I feel as though I have grown immensely this semester. It is surprising how different college is than high school, and I must say I wasn't prepared completely for the differences. I have now learned my lesson and I will surely be much more prepared for not only next semester, but for the years of college and the fantastic possibilities ahead of me.
My plans for next year are not yet completely set in stone. I have always been the type to dream big and for as long as i can remember i have dreamed about becoming a singer. I realize that this is a dream many children have, but i have been lucky enough to have the encouragement and opportunities to continue this dream as I've grown. I have been blessed with wonderfully gifted band members/best friends and with them I have accomplished much more in the music world than i ever could have imagined. Unfortunately we all realize that this bout with music business will have to come to an end for most of us, and that end is quickly and surely approaching. Hopefully it will be an end of this chapter and the beginning of something even more amazing. One thing is for sure though, it will be a bittersweet goodbye.
Realistically i have hoping to become a student at UW-Stout next year to get a degree in fashion or public relations. I have always been rather good at designing and decorating and it is something i absolutely love doing. The road ahead will definitely be filled with laughter, sadness, and stressful weeks like the one we are in the midst of now, but doing something i love to do is very important to me, and I will do next to anything to get there.
Dream big, and then dream bigger.
Have a nice break, all.
Janie Briggs
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
My favorite book.
Looking For Alaska is by far my favorite book that i have ever read. It is written by John Green who is my favorite author, and this book is what made me love him so much. The way he writes is very poetic, and when your reading the book, there are so many more underling meanings than just the words written on the page.
Looking For Alaska is about a boy (Miles) who goes to a boarding school called Culver Creek and there he meets his two best friends, Chip (The Colonel) and Alaska. Miles falls for Alaska and her i-don't-give-a-crap attitude. He loves the way that she lives her life as if life isn't solid, but its fluid. Everything changes and when it does, she just goes with the flow of things. One drunken night Miles and Alaska end up kissing and that seals the deal for him. She is the only girl that he can be with. But after they are awakened by her cell phone and her conversation is over, she leaves his room in a crying, hysterical mess saying something about how she has to leave, and it has to be now.
I am a strong believer in not spoiling books or movies for people before they have the chance to read/watch it themselves, so to find out the rest you'll have to read it. Or i guess you can use spark notes if your that lazy ;)
Looking For Alaska is about a boy (Miles) who goes to a boarding school called Culver Creek and there he meets his two best friends, Chip (The Colonel) and Alaska. Miles falls for Alaska and her i-don't-give-a-crap attitude. He loves the way that she lives her life as if life isn't solid, but its fluid. Everything changes and when it does, she just goes with the flow of things. One drunken night Miles and Alaska end up kissing and that seals the deal for him. She is the only girl that he can be with. But after they are awakened by her cell phone and her conversation is over, she leaves his room in a crying, hysterical mess saying something about how she has to leave, and it has to be now.
I am a strong believer in not spoiling books or movies for people before they have the chance to read/watch it themselves, so to find out the rest you'll have to read it. Or i guess you can use spark notes if your that lazy ;)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Functional and Dysfunctional Families
Functionality is all perspective. Outside looking in, I am sure there are many families that look functional, but in reality are the most dysfunctional of them all. I firmly believe that no one has a family that is completely functional. Maybe someone has a crazy mom, a dad who's never home, or an uncle that sleeps on their couch, whatever it may be. I have none of these things (most of the time) but its safe to say that we are not 100% "functional".
Every family has secrets, and something someone does always bothers someone else, but i think communication and love is what makes a family the most functional it can possibly be. In my family, we have a lot of love, but its not always apparent. My fathers side of the family has always had a hard time expressing emotion, and that has carried over to my father. I know he loves me, and there's little things that he does to show it, but its never by simply saying "I love you." My mother however is the type to say "i love you" even if its the one-hundred and first time that day. I believe it's because she regrets not saying it to her mother as much as she would have liked, although she has never admitted it to me.
I am also a large reason for our dysfunctionality. I like to think that I'm perfect and I'm not moody like every other teenager on the planet, but the truth is I am. I get angry at my mom or dad for ridiculous things, just because i feel upset, and i realize this isn't the way to handle it. This is something i really try to work on, but sometimes my emotions outweigh how i wish i would handle things.
Every family will go through it's ups and downs, but as long as we communicate and love each other, whether we appear functional or dysfunctional, everything works out in the end. I've learned that we all just have to stick together to get through the tough parts.
Every family has secrets, and something someone does always bothers someone else, but i think communication and love is what makes a family the most functional it can possibly be. In my family, we have a lot of love, but its not always apparent. My fathers side of the family has always had a hard time expressing emotion, and that has carried over to my father. I know he loves me, and there's little things that he does to show it, but its never by simply saying "I love you." My mother however is the type to say "i love you" even if its the one-hundred and first time that day. I believe it's because she regrets not saying it to her mother as much as she would have liked, although she has never admitted it to me.
I am also a large reason for our dysfunctionality. I like to think that I'm perfect and I'm not moody like every other teenager on the planet, but the truth is I am. I get angry at my mom or dad for ridiculous things, just because i feel upset, and i realize this isn't the way to handle it. This is something i really try to work on, but sometimes my emotions outweigh how i wish i would handle things.
Every family will go through it's ups and downs, but as long as we communicate and love each other, whether we appear functional or dysfunctional, everything works out in the end. I've learned that we all just have to stick together to get through the tough parts.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Reading
I am the type of reader that needs to have a book suggested to them before i'll take the time to read it. It's either that or i have to read the last chapter, so i know it will be worth my while. However, i HATE when people ruin surprises, and that is exactly what reading the last chapter of a book does. So i had the urge to read a book and i hadn't gotten any suggestions so i decided just to pick one up, and give it a try. It just so turns out that this book is now my favorite book.
John Greens' "Looking for Alaska" was a book i heard people talk about, but no one had ever told me that I was going to love it, so i didn't give it the time of day. Until it was the only book that i could think to read. From the second i picked it up, i just couldn't bring myself to set it down. It really wasn't story itself that kept me hooked, it was the way he wrote it. I love poetry, and i love poetry like writers (people who write a story not for the story, but for the meaning beneath it all) This is exactly how Green writes, and he could make me cry which isn't that easy. I don't think I've ever cried so much because of a book in my life. (Besides maybe Twilight. :0 What can I say. I'm a sucker for love stories:) )
After reading "Looking for Alaska" i was compelled to read another story, so i picked up "Paper Towns". Unlike "Looking for Alaska" I bought, started, and completed the book in less than 24 hours. There's just something about the way he writes that makes reading irresistible. He is definitely a person that i look up to and admire for his writing talents.
John Greens' "Looking for Alaska" was a book i heard people talk about, but no one had ever told me that I was going to love it, so i didn't give it the time of day. Until it was the only book that i could think to read. From the second i picked it up, i just couldn't bring myself to set it down. It really wasn't story itself that kept me hooked, it was the way he wrote it. I love poetry, and i love poetry like writers (people who write a story not for the story, but for the meaning beneath it all) This is exactly how Green writes, and he could make me cry which isn't that easy. I don't think I've ever cried so much because of a book in my life. (Besides maybe Twilight. :0 What can I say. I'm a sucker for love stories:) )
After reading "Looking for Alaska" i was compelled to read another story, so i picked up "Paper Towns". Unlike "Looking for Alaska" I bought, started, and completed the book in less than 24 hours. There's just something about the way he writes that makes reading irresistible. He is definitely a person that i look up to and admire for his writing talents.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Social Media Sites
I think it's safe to say that the Internet has COMPLETELY changed how people around the globe communicate. The biggest communication changing aspect of the Internet is definitely the many social media sites that have come and gone.
When i was younger, the big site to have an account on was Bebo. Yes, Bebo. If you've never heard of it, I'm totally not surprised. It was basically like Myspace but 10,000 times more lame. You chose a layout, the color of your background, and then added people you know, which is really almost no one when you're 10, but having an account online seemed like thee coolest thing at the time, so i suppose i enjoyed it while it lasted.
The next big thing was Myspace. Heck yes Myspace, those were the good days. Myspace made it easy to share photos and keep in contact with friends, without being a total creeper. The best thing about Myspace though, was being able to customize your own page. I would spend hours upon hours editing my profile, until i got it to be the exact way i wanted it, and it seems strange but i actually learned something from Myspace. HTML coding. Which is just a whole bunch of fun ;)
So famous Myspace Tom sees that this new Facebook thing is getting more and more press, and is having way better ideas than he ever thought of, so he decides to change his site. Which was a horrible move on his part. Tom, the mastermind behind Myspace, decided to leave Myspace and make a new profile on, you guessed it, Facebook.
Facebook started out as a site strictly for college students so they could get to know others around campus, but then us high school kids decided we wanted in on all of this Facebook business. Over the last four years, Facebook has went from a simple way to keep in touch with friends, to a total creep fest. I'm not kidding you, I have the ability to know what absolutely every one of my friends is doing at any time i want to know. You can even tag yourself at the place where you are, and on Iphones, i can GET DIRECTIONS to that place. Its crazy, and its also really creepy. Facebook is now deciding for me which posts I will like the best, and makes me dig to see all of the others, it's getting to be a little to much for me.
While Facebook was exploding on teenagers computer screens all over the country (and now world) some little thing called Twitter arose. Twitter is completely different than any other site that was around. Like Facebook you post status like messages, but that's it. You don't get a profile, and you don't get friends, you get followers, and these people are literally following you. Unlike Facebook, it is completely acceptable to post ten tweets (status's) in a row, cause that's all you do. Getting a hot dog out of the bottom drawer of the fridge? you tweet that. Going to get your eyebrows waxed, you tweet that too. Going to the bathroom? maybe a little two far, but I'm sure there has been much bigger TMI moments on twitter. Anything and everything goes, and it's a whole bunch of tweeting fun.
All of these sites have greatly changed how people communicate with each other, and the truth is, like in, "The Fakebook Generation" you can hide behind your computer screen, but for me, it makes me a lot more open, and people can learn a lot (maybe a little too much, *cough* creepers *cough*) about me, and i learn a lot about others. I think social sites like these will definitely keep coming and going, but i don't think the social networking sites will go out of style completely for a long time from now.
When i was younger, the big site to have an account on was Bebo. Yes, Bebo. If you've never heard of it, I'm totally not surprised. It was basically like Myspace but 10,000 times more lame. You chose a layout, the color of your background, and then added people you know, which is really almost no one when you're 10, but having an account online seemed like thee coolest thing at the time, so i suppose i enjoyed it while it lasted.
The next big thing was Myspace. Heck yes Myspace, those were the good days. Myspace made it easy to share photos and keep in contact with friends, without being a total creeper. The best thing about Myspace though, was being able to customize your own page. I would spend hours upon hours editing my profile, until i got it to be the exact way i wanted it, and it seems strange but i actually learned something from Myspace. HTML coding. Which is just a whole bunch of fun ;)
So famous Myspace Tom sees that this new Facebook thing is getting more and more press, and is having way better ideas than he ever thought of, so he decides to change his site. Which was a horrible move on his part. Tom, the mastermind behind Myspace, decided to leave Myspace and make a new profile on, you guessed it, Facebook.
Facebook started out as a site strictly for college students so they could get to know others around campus, but then us high school kids decided we wanted in on all of this Facebook business. Over the last four years, Facebook has went from a simple way to keep in touch with friends, to a total creep fest. I'm not kidding you, I have the ability to know what absolutely every one of my friends is doing at any time i want to know. You can even tag yourself at the place where you are, and on Iphones, i can GET DIRECTIONS to that place. Its crazy, and its also really creepy. Facebook is now deciding for me which posts I will like the best, and makes me dig to see all of the others, it's getting to be a little to much for me.
While Facebook was exploding on teenagers computer screens all over the country (and now world) some little thing called Twitter arose. Twitter is completely different than any other site that was around. Like Facebook you post status like messages, but that's it. You don't get a profile, and you don't get friends, you get followers, and these people are literally following you. Unlike Facebook, it is completely acceptable to post ten tweets (status's) in a row, cause that's all you do. Getting a hot dog out of the bottom drawer of the fridge? you tweet that. Going to get your eyebrows waxed, you tweet that too. Going to the bathroom? maybe a little two far, but I'm sure there has been much bigger TMI moments on twitter. Anything and everything goes, and it's a whole bunch of tweeting fun.
All of these sites have greatly changed how people communicate with each other, and the truth is, like in, "The Fakebook Generation" you can hide behind your computer screen, but for me, it makes me a lot more open, and people can learn a lot (maybe a little too much, *cough* creepers *cough*) about me, and i learn a lot about others. I think social sites like these will definitely keep coming and going, but i don't think the social networking sites will go out of style completely for a long time from now.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Band Business
Trying to think of something to write about has been difficult, because there's so many good topic's i had to choose from. But my people of Facebook have had some pretty interesting ideas. So i think i'll talk about the first one, and leave the others for a rainy day. ;)
My Band!
Just Another Band is my band, as many of you probably don't know. :) I am the lead singer (only singer for that matter) and four of my closest friends play the normal band instruments. (Guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and occasionally piano) We got together about a year ago now and we've done way more than i ever would have imagined. About two months ago, we all drove up to the cities to meet with our producer, now friend, Jason Walsh to record our first single. The lead guitarist, Alex Vespestad, writes many amazing songs so we decided to record our first original song, This One's For You. Jason is an amazing producer and the outcome is absolutely stunning (or at least i think so). If anyone reads this, if your interested in taking a listen our songs on iTunes:) (promote promote promote, right?) and we also have a Facebook page, so you can definitely check it out if you feel like it:)
It's crazy how being in a band really makes you love all people. I mean don't get me wrong, i genuinely love people, and meeting people, and talking to people, but just knowing that there are people out there that care enough to help us out, makes me love people even more. There are so many amazing people that have done things for us that i would have never even dreamed to ask, and in the music business, you're fans make you who you are.
Now i'm rambling, but that's my story so far. :)
My Band!
Just Another Band is my band, as many of you probably don't know. :) I am the lead singer (only singer for that matter) and four of my closest friends play the normal band instruments. (Guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and occasionally piano) We got together about a year ago now and we've done way more than i ever would have imagined. About two months ago, we all drove up to the cities to meet with our producer, now friend, Jason Walsh to record our first single. The lead guitarist, Alex Vespestad, writes many amazing songs so we decided to record our first original song, This One's For You. Jason is an amazing producer and the outcome is absolutely stunning (or at least i think so). If anyone reads this, if your interested in taking a listen our songs on iTunes:) (promote promote promote, right?) and we also have a Facebook page, so you can definitely check it out if you feel like it:)
It's crazy how being in a band really makes you love all people. I mean don't get me wrong, i genuinely love people, and meeting people, and talking to people, but just knowing that there are people out there that care enough to help us out, makes me love people even more. There are so many amazing people that have done things for us that i would have never even dreamed to ask, and in the music business, you're fans make you who you are.
Now i'm rambling, but that's my story so far. :)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Hope
It's something that's not very easy to talk about, which is probably why i never do. It's hard to think back in time about things you wish you could have changed, at those few regrets you choose to live with. This is one of those things.
I am very close to my mom's side of the family. She is the youngest but she only has two sisters so it's easier to keep up with everything that is going on with that side of the family. My dads side however isn't that way. We all live close together, but he was the youngest of six siblings, all of which have passed away but two. His side of the family just isn't very close knit, so it was hard to get to know them as well as i would have liked.
My grandmother, Hope, was the one person who kept the whole family together. When we finally got together it was for her, with her, or about her. But me being my busy self didn't make it to nearly enough of those few and far gatherings, one being her 90th birthday, the last birthday she would have. It is for this reason that i am writing this tribute to her.
She spent the last few months of her life at St. Mary's which made it not easier, but more convenient to visit her. I imagine that sitting in a bed every day doing next to nothing was something that was far less than fun to do. So, because i enjoy singing, and my father enjoys playing guitar, we decided to go in and play some songs for her every week, and it is these days with her that i remember most. The smells weren't the greatest; stale air and hospital food. But the sounds of our music putting a long awaited smile on her face made all of the bad smells more than worth it. Going to visit her was hard, but knowing i wasn't there as often as i should have been before was even harder, and i had to do anything and everything to attempt to make that up.
On March 7th, 2010 she left us, as we were all gathered around her bed, in the same hospital room that we had once sang such lovely songs. At her funeral i was asked to sing a song in her memory, and although i knew it would be hard, i remembered the smile that it put on her face, and saying no was out of the question.
I love you grandma.
I am very close to my mom's side of the family. She is the youngest but she only has two sisters so it's easier to keep up with everything that is going on with that side of the family. My dads side however isn't that way. We all live close together, but he was the youngest of six siblings, all of which have passed away but two. His side of the family just isn't very close knit, so it was hard to get to know them as well as i would have liked.
My grandmother, Hope, was the one person who kept the whole family together. When we finally got together it was for her, with her, or about her. But me being my busy self didn't make it to nearly enough of those few and far gatherings, one being her 90th birthday, the last birthday she would have. It is for this reason that i am writing this tribute to her.She spent the last few months of her life at St. Mary's which made it not easier, but more convenient to visit her. I imagine that sitting in a bed every day doing next to nothing was something that was far less than fun to do. So, because i enjoy singing, and my father enjoys playing guitar, we decided to go in and play some songs for her every week, and it is these days with her that i remember most. The smells weren't the greatest; stale air and hospital food. But the sounds of our music putting a long awaited smile on her face made all of the bad smells more than worth it. Going to visit her was hard, but knowing i wasn't there as often as i should have been before was even harder, and i had to do anything and everything to attempt to make that up.
On March 7th, 2010 she left us, as we were all gathered around her bed, in the same hospital room that we had once sang such lovely songs. At her funeral i was asked to sing a song in her memory, and although i knew it would be hard, i remembered the smile that it put on her face, and saying no was out of the question.
I love you grandma.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Crickets Have Arthritis
My absolute favorite poet is Shane Koyczan. I not only like to read his poems, but i also love to listen to him read them. His poems are not traditional by any means, so if that's what your expecting, turn back now. He writes them in a way that the words just flow off your tongue. I'm not one to memorize things, but I've managed to memorize this one. I recommend that you go read it/listen to it. (his words will probably make you forget about his neck beard) (oh and there is profanity. i apologize in advance)
To read click here
To listen click here
So if you did go listen or read that poem, i hope you understand why he is one of my favorite poets. Every poem he has written i have liked, but this one stuck out the most to me. If you decided not to read it, in a nutshell Shane is basically talking about his hospital roommate who has cancer. That whole concept is really where i can relate most. I've watched many people both win and lose their battle with cancer in my years, and i can completely understand the frustration in Shane's voice when he talks about it. This poem is inspirational to me because it really makes you think about other people's situation, and how when your down, there's always someone out there who has it a little worse than you do. I'm the type of person who truly respects those who are willing to express their full emotions and when Shane says the words he does, you know they mean something to him, you know he means every word he's saying. I guess if anyone can't feel the emotion in this poem, then they are the one's missing out. I call this perfection.
To read click here
To listen click here
So if you did go listen or read that poem, i hope you understand why he is one of my favorite poets. Every poem he has written i have liked, but this one stuck out the most to me. If you decided not to read it, in a nutshell Shane is basically talking about his hospital roommate who has cancer. That whole concept is really where i can relate most. I've watched many people both win and lose their battle with cancer in my years, and i can completely understand the frustration in Shane's voice when he talks about it. This poem is inspirational to me because it really makes you think about other people's situation, and how when your down, there's always someone out there who has it a little worse than you do. I'm the type of person who truly respects those who are willing to express their full emotions and when Shane says the words he does, you know they mean something to him, you know he means every word he's saying. I guess if anyone can't feel the emotion in this poem, then they are the one's missing out. I call this perfection.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Writing.. and I.
Writing and I, haven't ever got along. Well not really well I'd say. When I am given a writing assignment, in my head before i sit down to write something, writing sounds like the most awful thing i could ever have to do with an hour or two of my day. For example, this assignment. I laid around all day dreading of going to the computer and writing this down, when in reality, i love to write.
I love sitting down, and pouring my ideas out onto paper. In the past i have wrote about reality (how I'm feeling/events going on at the moment) fictional stories, that usually tend to lead nowhere but help me clear my head, or even letters to people saying everything i would or would have said to them had i gotten the chance. I love blogging and expressing my ideas in an unstructured do-it-how-I-want way.
I think that's what gets me. I don't like structure, because its almost as if it scares me. Having an outline of five paragraphs, with three body paragraphs, an intro, and a conclusion. I feel like i have to form my ideas to fit someone else's writing style, the way that they think a paper flows best. Then again, that's probably just my personality coming through.
Don't get me wrong I'm not the rebel type, i follow rules. (Obviously, otherwise all of my previous papers would be written in the format I feel like writing in, haha.) But I've never been the girl who has wanted to follow the crowd, and I've always wanted to do things my way, and no other. I hate being told what to do, and procrastinating is just in my blood. Despite these things, I think this class is going to greatly help me get over my fear of structured papers, so i can use the talent i already have for writing in full.
I love sitting down, and pouring my ideas out onto paper. In the past i have wrote about reality (how I'm feeling/events going on at the moment) fictional stories, that usually tend to lead nowhere but help me clear my head, or even letters to people saying everything i would or would have said to them had i gotten the chance. I love blogging and expressing my ideas in an unstructured do-it-how-I-want way.
I think that's what gets me. I don't like structure, because its almost as if it scares me. Having an outline of five paragraphs, with three body paragraphs, an intro, and a conclusion. I feel like i have to form my ideas to fit someone else's writing style, the way that they think a paper flows best. Then again, that's probably just my personality coming through.
Don't get me wrong I'm not the rebel type, i follow rules. (Obviously, otherwise all of my previous papers would be written in the format I feel like writing in, haha.) But I've never been the girl who has wanted to follow the crowd, and I've always wanted to do things my way, and no other. I hate being told what to do, and procrastinating is just in my blood. Despite these things, I think this class is going to greatly help me get over my fear of structured papers, so i can use the talent i already have for writing in full.
Now that wasn't so bad :)
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