Postcards from the Edge of Sanity

Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

2011-07-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well I know she wasn't the surest bet to make it to social security, but finding this site was kinda sad. I guess on the brightside, someone may be the proud winner of a new Ipod.

Here's a list of some other famous people that died at 27:
Robert Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938)Sold his soul to the devil.... thereby being the first "sell-out". (I kid. I love Robert Johnson)

Brian Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969)One of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, first of the next 3 to die within a 2 year timespan
Jimi Hendrix, (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) I named my guitar Jimi, and almost broke a tooth trying to play like he could.
Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970)The creative inspiration behind every female with a horrible voice thinking she can sing Bobby McGee (myself included) Janis was awesome. I used to play "Pearl" on my record player for hours around the age of 11. I think she was the inspiration for all of my musical tastes to follow.
Jim Morrison,(December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971)I love his poetry books, and the movie spawned the Crush On Val Kilmer that would last until, well, his most recent movies.
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994)The first big celebrity death I remember, and still sad to think of how Nirvana could have been had he lived. But then we wouldn't have had the Foo Fighters.

Jonathan Brandis (April 13, 1976 – November 12, 2003)Yeah, he doesn't really fit into this musical sphere, but I had every teen beat with his face on the cover during a period of the 90's (along with Brad Renfro, who died at 25...Thank God JTT is still around.)

Season 7 Weeds: More Thoughts From Ramble

2011-07-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well we've gone from Agrestic to the beach to Wyoming and then to the clink. Well, Nancy went to the clink while the rest went to Amsterdam. And as Shane recreated the Agrestic bedroom for his recentlly sprung mother, it feels as though Weeds has come full circle. Sort of. Nancy is back with nothing, Shane seems to be regressing to a little kid over his guilt from his mother going to jail for him. His need for approval is almost sickening to watch, as we not so long ago watched this kid kill a grown woman with a croquet mallet. Doug has gone back to working for the man, though those men are all potheads too. Andy is still the playboy we first met, still casting sidelong glances at Nancy. There is a lot of self loathing in Andy, for try as he might, he still loves Nancy. And speaking of self loathing, Silas has tried, tried, tried, harder than any other character, to break free of Nancy. Or at least he acts like it. Him coming home from Amsterdam surprised me, but Silas' character always has. In some ways, he seems to have evolved the most, standing up to Nancy at the apartment, telling her they were equals now. Then, they meet for lunch and he gives in and gives her his food, after rubbing it in her face what he had to eat. He is in an eternal struggle with his soul how to deal with his mother, but he came back. So obviously we know he hasn't completely broke free. He, along with every other man in Nancy's life, is still very much Nancy's bitch. Nancy is that person you hate because somewhere, deep inside, you want to be here. You think, "Damn, I wish I could get away with that. I wish I could say things like that. I wish Aidan Quinn would look at me like that" (Well, maybe not entirely.) Now matter what the situation, she keeps her cool, the lady gets her way nearly everytime, and the men can't seem to resist her. Now, with this lesbian twist, sounds like the ladies can't resist her either. Or maybe they just got bored in prison.

I know that as the seasons progress, in any show, the criticism draws sharper and harsher. I think Weeds has done a great job of new, crazy storylines to keep the plot going. This may also be why I don't see much development in the characters; they've been able to keep us entertained by twists like Nancy killing her DEA boyfriend, then getting knocked up by a Mexican drug lord/politician, Andy dating Alanis Morissette, Shane whacking that crazy Mexican brawd, and Richard Dreyfuss. Yes, Richard Dreyfuss. However, the characters remain somewhat stagnant and one dimensional. I miss the Hoades family, which to me seemed to have the most character development. I mean, c'mon it's three years in the future from where we left off, and the guys don't seem to have changed a bit. It will be interesting to see, as this season progresses, if Nancy's "You're adults now" speech will hold, and if Shane will get off his mother's tit, if Silas can finally free himself of her grasp, and if Andy can move on from this fruitless crush. The real question: If Nancy gets her wish for her boys to grow up and move on, can she survive without them? The freedom sounds nice, but the thought of Nancy minus her groupies may be more than she bargained for. What do you think of this season? Has it jumped the shark or are we just getting started?

Season 4 True Blood: Ramble's Thoughts Thus Far

2011-07-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

This season is based on my favorite book of the Sookie series, Dead to the World, in which Eric loses his memory. While in the books, I have always liked Bill a little better, I'm a total Eric fan in the show. I have been, along with many others, a bit frustrated with the stray from the books the show has taken, but expected that, as movies and television always take creative liberties with books. What I didn't like about Season 3 though were all sub-plots. I felt like there were so many different stories going on, that none of them were fully developed, and the whole season was like one big filler episode.

However, in the early stage of Season 4, I am starting to see some of that groundwork coming to fruition with the story of the coven. We have yet to see Tara's full evolution after being held hostage by a vampire and running of to New Orleans and becoming a lesbian. I feel so far that has just been sort of "skimmed over" and hope that it was, again, laying the foundation for something in the future. The fairies thing is just plain whack, and I will never be able to look at Tinkerbell the same way again.

As for Eric and Sookie, again this is my favorite book so I'm loving Eric's transformation from the serious, sexy vamp to the little puppy-dog carefree amnesiac. I don't think he's ever looked cuter than after draining the fairy, and turning to Sookie with that little smile (I'm screwed up, ok?) I'm excited to see their romance progress, and how it will compare to the books. And I'm excited to see more of Alcide with his shirt off. There should be a rule of True Blood: If Alcide is in the shot-he should be shirtless. And I especially liked the teaser before he shifted to search for Eric. You know what I'm talkin 'bout.

As for Bill, I love seeing him with all these different women that really mean nothing to him, and his progression to King. He's a jerk, I've always disliked him in the show, and this new role seems perfectly fitting for him. I like the introduction to Grandma Bellefleur , and especially that moment of realization: "Eek, your banging your great great great granddaughter" from her uptight lil ole self. As for Andy, he never ceases to provide the comic relief. Even more so now that Jason has gone missing. That storyline kind of bored me in the books, and I find it even more lame on the show, but I enjoy watching Ryan Kwanten's skinny little self so I'll deal with it. Sam's whole family of shifters story is ok, but as far as the shifter's stories go, I'd prefer just to stick with Alcide. Shirtless, of course.

Ramble's Top Five Recommendations: A Few Good Books

2011-07-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

HI-yo. Been beach bummin it for awhile and picking up some cool books in the process. They aren't necessarily "hot new releases" but rather a collection of things I picked up along the way, and until now never had the time to read. Here's some I'd like to share. Go forth, read, and report back.

1.) Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. I'm kinda in this craze right now for his stuff. Known for American Gods, Coraline, and Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader (I love the gambit he runs!) this is a collection of some of his short stories. One that I am still stuck on, Closing Time, has this chilling quality that I can't explain-it's still haunting. In his ghost stories where the children are protagonist, there seems to be some force working for them; be it naivety, innocence, or some long forgotten strength we possess in our childhood, the characters march on in ignorant bliss as the reader cringes. (Don't open that door, don't follow that boy, etc. etc.)

2.) Cherry by Mary Karr. A girl after my own heart, Karr's memoir reads in such a way no matter what generation you were born into, you can relate. I found myself going back through my own journals in those formative years from 11-18, reading my own evolution. Her experiences with kissing boys, drugs, sex, and all the while returning home to her dysfunctional family sounds like a crazy childhood, but when you really think about it, whose was that different?

3.) Ava's Man by Rick Bragg. I plan to explore this a bit more in Donna In Destin as it relates to my own move to the south. This book made me laugh throughout, but I found myself sobbing at the books end. The story of Bragg's grandfather Charlie, as recreated through stories from aunt's, uncles, cousins and friends, is a heartwarming look at a South that is no more, a grandfather Bragg never knew, and a family that never forgot.

4.)Carnal Innocence by Nora Roberts. Yup, just like that, I throw in a Nora Roberts book. Again, maybe it was the move to the South, but I loved this book, maybe it was because it's the perfect beach read on a sultry hot day, maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a romance. Caroline Waverly is the type of girl you wanna be, that innocent, breezy, effortlessly beautiful gal that wins the heart of the town's playboy. A nice piece of escape fiction.

5.)Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck. This was probably one major contributing factor in my move. Beck's book is geared towards career change, but I took it as overall overhaul life change. The message is pretty simple: follow your heart, follow your gut. As we all know, that's easier said than done, and Beck's advice and exercises helps really pull out of you what lies beneath, and what is holding you back.

The Tale of the Exploding Bra

2011-07-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen that Will and Grace episode where Grace's water-bra explodes? Yeah. One day I was running around the house getting ready for work, and couldn't find a clean bra to save my life. I dug in the "crap drawer" (We all have these, right? The bras and panties of yesteryear, the random sock we swear we will find the other one, or am I just a complete pack rat?) and found a water-bra. Remember those? Yeah. So I scramble through the rest of my morning getting ready in the frenzy that is Ramble's a.m. everyday, and head to work.
I'm sipping my Mcd's iced vanilla coffee and jamming to some Jimmy Buffett as I pull into work. I breathed the sigh that is also part of my a.m. ritual (at least on days I work) and shut off the ignition. As I hung my badge that permits access to the building around my neck, I felt something wet. Something really wet. Hmm. Last I checked I wasn't pregnant, so lactation was out of the question. I then realized that I had put on that God-forsaken water-bra. Oh. My. God. It had sprung a leak. My mind raced for quick fixes. I thought of, as I always do in times of crisis, Chevy Chase. Bubble gum. But how did that work again? Think Ramble, think. National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation. Hoover Dam. Wait. That didn't work so well for him. The clock was ticking.

I made my way inside, grateful I had a black shirt on that day. I felt lopsided as I shifted my purse, trying to find balance as not to fall over. I passed my coworkers in a frenzy, bee-lining it to the bathroom. I hid in the stall for a few moments, weighing my options. I was lopsided and wet. I found my only option was to take off my bra in the stall, dry myself off, drain the rest of the "rightie" in the toliet, use my earring to pop the other side, and drain it as to not be off kilter all day. I felt like MacGyver as I put my bra and shirt back on, and made my way to clock in.
There is no moral of this story other than this: Throw out the "crap drawer", and never leave home without a spare earring, some TP, and a little quick thinking.

The Winter of our Discontent

2011-06-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I just watched Reality Bites for the millionth time last night. It was the first time I've watched it in a few years, though, but could still repeat the dialogue verbatim. When Winona Ryder walked into the club looking for Ethan Hawke after they'd slept together, I had a minor epiphany.

My 29th birthday drawing near, I realized how certain movies had altered my perception of impending events. For instance, when I was twelve, I was sure that high school was going to be exactly like Dazed and Confused. Imagine my disappoint when it was very, very, very unlike anything Randall "Pink" Floyd experienced. When I was 16 or 17 and first discovered Reality Bites, I imagined college and my twenties to be just like it, complete with my own Ethan Hawke. Other than drinking massive amounts of big gulps, dating a few douches like Ben Stiller, and the occasional flash-song breakout of Conjunction Junction, alas, it has been another disappointment. Bring it on, 30's, I have no expectations, 'cept for maybe the Hangover. Third times a charm right? Any one else have a similar experience?

Insanity

2011-06-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been crazy. I've moved. More to follow, but for right now catch up with me in Destin

Kind of a big deal

2010-02-07T13:35:00.001-08:00

If you know me, then you know this. Yes, my apartment smells of rich mahoghany and I have lots of leather bound books. And now, I have my very own cuppycake named after me. Check it out. The Donna.

Step Away from the Facebook

2010-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Am I alone here? I'm lying in bed, trying to get to sleep and there is this nagging, gnawing feeling I have something I should be doing. Paying bills? Eh. Laundry? Nah. Finishing that novel? or the screenplay? Or even a worthwhile blog? Oh no. I have spaghetti and meatballs cooking. And coconuts to steal. And maybe even some chicks to fight along with my sorority sisters. Oh yes, the vicious cycle that is Facebook Games.

I had a weekend of "reflecting" (or detoxing, call it what you will, I stayed out of the bars!) and spent a lot of time working on my writing. However, as soon as the flicker of the display comes on, I feel the need to gear my laptop away from it's intended target of Microsoft Word and into the world wide web of obsession. Farm Town? Check. Farmville? Check...Why again do I need two farms? Ok so that was alright, but while I was waiting for creative inspiration to strike (And those damn grapes to grow) I'd check out other apps. My Zoo. Check. Cafe World. Check. Oh dear. This is not going good. No I've got grapes and cows to harvest, lions to breed and oh my a french onion soup mess in my kitchen. Whew. Got it all cleaned and good to go. What to do now? Oh, look, a shiny Rock Pool. Check. Island Paradise? Check.

Today I stopped and thought about the time I've invested in these games and discovered I could have:
Done 4 loads of laundry
Folded all of said laundry and put it away in it's delegated spot.
Actually had delegated spots for my laundry because I'd have time to organize
Read a book.
Wrote a couple blogs.
Watched a movie that had more meaning that stealing someone's goat.

I admit, I'm an addict. Maybe there's self help groups out there. Maybe a dose of sunshine amidst the dreary January days is what I need. I felt that, if I posted this blog, maybe, just maybe, one you out there reading that has the same addiction wouldn't feel so alone, so ashamed, so scared if you knew there was others out there like you. Plus, you can add me as a neighbor and send me gifts :)

I couldn't help but wonder.....

2010-01-26T12:17:00.001-08:00

about Sex in the City reruns.
does anyone else feel guilty for listening to these girls in the past? was it because being a 30 something new yorker is like being a 20 something in the small towns? and in my late twenties I realize the bullshit of this show? Carrie is supposed to the be independent woman we strive to be (or I thought) but really she is a co dependent Blahnik addicted chain smoking mess. I feel better. Thanks for listening.
Now a word from our sponsor:

Arrested Development Coming Soon

2010-01-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

Will Arnett has confirmed....Arrested Development is coming soon to theaters. As interviewed Arnett stated he couldn't give many details for fear of being held up for treason. Arnett can be seen in the new movie When In Rome with Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas, major hottie...ya know he married that one singer chick....) and also going to be in Despicable Me. As for Despicable Me, I think I'm going to skip that. The previews teased at the beginning it could be something kinda "cute" but then it lost steam as the preview waned on. It does appear to have a pretty star studded cast, but maybe I'll wait for the DVD. And I recently caught him in Wristcutter's, A Love Story with Patrick Fugit from Almost Famous, another one of my favs. I recommend you see them both if you haven't. There's your homework for the week.

It sounds like Arrested Development won't be out till 2011, but in the meantime you can catch the rest of the cast in several things out this year. David Cross was just in Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakqel, and in an effort to build in a Kevin Bacon 6 Degrees of Separation to this blog, he also stars alongside Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) in and Kristin Wiig, who is also in Despicable Me. (flowcharts to follow...right?!?) I also suggest you catch Cross in Mr. Show with Bob and David ("More homework, but Ramble..." Quit complaining and watch. Thank me later.)

Jason Bateman, who tore up the big screen in 2009 with roles in Couples Retreat, Up in the Air, The Invention of lying and more, will star in Paul and The Baster this year. And then there's that George Michael...a relative unknown until his success in Arrested Development. Although rumoured that he wasn't returning for the movie, Michael confirms he is returning to his roots on E!
although there is a much different take on the situation in this article.

Regardless of Cera's strife, I'm excited to see how the movie will play out. Much like Family Guy, Fox gave up too early on this show and it has found a cult following in the afterlife called syndication. IFC runs it pretty regularly, so check your local listings.

Can't Wait for Season 3

2010-01-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

anyone else missing this? I'm sorry Edward, Bill, Jasper, ya just don't do it for me.

Someone say Season 3??

Also, check out www.charlaineharris.com for updates on her latest book. I can't wait !!!

What's Up With....

2009-11-30T20:47:00.001-08:00

Just some general wtf moments I've had recently.

1.) the inspiration for this particular entry: Luke Wilson's hair on those cellular commercials. Really? What happened to you super cute Luke Wilson? Owen's look doesn't work on you. Sorry.

2.) People straight bashing Twilight and New Moon on Twilight and New Moon sites, articles, etc. Or people bashing in general different modes of entertainment on said entertainments website. I just don't get it. Who really takes the time to go out of there way to a website on something they don't like to bash it? I understand if it's politically and you feel that your opinion may "change the world" or whatev, but the fact you think Twilight is for teeny bopper girls...Really doesn't change my opinion and not an issue I'd focus my time on changing people's views on.

3.) The Jackson Five Reality show. Need I say More?

4.)The Coca Cola Christmas bears extinction. We can start playing Christmas movie at the mall in September, but my personal staple of Christmas is still in hibernation.

4.) Google wave. I don't want to be part of you elite society. No, thank you.

We Interrupt your Regularly Scheduled Programming.....

2009-10-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Off the beaten path

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Jim Carroll 8/1/49-9/11/09

2009-10-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

Without internet for several weeks, I haven't been able to post anything recently. And on an incredible sad note, my favorite modern poet/spoken-word performer/punk rocker died and I grieved the only way I know how. I wrote. Now, since I'm back online I thought I'd share as he is a writer I think everyone should aquaint themselves with. He's raw, he's vivid, and his soul seemed to bleed through and spill over in his writing. Jim Carroll author of the Basketball Diaires, Forced Entries, and Fear of Dreaming died on 9/11/09. I think it's interesting to note the significance as Jim Carroll's background was always the pulsing city, whether it be his high school ball games or his next score or rocking out a list of people who died in his city (see video). I found this paper I wrote when I was a freshmen in high school. This was the time of my life I was determined to move to NYC and become a Village bum and hang out with Jim Carroll and the likes. Never made it to NYC but I still promise myself I will someday. It's sad now-as youth evaporates we see our dreams shriveling up due to circumstance. And now meeting Jim is one of those dreams deterred. I re-read my paper; I had wanted to share it on here but have decided against it. If this is the first time you've read anything by him, I don't want it to be tainted by my analysis. The thousands of dollars in student loans I pay on ever month for my schooling and the one lesson I've learned in my studies as an English major: Who gives a %#^@ what someone else's take on the work is? Enjoy it. Make it your own. Perhaps I've become a solipsist in my old age, or maybe I'm just over the "only one way to skin a cat" approach my school took and applied to all things literature, but I want you to read this and think of your own dreams, not jilted by mine... Make this one yours. RIP Jim Carroll.

Little Ode On St. Anne's Day by Jim Carroll
Your growing up,
And rain sort of remains
On the branches of a tree
That wil someday Rule the earth,
And that's good
That there is rain
It clears the month
Of your sorry rainbow expressions
And clears the streets
of silent armies
so we can dance

Just Because...

2009-09-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

....It was all rainy depressing day here in the midwest, so I had to add these to cheer myself up.... Even when it's rainy on the beach it was still beautiful!

Defining Mob

2009-08-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting with the recent "I am the Mob" movement. It's interesting how this thought sounds almost sexy at first, this wild animal that takes over, something that you wanna be a part of. Seems passionate and fiery, and then drops the bomb with the last line. I'm all for the mob movements, the gathering of the masses for a united cause, etc. however, I can see some truth to what he is saying here. Remember what you started out standing for; don't let the excitement wrap you up and lose sight of what you came for.

"A mob is a strange phenomenon. It is a gathering of heterogeneous elements, unknown to one another (except on some essential points such as nationality, religion, social class); but as soon as a spark of passion, having flashed out from one of these elements, electrifies this confused mass, there takes place a sudden orgainization, a spontaneous generation. This incoherence becomes cohesion, this noise becomes a voice, and these thousands of men crowded together soon form but a single animal, a wild beast without a name, which marches to its goal with an irresistible finality. The majority of these men would have assembled out of pure curiosity, but the fever of some of them soon reaches the minds of all, and in all of them there arises a delirium. The very man who came running to oppose the murder of an innocent person is the first to be seized with the homicidal contagion, and moreover, it does not occur to him to be astonished at this."

Gabriel Tarde
The Penal Philosophy

Top Five Reasons I Can't Wait for September (+1)

2009-08-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the Top Five Shows I'm excited about this fall:

Vampire Diaries Another Vamp show? BRING IT ON! And super excited to see Ian Somerhalder (Boone from Lost, also was in Smallville) back in a series. Series Premiere September 10th-CW

Castle-I'm watching a re-run now. And I love it. Just love it. Season Premiere September 21st on ABC!! They are my new Bones for tension portrayed right?

Mentalist Simon Baker is my latest heartthrob-his wit, sarcasm, play into it, but it's his character's ability to be so laid back-not giving a care-but not come off as cocky but rather charming. Season Premiere September 24th on CBS.

NCIS My mom and I always called mark Harmon the "woo woo guy" b/c of his good looks...So I've literally had a crush on the man for 20 some years now. And the rest the guys? Not too shabby. Oh. Yeah, and the shows AMAZING. Season Premiere on CBS Sept 22

Fringe By far, my favorite new show of last year. It's interesting watching Joshua Jackson evolve over the years; it's like I've grown up with him from Mighty Ducks to Dawson's Creek to Fringe =)Premieres Thursday
Sept 17 on Fox

Ok this makes six but somehow I forgot Flash Forward September 24 on ABC. Penny and Charlie from LOST-plus a messed up timeline woven in the plot-Not that Lost can ever be replaced, but after this season I was terrified the "smart" show would die with it and the Smoke Monster...but with this show I believe there is hope....

Shameless Self Promotion

2009-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

And the people who love it.
No. Really. I have decided, being the eclectic wonder I am, to break up some of my blogs. I haven't uploaded the previous ones relating to these, they will stay here, but to try to sort out some of the madness, my Vamp related blogs will primarily go here
Style:Something With a Little Bit of Bite
My Lost related blogs (there haven't been many lately, but trust me, they're coming) will go here cuz I'm Lost Till the End
Depending how those go I may break up my political rants into a separate blog as well, I'm not sure yet though. They are very new so be gentle on criticism! I had been advised to redo my template for this blog, but I couldn't find anything I liked after hours of searching; it just feels right for THIS page. I did find so many other fun things out there I wanted to try them all, so I'm starting with those two.
Between those two and this one, and a blog I keep in anonymity, (No I can't tell you...that defeats the purpose!) I have also got a good start this weekend on my novel...I consider it my Magnum Opus but we'll see. I have been writing it in screenplay and book form, so I think it will take awhile but that's ok :) I'm patient.
I'm also participating in the local events for the Audit the Fed campaign on September 15 which you haven't looked into in your own area, I suggest you do. It's exciting with all the Tea Parties and 912 meetups and now this, how the mass movement of the people seems to be greater than any other time in our history. Vietnam had it's groups of protesters but they all seemed lumped into one "group" of young hippies, whereas now there is no stereotypical protester, yet an angry mob

I digress...

Anyway, check em out lemme know what you think and what you guys are doing on September 12th and 15th =)

My Cindy Sherman Project

2009-08-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of a self portrait mode while on vaca...I was reading a Vogue article on Cindy Sherman, forgot how much I enjoyed her work while in college, and when nuts from there. Much more reserved, of course....

My Vent on Touch Screen Phones

2009-08-22T09:14:00.001-07:00

Ok, does anyone else have a touch screen? I know they are all the rage, but lemme tell ya....I'm pretty fed up with mine. It seemed like a novel idea. I've used the touch screen computer monitors, and, aside from the paw prints all over the screen, it seemed cool. So I got the View, Vu, however you wanna spell it, from LG. I was dealing ok with it till it broke, got a replacement, broke again, got a replacement, then broke again. Aside from that, the phone was great. Oh, well, excepting the fact that the touch calibration was so off I looked like I was drunk texting in the middle of the day. (Hey, I keep it reserved to nights and weekends like the package, ok!?) And, if you were scrolling through to find a particular contact, you would FEEL drunk watching the names roll by, never quite ending on the one you wanted, always going to far, or jumping back up to the top somehow (yeah, you with those touch screens, you know what I'm talking about!) So after the...3rd I guess it was? phone to break...I got a new one. They had some "3rd time's a charm" rule at AT&T where if their phone screws up that many times you get a new one. How nice of them. Although I had to sit an hour and a half and wait for the warranty guy on the other end of the line with my sales rep to BELIEVE my story (Why does it feel like you are in a court case fighting for your cell phone rights with these people?) before I could get them to ship my new phone. In the meantime, I got a Zack Morris phone for the weekend. SO finally my Xenon comes in the mail, and, for the third time, I ship the Vu back to AT&T. Everything goes fine, excepting, again, an exception, that after 2 or 3 times of me shipping this thing back with no problem, they've now decided that they never recieved the last phone, I'm holding it for some kind of weird protest reason or something, and they're going to charge me 200 dollars for keeping it. For that piece of crap I couldn't get 2 dolla off of E-bay for? I think not. So while on vacation, I get 6 missed calls a day from these people about said piece of crap, I finally respond with a phone call. They're off my back, after a few choice words, now, but still. C'mon. The new phone? touch screen-better calibration, but same whirlwind when trying to scroll though contacts, and whenever I dial a number it never fails that it reads my "3" as a "6" at least once, or something similar that causes me to throw out more profanities before finally getting it right. Moral of story: If you don't already have a touch screen: stay away.

NRA-ILA :: Current members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (sic)

2009-08-22T09:13:00.001-07:00

NRA-ILA :: Current members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (sic)

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Aw Sookie Sookie

2009-08-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

So as a fan of both the books and the show, I'm really excited with the way True Blood is going. Because it follows so loosely the novels, it's like a new story every episode. Major variations are obviously the character Lafayette sticking around (yea!! totally love his character on the show...much more developed than the novel so I've become a fan) and Mary Ann (far from the bumbling "witch in training" portrayed in the novels, we also combine the character of the maenad) to the lack of J.B. from season 1, and, so far season 2.

As much as I've loved these deviations, I was concerned how the Bill vs Eric rivalry would play out. In the early episodes, I wasn't near as impressed with Eric as I thought I should be. Everything that was described in the novel, the 1000 year old viking beauty, I feel like I expected more. However, within the last season, I've fallen more and more for Eric. I started thinking about it, and I think the second book is also where Sookie starts to show serious signs of affection for Eric. Maybe more subconciously than later books, but it's there. hmmm...

Is it possible that the show pulled this miracle off somehow? That, in season one, I am less than impressed with Eric because he pulls of the cocky yeah-I've-been-around-1000+ years-what-of-it vamp thing and comes out looking like a jerk...Much like Sookie felt about him in the beginning of the series...And as the show wears on we begin to see him as we do in the book, thru Sookie's eyes from her perspective...as a bit more attractive, a bit more sexy, a bit more down to earth? As far as 1000 year old vamps go, of course. What do you guys think? How do you feel about Eric from the first season to now? Better? Worse? The same?

Should have let him say it....

2009-08-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

....He says it best

I don't know what it is, but each time I hear a Reagan speech I get a bit misty eyed. Proud to be born when he was president =)

Thank You, Mr. President

2009-08-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office."
Aesop

Thank you Mr. Change...
All I see everyday from your Change is people worried about what's happening next....not because we fear Change, but because we fear the direction this country is headed as we have seen the effects of your "change". People are rising up for the first time in a long time (1770's-ish maybe?) to speak out, but is it doing anything? I hope so. Universal this and that seems to be driving the other way. You take away, for instance, the independent health care companies (those capitalist pigs, right?) you are taking MORE jobs from the people. Because it's not just hitting the corporate big wigs, it's those people that do the small stuff. The people that have no say in your premiums or your coverage, but are just like you, trying to pay their mortgage, put their kids thru school, live the "American Dream". As depressing as this is,there is a new change...a new hope. I see it more and more, with the meetups, with the Project 912 supporters, #tcot and Tea Parties, American's are getting sick and tired. You take away everything from us, we have nothing to lose. I had a lot more I wanted to express, but have you ever been so frustrated you can't? My eyeballs are burning my body is shaking and I can't believe that we have been so blind to what's happening, and, possibly in my own personal world, these "changes" are coming down hard and fast, and not in a good way. So, rather than confuse my words and tangle myself up while I'm still seething, I'll let others speak for me till I can control the words.

"You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time."
Abraham Lincoln
“The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.”
James Arthur Baldwin

“Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose”
Baltasar Gracian quotes

“We of the sinking middle class may sink without further struggles into the working class where we belong, and probably when we get there it will not be so dreadful as we feared, for, after all, we have nothing to lose.”
George Orwell

“The Christian has greatly the advantage of the unbeliever, having everything to gain and nothing to lose”
Lord Byron

"Too bad that all the people who really know how to run the country are busy driving taxi cabs and cutting hair."
George Burns

"Put not your trust in princes."
Psalm 146. 3

Top Five Fav Movies of the 90's

2009-08-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

I've been on a nostalgic kick lately...it happens, usually in the summer and around my birthday, so I was well prepared this time. Sometimes it can kick me in the shins....it hurts remembering how much fun summer vacations were when there was no bills, no work, no worries. My brother and I would stay up until 3 or 4 every night watching Nick at Night (remember when they showed OLD shows? Now they show shows that were popular in the 90's in which I speak) sleep in, swim, and watch MTV all afternoon (remember when they shows MUSIC videos?) Throw a few movies in there, bike rides, friends and boys, and that was my summers growing up. Pretty perfect. I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up (I'm still growing up I guess) and would lose myself in the fantasy of the movies. Maybe it was that imagination that created my own stories about the movies. Each of these on this list represents something I wanted: Either a character I wanted to see more of in myself, a lifestyle I wished to live, even if just a little while, or a character I wanted to know in real life. The fantasy was fun, it was encompassing, it was my own escapism from the recent death of my mother.....So here goes
My Top Five Fav Movies of the 90s

1.) Now and Then-the characters were me and my gang of girls. The boys were the boys we chased around, who chased us back. The at home dramas struck a little too close to home sometimes, but the lightheartedness balanced out enough to make the list.

2.)Dazed and Confused-Funny story. Rented this movie 2 weeks after my mom died (obviously not the funny part) I was 12 and if she was still around she never would have gone for it. But God bless my dad he would do anything to make my brother and I happy at this point, so he rented it. My friend and I watched it in the basement of her house while her parents were at work, drinking diet pepsi and getting sugar rushes that made us feel drunk while we danced around to the killer soundtrack. So it wasn't sugar rushes and we just wished we were drunk, but we were 12 and, even if Dad let me WATCH the movie, I knew PARTICIPATING in some of the activities in the movie would get my @$$ kicked.

3.)White Squall-Remember when Scott Wolf was all the rage? Before Lost's Sawyer vs Jack, it was Party of 5's Bailey vs Charlie on the hotness scale. I watched this movie tonite, and didn't realize that, made in 1996, Scott Wolf was born in 1968 making him...thats right...still older than me when this movie was made. Yet, Balthazar Getty (so hot in this movie btw) was born in 1975 making him only 19, but still looking the same age, if not older, than Scott Wolf. Crazy. Guess the last thing I've seen Scotty in was Go-and he still looks about 25 tops. I digress. The true draw of this film was the sea. I've always been happiest when in water-I would sit out for hours in the pool when I was ten or so, curl up in the fetal position w/ my snorkel, and bob around for hours....I've always loved going out on boats any chance i get....and I never feel as at peace as I do when I'm on the shoreline staring at the ocean....so this had to make this list, bittersweet and all. And Jeff Bridges as the Captain makes the movie.

4.) Reality Bites- "hello, you've reached the winter of our discontent" + Ethan Hawke's band + Ben Stiller playing a yuppie tool (not that far of a stretch in my opinion) + Steve Zahn as the recently-out-to-his-parents gay friend=what I expected my friends would be like in my 20s. Because, you know, me and Winona are SOO on the same page and all.

5.)Basketball Diaries-"Your growing up, and Rain sort of remains on the branches of a tree that will Someday rule the Earth, and that's good there is rain, it clears the month, of your sorry rainbow expression, and clears the streets, of silent armies, so we can Dance"-Jim Carroll played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Ah-mazing. I was a complete b-ball nut back in the day so totally related to that part, but this, along with my drug talk w/ my dad, kept me clean. (In case you are wondering, my drug talk w/ my dad was, "I'm not encouraging you to do drugs, but I want you to watch this." he sits me down and we watch Easy Rider. After watching Peter Fonda drop acid and cry to his mother on the statue-I was good. And, in Peter Fonda's memoirs, he states he really did drop acid for that scene, and was crying to his mother for killing herself. My dad's a pretty smart guy diguising his motives and all. I recommend this approach to any parent. sidenote)

So there they are. The movies that shaped my childhood, shaped the amazing eclectic crazy girl you have before you today. I now insist you Netflix them all and report back to me. Or don't and tell me which ones I left off. You decide.

7 Days

2009-08-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

The last vacation I went on, that was more than a 3 day venture, was to Disney World the summer I turned 9. 18 years later, I finally take another week long vaca, again to Florida. We stayed in a condo on the beach (when I say we, I mean my dad, step-mom, 11 yr old brother and 6 year old sister...23 yo brother opted not to go) and I woke up every morning to the sound of the ocean.

This picture is of me on the beach after a storm. It was beautiful-the beach was all but deserted, sea creatures of all kinds washing up in the shallow water along the shoreline,and if I looked out just right, keeping the view of hotels scattered up and down the coast out of eyesight, and just focusing on the vacant beach and vast ocean, it was like my own private paradise.

I was only gone a week but it felt in ways much longer. Maybe because I didn't have my computer and was limited on using my cell phone, maybe because something about water has always made me a bit more introspective, maybe because Saturday I turned another year older, but something inside of me seemed to change in those short 7 days. When I got back home, I felt a bit empty inside. I return to a job that doesn't satisfy, friends whom I love but are very much going on different courses than I in their lives, and that feeling I forgot until the moment we hit the beach: How small of a fraction of the world I live in here.

When I took that trip 18 years ago, we had stopped at the beach, and I remember feeling tiny against the backdrop of the sea. I'm older, I'm bigger, but still got that same feeling when I stood against it this time. And that realization that it is a big, big world. One with possibilities. One with opportunity for more than what I live here. I hope that I can somehow harness this feeling into something productive, but fear that with the return to work tomorrow, it will chisel away at my soul once more, and I will regress back to the zombie I was before I left.....

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow....

2009-08-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going on vacation...to the beach....super excited. However, not until today when I checked to see if my ISP is supported in Florida, did I realize I will be without the internet for a whole week. I'm kinda freaking. I think I'll be ok. I'm bringing lots of movies and books and bought the Teach Yourself Chinese game for my Nintendo DS, along with an audio book I downloaded to teach myself Russian. SO I'm sure I'll have lots to say when I get back, but in the meantime, miss me lots :) And feel free to hit me up on FB or Twitter as my trusty phone can easily access those sites.

The War Against Bloggers

2009-07-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech" Benjamin Franklin

Forget the war on drugs. The new administration has a new target. I bet 95% of you reading it fall into this category. Yup. The danger lies not in dealing crack cocaine in seedy back alleys, or worrying that little Bobby is smoking the Mary-Jane before Junior High. It's those awful, awful social networkers. And at the heart of it? Bloggers. Uh-oh. The NY Post's Kyle Smith reports that the new OIRA Czar, Cass Sunstein seems to think "that the bloggers have been rampaging out of control and that new laws need to be written to corral them." He goes on to quote Sunstein, "people's beliefs are a product of social networks working as echo chambers in which false rumors spread like wildfire." and "We hardly need to imagine a world, however, in which people and institutions are being harmed by the rapid spread of damaging falsehoods via the Internet....We live in that world. What might be done to reduce the harm?" This is from his book, On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done. Basically, what I'm getting out of this is not that he's trying to alleviate rumors, but to control what information we can read.
What is Fox News without CNN? It's like White without Black. We have to be held accountable enough to reach our own Gray. Holding bloggers, newsreporters, social networkers (twitter, anyone?) responsible for rumors is like holding a grudge against the bully in high school that started a rumor about you. Or someone you know. Or whatever situation you've had to deal with in life that someone said something you didn't believe or knew wasn't true. Did you sue them for libel? Sunstein thinks we should:

"Sunstein questions the current libel standard - which requires proving "actual malice" against those who write about public figures, including celebrities. Mere "negligence" isn't libelous, but Sunstein wonders, 'Is it so important to provide breathing space for damaging falsehoods about entertainers?' Celeb rags, get ready to hire more lawyers."

One of my most fav books ever is Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation. The reason it's one of my favs is this idea of personal responsibility. I don't know about Obama's Dreams from my Father but I know my father was raised by a father from this Greatest Generation. He took personal responsibility, from the job he did (Welfare? Government assistance? Pell Grants? Who ever heard of such a thing?) to the family he raised to the actions he took. And I believe there are still many Americans out there like that, that have this trait of personal responsibility. Why, then, do we need someone out there regulating what we can or can't read about? I go to work everyday, pay my taxes, consider myself somewhat intelligent, and can make my own informed decisions and opinions. I don't need a filter. I don't need a babysitter. If these people that are being written about are the one's with the problem, I go back to my oldest theory: If you are paranoid that people are talking about you, you probably did something to encourage it. Guilty Conscious.

G'day Mate, Hurley's Peddlin' Outback Chicken

2009-07-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has he lost weight?

SOOO since winning the lottery nothing but good luck? I totally thought he was going to say when he was having the dream in Australia, that, instead of chicken it was about an ill-fated plane ride in which he wound up on an island with a smoke monster, the Dharma, and there were Others...Oh well. Wonder how this ties in with the show if it does at all?! Do you guys remember the oceanic 815 website's they had? And then the ajira airways site? Sometimes I think there's clues and sometimes I think it's just something to perplex us losties until January. Something to chew on. Whatcha think?

Which Twilight New Moon Character Are You?: emmet!

2009-07-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

I just took the "Which Twilight New Moon Character Are You?" quiz and got: emmet! What about you?

Is This Forever

2009-07-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

I had to share this. Funny stuff. I feel for the kid. When I was 18 or so I got my wisdom teeth pulled. They didn't even do the IV, I just had laughing gas, and they even had to cut me back on that. I thought I was in Donkey Kong and trying to run away from him, him being the oral surgeon coming at me with this whirring thing, but couldn't move. I remember the blood splattering on my face and giggling because I thought it was raining inside the office. And then, after it was all over and they gave me my parting gift (my extracted teeth, in a mini manila envelope) going to the parking lot, getting in the car, and telling my dad I felt funny before bursting into tears. And he laughed at me much like that dad in this video. Enjoy. Thanks again, dad.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-07-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

"Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things."
Here's a few of my fav things of the moment:

LOST's Forum I'm skatertsol, enjoy my posts. Love chatting with fellow Losties.

Sandy Beaches

Look, in the url bar, it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Superman's homepage Love it. And great links to Smallville related sites. Another one of my favs? Lex Luthor Michael Rosenbaum, you make bald look so good.

Star light, star bright, first Twilight link I link tonight....Stephenie Meyer's homepage for all the latest and greatest Twilight info.

For the lil creep that called me "sweetcheeks" on facebook when I had an actual argument against Universal Healthcare... I give you my favorite man on television today That's for your remark I get all my information from FOX news. Yeah, I can come up with my own opinions. I just tend to share them with this guy. Sorry I wasn't able to respond to your post dude, was busy working, paying for that eventual "free" healthcare.

This guy from CSINY. I <3 NY

I have about a gazillon books and I love being able to keep track of them at Goodreads while discussing up and coming books with others. Really, if it wasn't for that whole having to have a job thing (you know, to pay for universal healthcare) I would spend 95% of my time on this site, the other 5% reading.

what? oh sorry lost my focus there for a minute...What was I saying? Oh, favorite things. That's right. Washboards. MMMMhmmmmm

TEAM JACOB

2009-07-20T20:57:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

The Salesman's Dream and Hamartia

2009-07-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

In 8th grade, while cruising the library for guys, (right) I checked out Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman I had heard of Miller (He was married to Marilyn, right?) and figured I would love it, being as I felt like such an enlightened 13 year old. Love it. Wrong. I did not understand it, this simple play; where was the part that made this man an icon of literature and the stage? Years later, while in college studying Miller in a Drama class, I would understand. At the time I was working 40 hours a week and carrying a full load plus at school. I came to fully understand the "American Dream" and how easily it can become a nightmare. Miller made sense. Miller was a genius.

I had reviewed two crisiticsms for the play, one by Harold Clurman, a theater director and critic. his focus is on Loman's American Dream and his loss of reality. The second was written by B.S.Field, Jr. and directs its attention to Willy's hamartia. (4 years for an English degree and all I get to do is throw around big words on my blog and feel important. yup. feel better.) These two critiques go hand in hand. The first speaks to his attempt to follow his dream and his gradual deterioration of reality and perspective, the second to why that happened; what exactly his fatal flaw was.

Willy Loman, the salesman the play focuses on, is a working class man, struggling for that white picket fence dream. Miller's predecessors had focused on kings, queens, and other such noble figures. "Perhaps the chief virtue of the play is the attention that Miller makes us pay to the man and his problems, for the man represents the lower middle class, the $50-a-week-plus-commission citizen, whose dream is to live to a ripe old age doing a great volume of business over the telephone (Clurman, 308) In our society today this working man is seen everywhere with our slagging economy. The play has tremendous impact because in the years since it was written, it still makes the audience recognize itself. "Willy Loman is everybody's father, brother, uncle or friend, his family are our cousins; Death of a Salesman is a documented history of our lives" (308). Though it is not as realistic as life as we know it, everyone can still relate to at least one Loman at some point. "We had the wrong dreams," says Biff, and the audience sighs, as the realization sinks in. This "wrong dream" is one still held close to the hearts of many of us.

The play picks up as the audience sees Willy as a has-been salesman. The competition Willy encounters is too tough for his talents. The life he has chosen denies his true being at every step, as Biff says he should have worked with his hands. That was what he loved. However, he cannot let go of the dream. "he idolizes the dream beyond the truth of himself, and he thus becomes a romantic, shadowy nonentity, a liar, a creature whose only happiness lies in looking forward to miracles, since reality mocks his pretensions. His real ability for manual work seems trivial and mean to him " (308).

His comment to his sons that their grandfather, even their grandfather, was more than a carpenter proves he could never really let himself do what he loved. he had to hold fast to this dream of wealth, popularity, and happiness. I believe in his head he saw himself as all the above and that is why he comes off as a mad man to some readers. As Clurman says, "from this perpetual self denial he loses the sense of his own thought; he is a stranger to his own soul; he no longer knows what he thinks either of his sons or his automobile; he cannot tell who his true friends are; he is forever in a state of enthusiastic or depressed bewilderment (309).

Willy was never a content man and his sons suffer the guilt of the father. "Biff, the older, with increasing consciousness; hap, the younger, stupidly' (309) Hap seeks his satisfaction from women, lots and lots of women. Biff can't get no...Sat-is-faction from women because the only satisfaction he seeks is making his father proud. Constantly feeling like he is not doing enough, he wants nothing more than to work on t he land, his father's secret dream only Biff decodes. Not till the end of his father's life does Biff, the dynamic of the two brothers, discover the lie his father has made of his life; the wrong path his "ideals" are leading him down, tormenting his heart and mind. "With his father's death, Biff has possibly achieved sufficient self-awareness to change his course; Hap-like most of us-persists in following the way of his father" (310).

Arthur is an outright moralist. "his talen is for a kind of humanistic jurisprudence: he sticks to the facts of the case" (310). His play is clearer than those of other American playwrights because of this quality. Using similar insight s those whose "lyric gifts tend to reflect the more elusive and imponderable aspects of the same situation," Miller can relate this play to somebody we all know, if not ourselves.

Clurman retains that "there is poetry in Death of a Saleman-not the poetry of the sense or of the soul, but of ethical conscience" (310) I believe this, as this is the one play that stands out in my mind. This is the one play I think, hey, I can totally see myself in Willy Loman. My dream was-is-to write and make a living from it. A path less taken, littered along the way with struggle, failures, self-doubt and poverty all pulling me down their little side ways. Or at least I think they would. I wouldn't know. I didn't take that path. Too chicken. However, after reading Miller's play, I realized how real the failure is in every profession, especially given the current economic state. Not only did Willy Loman not follow his true dream, he failed at his fake one. From his brother, who we see only from Willy's perspective as rich but could very well be poor in the ways of love, to Hap with his many women but no true love, to Willy with his constant battle for money, this play speaks to people. "We cry before it like children being chastised by an occasionally humorous, not unkindly but unswervingly just father. Death of a Salesman is rational, dignified, and profoundly upright" (310).

How could this dream so easily be shattered? Where did Willy really go wrong? The dream itself was broken because he was unsuccessful as a salesman. Willy, however, could have changed other things in his life. Blinded by money, however, Willy could only see happy people equal to rich people. he never took the blinders off long enough to realize his family was something he could have been happy in, if only he would have listened a little more, and perhaps criticized a little less.
Field describes the end of the play as a "catastrophe" in which we see his flaw and the consequences that follow. Field poses the question, "how does Willy's catastrophe stand as a poetically just consequence of his hamartia (323)? This idea fascinates me. There have been many different answers to that question and many resolutions as a result. However, what was Willy's crime that lead to this catastrophe? "Willy's crime is that he has tried to mold his sons in his own image, that he hs turned them into wind bags and cry babies (323). He goes on to say they are "not sexually impotent, no more than Willy is, but they are impotent in a larger sense" (323). Happy complains of the meaninglessness of his life in Act I when he says, "sometimes I sit in my apartment- all alone. And I think of the rent I'm paying. And it's crazy. But then, it's what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women. And still, goddammit, I'm lonely."

We know that Willy's dream was to own that house, have his car, and have his family. Hap has followed in those footsteps in a sense, yet finds quantity over quality of women. However, he is still lonely. Willy did not lead him directly to that error, but we know that he had many lovers unbeknownst to his family. Could all of these years of sneaking around subconciously rub off on Hap? Is it hereditary? It is possible that the way he treated Hap's mother and the message he gave out about women after all these years of womanizing effected Hap in a deeper capacity.

The boys seem to be morally and socially retarded. Willy himself has no basis for making moral choices. "It is not so much that he chooses or has chosen evil, but that he has no idea how to choose at all" (323). Throughout the play everyone, including Willy himself, is contradicting him. "he lives in a morally incoherent universe, an incoherence that is the most striking element of the play which describes his torments" (324). Since he is morally incapacitated, this leads to his social incapacitation. He wants so much to be liked and be popular, yet everything is against him. The city itself is slowly killing him throughout the play, along with the competition in his line of work.

Worst yet, not for nothing can he get along with the son he lvoes most. "the very seeds he plants no longer grow. Nothing he does has any consequences. He simply cannot make anything happen" (325). Trying to describe a person like Willy, who has no "character" in the sense that Miller implies in his dialogue, one might say that he has no initiative. Or, from Fields:"One may say he has no balls" (323) I personally like Fields' description. More visual. He goes on to say that "neither have his sons" that "Willy's efforts to mold these boys in his own image have not been a failure but a success" (323). The boys have turned out just like him, and what a success that is! "they offer two aspects of the same personality, Happy taking more after his mother, perhaps, but both sharing the same defect with their father. They cannot make anything happen. They are morally and socially castrated" (323) To know that Willy was still unhappy with his sons even though he had accomplished making them out to be like him, to me, is a reflection of how unhappy Loman truly was with his own life. That was his hamartia; that is what lead him to suicide.

This play offers up so much in such simple words. Miller truly does speak to the common man, to the Willy Loman in all of us. This is truly one of the darkest, most depressing plays I've ever read. Why? Because it's the one I can most easily relate to. Medea-Mythological creature from ancient time and place. Romeo and Juliet? Don't even get me started. Hamlet? That whiny little rich boy? Nope. Loman's are everyman and if you haven't read it, I definitely recommend you do.

Both Clurman and Fields' works can be found in Drama Criticism, Volume 1

Tips on Tanning & Skincare

2009-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

At one time I was a sales rep for a lotion company, and picked up a few tips I thought I'd pass along here. Check back in a couple weeks if you are laying flooring, 'cuz I sold that, too =) I know what you're thinking, I'm amazing, please hold all applause till the end.

1.) Apply a powder bronzer on the neck to create a shadow effect. Awesome allusion slimming feature. see number three for additional slimming tips

2.) If you are going for a spray tan, don't eat broccoli the night before. Some of the vitamins in the broccoli can turn your skin orange-y (weird I know, but it's the truth.)

3.) Caffeine based lotions when tanning usually sell as "slimming". This doesn't mean you are shedding pounds in the tanning bed. Caffeine boosts circulation and temporarily tightens the skin. For true slimming, take a bike ride.

4.) If you use a lotion with a bronzer in it, like the new ones you can buy at Walmart, and are struck with the orange glow or streaking, taking a bath with 1 cup of milk. It tones down the color. (I know, again, WEIRD, but it works.)

5.) Mineral oil. YUCK. Gasoline by-product. Clogs pores. Creates a barrier on the skin so other, more nourishing ingredients can't get thru (IE that greasy feeling you get when applying lotion? Prolly cuz it's got mineral oil in it and the rest is sitting on top of your skin!)

6.) In conjuction w/ number five-The ingredient listed first is what there is the most of in the lotion. IE if mineral oil is first, aloe vera 15th, but the big sticker on front sales "NOW WITH ALOE VERA" you should get a towel because you were hosed.

7.) The more hydrated your skin is, the better it keeps a tan. That's also why they tell you to exfoliate. Not only will you not streak with lotion, you will maintain a longer tan. Emu oil (yup. The stuff from the birds) actually penetrates the deepest so find a lotion with that in it.

8.) Emu oil also cures scars and stretch marks. Don't believe me? Google it. Oh wait. I did it for you.

9.) Lotions with silicone (IE-Designer Skin's Enamor) are my fav. Silicone creates a lock so to speak. This has the opposite effect of the mineral oil, as it locks the good stuff in. You can totally tell the difference, as your skin feels immediately smooth but not greasy.

10.) When applying lotion with bronzers, do it in circular motions, not up and down. That up and down is why you are streaking. Try it. I'm telling ya.

Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter

2009-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Oh....My....Gosh....

I just got my Entertainment Weekly, and there it is. Alice In Wonderland. March 5 2010. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. How freaking cool is that? Alice in Wonderland has to be one of my favorite "kiddie into adult" obsessions, and Johnny Depp has definitely been there from childhood on as well. From Cry Baby to Edward Scissorhands, What's Eating Gilbert Grape to Capt Jack Sparrow, and now John Dillinger to the Mad Hatter, Depp's always been able to dangle on the edge of fantasy and reel it back in to give stellar performances as the "normal" guy. It's amazing the number of movies this man has been in and the range he displays. I don't care what anyone says, hands down best actor of our generation.

My Top 5 Fav Johnny Depp Movies:

5.)Pirates of the Caribbean - All of them. They get a little darker each time, and the movies themselves lose my fan fav as they go along, but Depp's performance in all are outstanding.

4.)Finding Neverland - Again, another of my greatest loves from childhood, Peter Pan. The movie wasn't at all what I expected, but I was assuredly not disappointed.

3.)Don Juan Demarco - One of the first movies I saw him in so it has to stand as a fav

2.)Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Depp's playing an amazing writer, alongside another amazing actor, Benicio del Toro, for an amazing ride. What a long strange trip it's been.

1.)What's Eating Gilbert Grape - I still remember the first time I saw this movie. Juliette Lewis says to him something about Beauty fading and We all get old and it's what's on the Inside that counts. I remember watching that and it clicking-didn't really matter how hard you try to look good, there will always be someone skinnier or prettier out there. And that was ok. But it was what's on the inside that counts. And Johnny Depp totally fell for her so I should work on my inside. Keep in mind, I was 11 when this movie came out. It seemed pretty prolific at the time, given the fact I was in junior high, a time when self doubt and critique is at an all time high. I think that movie really set the pace for the way I would think as time went on. Because if she felt that way, and she was able to get Johnny Depp's character, I'd surely find my own somewhere down the line =)

Mad Ramble's In the Attic OR My Dabble in Metafiction

2009-07-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

A bit of dust, a dash of mothballs, and a hint of memory lane. Something from the past. Please be forewarned: If you are trying to take any bit of knowledge of anything other than what a clown I was (ok who am I kidding...Still am....) step away. If you have no sense of humor, click your back button and go back to Twitter and find someone else to tweet. And if you are my dad, well...I apologize for anything I am about to incriminate myself with here in the next few lines.

Part I Teen Angst

This first bit has been edited for content, and I have to say, I crack up reading it as I have no idea who half the people I refer to are. Including the "hottest guy I've ever seen." Really. Absolutely no recollection. Eh. I was 15.

Dec 1 1997.
Life in the Fast Lane. Last year that was the story of my life. The more things change, the more they stay the same, obviously. Me and Boy Wonder¹ broke up a week ago. Effed² if I cared. I hate school. I like this guy, but I think he thinks I want to flat out go out with him, like the Junior High s***. I wanna date him. I wanna date a lot of people. One of them, Batman³ has a girlfriend and goes to Gotham City⁴ He wants to go out with me this weekend. The other is this HOTTIE (the hottest guy I've ever seen!!) and he has a girlfriend. When I say date, I mean like, go out, have fun, no worries. No one seems to want that. Superman (that's the guy's name, he's in my driver's ed class) is from Smallville⁵ and is cool as eff. Hi sgirlfriend is pretty but, eff, so am I. I no longer have such low self-esteem 26 year old Ramble's note: No, 15 year old Ramble, obviously that wasn't an issue. No longer do I crave the sympathy trips. Eff all I crave is excitement. And some new blood ok, 26 year old interjecting once more. For the record, I write a LOT about vampires now, I realize that, it's the craze....but for the record, I meant new blood figuratively. I'm not goth and never was. Nothing wrong with that, just wanted the reader to have a clear visual It's only December and I'm already sick of school hard core again.I'm effed too cause I haven't been doing s*** on my homework. Eff, why does Metropolis⁶ have to be so damn boring? I need guys from other schools that's all there is to it!!!
December 16 1997
What's the point of doing home work when you're damned to flunk the class because of stupid teachers. Eff it. Ten years from now, I'll be somewhere besides that crummy little school of Metropolis High. yes, somewhere far far away, like down the street 2 1/2 years left. Yuck. 5 days till Christmas break. Watched Con Air tonite. Great movie.

Footnotes 1 Obviously his name wasn't Boy Wonder, but you prolly already figured that one out. Right? 2 "Effed" wasn't popular when I was in high school. Apparently, the traditional version was. I used it quite a bit. Got that one, too, didn't ya? Apparently over-dramatization was my thing, too. "Life in the Fast Lane" really? I don't know who I was kidding. 3-6 Yeah. I'm a comic book geek. Wanna fight? I'll eff you up.

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The Reality: He's Just Not That Into You

2009-07-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Very rarely do I watch a movie before reading the book. To most, that's the criminal, as the movie's usually fall incredibly short of the book's impact,or so far off base it's merely an echo of the novel. Of course, I gotta be different. Personally, I think I'm a bigger fan of Twilight because I read the books first. Otherwise, the movie would have come off as mere teen angst. Instead, it was a shining reflection of something much deeper that lay 'twixt the pages of Stephenie's work of genius. But I digress....

....For the first time in a long time I watched a movie before I read the book. Yes, I know, I am a perfect candidate to read He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. Shockingly, no I haven't read it. I will tell you though,
I started the movie with so much head nodding I had to pop some Aleve when it was over. I love fiction as much as the next, but who doesn't love that feeling of attachment you have the the protagonist? That "Everyman" (or woman) vibe...It's you, it's your sister, it's your friend, it's your coworker. Refreshing. And so true. I'm a big fan of realism in my romantic-comedies. I know, that's not what they're made for, but it's unexpected. They should do it more often. I totally felt promise,

We are all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you.

This came at the beginning of the movie, with the little girl being told by the boy she likes (circa age 5) that she smells like dog poo. (Who HASN'T been there right? Well, Ok no one ever told me I smelled like dog poo, but I remember in 3rd grade being asked by a boy why I killed my hair. Mom thought it was a good idea to get a perm (it wasn't) and when I went home and cried, my mom's response was the same as Gigi's: he's mean to you...because he likes you. Yes! We are programmed at a very young age to allow this abuse!!! This is followed by a montage of girlfriends rapping over guys, girl A filling the others in with some sad excuse the guy gives her, while girl (s) B-Z come up with ever excuse under the sun for his excuse, insisting to friend A that said guy will call. We globe trot a bit in this scene, from here to Asia to Africa:

I'm sure he just forgot your hut number! Or was eaten by a lion!

From this point on, the grown up girl narrator Gigi (dog poo girl) begins to create a nervous friction in me. Biting my nails and Ramblings in my head: Is she really thinking of showing up there just because he said he hangs out there? Nothing like looking desperate. No, don't call him AGAIN. Oh, oh no, reading waaaay to far into that. Oh, no, he invited you to the party, not to get married! However, it was real. I've seen girls act like that. Reality. Love it. Of course, I've never acted like that or anything. Of course. ahem.

And then, after throwing herself at the guy who'd taught her everything she knew about being "just not that into" her, she says it....

I may dissect each little thing and put myself out there so much but at least that means that I still care. Oh! You've think you won because women are expendable to you. You may not get hurt or make an ass of yourself that way but you don't fall in love that way either. You have not won. You're alone. I may do a lot of stupid shit but I'm still a lot closer to love than you are

And that's when it all came back to that warm fuzzy you-know-this-is turning around. Which, I can't lie, maybe I'm too much LIKE Alex, I hate. I was really hoping for more of a "realistic" ending. Nope. Of course her little "speech" worked, made him realize that he's really THAT into her, and starts to take on her obsessive behavior trying to win her back. And he does. Of course.

Ah, but not to be entirely disappointed (I am such a cynic, I know) Janine and Ben don't have the happy ending. And, Ben doesn't get to have his cake and eat it to, as Anna leaves him. He didn't want to be married, but wasn't man enough to tell her when she gave him the ultimatum (Yeah, who really wants to get married that way anyway??) that he wasn't ready, so enter Anna, the hot chick at the grocery store that has that "this is what I'm missing out on" allure. So the affair begins, and ends after he blurts it out to Janine in the middle of Home Depot that he slept with someone else. Instead of leaving him, she tried to "surprise" him at the office with a little afternoon delight. Little does she know Anna's shoved in the closet and gets to listen to her boyfriend screw his wife. That Jerk! So, she leaves him. For good. Wifey sticks around till she has that "snap" moment finding a pack of cigarettes (She KNEW he was smoking. Because that was the worst thing he was doing...right) And that was the straw that broke the camel(and the mirror's) back. Never missing an OCD beat, she neatly folds every towel, washcloth and sock, matches every shoe with it's mate, and lines it all up for him with a carton of smokes on top with a simple note "I WANT A DIVORCE" Now THAT was reality. The movie was had come full circle and I was in full head-nodding agreement once more as Gigi narrated more truth:

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.

Aw. Maybe I hadn't given Gigi enough credit. Maybe I was seeing too much of myself in her, and when she got the happy ending felt cheated, because, thus far that hasn't been my truth. Mine's not quite Janine's either, but it's my own. And I agree with Gigi completely that the happy ending doesn't always include a guy....I was thrilled that a movie could end with a positive spin on that thought for once. Closing in on 30 in a few short years, and turning into Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses, it's very refreshing for a character like Janine and even Anna to come out headstrong and on top, while Ben doesn't get either and merely looks like a slimeball in the end. Sorry Ben, they just weren't that into you.

Top 5 Reasons Sookie's Cooler than Bella

2009-07-14T19:07:00.001-07:00

Ok....So I got to thinking, that's not entirely fair. Without further adieu, here's Sookie's moment
***Warning: If you only watch True Blood and haven't read all the books, this may be considered a spoiler. However, with the creative liberty the writers of the show take, I could be way off =) ***

True Blood and True Blood Pictures

1.)She's got a tan...And she works for it!

True Blood and True Blood Pictures

2.) Part Fairy

3.) Her vamps are men, not teenagers.

True Blood news and True Blood Pictures

4.)She doesn't have to hide her man's a vamp.

True Blood

5.)She went to bed with a real TIGER.

Top 5 Reasons Bella's Cooler Than Sookie

2009-07-14T17:44:00.001-07:00

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

1.) She actually turns into a vampire (Sookie's fate -TBD)

2.) She COULD date a human, and not have to listen to his thoughts since she's not telepathic (but who'd wanna do that anyway, right?)

pimp myspace

3.) No messy fang marks to hide.

4.) She can hang with Edward during the day and he doesn't start to fry (Poor Bill!)

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

5.) Her man GLITTERS.

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

Twilight Movies Fan Site - TwilightMovies.org is your ultimate resource for information about Twilight the Movie and the actors. We are a great resource for Twilight memorabilia and information.

Will There Be Anyone Left in LOST?

2009-07-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

This week's Entertainment Weekly reports that Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus) predicts that LOST the future of the show in this statement to EW "I don't think LOST will have a happy ending. I think we are going to start seeing more casualties. I would put money on major characters being killed. I believe it will be a sad ending to the show-or at least bittersweet. I think it will definitely be a season finale for grown-ups," I personally never expected LOST to have a touchy-feel good ending. However, I didn't expect to see major characters go down the way Emerson is predicting. I do feel that they can't end the show the way Jack's character and crew are pushing for: Blowing up the island w/ the hydrogen bomb so that they never crash the plane. C'mon, if it ends that way, the last scene being flash back to 2004 with everyone on Flight 815 landing safely in LA after successfully blowing up the island in 1977 (ish?) there will be backlash from the fans. And the writers know that so I really don't think it's going to have that happy ending. No more than I think it's going to end with it all being Hurley's psychotic play in his head. But rather than major loss in characters, I expected the players to come full circle in their individual quests for redemption. While most of the characters that have found theirs have died, it seemed that with Kate and Jack, Sawyer and Juliet, Jin and Sun there may be something found in the pairing that would keep them from biting the bullet. The season finale mixed with rumors of Elizabeth Mitchell starring in her own show fuels speculation that Juliet will be the "major character" to die, but with a show like Lost, we are always left guessing if they who die really die. Or those who rise from the dead, as in Locke's case, really live? Locke, as we are to believe, has been reincarnated to convince Ben to kill Jacob. There was another major character (albeit a "silent unseen" character until his debut and death) that met the end.

So who is going to be left standing in Lost, if Emerson's predictions are correct? I can't see EVERYONE kicking the bucket just as I can't see EVERYONE landing in LA on that big ole' jet airliner Flight 815. So let's assume Juliet is dead and Jacob is dead. My prediction for next to go would be Sayid, as he seems to be kinda nuts now since working for Ben, being betrayed by Ben, jumping back in time and trying to kill young Ben and failing, he seems to have nothing left to live for. Then again, if Juliet is really dead, where does that leave (gulp) Sawyer? I really hate to bring him into this, as most of you know, I'm a Skater. (Sawyer and Kate as apposed to a Jater, Jack and Kate fan) And I am a huge fan of Sawyer and how far he's come in this show. However, I think he's gotten a little too soft for me this last season, so if Juliet did die, either the softie in him will win and he will become just plain pathetic and possibly meet his demise in a state of weakness, OR he will go the exact opposite, go back to the old Sawyer, and get real vengeful on everyone's @** till he does something stupid and rash and gets offed. My vote is to see him in the Season Finale with some beautiful chick from the Midwest that writes blogs about....I digress.
Moving along. Jack- Well, I know he is the leader, the "Shepard" but I'm really indifferent. I don't know what it is about Jack but he's annoys me. I think it's because I feel like if Charlie from Party of Five grew up to be a Dr. and his parent's hadn't have died and he didn't have all those brothers and sisters and his name was Jack instead...Yeah...It's like the situations are different but the characters are too similar for me to really dig Jack. Christian, however, I can't wait to see how that is summed up.

Hurley could be an "easy-off" as I like to term it. It's my blog I'll use my own verbiage. He seems to have disappeared into the background somewhat over teh last season or two, but is still a fan fav (much like Charlie, sniff...sniff...still miss you!) so it would get the sentimental shock value. I don't think Sun and Jin could be (it's Lost, I know, anything is possible) because I think we are working too hard on this story to get them back to the same time and why they are in different time periods anyway? But wouldn't that be a real killer, we wait for them to get in the same time dimension and after all that agonizing over if it's going to happen, one of
'em dies?

Kate, to me, is very up in the air. Her character, as it stands, could go either way, with Jack or with Sawyer, dependent on what really happens to Juliet. With Juliet out of the picture, with the obvious tension between Kate and Sawyer turn to something more? Will get back together with Jack? Or go back to her renegade con girl ways? To me, she has the most "options" of which way her story will go, so she seems the strongest candidate to see the show thru to the finish line. Which means....Nothing because Lost is known for it's curveballs.

Live together die alone, either way there are so many unanswered questions still out there, so many possibilities of the fate of each character, and undoubtedly a thrilling final season to come. Can't wait!!

Angels&Demons&Darwin Oh my!

2009-06-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Angels and Demons or The Darwin Conspiracy

I know there was a ton of media surrounding the release of Angels and Demons. That is usually enought to send me in search of entertainment elsewhere. I did, however, venture to read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown as historical fiction is one of, if not my very favorite genre. It didn't let me down; I felt Langdon's excitement while reading through the archives of the Vatican (hey, I'm a dork, nothing gets me quite as excited as dusty old papers) I was captivated along with Langdon as we were trying to solve the puzzle before the time ran out and....yup Ewan Mcgregor ends up the bad guy. Ok, I haven't SEEN the movie, but something about the previews was enough to give this away to me the whole time I was reading the book. And that's just from reading the book, I can't imagine the disappointment seeing it. Did anyone else, or is this just me, totally get that from the previews? It didn't make the book any less enjoyable, but since the movies undoubtedly always lack some of the magic the book offers, and the previews seemed to give the movie away, what's the point of watching??

After I finished this book I wanted something along those same lines...some history woven in with the fabricated storylines. I was on my way out after a frenzied stop at Barnes and Noble
-side note, by frenized I mean this: Have you ever seen a crowd of women at a shoe sale, or the day after Thanksgiving in line for the must-have-toy-of-the-season, that crazed, possessed look they take on? That's kinda me around books-stores, sales, what have you. If you see me in Barnes and Noble, it's probably safest to stay back 50 feet)
-I digress...On my way out with my two big bags I pass the "last chance" bins I'd missed on my way in. I had intended on a historical fiction, as I stated earlier, but Charlaine Harris' latest book had come out, I found a few other things I'd been meaning to check out, etc. So lying out to the side was this book called The Darwin Consiracy by John Darnton. Something in the wording "based on exhaustive research" piqued my interest. I started immediately. The first few pages, which aways determine to me how long it's going to take to finish a book and how engaged I will be in that process (alas, I have several I have started that I haven't finished, but dear reader, it is my life goal to finish everything I start) The first few pages were rocky, at best. Granted, I had very limited knowledge of Darwin. Ok, by very limited I mean next to nothing. I am not a huge fan of science. However, Angels and Demons had that theme of Religion and Science running over and over, so it had somewhat aroused a bit of interest.

Birds? This guys on this island measuring bird beaks? Really? What did I get here? It was a rough start. I sat the book down for several days. i had all but moved on with my life, ready to conquer the next book, when I had this nagging suspicion I had given up to easy. I went back and forced myself thru the first chapter or so, when I realized that there was a great story blossoming. Jumping between the present historian, the journals of Liza, Darwin's daughter, and Darwin's experience on the Beagle, a historical mystery unfolds. Not since The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova had I been so delighted at the outcome. The story weaves around, back and forth, and comes together at the end leaving the reader, or at least myself, satisfied. It's like a little "thank you" for hanging in on those first few rough pages.

Perhaps it's because of all the HYPE surrounding Angels and Demons, perhaps its that I knew how it was going to end before I started reading it, perhaps it was something in the unknown world of Darwin that got me, but for my money, The Darwin Conspiracy wins hands down.

5000 Year Leap by Skousen-Drifting Away from the Constitution and the Founders Dreams

2009-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have read my previous blogs related to Glenn Beck's Project 912, I've briefly mentioned the book The 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen, which is a book Beck's recommended several times. I finally got the book and dove right in. One of the things that first struck me was in the introduction. The "student" mentions that Skousen passed away in 2006. This book, even in it's newest edition, was before the collapse of Wall Street, the days of bail-outs and pork, and prior to the historic election. I mention this because this book isn't about left wing or right wing agendas. It isn't bashing what's going on in the political scene today, because the author was gone before the walls came tumbling down. This isn't a book for Republicans or Democrats. It's a book for Americans. It goes over the 28 Principles the nation was founded on, with background information, direct quotes, and an unbiased modern-day description of what these principles mean, both yesterday and today.

In reading just the first chapter, I was struck by how dead-on the founder's predictions of the possible-future were. I say "possible" because, unlike some people, I don't believe the United States was doomed to fail. I don't believe that the principles the country were founded on could only hold for so long. I believe if we stuck closer to the Constitution and the origins of this nation, we'd be in a better place today. Again, this book was written before the major issues we've experienced in the past few months. Yet, here's something I found fitting for today: "..the Founders warned against a number of temptations which might lure subsequent generations to abandon their freedoms and their rights by subjecting themselves to strong federal administration operating on the collectivist Left. They warned against the 'welfare state' where the governent endeavors to take care of everyone from the cradle to the grave. Jefferson wrote: 'If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy'" (Skousen, 29)

Hmm...Sound like anything going on in our country now? How bout this: "They warned against confiscatory taxation and deficit spending. Jefferson said it was immoral for one generation to pass on the results of its extravagance in the form of debts to the next generation. He wrote: '...we shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay them ourselves; and consequently within what may be deemed the period of a generation, or the life (expectancy) of the majority'" (Skousen, 29)

Too bad that's not the case now. Blame Bush, blame Clinton, blame Reagan, blame it back as far as you wanna go, it is what it is now. How do we keep it from affecting the next generation as Jefferson said? April 15th-here we come!!

Here's another interesting tidbit from Sam Adams, on the point of communism and socialism: "The Utopian schemes of leveling (re-distribution of the wealth) and a community of goods (central ownership of the means of production nand distribution) are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown. (these ideas) are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional." (Skousen, 30 from The Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams by William V. Wells)

Amazing,within just a few pages how these 3 quotes hit the nail on the head with what's going on in our country today, the latter with what many feel is brewing. It's like one scenario leads into the next situation facing our nation. We were in a bad spot, we wanted change, we voted (not me personally, of course!) for that change, took the consequences that went with it, are now in the most troublesome of economic situations, and shifting towards what many believe is a communist state. Founding Fathers or Pyschics? You be the judge.

It's scarier and scarier everday, as the government seems to get in bed with big business everytime you look around. And the "schemes of leveling"...is it just me or does it seem as though capitalism has taken a backseat to equal oppportunity? The Founders talk a great deal about people giving up their individual freedoms in times of woe, (like now) to turn to a leader that will lean toward this "common good" approach (like now) to help level the playing field. I'm all for everyone being happy, don't get me wrong, but I think every American has the right to the PURSUIT of happiness, not that it should just be a God given right. Speaking of God, in my next blog, we'll get into the Founder's view on religion in contrast to the current un-PC world we live in today....

i <3 Luke Wilson OR My (kind of) Critical Approach to "Old School"

2009-03-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

One of my fav actors is Luke Wilson, 1/2 the duo of the Wilson Bros (wasn't there a Wilson sisters...oh wait, that was a band =) I remember watching Bottle Rockets in high school, when it first came out, after scouring the Family Video for a movie no one had ever heard of. Yes, I was that kid; a movie/music elitist-I wanted stuff no one had ever heard of, I was an anti-Dawson Creek pro-Clockwork Orange freak, and proud of it. I digress.
So I watch this movie and instantaneously fall in love with Luke Wilson. From there, my love blossomed. Enter early 20's (I'm not so anti-mainstream pro-indie as I once was, I realize it only matters what's GOOD, not what's arcane) and one of my favorite Luke movies: Old School. First of all, the movie's hilarious. Everytime I see it, I crave KFC and Will Ferrell. (does that make me sick?) I love how he plays the rejected bf of Juliette Lewis, b/c Juliette Lewis in and of herself is just strange to me-not someone I'd picture for the role, but perfect nonetheless. As the unwilling cohort to Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell's characters, Wilson represents the typical post-breakup male. He rehashes the good ole' times with his buddies till he eventually slips into his pre-relationship days of party boy (of course, I'm only assuming this as a.) movie starts with him in a relationship and b.) it's a movie, I'll make up whatever prequel I want.) Back into the days of drinking and debauchery, as I was saying, with his boys-although he takes it one step further than most post-breakup-early-to-mid-thirtysomethings: he becomes the Godfather. The Godfather of a fraternity of mostly fake students. I don't think most of us, male or female, take it that far but hey-I'm only 26-who's to say in that situation at that time of my life I wouldn't do the same thing in a sorority setting. I like his role in this movie because he is seen as the most level headed of all the guys, drawn to this only because he is lost without her, and at a loss of residence as well.
On quite the opposite end of the spectrum, there's my other fav Luke Wilson movie, Family Stone. This is a comedy of sorts, but much more serious than Old School. To his more straight laced character in the moreover comedy, in Family Stone he plays the free-spirited fun loving brother. (hmm...sounds more like every role HIS brother's ever played) I think this is my other fav because the roles are such polar opposite. In this, slacker boy with no apparent agenda ends up with the girl, (he always gets the girl, right? Paging Dr. Grey!) but in this movie Sarah Jessica Parker, said girl, plays a role we are more used to seeing Luke play-a bit uptight-afraid to be or put herself out there (Or let her "freak flag fly") I love the range in the 2 characters. Luke Wilson may not be up there with your Brad Pitt's and your Tom Hanks for width in roles they can play, but I think these two movies give him a bit of flexibility to show what range he has, and let his freak flag fly. Can't wait to see Henry Poole!

My Bloody Valentine 3d

2009-03-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

My step-mom isn't the conspiracy theorist in the household. However, she holds it's a conspiracy to get patrons to the movie-this new wave of 3D flicks. I'd disagree, but I am the epitome of sucker when it comes to 3D. I went to see Coraline, which, by nature is not a movie I'd get exciting about going to. The 3D effects were what roped me in. The last movie I'd be to before that was Twilight (duh!) and before that I can't even remember. Point being-I hate spending 20 bucks on 2 hours worth of entertainment. So yeah, the 3D does have that appeal that waiting for it to come out of video doesn't. I mean, unless you get one of those fancy 3D monitors, and then they'll be no reason to go to the theatre anymore. Unless of course it's for a Twilight movie.

About a month after Coraline, and about 5 or 6 months earlier than I'd normally go to the theatre again, I went to see My Bloody Valentine. I'm normally not a blood-guts-gore type of girl; my fav "horror" flick in Skeleton Key, and that probably falls closer to pyschological/thriller than horror. But, hey, it was 3D so I had to see what it was all about.

I love getting into the theatre, finding your seat amongst the other Buddy Holly look-alikes, and donning those ridiculous glasses, in case, just in case, a preview may be in 3D (note: Coraline-yes, previews in 3D. MBV-nada. Very disappointing.) When the movie started, there were a few simple, grab-your-attention 3D effects. And then it went down hill as far as effects go. There were may 2 other instances I can think of that they really played on the 3D, and other than that it fell short in that arena.

Aside from it's "WB hasbeens" cast, I did enjoy the eye candy provided thru the character of Tom Harringer, played by Jensen Ackles. Of course, he's included in the WB cast-from Supernatural to Smallville, and as far back as Dawson's Creek. I, not being a fan of anything on the WB or CW as it's now called apparently, had never seen him in anything before. Pleasantly surprised, I wish I could have said the same about the other Dawson Creek alum, Kerr Smith. Inside of a cop, I felt like he was an actor playing a cop. It seemed forced and awkward. Of course, again, not a fan of slasher movies,so maybe there are supposed to be like that? I hope so.

Bad acting aside, the movie was enjoyable. There were nice "light" scenes (IE the midget and her dog) plenty to look at on screen (Jensen sure can rock a pick-axe) and enough gore to last me till Quentin Tarantino's next flick. I haven't seen the original, so if anyone wants to add to this, feel free to comment.

What am I doing with Project 912?

2009-03-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

So I got all pumped after the We Surround them broadcast, and thought, hmm...What can I do between now and 9/12 to feel like I'm actually DOING something? I'm going to see Ron Paul next Friday, going to a Tea Party protest in Chicago in April, and both I'm totally excited about, but wanted to reach out to others and see what the movers-and-shakers of the world are doing. There are so many people fed up with the way things are, it wasn't hard to find those movers and shakers, with great sites with loads of information. I decided to join in the fun.

My take on Project 912 is starting out as a sort of "book club" as on the We Surround Them broadcast, the key was stressed "research before action". The first book we are reading is 5000 Year Leap by W . Cleon Skousen I plan on posting on here as well as the page, so feel free to check back on either as time goes on. I hope to engage some discussion, ideas, and maybe even some resolutions!

We The People

2009-03-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know if everyone got the opportunity to watch Glenn Beck's "We Surround Them" program or webcast on 3/13, but if not they are available on You Tube (that is a link to the first part)I recommend everyone watch this if possible. I am biased, yes, as Glenn Beck is my fav, but it goes deeper than that. I don't think many can say they are patriotic, and love this country, without getting misty eyed and motivated to do something for this country after watching.
I have ordered several of the books he's listed on his program, as well as started a new page for locals to gather (or anyone interested) to promote his 912 Project See previous link to find out more on the whole, and here for what I'm working on.

I'm starting out by reading-and lots-of the early founders stuff. Right now, I'm listening to Common Sense on I-Tunes, ordered 5,000 Year Leap by Miracle That Changed the World" W. Cleon Skousen as well as several bio's on our Founding Fathers. I hope to start a sort of dialogue on here, as well as on the Springfield Project 912

So please either friend me on the myspace page, add to your RSS feeds, or find me on Twitter And if you have your own off-shoot of Project 912 you are working on, or Tea Parties, or anything of interest, feel free to add a link here or the Myspace page.

Trifecta: Richard Alpert, Eloise Hawking, and Matthew Abbadon

2009-03-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

First off: These three characters creep me out the most. And have we ever seen them in the same place at the same time? I think Mrs. Hawking is Ellie from the Island, Faraday's mother, (and I also believe that she fathered Daniel with Widmore) so Alpert and her were on the island in the 50's together-so yes there if she is the same Ellie, but Abbadon is pretty choosy about who he's on screen with, no?

Names have always been chalked full of meaning in Lost-and with these three here's how I break it down. Richard Alpert became Ram Dass, a very spiritual man-his books speak of dharmic ways of living-and he doesn't adhere to one particular religion, much like the recurring religious themes on the show (while they lean towards Christianity, they can still be viewed as religions as a "whole" so to speak. Read: Be Here Now by Ram Dass) So he's the "good" so to speak. Matthew Abbadon is just scary. I get chills when that guy comes on. Abbadon means Satan so there's your "evil". Now for Mrs. Hawking-Stephen Hawking-Science-We've pulled in the shows major shifts from Season1 to now-from the recurring religious inclinations to redemption to all things pyschics. Also, she seems to be the most matter of fact, telling Desmond "everyone must die" (Cept Alpert apparently!!!)And, speaking of Alpert and my theory of good vs evil...She tells Ben upon hearing that Hurley is in jail and may not be able to return to the island, "God help us all".....Ok so it's a stretch but could these 3 be the head of the the three major themes in Lost? Good vs Evil, Nature vs Science? And where does Jacob tie in? And I'm wondering too if Abbadon is the Smoke Monster in some form? And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft." (Revelation 9:1-2)
"Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth; they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those of mankind who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads; they were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will fly from them." (Revelation 9:3-6)

Matthew, however, means gift from God. Gift from God and hell? Absolutely would tie in with Eko's death.....Richard Alpert's real life counter part's name changed to Ram Dass as mentioned above-which means servant to God.

So Eloise has made a return, we are told that Abaddon will be making a return, and are expanding on Alpert's character this season. I think the ties that bind will be greater than expected

The Night I Almost Became a Werewolf

2009-03-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

'k so I got a little obsessed with these books, you may have heard of them, called Twilight and, for any of you that have read the books, I'm sure you well know you can't much do anything other than read from first to last. When you aren't reading, you're thinking about reading. Or daydreaming about it. Remembering what it was like, the first time you fell in love, the first time you locked eyes, the first time you found out the smell of your blood was intoxicating to him....Well, er, maybe that last part isn't part of the first love experience (for most, I hope) but one of the addicting qualities is the story of first love. Timeless (Ok...technically her first love really IS timeless)Beyond that, I know there's a few of you out there, nudge, nudge, that wished they had a Vamp bf to call their own. And a few others preferred a furry creature.
I remember being so obsessed, at one point, that I went home after seeing the movie in the theater, and woke up in the middle of the night thrashing all about. I was dreaming that I was becoming a werewolf. k...Don't tell me you didn't have at least ONE of those dreams, right?
Anyway, eventually the book did end (sigh) as it does for all of us...Wrapped up with a neat little bow. But then comes the emptiness. PTS-or Post-Twilight-Syndrome, has been a growing concern for many, as Cullen fans look for something to fill that void left behind...Remember when Edward left, and the months that headed the chapters were blank chapters for, like, a minute? Yeah, that kind of pain. (Again, you Twilighters know what I'm sayin!)
So a good friend of mine (shout out to DJ!) snapped me out of the lonely days by introducing yet another series of Human-Vamp lovin'-
Sookie and Bill entered my life, and at first, it was rocky. Bill's no Edward, but Sookie's lighthearted southern voice kept me trucking along. And, before I knew it, I was back in the just-one-more-chapter-then-I-gotta-sleep froggy eyed stupor I had so missed those few weeks. And it got better-Eric came along. Then Quinn. And don't forget Sam. And then there's Bubba. But don't use his real name.

Sookie and Bella, though I've pitted them against eachother in the previous blog, are both dichotomies on the outside, but very similar on the inside. Sookie is the lower-middle-class Southern waitress-Belle who knows everyone in her small town (oh yeah, and she knew what I was going to write before I even got it typed up here!) whereas Bella's your typical cute-in-a-weird-way outsider forced to the inside new girl in town. While her economic status isn't quite as pronounced as Sookie's, she seems to be doing a bit better off, but again is just beginning to live with her dad when we are introduced. Both come off as very different, but if Bella had met Edward in her mid 20s, would the story have been similar (and of course, assuming Edward was in his mid to late 20s for this example) Edward, of course, could never be the jerk Bill was, but do you remember how mad you were about ten minutes into New Moon when Edward left? Alas, though the two worlds will never meet, I think Sookie and Bella would be BFF's.

Showdown: Sookie VS Bella

2009-03-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

So a vampire walks into a bar....

Alright no joking, let's say two fictional world's crossed paths, and Bella entered into the world of Bon Temps. Or Sookie into the world of Forks. Or they met somewhere in the middle (home team advantage?) And Edward and Eric happen to be there too. We'll throw Bill into this for good measure. Which chick do you think the vamps would pick (Oh...yeah...we're talking pre-Vamp Bella, too!) Of course, Edward seemed to be the only vamp that attracted to Bella in Twilight, but, Emmett and Jasper were pretty much shacked up with Rosalie and Alice, respectively. Both Bella and Sookie seem to have an undeniable gravitational pull for creatures of another kinda (Sam, Alcide, Jacob included BESIDES the vampires...) and the mere wafting of Bella's blood in the air of the lab sends Edward into panic mode. James seemed pretty bent on finding Bella, too, of course for more sinister reasons. And Sookie's got fairy blood running through her veins, so we know the Vamps want to eat her up *no pun intended*

So a few vamps walk into a bar; Eric the strapping Viking sheriff, Bill, the first love, Edward, the end-all-be-all love and stumble upon two regs (well, almost regs) Sookie's serving up Type 0 behind the scenes while Bella nervously fidgets with her lips, who's it going to be?

Personally, I'd like to see Jacob and Quinn walk in, well, saunter in-fully changed-and take off into the sunset with their ladies respectively.

What do you guys think? Do we want to see a happy ending for all? A smack down dragout-hair pulling cat-fight? Or are we going to see the stakes come out? (Hey, but Edward could take 'em during the day, he sparkles ya know)

25 DVDS from US to you England (wonder if they included a John Cleese for good measure?)

2009-03-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, did ya'll hear about this? Our president recieves a gift from England...A pen, made out of wood from the historic,HMS Resolute (hey, wasn't that in National Treasure II?) a symbol of our alliance over all these years. And We the People by way of our 50-day-and-off-and-running prez, give our allies.....A basket of DVDs. Wha? Yes, that's right. a basket of DVDs . That aren't compatible with DVD players in England. To make matters worse, the lady many have been comparing to Jackie O, gives the Mrs. a few Marine One models in a box. Sa-weet. (Meanwhile Jackie O spins in her grave) As I read Beck's article, linked above, I can't help the visual of Mrs BHO running around the White House scrambling for something to shove at Mrs. Brown Ya know the feeling, you forgot to get your friend something for Christmas, she's there, in your doorway, and you've got nothing. Panic mode sets in, sometimes you grab model helicopters, sometimes you don't. Hey, we've all been there.

Wait, Mrs. O has a severe distaste for England, or so some believe , so maybe it really is a snub. The sad part about all of this is that not only did the O's give them a box of DVDs that are, well, useless, and boxed models that are, well, useless, we gave another gift. We regifted. A bust of Winston Churchill went back to Big Ben when the copies of "Dude Where's My Car" and "Gigli" Nope. We don't want to put it in our museums or hold on to the keepsake. "Here ya go Mr. Brown. Thanks for that bust of one of you country's greatest figures you gave us back when terrorists attacked our nation on 9/11. Sorry, but it doesn't go with my framed copy of yours truly gracing Rolling Stone"
Ok kids, wake up. Yeah, rockstar-woohoo-change- There was a lot of hype with no meat behind his campaign geared towards the younger voters, and now we're left with a bunch of pork. I'm disappointed in my generation, I'm disappointed in the new foreign policy(blame it on being tired-and people said McCain was too old for this job! Give me a break.) And most of all, I'm disappointed for my grandfathers, many times back, who fought and died in the American Revolution, so we could have our freedoms, only to be the generation that watches it collapse upon itself. My closing hope on this subject: That the Wizard of Oz was included in this basket-The curtain comes back
3/13/09

Ramble Says to Sawyer: Please Don't Go!

2009-03-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ok one of my many loves in life is LOST, ABC Wednesdays at 8:00pm CST. In honor of having tomorrow night absolutely open as we are on another (sigh) break from the show till 3/18 I'm going to go off on a tirade about last week's episode. Sawyer and Kate-didn't like it. I predicted their future being a constant, "No I'm way badder than you, nu-uh I'm the baddest fool around" and that could just get annoying. She can stick with Jack and he can constantly play Saviour to her bad girl whims, that's fine. That said, I am totally for the Sawyer-Juliet union. (and did she look preggo to anyone else?!?) From the looks of it, Sawyer has done a drastic turn around over the last 3 years, from the time the flashes stopped until the O6's return to the Island. Of course, I believe we started seeing subtle changes in Sawyer over Season 4, then a bit more pronounced throughout this season, but now, with Juliet, he seems a completely different person.

I do miss the old Sawyer, and his quirky nicknames, (Tokyo Rose, Freckles, Baby Huey, Vh1 Has Been to name a few) and fall victim as many of us girls do to the disease commonly known as BBS. While being afflicted with Bad Boy Syndrome has been a problem in the past, as I grow older I learn to appreciate a good guy when he comes along, and I think Sawyer is going through those stages of growing up. This is not my problem with good Sawyer. My problem is the fear that Sawyer's change could be his demise.

One of the most prominent themes in Lost is Redemption. With out-and-out obvious inclinations, like Sawyer himself singing Redemption Song by Bob Marley (Exodus Part II), to many of the characters finding redemption while on the Island, (see Lostpedia for a full listing) it's obvious the writer's are striking at something here. Unfortunately, many of the characters end up striking out when finding their redemption. As you can tell by the list, 7 of the 17 listed are dead, Claire's on the lam this season, and several of the surviving character's are still fulfilling their Redemption (or destiny, or both?) I feel like Sawyer has redeemed himself in several ways throughout the course of the show, but this season, when he sees Kate in the time traveling sequence, delivering Claire's baby, there is little doubt he has fallen absolutely and completely for her. I grew teary eyed while watching. But she doesn't come back, and he falls for Juliet so it appears. So it goes.

Sawyer's major redeeming quality is that he falls in love with Kate, and is hurt that she has left him. Summing Sawyer's past record with women up, this would make a perfect video to Jo Dee Messina's Foolhearted-Man
Kate has left him vulnerable, open, and alone; 2 of 3 Sawyer hasn't been since he took the name and stopped being James Ford. And 3 for 3 he has left the women in his past, as shown in flashbacks, including the mother of his daughter. After time on the Island without her, it appears that he's settled with his pain and, apparently, gotten over Kate. (To Horace Goodspeed, "I can't even remember what she looks like. So is 3 years enough time to get over somebody? Yes" I'm paraphrasing of course)

Does that mean we've seen the last of Sawyer? Is he going to go the way of Charlie and Eko? Please, Damon and Carlton, say it ain't so! Tell me I have waaay too much time on my hands and am freaking out for no reason. I did hear, via Entertainment Weekly, we will find out what he whispered in Kate's ear on the 3/18 episode. Please don't let it be "I got a DUI", because with the exception of Jin (and whew, wasn't that a close one!) that is one non-redeeming way to get yourself killed off the Island.

Testing..Is this Thing On?

2009-03-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

The first blog at a new site is like the first day of Spring. You can't wait to get out in it, once your out in the midst you don't know what to do, you want to do it all and just can't seem to cram it all in before the sun goes down and you lose that feeling. Aw. Makes me think about love. And my TOP FIVE FAV Springtime/New Love Songs/Make Ya Go Awww
1.) Stars Go Blue-Ryan Adams
2.) Anyone Else but You-My fav is Michael Cera and Ellen Page on Juno soundtrack
3.) Tiny Dancer-Elton John (its my list I can put what I want on here)
4.) Dance Dance Dance-Steve Miller Band
5.) Something Like That- Tim McGraw

Well the sun sets on my spring day and work will come far too early I'm sure. Next time I'll pack a punch (or a 7-up) but it's night time for now =)