls would make up. There have always sorts of stories about Bill Cosby around for years, but it wasn’t until women began to come forward that people looked at Cosby in a new light.

            There are so many sides to Cosby’s story and so many people that believe he is innocent and others who strongly believe he’s guilty. I suppose that instead of jumping to conclusions, no matter how much we want to believe he is guilty of the crimes he’s accused of, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. I know that many people have already come up with a verdict for Cosby in their minds, our law states that “everyone is innocent unless proven guilty,” and I believe that we need to step back from our own accusations and wait for the evidence.

            With the “evidence” that has come to the table, things look a little bleak for Bill Cosby. Already 22 women have come forward saying that they are victims of Bill Cosby and it is said there are many more out there. And although it looks bleak, I ask you guys to just not jump to conclusions and wait because who knows, no matter how guilty he looks right now, what if he ends up being innocent?

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Black Friday Opening Times Controversy

Black Friday has always been a day that people look forward to every year. They spend a day eating lots of food and spending time with their families and then they get to spend the next day shopping. Lately, stores have started opening earlier and earlier for those Black Friday shoppers who like to get a head start. This year, some stores are even open as early as 5 on Thanksgiving Day.

This increase in opening time has caused a lot of controversy among people. Many people believe that stores shouldn’t be open that early. People should be able to enjoy time with their families and they shouldn’t be requiring people to work on Thanksgiving. There has even been petitions on Facebook. People are trying to tell people to boycott the stores that open super early and only shop at the stores that are opening at midnight or later than that. 

The petitions on change.org have people signing up to boycott these stores as well as people calling the store and complaining about how early they’re opening. People are complaining to these stores about taking their family away from them on the holiday and making them work. 

I have an aunt who works at Target and the last couple years, having the stores open early has been a problem for us. Normally my whole family comes down to our house for Thanksgiving but for the last couple years we have had to go up to Minnesota for Thanksgiving because of the fact that she has had to work at 5 or 6 on Thanksgiving night. 

I don’t think that people should completely boycott these stores that open early but maybe if people didn’t shop at those stores for the first couple hours that they open, the stores wouldn’t have a reason to open that early. I think that people should be able to spend that day with their families, and especially the people who have families that live out of town and they may not get to see very often. 

Every year the opening time for stores gets pushed up more and more and every year people get more aggravated about the fact that their families won’t be able to spend the whole holiday with them. If they just keep moving up more an more, then what say that theses times won’t be up and these stores opening at like 3 or 4 in the next couple of years. If the opening times of stores go up, then it feels as though the importance of Thanksgiving will begin to go down with people having to work and others wanting to get that early start on Christmas shopping.

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Victoria's Secret Changes Latest Ad After Lots of Backlash

Victoria’s Secret is known for their “perfect” models with their “perfect” everything, but lately that view on things has received backlash in society. So when Victoria’s Secret released their newest ad, with the saying “The Perfect Body,” on their website, people went absolutely crazy.

With petitions on change.org and strong social media response, people didn’t waste any time at all to tell Victoria’s Secret how much they disliked the ad. British students were the ones who created the change.org petition and it got more that 27,000 signatures. The students demanded that Victoria’s Secret apologize for their use of the phrase “The Perfect Body.” They claim that the use of the phrase promotes negative body image.

With all the feedback, Victoria’s Secret didn’t comment and instead quietly changed the phrase on the website to “A Body For Every Body.” Although this phrase is somewhat better, it’s still not great. The students still think it’s promoting the negative body image because all of the girls in the image have the exact same body type. What people would really like would be for the company to change all of their posters in stores, apologize and pledge to not use anymore harmful marketing in the future. 

The thing that’s most bothersome about the whole situation is that Victoria’s Secret has yet to comment at all on the situation. They were outed by people and changed their slogan yet people continue to talk to them and they will not comment or say  anything back. The company will not admit that they were wrong in the situation and that they shouldn’t have put it up on their website.

Victoria’s Secret has always been the company that makes girls feel insecure. Their use of the skinny, tiny models and many phrases about skinny, perfect bodies have made so many people dislike this use of negative body images. Girls should be able to feel comfortable in their own skin and not have to worry about body typing. Society today has made girls think that they have to look a certain way and they should be comfortable with the way they look. 

Body typing like this has been a major contributor to all of the body issues that girls have. To deal with these issues, they have tried to conform themselves to society’s version of the “perfect body” through ways that aren’t good for their bodies. These students should feel proud of the way that they spoke out against Victoria’s Secret and body typing. If everyone in the world could just feel more comfortable of themselves and their bodies, we wouldn’t have to deal with all of the issues of body typing. 

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British Honor Fallen Servicemen

On November 9, 2014 the British preformed a ceremony to honor all of the fallen servicemen who have risked their lives for the sake of Britain. It was a particular important date in the country’s history as this year is the 100th anniversary of the start date of World War 1.  The British first joined World War 1 when the Germans invaded Belgium, who had already declared themselves neutral in the whole war. The British decided that they could no longer sit back and ignore the problems, so they declared war. 

The entire royal family was present at the ceremony and it really hit home with some of them as both Prince William and Prince Harry were/are active servicemen in the British army.  All the Princes laid wreaths on the tomb as their wives stood from a balcony above and watched on. The wreath laying was followed by a moment of silence which then ended with a single cannon fire and the Royal Marine buglers playing the Last Post. After the short service, the whole royal family followed behind the Queen as they left the memorial while the entire audience applauded them.

Prince Harry even paid his respects the the cause with an unplanned trip to Afghanistan where he laid a wreath there and read from the gospel before he joined his fellow servicemen for the a song performed by the Royal Artillery Band. This service was greatly appreciated by so many people in Britain who had family members or friends who spent time committing themselves to the service of the country. 

Hearing about this service especially hit home for me who has had countless numbers of family members who served in the military. My Dad was in the Navy, my Grandpa in the Marines and my other Grandpa was in the Army during the Vietnam War. The one family member who really makes me see the meaning of bravery was my Great-Grandpa who spent time serving in the military for the AirForce.

My Great-Grandfather was in World War 2 as a pilot, but sadly he wasn’t able to make it home. His plane was shot down while he was flying across the jungle and it wasn’t until years later that they were able to locate his body. This service that the British put on for the fallen servicemen was completely touching and I really wish that somewhere in the United States, we would have a ceremony like that.

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Mystery Murder in Utah

In Springville, Utah, 5 family members were found dead in their bedrooms, but their deaths remain a mystery. No family member was stabbed nor shot and so no one has been able to figure out the cause of their deaths in weeks. 

The couple along with three of their children were found by their older son all in their parents bedroom after he did not hear from the family like he was supposed to. When the coroner ran an original autopsy, they found that the family was not killed by way of a violent assault, but when they also tested the air for carbon monoxide and didn’t find anything. Investigators have decided that the family could have been poisoned by gas and it could have disappeared over time.

This family deaths remains quite the mystery as there is absolutely no signs that their was a struggle and police couldn’t find any other evidence that could tell the police what exactly killed the family. They have turned to the idea of blood analyzing but that process can take up to six weeks or even months for results of that to come back. They have also decided to begin analyzing any food or drinks that the family may have consumed before the time of their death. 

Apparently, the family had run into some money problems and the father had borrowed amounts of money to help pay rent because the father often worked on and off for 6-7 years. According to his company, the business hadn’t seen him in the las two weeks. The parents were also involved in multiple court charges including forgery in 2008 and disorderly conduct in 2009. Unless the police can find out that foul play was involved, they won’t look into the family’s financial and court records.

This murder is a complete mystery to everyone especially since there is absolutely no evidence of almost anything that happened to the family. If new evidence is not dug up, this case could join the long growing list of unsolved murders in the United States. This murder brings back the memory of the countless family homicides that happen each year. 

The extended family of the Strack’s haven’t commented on the matter or the ongoing investigation. They are continuing to grieve in their own way the major loss and toll that this situation and investigation has caused the people of their family, especially the oldest son who was the one who discovered his family after their murders.

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Actors Getting into Character...Literally

You've always heard of actors spending lots of time practicing their characters so they can really get a better grasp on the role they must play, but have you ever heard of an actor actually becoming their character? Over time, you hear reports of the certain actors who completely engulf themselves in their work, and by that I mean when they receive a role in a movie, they don't waste time to completely become that character both on and off the screen. They spend the entire duration of the filming just being the character that they were given, like they forgot all about who they really were and entirely became someone else.

 The latest report was recalled by Anne Hathaway as she told people about filming The Devil Wears Prada with fellow costar Meryl Streep. Hathaway spills that when she first met Meryl, she was greeted in a warming hug and immediately felt loved but that went away the minute Streep opened her mouth and told Anne that that would be the last time that she was nice to her. At first you'd think that Hathaway would be speechless and not know what to think, but she soon learned that it wasn't that Meryl Streep didn't like her, it was because Streep was ready to completely transform herself into Miranda Priestley, her bitter, cold character in the movie. 

Meryl’s facade lasted the entire time the movie was being filmed. From the minute she stepped on the set to the minute filming, Streep never once strayed away from her bitter side especially when it came to her relationship with her co star Anne who she treated as Miranda treats Andie in the movie. Hathaway explains to the press how she loves and respects Meryl for her ability to be able to be able to become someone else for the entirety of the movie.

Streep isn’t the first and only actor who consumes herself into the role that she plays. So many other actors and actresses do the same exact thing every time they set foot on the set of a movie they are partaking in. Some go to great lengths to study their characters, their way of life, how they would talk, walk and everything else they could find out about their character. Actors like Nicholas Cage have been reported to do this technique as well, and I guess it works because these people are extraordinary actors and actresses.

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Katherine Heigl Addresses "Rude" Actress Rumors

Recently, many people have been making allegations about Katherine Heigl, saying that she can be quite the handful behind the scenes of shows and movies that she has been apart of.  Katherine is most famously known for her work as Dr. Izzie Stevens in Greys Anatomy as well as her role in the movie Knocked Up.

Heigl has been blasted with these allegations that she is a rude actress. Greys Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes spoke out about Katherine when she described her “no a**holes policy.” She went on saying that there are “no Heigls in this situation...I don’t put up with bulls**t or nasty people, I don’t have time for that.”

Katherine was then asked about the situation in a Facebook Question and Answer in support for her new drama State of the Affairs. She told fans that she has heard of these rumors and she doesn’t think she’s a rude person. So where did they come from?
 She tells fans how she doesn't like confrontation or hurting people's feelings, but like any normal human being, she makes mistakes and has sometimes said things that she doesn't mean but she has always tried to make it right and has never done it on purpose. She then goes on to tell fans that that doesn't mean that she won't stand up for herself and ask to be treated kindly and with respect because she thinks that everyone is entitled to the right of being treated that way.
 Heigl has tried to move past all of the negative comments and instead focuses on getting her fans excited for her return to TV hit series State of Affairs where she CIA briefer Charlie Tucker who is looking to solve the murder of her late fiancée. Katherine explains how she absolutely adores the show and her character. She loves how strong and independent her character is yet the fact that she still has weaknesses like any normal human being.
 Although it is great to see Katherine moving on with her life and accomplishing new things like this new TV series, I will be the first to admit that I miss her on the ABC hit show Grey's Anatomy. The show just hasn't been the same since they took Dr. Izzie Stevens from the script and the fact that she was one of the original doctors makes it a lot harder to be open to all the new characters that have joined the show since she left. I think that the way Heigl handled the rumors and accusations about her was incredibly professional and really showed her character in a good way.


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Cancer Patient Ends Her Life On Her Own

Brittany Maynard, 29 decided to end her life on her own thanks to Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act. She died peacefully on Saturday after deciding to take a fatal dose of barbiturates prescribed by her doctor when her pain became to much. Maynard made headlines when she went public with her plan to die on her own terms. 

Brittany was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma and was given only 6 months to live as of last spring. Maynard received a lot of positive feedback when her decision went public, but some people weren’t as supportive. Brittany commented to the criticism by saying “My glioblastoma is going to kill me and that’s out of my control, but being able to go with dignity is a lot less terrifying.”

Brittany Maynard has been communicating with fans about her condition through a personal website that she set up. She shared with people the reasons why she went public about her whole situation. She told everyone that she didn’t go public because she wanted attention, the reason she went public was to make people aware of the Death With Dignity act, because she wants to see a world where everyone has the choice that she had. She tells fans that that choice is what has made her journey through all of this easier.

Up until her very last days, Maynard was able to live her life to the very fullest. In late October, she and her family traveled up to the Grand Canyon to take one last family vacation together. Brittany did end up suffering from a seizure on the trip, but that didn’t stop her from sharing every detail with all of her fans. She became very vocal in telling each and every one of them her dream that every terminally ill person in America having the right to die with dignity and she encouraged all of her fans to help and make her dream a reality.

Brittany Maynard was an incredibly outstanding woman with hopes and dreams just like anyone else and unfortunately hers ended way to short. Her last weeks she spent so much time advocating for her purpose of having everyone able to choose to end their life if they want to and although she wasn’t able to accomplish that while she was living, it’s a dream of hers that all of her fans can help to make a reality for everyone in the future that wishes to make that choice.

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Another Duggar Wedding

As many of you know, the Duggars became known when they started their own TV show, 19 Kids and Counting about their life with 19, now 22 kids. Over the years, you’ve watched all 22 kids grow up and go through courtships and now 2 of the Duggars are engaged and married. Jill, 22 just got married to her husband Derick Dillard after a short courtship and they have just recently announced that they are expecting! Now, the time has come for Jessa Duggar, 21 to marry Ben Seewald, her boyfriend since September 2013. 

The Duggars have always had fairly strict courtship rules when it comes to dating. The couples have to CC both parents in every text that they send each other and they also must have a chaperone who is 10 years or older on each and every one of their dates, so that way it keeps the couples from getting to close when no one is looking. The girls also have to wear modest clothing because of their belief that their bodies are “special gifts” that should be saved “only for their husbands.”

On Saturday, November 1 Jessa Duggar officially became Mrs. Seewald! Four months after sister Jill got married, Jessa finally tied the knot. She and fiancee Ben surprised guests at their wedding by doing some things that are very untraditional. To start things off, instead of wearing the traditional white wedding gown, Jessa chose to wear a blush colored gown with crystals and pearls all over the bodice. The couple also chose to go pretty untraditional for their reception. Since Jessa isn’t the biggest fan of cake, the couple decided to serve ice cream sundaes that the guests could create their own with the multitude of toppings and different flavors of ice cream that they had to offer. 

Probably the most untraditional thing that the couple did at their wedding was when the pastor introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Seewald, Jessa and Ben chose not to have their first kiss at the altar in front of everyone. The pastor then went on to tell all the guests that the newlyweds had decided that they wanted to have their first kiss in a more private setting instead of in front all the guests. The pastor then asked Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar to come up and share a kiss in front of everyone instead. He then went on the say “There, now you’ve seen a Duggar kiss.” 

The guests did end up seeing the new couple kiss later on in the night. Jessa and Ben snuck off after the ceremony and before the reception to share their special first kiss and then showed all their guests through sneaking little kisses throughout the reception. All in all, it was a beautiful ceremony and the Duggar family are now down 2 members and have a new grandchild on the way!

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Bad Bachelor Track Record

It appears that Bachelor star Juan Pablo Galarvis and girlfriend Nikki Ferrell have officially called it quits after attempting to rekindle their relationship in Couples Therapy. That makes 22 failed relationships from the ABC hit TV show, The Bachelor. So why do they have such a bad track record when it comes to love? After all, it is a show that is aimed to help people find the love of their lives. 

Out of the 28 seasons of the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, only 6 couples have made it even after the cameras have stopped rolling and the season finales have aired. Some went on to get married and have children and others are planning their weddings at the moment, so be watching for that next Bachelor/Bachelorette live wedding!

Of that six, four are married and the other two are engaged. The very first couple to pull through, Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter got married in December of 2003 and now are married happily and have two children together. Jason Mesnick was a Bachelor and proposed to the winner of his season Melissa Rycroft but proceeded to break up with her on their After the Final Rose special, telling her that he fell back in love with his season’s runner up Molly Melaney, now Molly Mesnick as they got married and recently welcomed a baby girl, Riley. 

Other couples are Bachelorette Ashley Hebert who is now Ashley Rosenbaum. Ashley married finalist J.P. Rosenbaum and they now have a son Fordham Rosenbaum.  Season 18 Bachelor Sean Lowe, proposed to his bride to be Catherine Giudici and they wed on national television in a ABC live event. Desiree Hartstock who was sent home on Sean’s season became the next Bachelorette and is currently engaged to fiancee Chris Siegfried and Andi Dorfman, the most recent Bachelorette is now engaged to former baseball player Josh Murray.

So why out of 28 possible marriages did only 6 actually make it to their big day? I think that it’s easy to be in love and carry out that relationship when the cameras are rolling and it’s not out in the real world but when the filming ends and those couples are forced to adapt their relationship to reality, it makes it hard for them to make it work. It makes it especially hard to adapt when you become such a recognizable couple and the media is all over your relationship as if they’re just waiting for them to call it off so that they can be the first to report the breakup. 

I believe that the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are good shows that try to help people find love, but I also believe that it’s really not relatable for people. When people are taken out of the context of reality, it makes it so much easier for them to focus on each other and pursue the relationship, but when the show ends and they are thrown back into reality, that’s when you see many of the relationships die because they now have to face all of the difficulties that come with that the first half of their relationship didn’t have to deal with.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is the month of pink. Everywhere you look you’ll see pink, pink and more pink. As you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s the month where we make people aware of the harshness of the disease that so many women have to endure all over the world. 

To me, I love the month of October and I love the idea of dedicating a whole month to making people aware and raising money for such a good cause. Although part of me starts to wonder if the whole month is beginning to lose a little bit of it’s meaning.

In the beginning, it was all about raising the awareness for this cancer that didn’t have a cure and was affecting women everywhere, and now you see more of just all the pink and less of the explanation and talk of the meaning behind it all.

All month you see NFL football players wearing pink somewhere on your uniform and clothing brands come out with a pink line of clothing, but I’m starting to notice it being talked about less. The only time i’ve really seen it talked about so far this month is doing a pink out for high school football games. 

I love all the walks/runs that they do to raise awareness and allowing people to make teams in memory of people they know who have had breast cancer and been fortunate enough to overcome it or for the people who haven’t been as lucky is great as well. Maybe it’s just the city that I live in, but I have noticed a decrease in talk about Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year and I don’t like it, I think this month should really be recognized as it has in the past and I don’t want to see it fade.

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Misty Upham Tragedy

Many people know Misty Upham for her starring role in the 2008 film Frozen River. On October 5, 2014 the family of Misty shared via social media that they had not seen or heard from Misty since the previous weekend and that they were concerned for her welfare as she has had both mental and physical health issues in the past.

At the time of the announcement, the police did not open up a case or declare Upham as a missing person due to occasions in the past where they have been called during her disappearance but she had always been located soon after. I think that the police approached this the wrong way in this situation. 

They said that they never opened up a case because she had always been found within days after opening the case but this time by the time the family had contacted the local police department, Misty had already been missing for almost a week. The police also should not have just gone off of the previous record. If they would have not have gone off of what has happened in the past and opened up a missing persons case then you can’t help but wonder if they would have found Misty alive.

They found Misty on October 16, 2014 at the bottom of a cliff in the middle of a wooded area. She was discovered by her family during a small search party that they had organized with a few other members of their tribe. People believe that Misty’s death was an accident, that she tripped or slipped and fell down the cliff and that her life could have been saved if there had been a more open and thorough search done by the police department.

The family of Misty Upham is now speaking out about the lack of involvement they received from the local police department and telling people that if the department had gotten involved like it is their duty to do, they could have prevented Misty’s death. They have accused the department of lying and saying that they didn’t have evidence that pointed to Misty being a missing person when they really did and have told the media that the police department decided not to get involved because of past abuse to Misty.

I hope that the whole situation could have been completely avoided and I hope that they are able to get this figured out because I would never want something like this to happen to anyone else or anyone else’s family have to go through what Misty’s family went through. R.I.P. Misty Upham.

Word Count: 435

Ebola Paranoia

Lately, everyone has been extremely worried about a disease that’s been in Africa for awhile, but it just now making an appearance in the United States. That disease is Ebola. Ebola is a disease that in the later stages causes it's victims to bleed both internally and externally. Most of the time, the early symptoms are a lot like that of the common cold. A fever, sore throat, headache etc. 

The first reports of Ebola being present in the US were of Thomas Eric Duncan, a  Liberian who came to the United States to visit family in Dallas. Duncan passed away from the Ebola virus on October 8, but not before he transferred the disease to two nurses that were working his case during his stay at the hospital. Both nurses, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson tested positive for the Ebola virus days after complaining of a fever. 

Ebola is terrifying people around the nation frankly because of the fact that we have absolutely no idea how to cure it and it can be spread so quickly and in so many different ways. It’s also scary the fact that the early symptoms can easily be mistaken for  just the common flu and can be misdiagnosed unless medical  professionals are made aware of any previous exposure.

Now we have the big debate over the fact of pets. Many people think that pets are transferring the virus somehow. When nurse Nina Pham was diagnosed, her dog was put into quarantine and now they are debating whether they should put the dog to sleep so they don’t have to possibly risk the transfer of the virus to other people. This news has brought so many people into the debate such as animal rights activists who are trying to keep the dog as well as any other pets from being “murdered.”

It’s really sad that it has to go one way or the other. We either have to end the life of an innocent animal in order to eliminate risk, and if we don’t then we take the chance of losing the lives of many innocent people. So it all comes down to the one hard choice of which to choose. I think that the people in a position of power will choose the innocent lives of humans over innocent animals any day, but either decision they make will have people against it and leave people upset.

Word Count: 403

That Time of the Year: Haunted Houses

It’s just that time of the year again. People break out the costumes and masks and prepared to be scared. That’s right folks, it’s time for haunted houses. For me personally, I absolutely love going to haunted houses. Although I’m always terrified going in and I need someone with me at all times, I still love going and putting myself through the torture of almost peeing my pants every 5 minutes.

Every year, I always do the special trip to the haunted houses in my area. That’s right, for some reason I don’t just do one, every year I continually put myself through the agony of 2 or 3 haunted houses in one night. But it’s a tradition and I love doing it.

The one thing I’ve been super interested in are all the extremely scary haunted houses that I continue to hear about. I kept hearing about this haunted house in Baton Rouge that’s 13 stories of pure scary and they actually use live snakes and spiders and such. So I did a little research and the stuff is true!

The haunted house in Baton Rouge, LA is called 13 Gates and it’s 13 floors of complete terror and fear. Honestly I don’t know how someone could put themselves through that. They even have to put up a warning telling people that it they have faint heart problems, it’s advised that they shouldn’t go! How can someone put themselves through that? And there’s so many more haunted houses that are just like that! Some even go year round! I feel like if I tried any of those, I would possibly be emotionally unstable after!

There’s a certain level of scary that I can go through and the haunted houses in my area are about as much as I can take. Like really, live snakes and spiders!? I already have a deathly fear of them and then put them in the context of people in scary masks popping out at random points on top of that and it’s almost guaranteed that I will pass out!

If you are one of those people that love to be extremely scared then I totally suggest getting online and finding the scariest haunted house that you can, but for me I think I’ll just stick to the ones close to me that I know and I know I won’t die of fear because of!

Word Count: 400

Long Awaited Gossip Girl Baby is Finally Here!

Finally, something that so many people have waited for is finally happening. Movie stars and loved couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have announced that they are expecting a child! Personally, when I found out I was very excited. Blake Lively is one of my favorite actresses of all time since I started watching her on Gossip Girl a couple of years ago and Ryan Reynolds is just a great and extremely attractive actor.

This power couple announced their pregnancy via Blake’s website when they posted a maternity picture of Blake. The couple has received absolutely nothing but great vibes from fans on the news.

When I first started watching Gossip Girl, I completely fell in love with Blake Lively and her character Serena van der Woodsen. I love her look and the things she stood for on the show so I’ve been a huge fan ever since. I was super happy when they announced the pregnancy. From reading about them in magazines, I’ve known that since they got married, they’ve always told people they wanted to have kids and start a family.

Of course it didn’t surprise me one bit that the couple didn’t divulge their pregnancy to fans until Lively was well past her first trimester but she did spill the news to her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars long before anyone else.

Blake Lively first met on the set of their movie, Green Lantern when they were both dating and married to other people. Their relationship started out with a friendship which is something that anyone would hope for their relationship someday. I think that it is so great that the couple made it a priority to have a solid friendship before proceeding with a relationship. They started dating and wed in 2012 and now look where we are! Awaiting the arrival of their first child who will no doubt be an adorable little baby!

Word Count: 319

Football In Full Swing

NFL football has become such a huge part of American Society. I know in my house, once August rolls around and preseason starts, Sundays become designated football days, and our TV is on ESPN nonstop. I absolutely love the game of football. Now I would never play it, but for me it’s such a fun sport to just watch. Sure, watching your favorite team every week on your TV is fun but let me tell you, there is nothing better than getting to go to the stadium and watch everything happen live. Each year, the NFL makes approximately $800,000 dollars in ticket sales for each game. When you go to the stadium, there’s no commercial breaks or TV buffering, it’s all just happening live.

            I’ve had the luxury of being able to go to at least one football game each year. I am a Green Bay Packers fan (yes, I can hear some of you groan) and so is basically everyone on my Dad’s side of the family. After waiting for about 30 or more years, my grandparents were able to get Packers season tickets, so we have reserved seats for each home game. Since I was 11 years old, my dad has taken me to one every year, and the memories I have acquired are unforgettable.

            My first game that I went to was the Packers vs. the Bears and it was probably my favorite. When I arrived at the stadium, I was completely taken aback by how large it was and how many people were there. When we were able to find our seats, we sat by two older ladies. One of them was completely decked out in Packer gear, like I’m talking head to toe even her socks and shoes were Packers. I immediately fell in love with her entire outfit and I guess she could tell because a couple minutes into the 1^st quarter, she started handing me small pieces of her outfit. All in all, I think I got a pin, a hairpiece, a scarf and some pom poms that day!

            Some games you may not have the best experience. About 2 years ago, I attended the Packer vs. Vikings game at Lambeau Field. There were so many people drinking at that game, as you would expect for a football game, but what I wasn’t expecting was that many people who were extremely drunk. About a half hour before the game even started, we went to our seats and when we got there, there was a drunk man the row in front of us talking on the phone. He was asking his friend where he was and then I turned around and saw another man a row behind us also drunk talking on the phone as well. To me it sounded like they were having almost the same conversation. Turned out they were, they were just so drunk that they couldn’t figure out where they were.

            So with football season back in full swing now, millions of Americans will begin to dig through their pockets to purchase the tickets that will give them the memories to last a lifetime and something so much more fun than watching it on TV.

Word Count: 535