What This Fu*ked Year Taught Me
If there was ever a year to think and talk about death, it’s 2020. No year has made me contemplate my mortality as seriously as this one.
The global pandemic has shaken us with over one million deaths. Countless icons — both young and old, from Kobe Bryant to Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Chadwick Boseman to Alex Trebek — have sadly passed away. In addition, I personally have lost my grandpa, an uncle, and a former workplace mentor. Chances are you too have lost a loved one this year — and I empathize with you more than you know.
The Actual Best Quotes from the Funny, Dark, and Legendary Show
BoJack Horseman came to a close last January after six seasons, starting in 2014. It was notably Netflix’s first animated series and one of the tech giant’s earliest original series. In a unique world where humans and animals interact as equals, BoJack Horseman revolves around the titular character, BoJack, in Los Angeles as he finds what to do in life several years after being a successful TV actor. With exceptional character development, a great cast, plentiful guest stars, and dark humor, BoJack Horseman set itself apart.
As the show follows BoJack and his close friends on a quest to find…
The show that made chess cool again.
It all started at a bar. “Connor, we need to start playing chess,” my roommate randomly mentioned to me on that September afternoon. He explained he wanted something new to do since we were tired of consistently playing cards during quarantine. A few moments later, we promptly hopped on Amazon and ordered an $8 board. As for the chess addiction that would soon follow — as they say — the rest is history.
We began playing each other frequently and picking up on certain tricks to develop our individual games. Neither of us really cared who won; we just liked…
The Actual Best Quotes from the Unique, Beloved, and Meta Show
Community, Dan Harmon’s first created television show, has relatively remained in the shadows of other all-star sitcoms, even though it has such a strong cast (with members like Chevy Chase, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, and Joel McHale). Community encountered some trouble throughout its six-season run, including Harmon getting fired at one point, a cancellation, and then a revival from Yahoo! Screen.
Added to Netflix this summer, Community is getting the attention and appreciation it deserves. Old fans who followed the series throughout its entirety and new fans after their quarantine binge-watch both agree that this is a one-of-a-kind show. It…
A free verse poem about death
I thought I had problems
And I let my friends know
Every day for six months
Just how bad I had it.
My favorite places closed down.
The skiing trip got cancelled.
I didn’t get my dream job,
Or any job for that matter.
So it’s needless to say
That I’m not flush with cash.
I still don’t have a girlfriend
But it’s not like anyone asked.
’Cause my problems are the worst
So I must share them all.
I am even not getting good sleep
And not nearly being productive.
This — This was my master list of issues…
What the timeless film can teach you about leadership and persuasion.
12 Angry Men (1957) features one of the most unique movie formats: a group of 12 jurors in a single room for essentially the entirety of the film with the only conflict involving dialogue and no action. It’s stood the test of time for excellence by remaining as #5 in the list of IMDb’s top-rated movies, even though now it’s over 60 years old. In fact, at the time of writing, the next oldest movie after 12 Angry Men in the IMDb top ratings is #19 — Seven Samurai (1954).
What makes 12 Angry Men stand out is — as…
What the kids show can teach you about positive thinking.
The Legend of Korra, the Nickelodeon animated TV series from 2012 to 2014, recently got added to Netflix after its predecessor Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008) achieved great success and hype when it was added to Netflix in May. Many watched Avatar as a trip down memory lane from their childhood and with nothing else to do during quarantine — such as myself. Yet, I was curious to watch Avatar’s sequel TV series as I’d never seen it before and there had been a decent amount of mixed feelings surrounding The Legend of Korra.
In the midst of my binge-watch…
Do something new
Would you be able to pinpoint your most refreshing bite of food ever?
That might seem like a weird, useless question. But I’m actually able to answer it for myself. A typically bland and dry oyster cracker was the most memorable bite of my life because it was my first bite of anything in over 40 hours.
Now if you told most people that you weren’t going to eat for the next 40 hours, they’d think you’re insane. That’s what I discovered this past Easter weekend when I set out to fast with a couple of my friends.
I looked…
I’ve watched meaningful people fade,
Ones I thought would never disappear,
Even some I’ve known over a decade,
Others maybe just for a year.
Still, in my heart it is a blade,
Depriving me of fun and great cheer.
The absences make me dismayed,
Thinking your words then to be insincere.
Every time the memories are replayed,
I’m left to recover from a few tears.
Your missing presence leaves me swayed.
Losing someone special is my perpetual fear.
I try to hold on to you, but to no aid.
A blink, and they’re no longer near. …
The Actual Best Quotes from the Philosophical Show
The Good Place explores the idea of “what we owe to each other” in an excellent blend of comedy, drama, and philosophy. In Michael Schur’s masterpiece, the series — especially with its legendary finale yesterday — continued to make us laugh, cry, and think. With four seasons of great content, it was difficult to rank the 10 best quotes, but I think you’ll enjoy.
1. “What matters isn’t if people are good or bad. What matters is if they’re trying to be better today than they were yesterday. You asked me where my hope comes from. That’s your answer.” — Michael, (“A Chip Driver Mystery”)
2. “All humans are aware of death. So we’re all a little bit sad all the time. That’s just the deal . . . but we don’t get offered any other ones. And if you try and ignore your sadness, it just ends up leaking out of you anyway. I’ve been there. And everybody’s been there. So don’t fight it.” — Eleanor, (“Existential Crisis”)
3. “If there were an answer I could give you to how the universe works, it wouldn’t be special. It would just be machinery fulfilling its cosmic design. It would just be a big, dumb food processor. But since nothing seems to make sense, when you find something or someone who does, it’s euphoria.” — Janet, (“Pandemonium”)
Connor "Bearcat" Martin
Student passionate about writing | Stories involving TV/music, faith, poetry, and more | Words for eternity | Check out my book: bit.ly/2AkskcE
