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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Eponine Angst

I LOVE these videos, and would watch more Les Mis, but that my internet can only take so much youtube before dying on me. So...enjoy these two, and if you have good internet, find the other ones related to these. I'm sure they rock too.



Tuesday, December 23, 2008

An UN-Scathing Review



First of all, anyone who has not seen the Princess Bride MUST MUST MUST go out and see it before reading this review. I do not want to spoil such an awesome movie. And yes, I do mean anyone. I recommend this movie to any and all.
Now, onward.
...................................................

True to my word, I did watch Princess Bride yesterday, and it made me so happy. I seriously think that if I ever had to choose one SINGLE movie as my favorite, PB would be it. It has everything: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."
(by the way, that's actually the corresponding quote from the book. I'm making this a joint review)

The Princess Bride is probably the only example of a movie I know of in which I am completely happy with the transition from book to movie. Granted, I did see the movie first, but after reading the book, I didn't get one of those, "How in the world could they have changed such-and-such?" feelings after reading it.

In fact, let me tell you story about me and the book. You know how in the movie, the Grandfather is reading the story to his grandson while the kid is sick? Well, they have that in the book except that the author William Goldman made it so that he himself was the grandson listening to his grandfather read this 'book' by 'S. Morgenstern.' There were other parts of the modern part of the story that made references to Florin and Guilder and all those different things actually existing.
I believed it! I wanted to go to Florin to see the Fire Swamp and Cliffs of Insanity and the Princess Bride museum. I wanted to go to the Morgenstern library. Months later, I looked up the book on wikipedia for some reason, and I went into shock. It revealed to me that the whole part about the grandson and Florin being a real country was all just a plot device. That's it. There was no Morgenstern, no grandfather, no Florin. I almost literally broke down because it was so heart breaking. Thankfully, it didn't scar me for life. It just made me really really annoyed for about a month.

But anyway. I really enjoyed watching the movie again because I was able to catch details I hadn't caught the first ten times seeing that movie. One thing I focused on this time through was what each character's obsession/first love/main mission was. Every single main character had one.

Westley's obession is, of course, Buttercup. In the beginning, all he wants to do is SHOW her how much he loves her. Instead of just saying, "I love you," he shows his love. Buttercup asked him to fetch a pitcher that must have only been twelve inches away from her. His actions speak louder than words as he walks over to her and gives her the pot, whispering, "As you wish." Though he was captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts and eventually became Dread Pirate Roberts, he never lost sight of his goal: to get Buttercup back which he does at the end.
Inigo's main mission is to avenge his father and kill the Six Fingered Man. The book talks about how Inigo had always imagined how it would play out with pleas, bribe attempts, and all sorts of other fun, but then decided to go for the simplest thing: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." This is an obsession. He spent about twenty years just training with the sword and strengthening himself. He's so good he even fights extremely well left handedly.

I could go on and on and on with character analysis, but this review is getting a tad long. I'd like to hear from y'all. What is your favorite moment from the book or movie? And what do you think a character's obsession is?

Friday, December 19, 2008

A Scathing Review

I honestly didn't have any idea what to write about my blog, but then Mom suggested I review a movie I saw recently that I....didn't exactly like. More like disliked intensely.
This will be a first, considering most of the reviews I post on my blog are positive, so bear with me.
Lady Jane
To clarify....I only wanted to see this movie because it had Cary Elwes in it. (yeah, yeah, you can call me a Princess Bride freak if it makes you happy) It also had Helena Bonham Carter, who I consider to be a fine actress. Not one of my favorites, mind you, but a good actress nonetheless. Things got even better when I found out Patrick Stewart was in the movie too. (again, call me a mindless Star Trek: TNG geek)
(by the way, this is a ranting review, so if you actually want to see this movie without knowing spoilers, skip this review)

Jady Lane in a nutshell:
Henry VII dies. Edward his son is king.
Jane (HBC) likes Edward, but Lord Whats-His-Ears convinces Jane's mom to have her marry HIS son because Edward is dying.
Jane and Guilford (CE) marry. At first they establish this is a marriage of convenience, but then, (who would have seen this coming? *heavy sarcasm*) they actually fall in love!
Edward dies and leaves a will saying Jane is queen instead of his sister Mary.
Jane is reluctantly made queen. She and Guilford make reform-ish laws. (for the good of the people, darling!! sorry, I'm in a very obnoxious mood right now)
Mary doesn't want to give up her throne and takes back over.
Jane and Guilford are beheaded for treason. (oh, I'm sorry! AFTER someone tried to convert them to Catholicism.)
The End....
................
What the bloody Spanish Inquisition was that??? They're beheaded and that's it?! Ok, yes, it's based on real history, but they could've come up with some other way to make it better. Not lofty eternity Plato quotes to rectify the situation, because the situation was NOT rectified in my opinion. The situation left me feeling mad, pitiful, stupid, annoyed, and more.

So....to rectify the situation on my own, I'm watching the Princess Bride as soon as I can. Because that movie has a REAL romance and a REAL ending. Let's compare the endings of the two, shall we?
Lady Jane ending(after they're both beheaded): *swelling music as background to lofty clouds* "The soul takes flight to the world that is invisible. At there arriving, she is assured of bliss, and forever dwells in paradise."

Princess Bride ending:
Grandpa: As as they reached for each other....
Grandson: What? What?
Grandpa: Ah, it's kissing again, you don't want to hear that.
Grandson: I don't mind so much.
Grandpa: Ah, ok. Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The End.
Grandson: Grandpa, maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow.
Grandpa: As you wish.

THERE'S an ending.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to clear my system of that movie and watch the Princess Bride.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Rose


The lily has a smooth stalk,
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her brier
Is lady of the land.

There's sweetness in an apple tree,
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.

When with moss and honey
She tips her bending brier,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.
~by Christina Rossetti

I LOVE Christina Rossetti's poetry...... Anyway..... As most of you have probably noticed by now, I broke down and got myself a new layout, header, etcetera. You may ask, why a black rose? Well, (A I love roses. Especially dark ones. I used to not think roses are that great, but especially since becoming a (happy!) goth and seeing Phantom of the Opera I've started to love them. (B I wanted to see if I could photo manipulate a red rose into a black rose, and I did. Yay!!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

SNOW!!!!

Ok, I am not copying Princess Geo, I had actually planned to say something on the subject before I read hers....but....
WE HAD SNOW!!!! Not very much, but snow nonetheless.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Fahrenheit 451


"The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that! Authors, full of evil thoughts, lock up your typewriters. They did. Magazines became a nice blend of vanilla tapioca. Books, so the snobbish critics said, were dishwater. No wonder books stopped selling, the critics said. but the public, knowing what it wanted, spinning happily, let the comic books survive. And the three-dimensional sex magazines of course. There you have it, Montag. It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the time, you are allowed to read comics, the good old confessions, or trade journals." .... "We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it." -Beatty.

I...LOVED this book. But in contrary to popular belief, it's not really about government censorship. As Beatty himself said, it didn't start with the government. It started with people losing an interest in books as a result of A) technology exploited and B) political correctness in regards to minorities.
A basic synopsis of the book would be that Guy Montag is an average fireman. Average for the time that is. In the future, homes have been fireproofed, so a fireman no longer puts out fires, but starts them. All books and the homes in which they are found are burned. But in a world where pleasure and 'happiness' are king, there are still people who challenge the norm. Clarisse McClellan is one of those, and she challenges Montag's motivation for burning books. This challenge makes Montag start to question the reason of burning books, and the story goes on.

When I read this book, I was amazed because Ray Bradbury wrote many things that seem to already have started becoming true.

1. "School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored."
That's already coming true. I hardly know anyone my age who knows the difference between the usage of who and whom, that snuck is not actually a word, and that being nauseous and nauseated are NOT the same thing.

2. "Organize and organize and superorganize super-super sports."
Can anyone else notice the obsession with football in America?? As I've probaby ranted before, I don't see the point of football except this: "All right, we're gonna take the ball, and score a touchdown! Break!!"

There are others I could go into, but I realize this post is getting just a tad long.
To close: Unless people start reading and absorbing intelligent books again, I do believe our society will head in this direction.
Lord have mercy.

PS Random fact I found: according to wikipedia, I have read four of the books that are commenly challenged in the US. And there are more on there I'm planning to read, such as 1984. Extra points to anyone who can guess the books I've read on the list.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Christmas at the Griswald's!!

Soo it's been ages since I've posted.

Random stuff going on: 1. I'm excited because my youth group is putting on a mini-concert at a retirement home, which I've volunteered to help out with.
2. Yesterday.....was my birthday. Yep... I am sixteen. I need to get on with Driver's ed...grr...
3. The other day was dig out all assorted Christmas decorations. Our staircase looks lovely, but different. As Mom said, "It has our family written all over it." I also routed Charlie from her nap and made her pose for the camera. She wasn't too thrilled at first...

As I said, our staircase looks CRAZY....
Martin looking crazy with it.
This one's my favorite...
PS I plan to have my review of Fahrenheit 451 up as soon as I gather my thoughts and wits about me.

Monday, December 1, 2008

A Quote...

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses, there is at last one which makes the heart run over."
~James Boswell, quoted in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Vertigo


Oh....my.....goodness.....

This movie is amazing...

I agree with Dad when he said, "I see why Shyamalan was influenced by Hitchcock...they each take their time to set things up." And they do. For a long while you think the story is about something, but then he switches the focus entirely. And what an ending!

What I found fascinating was Hitchcock's use of the camera for Scottie's sense of vertigo. He was able to make an object in the distance stay still, but all the surroundings seemed to move. I did some research, and found out he did that by zooming in while moving out with the camera. Or the backwards way... I forget.
There is much more I could say about this movie, but I won't because I don't want to give anything away. See this movie! It's a classic, and rightly so.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Death Wears a Suit

As I've been rambling on about for the past, oh month or so? My company has been planning two major films. One was code-named Bookmark of Doom the other Death Wears a Suit. Filming was last Tuesday. But through a series of unfortunate events, plans got messed up and the actress I had planned to use for Marie couldn't come. So... piningforthefjords took over the part I was going to play, and I assumed the role of Marie. And this is the result. Enjoy!

EDIT: Mom tells me that when you watch it here, it stretches the video. So...if you want to see the non-stretchy version, go to the actual youtube page.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A Quote...

"I leave this rule for others
when I'm dead,
Be always sure you're right-
then go ahead."
~Davy Crockett, valiant defender of the Alamo.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Inkdeath


Inkdeath.... That widely anticipated sequel to a sequel. I have a variety of thoughts on it.
First off, the whole first half drove me insasne! All people were doing was sitting around in angst fretting over what to do and how do it. Either that, or they were sitting in angst trying to persuade others what to do and how to do it. Take for example Meggie. I liked Meggie in the other books. Now she's hit the moody teenager phase and doesn't want Mo to do anything. If my dad had to take a particularly dangerous police assignment, I would worry. I would pray. But I wouldn't try to convince him to not do it. I wouldn't just sit there in boring angst* brooding over it. It seems to me Meggie doesn't do anything useful the whole book except read a couple times for Fenoglio.
Now that the annoying part is over, the good.
As soon as people started moving and Mo agreed to summon the White Women, I started getting into it. That whole scene with the White Women surrounding them was incredible. I could see it clearly in my mind's eye.
Death demands that Mo write the words in the Adderhead's book.
The plot thickens.
And with that, Tasha Brainsample decided she rather liked the book after all but had to change her favorite character from Dustfinger to Violante. Either that or they're tied. Tasha's not sure yet.
Now she moves on to....she thinks City of Ember. She knows she needs to get on with reading her borrowed books from Erustan.**


*I love angst. Well-done angst that is. But I found Meggie's to be annoying.
**Thank you, mellon nin!!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A Dream Within a Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow:
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep-while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
~Edgar Allen Poe

Audition Process~Twelve Guideposts

Miss Erin asked to hear more about my acting classes, so here we go.
This past session we studied the audition process, and how to be prepared for an audition. Not just memorizing a monologue, but finding a monologue that fits you and your type and being prepared for cold readings.
Question: Why is it I can act when I'm doing a play but can't do that in a reading?
Answer: You can. It's a matter of asking the right questions. Hence, the following guideposts.

1. Relationship: What is my relationship to the other character in the scene I'm about to do? Facts are never enough. How do you feel about this person?
2. Conflict: What are you fighting for? Who is interfering with you getting what you want? Find variety in fighting for your motivation.
3. The Moment Before: It's up to you to provide what comes before the scene. Not just thinking about it, but immersing yourself in the moment before in order to come into a scene fully in character and prepared.
4. Humor: Humor isn't just "being funny." Humor is an attitude with which we are able to face the serious things and life and get through each day.
5. Opposites: Whatever you decide as a motivation, the opposite is also true. (ie, in every human there exists love and hate, happy moods and sad moods, etc) Opposites develop conflict and therfore drama, and therefore interest.
6. Discoveries: Every scene is filled with things that happen for the first time. They can be about you, another character, or just about anything. Always ask yourself: What is new?
7. Communication and competition: Acting is a task of communication. It is not enough for an actor to feel if that feeling is not being communicated. All dramatic relationships are competitive, there's alot of resistance.
8. Importance: Plays are written about important moments in people's lives. An actor must look for something ususual going on. We don't go to see plays to see people living everyday humdrum lives.
9. Find the events: Ask yourself, "What happens in this scene? What are the changes?"
10. Place: It's up to the actor to create a place, which leads credibility to your acting.
11. Game Playing and role playing: Not insincere! For each situation we play a different role because it is a different genre. (ie, teacher student; friend friend; husband wife) Every relationship we have demands a different role. when we want to change, that creates conflict.
12. Mystery and secret: Finally, add to these what you don't know. For example, no matter how well we know another person, there are always things going on in his mind that we can't know. No matter how well we explain ourselves, there's always something hidden and unknown in us. Don't play the end before the end. Play what you dream or hope the end will be.

These guideposts come from a book called Audition, by Michael Shurtleff. He's a casting director in New York and wrote the book to help actors. I highly recommend it. It goes into the guideposts in more detail, as well as other topics of interest. There was ALOT of stuff in there that I hadn't known but completely made sense.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Screwtape Letters


"Music and silence, how I detest them both. The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end. But I admit we are not yet loud enough, or anything like it. Research is in progress. Meanwhile you, disgusting little-
[Here the MS. breaks off and is resumed in a different hand.]
In the heat of composition I find that I have inadvertently allowed myself to assume the form of a large centipede."

This is a book that all C.S. Lewis fans should read. It's far different from any of his other books (at least, the ones I've read) The whole book is a series of letters from Screwtape, a senior demon, written to his nephew Wormwood who is a young tempter. Thoughout the book, Screwtape corrects his nephew's naive or misguided attempts to keep his Patient from Heaven. Shortly into the book, the Patient becomes a Christian. This is atrocious is Screwtape's eyes, but all it does is cause him to suggest different tactics to win the Patient over to "Our Father Below."

The only other thing I have to say is that I wish I could find the version read by John Cleese on sale somewhere...

Thursday, November 6, 2008

You know you're a geek when...

I started writing this a few months ago, and it's grown since then...I suspect it will continue to grow. Crazy filmmaker version will come later.

You know you're a nerd when...
You think to yourself as you stir honey and cream into your tea, "This is a mixture. The cream and honey are not chemically uniting with the tea, hence this is a physical reaction only."
You look out the window and notice that a tree has excurrent branching as opposed to deliquisent.
You see a book by H.G. Wells and immediately think, "Hg is the symbol for the element mercury."
You enjoy balancing chemical equations.
You use the word “joy” in relation to balancing chemical equations.
You get annoyed when people use “your” for “you’re” and vice versa.
You get annoyed when people say “lol” and don’t actually laugh out loud.
You then tell said people to think of something more appropriate to say.
You then enjoy it when aforementioned people start using “limh” to please you.
You have a perpetual library fine for returning books late.

You know you're a geek when...
You and your friends debate whether Han really shot first.
You and your friends debate whether the Island actually moved.
You and your friends debate whether Jin is actually dead.
You own a cape.
You mourn the crash of Flight 815 and celebrate Frodo and Bilbo's birthday. (and to that effect, you know what day they are off the top of your head)
You sing Phantom of the Opera songs with fellow Phanatics ON THE PHONE…
You make “deals” with other friends about lending books.
You think that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the greatest movie in the world.
You get defensive whenever someone tries to make you choose between Star Wars and Star Trek.
You get defensive whenever someone tries to make you choose between Middle Earth and Narnia.
No one ever “gets” your costumes.
Even when you explain that the stripes do *not* make skunk fur, they make Rogue hair.
You analyze Christine’s choice and understand her reasons and turmoil, but still want her to have chosen Erik instead.
You know who *Erik* is.
You know some useful Elvish things to say and actually say them in day to day conversation.

Yes....I am both a nerd and a geek, and proud of it!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Doom and Gloom is the Key Phrase Around Here

I really don't know what to say.

.
..
I have nothing to say, and yet everything to say.
...
....
Our country is doomed.
.....
......
I need a cup of tea. Or some chocolate. Reality has hit. Obama is our next president.
......
.......
I miss Ronald Reagan.


"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."
~
"A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill."
~
"With regard to the freedom of the individual for choice with regard to abortion, there's one individual who's not being considered at all. That's the one who is being aborted. And I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."
~
"Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."
~
"If a tax hike makes it to my desk, I'll veto it in less time than it takes Vanna White to turn the letters V-E-T-O!"
~
"The ten most dangerous words in the English language are 'Hi, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'"
~
"I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts."
~Ronald Reagan

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Seeing Double?

Lots of random bits of information I'd like to impart because lately Cease Repining has been almost entirely lame... You can blame it on my acting classes and current projects. (Bookmark of Doom and Death Wears a Suit) There's been alot of work on both of these things. (headshots, mock auditions, and preparations for the showcase for the former; script editing, pre-vis photography, and induction of a new member of EJC on the latter)
But anyhoo....first off. You are not seeing double. We have another kitten.


Here's his story... For about a week, we had been seeing him every once in awhile at night. He'd meow and want food, so we'd feed him. We thought he was one of Mimi's wild cats. Because we'd always see him at night, Dad started calling his Nightcrawler. (X-Men fans? Anyone? Anyone?) So then a day came when our dogs were going nuts for no apparent reason. I went outside onto our porch and found him again almost freezing to death (slight exaggeration...maybe) because it was windy and cold that day. From that time on, we kept feeding him and bringing him into the house.


We know now that he is NOT one of Mimi's wild cats because he LOVES being petted and none of Mimi's cats will let anyone come near them. We figure someone dumped him.
That's the story of our pet life. Some....(what I wish to say should not be said in polite society) has always left his poor dogs or cats on the road or in a ditch to let them die. I hate it!! It makes me so mad that people would be so cruel and irresponsible. How hard is it to take them to Petco or an Animal Shelter? Ugh....


What's really nice is that now Charlie doesn't drive the older cats nuts. She has Nightcrawler to fight and play with. And believe me, they fight and play hard. It's funny; now all of our cats are in pairs. Rochilimea and Pseudomonis, (who are, incidentally siblings) Lucy and Figaro, and Charlie and Nightcrawler. (Slinker and Crawler, hee hee.)


Speaking of M. Night Crawler, (that's one of his other nicknames) I am mourning...for a sillyish reason.

.....................................................................


I'm dead serious. I wish I wasn't. Apparently, the aquirance of his skills for playing Johnny Cash in Walk the Line inspired him to become a musician instead.
So, to start the mourning process, the other night I watched the Village which is one of my favorite movies. I SO want to do a spoof of that great scene where Ivy is holding out her hand and the creature almost gets her. That is SUCH a beautiful scene, yet still creepy. Ah well...maybe we'll have time to spoof it after principal photography of the two main projects.
***************
Final bit of news: Poll Results.
Is our country doomed?
Yes: 5 (55%)
No: 2 (22%)
*sigh* It depends on the election: 2 (22%)
I guess tonight we'll find out our fate.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

New Poll and DOOM!

I'd like to put forth a question. Is our country doomed? With election day drawing closer and closer, a feeling of doom seems to have fallen on the GOP. Are we ready for four to eight years of Obama? I'm certainly not.
But in the midst of doom and gloom, light does shine.

Daniel 2:21: "It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."

C.S. Lewis

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”

"Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self..."

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil."

“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain”

“The very man who has argued you down, will sometimes be found, years later, to have been influenced by what you said”

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."

“You will never know how much you believe something until it is a matter of life and death.”

"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"

Monday, October 27, 2008

*Sigh*

I haven't posted in a long time....as in, since last Friday, I believe. But, I've been doing SOME worthwhile things. I finished my script for Death Wears a Suit in a matter of a couple days, and I'm semi-satisfied with it. The final plot twist scene needs some work, I think...
So because I don't have much to say (haven't seen any new movies or finished any books worth reviewing) I'm going to combine a few tags I found on Q's blog because I like them.

My ideal...
Snack: popcorn or goldfish and a glass of milk
Day: is spent at the bookstore for hours or spent making films with EJC co-founders and whoever other actor friends I hire
Book: *sigh* again.....it's hard to squish an ideal book into a tag...
Friend: trustworthy, encouraging, and weird enough to understand me
Weather: cold enough to have a fire

3 Must Read Books:
The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
(I have wayyyyy more responses to this question, so see here)

3 Keep Your Eyes on These:
hmmm....not sure what is meant by this question, so I'll leave it blank

3 Look For These Soon:

Third book of Echoes from the Edge, by Bryan Davis (don't know the name...)
Bones of Makaidos, by Bryan Davis
Can't think of a third...
I tag...anyone who wants to do these.

As for the filming of upcoming projects, (i.e., Bookmark of Doom and Death Wears a Suit) we're looking at Thanksgiving week. I'm getting really excited because this will probably be the first time we do sketches with an ACTUAL script, not just impulsive improv.)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Presenting, Tribute to Charlie

Unashamed fluff about my kitten growing up set to music.

Tribute to Charlie

PS I got the main actor I wanted for the upcoming project. Hmmm....I need a secret name for it. Here we go: Bookmark of Doom. Right. So I have my leading actor for Bookmark of Doom, and as soon as we get our agents together, we should have a schedule for principal photography.

PPS I'm counting 71 as complete. 83 too.

Words for An Actor to Live By

"Acting or writing or directing in theater or television or screen is only for the irrevocably diseased, those who are so smitten with the need that there is no choice."
-from Audition, by Michael Shurtleff

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Bangs and Cats

We have COLD WEATHER!!!!!! I'm actually sitting here in pants and a sweatshirt!!!!! I'm so happy!!!!!

So yesterday the boys decided we were going to put Charlie in a build-a-bear shirt. And they succeeded. She didn't want to tolerate it, but once it was there, she pretty much had no choice.



Also yesterday, Mom trimmed my hair and I asked her to give me bangs, yay. And yes, they were inspired by Abby from NCIS. Only difference is that my blonde roots are coming out.



PS The Charlie video will be up any day now......

Monday, October 20, 2008

Cause maybe....you're gonna be the one that saves me

I absolutely LOVE songs that tell a story. Not just narratives, but an underlying relationship or event that isn't expressly stated.
My musings are inspired today because I finally got Wonderwall (by Oasis) from Mom. The reason she thought to get it is that Charlie sings it in Desmond's flashes and it's such an ironic song for him to sing in regards to Desmond.
Here is a snippet:


And all the roads that lead you there winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that
I would like to say to you
I don't know how

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall


Isn't that ironic??? Desmond, the man who sees flashes of Charlie's death in many different forms, witnesses Charlie singing THIS song in his flash. The music directors of Lost are awesome at finding songs that perfectly pertain to what's going on. So yeah. That's my current song that I'm obsessed with.




NOTE: I will have a new EJC Productions video up soon. Just a fluff piece on my kitten, but I thought it was fun to watch her be a cute little baby rat looking thing again, ha ha.
And also, in the works is another film that is Phantom of the Opera related. The script has been written and negotiations will start soon for a guest actor in the production.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Exasperation and a Confession

Things drive me nuts sometimes. There is no way around that.
Shareware is one of those things.
Picture if you will, this circumstance: Someone finds software online that they need for filmmaking. Nowhere on the website it is downloaded from does it say that it is a trial period. Yet after thirty inconspicuous days pass, the person using that software to make his movies gets the message "Your trial period has passed. View pricing options here."
That in and of itself makes him mad. Then he decides that he does actually need that software. He goes to the site and proceeds to download the WRONG program for a sum of money. After an hour of researching, he finds out that his computer won't even use that kind of program. He tries to find some way of returning it, but he sees that the stupid Australian company (no offense Aussies, I love y'all's accents) has a no return, no refund, no nothing way of fixing the problem policy.
Now he's been ripped off and has to go to Best Buy to find a better solution...
Oh well. I guess there are worse things that can happen. Maybe now I'll....excuse me, *he* will get software that's even better than the stupid Australian company can offer.
Now to the confession....
I know in the blog world there are many wonderful writers. Writers who are amazing at their craft and pour themselves into it. (Edge and Miss Erin to name a couple.)
I am not one of those people.
Don't get me wrong, I love writing, but it doesn't, as Gwendolyn from the Importance of Being Earnest would say, "Stir within me the deepest fibers of my nature."
What I enjoy more is pulling things from a piece of writing.
Take today for an example. I have acting class on Monday, so today's the day I do all the homework and preparation for that class. I have spent hours of solitude picking through a monologue and a scene using clues from the writer to form my characters. (the monologue is Mrs. Chevely from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde and the scene is Ann from All My Sons by Arthur Miller)
Whenever I try to write, I always find myself wanting to DO what the characters are doing rather than just to write about what they do.
Hence, I am an actor.
Who am I kidding....Hence, I am a total theater geek. Let us call a spade a spade.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I Am Not Dead Yet...I can dance and I can sing...

Tasha lives! She can dance and sing because she took the PSAT today, and thinks she did pretty well on it! Even though we won't get scores back until December, I'm counting 51 as a completed goal now, because, as Dad said, "It's no use talking about anymore until December." Thank goodness...
I finally can read for real again! And just in time, cause Erustan lent me Inkdeath, which just came out! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover.

On the 101 front, I changed some of my stuff because alot of the goals were really vague...so if you see me complete a goal you didn't realize was there, it probably wasn't.

On the weird world front, today is Global Handwashing Day????

On the musical front, I meant to post this earlier but I didn't get a chance....
ANDY HUNTER'S NEW REMIXES OF STARS ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!


Thursday, October 9, 2008

James "Sawyer" Ford


"You're just not looking at the big picture, Doc. You're still back in civilization. Me? I'm in the wild."

"Doctor playing golf. Woo, boy howdy, now I've heard everything. What's next, cop eating a donut?"

Commenting on Ethan taking Charlie and Claire: "So a tribe of evil natives planted a ringer in the camp to kidnap a pregnant girl and a reject from VH1 has-beens. Yeah, fiendishly clever."

Talking to Libby with a shoulder wound: "You're a shrink? Well, maybe you ought to talk to my shoulder."

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf. How could I forget this place? "

"Yeah, well, him says even though Pippi Longstocking and the Grape Ape are ideal candidates for the Dirty Dozen... I'm just going to say we might just want to bring the Red Beret. "

"Great idea, Moonbeam, then we can sing Kumbaya and do trust falls!"

"Don't get mad at me...just because you were dumb enough to fall for the old Wookie prisoner gag."

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Eternity's Edge

NOTE: Before reading this book, it is HIGHLY recommended to read the first in the series, Beyond the Reflection's Edge. If you haven't read the first, alot of the concepts will be new and confusing.

The book picks up right where the first left off. Nathan Shepherd has found out that his parents are actually alive, but finding them is hard because he and Kelly Clark must stop Interfinity from merging Earth with it's mirror realms. Behind this scheme is Mictar, a stalker who feeds upon life energy of victims and feeds that power into his machine.

As with all of Bryan Davis's books, at times this book can be confusing if you just glance through something. It takes a bit of concentration to keep some of the facts straight in your head. But it's more than just a fantasy/sci-fi/action adventure. The characters are amazing. I would probably read the book even without the mirror realms, or magical violins, or interfinity just because the characters were so interesting and real.
I'm sorry, but I'm very tempted to draw paralells to Bryan Davis's Dragons in Our Midst characters, so for fun I will.
*Nathan is to Kelly as Billy Bannister is to Bonnie Silver.
*Kelly is to Daryl as Billy is to Walter.
*Nathan, like Billy, has a search for his parents.
*Mictar reminds me of Samyaza.
*Kelly is a confused character in some respects who looks to Nathan for guidance, Billy in some ways is confused and looks to Bonnie for advice
But, by no means let this make you think that Bryan Davis has some "writer's formula" for success. Echoes from the Edge series is VERY VERY different from Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire. I just tend to find similarities like that.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Huzzah!


Scholastically, today has been a great day. I took a practice PSAT and got 80 and 73 on the reading and writing. Only downside to that is a 54 in math.
Also, I finished last year's math...yeah, finally....
~
I have a completed goal because of my awesome acting class right now. I now have two more audition monologues that I didn't have before. One from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, and one from Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.
~
Final piece of news, I got my copy of Eternity's Edge this past week, and it is AMAZING so far. I'll try to have a review on it as soon as I finish.
~
Yes, I know my picture has nothing to do with anything in the post, but I put it because it shows how I feel right now...very, very happy.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

~Phantom of the Opera~

The book was fantastic. Yes, I was biased in favor of it before I read it because I'm a huge fan of the movie. (still haven't seen the musical yet!)

Gaston LeRoux begins by saying, "The Opera ghost really existed. He was not, as was long believed, a creature of the imagination of the artists, the superstition of the managers, or a product of the absurd and impressionable brains of the young ladies of the ballet, their mothers, the box-keepers, the cloak-room attendants or the concierge. Yes, he existed in flesh and blood, although he assumed the complete appearance of a real phantom; that is to say, of a spectral shade."

The story that follows is LeRoux's investigation as a journalist that proves the Phantom (Erik) really existed. As in the movie, the story really kicks off with the arrival of two new managers who must abide by Erik's "house rules" which include Box 5 reserved for him and a salary of 20,000 francs. The managers staunchly believe that it is a joke by the previous managers and refuse to pay Erik or reserve the box.

Many tragedies and incidents take place over the course of the book, roughly matching the movie. Madame Giry plays the same part, but there are other characters such as the Count Chagny himself (not Raoul, his elder brother) and the mysterious Persian who play no part in the movie.

Another thing that was interesting to me was the higher stakes at the end. If Christine didn't choose Erik, not only would Raoul and the Persian die in his torture chamber, but the whole opera house would get destroyed in a rigged explosion.
Alas, I will not give away the end, though some of you can guess it if you've seen the movie.
PS See also my lovely Phantom avatars!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Poll Results/Debate

Because of Sarah Palin are you more excited, less excited or the same about the upcoming election?
More excited: 6 (42%)
Less excited: 1 (7%)
No change: 3 (21%)
I'm never excited about elections: 4 (28%)
~*~


I don't care what the media says; Sarah Palin CREAMED Joe Biden in the VP debate. And, Biden just lied, and lied, and lied, which gave rise to our old joke. Mom asked, "How can you tell whether Joe Biden is lying?" I answered, "His lips are moving."
He even lied about the Constitution. He said that the Vice President has nothing to do with the Senate except vote when there's a tie. Well, it's true that the VP votes only when there's a tie, but it EXPRESSLY says in Article 1, Section 3 that the VP presides over the Senate in the same way as the Speaker serves as chairman of the House of Representatives. HA!
All right, I'm done....
No, I'm not...I LOVE Sarah Palin.
Now I am.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A tag.....

Three things that scare me: Shelob, hard-core, left-wing liberals, tornados
Three people who make me laugh: I can only pick three? Mom, Dad, and Glenn Beck
Three things I love: acting, reading, sleeping
Three things I hate: math, Spanish, not getting enough sleep
Three things I don't understand: why people support Obama (hack, spit), why people aren't concerned about China and Russia with their military, why I've thought that Regis Philbin was Regis Philmin for all these years (I STILL can't get over that!!!!)
Three things on my desk: computer, page a day calendar, keys
Three things I'm doing right now: blogging, avoiding cleaning the kitchen (don't worry, I'll do it when I'm done here), reading Glenn Beck newsletters
Three things I want to do before I die: go to New Zealand, see Phantom of the Opera, act in MORE plays
Three things I can do: act.....read.......obsess over favorite things
Three things you should listen to: ALL of Andy Hunter's stuff, Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, The Prayer sung by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church
Three things you should never listen to: hmmm.....not sure
Three things I'd like to learn: how to do different accents, how Phantom of the Opera (book) ends, how to find more monologues that I LIKE!
Three beverages I drink regularly: tea, milk, water
Three TV shows/Books I watched/read as a kid: Pinky and the Brain (still watch it), Boxcar children, Narnia (still read it)
Future Job: Me: "Actor," Dad: "lawyer!"
Wants to Go To: anywhere that has a good theater program
Extra Curriculars: acting
Current Occupation: student, babysitter for brothers, steward of people's animals and mail while they are away
. . .favorites
Colors: purple, black, silver
Subjects: History, Literature
Food: steak, potato soup, lentil soup, potatoes, cinnamon rolls, chocolate
Season: winter
Time of Day: Night
. . . least favorites
Colors: hot pink, orange (though I do like BURNT orange cause I'm from a Longhorn family on one side), maroon
Subjects: math, Spanish
Foods: brussel sprouts
Season: I don't know.....I like winter best, but it's a tie for other seasons cause of so many factors
Time of Day: Early Morning
. . . currently
reading: Cash: the Autobiography, the Boy's King Arthur, my PSAT prep book
goal: get a good enough grade on the PSAT for a scholarship of some kind
playing: Phantom of the Opera audiobook
talking to: no one at the moment
drinking: water

I tag: Cornerstone bloggers and anyone else who wants to do this one

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Random Announcements

Poll results:
My Lost poll got nowhere......four people voted that I should make a separate blog for my Lost stuff, but four other people voted that I should keep it all together.....if anyone who voted or hasn't voted cares to expound on his opinion on the subject, please leave a comment.

My "would you rather" poll had quite a large margin. NINE people voted that they would rather write a bestselling book, as opposed to three who wanted to be in a movie, three who wanted a record label cd, and two who wanted a successful theater career. Again, anyone wishing to expound on their vote, please leave comments!



101 business....I've decided to change my classic movies thing. I will still watch fifty classics, but alot of times I don't have much to say on a movie except that I like it....so I'll review it if I particularly like or dislike it, but if it's a moderate like, I probably won't go into it at all.


35~ done

Recommended Websites

Ok, I found some really cool websites just now, so...I'm starting another one of my list articles.


Entertainment:
Andy Hunter (one of my favorite musicians; he's a genius!)
Arwen-Undomiel (great LotR site)
Chad Vader (awesome parody by Blame Society Productions)
Lostpedia (WAYYYY better than normal wiki for Lost information)
Spareoom (great Narnia site)

Other:

Amazon (great deals on books)
Christianbook (when you can't find it on Amazon, you can find Christian stuff here)
LaughLab (fascinating look into the psychology of humor)
Monologue Archive (YES! ACTORS NEED THIS!)
Picnik (the best free photo editor I've found)
Zazzle (triciakeierleber) (our business, political, Christian, and many more products!)

Saturday, September 27, 2008

42nd Street


This is a FUN movie. Especially for types such as myself who enjoy a show ABOUT putting on a show. Such is the case with 42nd street. The movie stars Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Warner Baxter, and Ginger Rogers among others.

I suppose the story is predictable...a show being put on, rehearsals, lead lady breaks ankle and is replaced by a little-known who is loved by the audience, the show goes on. But I love the "corniness," of these old movies that I watch.

Busby Berkeley productions all have one thing in common: circles. There's always a big show-stopping number in which lots of ladies are in a spinning circle of some kind with at least one shot from the top of the circle. I find it fascinating.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Speak LIBERTY!

With the election near at hand, I would like to put forth a wonderful website that my Dad found today.

Speak Liberty

After signing up for an email, the website shifts to a page for viewing downloadable handouts.
Here's an example: Which is better? Democracy or Republic?
Also, What's the Difference Between Liberty and Freedom?

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Book Questionaire

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
Breaking Dawn. I refuse to read it. (ask Princess Geo, she'll verify that fact)
If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Tough question...it'd have to be Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) for an evening of discussion; Faramir for a swordfighting lesson, and Gandalf for the 4th of July
You are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realize it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
Federal Tax Handbook
Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?
none that I can think of
As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you'd read, only to realize when you read a review about it/ go to re-read that you haven't? Which book?
Hmmm.......I can't think of any right this minute
You're interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisior to some VIP ( who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why: ( if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead and personalize the VIP).
Chronicles of Narnia. If they like that, move on to Lord of the Rings
A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading and comprehension in a foreign language of your choice. What language do you go with?
ELVISH!!!!!!
A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will re-read once a year for the rest of your life ( you could read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre, Chronicles of Narnia...I already have books I read at least once a year
I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?
I saw a review of Trion Rising on a blog, and I loved it after I read it.
That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.
My library will have a gothic Jane Eyre quality to it with stone walls and cadlesticks, but it will have comfortable couches that have room for sleeping as well as sitting. There'd be a special organization of my books in a sort of virtual way. Books that belong to more than one shelf (ie favorites, fantasy, classic) would be virtually represented then brought forth when called for. (from any of the shelves which it's represented) Also, my library would be connected to my best friends' libaries so that we can lend each other our books whenever we wanted to. In addition to having a portal for our books, there'd also be a portal for ourselves so that we could traverse each other's libaries to go discuss books together. Finally, the portal wouldn't stop at sending us between libaries; it could also scan a book then take us into the book to wherever we wanted in terms of plotline and place.

The Late Passenger

by C.S. Lewis

The sky was low, the sounding rain was falling dense and dark,
And Noah's sons were standing at the window of the Ark.

The beasts were in, but Japheth said, 'I see one creature more
Belated and unmated there come knocking at the door.'

'Well let him knock,' said Ham, 'Or let him drown or learn to swim.
We're overcrowded as it is; we've got no room for him.'

'And yet it knocks, how terribly it knocks,' said Shem, 'Its feet
Are hard as horn-but oh the air that come from it is sweet.'

'Now hush,' said Ham, 'You'll waken Dad, and once he comes to see
What's at the door, it's sure to mean more work for you and me.'

Noah's voice came roaring from the darkness down below,
'Some animal is knocking. Take it in before we go.'

Ham shouted back, and savagely he nudged the other two,
'That's only Japheth knocking down a brad nail in his shoe.'

Said Noah, 'Boys, I hear a noise that's like a horse's hoof.'
Said Ham, 'Why, that's the dreadful rain that drums upon the roof.'

Noah tumbled up on deck and out he put his head;
His face went grey, his knees were loosed, he tore his beard and said,

'Look, look! It would not wait. It turns away. It takes its flight.
Fine work you've made of it, my sons, between you all to-night!

'Even if I could outrun it now, it would not turn again
-Not now. Our great discourtesy has earned its high disdain.

'Oh noble and unmated beast, my sons were all unkind;
In such a night what stable and what manger will you find?

'Oh golden hoofs, oh cataracts of mane, oh nostrils wide
With indignation! Oh neck wave-arched, the lovely pride!

'Oh long shall be the furrows ploughed across the hearts of men
Before it comes to stable and to manger once again.

'And dark and crooked all the ways in which our race shall walk,
And shrivelled all their manhood like a flower with broken stalk,

'And all the world, oh Ham, may curse the hour when you were born;
Because of you the Ark must sail without the Unicorn.'

Saturday, September 20, 2008

An EJC Productions Film....

A short film made from old footage depicting an epic battle of good versus.....well, good.

Fight for Honor


And, if you haven't already, don't forget to check out Encyclopedia Salesman and the Annoyed Director Montage. (The montage has bloopers from the other two films)

Friday, September 19, 2008

Blog Business

To anyone who happens to drop by my blog, please remember to vote on my polls!
I've recently started seriously considering separating my Lost thoughts into a separate blog, especially because we're going through the series again and there are (so far) 82 episodes of the show. So it's still under consideration, but please voice your opinion through the poll.
Also, if you haven't already, remember to vote on my Sarah Palin and Would you Rather polls.
Ah nuts.....I know I had something else to say in relation to blogs, but I can't remember......
OH YEAH.
If any of y'all care to check out my sister blog, I have many avatars up that encompass a variety of movies and some tv shows. Please request anything you would like to see that isn't there!
Cheers mates!
Lady Brainsample

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

LOST: Tabula Rasa


Kate-centered, yet a really good episode.
We looked into the meaning of the words "tabula rasa" and it's a philosophy of John Locke, the enlightenment philosopher. This philosophy states that we are a blank slate at birth and that we become what we are because of our experiences.



Number watch: the reward for turning in Kate was 23 thousand dollars.

Favorite moments of the episode:
*The irony of the group choosing Kate to hold the gun
*Sawyer: "Me? I'm in the wild!"
*Locke finding Vincent but letting Michael take him back to Walt
*Jack's speech about being able to start over on the Island (thus, Kate deciding to become a "blank slate" again)
*Ending montage with happy music! (then ruined by the foreboding shot of Locke....still don't understand that)

Featured character: Kate
I will say this for her. She has pluck walking all she did in Australia. But other than that, I will stop saying anything for fear of offending Kate fans....OH! Here's another compliment for her: the Patsy Cline songs that they use are always on her episodes. On this episode, it was Leavin' On Your Mind. I hadn't actually heard that one till then.

LOST: Pilot Parts 1 and 2



It's amazing how when watching the series again (for me, the third time) you can find so many details that you missed before. Knowing the characters beforehand, you can see so much better the foreshadowing of their backstories.
Another thing that the writers establish is that they are going to mess with you throughout the entire series. They will itch your brain, twist its thinking, then throw it out when they're done.
Here's my story on the first time watching the series.....
Mom and I got the first disc finally because she read a good review on it in World Magazine. I wanted to see it because of another good review and Dominic Monahan from LotR. So we started watching it a night that Dad went out to be a cop. We watched the whole disc....late into the night.... My description of us in two words would be culture shock. It was SO amazing, we were speechless.
Because we were done with the disc, we got mad, so we converted our netflix queues to each send Lost discs. We had the next two discs with us on our way to Florida. Mom and I watched them on her computer, and when Dad called, they had this conversation:

"Hello?"
"Hey! What are y'all doing?"
"Driving."
"Where are you?"
"I-10."
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing.
"Oh."
"Gotta go. Love you, bye."

Dad wouldn't understand the obsession till he came in at the middle of the series and saw for himself how good it was.

Favorite moments of Pilot episodes:
*All of Charlie's close calls with death. That's foreshadowing right there.
*Eager Beaver Boone going for a pen
*All of Jack's contorted faces (thus giving leave for the fans to call him Jackface)
*Jin offering all the different fish to others
*Walt looking at what is to be revealed as Hurley's comic book
*Locke teaching Walt how to play backgammon (Mom still hasn't found her set yet....grr.)

STILL unanswered questions:Why did Rose say that the Monster sounded familiar?
Is it because the Monster would be related to her cancer or is it related to her living in the Bronx?

Featured characters:
Jack-I'm mellowing....I don't hate Jack as much as I used to. Yes, he's a jerk sometimes and he IS a doctor, but I'm mellowing....He is very amusing, and I loved his story of fear.
Kate-I still don't like her. It's fitting that she's an outlaw.
Charlie-dear, dear Charlie. I've met more Charlie fans than any other character. He also gets one of the most definitive lines of Lost ever: "Guys, where are we?"

Monday, September 15, 2008

LOST Writings

Well, when Dad suggested we start over watching Lost again, I was thrilled! I now get to go through the whole series with my thoughts. AND, once Season Four is out, I'll be able to give my revisited thoughts! (of the second half, at least)
So, here I wish to consolidate my Lost writings.

Season 1:
Pilot: Parts 1 and 2
Tabula Rasa

Season 4:
The Shape of Things to Come
Something Nice Back Home
Cabin Fever
There's No Place Like Home Part 1
There's No Place Like Home Parts 2 and 3

Season 5:
Because You Left
The Lie
Jughead
The Little Prince
This Place is Death
316
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham
LaFleur
Namaste

Season 6:
The Finale (ie The Lameness of Lost)

Theories:
Alpert and Abaddon
Moving the Island

Random:
Countdown to Season 4
Welcoming a new Lostie/Thanks to other Losties
Analysis of Favorite Characters
An Important Message from Locke
Quotes: James "Sawyer" Ford
Discussion of "Wonderwall" as it pertains to Charlie and Desmond
10 Days Till Season Five with Promo Pics
Less Than 24 Hours to Season Five With Promo Pics
Lost: Reduced by the Reduced Shakespeare Company

Things have been Entirely Too Serious Around Here Lately.....

So, I'll go ahead with my review of Three Men in a Boat! This is an excellent book. Jerome K. Jerome writes somewhat in the style of Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but instead of aliens and spaceships, you have three men on a boat going down the river in what seems to be the most horribly gone wrong holiday ever.
I was ready to read this book. Everyone in my family has read it, so they would talk about the different stories in it. Unfortunately, we didn't have a good copy. Mom had a copy, but it was so old and delicate, she wouldn't let me read it! But finally she found a new copy and I was free to read it as I wished.
What else can I say about this book? The stories are hilarious. I especially love the story of J. looking in a book and finding out he had EVERY malady known to man except housemaid's knee. That and the swans attacking Harris.
Final word: read this book. You will enjoy it immensely.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

We Survived!

For those of you frantically checking my blog every ten minutes to see if we're alive........I wish......for those of you checking the blog because you just happen to be here, we survived! I'm exhausted because I was up most of the night, but, miraculously, we have power AND internet while thousands of others don't. Now, the power did go down for a few hours this afternoon, but it is now back.

Our trouble consists in our fallen trees. Our relatively big oak is half down. Grandpa has many hackberries that are down or almost down. Grandpa was actually up at four in the morning cutting tree branches to keep them from falling onto power lines.
I will return later for more updates.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Deep Breath Before the Plunge

Hurricanes are stressful.....that's all I can say.
Yesterday was a flurry of getting our outside ready for the wind. Being in the country, we have more stuff outside than suburb people. When I look outside, it seems surreal. Our swingset is swingless and roofless. Our porch is bare. Our picnic table that used to be on the porch is on the ground turned over.
When we were done with our area, we went over to Mimi and Grandpa's to help out over there. They have even more stuff than we do, so we spent quite a while getting stuff off their porch and out of their flowerbed and garden.
Until yesterday, reality hadn't hit me. But, being over at Mimi and Grandpa's doing all the work we can to prepare started to actually worry me. Unrelated winds to the storm seemed to forbode the presence of the hurricane. The wind chimes were going crazy.
Finally, we all just quit. Grandpa has so much stuff outside that you just have to pick and choose what needs to be put somewhere and what can stay. So Dad went out to be a cop last night and help with evacuating a children's home. The rest of us stayed at our house and watched Star Trek to take our mind off the hurricane.
It's so weird...whenever the movies are turned off around here and the news starts with more hurricane information everyone stops and stares. It's hard NOT to worry.
But, whatever happens, God is on our side. He is sovereign.
Romans 8:28 "For we know that all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose."

Completed Goals

98. Finish my Ideal Husband document~done

39. Update my resume~done. I've added all of my shows since my last update. One thing I'm not sure about is hair color....do I put my natural hair color or my dyed color? hmmm........

40. Ask Mimi to take a new headshot of me~We got a good one at the Lake, but I don't have it on my computer yet.

48. Watch all of Animaniacs in order~I LOVE this tv show. Yes, it's silly. Yes, it's "meant" for young children. BUT it is extremely intelligent and has so many references to pop culture, history, and all sorts of things like that. There's slapstick humor, but there's also humor for adults.
If I had to choose my favorite segment....I couldn't....but I have to say that Slappy the Squirrel and the Goodfeathers would be high on the list along with Minerva Mink. Good Idea, Bad Idea is a favorite....the list goes on and on.....

67. Play some competitive solitaire with Grandpa~We played some earlier today to pass the time. Waiting for this storm is excrutiating. We did have an odd string of games...I only went out twice out of seven games. Usually it'd be more even.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

9/11/01



In the craziness of Hurricane Ike plowing through, it's easy to forget the events of seven years ago. I was only eight when it happened, but I remember distinctly the events of the day. We were on vacation at the Lake when Dad called my mom and grandparents to tell them to turn on the tv. When I woke up (hours later, I was still a late sleeper back then) the tv was on, and nothing normal was happening. They kept showing the collapse. Every once in a while there would be a different vantage point, but it was the same thing. The Two Towers were destroyed. As an eight year old, I can't remember what went through my mind. I can't remember how I felt.
But, I know how I feel now. I feel PROUD to be an American. I deeply appreciate the sacrifice of firefighters in New York as well as anyone else who helped. I am deeply sorry for the families who lost loved ones.
So, in the business of preparing for a natural disaster, we should still remember. Remember the lives lost. Remember the sorrow. But we should also remember that God used that time. Because of the attack, we were alerted to Islamist extreme groups that may have killed MANY more people.
I will never forget what happened. And it is my prayer that we keep praying. Keep praying for our troops and our leaders that they would be wise in matters regarding our security.

In regards Ike---we are not evacuating. Our house is built on high ground. Worse case scenario is that we get either a tornado or flying debris. But, if our pets go, so do we. As my neighbors said: "We will suffer the same fate as our horses."

Please be in prayer for us, as well as everyone in the area of the Gulf Coast.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Another Questionaire

I AM … a Follower of Jesus Christ the Messiah, an actor, a reader, and a cat lover
I WANT … to volunteer at a Pregnancy Center and for the Republican Party
I HAVE … many, many books
I KEEP … being the woman in black
I WISH I COULD … see James and Jordy more often
I HATE … Socialist/Communist propaganda
I FEAR … Shelob and Obama
I HEAR … the water distiller running
I DON’T THINK … that the judging is fair in the Olympics
I REGRET … all the times I could have shared the gospel with someone and didn't
I LOVE … Jesus, my family, my best friends, my pets, and books
I CAN … bend my left thumb back to a gross amount
I DANCE … in pointe shoes (though not as often as I used to) also with my Daddy at weddings and stuff like that
I SING … to express my love to Jesus, in parts in musicals, and because I love it!
I HARDLY EVER … wear pink
I CRY WHEN I WATCH … Lotr, Narnia movies, Overboard, the episode of Lost when Charlie dies, and many more......
I KNOW THAT … Jesus is my Savior
I HATE THAT … Lost doesn't come back till 2009!!!!!!! COME ON DAMON AND CARLTON, WRITE FASTER!!!!!!!!!!!
I NEED … to read my Bible and pray more
I SHOULD … study for my PSAT
I BELIEVE … that Jesus is The Messiah! He was born, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose the third day. He died because you and I deserve to die for our sins, and that if you will confess your sins and believe that He is your savior, you will be with Him when you die.

Blog Announcement

As some of you know, recently I have taken up photo editing as a hobby. Because I wish to do more with it than just a blog post every once in a while, I've started my graphics/photography blog! I don't have much up there right now, but it will grow. As I said on the blog, please feel free to make requests! If I can, I will accomodate you.
Thanks!
*Lady Brainsample*

Saturday, September 6, 2008

I am a Conspiracy Theorist

This came up at the end of watching Raider of the Lost Ark. You probably know the scene-the ark is wheeled into an Area 51 type warehouse with hundreds and hundreds of crates full of supposed secret stuff. So, I looked up Area 51 and it IS an actual place shrouded in secrecy. With clicking around, I got myself to the list of conspiracy theories page on Wikipedia.
There were more than a few that I believed...

First, the electronic banking theory.
This is a theory that's a branch of the New World Order conspiracy theories. This theory states that for centuries, a secret society has been planning domination of the world in six easy steps to be taken. (The first two steps have already come true.)
1. Precious metal currency turned into paper currency (this began with the use of tickets from the Renaissance)
2. Beginning of virtual money. (Credit cards.)
3. Overuse of electronic and Internet economy
4. Worldwide bank in the hands of a few people
5. Worldwide identity card
6. World-wide blackout

Second, the Clinton Body Count.
This is a list of 50-60 Clinton associates who died under mysterious circumstances. Clinton may have been secretly and quietly bumping off anyone who stood in his career's way.

Third, water floridation.
Floride is often added to drinking water supposedly for the benefits for teeth, such as reducing tooth decay. BUT there are studies that suggest it may be harmful, especially for children. This theory states that those responsible know the ill-effects and keep doing it in order to dumb down the generation or to support drug companies who benefit from people being sick.

Fourth, global warming.
This one actually isn't just a theory...this one is a solid fact. Global warming is a scheme used for political sway.

I've tried and tried, but I can't find the source of this classic quote:
"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me."


I'll leave it at that.