Stand up and Speak out!


We love dontfeedthebully.com!  Brad Tassell and Logan Sibrel have come together to create a great resource for you people and parents to stop bullying. Check out their web site! This article comes from their section on how to deal with bullies. Thanks Brad & Logan!

From: http://www.dontfeedthebully.com/DealingwithBullies.html:

Handy's first rule of dealing with Bullies is Stay Calm.  Here is more on how you can do this when confronted. 

Act brave. When you're scared of another person, you're probably not feeling your bravest. But sometimes just acting brave is enough to stop a bully. If you walk by as though you're not afraid and hold your head high, a bully may be less likely to give you trouble.

Ignore a bully. Simply ignoring a bully's threats and walking away robs the bully of his or her fun. Bullies want a big reaction to their teasing and meanness. Acting as if you don't notice and don't care is like giving no reaction at all, and this just might stop a bully's behavior.

Stand up for yourself. Kids can stand up for themselves with words by telling the bully to stop it, and then walk away. Kids also can stand up for each other by telling a bully to stop teasing or scaring someone else, and then walk away together.

Be a buddy. Kids who are being bullied can use the buddy system. Make a plan to walk with a friend or two on the way to school or recess or lunch or wherever you think you might meet the bully. Offer to do the same for a friend who's having trouble with a bully.

Don't bully back. Don't hit, kick, or push back to deal with someone bullying you or your friends. Fighting back just satisfies a bully and it's dangerous, too, because someone could get hurt. It's best to stay with others, stay safe, and get help from an adult.   (thanks to Kidhealth.org)

Handy is very good a combacks when he is being bullied, but we all aren't so great at it. Below are some lines you can practice and use when bullies are trying to put you down.  Remember these are for situations where there is no threat of violence.  If there is every violence you must get away and report.  See below for how to use comebacks and the bullystoppers.com disclaimer.

"You - You're good!"
"Very good!."
"Ok, I'm hurt."
"What? Again?"
"Is this your goal in life or something?"
"Not getting tired of this?"
"This....... again?"
"Thank you!"
"Grow up."
"Great try."
"That one hurt."
"Sticks and stones."
"Mission accomplished."
"You are wasting my time."
"Funny..... funny.  Laugh....laugh."
"And with a smile on his face...."
"You're the KING"
What? Are you talking to me?
"Blah  - blah"
"New material?"
"The real you can't be this mean."
"You used to be a good kid."
"That was kind of funny, but stop."
"Using me for laughs again?"
"I hope no one is doing this to your little brother."
"Words."
"Ouch!."

These comebacks are from bullystoppers.com  (Disclaimer) Comebacks are not for everyone!  Comebacks can be helpful when dealing with mean kids, however, kids should practice comebacks with an adult.    Comebacks don't stop bullying, BUT they can increase confidence, which can discourage bullies.  Comebacks is not a return insult!

Never us a comeback if a kid may become challenged or violent!
here's advice on using comebacks:  

The key to comeback lines is to remain COOL and AVOID the temptation to trade name calling or personal insults with the bully or teaser.  A great comeback line is brief and to the point and leaves the bully or teaser feeling that they did not get to you!  Don't forget to always look them in the eye and keep cool - anger is a sign to them that what they are doing is working.  Try some of the following, however always remember:  if another student is threatening physical violence toward you, don't say anything to him or her - do your best to get away from the situation and to where a teacher or other adult is located.

"Bully" The Documentary

Hey, guys. So, guess what. There's an AMAZING new movie coming out soon. March 9th, actually. It's a documentary entitled "Bully". It follows the lives of 5 young kids who are constantly and brutally bullied to no end. Watch the trailer here.

Looks like a good movie, right? The MPAA gave it an R rating for "language used by the children in the film". So now this movie can't be shown in schools, no one under 17 can go see it without a parent, and it can't reach the audience it really needs to reach under these limitations. Luckily, people are not standing for this. They're doing everything in their power to get this movie rating changed to PG-13 and I am now one of those people. This movie is to show kids not to give up and that if they're being bullied there's a light at the end of the tunnel, they're not alone, and they can overcome. It's also to show adults that strict anti-bullying laws need to be put in place and enforced so that children don't need to suffer in school. School should be a place for learning and socializing. It should be a home away from home, not somewhere you're afraid to go.

This ends now.

Meet Jocelyn and Harasstronauts


One of the toughest struggles young people have in the world today is the struggle to express themselves.  One young person who is overcoming the obstacles is Jocelyn. A few months ago, Jocelyn shared some of her story with our readers. 'God is Not a Bully' recently contacted Jocelyn for an update to her story and we gave her a few more questions to ponder! We're looking forward to posting an updated interview with the creator of Harasstronauts!   

We wanted to know more about what Jocelyn had to overcome to get where she is today. We also wanted to know more about her songs and what they symbolize for her. We also asked Jocelyn for her advice to young people starting out with the same dreams. 

We've pieced together a recap of some of the things Jocelyn shared with God is Not a Bully blog in the past:  

Tell us a little about your "story." Who is Joycelyn?
"Uh, well I was born in PA, and attended a private school when I was younger. I moved to NJ when my mom got a different job. I have two older sisters and a younger step brother. I’m planning on going to college for Culinary Arts. I’m 16 right now, but people always seem to think I’m at least 4 years older than I am. I am a spiritualist and very superstitious. I am currently practicing food photography and I am planned to teach a high school photography class next year."

What inspired you to start a band? What is the meaning of its name?
"In all honesty, I don’t know. I guess it was just a thing that I decided I wanted to do one day...I guess I just really like making weird music, haha...I started to play music and the synthesizer the summer going into my Junior year. I have always loved playing...I found that it came naturally to me and I just began to play more and more often. 


The name is Harasstronauts. It is just a play on words. Harass coming from how I have felt most of my life. And Astronauts: Referring to my love for astronomy, which is what mainly sparked my creativity. To be honest, I just really love how the word sounds. It's a nice way for me to visualize one I have it all put together and sometimes it inspires me for more ideas."

Do you communicate more through your music alone or the lyrics?
"...I have always been someone who wrote. I just am a horrible lyric writer. Whenever I write stuff that isn’t completely from the heart, it just turns out so horrible. Instead, I decided to just explain my feeling through the sound of my music. Almost everything is instrumental. I just like how it all sounds in the end.

By the end of the summer, I want to have my first CD recorded and possibly on iTunes. I am probably going to give my albums out for free. Personally, I love listening to free music. I have actually found a local band that I completely love. I also want to play at some show. But I don’t know what venue wants to hear my kind of music.
I hope that everyone checks out my facebook page ...I'll update as much as I can and keep everyone informed. I want to release my music as soon as possible. You can also follow my Tumblr blog. www.whiteleviathan.tumblr.com"

InPatterns. [Meet Michael]





See him? Well, that's Michael Crimlis, former lead singer of Us, From Outside.  He left Us, From Outside not long ago to pursue other endeavors. He's currently working on a new project called InPatterns. I recently caught up with Michael and asked him to send me the lyrics of one of his favorite songs that he wrote and the meaning behind it. He kindly complied.

Lyrics to "A Sense Of Something Greater"
If I continue to practice my sins, will you stay? Or as my time leaks away, will you leave?
Strung out, I've been waiting too long. I was on cloud, but now I'm coming down.
We've slowly created this pattern, carved out of the breathless, the mangled and battered.
We're here, but merely in pieces, taken defeated and speechless.
A little light will make the picture clearer, exposing what's inside.
These marks will show you that we are alive. We'll all heal in time.
In time, I hope to become reasonable. I've got burnt nerves and no control, we're not that different.
We're here, but merely in pieces...
I'm fractured, you watched me fall from a crooked sky.
I don't wanna turn around again, I'm terrified, it's too late, we're broken.
A little light will make the picture clearer, exposing what's inside.
These marks will show you that we are alive.
We all heal in time.
(To listen to "A Sense Of Something Greater", click here)

Michael says:
"This song simply means that everyone, at some point in their life needs help, everyone struggles with something, whether it be bullying, addiction, depression, abuse, sickness, etc...but no matter how negative a situation may turn out to be, there is ALWAYS a solution, there is ALWAYS someone willing to help, there is ALWAYS something better. Sometimes it may be difficult to be or remain positive, but that's what sets certain people apart from others. Someone is always watching, and positivity radiates, it's infectious."

InPatterns is brand new and will be touring come spring. You can find tour dates, music, and all band info by clicking here. I encourage you to do so! I also encourage you to befriend Michael. He's truly amazing, down to earth, and really hot...just saying. ;] He really gets what I'm trying to do here and everything he writes has profound meaning and purpose. Support him and his band.

Readings at A World Apart



Hey, everyone! Sorry I haven't written in a while. Been CRAZY BUSY with Christmas and everything, as I'm sure you have been, too. I trust everyone had a great holiday as I did. And New Year's Eve is tomorrow. Can you believe it? What's everyone doing? I hope it's safe and fun, whatever it may be.
Anyway! I'm here to talk about A World Apart which is a new age store in Pennsville, the town where I live. I was in there a little before Christmas visiting the owners and my friend, Tomas, was in there discussing his idea of "Angels Readings" with one of the owners, Eden. I guess I just happened to be there at the right time because no sooner did I say hello was I asked, "Blair, do you want an angel reading?", to which I replied, "Umm, yeah!". Tomas wanted to show Eden how they worked and what to expect and everything so I was the test subject. I sat down in a chair across from Tomas as he took his dowsing rods out of his bag and pointed them at me. He asked me if I believed in angels and what I thought they looked like and to describe them. I did. He then began to talk to my Guardian Angel and ask him questions about my life and myself and my being. My Nana even came through briefly to share her 2 cents. The entire experieince was great. I learned some things about myself and left knowing exactly what I had to do. I also felt a lot closer with myself, if that makes any sense, and felt an over all sense of peace and well being and clarity. I highly recommend these readings, especially with Tomas and AWA. He's an amazing person and it's a great place. To know more, just comment with any questions. I'll be happy to answer them. If you'd like to book one, contact Eden or Tomas at 856-678-2444 or at www.aworldapart.org