Well, I am still a terrible blogger, but I'm posting for once with lots of little random things on my mind.
This morning was the fiasco of taking all our animals to the vet, which went surprisingly well for us. Because we have six cats and two dogs, we have a proper procedure to carry, otherwise the cats will smell the danger and disappear the morning of the visit. One week before D-Day we get all the cat carriers down from the attic and set them out in plain sight to get the cats accustomed to them. Two days before D-Day, we move all the cat bowls into the small bathroom so that they get used to eating in a place that can be closed up. And finally, the morning of, we cram all the cats in there to be put in carriers. This year went perfectly, heh heh....
Mini-Review Time:
Broadway: The American Musical. Awesome, AWESOME Broadway documentary hosted by Julie Andrews.
Oklahoma: 1990somethingorother London version Forgive me, but I like this version better than the original movie. (for those thinking, "Oh, it's just because of Hugh Jackman playing Curly," well, it's partially that, but it's also everyone else playing their roles and alot of how the lyrics to the songs were interpreted differently, especially 'People Will Say We're In Love.') This was also the first version of Oklahoma that I know of in which the main actors danced their own parts for the dream ballet as opposed to the doubles used in the movie and most stage productions.
Bones of Makaidos, by Bryan Davis FINALLY HERE!!!!! I pre-ordered this book months before it came out in May, but because of our stupid post office, I didn't get it until about a week ago. I'm only about a hundred pages into it, but absolutely loving it. For those who haven't read Bryan Davis at all, don't start with Bones. Start with Eye of the Oracle, move on to the Dragons in Our Midst series, then finish off with the rest of the Oracles of Fire. Don't try to start in the middle.
Speaking of starting in the middle, I have something to say: NEVER EVER EVER EVER read a summary for a book in a series if you're still on a book behind it...especially an Orson Scott Card book. Whilst I was putting Shadow of the Giant on my iTunes, I accidentally read the summary on the back and was consequently spoiled as to a certain....well, thing. (I don't want to spoil it for you too)....I wasn't supposed to know about yet in Shadow Puppets. Nuts..... But oh well, it didn't ruin the book for me.
Final mini-review: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes: Read it. That's all I can say.
Ok, as to my theater exploits, as you all know I am currently in two plays, Annie and My Fair Lady. (playing the parts of Miss Hannigan and a chorus, respectively) I've come across a fact: in both, I am playing at least one drunk character. For Annie, Miss Hannigan is hung over almost all the time, and in My Fair Lady, during "With A Little Bit 'O Luck" I am right on the edge of being drunk. (the way our choreographer put it was that I was a bar waitress who worked 24 hours a day.) But don't worry, I get respectible parts in Lady too. In Loverly I'm not drunk, and in Ascot I am most definitely sober. Snobbish and high class, but sober. I just wonder what I'll be doing in "Get Me To the Church on Time." Oh boy....
For the first time in my life, I'm not angsty and depressed the day after an audition. Why you ask should I ever be angsty and depressed the day after an audition? I'm glad you asked. Normally, after an audition day, I have to wait at LEAST a week to find out if I made it/what part(s) I got.
Consider my Annie audition. That was a week and a half ago, yet I'm still not supposed to find out until Friday, almost two weeks after I auditioned. This has resulted in a refusal to listen to any of the Annie music and a need for chocolate. So why am I so happy? We're supposed to find out about My Fair Lady auditions TOMORROW. Hence my mental thought process for the title. I auditioned yesterday, but I find out tomorrow. So now that I have that ecstatic announcement out of the way, I can actually talk about the auditions.
The Annie audition, I think, could have been better than it was. But that's because the stupid karaoke track for Little Girls messed me up. (Jr. adaptations often cut the songs in a weird way) Other than that, it went great. I read for Miss Hannigan more than once and read for Grace more than once. I think I'm more likely to get Grace, mainly because out of the three teenage girls there, (this was a "kid's" production) I was the only one who put Grace as my second part to audition for.
My Fair Lady....I have only one regret about that audition in the way of temperature. I should have worn my sweater the whole time, but no. So I was shivering while singing Wouldn't It Be Loverly and I Could Have Danced All Night. I read two scenes as Eliza, and I was among the people they asked to do the high G from the end of Danced All Night. (I didn't squeak, woo hoo!!!) Despite such a great audition, I don't think I'll get Eliza, but I'm perfectly ok with it. I didn't expect to be able to audition for her in the first place, especially because I haven't done anything with this theater before, and there were people there that I think were better than I was in the singing department.
So there you have it. Within two days I will know my fate for both musicals, and through that, the fate of my summer.
EDIT: I got in to My Fair Lady! They had the cast list in ONE DAY!!!!! That is unheard of!! I'm just a chorus, but with a show like My Fair Lady, I'm sure I'll have plenty to do. I'm really excited...
I loved this episode, because in flashbacks it showed another side to Ben that often gets shoved under the rug, so to speak. We see a less calculated more compassionate side of him that allows Rousseau to live, against orders, and takes Alex, her child, as his own daughter. And Widmore wanted her dead!
Conundrums like this make it impossible to tell whether Ben is the "good guy" and Widmore the "bad guy" or vice versa. I'm beginning to think that neither of them are the ultimate bad guy with the introduction of Jacob's enemy in the finale. Yet, how much do we really know about Jacob. Maybe his enemy is the good guy! I don't know...it's impossible to speculate with any assurance of anything being right.
Another interesting point with this episode was the mention of Penny's mother. Ben said that Charles had "broken the rules" by leaving the Island regularly and having a child with an outsider. This is assumingly Penny by some unknown woman because Faraday is Ellie's kid and she's certainly not an outsider. No wonder Eloise slaps him.
And of course, we totally called it that Desmond had beat the crud out of Ben for almost trying to kill Penny.
So...the Temple. We finally get to go inside it, and it's very very creepy/Egyptian. And that whole scene with Alex....creepy even more. Now I feel the urge to talk about a post-finale theory about that scene, but I feel that might "break the rules," so I'll wait....
As you may recall, I did a mini-post on this episode, so now I guess it's time to do the normal sized post, which will still be quick because I'm trying to get to the finale.
First point, *We so totally called Clementine. How did Sawyer get such a request in such short a whisper? That's the mystery...
*Totally disagree with Cassidy's assessment of Sawyer....he jumped to save them, not to run away from a relationship with Kate. (though running for that reason is good too!)
*Kate......so she tells Carole Littleton that she's going back to the Island to find Claire....well, nothing of the sort has happened yet...they better tell us in Season 6 what happened to Claire and whether she really is dead and in ghostly form like we all think she is. (see this post)
*LOVED the time travel talk between Hurley and Miles.
All right, so I'd really like to talk about the finale of Lost, but because I haven't caught up yet, I'm not allowed to. So...here's the quick, emphasis on QUICK, catch-up for Namaste.
*One of my favorite parts of this episode was when Juliet went over to check on Amy Goodspeed and the little baby. I love how as soon as Amy told Juliet his name was Ethan, she immediately gave him back. Ethan Goodspeed/Rom....nice.
*I also love how Jack was assigned to be a janitor according to his 'aptitude tests.' He's a spinal surgeon, for cryin' out loud!! I wonder if Sawyer had anything to do with it because Hurley very naturally was put to the kitchen to work.
*To anyone who thinks that the writers make all this stuff up as they go alone, explain the runway. Waaay back in Season 3 when Sawyer, Kate, and Jack were captured by the Others, Kate and Sawyer were forced to work on what seemed to be a runway. Flight 316 landed on said runway on the Alcatraz of the Island.
*When Jack went and saw Sawyer, I loved Sawyer's speech. "I heard once Winston Churchill read a book every night, even during the Blitz. He said it made him think better. It's how I like to run things. I think. I'm sure that doesn't mean that much to you, 'cause back when you were calling the shots, you pretty much just reacted. See, you didn't think, Jack, and as I recall, a lot of people ended up dead." Jack so totally needed that...and Sawyer's a wayyy better leader than Jack was, in my opinion.
In the April 25th issue of World Magazine, they issued a contest for people to send in their favorite last lines of a book. I sent in one of mine, but it was a tough choice because I have quite a few favorite last lines. So, in a contest of my own, I'll list all my favorite last lines and in comments, y'all can try to guess the books and authors they're from. (just a warning, some of these will be very obvious, but oh well....) The first person to come up with all ten will win...well, nothing except bragging rights.
1. "And Rose drew him in, and sat him in his chair, and put little Elanor on his lap. He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said."
2. "But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in _____ had only been the cover and title page; now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."
3. "'Well!" said Peter. 'We have had a time.' 'Bother!' said Edmund. 'I've left my new torch in Narnia."
4. "To begin perfect happiness at the respective ages of twenty-six and eighteen is to do pretty well; and professing myself, moreover, convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to it, by improving their knowledge of each other, and adding strength to their attachment, I leave it to be settle by whomsover it may concern, whether the tendency of this work be altogether to recommend parental tyranny or reward filial disobedience."
5. "'We want no proofs; we ask none to believe us! The boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.'"
6. "When the sea goes down, there will come from the mainland boats and men. And they will find ten dead bodies and an unsolved problem on Indian Island."
7. "He came across this entry. It said: 'The history of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases. 'For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question How can we eat? the second by the question Why do we eat? and the third by the question Where shall we have lunch?' He got no further before the ship's intercom buzzed into life. 'Hey, Earthman? You hungry, kid?' said Zaphod's voice. 'Er, well, yes, a little peckish, I suppose,' said Arthur. 'Okay, baby, hold tight,' said Zaphod. 'We'll take in a quick bite at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.'"
8. "None of those things, however, came out of my mouth. All I was able to do was turn to Liesel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book thief and I say it now to you. A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR. I am haunted by humans."
9. "O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother."
10. "From behind them suddenly, closer than they imagined, they could hear the roar of Humperdinck: 'Stop them! Cut them off!' They were, admittedly, startled, but there was no reason for worry: they were on the fastest horses in the kingdom, and the lead was already theirs. However, this was before Inigo's wound reopened; and Westley relapsed again; and Fezzik took the wrong turn; and Buttercup's horse threw a shoe. And the night behind them was filled with the crescendoing sound of pursuit..."
So there you have it, my favorite book endings. In addition to submitting answers to where my quotes are from, I'd also love to hear y'alls favorite book endings.
So...just to get it out of the way, the outburst....IT COMPLETELY ROCKED. And Spock ROCKED EVEN HARDER.
(spoilers probably follow)
Before I get on with it, I should explain the premise: basically, the idea for this movie was to take Spock and Kirk and Bones and everyone from the Original Series and make a movie about them before they were in charge of the Enterprise. I think the term that J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and co. have been using is "reboot."
We learn through the course of the movie, that this is not the world of Star Trek as we know it. Apparently, we have come into an alternate universe because of the rift of....*suspenseful music....*
Time travel. So basically, future Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) was unable to save Romulus from destruction, so this crazy Romulan guy, Nero blames him for the destruction of his people and in the course of all this mayhem, they get sucked into the past which then alters chains of events and kills George Kirk in the process.
The story goes on just like any other Star Trek story except that they have a real budget now. Gone are the days of using one shot of the ship over and over to save money. And yet, the spirit of Star Trek remains untainted. Every single actor that played a character from the Original Series portrayed their characters PERFECTLY. Absolutely perfectly. Especially Spock, of course. Mannerisms were perfect, lines were written perfectly, and I have absolutely no complaints. Which is odd for me. Normally I am very picky about characters I already know being played by someone else or being played at all in the case of book characters.
Which brings me back to Spock. Zachary Quinto was destined to play him for the reboot. Normally, I abhor using the word 'destiny' but here it feels appropriate, and I'll tell you why. One day, as Mom was doing her laundry and watching 24, she yells to me, "Tasha! Come here! Come here! This guy looks exactly like Spock!!!!!" It was, of course, Zachary Quinto playing his character on 24 and by the time Mom was watching it, he had already been cast as Spock. "Yeah, Mom. He actually is playing Spock!" So ever since then Mom has obsessed about seeing this movie. With good reason.
As most of you are probably aware, recently all over the country there were Tea Party protests of Obama raising taxes, emulating the Boston Tea Party. I recently received an email with some good pictures from them, and just had to share some of my favorites.
Often when I read a book, I'll go briefly glance over the wikipedia article about it to get a sense of when it was written and that sort of thing, but then there will sometimes be a section toward the bottom. An innocent little section that seems to say, "Don't come look at me...I'm of no importance. I'm only rumor! Why would you want to hear about silly ruomors?" This section is often called one of two things:
Film or Adaptation
...........
So for this ranty-ish blog post, I wish to discuss the suspicious mutterings of movies to be made out of a few books I've looked into recently.
First of all, The Book Thief. In my opinion, this will be a VERY VERY VERY hard book to adapt. I mean, it's narrated by Death, for crying out loud! What also makes me think this a hard book to adapt is the language. The Book Thief was a book I savored partially because of just how it was written.
Next, another Jane Eyre. I'm sorry, I have to be suspicious of new version after the Toby Stephens/Ruth Wilson tv mini-series. It was done so well and acted so perfectly that I'm afraid anything that comes after it will disappoint me. Not to mention it's Ellen Page that's going to be playing Jane. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Ellen Page. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance of Shadowcat in X-Men, but....I'm just not sure about her playing Jane. Not to mention a newer version make by Hollywood will probably get rid of the Christian undertones of forgiveness, redemption, and everything else. Be on your guard, Hollywood.
Ok, this one I'm not so cynical about: The Hunger Games. First of all, the subject matter would translate into a film pretty well, and secondly, Suzanne Collins herself is adapting it. Score!
Notable mentions for film adaptation discussion: Fahrenheit 451 (apparently they want to try again...not sure this one will go anywhere) The Screwtape Letters (now THIS could be really good) The Hobbit (ok, I know this one isn't rumor, but I had to mention it)
Anyone else got any other adaptations to add to the discussion? I'd love to hear them! And don't forget to vote on my polls!
*a mini-post on tonight's Lost episode because I have too much homework to get caught up, but can't not post this one thought*
How ironic that while Sayid thought he was going to change history (to make it "better") and kill Ben, he himself is going to cause Ben to become the man he is. For, as Richard said, if he saves Ben, Ben will lose his youthly innocence and always be one of them. This explains alot...
I recently had the pleasure of reading Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak which had an excellent submission by the most excellent blogger Miss Erin, so...just for fun I'm going to write some of my own six word stories. Now, do understand I'm not even going to pretend to be as good as the people in this book. But someone once said write what you know, so that's what I'm doing.
So far, this has been my favorite episode of Season 5. "Why?" you ask. Because for once since this episode, which was a season ago, Sawyer has been happy and non-stressed out. Well, at least in the middle of the episode.
Ok, now I have to make my token speech about the end of the episode. Many of you have heard this before...
Kate is going to RUIN EVERYTHING!!!! She's going to be all indecisive again and go for Sawyer when he has clearly gotten over her. Besides, Juliet and Sawyer make a MUCH better couple. Juliet covers Sawyer's back. Whereas Kate was always snide and mean and just plain annoying. I take that back. More than annoying. Excrutiatingly annoying. Juliet is also very intelligent, which matches Sawyer's personality.
So we got to see the back of the four-toed statue....Interesting. This has led Dad to believe that Richard Alpert and the original Hostiles/Others who were long-lasting residents of the Island were Egyptian. The statue was the final straw, but there have been many other indications of Egyptian swill. Hieroglyphics on the walls of the Temple is the indication that most readily comes to mind.
I say again....WHY WHY WHY DID CHARLOTTE HAVE TO DIE???????????
*Ahem.* That just stinks for Daniel... And icing on the proverbial cake is that he sees her as a girl and it makes him even sadder!
So Sawyer became head of security...How cool is that?
Ugh, I've been feeling out of my element for writing about Lost these days, but I will attempt to coherently write about my thoughts towards the Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. Seems to me it shoulda been called the Life and Death and Life of Jeremy Bentham. (*those who know what I'm talking about chuckle amusedly*)
This was kind of a depressing episode because we knew where we were headed, we just didn't know how we were headed there. Kind of like Revenge of the Sith. We all knew that Anakin was going to become Darth Vader, but we didn't know how. But, it was stil enjoyable because it answered some of the questions we had about Locke's time off the Island.
This episode also had the distinction of confusing the heck out of whether Widmore is good or bad. I'm not even going to try to figure it out. On the one hand, he WAS the one to send the freighter to extract Ben and killed a lot of innocents in the process, but on the other hand, he's helping John do what he needs to do in this episode. On that same hand, Widmore tells John he was leader of the Others before Ben exiled him. Is he lying?
Abaddon: He helps people get to where they need to go. Like PiningfortheFjords commented on one of my older posts, "Abbadon was also shown meeting with Naomi about selection of the team to go to the island, lending credence to the idea that he either determines who goes or how they get there."
See this post. The writers always have some sort of significance in mind for their character's names, so if he's Abaddon, I still think he's akin to a dark angel.
Jack: Still in his Doubting Thomas stage. Finds it only to be a coincidence that Locke ended up in his hosptal. Says his father is dead, not admitting having seen Christian on the Island or having seen the empty coffin. Good grief....
And now I come to the part I hate talking about.....Ben seems to genuinely be bad. That part....(anyone who's seen the episode knows which part I'm talking about) I almost saw it coming, but I didn't want it to be true. What in the world is going on???? Why, why why???? Oh well. At least he's come back to life on the Island like everyone thought he would.
And oh what a cliff-hanger ending they gave us with Locke seeing Ben right at the end.
UGH!! I am SO far behind in my writing about Lost....Entyhoo, on with the show. I am again going to take it point by point in sort of a stream of consciousness style because I feel a bit too frazzled to try to make a paragraph out of everything.
*This was a GREAT episode. In contrast to the mayhem and insanity of Season Four caused by the writer's strike, this episode took its time when it needed to, which was fantastic.
*I'm back to liking Jack. I know, it's sort of a cycle. I hate Jack for the first season or two, then he does some awesome stuff and I like him. Then he acts all stupid about the Island and the whole, "There's no such thing as miracles," then I don't like him. Now he's getting everyone back to the Island, and I like him. It's quite crazy....
*Yay for Frank Lapidus being back!!!!! (We're not going to Guam, are we?")
*Theories as to why Ben is all beat up? Desmond beat the crud out of him when Ben tried to kill Penny. (see 'revenge on Charles Widmore for his people killing Alex')
*Lamp Post station rocked....Eloise Hawking is slightly creepy.
*This one had the most awesome twisty, cliff-hanger ending ever: Jin got a job at Dharma!! Very tricksey of them because they don't even tell you about that until two weeks later. Hah!
The further I delve into J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the more I fall in love with it. The books are central to the obsession, of course, but around the books is also the extended universe of the movies, the musical, and things like that. And it's always so heartening and encouraging when they do the adaptions well. Take the song Now and For Always from the musical based on the book:
Great song right? Well, it's even greater to a hard-core fan when he examines the correlation between the lyrics and the original book.
"Sing me a tale of Frodo and the Ring!
Fearless and bold,"
"Tired and cold!"
"A sword at his side, an elf-blade called Sting,
Crossing a miserable land.
Wouldn't retreat, just follow his feet,
Now and for always."
Then later:
"Sing me a tale of the bravest of them all,
Comrade and guide, at my side.
Stout-hearted Sam who wouldn't let me fall,
Holding my life in his hands.
True to the end, no finer friend,
Now and for always."
Compare that to an (abridged here) passage in the book the Two Towers:
Sam: "Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course; but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: 'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!' And they'll say: 'Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he dad?' 'Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot.'"
Frodo: "But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. 'I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?'"
"Now, Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun. I was serious."
"So was I. And so I am."
AHH!!! I can't ever stop geeking out about how awesome that passage is and how well they adapted it for the song. I can't speak for the whole musical because I haven't seen it and have only heard the soundtrack, but that song is just amazing....
But, on the other side of the equation are the things that they didn't do so well. ((from here on out is highly opinionated ground, just to warn you)) There are many examples, some of which are forgivable, (like the elves showing up at Helm's Deep) and some which are unforgivable. (Arwen in general, Haldir dying, Frodo leaving Sam on the stairs at Cirith Ungol, Anduril not coming it when it was supposed to)
But the one unforgivable change I specifically want to discuss is Faramir's character.
Faramir is my absolute favorite character in the whole book, so as I've been re-reading the book, I have been very disappointed with a lot of the changes that were in the movie. Many of these changes are humorously illustrated in this great fanfiction story.
We can laugh at the story and how the different Faramirs compare notes, but more seriously, the movie did miss alot of things. As Mom put it, "The people who wrote it didn't seem to GET his character."
The wikipedia article discusses the book fans' negative reaction to the change and notes,
"Co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens and actor David Wenham defended the changes to Faramir's character in order to increase dramatic tension: Faramir's "sea-green incorruptible" nature in the book would not have "[translated] well filmically".
I remain in the group of fans that is "unimpressed and unconvinced" with their pithy justifications. He was "sea-green incorruptible" because he was educated and wise. The book tells us that when Mithrandir (otherwise known as Gandalf) was around, Faramir always loved to listen to him talk and study with him. He probably took that studious wizard-like habit with him long after he saw Mithrandir and kept studying.
I personally think that he thought about what he would do if he came across Isildur's bane. He probably knew that anyone who used it became corrupted and evil and decided what he would do if he ever got the chance to have it. He says before even knowing what Frodo carries,
"I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory." Then once he does know about the ring, by way of Sam's slip, he says, "Even if I were such a man as to desire this thing, and even though I knew not clearly what this thing was when I spoke, still I should take those words as a vow, and be held by them. But I am not such a man. Or I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee."
Another "what were they thinking?" moment for me was the removal of one of the greatest lines in the trilogy that was spoken by Faramir.
"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????????
I could go on and on and on about how much I love Faramir and how most of the movie's changes are deplorable, but I've only scratched the surface of his character in the Two Towers. I'll save Return of the King and other things for another post.
But before I shut down entirely, I want to leave y'all with one of my favorite passages in the entire book. This is right after Sam's slip, and Faramir has told them he's not going to take the Ring from them.
"Frodo had felt himself trembling as the first shock of fear passed. Now a great weariness came down on him like a cloud. he could dissemble and resist no longer.
'I was going to find a way to Morder,' he said faintly. 'I was going to Gorgoroth. I must find the Mountain of Fire and cast the thing into the gulf of doom. Gandalf said so. I do not think I shall ever get there.'
Faramir stared at him for a moment in grave astonishment. Then suddenly he caught him as he swayed, and lifting him gently, carried him to the bed and laid him there, and covered him warmly. At once he fell into a deep sleep.
Another bed was set beside him for his servant. Sam hesitated for a moment, then bowing ver low: 'Good night, Captain, my lord,' he said. 'You took the chance, sir."
'Did I so?' said Faramir.
"Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest.'
Faramir smiled. 'A pert servant, Master Samwise. But nay: the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards. yet there was naught in this to praise. I had not lure or desire to do other than I have done.'
'Ah well, sir,' said Sam, 'you said my master had an elvish air; and that was good and true. but I can say this: you have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of-well, Gandalf, of wizards.'
He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win; We drew a circle that took him in! ~Edwin Markham
Just for fun, my initial thoughts are in random bits. As always, spoilers appear from the get-go, so be forewarned. After this picture, you have no excuse to read unless you have seen the episode. Unless you just want to see spoilers...but I can't understand why you would.
-NO NO NO!!!!!! Why did they kill Charlotte???? Now Daniel is sad! But....he traveled in time to tell her not to go to the Island again? I thought he knew that he couldn't change anything...Hmm....maybe he's going to experience a crisis of some kind and become irrational. They did confirm that her parents were part of Dharma. So...why did her mom leave. That is the question. Also, who is her father? That's another question. Maybe her mom caught wind of the Purge...that would be a good reason for leaving.
-MWAH HA HA!!!!! Mrs. Hawking IS Dan's mum. And she is deeply enscanced in the mythology of the Island.
-So THAT'S how Montand lost his arm...Oy vey.
-Yikes! Smokey is guarding the Temple...which is apparently some sort of Sanctuary for the Others. So except in the case of Ben summoning Ol' Smokey, maybe most of those encounters with him have been in the vicinity of the Temple.
-Christian(speaking for Jacob) tells Locke that LOCKE has to move the Island?? Again?!?! Good grief, I did not see that coming. So we know the Island (or at least the people on the Island. But only certain people) has been moving in time....does that mean it's been moving in space each time as well? Or only certain times?
-And thank goodness we learned about Danielle in some way! They kept their promise. So there was a disease... It seems to me that she was the only one not affected because she was the only one who didn't descend into Smokey's summer home.
-Good for Ben with his rant! They need to quit ragging on him all the time.
Now for a serious paragraph... Charlotte said that once she left the Island, she asked her mom about it, but her mom denied its existence. She even went so far as to say that Charlotte had made it up. It occurred to me watching the episode the second time that this parallels Lucy and Edmund in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Charlotte Staples Lewis is also named after its author, Clive Staples Lewis. Both Charlotte and her mom had been to the Island, but left. Likewise, both Lucy and Edmund had been to Narnia. But, once they were back in the "real world" Edmund denied the existence of Narnia just as Charlotte's mom denied the existence of the Island.
As always, it's been fun. I shall return later to discuss my adventures in the land of Hill Country.
One of those tags (abridged), because I can't think of anything else to post.
A- Age: old enough for a driver's license Animals: cats, racoons, horses
B- Birthday: Pearl Harbor Day Best feeling in the world: feeling God's presence Been on stage? many many times Books: I'm currently reading 1984, Myst, Thief of Time, and currently re-reading the Book Thief and the Two Towers.
C- Candy: Symphony milk chocolate Color: purple, black, and silver Chocolate/Vanilla: it depends.... Chinese/Mexican: Mexican. Continent/Country to visit: Europe and New Zealand
D- Day or Night? night- Dance in the rain? I'm singin', and dancin' in the rain!
E- Eyes: steel blue Ever failed a class? nope
F- Full name: Lady Natasha E. Brainsample of the Planet Skyron Food: steak and potato soup
G- Goal: finish all the books on my unread shelf Get along with your parents? yes.
H- Hair Color: dyed black, light brown/blondish roots coming out Height: 5' 8" ish How do you want to die: with my boots on
I- Ice Cream: plain vanilla Instrument: I don't play anything, but I love listening to the piano.
J- Job: I want to get one once I get my driver's license
K- Keep a journal? Yes and no....I can't ever keep up with it.
L- Longest Car Ride: either to Salt Lake City, or from New York Letter: X. I agree with Miss Dawn, X is a great letter, but I also love the letter E. Laughed so hard you cried: Well, these days our whole family is laughing until we cough.
M- Movie: Too many to list on a tag. McDonalds or Burger King: Neither. Chik-fil-a.
N- Number of Siblings: 3 Number of Piercing: two in each ear. Numbers: 5, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42
O- One wish: hmm......
P- Pepsi/Coke: I drink hot tea....
Q- Quail: I've seen quail around here.
R- Roll your tongue in a circle? Yes, precious.
S- Song: currently....Eilleen's Song, East to West, Twentieth Century, stuff from Les Mis, Lion King, LotR, Englishman in New York, Wonderwall, lots of swill like that.... Sing well? sing often? well enough. I'd like to be better, hence using voice lessons as an instigation to get driver's ed done. And yes, when I'm not sick... In the shower? yes...
T- Time for bed: whenever I can't keep my eyes open enough to read anymore.
U- Unpredictable: I....don't really know. That probably means I'm pretty predictable.
V- Vacation spot: someday: New Zealand, Germany again, British Isles.
W- Who makes you laugh the most: my family.
X- X-rays: not since I was being fitted for a retainer. Ex's: *hums, All my ex's live in Texas....* But seriously, I have none.
Y- Year it is now: 2009
Z- Zoo animal: seals
LAST PERSON WHO:- You went to the mall with? Mommy You talked to on the phone? Sam Made you laugh? Mom Hugged you? Mimi Said they loved you?: my grandparents Spoke with? Dad Last person you texted? James
I have been a very lazy blogger recently, and for that I'm sorry...But I do actually have a legitimate excuse by being sick for almost a week... Because I'm so far behind, I'll cover two episodes in one post.
Anyway....
So THAT'S why the episode was called Jughead...the army people had enough of a sense of humor to name their hydrogen bomb. Apparently it's still buried somewhere on the island. I wonder if it has to do with the thick concrete under the Swan Station because Sayid mentioned he hadn't seen concrete anywhere that thick since Chernobyl.
Confirmed theory: The compass!!!! Mwah ha ha!!! John told Richard to go see him!!
Supported theory: Mrs. Hawking being Daniel's mum. Widmore told Desmond to go to Los Angelos. Mrs. Hawking is there, assuming Ben didn't go far to see her.
Speaking of Widmore...He was an Other??? Er, Hostile. I did not see that coming at all. And he's also alot older than I would have thought. So somehow he's going to get off the Island and become a multi-billionaire. Perhaps he exploited the Island in some way to get all that money??
Desmond and Penny are happily married now...with a son called Charlie! Damon and Carlton confirmed on the Lost Official Podcast that he was, in fact, named after Charlie Pace, and not Charles Widmore.
Time travel...I guess it's possible to run into yourself on the Island if you travel to the right time. Locke certainly wanted to avoid it though. Sawyer saw Kate helping Claire give birth to Aaron in months past, which, as Dad noted is a pretty far foreshadow: Claire is now gone, and Kate has Aaron off-Island.
Another season shocker: Jin is alive!!!! Yay!!!!! Maybe he'll be an instigation for Sun to quit being so weird and to get off the side of Charles Widmore.
And.....this has been a pretty rambly post, so I'll leave y'all for now. All I can say to close is that things are probably going to get even more dire, because next week's episode is entitled This Place is Death. I guess the zombie season is coming earlier than Damon and Carlton claimed.
So.... I had planned to write a lengthy, ranty post about politics and the Obama administration the other night, but while I was writing, I got depressed about the whole bloody affair, so I quit. To see what disturbs me, you can visit the links to these two articles.
But....on to happier matters. It's late, I know, but.... Time to talk about LOST!!!!!! Warning, as usual, I give away LOTS and LOTS of spoilers.
First of all, theories: *Daniel, when he was working on the Orchid station, wasn't supposed to be there. He was traveling in time. *Pierre Chang's baby is MILES. (second place for my favorite theory) *The baby (whoever it may be) may also imply that at that time, children conceived on the Island won't die. Maybe Daniel did something to mess with the potential energy and caused the childbirth problem. *The compass that Richard gave Locke, is the SAME compass that John is supposed to pick when he was a child being questioned by Richard. Locke's going to give Richard the compass in the past so that Richard can find him as a child. *The British soldiers may explain Widmore's line about how the Island has always been his. Maybe they have something to do with when Widmore actually controlled the Island. *Desmond is special because "The rules don't apply to you." The rules mean that you can't change the past or the future. But if the rules don't apply to Desmond, it means he can change things. *The Island moving around: if those marks on Mrs. Hawking's computer are places the Island has been, than that northern mark was how the polar bears got there originally. My personal favorite: *Mrs. Hawking is Daniel's mother. (!!!) Like Dad said: "It's not like Daniel told Desmond to go find his mom because his mom makes great apple pie." That would also explain why Daniel would be so involved with Oxford.
I knew that Daniel would be an awesome character. And I think he's now my official favorite of the freighter folk and possibly one of my overall favorites. Though Miles is hilarious...and Charlotte has the awesome name...and Frank has the most fascinating eyes...Ack! They're all so interesting...but Daniel's my favorite of those four.
So...I wanted to leave you with the trailer for the next episode, (Jughead) but my internet was killed last night. It's functioning about as well as someone with pneumonia. That's also why there aren't any cool pictures up either...oh well. When the internet gets better, I'll add some.
Yesterday I spent a considerable amount of time obsessing over promotional photography. Here are some of my favorites:
I can't wait....
EDIT: By the way, I'm having some trouble with something.... On my Flickr page I have two pictures that are untitled, and it's bothering me....anyone have any suggestions??
The Rules of the Interview 1. Leave me a comment saying you want to be interviewed. 2. I'll leave a comment of five questions, of my determination not yours! 3. You update your blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Ohhhh dear.... I'm a musical theater geek, so I shall have to debate amongst myself for awhile...If I answered right off the top of my head, I would say Phantom of the Opera. With further deliberation, I would say Spamalot because, come on, it's Monty Python and the Holy Grail turned into a musical. With further thought, I might say Les Miserables. But then, if you're talking about musical movies too, I would say Singin' in the Rain. And....I could go on and on, but those are my favorites amongst many.
2. What does go on in the planet Skyron?
Many things. Mainly the manufacture of oversized items, because with the time-warp in getting to Earth, they shrink. Now, one time there was an error in the make of a rather large group of blancmanges, and they came to life with the intention of turning people into Scotsman and eating them. However, my uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Brainsample just happened to be representing Skyron on Earth at the time, and they were able to eat the blancmanges before they did any other damage. But seriously, our companies are going into a serious recession because our main geniuses who were the real people behind such companies as Apple and Microsoft were never paid. It's incredible how delusional some Earth people are. Because they weren't paid, they couldn't pay their flunkys. Because the flunkys weren't paid, they emmigrated to our archenemy planet of Noryks. It's disgusting...They just imitate whatever we do then pervert it to their schemes. Even their NAME is ripped off of ours. Ugh....it makes me want to start blasting a picture of a Norkyksian politician.
3. Do you think you'll ever live in a different state than you do now?
If I do, I always want to return to Texas.
4. What movie is Johnny Depp's best?
Hmm...I've only seen six of his movies (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, and the three Pirates), so I'd have to say Pirates. But only the first one. The other two were just meh in my opinion. What I find really cool is that he never looks the same in any of his movies I've seen. If I didn't know it was Johnny Depp, I'd probably think they were different actors.
5. Bungee jumping or skydiving?
I may be adventurous (somewhat) but not THAT adventurous. But if I HAD to choose, I'd say skydiving. Who knows, I may have to do something like that in my adventurous life in the Navy. (there's an inside joke there...my parents always talk about shipping us off to the Armed Forces if we can't afford college. The Navy was what they chose for me.)
Last night as we were walking downstairs to get some popcorn, the subject came up of the Frog and Toad story where Toad doesn't want anyone to see him because he looks funny in his bathing suit. This naturally led to my getting out all of our old Frog and Toad books (by Arnold Lobel, by the way) and reading that story in particular first. Then I went on and came across some interesting things... I have become like Toad. Yes, I'm very serious.
In "The Letter" Toad sits on his porch and is sad because he never gets any mail. This parallels the time of morning in which I check my email and am depressed because I never get any emails that aren't fowards or church related. The story goes on with Frog writing a letter to Toad to make him happy. That parallels some of my friends who have either A) sent me random emails that have made me feel happier or B) sent me packages even though I'm about to see them in a week or so.
In "The Story" Frog is sick, so he asks Toad to tell him a story. Toad does all sorts of things like walking up and down his porch, standing on his head, pouring glasses of water over his head, and banging his head against the wall, but in spite of all those things he cannot think of a story. Honestly, I've done some crazy things to try to think of material for scripts or to think of ways to fix things done wrong in the scripts. I am Toad again.
In "A List" Toad makes a list of things to do today. That right there is a major part of my life. I make lists all the time. Lists of favorite things, lists of things to do, lists of books to read, lists of people to pray for. You name it, I've probably made a list related to it.
In "The Dream" Toad has a strange dream in which he performs. But, after doing many wonderful things, he loses Frog, who had been watching in the audience. As anyone who knows me well knows, I have bizarre dreams all the time. Like last night I dreamed I was in a plane crash, and a couple nights ago I dreamed something about a fake cast list that was actually a means of sending a message from one set of spies to another.
In "Christmas Eve" Toad waits for Frog to come over, but he gets worried and starts imagining what could have happened to Frog. Finally he decides to get a rope to get Frog out of the hole, a light so that Frog can see in the dark woods, and a frying pan to hit the animal that's chasing Frog. Just as Toad leaves the house, Frog is there, just fine. I have imagined something happening to people who are late more times than I can remember... And my fears have always been unreasonable. They've gotten to their destination just fine.
Finally, just my habits are Toad-like. Toad: "Now, seeds. Start growing." "Drat!" "We shall eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop." "I am going back to bed."
Frog: "Come out and see how wonderful the winter is!" Toad: "I will not. I am in my warm bed."
Frog: "The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up!" Toad: "I am not here."
So here I am. I probably wouldn't be exactly who I am if it hadn't been for Frog and Toad. Books really can shape your life, whether you mean for them to or not. So what about y'all? Have there been any books you've grown up with that have affected you in any way, shape, or form?
First Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, now Anthem by Ayn Rand.
I didn't exactly mean to read it all in one sitting before going to bed last night. It just sort of...happened. But I'm ahead of myself...
Yesterday Mom and I were on the way home from the Post Office and the library, and she said, "Ok, we're listening to Anthem." (backstory: Instead of doing book reports, Mom and I take turns choosing classics to listen to in the car and we discuss them.) So we did. And it was fascinating. It's written from the point of view of Equality 7-2521, a man part of a communist world. Everyone exists for the good of all. There is no individuality. The word "I" is non-existent.
I (Tasha) was hooked.
When I got home, I immediately scanned the library and found the paperback. That night, as already revealed, I read the whole thing. That's pretty special. Yes, it may be considered only a 'novella' by some, but I haven't read like that in a long time. It was...awesome. I almost cried when reading a lot of the parts with Liberty 5-3000. AND it had a happy ending. Well, not happy per se, but hopeful. Again, a lot like Fahrenheit 451. Not completely happy, but hopeful.
One note: at the end with all the ego parts, I disagreed with some of the conclusions that Ayn Rand came to, mostly because I'm a Christian and she was an atheist. Let me explain....
*here be spoilers*
At the end, Ayn Rand comes to this conclusion: "And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride. This god, this one word: 'I.'"
I (Tasha...) agree with Ayn Rand that individual freedom is indispensable and that the rights of "the many" should not be placed ahead of the rights of the individual, but I cannot agree that 'I' am a god. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can give me peace and joy. Only God can make us complete. Only the God of the Bible is God. He is the only great I Am.
*spoilers be over*
So to close: look upon that dark society well. Unless individual rights are embraced and protected (especially Second Amendment rights, but that's another topic for another time) we will become like that. Only part of a collective. A Borg lost in a sea of never-ending cubes. A slave to society. Never to be regarded as an individual.
"I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom." -Ayn Rand
Well, as anyone who reads my blog has probably noticed, I've been out of (blog)town for awhile. To kick in the New Year (a little late....) here's a book meme!
Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? Hmm.....I like all three to an extent, but if I had to choose, it'd have to be fantasy. I don't like not being able to sleep because of fear (that's why I hardly read Poe at night though I love his stuff), and with almost every single sci-fi book I've read, they've slapped me with alot of information about stupid futuristic technologies that didn't make sense.
Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback? I don't really care. As long as it's readable.
Amazon or Brick and Mortar? I do not know what Brick and Mortar is, so I'll have to go with Amazon.
Barnes & Noble or Borders? I'm a teenager without a job, so I go with Half-Price Bookstore.
Hitchhiker or Discworld? *sticks out virtual thumb*
Bookmark or Dogear? Bookmark..
Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction? Ummmm......I'm not sure what the question is.
Alphabetize by author, Alphabetize by title, or random? Well, I actually do *cough* have an inventory file, so first I categorize by genre, then by author.
Keep, Throw Away or Sell? Keep. Unless I didn't like the book, then I donate it to the library.
Keep dust-jacket or toss it? Keep it.
Read with dustjacket or remove it? Depends....if the dustjacket annoys me, I take it off.
Short story or novel? I'd have to say novel.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I try to stop at chapter breaks, but it doesn't usually work that way...
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time?” Both.
Buy or Borrow? *cough* Um, both? I borrowed the Book Thief from a friend, but then went out and bought my own copy.
Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation or Browse? I do all three.
Lewis or Tolkien? NO! You can't make me choose!!!!
Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)? Collection.
Tidy ending or Cliffhanger? Cliffhangers, even though they keep me up late.
Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading? Depends on the book.
Standalone or Series? I tend to like series.
New or used? Used books have character.
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien or Chosen, by Ginger Garret.
Top 5 favorite genre books of all time? I'm not sure I understand the question.
Favorite genre series? I don't understand this one either....
Currently Reading? Ohhh various.....*exasperated sound*
I tag: anyone who wants to fill this one out.
EDIT: As one proof that I did something other than play backgammon this past Christmas vacation, here is A Film About Amnesia. I warn you, it is very, very silly.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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!!
I conform to non-conformity. I am myself because everyone else is taken. I am a paradox wrapped in an oxymoron smothered in contradictions in terms. I am who I am and say what I feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
