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 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.
