My Quarter-Life Crisis

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." - Elbert Hubbard

Many people reach the middle of their lives and begin taking stock: How much time do I have left? What have I accomplished thus far? Have I ever truly felt alive? 

This internal struggle - commonly referred to as a mid-life crisis - usually manifests itself outwardly through risky/outrageous acts, spontaneous trips, and expensive purchases.

As painful as a mid-life crisis is, this is not the only crisis of the modern world some of us are bound to face...

Before you can even reach the "What Have I Done With My Life?" crisis, you must first encounter the "What Am I Going To Do With My Life" crisis: The Quarter-Life Crisis.

The overwhelming panic of being thrust into the "real world" clueless of what the future holds can be a terrible experience for us in our early 20s to 30s: What am I going to do with my life? Did I go to school for the right thing? Or have I screwed it all up already? Is happiness even a real thing?

Unlike a mid-life crisis, young people typically don't have the option to spend their savings on something to help cure their crisis. So what do you do?

Here's how I've been spending my quarter-life crisis...

Becoming A Warrior

Lately, my interest in martial arts has become a small hobby. Israeli Krav Maga, in particular, has piqued my interest, and I've been practicing a few techniques I found online. Feeling my punches have been weak (and my stamina should be better), I've also begun doing strength-building yoga from a book I bought a while back.

Becoming A Feng Shui Master & Fashion Stylist

My quarter-life crisis has brought out my creative side. Around Christmas time, I mentioned I bought a book about feng shui, and I love interior decorating! I've been watching a lot of HGTV and pinning a lot of home decor on Pinterest.

When I grow bored of interior design, I turn to exterior design. I watch Fashion Star and create outfits on Polyvore (inspired by music that I like).

Connecting To Culture

I've begun watching a period anime, Samurai Champloo, with deep plots in each episode and the smoothest music! This show has simultaneously educated me about Japan in the Edo period and reminded me of what hip hop used to mean before... what it is now...

This thought of culture has me into spoken word again, too. I actually got the urge to write a poem after a hard day at work while listening to the above song. (That melody soothes me.) I've also started listening to poetry on YouTube - which I strongly recommend on a bad day.

What are your suggestions for coping with a Quarter-Life Crisis?

Let me know on Facebook!!!

The Epic Fail of Game Shows

Confession: I LOVE game shows!!! Below the surface, game shows can be quite thought-provoking. There are shows like Jeopardy that test your trivial knowledge, shows like Friend or Foe that act as human experiments, and shows like Deal or No Deal that are just simply entertaining. Here are some of my favorites:

• Jeopardy
• Wheel of Fortune
• Press Your Luck/Whammy
• The Newlywed Game
• Hollywood Squares
• Friend or Foe
• The Weakest Link
• Lingo

A must-have when choosing a television provider

After years of watching game shows (especially during my huge GSN phase), I'd thought I'd seen it all! But today, I came across something so bizarre I had to blog about it.

Three's A Crowd was short-lived game show of late '70s/early '80s (oddly reappearing in the early 2000s) created by Chuck Barris, father of The Newlywed Game and The Dating Game. Like its greatly more successful predecessors, Three's A Crowd was all about relationships...

The contestants were trios consisting of a man, his wife, and HIS SECRETARY being asked awful questions Newlywed Game style. Do you realize how bad an idea this is?

"Join us next week on Three's A Crowd - if we're still here!"

In a way, combined with The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, Three's A Crowd is the ending of a terrible love story...

Girl meets Boy

Girl marries Boy

Boy cheats on Girl with Secretary.

I can't imagine how so many people thought this was a good idea that this actually lasted on television for five months, was syndicated, and revived years later. But the part that freaks me out is the people who are actually playing the game like this is normal!!! Wives, if you're husbands' secretaries can answer any of these questions, you need a divorce.

This show was so bad that due to the feminist, conservative, and religious groups protesting it and "the sometimes-evident lack of fun the contestants were having" caused Creator Chuck Barris to step away from television production all together.

And I thought The Newlywed Game was tough on marriages...

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The Budget-Conscious Shopaholic

When you've had a rough day, nothing feels better than shopping! Hard day at work? A pair of new shoes will take care of that! Love sick? Dr. Alexander McQueen and Nurse Chanel have just the thing for you! A new wardrobe can instantly make you feel better.

See how happy they look? Better than Xanex.

One problem: It is insanely expensive!!!

Shopping addiction is an expensive affliction! A few bad days can put you in serious debt if you're not careful. But I have a solution!!!

For those unfamiliar, Pinterest is a pin-board style photo-sharing website that links to blogs and websites. (A good amount of useful information is shared there, too.)

My Pinterest account currently has 22 boards and over 3,300 pins. One of the boards is called: "OMG! Shoes." Yes, I created a separate blog solely (get it?) for shoes. It's merely one of the blogs I use to dream of a better tomorrow where I actually own or have visited the things and places I've pinned.

I'm no shopaholic, but it makes a bad day a little better to nice (expensive) things. Of course it would be infinitely better to own these things, but until I become a billionaire I'll work with what I have.

P.S. Pinning clothes and outfits is a great way to discover your sense of style.

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. -- Bo Derek

Don't You Agree? Share your thoughts on Facebook & Feel free to follow me on Pinterest!!! 

The Villainesses of Gotham City

I read somewhere: "If you grew up in the 90s, you know Batman the Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures is the truest form of Batman." I'm not sure if everyone agrees with that, but I do! From the art to the dialogue, even if this isn't the truest form of Batman, there is just a certain allure to this show that has yet to be surpassed.

Though, there is one thing in particular that I love most about this childhood favorite: strong female characters!

Every time I watch something action-packed, I look for the strong female character. Whether they're heroes or villains, I admire strong women who challenge the "delicate flower" stereotype. However, the creation of strong female characters isn't always done the best way...

But the villianesses of Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures are more than men in drag. They hold their own as criminals while maintaining both their femininity and individuality. The following ladies of crime are far from stock characters...

Poison Ivy

First, prior to becoming a villain, Pamela Isley, was a botanist. (Yay! Women in science!) As one of Gotham City's Most Wanted, Poison Ivy fights to protect the environment and often experiments with natural ingredients to use as toxins. Saving the environment; one less Batman at a time.

Harley Quinn

Harleen Quinzel was another successful woman - a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum - turned bad girl. Granted, she's not a solo act, but what other woman could hold her own in The Joker's freak show? Harley is a fantastic character because her relentless infatuation/love for "Mr. J." (regardless of how he treats her) gives her character relatable and depth.

Catwoman

Selina Kyle is a socialite with a thirst for adventure by day. But by night, she gets her thrills stealing from vaults and museums. Personally, I like that her entire reason for being a criminal is boredom. Aside from that, what sets Catwoman apart from the other women of this series is her relationship with Batman. He's head-over-heels for her, so each encounter is an inner struggle between his fight for justice and his heart.

Is there a television show you watch solely for the characters?

Let me know below or on Facebook!

When A Game Is Not A Game Anymore | Guilds

Recently, I began watching my latest anime addiction, Sword Art Online, and its premise has me thinking... 

SAO is set 20 years in the future where a popular new MMORPG - much like World of Warcraft - has just been released. Of course, this is the future, so video games are much more than a television and a controller. This game uses software that connects to your brain for true virtual reality.

It's all fun and games at first. However, it is soon discovered that the players cannot log-out and they must complete the entire game to return to the real world. Oh! And if you die in the game, you die in real life!

If you were the main character, Kirito, what would your next move be???

Join a guild OR Remain a solo player?

To Join a Guild...

My first instinct told me to join a guild. There's safety in numbers, right? Maybe; maybe not. What defines a guild in a game like WoW or SOA is skill.

You don't want some moron whose going to abandon the plan and just run into danger in your guild, do you? 

In this case, most of the players were beginners (with a few beta testers like Kirito in the mix as well) which offers a pretty level playing field. But beginners are dangerous in matters of life-and-death!

This thing has no time for your learning curve.

Also, although these are completely different circumstances and everyone has abilities they don't have in the real world, it's important to remember that your guild members are still human. They still experience happiness, anger, sorrow, envy, and other human emotions; they can still walk the line between good and evil...

...Or Not to Join a Guild?

There is great honor in deciding to take on your fears alone as a solo player. Fortunately, Kirito is a good enough player to survive - at least thus far - on his own. As a solo player, he doesn't have to protect a less skillful comrade or worry about being player-killed by an evil teammate. 

However, it has to be a little lonely and more difficult on your own, right? Not only must you face the terrifying bosses and fall into horrifying traps alone, but you can't rely on a buddy to heal you or share objects. It's just you, your objects, your skill, and the hope that all of that is enough.

Don't weep for Kirito, though. He manages to make some friends along the way, and I'm certain he's somewhat enjoying this experience as well.

After all, every cloud has a silver lining...