Marvelous Happy Things

 The time has come for the next round of HSM Songs, Ranked. This tier is HSM: The Concert (minus Zac). Again, these are in no particular order. See if you can guess which original film is my least favorite. You are the Music in Me (Sharpay's Version)- Sure, Sharpay can flaunt her choreography, but the fact that Troy has zero idea of what he needs to do during this means it isn't winning any "awards." And since she is in costume, this could be a dress rehearsal. Bonus point for the fog machine or pyro that startles Troy. Gotta Go My Own Way- #2 in Gabriella's songs list, although this is technically a duet. Bonus point for the dramatic acting from both characters. Everyday- This is a nice group song, but it is a little sleepy. I guess we could cut them some slack as this is a talent show performance at a formal event. (I suspect they sing a reprise of this as they look at the stars and Troy and Gabriella almost kiss, but I haven't seen that scene enough to know...

Summer vibes and the arrival of HSM the Musical the Series Season 4 in August led to this ranking. My idea was to list all of the rankings in one post, but it will be too long. Songs are from the original trilogy. I'm starting at the bottom, and these songs are in no particular order. Sunday School Musical tier (yes, this exists)- Humuhumu song- originally only on the extended version of HSM 2, but now included on Disney+ *stuck in your head for days When There was Me and You- 3rd in Gabriella's solo songs. An impressive showcase of Vanessa's voice, but not the best in comparison. High School Musical (who says we have to let it go)- I understand the appeal of this being one of the few "musical style" songs in the trilogy, but I don't enjoy it.

 It's spring! Spring means wedding season, and for me, a reflection on 3 romantic comedies that have issues. *The following section has spoilers for Never Been Kissed, 13 Going on 30, and Something Borrowed. Never Been Kissed (1999) This movie loses a lot of romantic innocence because it has a lot of adult-teen romantic moments. The main character Josie pretends to be a teen for most of the movie even though she is an adult, and her brother does as well. Josie crushes on a teen for part of the movie. Her brother does stop the charade at one point as a teen girl is about to kiss him, but I don’t think it redeems the premise. Drew Barrymore plays Josie very well. If you took the student-teacher romance away, Josie and Sam could have a cute relationship. 13 Going on 30 (2004) Jennifer’s character Jenna is emotionally a teenager for most of the movie. She is friends with teens for part of the movie, and they don’t seem to notice. Her innocent reactions to the adult jokes help move the ...

Author's Note: This is a reflection of my grief in my community as a teen/young adult. This is not meant to be taken as advice. In the past decade, my high school community has experienced a lot of grief. We lost 2 grads and 1 current student before I graduated in 2014. A few years later, we lost another current student. Recently, we lost another grad. All of these experiences were sudden. Grief becomes a habit. I was not close to the 3 who passed away while I was in school. However, I felt a responsibility to grieve, even if it was only on the surface. Some of the community would question the circumstances behind these events. We would mention "living life to the fullest" to encourage each other. It was scary to see young life taken so many times. The community is culturally religious, so vigils and services were natural. These helped us connect with the families and celebrate the lives lost. Fellow classmates would come together to remember the person, then we would go ...

Have you ever shared a spiritual weakness or your spiritual journey with a large group of people (more than 2)? I have, and I regretted some of it afterward. For many young Christians in non-denom groups or church circles, sharing your "testimony" to a Christian group or a congregation can be a rite of passage. If you've never shared your own, you've probably sat in a sanctuary or gym and listened to someone share theirs. Often testimonies are full of vulnerable information about the person and dramatic moments in his or her life.  I didn't fully regret sharing my sin in the mission trip small group until a few weeks after the event. I was a college freshman attending a mission trip as a young adult leader. We were called to share our most prevalent sins with one another to show God's power and encourage repentance. I had not done this sin in a few months and thought it was gone from my life. I shared vulnerably with the group. Others told me afterward that I ...

 "Date someone at your church. I'm sure there's someone in the young adult group who's looking to date." "Group dates are a great way to get to know a lot of people." "Always carry money for a cab or prepare to call a friend if things go south." "Never meet him in a private place unless you know him really well." "He's a Christian-- so you won't have to worry about him making a move on you." Some of this advice is alright, while some of it is not. It's the more subtle situations that are difficult. If he isn't saying explicit comment x, y, or z, is he still "making a move?" Or is it a compliment? A difficult example of this is when comedian John Crist made comments to a woman while they were spending an afternoon together. She was later criticized by members of the general public for not understanding his suggestive meaning. Conversations about the current culture and dating safely are necessary, th...

It's now December, and such begins the Christmas season hubbub. I'm quite behind  on finishing this Disney/Nickelodeon show rankings series. If you need something trivial to be frustrated about, then you can be angry with these shows. Or, perhaps you like them. Thankfully, I have 5 shows for this list. They are in no particular order. Sorry, Babe Shows (as in, "Sorry, babe. You didn't quite make it.") Fish Hooks (2010-2014) (moved at some point to Disney XD) I generally enjoy Kyle Massey's humor, but if you ask him to be the voice of a fish, then it all goes downhill from there. The animation was not compelling. Are they trying to make an off-brand SpongeBob show? (I know many folks in the Gen X/Millennial generations grew up with SpongeBob, and I mean no offense to that show. I'm making a point for a commonality.) A.N.T. Farm (2011-2014) The one redeeming quality from this show is the Halloween episodes (1 for each of the 3 seasons), which I am not counti...

Happy November! Thanks for continuing to read this series. *I've chosen to leave a couple of shows off of this list that I originally included. (The final post will have more shows.) Workout Shows These are in no particular order. These are shows that you turn on when there is nothing else on, and you need to work out at 4 p.m. (this show or the news?) or you are eating lunch during the summer. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: This is a funny show if you don't care much about a plot. The kids get in some outrageous situations. Many of the jokes are too middle school age for me. (The characters are in middle school.) Bunk'd: I'm talking about the early seasons including the Ross kids, not the later ones. The theme song is pretty catchy, and the rich kids learn to rough it, which can be funny. Some of the jokes can be too elementary style. You may watch this show with a younger niece or nephew who would enjoy it, but probably not one to binge-watch.  Shake It...

This is part 2 of my series dedicated to ranking Disney and Nickelodeon shows.  These are in no particular order. Grade B KC Undercover: This marked Zendaya's return to Disney in a main role. (She first starred in a show we'll see later on.) The plot lines are fairly interesting, with lots of stunts. This show also doesn't take itself too seriously, like when it refers to the organization where they work as The Organization. Liv and Maddie: Twins! Played by one girl! The family dynamics and the plot twist that led into the final season make this show Grade B. There was also a real-life romance between Dove and her character Maddie's boyfriend for a period of time, which added to the cuteness factor. Jessie: This show earns points for including adopted children. Despite the Ross family's rich status, the kids are fairly down-to-earth. Jessie's adjustment to city life could also keep you watching. Plus, the theme song will stay in your head. Victorious: Talk about...

 I did this ranking a few months ago and decided to dig into it now, for your entertainment. *This will be a multi-part post.* Note: I will not include shows that I rarely watched or were on in the early 2000s, unless I've seen more than a few episodes. Sorry, Raven fans. Grade A: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody/on Deck: London and Maddie's friendship was worth re-watching several episodes. The premise of kids living in a hotel is unique. I enjoyed Cody and Bailey's relationship in On Deck , so that show is included here as well. Next! Wizards of Waverly Place: I don't know that I need to explain too much here. Selena's acting start? Plot twists? Family time? Austin and Ally: Will they? Won't they? This show included songs in many episodes and funny friends. Though they dragged on Austin and Ally's relationship status, the show still felt fresh. Zoey 101: Our first Nick show makes an appearance. It just celebrated 10 years! The plot revolved around normal k...

Author's Note: Learning about the Bible and discipleship did take place in my youth group, though this post is not focused on these topics. Our leaders guided discussions as they should. To my friends: I hope this post brings back good memories and you laugh a little as I try to explain our friendships and romantic experiences. Was it normal for this much romantic activity to happen in one youth group? Feel free to comment with your thoughts.  My high school youth group had an interesting phenomenon. Our group had a lot of “lovesick” teens. Meaning that plenty of my friends dated people in our church or people from school and would bring them to church. We had a player in the group who flirted with several girls. Friends would see a pair who spent a lot of time together (whether it was on a retreat or a mission trip) and speculate on their relationship. None of our leaders encouraged the dating relationships, probably because most of them did not last. I remember a conversation b...

Here are four movies featuring songs or themes about summer. 1) High School Musical 2: "What Time is It?" The movie takes place during summer, but the first song is a celebration of a school year ending and summer beginning. This song popped into my head often during high school summers. 2) Disney Channel's Starstruck: "Something about the Sunshine" This mention could be a surprise for you. The movie also takes place during a summer vacation, but during this song the characters connect over outdoor fun and get to know each other better. 3) Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie: "Surf's Up" This song reflects the joyful fun of a summer spent on the coast. (I'm not sure if it was an end credits song or not, but it mentions summer more than "Surf Crazy." I included it because of that.) 4) Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension: "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)" Since the series is centered around summer day...

*I started this analysis with Season 2 of the show, so moments from Season 1 are not included. Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper's relationship could be one of the first enemies to dating plot lines in Disney Channel TV. Chad is stuck up and selfish. Does his relationship with Sonny make him a better person? He asks her on a first date suddenly and is generally nicer once they start dating. He is nicer to her friends, though not to his costars on Mackenzie Falls . Sonny's friends tolerate their relationship, and they occasionally work with Chad to help Sonny. Sonny and Chad face pressure from friends and the media to show off their relationship to the public, including their first kiss. They decide during one episode to only be friends but then share their first kiss in private. They admit that their connection is strong and decide to continue dating. In the last few episodes, Chad starts putting his wants before others'. For instance, So Random! (Sonny's show) beats M...

I first learned of the concept of emotional purity in high school (around 2013) after someone suggested I read the book Emotional Purity  by Heather Arnel Paulsen. After first reading it, I agreed with many of the author's ideas. I decided to revisit the book and this concept to see if my thoughts on it have changed. Critiques are in italics. Emotional Purity is similar to the concept of physical purity, with it being an inner aspect of yourself that can be given away to many people or saved for one person. Paulsen relates a story that some women she surveyed remembered their first love, but few of them married their first love. She mentions that many women can become "emotionally married in [their minds] in less than ten seconds" (pg 98). While women can become emotionally attached to men, the opposite can also be true. Additionally, not all women form emotional attachments within a few meetings or dates. If someone uses this book as a handbook for social gatherings,...

Season 4 Episode 17 Aka the Musical My Mother Would not Approve of Spoilers are in the following sections. In this episode, the cast performs songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch . Someone is still leaving videotapes on their doorsteps. Which means a creepy person still lives in Riverdale, and the plot isn't slowing down anytime soon. Kevin can't perform a song from Hedwig  for the variety show he is organizing. Principal Honey won't let him. Kevin attends a sleepover at Betty's house, and the girls encourage him to perform as Hedwig. There's a cute song as they give him a makeover. Archie decides to sign his friends up as a band for the show. He calls them The Archies, and Jughead says, "Were the me-me-mes taken?" The students decide to stage a protest on Kevin's behalf and they all dress in drag as Hedwig. Kevin performs a song from the show in the music room. Casey Cott has one of the best voices of all of the cast, and he should have gotten ...

I started this list last fall, when I watched High School Musical (HSM) and HSM 2. Then I recently watched HSM again with my parents, which was funny, because my dad watched it with me originally, probably in 2008. Here are some quotes and funny observations, in no particular order. I tried to list the references as appropriate. HSM 2: "Did you ever get on a ride and wanna get off?"- Bet On It This happens to me often when I ride rollercoasters, but I wouldn't put it in a song. HSM 2: How did Sharpay's parents get so rich? This isn't addressed. Normally people who own country clubs work at them as well, and the Evans family hangs out like it's a second house. HSM 2: "No more waking up at 6 a.m." - What Time Is It If I woke up at 6 for high school on a day with no club meetings, I would be very early. My high school started at 7:35. HSM 2: Chad and Ryan switching clothes after the I Don't Dance sequence. No one addresses this. The fans have...

I decided to combine two episodes for this post. The plot is getting nuts! Spoilers are in the following sections. Season 4 Episode 13 Betty broke in to the "sanctum sanctorum." No Baxter Brothers contract for Jughead unless he writes a great novel by Friday. This is every writer's nightmare. Archie could close one of his businesses. This wasn't surprising to me, because he has a lot going on while being a high school senior. Veronica is struggling to come to terms with her father's illness. She decides to anger him to keep his mental strength up by competing with the rum business. I couldn't help but laugh at this line from Hiram: "You've awoken the dragon. Prepare to be eaten." Brett from Stonewall does have a tape of Jughead and Betty in their dorm room. Is he the one who was taping all of Riverdale? Our main four decide to go to a Stonewall Prep party after Jughead has been thrown out from the school for plagiarism, with sketchy evide...

After watching a few videos in which other fans did the same, I used tiermaker.com to rank every One Direction song. It has been long enough since the release of Made in the A.M. for my opinion to be somewhat objective. Enjoy! 1) THE Songs (love them, listen every time): Perfect, If Could Fly, Love You Goodbye, 18 2) Amazing (mean something to me or the band): What Makes You Beautiful, Little Things, Moments, Drag Me Down, Infinity, History, You & I 3) Good: One Thing, C'mon C'mon, Heart Attack, Story of My Life, Where Do Broken Hearts Go?, Fool's Gold, Night Changes, Fireproof, Spaces, Never Enough, I Want to Write You a Song, Home 4) Had Good Potential: Gotta Be You, More Than This, Live While We're Young, Kiss You, Last First Kiss, Over Again, Nobody Compares, Right Now, Little Black Dress, Though the Dark, Steal My Girl, Ready to Run, Girl Almighty, No Control, Better than Words, Clouds, Illusion, Once in a Lifetime, End of the Day, Wolves, Walking in th...

The following section contains spoilers. Season 4 Episode 12 I haven't been as compelled lately to review Riverdale episodes. But this one was interesting, and I think it sets up a lot for Episode 13 and even further this season. Is Brett a killer? I think he could be, but I'm pleased that he may not be Jughead's villain. I think that Brett is obviously obnoxious, which would make him a boring antagonist. It is fun to see Cole's angry side. It reminded me of his role as Cody Martin for some reason. I'm usually able to separate him from that role since it's been so long, but not this time. I thought it was ridiculous that they were fist fighting in a school, as an approved activity. I was impressed that Jughead won the fistfight. I thought it was fun that they played chess, and that  Betty and Jughead practiced in an offhand way. Every new adult character is murderous. I don't trust them. That random assassin scared me! Jughead gives up the chess matc...

Here are the facts: I am currently the only woman on my team of three at work. I have never to my knowledge experienced discrimination   because of my gender. My boss' boss is a woman. I have conversations with many older men (35 and above) in my company. I am a small woman, under 5 feet tall. I have a higher voice than some of the women in my company. My feelings:  Sometimes I suspect that they (not my managers, but other men) think I can't handle physical tasks. "Do you need help with that box?" Sometimes I do need help, but then I wonder if they respect me or not for needing help. My managers rarely show strong emotions, such as sadness or stress-induced anger. Therefore, I feel that I am not able to show many emotions in front of them, for fear of being perceived as weak or pitied. Sometimes I feel pressure to push through my tasks so that I stay under their radar and in good favor with them. I wonder if they see me as a potential leader or only being ...