Phantom 3 Pro - BLUE JAY CAMPGROUND BF and 'Rents on a walk - 2:23

I stayed behind at the campsite, while my boyfriend went on
a walk with my parents. A few minutes later I decided to join them, drone
style. #camping #camp #drone #dronelife #relationship #boyfriend #parents
#instafun

Song #1: Losing a Whole Year – Third Eye Blind

This morning, I read a blog by a girl who was defending her love of Third Eye Blind to those who gave her skeptical looks when she mentioned 3eb was her favorite band. She, however, stuck with her top 13 favorite lyrics from their “90s/early 2000s” songs. While that's all well and good - kudos to her - to me there is difference between one who is a ‘fan of a band’ and one who simply likes some of their old songs. 

So I decided I was going to do the same, but choose my top 20 favorite lyrics from all their discography. Turns out, it is nearly impossible. So instead, I am going to do a “3eb Song a Day” type of deal. I will go through their albums, song by song, and write just exactly why Third Eye Blind is simply amazing. So enjoy, or don’t…whatever.

Losing a Whole Year – Third Eye Blind

The meaning of the song, as a whole, is more important than any one lyric. The song starts “I remember you and me used to spend, the whole goddamn day in bed. Losing a whole year.” Who among us hasn’t had that relationship?!? The honeymoon phase, where the guy/girl can do no wrong? It’s amazing. It’s bliss. Before you know it, a year has gone by, and it was "the best year of your life." Then something happens…

“And now I realize that you never heard, one goddamn word I ever said. Losing a whole year.” Funny how “losing a whole year” goes from some amazing, head-over-heels in love experience to “fuck you, I just wasted an entire year with you?!?!” It’s that moment of realization when everything you thought you loved about the person becomes everything you absolutely hate. “When you were yourself, it tasted sweet. Sours into a routine deceit…”

Listen to the song. Listen to the lyrics. We’ve all been there, we can all relate. Reason #1 why I love Third Eye Blind…since song #1.

Hey Albuquerque! It Is Never Okay to Fly Our American Flag Upside Down! #waytofailatprotesting

I will start by saying the following 3 points.

1) I am not discussing free speech. Let me repeat that, in slightly different words, for those of you who are already jumping at the urge to lecture me on our bill of rights. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT FREE SPEECH! I am a lawyer, who has, more likely than not, read more articles and cases on the topic of free speech, and written more papers on the topic, than you have or likely ever will. And for those who know more than I, kudos. Free speech is not the point of this article.

2) This particular blog is not a democratic, republican, independent, libertarian, Ron Paulblican etc. point of view. It's an American point of view.

3) I am not arguing over the subject matter/incident for which the protests in Albuquerque, New Mexico began. In fact, I will give a quick synopsis for those who are unaware of the current events happening there. Please, feel free to research more on the topic, I am simply hitting the main points here.

• On March 16, 2014, the Albuquerque Police Department had a three hour standoff with a homeless man, 38-year-old James Boyd, for illegally camping. Boyd reportedly had both a mental illness and criminal history. After the standoff, Boyd picked up his belongings to leave. Instead of letting him move on peacefully, the officers fired a flash bang, a taser, a bean bag rifle, two rifles, and released a police dog on Boyd. James Boyd died in the hospital the next day.
• All this was recorded by the police's own helmet cams - one of the first departments in the country to require officers to wear cameras.
• According to BBC News and the Albuquerque Journal, the Albuquerque Police Department "has been involved in 37 shootings, 24 of them fatal, since 2010...[and] critics say it is far too many for a department serving a city of about 555,000."
• Protests have erupted all over Albuquerque as an outcry against police brutality. Understandably.

To be clear: 1) I support free speech, 2) I am simply arguing as an American with no political affiliation, 3) I absolutely understand the outrage that the protesters feel over this incident, and police brutality in general.

Now...to my point.

Earlier today, I saw a video of a Marine and a Soldier chasing after a motorcycle protester who was flying the American Flag upside down.  The same man who filmed the video, has additional social media posts showing other protesters who were holding the American flag upside down. 

Immediately, the focus of the protest, police brutality, was lost to me. All the good these people were trying to do, by standing up against governmental abuse, seemed null and void in my mind. I was outraged that people would so freely fly the American flag upside down! Did they not know what it meant? Did they not know that doing so was extremely disrespectful?!?!  

Then I thought...."OMG! Maybe they don't?!?!" And that thought made me disheartened. So here it goes.

THE AMERICAN FLAG SHOULD ALWAYS BE FLOWN WITH THE UNION UP.

The American flag is a symbol of reverence. This does not mean a blind allegiance or unquestioning worship, but rather, a respect for our national heritage. It signifies the sacrifices made for our country and pride for our nation. It exemplifies our good fortune to live in a country where we are able to freely express our opinions, and is used ceremoniously as a symbol of respect - whether for a great national event or as an homage to a fallen soldier, draped over the coffin, to represent a true hero.

The American flag should never be flown upside down. The United States Code carves out an exception, dubbed the "Flag Code." The Flag Code states, "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property." When displayed for the correct reasons, it is not a sign of disrespect in any way, shape or form. When displayed for incorrect reasons, it is a complete and utter sign of disrespect towards our country. And this includes reasons such as whether or not you like the President, the Congress, the Judiciary, the policies being passed, the lack of regulation on welfare...whatever the case may be. You do not fly the American flag upside down, but for instances of extreme distress.

Hey Albuquerquians ("ABQ's")! It's your city's police squad that committed this act. It's your city's police squad that has such a high percentage of fatalities in shootings, for such a low population of residents. Those of you flying the American flag upside down are not in a situation of "extreme danger to life or property" for which flying the American flag upside down is warranted. Now, James Boyd could have flown the flag upside down when he was threatened, and he would have every right to do so. You ABQ's doing so now, is simply a sign of utter disrespect for this country. You flying the American flag upside down has now distracted me, and I'm sure many others, on the stance you were initially trying to make. 

You know what you can do right now? Thank your lucky stars that you live in America where you can fly our flag upside down and not be arrested. Funny...you want to disrespect our country by flying our flag upside down, yet take advantage of all the protections we have to offer, like not be arrested for doing so???? Quite a conundrum, isn't it?

Bottom line. Yes, you do have the "right" to display our American flag upside down in protest, but just because you have the right to do so, doesn't mean that you should.

If you want to protest, then protest. We live in such an amazing country that we are able to do so. However, you disrespect this country and our rich national heritage (not to mention the men and women that have fought and died for this country, and continue to fight and die for this country), when you fly our American flag upside down. Please....please find other ways to protest. If not for the sake of making your point known to the Albuquerque Police Department, then for the sake of this country, and those that fight to protect your freedoms. FLY OUR AMERICAN FLAG RIGHT SIDE UP!

OMG! You don't watch __________? What's wrong with you?!?!

On the heels of the controversial series finale of one of my favorite shows (How I Met Your Mother), I began pondering how obsessed we are as a society with our television shows.

We've all heard those words: "You don't watch ______ [fill in the blank]?!?! It's the best show ever!"

Granted, if you know me, you've heard me say: "There are two types of people in this world. Those who love Game of Thrones, and those who have never watched it." (Although personally, I've yet to find a person with whom this theory does not hold true, and I encourage you to test this theory yourself).

I've also been on the receiving end of my friends' disbelief. I have tried, several times over, to watch Breaking Bad. I have watched the first four episodes on several different occasions, years apart. I'm here to tell you, it's just not for me. I cannot get into it. I do not enjoy it, and I don't think that I ever will. (Now let the Olivia bashing begin!)

Of course we have our 90's classics like Friends, Seinfeld, and 90210 alongside some of my favorites like Saved by the Bell, Will & Grace, Sex and the City, Felicity, Dawson's Creek...okay, so those last few prove I'm a girl, I get it.

Currently, the topics of conversation seem to include:

True Detective
House of Cards
Mad Men
Orange is the New Black
The Walking Dead
Newsroom
Boardwalk Empire
Homeland
Revenge

...just to name a many few.

So when did we start replacing human interaction and intellectual conversation with television shows and recaps of what happened on last night's episode? How many weekends have we spent in doors binge-watching Mad Men, Game of Thrones or Homeland?

In a generation where "socially connected" means we follow each other on twitter, when did it become socially acceptable to cancel plans with friends for a night on the couch, eyes glued to the television, just to see who dies next on the Walking Dead?

I'd genuinely love to believe that my habits will change, but here's the thing. Game of Thrones starts in FOUR DAYS!!! And this fall is the final season of Boardwalk Empire and Newsroom. Oh, and next January is the new season of True Detective, rumored to star the ever-gorgeous Brad Pitt...

"Silver lining?" As long as you watch the same shows, we'll have something to talk about over coffee.

HIMYM Series Finale - Predictable, true to form, and all you complainers can suck it!

I am disappointed. Not because of the series finale, but because the show is over. It has given me 9 years of being involved in a story line other than my own, and I loved it...for the most part.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, we now live in a day and age that allows us to air our sometimes asinine opinions for all to read. For those of you who were disappointed with the How I Met Your Mother Series finale, your opinion, in my opinion, falls into the "asinine" category.

The show was entitled "How I Met Your Mother," yet, the mother doesn't appear for 8 seasons. Speculation over the mother dying at the end of the show, began very early on in the series. There was no surprise there. The show centered around the core group - their friendship, their love, their stories - and Ted's search to find the woman he could spend the rest of his life with. From Episode 1, Ted falls instantly head-over-heels in love with Robin. For the first few seasons he tries again and again to be with Robin, however, his advances are ignored, rejected, or put on hold. We all know Robin is the one for him, but Robin was never ready to settle down. Even when she does eventually marry Barney, they get divorced, because Robin wants to travel and focus on her career. And Ted...well Ted wasn't going to wait forever.

The final season introduces the mother, and last night's series finale shows Ted as the type of man that the show's executive producers, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, were careful to always portray. Ted tells his children that when he met their mother he knew: "I have to love this woman as much as I can, for as long as I can, and I can never stop loving her, not even for a second." And he did just that, even when she was lying sick in bed. He loved her.

But the show held true to its nature, and with his children's blessing (since it had been 6 years since their mother's death), Ted went to get his Robin...twenty-five years after he first told her that he loved her. It's about time.

I think it was an epic love story, thrown into a sitcom with lively characters and catchphrases that we will be saying for years to come.

So to those of you who enjoy complaining that the HIMYM Series finale was a disappointment? To you, I say, "Youuuuuu son of a beetch!"