Come listen.

"Because Heavenly Father loves His children, He has not left them to walk through this mortal life without direction and guidance" (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf). The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, provides that direction and guidance.

I would like to personally invite you to come listen to living prophets. I always look forward to the opportunities I have to hear counsel from God's servants and to be spiritually enriched. I know that our prophet today, Thomas Monson, communes with God and reveals His will for us. Just this morning, President Monson announced that all worthy and able men can serve missions at the age of 18 (lowered from 19) and worthy and able women can serve missions at the age of 19 (lowered from 21). This is a divine revelation from a prophet of God.

I love this Church and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. With every fiber of my being, I know that He lives. I have a testimony of the power of prayer; God hears and answers them. I have a testimony of this beloved gospel; it has given me a happiness, a joy that I cannot find elsewhere.

gc.lds.org | #ldsconf | mormon.org

I'm in this. Watch it.

Paloma.

So. Second week of school and I decided to write about my women crushes. Quite appropriate, isn't it? Well, I've been obsessing over my newest crush lately.

In addition to Emma Stone and Anna Kendrick,

I have fallen in love with...Paloma Faith.

Oh, Paloma Faith.

It wasn't love at first sight. Or first listen. But as her first album played countless times (it stuck on repeat while on a drive to the airport to pick up my dear friend) her voice, an interesting combination of Adele and Amy Winehouse, grew on me. And I am hooked.

My life...Whaaattt!!!

I feel somewhat obligated to talk about what's been up the last couple weeks before I rant on again about music (oh no...insecurity coming up...um...do you like my music posts?) and people I will never meet or write something that I actually put effort into.

Here's a little update on my life, in a very unorganized manner.

Reading: "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin. Whaaattt!!! Love it thus far. Those Russians are so romantic.

I burned my body at Coopers Beach a couple weeks ago. Whaaattt!!! I did not enjoy getting my first sunburn of this scale. It was a nice beach though. Waves were a little big, so I practically died (not really). I turned a shade of red I have never seen on myself. And it hurt, man. It hurt.

I flew a plane. Whaaattt!!! I got a little motion sick in the tiny cockpit, but it was fun and invigorating, and a lot less scarier than I thought it would be...my instructor was sitting right next to me.

This was the plane.

This is me in the plane.

I went to Boston to visit Mel at Berklee. Whaaattt!!! I wish I played an instrument better so I could transfer there. Also, I thought I liked Boston more than New York City for a couple minutes, but then I slapped myself when I went back to the city that same week with a dear friend of mine. Boston is cool, but not as cool as NYC. Also, Boston's homeless people are scarier...they grasp onto you. (It didn't happen to me, but to the man in front of me.) And it was darker at night. (Random aside: I've also decided that I will probably live on a coast when I graduate. East or West, in the United States or in Asia. Somewhere by the water.)

Me and my Asians.

If you have been around me long enough, you know I eventually start talking about Asians, and more specifically, Asian Americans. I can't help it. It's weird that being Chinese American myself somehow wired itself into my brain so that I have a sort of OCD about my people: I have to know about all the Asian Americans making it big out there in entertainment. I have to support them in some way because...well, because there is a small number of them and the ones who have made it into the spotlight shouldn't have (ahem...William Hung...who I totally forgot about until he made a cameo appearance on an episode of "Arrested Development").

But why entertainment? Simply because we all know Asians excel in everything else and one thing lacking may or may not be bugging me...

YouTube. Great, glorious YouTube is where most of my Asians reside. I love them.

Here is one of my favorites: JRA, a Filipino from Alaska

Here is the first concert I went to: Kina Grannis, a Japanese/English mix from California

Here is one of my first YouTube loves: AJ Rafael, a Filipino from California

And all their related videos link back to one another eventually. They collaborate with one another. They're all best buds or they all know of each other. I love them all.

No more wisdom.

The machine kept on beeping. What was this supposed to measure? My heart rate? I tried to find my pulse. Nice and slow, but the blue blips on the screen told me otherwise. It was up at 100 beats per minute. Good, so it's broken. If I die in the middle, no one will know. Whatever.

A bit dramatic, I know, but I was doing everything I could to keep my mind off of what was going to take place in this room. There will be blood...and drilling...

Okay, stop thinking about it.

I looked down and examined the chair I was sitting in. The faded, light turquoise chair complimented the bleach white walls. I'm sure you would find the same color combination inside a nice, quiet, secluded insane asylum where no one can hear any screaming...my screaming...

The blood pressure meter cuff started inflating, cutting off circulation in my left arm--I was onto something. They were going to get me.

I chuckled at my own attempt to ease myself.

"Alright, Eden, are you ready?"

No. No, I'm not. Nononononononononononono.

"Yes."

I took a deep breath and stared straight through the ceiling. I felt the needle pinch my skin and move a little as the oral surgeon taped the IV on my arm.

"Okay, now we're giving you the anesthesia."

Okay...I got this. I got this..Ighothis...whoa....

I blinked and the ceiling spun. I blinked again and the ceiling spun. I got dizzy so I stopped blinking, something that began to concern my father.

"Yuafeialaweoif?" he gargled.

Entertainment Blogging Scholarship: Community.

"Streets ahead," "you Britta'd it" and "Annie's Boobs" may seem like completely random utterances to the average un-American; to the true American--one who consumes more than 38 hours a week of video watching alone--these phrases become daily colloquialisms. Television has integrated itself into our lives and with innumerable shows bouncing off satellites, it's hard to pin a single series that has had the greatest influence on society. However, one show out-bounces the rest. NBC's "Community" has the greatest effect on American society and such a claim is backed by the same fans who are the basis for my thesis.

No other TV show today has quite the following as "Community," a series about seven students at a community college. Inevitably, with so many protagonists who each possess incredibly diverse personalities, anyone who watches can relate in one way or another to an aspect of a character, or two or all seven.

"You remind me of Ken Jeong in this new show...though it might be because you're Asian," my friend said. I watched, I was hooked and I gorged myself on the first two seasons within the first two weeks of summer 2011, a feat common to newcomers of "Community."

On a dreary November 14th last year, the Internet informed fans of even drearier news: "Community" announced a hiatus. The fans, myself included, were in an uproar. Tears were shed over the proven fact that 'hiatus' was code for 'cancelled'. Fury burned in the hearts of fans who immediately retaliated by utilizing the Internet to rally fellow cult members to save "Community."

        

These were only but a few examples of the efforts of the fans. Facebook pages were created, petitions drawn up, fans blogged, vlogged and commented on every page that contained the word 'community'. We were unstoppable. This show was not going to die on us.

Our efforts paid off and here we are today. "Community" has been renewed for a fourth season (which premieres on October 19th!).

But what is the appeal of "Community"? Why did it win E!'s '2012 Save One Show' campaign? 

Nested within the Greendale Seven--Jeff, Annie, Britta, Shirley, Troy, Abed and Pierce--are insecurities and desires that each American, that each human being, can relate to. Human beings encounter stereotypes based on skin, gender and age. Human beings face the unreachable expectations of parents or even from themselves. Human beings desire to change the world. Human beings want to face life and all its challenges with a companion, a best friend. Human beings chase their dreams. Human beings yearn for acceptance from other human beings.

"Community" teaches us how to cope, how to love and, essentially, how to be human in the face of every scenario imaginable. As this study group of misfits embraces one another and unveil unconditional love--even in the face of difficult character flaws--we fans gain hope that someone (or a group of someones) out there will accept us for who we are, imperfections and all.

#sixseasonsandamovie

This scholarship is sponsored by USDish.com

Beirut.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful.

My shallow side....

You may have seen the last couple pictures I posted/were posted on my page on Facebook.

Sometimes, I'm really confident.

Anyway...pertaining to the title (but I guess the images above also reflect that):

It is perhaps my guiltiest of my guilty pleasures. (And my parents will probably be appalled that I'm publicly announcing this...and that it's my longest post amongst my recent posts.)

My guiltiest pleasure: The Bachelorette.

Jack.

So. I kinda worship Jack Donaghy.

Today, I met a woman whose first name is Lemon. Needless to say, I took advantage of every opportunity to say her name just so I can be like Jack. 

So. I guess I kinda worshipped myself today.

Blind Pilot.

Such beautiful music. 

I love you all.