An Abundance of Katherines: This Extreme Dumpee Approves

The second John Green book I read this month is An Abundance of Katherines and it was a much better experience than Paper Towns. It was much shorter and more interesting (maybe because I hadn't seen the movie first). A book about math AND love; my two faves!! I liked the discussion of Dumpees and Dumpers because, let me tell you, I am an extreme Dumpee just like the main character. I've never been in a romantic relationship but my friends dump me constantly.  The book discussed feelings of loneliness, love, friendship, and just people really well.

Fave Quotes: 

“It's just that I learned a while ago that the best way to get people to like you is not to like them too much.” <- also, very true in my SAD experience.

“Because you're only thinking they-might-not-like-me-they-might-not-like-me, and guess what? When you act like that, no one likes you.” <- in my SAD experience this is VERY true.

As a Muslim, I did not like Hassan's character. I get that all Muslims are different and so yeah, I'm sure there could be someone like Hassan. But does he have to call his friend Kafir so many times? He wasn't the best portrayal of a Muslim to me. Also, it's possible I don't always like John Green's writing style. I think he has profound things to say through his writing but the execution sometimes isn't there. Here, it was close. I've got to say. All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: Early August 2017.

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Riverdale Review: Excellent but worried it will go the Pretty Little Liars route

Just finished watching the season one finale of Riverdale. This show is a gem! *slow clap* Great job, Riverdale writers and the CW. This was a great mystery story. Even though it is supposed to be a teen mystery, I felt like it was a mature and coherent story. Though sometimes, I think it purposely bring Teen Show elements into the show just to remind us that yes!!! This is a Teen Show!!! like the dance battle which I think is cool that it’s so self-aware. Another self-aware moment: when they mentioned the Bechdel Test in the season finale LMAO. I really hope it does NOT go the Pretty Little Liars route. PLL was pretty good in the beginning but then ruined it with a jumbled and illogical story. The season finale gave us ANSWERS (who killed Jason Blossom) and left us with reasons to watch the next season. The CW remains as one of the best networks on TV, and I have high hopes for season 2. 

Rating: 5/5. 
Completed: August 10. 

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Paper Towns: I don't want to read about the 10th time Quentin visits a subdivision

My Paper Towns by John Green: I liked the movie better ☹. This book tended to drag and I'll venture to say it was unnecessarily long. I don't want to read about the 10th time Quentin visits a subdivision. I see why it had to be long - its a mystery and so clue finding can take some time but I feel like the clue-finding should have been done in a more exciting way. I also didn't like the ending with Margo standing there in the dark with Q. It felt a little sudden and inconclusive. It just didn't make the moral of the story too clear. The ending made it seemed like Q still thought Margo was all-that. I wanted the end to acknowledge all the friends who he went on the road trip. Instead, they disappear and dont return at the end. I think the movie did a better job when it showed everyone having fun at prom in the end. That showed that Q was over Margo and appreciated the real friends he had in front of him. I obviously love the moral of the story: you should imagine people complexly. I wish it just didnt take 300 pages to get there. 

Rating: 2/5. 
Completed: Early August 2017 

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Why the Brothers Osborne Music Video "It Ain't My Fault" leans Anti-Trump

Brothers Osborne released a hilarious and insightful music video for their song "It Aint My Fault." It features robbers in masks of the last four U.S presidents and pokes fun at all of them. Watch it by clicking here.

The message of the video is clear. All four presidents are robbing from the American people. Even though two are Democrats and two are Republicans, it doesn't matter what party they are. They are all on the same team. Robbing what you ask? Money, freedom, the truth, etc.  Towards the ending of the music video, you see protesters fighting with each other which is supposed to mirror Democrats and Republicans fighting with each other in current times. This prevents the cop from catching the real bad guys - the presidents. I think the cop is supposed to represent a true unbiased assessment of the situation which is why he chases after all of them. However, this leads me into my main argument - that this music video leans Anti-Trump

Country Music is traditionally seen as a Republican genre so I see that Brothers Osborne wouldn't want to rock the boat but there are many hints to the duo being against Trump

1) Truck with the American Flag license plate crashes into Trump.

A truck with an American license plate LITERALLY crashes into Trump. What this is saying is clear - American values conflict with Trump.. Conservatives think they have a monopoly on Patriotism, so it is nice to see it being used here. Trump is Un-American in his rejection of the Free Press. Trump is Un-American trying to ban people from our country based on religion. What this shows us is that America sees Trump for what he is and is fighting back. 

I also love how the driver in the truck is a young woman. 

2) Whenever the cop needs to choose who to chase, he chases Trump.

My theory, as stated above, is that the cop represents an unbiased judge of right and wrong. Here, he chooses to go after who he believes is worse, and that's why he constantly chooses Trump to go after.

3) The Fake News Helicopter

This is making fun of Trump's crazy statements saying all the mainstream news outlets are fake news just because they don't support him.

4) Trump at church, Obama at white guy's house

This part of the music video is supposed to highlight the enemies of each president.

4a: Setting

Trump finds himself at a Black Church where he starts dancing and acting like he owns the place. Obama finds himself at a white gun owner's place, knows he is in trouble, and tries to escape. I think this shows what it means to be white and black in America. When Trump, a white man, goes into a black church, his white privilege causes him to be okay. When Obama, a black man, goes into a white environment, he is in danger and gets shot at.

4b: Trump tries to steal the Black woman's money.

The only bad thing that happens to Trump at the church is he tries to steal her money, and she gives him a look and stops him. That's the issue most of us minorities have with Trump. He's trying to take away our rights and we want to stop him.

4c: White shooter looks like George Zimmerman

White Man in "Aint My Fault" Music Video

George Zimmerman

The man who tries to shoot at Obama looks like George Zimmerman. I don't think this is a coincidence. I think this is purposeful and is supposed to emphasize how black people are unsafe in some white environments because of the racism that exists in this country.

5) Trump can't get over the wall

At the ending of the music video, it's HILARIOUS how Trump is the only one who can't get over the wall. This of course, is supposed to make fun of Trump's ridiculous "Mexico will pay for the wall!!" stance which has been a major part of his platform. This policy is exclusionary, petty, and a waste of money so I can see why the Brothers Osborne would make fun of it.

6) Hilary Clinton helps Bill over the wall

Clinton looks badass in this. She looks strong, intelligent and resourceful. Music Video paints Trump's rival in a positive light? (Like Clinton is super easy to make fun of but this music video chose not to??)

Well those are most of my arguments. I really loved this music video. It's thought provoking but also fun seeing all the presidents chase after each other.

Here are some fun observations:

• Bill Clinton checking out that woman while running from the law.
• I wonder where they got the idea of Barack Obama vacationing after getting over wall?

• George Bush is considered stupid so he leaves the bag of money open on the top of his car.
• "Little and Fierce" sign. 'Nuff said.

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Sign of the Times, a lyrical analysis from Harry Styles the album

Sign of the Times, Song Meaning and Lyrical Interpretation

When I first heard Sign of the Times, I was VERY confused. As you probably guessed, I love analyzing music lyrics and I tried so hard to really understand these lyrics with almost no avail. So let's try again!!!

Just stop your crying
It's a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you're wearing your best clothes

"It's the sign of the times" denotes that something serious and meaningful is about to happen, but it is said with a negative context. When I usually hear "Sign of the Times," I think "The world is ending." This is confirmed through "Welcome to the final show." "Wearing your best clothes" and "stop crying" suggests accepting that this is happening.

I think the above lyrics suggests that the world as a whole is becoming negative. (With the mass shootings, terrorist attacks, Trump/racist policy decisions).

You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky
You look pretty good down here
But you ain't really good

"Bribing your way to the sky" means you can't bribe your way into Heaven. The last two lines are confusing. Is Harry saying that you might appear to be good (i.e go to Heaven) but you actually aren't and should go to Hell? Rough Stuff.

A different interpretation is that he's saying you look like you are fine, but you really aren't because these hard times are taking a toll on you. You want to bribe someone to stop the hard times from happening. Here bribing your way into Heaven, means bribing your way out of a bad situation.

You want to bribe your way out of the negative state of the world. You really aren't handling it well.

We never learn, we've been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
The bullets, the bullets?
We never learn, we've been here before
Why are we always stuck and running from
Your bullets, the bullets?

Harry is saying one bad thing after another is happening. He can't escape the bullets, they keep on firing. He tries to avoid the harm from all the bad stuff he is experiencing, but it's hard. He also hints that maybe these bad times, are a little bit our faults with "we never learn."

"We never learn," means the world never learns. The world has been fighting wars and killing each other for CENTURIES. We never learn how to get along with each other. So we as Earth's population keep on dodging the bullets from all the bad stuff that keeps on happening in the world.

Just stop your crying
It's a sign of the times
We gotta get away from here
We gotta get away from here
Just stop your crying
It'll be alright
They told me that the end is near
We gotta get away from here

My favorite lyric in the song is "We gotta get away from here.' There's a real urgency and fight in that line.

I think here he says we have to figure out a way to make the world a better place. "Get out of here," means get out of the mess the world has gotten us into.

Just stop your crying
Have the time of your life
Breaking through the atmosphere
And things are pretty good from here

Every time I hear the words, "Have the time of your life," I feel like it's said with sarcasm?? It's like war and poverty and world hunger is going on but you should just ignore it and have the time of your life because you are privileged. That's just my interpretation.

In the last few lines, I think Harry is imagining breaking free of their harsh world, and going up into the atmosphere. Everything is alright when he escapes the world.

Remember, everything will be alright
We can meet again somewhere
Somewhere far away from here

I think here Harry is referring to meeting in the atmosphere again. "Bribing your way to the sky," and "Breaking through the atmosphere" are all ways to escape the hard world we live in. Eventually, we will be free of that harsh world (perhaps through death??).

We don't talk enough
We should open up
Before it's all too much
Will we ever learn?
We've been here before
It's just what we know

Harry is saying we should all be kinder to each other. We should hear each other out and listen to differing view points. "It's just what we know" - Fighting is the status quo and we probably won't change.

Stop your crying, baby
It's a sign of the times
We gotta get away
We got to get away
We got to get away
We got to get away
We got to get away
We got to—we got to—away
We got to—we got to—away
We got to—we got to—away

We have to change. We have to make the world a better place.

Do you agree or do you interpret these lyrics differently? Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

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