Michael Bay, take a chill pill...

Okay, I am going to fully admit that I should have written this last weekend, shortly after seeing the movie. My mind was whirring with blog thoughts as soon as I walked out of the theater. But, alas, here I am, a week later. So, here goes.

Before I say anything, I must defer to, reference, and worship two epic pieces of writing by critic Roger Ebert. Both refer to Transformers, so I'm not sending you off on a wild goose chase, and I highly recommend you take a moment to read. (You will laugh, I promise you).
His official review, and His more general blog about the film

Now, first off, I did not hate the second Transformers film the way Ebert did. Although, I don't think it's possible to hate it as much as he did. Overall, I thought it was fun, loud, probably a bit much but an overall "okay/pretty good" movie. I do recognize several points of Ebert's as highly valid - but I'll come back to this.

I've said this before with another movie, but I'm going to reiterate the point. Transformers is the kind of movie where you have to know what you're walking into. Don't expect more than you're going to get... this is an action film, designed around a TOY (Hasbro is listed with the production companies, for Pete's sake), with CGI Robots as many of the main characters, and a simple melodramatic plot to fill out the rest. It is full of action sequences, explosions, loud noises, and thumping music. This movie is not about PLOT or emotions. If you saw and liked the first Transformers film, you will probably enjoy this one as well. It will not be life-changing (and I would definitely say it's not as good as the first, which I really thought was fairly good), but overall, it was a pretty fun way to spend two and half hours.

One thing I highly admire is the increasingly accurate ability to give non-human, computerized characters a great deal of "realness." While this movie doesn't come close to, say, WALL-E, (which was incredible...) I do feel somewhat attached to characters like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, and even the little "dog" bot from this film. Additionally, I am of the opinion that Shia LaBeouf (whose name I always have difficulty spelling) is a gifted young actor with a long career ahead of him, and I have to say, is a guy whom I highly admire. I have a few pet peeves with Megan Fox in real life, but her character was just fine for a hot girl required to run around a lot and then look lusty.

So, I would say that this is a great FUN summer movie, which is clearly destined to make loads of money. If you want to see it, go for it! Don't let reviews like Ebert's scare you away. But make sure you're not holding any high (or even low) expectations for the film. Just go and enjoy the spectacle.

Now, to address a few of the points that Ebert makes, particularly in his more general blog post (this part may be more relevant if you've seen the movie already...) Michael Bay is a bit out of control. With the first film, at least he strung together the big action sequences with a fairly interesting plot. With this one, I'd say it was the other way around. Plot pieces were just thrown in there - some scenes, like Ebert says - could easily have come from another movie. However, I don't think this movie is the pinnacle of Hollywood's big overblown CGI phase. After all, just look at the trailer for 2012, a movie from Roland Emmerich, a man who is easily competing for the title of Hollywood's biggest computer-generated-pyromaniac... (Go on, take a look - I'll wait.)

Second, YES, this movie will make a LOT of money. I mean, it did $201 million in the first five days of release, a number that is only just shy of The Dark Knight (I'm still a bit peeved that a movie like Transformers could even come CLOSE to touching The Dark Knight, but oh well.) But, I'd like to point out that the movie likely (and with good reason) cost more than $200 to make.... so they're probably just starting to earn it back. Along that line, I was a bit stunned when watching the credits to see that the film had FOUR producers AND another FOUR executive producers (including Michael Bay himself and Steven Spielburg somewhere in that list). It's hard to believe how many people it took to fund this film. But, back to my point. This film will probably continue to keep making a lot of money. I mean, all the way to Harry Potter's release soon (wait for it - SQUEEEE!), it's one of the only big Blockbusters that will potentially reach a broad summer audience on the market right now. But, really, money doesn't tell you that much. After all, worse films (*cough*Spiderman3*cough*) have made oodles of cash.

Ebert discusses in detail the way this film "assaults the senses." In all honesty, this may be an age barrier. I found the booming sound effects and soundtrack to be exhilarating, to add to the adrenaline of the movie. Along these lines, I just want to address the structure of the film. YES, there are many action sequences, not just ONE climactic scene... And YES, it is awfully long. But, honestly, for me, it just kind of hit a plateau of action, keeping the level of excitement high, carrying you along to the end. I didn't notice time dragging at all, really.

So, this is becoming a ramble now and I will wrap it up. Yes, this movie is ACTION-PACKED (it may redefine that term). Yes, it is BIG and COMMERCIAL and BLOCKBUSTER-y. And, yes, critics are NOT going to like it. But, I saw it, liked it, and will probably see more Transformers flicks if (or should I say when?) they're released. I'm not going to say you "should" or "shouldn't" see this film, but it certainly started the big summer movie season off with a BANG.

Cheers. <3>

Summer Time and the Living Is NOT SO Easy

Can it be that this is my first blog post of the summer? That's hard to believe... especially because I've been off school now for exactly 19 full days. (Wow.) To say I have a lot to talk about would be a bit of an understatement. I'm a bit afraid of talking about anything that will feel like "old news" - but perhaps I'll get over that, write the entries that have been floating around in my head for weeks, and then move on to blogging more regularly. That is, after all, one of my goals this summer.

First, though, let me take a step back and do a little bit of maintenance here. This summer, I do not have a job or very many fixed plans. I have a few little things littering my time here and there (CU Orientation in July, Marie's wedding in August, etc)... but overall, I am FREE. My overall goal this summer is to rest, relax, recharge, to do the things I want to do, and beyond that, to be creative. Let me take that a bit at a time...

When I picture an ideal summer day, it involves sitting at our neighborhood pool with a cool drink and a good book. Classic, right? It involves me, a person who sleeps in until a reasonable hour, reads a lot, sees a great number of movies (in and out of theaters), exercises regularly, and floats through days - being productive where I need to be, and someone who is, overall, very happy.

This plan has hit a few snags. SNAG #1: The weather. It hasn't reached above 70 in the past few weeks here. The last two days, we have had INSANE torrential rain storms in the afternoons, with clouds the rest of the time. In short, sitting at the pool sounds a long way away. I know that as soon as hot weather hits, I'll be lusting after this cool weather once again, but right now it feels rather depressing. SNAG #2: [I need to preface this by saying that I am not complaining, merely stating the factual evidence of events.] My mother had a hip replacement surgery two days after I returned from LeakyCon. The recovery has been harder than expected and, most recently, I have been doing enough work for several people in this house... Myself (live my life), what my mom usually does around the house (namely clean), what my mom usually does for herself (like get dressed, shower), and what my dad should be contributing to helping with my mom (he's out of town). Needless to say, I'm a bit burned out. I do not want to complain - my mom needs help and I see no reason why I should not have to give it to her - but this is A LOT right now.

And so I find myself stuck in an odd limbo... What I'm waiting for, I don't quite know, but I feel like my summer has yet to begin. Maybe when my mom gets better, maybe when the weather improves, maybe when I get the first round of "tasks" done to begin the summer... Maybe then I'll settle in. But for now, honestly, life seems kind of blah.

I mean, I'm reading and watching movies - certainly. I'm enjoying my new camera, my photos and memories of LeakyCon, my graduation gifts, THE IPHONE I JUST FRIKKIN ORDERED. Life is by no means BAD... it just hasn't hit the high note I was expecting as soon as the chains of high school were lifted.

So, now that I've talked myself into this dark hole of what very nearly sounds like a bit of depression, let me back up and flip on the optimism switch. More importantly, let me do what I do well: make some goals, plan some ideas... And maybe, just maybe, I can still turn my blah summer into a fabulous one.

BOOKS: I'd love to read 52 books in 2009. A book a week sounds pretty darn impressive and with all this time this summer to skew the average, I bet I could do it. Going into the summer, I had read 14 books. Since getting back from Boston, I have turned that into 18. (For comparison, there have been 23 weeks so far, I think). Not too bad for little over two weeks. I'm currently making my way through all of Maureen Johnson's books - Right now I'm reading 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and then all I have left is Devilish. But, I have so much more I want to read, including (but not limited to):

- Seer, Wizard, and Hunt Quest by Lisa DeGroodt

- Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion by Jane Austen

- The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

- Dracula by Bram Stoker

- 1001 Arabian Nights

- The Illiad

- Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce;

And that's just what is literally sitting on my shelf right now.

MOVIES (and TV on DVD): I have a rather succinct and current list on my wall right now, and I'd like to make my way through it. Recently, I have crossed off four films from it: Happy-Go-Lucky (cute), Flashbacks of a Fool (very good and interesting - I highly recommend it), When Did You Last See Your Father? (sweet, well acted), and Elegy (sexy and thoughtful). Next up on the radar is the HBO Mini-Series John Adams. I've heard great things about it and my mom and I are really looking forward to it. I haven't had a chance to hit the theaters recently - I still want to see UP... but the next big film I'm counting down until is Johnny Depp's Public Enemies (July 1). I've already made my mom promise to be ready to see this one with me. :)

BLOG: I want to keep talking on here frequently. There are a lot of topics that I've been meaning to write about... Season Finales of some of my favorite TV shows and LeakyCon are at the forefront of this list. I'm having a bit of a hard time feeling like it's "too late" to write about these things, but I think I just need to get them down on *ahem* paper. Other than that, I'd like to keep talking about my life, quite simply, what I'm up to and what I'm thinking about. I'll probably keep reviewing movies, books, and even music. On top of this, if you don't already know, I'm writing a blog about the experience of starting college, a project which is sponsored by the CU Book Store. I'd love for you to follow along with this blog - you can find it here.

CREATIVE: Originally, I had several main ideas for how I would stay creatively busy this summer. The first was writing - aka blogging - as I just mentioned. I also would like to learn a bit about photography, especially now that I have a nice new camera which has an optional manual mode. I'd like to re-learn a bit of piano and maybe learn how to play basic guitar. On top of all this, I'd LOVE to finish a painting of Jack Sparrow that I started in freshman year. But that sounds like a lot... I'll have to see what I can actually accomplish.

OTHER: And on top of all that, I'll have some activities like Leaky - we start our reading of Order of the Phoenix on June 20 and I'm working with my friend Daniel to bring some new technological uses to the Lily and Stag Inn. I'll still be doing my Jane Austen book group - we're finishing Northanger Abbey this weekend by watching the BBC film. I'm going to try to be a bit more active socially in preparation for the fall... I hope to meet with some people who are going to CU next year (mainly people I've already "met" on Facebook) if they come to Boulder. I did mention exercise earlier - and I hope to get back into a routine. Right now, though, I can't quite get my self to just GO TO THE GYM. Again, maybe when it's sunny(?)

But right in front of my feet are a couple of exciting things... I'm going to see RENT in Denver this week with a friend from Leaky who happens to be in town. (OMG!! SQUEE!) I'm getting a brand new set of RAM and a new HD installed in my computer to boost up its speed and size. I'm getting my hair cut and straightened (EEK!) And that's all just this week.

... Well, I actually do feel in a better mood. I have a lot of time ahead of me, but I have even more activities to occupy that time. So, perhaps, if I stay the course, get a bit more focused, and let the sun shine in (even when it's cloudy), this summer will turn out just as fantastic as I imagined it would be.

So, I'll see you very soon, hopefully.

Cheers, <3

Lighthearded Misunderstandings

I wanted to take a momentary break from studying today (I'm home for a glorious five day weekend) to review a book I finished reading last weekend and greatly enjoyed. The book I'm thinking of is Northanger Abbey, one of Jane Austen's shorter, lighter, and lesser-known works. I decided to read it now - of all times - because it is the current topic of discussion in the Austen group I participate in every Sunday night. I'm sure my opinion of it will morph and change as we discuss it - in fact, I think it already has since the time of our first meeting - but I still wanted to share a few thoughts.

Since you probably don't know unless you've read it, Northanger Abbey tells the story of the young and innocent Catherine Morland who is invited to Bath by her family's friends, the Allens. In Bath, Catherine meets the Thorpe family - befriending the girl of her same age, Isabella. She also meets a young Mr. Henry Tilney, later befriending Tilney and his sister Eleanor. The plot heats up when General Tilney, Henry's father, invites Catherine to stay with them at their Abbey home - for a reason that causes much distress and confusion by the end of the novel. Because Catherine had been reading the type of Gothic romances that were oh-so common in Austen's era, she expects (but does not find) a dark and ancient home, full of fantastical mystery. The novel was one of the first Austen wrote, but also one of the last that was published after her death.

The character Catherine is a tricky one to interpret. She's not as easily likable as Elizabeth Bennet, nor easy to immediately dislike like Fanny Price, and still not as flawed as Emma. In many ways, her naivete was what really frustrated me - the same dramatic irony that led me to call the story's end three chapters end annoyed me beyond end when the story's heroine couldn't seem to understand what was going on. That said, being a simpleton is not the greatest fault and, overall, I liked the heroine and the story.

There were two particular passages in the novel that I just knew I had to share as soon as I read them. They're in so many ways the epitome of Austen - funny, witty, and full of voice and social commentary. Northanger Abbey has a much stronger authorial voice than the other novels - it's pervasive throughout almost the entire novel, compared to simple passages here and there like Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps this is because Austen was less practiced as an author and had not yet found her true style, or maybe it's just how she wanted to write this story, but because of the shortness and sweetness of the novel, it works.

Any-who, there is one passage when the reader learns that - gasp - Catherine enjoys reading novels. I'm not sure what it was that girls during this time were supposed to be reading, but it's clear that Austen didn't agree with the societal disdain for the type of writing she was endeavoring to create:

[Catherine and Isabella would] shut themselves up, to read novels together. Yes, novels; - for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances of which they are themselves adding - joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally takes up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! if the heroine of our novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the Reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy at their leisure and over every new novel to talk in threadbare strains of the trash with which the press now groans.

Now, at the risk of this turning into an English essay, I do want to talk about this passage! It's hard to explain why I'm so drawn to it, but reading these few sentences absolutely makes me grin. It's SO Austen. Her voice - though part of a story, wrapped up in a character - is so strong. You feel as if she's in the room with you, reading passages like these. You can hear her disdain for hypocritical authors dripping from each word. The power of writing like this - to come alive before you - is phenomenal... and all done in a time when women weren't even supposed to be writing at all!

One more, and then I promise I'll go back to my usual college chit-chat, my professions of Harry Potter love, and my blathering about movies. As the story progresses, we see the usual rituals that mark Austen's novels and bring her time period to life. The societal traditions, the "dos and do NOTs" of being proper, the balls, dances, and propriety. Northanger Abbey has a particularly interesting take on all this as Austen focuses her lens on Bath - a bit of a more public and social setting than the usual small villages of Meryfield or Highbury. At once of the dances, when Mr. Tilney and Miss Morland finally make it to dancing, Henry begins to compare dancing and marriage, exclaiming how very alike they are:

"We have entered into a contract of mutual agreeableness for the space of an evening, and all our agreeableness belong solely to each other for that time. Nobody can fasten themselves on the notice of one, without injuring the rights of the other. I consider a country-dance as an emblem of marriage. Fidelity and complaisance are the principal duties of both; and those men who do not chuse to dance or marry themselves, have no business with the partners or wives of their neighbours."
[...]
"Taken in that light certainly, their resemblance is not striking; but I think I could place them in such a view. - You will allow, that in both, man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal; that in both, it is an engagement between a man and woman, formed for the advantage of each; and that when once entered into, they belong exclusively to each other till the moment of its dissolution; that it is their duty, each to endeavor to give the other no cause for wishing that he or she had bestowed themselves elsewhere, and their best interest to keep their own imaginations from wandering towards the perfections of their neighbors, or fancying that they should have been better off with anyone else."

Okay, if talk of dancing and marriage made you cringe away from the entry, that's fine. In fact, you probably didn't even make it past the mention of Austen at the beginning, but I simply had to shout out to the world what a wonderful bit of writing this is. Did you notice that the second part of the quote is almost entirely ONE sentence? Seriously.

But what gets me most about this is the difference between this society and ours. Theirs, rules meant something. None of this "the government says we don't use torture, but lookie here, I guess we do" back-handedness. (Okay, there was some back-handedness in Austen's time, but it was different). There was a basic morality - something that could unite even things as dissimilar as dancing and marriage - that protected everyone from each other and kept the wheels on the bus going round and round.

I've often lamented this tradition of dance dying out - and I still think it's a phenomenal tradition, but more importantly, I like the base principle that kept this society together. Even young people - I believe Catherine is still a teen in this novel - is raised with a basic idea of what's right and wrong. I think this is fading from our society now; being mixed up by warring factions of religious, political, or ethnic beliefs. I think it's time we returned to a simpler time - yes, in many ways this rigidly governed society was simpler - when a dance could be compared to marriage, when people would have a "contract of mutual agreeableness" and be happy with each other for an evening.

Anyway, I found this a very interesting Austen novel - quite different from the other "high-profile" ones I've been reading so far. I'd best get back to studying - IB and AP tests begin in a little over a week, and I've got knowledge to cram into my brain. Cheers! <3

Technology-ology

<--Image borrowed from the Onion's website.

Back again to round out a few more thoughts on technology. I think I've done Twitter justice, but there are a few more thoughts I want to begin with there.

In regards to Ashton Kutcher (who won in a race with CNN on Twitter to see who would get to 1 million followers first) and his declarations that we are revolutionizing media - in addition to my own comments in my last post that Twitter and other social networks are becoming our sources of news, I want to comment and amend these thoughts.

In my own world view, there will always be journalism. We will always need a network of news agencies to get interviews, crack stories, report, investigate, film, photograph, and write about. Now, I think the purpose of the news agencies and manner with which they communicate with the mass population IS changing. These agencies will no longer be responsible for breaking the news - I think the rush to get the "true story" FIRST is long past. Twitter and Facebook and the internet in general continues to make this side of journalism obsolete. However, this can only extend so far. Journalists are the one who can get inside the true story - to score key interviews, photograph events, investigate deeper with a multitude of resources. Just because microwavable frozen dinners made it quick and easy to eat at home, that doesn't mean that chefs and restaurants went out of business. These are two sides of the same coin.

Okay, so, that said, I wanted to move on to a couple other social networks/technologies and just discuss them a bit more...

My latest toy has been a fun and slightly silly site called DailyBooth. (The picture on the left side of my blog page will take you to my DailyBooth account). Basically, Dailybooth is like twitter except instead of using 140 characters, you use photos. The idea is that you take photos of yourself with your webcam (or upload them from elsewhere) and thus show people little bits and pieces of your life. Part of what I find fun about this site is that it makes you more accustomed to cameras. Let me explain... while I've never been the kind of person who feels extremely awkward in front of cameras (or who can't smile in front of them - *cough*Dad*cough*), I still freeze up a bit when someone whips out a camera and say "Say cheese!" For the most part, at family gatherings and such, I'm usually the one holding the camera, so I have managed to avoid this in the past. But, what with a family wedding and, erm, COLLEGE coming up next year, I want to get over thus. Voila - DailyBooth.

As you can tell, I've linked my account to my blog for one (it lightens up the page a bit) - but if you click on the photo on the left, you'll see all the photos I've taken, their captions (which are really important to understanding random images), how to join DailyBooth if you're interested, where to comment on my photos (which you can do with text or a photo of your own). You only really need a webcam, but if you put in the patience, I think you could upload photos from a regular camera as well.

Next up, I want to talk about a site that you probably haven't heard about, but that I really think is very cool. It's called Sazze (and don't ask me how to pronounce it, cause I have no idea). Sazze, found here, is a website of Consumer reviews. Everyday people like you and me can sit down and do one of two things - review something you've bought and know something about; or read reviews of something you're considering buying. Now, the coolest part about it, in my opinion, is that it's not limited to just media, like Amazon, or to any other kind of product - it's a mix of EVERYTHING... technology, media, food, household items, clothes, makeup. You name it, you can either find a review or review it yourself. The site also has a community feature - with a chat and polls and such and this can be fun as well, but as for it's main use, I think it's very revolutionary, useful, and all around very cool. If you have a iPhone or smartphone of any type, Sazze also has a mobile version so you can look up reviews while you're in a store!

I have to, of course, mention Leaky in the course of all of this. But, I could never do it justice in such a short space, so I'll have to save it for another time and post. Let me just say that the Leaky Cauldron and the Leaky Lounge are some of the coolest places online.

Now, I don't know what planet you'd have to be living on, but perhaps you haven't heard of one of the coolest sites around right now, Hulu. Hulu, started by NBC and Fox, is a TV watching site. It streams videos with limited commercials, in high quality, and with an extremely user-friendly interface... and the best part is that it combines all your favorite channels in one (Well, except CBS and ABC, though that might change soon). You can go from watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) to 30 Rock (NBC) to 24 (FOX)... all within a few clicks. Plus, with the recent rumors of an iPhone/iTouch version of Hulu, this site is one to watch, and one to use regularly.

Hmm, what next? Let me tackle YouTube. I know, I know - everyone knows about that viral website, but aside from being able to watch babies chortle and squirrels acting weird, there's a lot more going on there than you might know. Starting (I think) with the VlogBrothers (John and Hank Green), YouTube grew into a community. Now, the number of people vlogging, discussing life, creating collab channels, and supporting each other is phenomenal! One of my favorite YouTube people right now is a guy by the name of Alex Day, aka Nerimon. Alex is participating in VEDA (Vlog Every Day April) and so has been putting up videos quite frequently. He has a light touch at conversation, is quite funny, and is also a brilliant songwriter and musician. (See here for an example). Imagine my surprise when I find out Alex is coming to LeakyCon? Turns out this community - made up of groups like the fiveawesomeguys, fiveawesomegirls, and such, not only overlaps with the vlogbrothers, but also with the HP fandom! Small technological world!

Now, the YouTube community has been a-buzz with what they're calling the "hulufication of YouTube." Basically, YouTube has a very difficult time supporting itself. It takes a lot of infrastructure to allow 25 million people to watch Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent (amazing, by the way), and, as John Green has been showing us, it's pretty difficult to sell Lucky Charms on YouTube (see here if you want to know what the heck I'm talking about). Well, basically, YouTube reorganized so that user-based content is only a fraction of the site. Honestly, in my humble, limited-user opinion... this isn't that big a deal. All these people who are worried about the "little guy" who made YouTube what it is being ignored? They can spare the worry. I, for one, will continue watching their videos.

Okay, this is getting long, but I have three more things to talk about. The first, and last obvious one, is Facebook. Now, Facebook is insanely popular, and equal parts awesome and annoying. It's become the source of a lot of disgruntlement (is that a word?) on the part of its users due to a recent redesign, which people are saying has made it extremely "stalker friendly." I, for one, still don't like it - I wish they'd bring the live feed back and get rid of all the Quizzes and such in the main feed, but I've kind of resigned myself to them not changing it. People are still using it, and will keep on doing so until something better and more popular comes along.

Second to last is the phenomenon of captioning photos, as seen on ICanHasCheezburger, Failblog, and others. These sites are HILARIOUS. Some of my favorites. I have RSS feed subscriptions to a lot of them - including also PunditKitchen, TotallyLooksLike, and Celebrity Captions. Basically, the main premise of these sites is to put funny captions on funny pictures. Things like this or this. I really recommend checking these sites regularly, because they keep me constantly laughing and never fail to lighten up my day.

Okay, last, this is not really a site, but a collection of sites. From someone's tweet recently (don't recall whose it was), I found this list... it's a list of the 99 Things You Should Have Already Seen On The Internet. Basically, it's a collection of really funny videos and links that have been highly viral. Some are weird, like the Numa Numa video, or the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment, but for whatever reason, they're all really popular. I haven't seen or known about everything on the list, but I've been going through it bit by bit. I recently came across one of the coolest things ever...

It's called George Lucas in Love and it is a professionally made short film that combines Star Wars and Shakespeare in Love. It's brilliant and just plain hilarious - I've seen it almost five times now and can't stop laughing at it. So, if you take one thing away from this crazy long encyclopedia of my favorite internet sites, it should be this video. I've embedded it below for easy viewing - so watch, and enjoy!




Well, that's it from me, for now. Last night my family watched The Day The Earth Stood Still (the recent remake) and I think I'll review it - probably tomorrow.

Cheers! <3

You say you want a revolution...

Well, you know we all wanna change the world. You tell me that it's evolution!

I'm here tonight with a blog that is neither up close and personal nor entertainment oriented... It's merely a few musings I've been meaning to put down on paper (so to speak). In truth, after a detour from homework which led to a bit of time on BlogTV with author Maureen Johnson (founder of the epic Blog Every Day April - see my earlier post), I was simply inspired to keep blogging!

Now, if my efforts to be a frequent blogger or the sidebar littered with social networks is any indication, I'm highly interested in technological (aka online) trends. I've participated in an online forum - The Leaky Lounge - for almost 2 years now, and I'm now on staff one of the sections of the site, in addition to being a moderator. I'm regularly on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, BlogTV and Ustream, here (Blogger), and most recently, also a fun little site called DailyBooth - in addition to my efforts with a start up company and Beta website called Sazze.com (it's a really cool site - you should check it out! ) I love finding out and keeping track of about trends like This Is Not Tom (is it really all John Green?!), all the crazy Nings, BEDA, FML.com, failblog... etc. It's such a cool part of our generation and our society.But let me backtrack. I don't have forever to rant about this tonight - this might just be part one - but I want to start with TWITTER.

Picture this: average family dinner, homemade meal (delicious, by the way, Mom), chatter about "how was your day" and "did you hear what Obama did," etc - stereotypical, if you will. Now add in a full out description of Twitter, tweets, followers, time lines, hashtag searches... the full works. This was my family's dinner tonight.

In case you don't know what twitter is, well, you're silly. I'm not about to explain - you should just go find out. Or, better yet, go set up an account and get addicted with the rest of us. Twitter is social networking at the max. It's random strangers following each other (or better yet, celebrities) in their attempts to make 140 characters of text worthwhile and interesting (or mundane, inane, frustrating... choose an adjective).

So, you might have caught a key word in that last paragraph... celebrity. In my opinion, this is one of the absolute coolest parts of Twitter. Sure, hearing little bits and pieces about your friends' days is fun (and, no, it's not all "X is going to the bathroom" as some people seem to think)... but that's not exactly, well, what's the word? - Revolutionary. No, to me, the really fantastic part of Twitter is being able to hear and see bits of lives from people like Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Stephen Fry and John Cleese, John Mayer and Hugh Jackman, Tom Felton and Matt Lewis, Greg Grunburg and Brea Grant... I could go on and on. Pick a reason - gossip, curiosity, getting back at the paparazzi, feeling special - whichever. Hearing 140 characters at a time, seeing "twitpic" photos, being linked to videos and articles, all from people that are supposedly "out of reach" and famous is just plain cool.

Now, for my next argument in favor of Twitter (not that I'm particularly arguing with anyone - although if you want to disagree with me, feel free to speak up in the comments!), I wanted to first share with you something that Ashton Kutcher recently posted:

My dad always said that "I'll believe it when I hear it from the horse's mouth." Twitter is the horse's mouth. No more "well, the news said..."

Did you know that the story about the plane landing in the Hudson river broke on Twitter? That the first photograph came not from a news network, but from someone on the scene, posting from their iPhone? Did you know that Demi Moore recently saved a woman's life when she posted about a seemingly suicidal comment the woman made and thousands of her followers responded? Did you know that the Amazon-Fail story is powered by Twitter? (If you don't know what I'm talking about with this last one, look it up - it's stupid and ridiculous!)

Twitter is the new CNN and the new nightly news. Sure, newspapers are failing and companies are busy figuring out how to boost online news reading, but what they aren't realizing is that it's not how they do it, it's the simple fact that they're being replaced. We are evolving to the next level of news-getting... of society itself, I'd even venture. We are achieving (and have achieved already) a new type of global community, including an ongoing global dialogue, in which people can talk instantly around the world. Of course, this is a basic part of the Internet as a whole and as such, this is a fact of life that is now generally accepted. But, with the invent of Facebook statuses and then, now, Twitter, this is happening in a live and constant way as it never has before.

So, still doubt me? I could go on... But, it's really best if you try it yourself to see what I'm talking about. You may be left rolling on the floor in laughter at Stephen Colbert's inane comments like "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Just make sure to stab with an upward motion;" or you might be amazed by the upclose photos from the set of Heroes, provided by makeup artist "WendyLynMakeup." Whatever puts a smile on you're face, well, frankly, you're sure to find on Twitter... 140 characters at a time.

Choosing Ralphie

Nothing is official until blogged - isn't that the mantra of the technological age? Well, let's make this nice and official, then...

I have officially chosen to attend CU this fall. It won out most directly over Ithaca College, but in the long run, also over Colorado College. I'm not going to go into the why of the decision, but I'd be happy to explain to any curious individual.

Just to get the details out of the way, I will be in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Film Studies (more specifically, hoping to get a BFA in film production, with a narrative concentration) along with a minor in literature. I will be participating in the Honors Program, more specifically, the Kittredge Honors Program (the honors RAP), so I will be living in Arnett Hall. I will also be a Norlin Scholar (which won out over the President's Leadership Class). Oh, and finally, I hope to study abroad at some point.

So, there's my upcoming four years in a nutshell, but in a greater sense of the term, this all boils down to one thing for me right now: excitement. I am absolutely bounce-in-my-chair excited for college. Sure, it has something to do with finishing off the 27-odd days left of school, and maybe it also relates to the 43 mere days until Boston and all the LeakyCon madness, but in general, I am really looking forward to college.

I can't wait for the freedom. I'm feel ecstatic at the thought of not being confined to a concrete building with no windows from 7:30 AM until 2 (or 3) PM every day. I know I've been even more trapped at Fairview - particularly this year - due to my lack of un coche, but more than that, I'm sick of the regularity, the monotony, the similarity of every day. I can't wait to have a schedule I can choose, to have classes at sane hours of the day (which does not include getting up anytime before the sun is high in the sky), and to have variety - some classes M-W-F, some T-Th; some discussion based, other lecture style... all that.

I can't wait for the change! While at first I was terrified of leaving home and being on my own, the comfort of staying in the Boulder has allowed me to feel intrigued at the thought of dorm life, of managing a budget, of managing my own meals and schedule. I'm looking forward to the change of pace, to the opportunity to grow, to feel like a grown-up, to be living my own life (in that cheesy Teen chick flick film kind of way).

This is definitely nerdy (hooh-hah... Nerdfighters!) but I can't wait for the classes. I'm so excited to leave the days of "World History in two semesters" behind, and enter the realm of "Society and Culture Under the Roman Empire" and "Good and Evil in Film." On this note, of course, I can't wait to explore my major, the subjects that really interest me, and to be able to choose my classes in more detail. CU's class catalog reads like a phone book, so I'm sure I'll have more classes than I can ever partake in to chose from.

So, this is reading like one of those teenage-girl-discovers-self-and-prepares-to-enter-real-world novels... but as I've been shopping (and re-shopping) for CU sweatshirts, selecting a date for orientation, taking placement tests... and seeing this all take shape, I finally understand why everyone would always say they were looking forward to college. This may be the late realization of a house-bound only child, but this is starting to look like more than a scary experience to deal with; and instead, a bountiful adventure ready to be undertaken.

I'm sure when I'm knee-deep in textbooks for my first round of finals, hearing these words parroted back will make me feel stupid, but as I head toward a MAJOR new chapter of my life, I have to take a moment to say... wow. I've come so far from the days of dreading Outdoor Ed and lounging on couches at Horizons. I've moved past the shock of 2,000 people in one high school. I'm leapt beyond the fear of leaving home, of being on my own, of not knowing what the future would bring when I stood on the stage at graduation (or at least, did so metaphorically).

So, maybe you've enjoyed this rambling and sporatic bolding, and maybe this wasn't a coherent or purposeful blog or review (remind me to tell you about Life of Pi!), but consider this a journal entry, a time stamp, a piece of a time capsule: I'm roughly 40 days and one SUPER summer away from something big...

And I couldn't be happier or more excited about it.

Now, bring me that horizon. :)
... Oh, and some scholarship money would be nice too.

BLOG EVERY DAY APRIL, sort of.

(It's true! And I really can't resist starting blogs with a photo.)

Well, I sure haven't been blogging a lot. With only 3 posts in March, 1 tenth of the total month's days, I certainly can no longer say that I "regularly" keep a blog, as I often do, but I mean to change that. You see, I find it particularly easy to rant and ramble on here after I have watched a film of sorts - something that leaves me with a lot of thoughts and opinions. But when it comes to the chance to opine on a variety of other subjects (REAL LIFE, for example), I often don't make time to come in and record my very own two cents for view on the world wide web.

Recently, nerdfighter-associated author Maureen Johnson started a project that's floating through the blogosphere like a wildfire: Blog Every Day April (BEDA). She came to the realization (much like myself) that she had not, in fact, been a regular blogger, and she had the desire to change this. Many people are following suite, with the hopes of recording their own two cents for view on the world wide web every day of April's 30. Some brave and visual individuals are doing their own take on the project, Vlog Every Day April (VEDA).

Now, this is the kind of project that makes my fingers itch to start typing, my brain racing with sentences, and my to do list filled with homework to feel mundane and ANNOYING. But, alas, with a to do list that grows longer constantly (despite the fact that I've checked a half a dozen things off today alone) and a schedule that's filling up more and more... not to mention a handful of SCARY AP and IB tests that are looming over me, alas... I am fully aware that I cannot participate in this fun. Once again I find myself in the position of DYING to participate in something (NaNoWriMo, Hooter, Project for Awesome) but not being able to due to its timing. (Hell, if NaNoWriMo were in June, I'd have 50,000 words in a heartbeat... but in Novemember, I have finals to study for, a holiday to relax over, and I invariably get a tiny chicken in my brain at some point).

It's not that I strictly COULDN'T blog every day in April. I could. I could promise to try, and do pretty well, but I know better for myself. It's not smart to create another thing I feel like I HAVE to do at this point in time. So, I'm starting my own variation... BALA. Aka, Blog A Lot April. I want to Blog A Lot in April. I'm not going to even try to make a promise to do it every day, but since I really appreciate the general ENERGY, EFFORT, and IDEA behind BEDA, I want to participate in some way. Blogging is like keeping a public journal. It's a nice way to relax, unwind, take a break from studying, and get rid of Brain Crack (Ideas that stick in your brain but that you never act on). So, this is my announcement - not promise, commitment, or goal, but announcement - that I HOPE to blog a lot this month.

We'll see how it goes.

Time goes by...

I've been singing the beginning of Madonna's song "Hang Up" all night long... "Time goes by, so slowly... time goes by, so slowly." I guess it's just been on my mind today, what with having my schedule thrown off at school because of CSAP testing at school these two weeks, having a relaxing weekend (aka lots of time on my hands), and of course, having that mysterious and unfathomable force, Daylight Savings Time, throwing everything off today.

Time's one of those things... one of those topics that you could easily spend hours contemplating, thinking through, and attempting to figure out, (kinda like what happens after death or the Stock Market). It's a silly concept really - little numbers that add up to other numbers, that add up to our days, our weeks, our years... that add up to all our moments spent on Earth - yet it's amazing how much it governs our lives. I've always been fascinated by how arbitrary it is... how not-rigid it is, when we make it seem all-powerful.

Have you ever had a moment where it feels like time must be wrong, must be some how befuddled? For example, I typically get home from school at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and feel like my day is over, like it's already the evening. But on weekend, that's usually the time my day is truly beginning, when I've gotten through sleeping in, eating breakfast, reading, or messing around online, puttering around the house... and finally sit down to do homework or scholarships or something productive. How can those be the same times?

The same feeling - the thought that one moment that is mathematically the same as the day before could feel so radically different - occurs everwhere. How is it that a morning of block classes feels like ages, while I can sit through a 2 or 3 hour movie and still not want it to end?

And how is it that an idea that turned into a governmental decision, which in turn was passed into law, causes us to jump up one morning (or evening,if you think ahead), and suddenly change this concept of time, the time-space contiuum, the all-powerful force that we have created to govern our days? How is it that 8pm can suddenly be 9pm, that we can just lose an hour - lose a bit of time - then and there?

Well, this is turning into quite the philosophical waxing, but I find time really odd... I mean, it's like looking at English grammar or the metric system. (Why the heck through ever be prounounced throo? Why are there 5280 feet in a mile?) Why do some months have 30 days, some have 31, and that silly random February is stuck there with 28 - wait, wait - sometimes, 29? It's just weird.

And so I know many of you woke up today bemoaning the lost hour - I was one of you last night, watching my reasonable 11:15pm bedtime turn into past-midnight with the click of a clock button. But this evening when the sun was in full swing at 6:45pm, when I wasn't eating dinner with the moon beaming through the window, well, that was kind of cool.

Although, come to think of it, I'm not looking forward to getting up in the dark tomorrow. It was just getting light at 6:30 in the morning. Ah, well... That's time for you, always changing its mind.


P.S. Though I usually hate the spring side of DST, just for the record, it was pretty darn easy to just flip the hour up one on the clocks, rather than having to go all the way through the cycle to go back an hour. =P

Jai Ho! Cheers for Oscar 81!

I'm going to join in the chorus of voices clamoring to discuss last night's Oscar Ceremony not because I have anything particularly original to say, but because, for myself, I want to remember last night in the years to come.

I firmly believe last night's Oscars were the best I had ever seen. Now, I can't speak to the first, oh, approximately 70 years of ceremonies, but I've been watching for a few years now, and nothing even compares. I'll break it down, but overall, bravo!

Overall, this was a particularly exciting year for me because I had seen so many of the nominated films - I had seen all of the Best Picture noms, most of the acting nominees, a great deal of the technical categories' films, one of the documentaries, and even some of the short and animate short films. So, not only could I root for the films I liked, I could do so with conviction and my own personal opinions backing it up.

92,000! The Ceremony Itself:
Some Oscar Ceremonies have just not worked. Take, for example, the year when they thought they'd try moving some of the awards around - putting some of the smaller categories back in the audience, and so forth. That didn't work. Some years have been simply blah... They drag on, go way over the 3 1/2 hour marker, or just don't stand out in particular. Some years have had outstanding moments - Will Ferrel and Jack Black singing the "You're Boring" song particularly stays in my head... but I don't think I've ever seen a year like this one, where everything just worked.

Let me start with the stage, the set, the host - the basics of the show. Few stages will stay in my mind - from the Oscars, or any other show, for that matter - like this one. Check out the design art:I could see some crazy internet Blogger banging away on their keyboard right now, screaming overdone! boring! too glitzy! But, you know what, they're wrong. The 92,000 Swarovski crystals employed to glisten away all night long were absolutely stunning. The patterned floor which changed lighting with the lights hung above was beautiful. The inspiring ideas of moving the orchestra out of the pit, and sticking the audience up nice and close was brilliant.

And then there was Hugh. At first, I admit, I was slightly disappointed to hear there wouldn't be a funny man ala Jon Stewart, Billy Crystal hosting the Oscars. All the shows I can remember have had comedians (Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal x2, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Jon Stewart x2), so when I heard Sexiest Man Alive/ Wolverine/Cowboy Hugh Jackman was hosting, there was a "huh?" moment. But, he redeemed himself fully, proved himself completely, and wowed totally last night.

It was refreshing not to have some man (or woman) in a tux scrambling out from backstage to crack jokes at every scene change; it was great to not have to worry if you were supposed to laugh or feel bad for the victim of a not-so-great joke; and it was great to have someone who was really an entertainer, not a comic, as a host.

Now, scrolling back through my twitter timeline shows quite a few people of my acquaintance not so thrilled with the night's musical numbers - which numbered two total on the part of Hugh Jackman, assisted by Anne Hathaway, then later Beyonce, Amanda Seyfried/ Dominic Cooper, and Vanessa Hudgens/Zac Efron. Now, sure, these were a bit flamboyant as far as Oscar acts go, but may I respectfully point out that, well, we're talking about frikkin Hollywood!?! And, Jackman is right - the musical is back, and it's darn well very entertaining! I thought both numbers were great.

Fa-fa-fa-fassssshion!
Okay, I gotta do it, I gotta talk about those gorgeous leading ladies. The fashion this year was very interesting... and I have to say, I was most impressed by some of Hollywood's younger stars, more than the older ones. Take a look:
(Fyi, that's Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet )
I couldn't find or photos of all my favorites - Slumdog's Freida Pinto, Anne Hathaway, and Jennifer Aniston also made my list - but for the most part, I was very much in awe this year. One thing that struck me was that everyone dressed in character - Kate was elegant, she looks like an actress from the 30s; Angelina Jolie was black and brooding, with that gorgeous jewelry; Amy Adams stood out with a statement; and Sarah Jessica Parker, Miley Cyrus, and Vanessa Hudgens (who I'm not crazy about) were either blah or ick. (I'm sorry, Miley, but your dress looked like it was a barnacle scraped off the bottom of a boat. Also, why were you at the Oscars?)

And the Oscar goes to...
Okay, the awards themselves. First of all, let me go back to the ceremony again - the format of the awards.
1. I loved the way the acting awards were presented, with five previous winners talking directly to the nominees. It was so personal, so touching, and just flat out sweet. I hope they keep this up next year.
2. The Oscars themself "told a story." Yes, we were taunted by that quote a few days before the ceremony, but I see what they mean... The presentation of the awards in the order of making a movie was brilliant. It made the whole show flow very nicely, and it was interesting to this young soon-to-be film student!
3. The presenters were great. Except for Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig, which was an odd pair, I really liked the presenters. Tina Fey and Steve Martin were hilarious ("Oh, Steve, they don't want to hear about the secret religion which we made up."); Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston were cute together; and Natalie Portman and Joaquin Pheonix - I mean Ben Stiller were mean, yes, but very funny. As for the solo acts, let me just say that Will Smith rocks.
4. They didn't play people off! For once, they didn't rudely music people off the stage, interrupting one of the biggest moments of their lives. I'm pretty sure only one pair/person got music-ed off, and I can live with that.

Okay, and now for the actual awards. While I know Oscar predictions are no longer interesting after the fact, can I just say that I did pretty darn well predicting who would win? I was so pleased to see Slumdog do so well (if you haven't see that film, shame on you!)... and I was very glad for all the acting categores - Heath's family's speech definitely made me tear up, and I was happy Sean Penn beat out Mickey Rourke. Also, while it was a bit sad that only 3 songs were nominated (they cut it down from five), I thought they did a great job with the Slumdog songs, even thought it was a bit weird to throw the Wall-E one right in the middle.

So there you have it, my blow by blow. I've probably ranted on it long enough, so, in short, I thought it was great. Can't wait for next year! =P

Reading between the lines

Okay, no image on today's blog because it's too darn hard to find. It's been a few days now since I saw the film I'm about to talk about, but hopefully I'll still be able to get my point across.

The last movie of Winter Break ended up being The Reader, a lesser known film starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. I first heard about it because it's generating some Oscar buzz for Kate, and then the trailer for it was shown in one of the films we saw earlier - probably Milk or Frost/Nixon.

I thought The Reader was an incredible, beautiful film. It's a bit hard to describe - one of those 'go see it if it sounds good to you'-type movies. Basically, it's about a teenage boy who has an affair with a woman, who then (a bit later) disappears. (During the affair, he reads to her a lot - hence the title). Years later, he finds her again, but it's in a courtroom and she's a convicted SS guard, being held for war crimes (as I understood it). The story movies into his later life, and hers, and follows their respective stories.

It's basically a look at post-WW2 in Germany, and it reminded me a great deal of the Dutch novel we read for IB English last year, The Assault, by Harry Mulisch. (True, different country, but similar theme). Incidentally, The Reader is based on a book as well.

The time after the war was a horrible time in Germany, it seems to me. Everyone was faced with the question of guilt. Am I guilty? Even if I just went along with everything for my own self-protection, am I guilty? Who can I blame? In the Assault, there's a phrase at one point: "Was everyone both guilty and not guilty? Was guilt innocent and innocence guilty?" This pretty well summarizes The Reader.

See, it's clear that the woman (Hannah, I believe her name was) did horrible things to Jewish prisoners. But early on, she's painted as a good person - she's kind, and the main character, Michael, really loves her. She took a job as a guard for the SS because she needed a job... so is she a guilty person of the horrible things she did? Or is she a victim or circumstance?

During the trial, one of Michael's fellow law students begins asking questions as to the fairness of trying Hannah and the five other guards she was convicted with. If these women were convicted, he argued, they were just being made into scapegoats. If not, however, they were letting crimes go unpunished.

I'd very much like to see the film again to see what else I could get out of it. It raised many questions about the value of justice and the law, the true meaning of guilt and innocence, and the nature of the post-WW2 recovery for citizens involved. I'd also like to read the book that this was adapted from, mainly because it was a bit hard to follow Hannah's motivations in the movie, and I wonder if the book reveals more.

Well, I'm sure I had more to say about this film originally, but it's escaped me now, so I'd best move on with my evening.

Peering Back and Gazing Forward:

2008 -> 2009

Okay, so yesterday, I made a few resolutions. I laid down the rules for the upcoming 2009... But I wanted to take a moment to look back at 2008 before it's faded completely into the background. 2008 was an odd year, I admit. It seemed like a lot of work and overall quite tumultuous. I just want to highlight some of the parts that stand out most in my mind.

My Year in Review:

~ My aunt was still living with us in January, and my dad was out of town for the New Year. Family life was a bit crazy on and off for the entire year.
~ In January the writer's strike started. Shortly after, the Golden Globes were canceled, most TV shows went off the air, and several movies were delayed. This felt fairly chaotic as it's usually a rather routine part of life.
~ Heath Ledger died in January, which struck me as an extremely tragic event. Every time I see him on screen now - I recently saw A Knight's Tale and The Dark Knight - I feel saddened that this young man didn't have more time to live up to his extreme potential.
~ February through May are vague in my mind; a period of insane over-working and a huge burden of school work, ACT and SAT prep, and attempting to find a summer job.
~ In March, I get my driver's license. I still remember the first time we needed to pick up dinner but mom was busy, and I was so excited to say "I'll go do it!"
~ In May my cousin died in a motorcycle accident, throwing that part of my family into hell.
~ June through August went quickly as I babysat like mad, worked at Boulder County Aging Services, and tried to avoid the big c word (college!).
~ In June, my aunt bought an apartment, moved out from our home, and moved in there.
~ In June and July, we (finally) bought new furniture and a new TV for our family room. We get HD quality TV with a ton of channels, including a free upgrade of HBO. My head practically explodes with excitement, and with not having to deal with our crappy furniture.
[Note that it's just about a year until I move out for good. XD]
~ In July, I went to Chicago for J Camp, which was a very good experience.
~ August marked the beginning of the Beijing Olympics, which were stunning and occupied most of my attention over their duration. Michael Phelps was phenomenal, the American gymnasts rocked, and the opening and closing ceremonies were scarily impressive.
~ In August, I did Link training, then arrived at school early (despite all their fears that they'd have to delay the start because the school wasn't finished) for the freshman orientation day.
~ August 15, I officially started school as a senior, sitting in the senior lounge and walking on the senior balcony. Hell yeah!
~ August 31: I turn 17. Holy moly.
~ September through December, I worked. Really, that's about all I remember.
~ November 4, we make history. Obama is elected. 'Nuff said.
~ Mom and I went away together! Squee! In mid-November, we travelled to NYC, saw everything (including Daniel Radcliffe, woot!), saw Bard (didn't like it), saw Ithaca (did like it). It was a blast! Easily one of my favorite parts of the year.
~ November and December were a mad rush to get ready for Christmas and finals. I had three secret santas plus a Christmas card exchange to take care of - Leaky made my Christmas awesome! - then studied like mad for a week solid, managing to avoid getting sick until the day after finals ended.
~ Christmas hit, and was totally awesome. I got the collector's Beedle the Bard, a lovely ring from my parents, a personalized recipe box, the mug I've been wanting, jewelry, books, clothes.... Wonderful holiday.
~ Then New Year's and here we are!
Oh, and somewhere in there, the stock market crashed and the economy went to pieces.

Wow, when I list it all off like that, there actually was a lot that happened last year. Now, other than things I want to change, there are many parts of 2009 that I look forward to, have hopes for, and sincerely hope for success in. Let me take a moment to gaze forward into the coming year.

Looking Ahead:

~ Obama: January 21, baby, that's when it all starts.
~ Oscars: I'm excited! I've actually seen a lot of the probably nominees this year!
~ College: Blah. Yeah. Covered that already. I've gotta decide some time though.
~ LeakyCon: It's so very annoying that it's on the same weekend as graduation, but I thought, I soul searched, and I'm going to be there. It just means so much to me.
~ HBP: Okay, now we're getting way ahead of ourselves, but they delayed the movie (and pissed us off), and now we can start counting down again. July's where the magic happens!

That's all I know, really. After the summer ends, my life is a big blank mystery. So, *raises a virtual, non-alchoholic glass* Here's to a year that's full of new beginnings!

Worth a Million Dollars. Or Rupees.

Okay, I'm finally going to talk about Slumdog Millionaire. While it's true that the initial shine and glory of walking stunned and amazed out of the theater has worn off since Saturday, I still have a few thoughts about it.

Thought #1: Wow.

Yeah, that's it, really. It's an incredible film. Not only was it filmed on location in India, a feat in and of itself, but it seemed to capture some essential feeling of India... Even thought it was made by a non-Indian director - He's British, actually... I believe.

While I'm on the director - Whose name is Danny Boyle, I wanted to point out something I observed.

Thought #2: This guy is obsessed with millions of dollars.

I recognized his name from another film, which stayed with me for some reason: Millions. Millions was a small, generally un-noticed film about a young boy who found a great deal of money, and had to figure out what to do with it. It was also a beautiful, really sweet film... But I wonder what it is about millions of $ for this man Boyle. He seems transfixed about the effect winning or getting such an amount of money would have on a human. It's an interesting topic, I'll grant you that.

Okay, back to Slumdog. Really briefly, it's the tale of a boy (Jamal) and his brother (Salim) who are orphaned. Along the way, they meet a girl named Latika, who Jamal takes a liking to, in that really cute little kid kind of way. Chaos insues, and the boys are separated from Latika. The rest of the film is basically about Jamal fighting all the odds to get back to Latika. However, there's a catch, of sorts... It's not a linear story. The entire film also centers around Jamal being a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. As each question comes up, it relates somehow to his life, and we learn a bit more about his story.

Now, it sounds simple - or maybe complicated - but what you can't get from a summary is that it's done beautifully. Everything ties together smoothly, flows completely congruently, and just basically combines to create a work of art. What really struck me, though. It's a really complicated way of telling a story, yet it came off quite naturally.

Thought #3: It doesn't take much.

We don't learn about Jamal's entire life, yet we feel like we do. Each question that is asked reveals a piece of his story, yet by the end, I feel like I traveled with Jamal along his entire life's journey.

Okay, final comment. As you can maybe tell by the poster, one of the movie's main ideas or themes is the idea of Destiny: "It is written."

Thought #4: Destiny rocks.

It's such a nice touch to make a movie seem as if it could have only happened one way. There are no alternate-scenarios, no "what-ifs"... That's how real life is. Life happens one way. You can't double back or second guess, and neither could a viewer of this film. Even the hard parts of the film - some of the more violent scenes - are acceptable because that's just how it is. It's how it is in India, and it's what the character would have faced had this been a real story. It isn't glossed over or made prettier than it actual is, which would have taken away some of the film's beauty and authenticity.

So there you have it. It's an amazing film and I truly and heartily recommend it. I hope it wins all sorts of awards, because I think it deserves it.

Do we take it all for granted?

Why thank you. Yes, that is a new look I'm sporting. Fetching, isn't it?

I was going to save today's blog for a movie review, but as we aren't seeing anything until later, I think I'll save that for tomorrow.

I'm here to talk about technology. I was inspired by a recent YouTube video recommended to me by a Leaky friend. Check it out first, then I'll lay some thoughts down.



Now, this man has some excellent points. We do take a lot for granted these days. Are we too cavalier about technology? Or is my generation simply used to it? Is it okay that we're used to it?

A lot of questions to ask I know. Let me just share a quick story. This afternoon, I was writing a chapter summary for Leaky (my online bookclub) in Firefox. One thing led to another, I accidentally hit the back button and - boom - all my work done just as I had finished. Rightly so, I suppose, I was quite angry. Frustrated. Throwing things. You know, mad moment.

But in retrospect, should I be? I mean, I was typing something, online, to be used in an online bookclub, in which I communicate with hundreds of people from all around the world, all while sitting at my desk.

Whoa.

That's amazing. Just to be doing all that is quite phenomenal. So, should I be angry when the technology that allows all this to happen doesn't work quite right?

Now, I know that guy up in that YouTube video has a good point, and maybe we shouldn't take technology for granted quite so much. However, it is something that is in our lives to stay, and we're used to it, so maybe we do have the right to be frustrated when it doesn't work.

After all, back in the days of rotary telephones, as Mr. What's-his-name up there was saying... if they had malfunctioned, people probably would've been frustrated. Would they have been thinking of the miracle that is a telephone call anyway? I don't think so.

I think it's human nature to become accustomed to the technology that surrounds us, to revel in it, and take it for granted. Sure, we shouldn't waste too much belly-aching over it, but I don't entirely think we should be blown away every time a light comes on. After all, we've had electricity for a long time now!

What do you think? Do we take it all for granted? Or do we accept it as a part of our daily lives, as we well should?

Sign-offs, Peace Outs, and other Un-Salutations

Well, what other fancy name for "goodbyes" is there? They're un-salutations... as in, I'm not saluting you, I'm walking away from you.

Anyway, I've noticed lately that these are very popular and very iconic. Some of my friends (or at least acquaintances) will regularly say "Peace" or "Peace Out" or simply "Later" instead of something spontaneous like "Goodbye," or "See you later."

And on blogs this is common too. Over at the Krug Blog, who I admit I admire for writing regularly, Cass always signs out with "May the Force Be With You" (and there's a story behind it).

So do I need a sign out? A farewell-bidder to anyone or everyone who's reading, or even to myself for closure as I end a blog?

Not a bad idea. Let's see... I hate one word responses... "peace" is a noun, not a replacement for Goodbye. Star Wars has been referenced... is there anything from Pirates? Ah, yes. There we go.

Drink up me hearties. Till tomorrow.

Christmas TV Specials, non rant edition

Okay, I'm not even going to get into a rant about the ridiculous numbers of Christmas movies, specials, concerts, events, and series that start to abide on all TV stations during this time of year.

Nope, not gonna go there.

Instead, I'm just going to focus on the silliness of holiday-themed episodes of current TV series. What I mean here is when you tune into Lipstick Jungle or Life or Psych and you find it's a 'special Thanksgiving (or Christmas or fill-in-other-holiday-here) edition.'

Don't get me wrong, I've seen it done really well. Who can forget the Friends Thanksgiving episodes? As memorable as the rest of the series (or perhaps more so), these celebrations of the current holiday were an homage to the characters and to the wackiness of a holiday itself.

Even more recently, Grey's Anatomy did a great Thanksgiving episode a few seasons back. I still remember the hilariousness of trying to dress the turkey, surgeon style... "Gloves, scalpel, baster..."

But it's a little weird this year. Sure, Life did a good black Friday episode, but it came a week or two early. Lipstick Jungle's Thanksgiving episode was a week in advance, even though the show itself was on the day after Thanksgiving. What happened to scheduling here?

So, as much as I love seeing my favorite TV characters sit down to carve the turkey or open presents, I think ABC, NBC, and corporate networks alike have forgotten the point. These episodes should be used only if they're useful as a plot device. If having a holiday shows something about a character's past, a character's neurosis, or another plot line that's important in the overall show. Just throwing it out there is a little annoying.

Plus, what's with all the Christmas stuff coming so early? Stephen Colbert's Christmas special was hilarious, but why was it on November 23? What about the Psych episode, the weekend after Thanksgiving?

Come on, it's enough that we have to see Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations go up in Michaels in August... At least check your calendars once in a while.

A Few Words of Wisdom

Okay, yeah, not so much with the "every day" concept, but I'm still working on it. (Who knows what this will be like once school is actually in session again, right?) Anyway, on that note, tonight's blog has a few words of wisdom, though not my own - of course.

I've just begun sinking into Merlin's Dragon by Boulder author and my personal favorite writer T.A. Barron. This latest book is set between his Lost Years of Merlin series and the Great Tree of Avalon books. Of course, it's shaping up to be quite a wonderful read.

Basically, at the beginning of each chapter, there are a few lines of, well, thoughts. I haven't figured out exactly whose thoughts they are - but they seem to be coming from the main character, a dragon/lizard/unknown creature named Basil. I've been continually astounded by the wisdom and quotable-ness these few lines seem to contain. So, I've decided to share a few of my favorites with you. My favorites so far that is. I'm only about 100 pages into the book. Here we go...

Chapter 6:
I learned something valuable that day - a lesson I've never forgotten. It's worth listening well to what you hear. No matter how bizarre the story ... or how bizarre the storyteller.

Chapter 9:
Change. What a paradox! The more you do it, the more you don't. The farther you seek it, the nearer you find it. The less it's in your world, the more it's in you.

Chapter 10:
Wisdom, like those who possess it, comes in all shapes and sizes. That much I've learned, often the hard way. yet despite all their differences, truly wise people share this same understanding:
No matter how much you know, you still have a lot to learn.

So there you have it, a few pearls of wisdom... inklings of thoughts... gems to ponder. T.A. Barron sure knows how to string words together!

Blog Goal, Day One.

Whew, long time no see! Life got pretty crazy there for a while... but I have a new resolution. I want to try blogging at least once a day, every day. If I miss a couple here and there, that will be fine, but other than that, I'd like to see if I could do it. I think it'd be a good writing exercise, a good way to express myself and to get some thoughts out there, and a good way to unwind and relax. It will be fun.

I'm sure it will be on any topic... I've been meaning to write about Twilight, Quantum for Solace, 24... plus other, non-movie topics like Jane Austen, and Facebook.

See, I have ideas! It shouldn't be that hard. Here we go then.... This is my goal, to post a blog every day, and I hope I can keep to it.

I guess it's a New Year's Resolution come early.

See you tomorrow!

Musings with a purpose

Right, so, slight change of pace today... I actually have to write something. As in required. Responsibility. Grown-up stuff. Scary, right? Anyway, I was invited into this program called @15. It's just getting started, so don't expect to find much information on it, but it's a program sponsored by Best Buy (as in the big corporate conglomerate) and it's aim is to give teenagers a voice... in the world, in politics, all that. Anyway, as part of it, I have a chance to go to part of the DNC. I'm not sure how much of it, but at least a reception with some cool "big-shot" type people.

Rob, the guy who I've been talking to, asked me to write a blog. 

I am writing to see if you could lend your hand (and strong writing skills) in writing up a short “blog” type post on why you are excited for the Democratic Convention? The @15 web site will be launching pretty soon in its test stage, and we are looking to populate the blog section with some real teen-created content. Honestly, if you would prefer to write about an issue you are interested instead that is totally fine, but I thought that it might be easier to put down some thoughts on why you’re excited for the convention to come to Denver, and why you’re excited to be a part of it. This can be a few sentences or a few paragraphs (probably close to a paragraph is optimal) – the important thing is that it’s your thoughts.

Yup, that's my assignment. I know! ... not even officially back to school and I'm using the dreaded a-word. I said I'd try to get him something this weekend ... but I thought I'd put my thoughts up here and get a blog post and this done in one. Two birds with one stone, and all that. So, here goes. I'll muse on here for a while and then eventually refine it down to the smaller amount (one paragraph?!) that Rob asked for.

The DNC ... The DNC ... *puts on thinking cap*

If there's one thing we've learned from the Olympic games, it's probably that the weight of the world watching is a heavy yet important burden to bear. The Democratic National Convention must live up to this lesson, though maybe in a smaller scale. After all, much of the country will be watching both Denver and Minneapolis this summer as the presidential candidates are officially nominated. 

Why are these conventions important? After all, we already know who the candidates will be - it's no secret that McCain and Obama will face of this fall. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't know about it. But the convention's importance lies in its history. After all, these conventions have been held every four years since 1832, no small amount of time. Each year, a city in the nation is chosen for political followers and politicians to descend upon. It's rare, however, that we get an election like this one. One that is so close, has so much riding on it, and is so very exciting to many "normal" middle-class citizens. Conventions like this year's stand in a separate category; they aren't mundane rituals that have taken place for over 150 years, they're the kind that are written about in the history textbooks, that are referenced, and that are remembered. 

And so, of all the years, Denver was selected. 100 years after our last turn, we're playing the role of host once again. The election we play a part in, however, is a completely different one than that of 1908, where William Howard Taft beat William Jennings Bryan by an 8% margin. We now face an election that could produce the first African American President in the history of this country, or finally give McCain a chance as the oldest President in the books. 

Going into the convention, I know I don't play a large role. I can't even vote in the election, and it's the same with most of my friends. Why, then, is there a Facebook group from my High School who has declared their choice of President? Why are there multitudes of squealing students who are overjoyed to be spending a few days at the DNC? Because it's historic, and we all know it. We know what we're a part of and we're proud of it. 

Personally, it's the opportunity to play a part - any part. It's having the experience and obeying the call to adventure. It's the chance to say to my grandchildren that I was there - I was at the DNC in 2008. It's the chance to represent and to witness; to learn and to teach. It's an amazing opportunity, quite possibly once-in-a-lifetime, and one I'm overjoyed to have. 

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What do you think? Please leave me comments! I have to refine it down, so I'd love to hear what you think are my strengths and weaknesses, the best parts to keep and the parts to leave out. Let me know! Just hit the comments link below the post and then select "Name/URL" as your identity. Let me know if you have problems or email me your thoughts if you prefer. Thanks!

Stop Right Now...

It's a classic song among, well, virtually any teenage girl my age - give or take a few years. What Spice Girl song isn't "classic" for us? Given the lyrics, aren't we all amazed (and slightly sickened) when we all start singing along? But that's another matter entirely.

They had a good point, those girls... Some things need to "Stop Right Now." Especially lately, there have been several things where I want to wish a great big karmic reprieve; where I'd love the Spice Girls to come waltzing out of the nearest closet and sing this song right in certain people's faces.

What people, you ask? Good question. Those silly people who are making the Mummy movies come to mind first off. Goodness, gracious - enough already. Yes, the first two rocked, they're awesome, you rule, go die rich... but a third? Really? The Scorpion King AND a sequel for that? REALLY? 

This leads to a slightly bigger point that rumbles around my mind for ages after any jaunty trip to a movie theater. Stop with the sequels and three-quels, already. If you've got a series like Bond, Batman, or Harry Potter, movies that naturally continue, that feel no slow and painful slow of momentum, by all means, continue. I'm the last person you'll hear complain about the Pirates sequels, after all. My real problem comes with movies that are born with all the pain of real labor. Movies that don't have a natural story arc, but that are being forced. 

Spiderman. Goodness gracious. It's enough of a problem that they should have stopped at the second (don't even get me started on that third movie), but the fact that they're planning production on a fourth when the two main leads have already dropped out? Arrrrghhh! The Mummy falls in this category too. Maybe I would have felt a much higher inclination to like the third one if it wasn't missing one of its primary characters: Rachel Weisz. Of course, the character was still there, but filled by some random stranger pretending that nothing had happened. Not okay. 

This leads to my next point - the next "thing" that needs to stop. Greedy Hollywood C.E.Os. Sure, I don't know how the business works all that well, but I know when I see greed motivating a decision more than artistic drive. I know when I see upper-level studio executives interrupting an otherwise smooth process of imagine-write-film-voila! 

And, please, give a warm round of applause to Warner Brothers themselves for making a wonderful example of this. What are they thinking with this Harry Potter decision? ("What arrrrr you doing?" as Barbossa would ask). 

In case you haven't heard, Warner Brothers pushed back the release date of the next Harry Potter movie from this November, as it's been planned for a while now, to next July. When asked for a reason, they didn't really have one, other than they saw a better opportunity to release it in the summer than in the fall. Translation: they'll make more money. No, it doesn't need to be delayed - it's in post-production and everything is golden there ... they just saw that the writer's strike from this past spring caused fewer moves to be released next summer, meaning they could make more money if they release then. Stupid. 

My final point is basically unrelated to any of this, but goes to the sensationalism that Hollywood is playing into. Everything has to be more exciting. It's easy to see the connection between the money-making fever I was just venting about and this, but this goes a bit further. It annoys me even more, shall we say. If I could walk into a screenwriter's office right now and give them one word of advice that they'd have to obey, it'd be this: History and Literature are quite fine the way they are. You don't need to make them more exciting.

Robin Hood. A wonderful, er, horrible examples. It's a classic story, we all know it - Robin is in love with Maid Marian but can't marry her until King Richard returns and all is well in the land - until then, poor Robin fights injustice, robbing from the rich to give to the poor. One of the reasons I was so enamored with BBC's latest revamp of this story (aside from the gorrrrgeeeous Jonas Armstrong) was that you could count on the ending - that ending. This was very refreshing, especially when paired with drive-you-up-the-wall-uncertain shows like Lost. And then they went and did the stupid Series 2 Finale. (Spoiler Alert...) You don't kill Maid Marian. It shouldn't, it can't, it musn't be done. I don't care if the stupid actress wanted to leave - actors have been forced to keep their contracts before. Armstrong is only contracted through Series 3 anyway, so that girl would have only had to stay on for 13 more episodes. You can't change this story. 

Right, hopefully the Universe will hear me here and send these messages out into the void ... We're friends, you know, the Universe and I - I get emails all the time. 

Now, I would hate to leave you feeling down, so here's a final thought. Things that don't need to stop at all? Michael Phelps. You go, man. Rock on.