Doodles on a Notebook

Update

2010-09-04T10:58:00.003-05:00

Hi Peeps!
I'm sure you're travelling over to http://doodlesonanotebook.com for my blog, etc. But, now you can follow me on Twitter! Enjoy! :)

SURPRISE!!

2010-05-06T22:58:00.002-05:00

I actually have a .com!! I'll no longer be posting here on blogger (although it has treated me very well), and can now be found at http://doodlesonanotebook.com/

How exciting!!

Two Haiku for You

2010-05-05T17:49:00.008-05:00

Daffodils, daisies
Ice cream, melted; smiling lips
Refrigerator ;)

Dancing and twirling
Dandelions in their flight,
Make a wish, my dear.

Photo source

The Big Bang Theory

2010-05-03T23:10:00.003-05:00

Words cannot describe how much I love this show. Yes, I'm a total geek. No, I'm not ashamed. Here's an example:

In this clip, Penny falls in the shower, dislocating her shoulder. Sheldon is the only one who can help get her to the hospital.

And this one is from an episode in which Sheldon can't solve a huge algorithm of something. He's used Lima beans and peas, then marbles, and then finally ball pit balls for 3D models of carbon atoms. "Bazinga" is Sheldon's catch word. He says it when he's caught someone in a burn/joke. (Sorry for the ad at the beginning of this clip.)

Hahaha!

Urban Dictionary Yourself

2010-05-03T16:56:00.002-05:00

Ever Google yourself? Try Urban Dictionary-ing yourself! A friend did the same thing on her blog and so I decided to look my name up for fun. Here's what I found (minus the "megan" = opposite of vegan entries):

The most incredible friend anyone could ever have. She is incredibly beautiful both inside and out, even if she can't see it. She is absolutely hilarious, and extremely intelligent. She will be there for you no matter what, and gives you more than you deserve. She makes you realize all the good in life. She is your Sunshine.

I looked at my hubby and said, "I'm your Sunshine, dammit!" He laughed, but then said I should post the above entry so I could see it everyday. He's the greatest, huh?

Megans have many secrets to hide that are hard to tell. They try to find a way to let their friends know what is going on.
Megans usually have amazingly beautiful eyes (blue or green). One could get lost in her eyes forever, and never want to escape.
Even if they are going through a hard time, Megans will always lend a helping hand and will listen to your troubles and/or problems.
They despise drama, but sometimes find a way of getting sucked into it.

Well, I DO have green eyes (more like hazel) and I often find myself sucked into drama somewhere, somehow. Haha!

I hope you Urban Dictionary yourself and find plenty to smile about! Happy Monday! :)

WHY do Bad Actors Still get Cast???

2010-05-02T17:04:00.004-05:00

Hizzah! Can you tell I'm recovered (mostly) from the previous, hectic week? That's right: two posts in one day, baby. Hey, I have to make up for my dip in blogging last week.

So, it occurred to me again as my hubby and daughter watched the second episode of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones--on one of the "dude channels," because it's Sunday and that's what those channels do on Sundays--that this episode could have been SOOOOO much better (and the first episode, too, while we're talking about it) without the lackluster performances by Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. HELLO!!! We have heavy hitters in this movie, people!! Ewan McGregor (LOVE!!), Samuel L. Jackson, (Liam Neeson was in the first one), Christopher Lee.

...And Natalie and Hayden. Blech. Next to the awesomeness of the aforementioned hitters, N & H are blah and unconvincing.

It kills me. In these movies, they are only slightly less annoying that Jar-Jar Binks. Barely. Hayden's delivery of emotionless, monotone, droning lines leaves one wondering if HE's the clone they talk about in the title. And, I'm not thoroughly convinced that Anakin really loved Padme, the way he plays the role.

And Natalie! I swear, that girl is the same freakin' character in every movie, just with a horribly fake Southern accent in some. She's like the female version of Keanu Reeves. Yep. I said it. Nope. I'm not takin' it back. But, the truth of the matter is that she'll keep getting cast in movies, and if I like the premise and/or the other actors, I'll still keep seeing them. Just like Keaun movies (except he's hot to boot). And so will millions of other people, and you know you will, too. So, ultimately, they win. C'est la vie!

P.S. I think part of my Portman distaste in the movie is associated with the lame character of Padme. She dies because her man ends up being a creepy Dark Side follower?? She just pumped out, not one, but two precious babies for crying out loud! What about suckin' it up and living for your kids?? Lame, but I guess all part of the Emperor's plan. Anakin wouldn't have become the big, bad dude if his lover-girl had lived, I guess. It's still lame, though.

P.S.S. I realize this movie's been out since like 2002 or something, but it doesn't mean that it's not forever in our face thanks to Sunday afternoon Star Wars marathons. Thank goodness #3 lived up to #4, 5, and 6 standards!
Photo source

THAT Girl Makes a Cake

2010-05-02T09:16:00.007-05:00

So, this past week has been crazy-busy. No, scratch that. It was perhaps the most insane week...well, maybe not EVER, but definitely of the year. Why, you ask? Well, my little bro was married yesterday. And, can I just say that I totally love my new S.I.L.? She's wonderful.

Well, several months ago, they asked my mother to be their wedding planner. Of course she said yes, and because I am continually her partner in various crimes, I came along as part of a Wedding Planner Extraordinaire Package. Which would have been fine and dandy--and in fact was for several weeks--if everything else hadn't been happening all at once last week.

Because the week before my brother's wedding was the week I had extra church activities to attend (and speak at, btw), a paper for Professor Picky McPickerson (you know the type..."Excellent work! Here's a B."), and late nights for my hubby at work.

Needless to say, I was stressed. I ran the kid to school, went to school myself to get some work done, had the dry cleaning to drop off and pick up, a tie to purchase, hair cuts, dance class, the ever-present need for grocery shopping, and oh yeah, I'd decided several months ago to get a cake for the rehearsal dinner and then decided about a month ago to just go ahead and make said cake rather than purchasing a pre-made number. What was I thinking? I felt like I was running up a down escalator, like I was getting nowhere. Fast.

So, here comes Thursday. I've got a ton to do and on top of it all, I also have to pack because we had to be at my folks' house late Friday night and early Saturday morning, so really, camping at their place made the most sense, and I still have this cake to conquer.

The last cake I made was my daughter's first birthday. She's five now. Ha! Murphy's Law is a big, fat, ho. For a while, it looked like the green beast was going to win (the wedding colors were various shades of green and purple, and my confection came out looking a bit like the Joker's cake, but it still worked). The layers wouldn't lay flat and once I'd spackled enough icing in the middle to level it out, I was lucky to have enough to actually ice the cake. I was near panic-mode, thinking I'd have to whip up a batch of butter cream to go with the 3 lbs I already had. The crumb coat was acting up and as I drew my icing knife across the delicate surface of the dessert, I whispered, "You will not win. You will not win."

Yes, I was talking to the cake, all while envisioning a Julie Powell-esque Cake Wreck as the end result. (Sorry, Julie, but you know) It did end up quite cute after all the freaking out, thankfully.

But, needless to say, after a day of running around like a chicken with its head cut off, finishing a cake, and getting school assignments submitted, I was exhausted and maybe a bit stressed.

Well, my darling husband was under lots of stress himself and a stressed out hubby in my home usually leads to a State of the Union-type couples pow-wow for some reason. Although I don't think it was a decision consciously made, it was a mistake. A BIG mistake. Because, I suddenly became THAT girl.

You know the one: she's stressed out and hormotional (word stolen from a friend, thank you! [i.e. hormomes + emotional = hormotional]). Yes, Aunt Flo decided to come for a visit with a vengeance this week (Of course. Murphy, I hate you.), so that didn't help, but I digress.

So, THAT girl--in this situation--gets stressed, hormotional, and one very small, unintentional, trivial thing sets her off. She then starts into a self-deprecating tailspin that eventually ends up in tears and about something completely unrelated to what the original (read: minor) discussion was about. Yep. That was me. Hot mess on Midol.

What did my wonderful hubby do? He held me, reassured me life was not spinning out of control, literally listed off all of my "amazing" [he's biased] qualities, and told me to stop apologizing when I'd said "Sorry" for the umpteenth time for transforming into THAT girl (and I'm hardly ever THAT girl). He said I should do that more often, although he knows I won't because I'm not that emotional on a regular basis, so I'm sure he felt safe in making such a ludicrous suggestion. But, I think this proves yet again how fantastic he really is.

Busy Friday dawned bright and things were better. Busy Friday was followed by Insanely Hectic Saturday, and after the bride and groom made their escape, I'd really felt like I'd been through the trenches, and the amazing people who helped me and Mom pull off this crazy feat now felt like comrades-in-arms after all the purple die-covered fingers from making flower arrangements to Super Glue adventures, and various other snafus. And as a strange sense of accomplishment fell over me, I realized I was a different sort of THAT girl: one who can wrangle Pugs and kids and bridesmaids and still come out standing (sort of) on her uber-sore, platform high heel wearing feet.

It was a feeling of, in a word: SUCCESS!!

Oh, and here's my cake:

What do you think? ...anyone? ...Bueller?

Random Pop Culture Stuff

2010-04-28T18:32:00.005-05:00

First, I'm reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. Yes, this is the book which has been made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. No, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm planning to. Well, Mz. Julie has a blog still, which you can view here. So far, I'm really enjoying this book/memoir. And it makes me feel a little more accomplished in the kitchen sometimes. Stay tuned for a review when I'm done! :)

Second, congrats to Sandra Bullock who has adopted by all accounts an absolutely precious little boy. Yay, yay, yay!! And way to go on divorcing that douche! You deserve better!! It happens to the best of us, sis.

(Photo source)

How Very Interesting

2010-04-26T08:54:00.013-05:00

So, my Avatar watching, and then the subsequent playing of Sweet Home Alabama when we switched off the DVD player (it was on the random cable channel the T.V. was already set to), got me thinking about a phenomenon in script writing.

What, pray tell, is the phenomenon, you ask?

Well, I'll tell you: the use of the name "Jake" (or "Jacob") for central, manly, heroic characters.

Now, now, don't scoff until you think about it for a second. Seriously, just off the top of my head, I can name five "Jakes" of the cinema (and some are from the books that preceded the movies).

And these Jakes all have commonalities. They're handsome. They're brave. They're out to save the bad guy/protect the girl/rescue the little kid/prove himself.

For example:

Since Avatar started the train of thought, we'll start with Jake Sully. He's a former Marine who is paralyzed from the waist down. But does this stop Jake from serving his country/planet? Does it stop him from going on a psychic adventure, plugged into a giant blue dude? Does it stop him from winning the girl, leading the army, and effectively freeing an entire planet from evil? NO! Exhibit A: Jake Sully. Hero, love interest, warrior. We won't talk about the fact that he delivers speeches like William Wallace (Braveheart)...and that he's also blue--you know, 'cause Wallace and his cohorts painted themselves blue [snicker].

Okay, so next up obviously has to be Jake Perry from Sweet Home Alabama. He's tall. He's a hottie!! He won't sign Melanie's divorce papers, but follows her to New York and realizes he's got to make something of himself to be worthy of her **sigh!** He owns his own company and is independent. He's a gentleman and has a bloodhound (read: manly man). And he still desperately loves Melanie to the point of being exasperatingly annoyed by her at times. In the end, Mr. Blue Eyes gets the girl. Exhibit B: Jake Perry. Rawr.

But there are more Jakes out there! One of my favorites? Jake Brigance from A Time to Kill. He's the underdog (and also HOT); a family man and loyal to his wife even when Ellen Roarke busts a move on his sweaty fineness. He's fighting for a black man in the uber white South. He faces death threats, has to send his wife and kid away for their safety, his house is burned to the ground, he loves his dog, and it looks like the slimy DA is going to win after all. But in the end, Jake is triumphant and bridges cultural and racial divides to become a hero in and out of the courtroom. Yay!!

And, who could forget everyone's favorite werewolf? Jacob "Jake" Black. (Twilight) He's heroic. He transforms into a furry four-legged critter when he gets pissed, but hates what that's done to him. He yearns for Bella and is tortured by her choice to hang with vampires and follow Edward around like a love sick puppy. He can't stand the fact that she plans to become one of them and therefore his mortal enemy. He's tanned. He's buff. He's manly. He's going to protect Bella if it kills him, literally. He's "sorta beautiful." Yet another Jake we love!

And last, but certainly, in no way least: Jake McCandles from Big Jake. Seriously, I don't even really need to say anything here. This Jake is played by the Duke himself: John Wayne. So, you know he comes with swagger. He's a cowboy. He saves his grandson. And dude's married to a chick played by Maureen O'Hara. Checkmate! Exhibit E: Jake McCandles, legendary Jake.

So, I'm sure I'm missing some, and would love some input on any "Jakes" in pop culture you've found.

Side note: Jacob became Israel in the Old Testament. Judaeo-Christan subtlety? You be the judge.

Photo sources:
Jake Sully
Jake Perry
Jake Brigance
Jacob Black
Big Jake

I think I missed something...

2010-04-25T22:09:00.018-05:00

Okay, I realize that I'm going to disappoint some of you, but I promise, I have very valid arguments for what I'm about to say...

It was up for Best Picture...and was the largest grossing box office smash. The reviews have been FANTASTIC! People have watched it over, and over, and over, and...well, you get the point. So, when my hubby purchased Avatar this weekend, I was prepared for AWESOME.

Eh. [shrugs]

It was OK.

[cringing for reaction]

Okay, now that that's over, allow me to explain. First, I'm not saying it's bad, because it's NOT a bad movie. The cinematography was beautiful. The actors did a great job (I heart Michelle Rodriguez; chick kicks serious butt) and visually, things probably couldn't be better. And the unique, completely fabricated language is pretty impressive.

The story? Eh.

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
(Now that I can't be blamed for ruining the movie for you, I can continue!)

Avatar read (watched?) like a typical Native American movie to me. I know James Cameron said that it was about environmentalism, but all I could think about were the gazillions of movies about white/Native interactions that are [already] out there. The only difference here is that instead of the wild west, the natives are on a different planet. And they're blue.

And can we just discuss the name of the planet for a minute?? Pandora?? REALLY???? I'm sure Cameron was going for some deep symbolism or something (recall if you will that Pandora was the Greek chick [ah! seeing another pattern developing in my blogs!] who opened the forbidden box--known as "Pandora's box" [haha, genius Greeks]--and let all the plagues out into the world), but that symbolism is lost to anyone who doesn't get it, and intensely vague for those who do.

Moving on...

Okay, so we've got these blue dudes and chicks running around with tails, right? Oh, and phallic dreadlocks that they can use to plug into the world around them. Like trees where the souls of their ancestors reside...and animals. Which begs the question: how do they, um, copulate? [Ahem.]

So a Native American would steal a horse, or find a wild pony, jump on its back and break it and then would own it, right? These blue dudes? SORRY: Na'vi. Yeah, they plug their squid-like dreads into the squid-like tube thingy attached to some part of these wild flying beast thingies (which I'm sure have a technical name, but I don't really care) and all of a sudden, the frenzy in the wild animal's eyes dies away and one of near love replaces it, and the animal is owned by the blue dude...er, Na'vi. Seriously. They call it "making the bond." Yeah. That's also a metaphor for something else...but, moving on. [shudder]

There's another clip where one of the deer-like animals is killed by the blue guys for sustenance, and as it dies, the main character Jake finishes him off with thanking the four-legged critter for his sacrifice and commending his spirit to the Earth/Pandora(?) mother goddess. You know, I seem to remember a little movie called The Last of the Mohicans in which two of the main characters DO THE EXACT SAME THING, only not in black-light wack-a-doo world.

That's another thing: the movie (while beautiful) looks like a giant moving black light poster. Ciga-weed, anyone?

Oh, yeah, and Dances with Wolves has a whole animal/human/earth connection thing too, but who's counting??

Ooh, ooh, yeah, and remember the power loaders in the movie Aliens?? You know the ones: yellow; Ripley jumps into one to fight the queen alien. "Get away from her, you b*&ch!!" Ah, now you remember! Cameron recycled that idea too (granted, it was his own the first time around, so it's not technically plagerism...) and orchestrates a climactic fight scene in this movie between a different soldier and a blue, less acidic alien. Geez. (Sigourney Weaver's also in BOTH movies)

And the score?

Dear James Horner,
Please come up with new phrasing and drop the triplet sets that you use in EVERY score. It's very recognizable. And old. I could have plugged the Mask of Zorro soundtrack in and have gotten something pretty similar in most cases.
Best regards,
me.

Really, I could keep going. But, I won't.

In all, I feel that to fully grasp the concept of Avatar, I would need to smoke some serious peyote (which I am unwilling to do), hug some major trees, roll around in a lot dirt (maybe even eat a little...), and forget all of the movies about big, bad white expansionist guys taking over the less advanced, more spiritual indigenous peoples that I've EVER seen. Then, maybe I can get on board with it.

Or not...the blue dudes and chicks would still be obnoxiously scream-crying about everything, and that gets old. Fast.

So, here's to the almost-best picture of the year. Like most in that category, it was a disappointment.

[let the scoffs and arguments commence]

Avatar photo source
Pandora photo source
The Last of the Mohicans photo source (Because I love me some old-school, loincloth wearin' Daniel Day-Lewis) (www.fanpop.com)

ECLIPSE!!!

2010-04-23T15:40:00.003-05:00

New trailer!!! Thanks, Oprah; every once in a while I think you're totally cool!

SO AWESOME!!! I can't WAIT for the action scenes (ala Braveheart, it appears) :)

Depravity, documented

2010-04-21T14:40:00.004-05:00

So, when I'm completely brain-fried from more serious pursuits, I jump onto one of my favorite websites, Texts From Last Night, to blow off some steam (and to marvel at the debauchery and general insanity of the modern college [and sometimes high school eek!] student).

I will warn you, DO NOT go onto this site if you are at all offended by drugs, sex, general lewdness, and/or foul language. Some of the texts are rated PG-13, and even a few are PG, but for the most part, they're "R" rated, and this is the reason why I haven't provided a link here in this post. But, if you can handle the "f" word being thrown around in text (as it is in collegiate classrooms every day of the week), then you'll think it's unbearably funny what some of these real winners get themselves into...and maybe impressed by the wit and sarcasm of many of them.

So, for those who don't wish to go on the site, I've given you a random CLEAN sampling [the numbers in parentheses are for the zip codes the texts are from]:

(604): dont worry, it'll just be a conversation starter like "why did you get that pierced?" or "wow, i got arrested there too"

(732): I got 70 on my final, or put differently, I got a "still graduating" on my final.

(610): Look I'm sorry I shaved your cat, but get over it.

The next two are a son and father pair:

(434): you would not believe what I got pierced last night...
(540): son, I feel like that is a phrase a father never wants to hear.

(440): sarcasm needs its own font

(778): we were going to warn you, but we veto-ed that idea somewhere between "this is the stupidest thing we've ever done" and "let's order a pizza"

And my absolute favorite ??

(541): my math teacher staples burger king applications to failed tests

(All texts borrowed from textsfromlastnight.com; picture of iPhone text from Wikimedia Commons, Nick Richards, photographer)

"What are you doing?! What! What! What are you doing?!"

2010-04-20T18:30:00.002-05:00

Every girl needs a sassy gay friend. As proof, see what COULD have happened to Juliet (of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), "If she'd had a sassy gay friend."

Now, you may not share my warped sense of intellectual geeky humor, but I think this is freakin' hilarious!!

And this is a great one, because everyone knows the story of R & J...we all had to read it in school, or we saw the monstrosity starring Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes several years back, or we've watched Edward recite lines in the film adaptation of New Moon [swoon] and the parallels drawn in the book form of said story.

Enjoy! (My favorite part? "Desperate! Desperate! I am really desperate! Are there any stalkers on my grounds?")

A Dose of Douche Baggery:

2010-04-19T22:28:00.010-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that nothing, I mean NOTHING shouts "I'm compensating" quite like hanging a fake pair from the tail end of your massive, excessively large truck.

(Photo source)

Wow. Yeah. Um...You know, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Freud was onto something with all of his crazy theories; he just went a step too far in everything. But, I have to contend that women don't have penis envy, these guys have penis envy. [snicker]

And in related douche baggery, Jon Gosselin now has a faux-hawk. Oh, and I love that in this pic, he's walking out of a Goodwill Store. And he's trying to get custody of the kids? Yeah. A judge is gonna totally look and him and think he's prime parental material.

(Photo source)

Sheesh.

Return of the Opera

2010-04-17T10:35:00.007-05:00

Sometimes, a musician is more than a musician. Sometimes, they prove that beyond the singing and the playing, they are ultimately brilliant artists on a completely different creative level than mainstream music.

We've all surely heard excerpts of Tommy from The Who, or The Wall from Pink Floyd. Both rock operas are hard to avoid in pop culture since they were, and remained for many years, favorites in the music world.

Rock operas and folk operas have continued since the '70s with recent releases by The Decemberists (The Hazards of Love) and Green Day (21st Century Breakdown) among others. In a related genre, last year, Muse released what many musical critics have dubbed a "rock symphony" with The Resistance. (It's great, by the way!)

Well my friends, I have a new folk opera for you: Hadestown by Anais Mitchell. Aaaah!! This is SO good; you have no idea!

The fact that the opera features one of my favorite artists, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, is like icing on the cake for me. His voice is so haunting and beautiful. I swear, anytime I hear a song by Vernon, I just feel like I've entered into a musical dreamland. I could lay in a field of wild flowers and pick shapes out of the clouds while listening to his songs...but, I digress. This isn't a post about the greatness of Bon Iver/Justin Vernon. It's about the musical genius of the compilation that is Hadestown.

"Hadestown is a folk opera based on the Orpheus myth and set in a post apocalyptic American depression era." --From Anais Mitchell's website.

But, before I get ahead of myself, let's review the Orpheus myth:

Orpheus and Eurydice marry, and according to one myth she's bitten by a snake and dies. But really, the important part is that she ends up the the underworld, Hades, which is incidentally also the name of the god of the underworld.

Orpheus, a great musician and son of gods and muses, travels into the underworld to retrieve his love. While there, he gleans the sympathy of Persephone, the wife of Hades, and is eventually granted permission to lead Eurydice out of the underworld, but there's a catch: Eurydice has to follow Orpheus out of the underworld, several steps behind him, and he must not look back at her until they are both out of Hades, or she will disappear forever back into the underworld.

Tragically, when Orpheus emerges from Hades, he's so anxious for his wife that he mistakenly looks behind himself before he should. She's not yet stepped out of the underworld and vanishes from him forever. Yet another Greek tragedy!

Fast forward to 2010 and we have Anais Mitchell, featuring some fantastic artists, reworking the Orpheus myth. Everything feels very early 20th century. Persephone regularly haunts a speakeasy, and sounds like it when she sings. There's a country, folksy sound that is reminiscent of bluegrass from the '40s, and many times, I envision Oh, Brother Where Art Thou while listening to the album. Coincidentally, Oh, Brother is based on The Odyssey and set in the real American Depression era.

There are awesome song samples on anaismitchell.com and I highly suggest them! Don't flinch from the "folk opera" moniker; you'll miss out on some really fantastic artistry if you avoid it based on the genre alone.

The musicality of the album is astounding. The use of strings evokes an image of a pit orchestra before a Vaudeville stage. Accordions and trumpets are used with finesse. The deep, dark, speech-singing of Hades contrasts with the light, pure, high crooning of Eurydice, and Orpheus is lyrical and haunting beyond imagination.

Hadestown was written by Anais Mitchell who plays Eurydice; featuring: Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) as Orpheus, Ani DiFranco as Persephone, Ben Knox Miller (The Low Anthem) as Hermes, Greg Brown as Hades, and The Haden Triplets as The Fates, and will not disappoint!

Enjoy!

(Photos of album and Mitchell from www.anaismitchell.com; painting of Orpheus and Eurydice courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Bumper Sticker Gnomes Strike Again!

2010-04-15T18:03:00.006-05:00

Okay, so I didn't get a photo of this one as I was in a hurry (so, note the photo of Angelina Jolie, which will make more sense in a minute), but just picture with me for a minute, a red two seater something-or-other with a T-top that was probably a smokin' car, like, thirty years ago. Today, it's faded and a total beater.

On one of the rear windows was a simple white sticker with black font.

What did it say?

"If tattoos were outlawed, only outlaws would look cool."

???????????

And if we all lived in Douche Bag World, we'd all wear Ed Hardy, drink Venti Caramel Machi-mocha-latte-choco-wacko espresso, drive Hummers (hehehe!), and be "cool."

Heh, heh. ...Yeah.

NB: I think Jolie is a great actress and am not calling her a douche bag. It was just safer to Google "Angelina Jolie Tattoo" in images than the simply Google "Tattoo" in the same category...Trust me.

Things I'm Loving Right Now:

2010-04-14T17:36:00.007-05:00

I really could blog separately about these three topics, and maybe I should, but I can't decide which to go with first, and really, where's the schizophrenic fun in that?? So...BAM! here's three things I'm loving, all at once.

Number 1: It's approaching summer time here in Texas, and while a Cherry Limeade (I like mine diet) or an Ocean Water are fabulous all year round, when it's hot outside, almost nothing is better.

(Photo source)

See also: frozen treats! Om, nom nom! :)

Number 2: Fun, new, unique bands. Here's a sampling from Broken Bells. I know I've blogged about them before, but they're just superb. I LOVE this song:

Their musicality is fantastic, and their new self-titled album does NOT have a bad song on it. It's simply awesome. I love the obvious influences they've acquired in their tracks: they're reminiscent at times of The Bee Gees and The Beatles. LOVING it!!

And here's a song from The XX.

Just listen to the syncopation of the bass line and the vocal canon near the end that ends in the perfect ritardando. Aaaaaah!!!! So great!! And now that I've astounded you with my musical geekiness, I'll move on...

Seriously, how old are these kids? They may not be of legal drinking age (IDK, I'm just blogging in the hypothetical here), but they are A-MAZING!!!

Number 3: Celebrity crushes. You may take your Justin Bieber (yuck), your R-Patz (okay, he is fine, but who's counting?), your Channing Tatum, your Chase Crawford, etc...

I'll take Jackson Rathbone, 'kaythanxbye!

Sure he's an actor. But, he's also a musician, kinda wacky, wears fun hats and geek-chic glasses while making highly-improv music. AND, the piece de resistance?? He's a Texas boy. SQEEEEEEEEEAL!!! Be still, my beating heart.

Here's another one:

(Photo source)

Aaaaah!!!!! The fact that he happens to play my favorite Cullen in the Twilight movies is just a very happy coincidence. (I'm Team Jasper, 100%, but do have lots of love for Edward) Nice. Also to his credit, he got slimed on Nick's Kids Choice Awards, although not to the extent and hilarity of the Katy Perry slime attack.

So, I'm thinking summer is gonna rock (no pun intended) for me, with Sonic, all the new music coming out, and some Jackson on the big screen.

:)

Uh...um...er...Yeah. Wow.

2010-04-13T21:42:00.005-05:00

Oh, geez...

Y' know the times that your mother, sister, father, grandparent, teacher, etc. told you to go change out of the skanky clothes you tried to leave the house in, or clued you into the secret that what you were presenting might give people the wrong impression??? Just maybe?

Well, I walked out of a store this afternoon and was presented...nay, assaulted...with this:

Yes, ladies, gents, and hobbits, that is not just a blinged out Hummer, but a HOT PEPTO PINK Hummer. Wait. It gets better. And, I think this chica has no qualms about what she's presenting...

Notice, first, that it is parked in a handicap spot. Um...did someone go all Heidi Montag and now can't walk for long distances?? [Ahem. Moving on.]

It gets better. I promise.

There's also a sticker on the back that says something to the effect of Carolina girls are more fun. I'll take her word for it.

But seriously, that's not even the BEST (worst?) part.

Are you ready?

Wait for it...

BAM! You cannot make this crap up, I swear.

Okay, so if you're missing the punch line, I refer you--once again--to urbandictionary.com.

Yep. NOW you're groaning, right? A "YUMMER" Hummer.

Ew. [shivers]

Willy Wonka and Purple Stuff

2010-04-11T11:41:00.008-05:00

Ah ha ha ha ha ha!! Oh, ahem. Sorry.

What do these two have in common, you ask? Illicit drug use. Or, bizarre creativity. I'm not sure which. How 'bout I report, you decide?? Cool?!? Cool! :)

Disclaimer: I don't condone the consumption of "purple stuff," or the abuse of prescription drugs for that matter.

Phew! Now that that's over, enjoy these videos. The first is a clip from the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. I love this version even though the first, starring Gene Wilder (comic genius) is totally great. The Burton/Depp team just add a weird, warped, trippy spin to the children's story that makes it fantastic, in my opinion.

I also love how the Depp Wonka says everything that you've ever wanted to say to that annoying, spoiled, bratty, sometimes rich but always entitled child, but which you never really had the guts to.

The second clip is something a friend sent along to me when I was having a really bad day and I just have to re-post it here, it cheered me up in its bizarre silliness. The beat is great. The oompa loompas are...well...um...

Anyway...Have fun w/ this!

For those of you who don't know exactly what "purple stuff" is, I refer you to urbandictionary.com for the definition:

"a highly effective cough syrup containing antibiotics and is always purple in color also know as the slang sizzerb, sizzerb is a mixture of this cough medicine added to a light colored soda and a piece of candy normally jolly rancher" (yes, I edited the spelling...people on urbandictionary, I swear...)

And, I've come to the conclusion that when you're having a bad day, just jump on YouTube and search for something stupid. It works!

Theory Proves to be Plausible

2010-04-10T17:02:00.007-05:00

The theory that Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights is a psychological vampire?? (Scroll down to see previous post) I'm thinkin' they're on to something! Click here to read.

(Photo source)
So, I'm through with the novel and am glad to have re-read it; it's been a while for sure and I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in the story. And, it ends on a good note, so that's nice. It's as if once Heathcliff is out of the picture, the sun comes out. I am left wondering what happened to the next generation, but seeing as how they were happy in the end, they probably just raised fat babies and didn't have many conflicts that a few leeches or medicinal bleeding couldn't solve.

(Haha! Vampires. Bleeding. Nice...but I digress.)

Anywho...

So, taken out of context, some of the desperately romantic quotes uttered by Heathcliff and Cathy are the stuff of Hallmark greeting cards or proclamations of love:

"[Heathcliff] 'shall never know how I love him...because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's [the dude she does marry] is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.'" (pg. 80)

Catherine "Cathy" goes on:

"'Who is to separate us, pray? They'll meet the fate of Milo! Not as long as I live, Ellen--for no mortal creature. Every Linton [again, the dude she marries instead of Heathcliff...poor Linton...] on the face of the earth might melt into nothing, before I could consent to forsake Heathcliff.'" (pg. 82)

***Sigh*** Right? Er...no.

Heathcliff runs away after she says that it would be degrading to marry him and Catherine marries Linton anyway, even though the best she can do at the time is to greatly esteem him [Elinor Dashwood reference, a little shout-out for those Austen fans! :)].

Whatever. Blah, blah, blah!

Pretty much every other social convention is ignored by Cathy at one point or another in the story, and they live out in the boonies of England (aka Wuthering Heights), so it's not like they run into anyone who would care if she "degraded" herself by marrying Heathcliff and leaving the poor Lintons in peace. But, apparently, it was easier/better(?) to take advantage of naive Linton while remaining desperately in love with, and emotionally dependent on, someone else...to the point of literal madness.

Not that Heathcliff demands our sympathies as the novel progresses. Near the story's end,

"[Heathcliff] solicited the society of no one more. At dusk, he went into his chamber--through the whole night, and far into the morning, we heard him groaning, and murmuring to himself. Hareton [Heathcliff's nephew, basically] was anxious to enter, but I bid him fetch Mr. Kenneth [the doctor], and he should go in, and see him.
"When he came, and I requested admittance and tried to open the door, I found it locked; and Heathcliff bid us be damned." (pg. 331) Surely if Heathcliff had the power to actually send souls the direction of his bidding, Hell would be filled to the brim! He "damns" people left and right! He was full of hate and revenge, wishing ill of his enemies and exuming human remains just for morbid, romantic curiosity. Blech.

What the...? [Shaking head] When you understand that there's more hate than love in the story, such pretty quotes by Catherine--and others from Heathcliff, for there are a lot of them--don't really hold the same significance as they do when taken alone.

Sure, I can sympathize with the dude; it's unfortunate that the love of one person altered him so completely and turned him into the hate-filled wretch he became, but COME ON!!

The strange symbiotic relationship of Heathcliff and Cathy, where the one alternately feeds off of and is feed from the other, is unique and makes me wonder how dark Emily Bronte must have been in real life, and what made her that way.

Wuthering Heights, whether Heathcliff be a psychological vampire or not, is rife with the paranormal. Near the end, our narrarator Nelly states:

"I was going to the Grange one evening--a dark eveing threathening thunder--and, just at the turn of the Heights, I encountered a little boy with a sheep and two lambs before him, he was crying terribly, and I supposed the lambs were skittish, and would not be guided.
"'What is the matter, my little man?' I asked.
"'They's Heathcliff and a woman, yonder, under t' Nab,' he blubbered, 'un' Aw darnut pass 'em.'
"I saw nothing; but neither the sheep nor he would go on, so I bid him take the road lower down.
"He probably raised the phantoms from thinking, as he traversed the moors alone, on the nonsense he had heard his parents and companions repeat--yet, still, I don't like being out in the dark, now--and I don't like being left by myself in this grim house--I can't help it, I shall be glad when they leave it." (pg. 333)

Dun dun, DUN!! [Smirks]

Quotes from Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Penguin Books, 1995.

NB: Nota Bene

2010-04-04T20:34:00.007-05:00

Note to self: Do NOT name a child "Cathy," especially a pretty, blond little daughter. It could be setting her up for failure.

I'm currently reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte...well, re-reading it, anyway. Note in the previous post that I've recently finished reading East of Eden (Steinbeck). What do these two have in common?? That's right: blond, beautiful sociopaths named Cathy. Did Steinbeck do this on purpose? I mean, the Heathcliff/Cathy story is one of the [horrible] greats in literature.

Wuthering Heights is an interesting study into the psychology of abuse and neglect, and a story of love and terrible loss. I must admit, though, that I'm feeling rather ambivalent about Heathcliff at this point (I'm approx. 1/2 way through). I mean, he loves Cathy desperately--like, to the point of being completely insane--and I think if she'd chosen him, he would have turned out completely different. He would surely have overcome what is probably some horribly dark, deep-seated depression. She probably would have convinced him to give up the revenge he had against Hindley for childhood wrongs as a waste of time, and he certainly wouldn't have ruined Isabella Linton's life; he wouldn't have cared in the slightest for the Linton family. Ah, but then, it wouldn't be such a famous story, would it? It's like Romeo and Juliet: no one would really care that much if Juliet and Romeo had both lived happily ever after...or lived at all, for that matter. No one would remember the evils of Heathcliff, or really of Cathy either if it hadn't been for the evils of the other. Wow. Convoluted, yes?

I can say, however, that once I've finished the re-read of W.H., I'm going to re-read something like Bridget Jones' Diary, or peruse the fiction shelves at Half-Price Books for a light read. Too many more tomes like this and I'll be slitting some figurative wrists.

Oh! And whilst searching for a post picture, I came across some interesting articles about Heathcliff's potential to be a psychological vampire. Why do so many things in my life eventually get around to that subject? Haha! I'll let you know what I think, and post the links to the articles if I think there's something there worth debating. Until then...

Photo Source

"Timshel!" and A Second Life

2010-03-31T15:22:00.009-05:00

Timshel: one of the many themes of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. It means "thou mayst" according to Steinbeck, who translates the meaning of the story of the Fall of Man to his readers through a Chinese man named Lee, who alternately speaks pidgin and waxes philosophical in contemporary English. How fantastic is that?

East of Eden is the first Steinbeck I've read and it had me from the start. You know how some pieces of "literature" require you to force yourself through the first few chapters before you get to the meat? Well, let me tell you, East of Eden is not like this at all! It caught my attention early and held it throughout the book, while I wondered which path each character would choose to follow. Such a rich, great story!

Now, it is a mighty large tome; my copy is over 600 pages, but come on: we all know you've read Twilight which pushes 500, and trust me, East of Eden is so rich in layers (and layers) of themes, and ends beautifully in poignant closure which modern works usually lack (although I'm admittedly a fan of Meyer's books).

In my searches, I've found that there was an EoE movie adaptation back in the 1950s which starred James Dean. Can someone please, PLEASE make this into a movie today?? PLEASE?? I'd love to see the trials of Charles and Adam, brothers in the Northeast and their discovery of the nearly beaten to death Cathy, whom Adam falls madly--and foolishly--in love with. Adam and Cathy's venture to California and the CRAZY drama there. Adam's sons: Caleb "Cal" and Aaron "Aron" (because two a's are too fancy) and their re-living of the oldest story of man. Ahh!! This would be fantastic!! You don't even know...unless you've read it, of course!

Plus, I'm sure R-Patz could pull off the moody, self-depreciating, dark Cal. I could definitely stand to see him in another movie... [daydreaming]

Er, anyway...sorry about that!

Also, just wanna throw this out there since this post eventually wound its way to R-Patz/Twilight. Stephenie Meyer has a new novella popping up on bookshelves June 5th, just in time for die-hard fans to read before Eclipse hits the Silver Screen. And, I'm pretty dang excited about The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

Meyer grew so much as a writer (which happens like every art) as she wrote the Twilight Saga and The Host, and I think it's pretty safe to say that the books got better. Well, maybe until Edward and Bella finally got it on; the inertia/suspense/etc. kinda died at that point...but whatever. So, I think Bree Tanner has a lot of potential and will be a fun supplement to Eclipse.

On that note, you know whose backstory I wanna have in novella form?? Jane and Alec. THAT would be juicy, bloody stuff. Oh well. A girl can dream...

Oh, and domo arigato, Amazon.com for the pics!!

Islands

2010-03-17T00:40:00.000-05:00

The XX: Islands

Enjoy!

The Wisdom of a Four-Year-Old

2010-03-14T00:11:00.003-06:00

My daughter walked outside the other day. It was a sunny day; the birds were singing. The grass was turning green and the sky was filled with those paper-thin, whispery clouds of spring days.

In the middle of the deep green grass, there was a lone dandelion bloom. Dandelions are weeds, pests of the gardening world, and where you have one, you're sure to have ten. They are the bane of many a gardener's existence.

What did my daughter say?

"Look what Jesus made for me."

Many seek such wisdom and simplicity, and our children possess it naturally. It's a beautiful thing.

(picture courtesy of Nicolas Zea, via wikimedia commons)

Fun x4

2010-02-28T17:57:00.003-06:00

Some of you may have seen some or all of these, but they're so fun that I HAD to post them!!! :) Enjoy

If Thomas Jefferson, et al. were rock stars:

Think Verizon's Team Edward... What does it mean that I'm continually attracted to "vampires"??

This is just funny:

...and who doesn't love Betty White??

Woods

2010-02-22T15:00:00.002-06:00

"I'm up in the woods
I'm down on my mind
I'm building a still
To slow down the time..."

Image Credit

The Best Thing about Valentine's Day???

2010-02-17T21:45:00.003-06:00

50% off chocolate the week after! Okay...maybe that's not the best thing, but it ranks up in the top three, thankyouverymuch!

Is it wrong...

2010-02-16T22:20:00.003-06:00

...that I've come to love this song??? Admittedly, when I first heard it, I wasn't impressed, and seriously, my appreciation for the song has nothing to do with who sings it (although I do appreciate me some R-Patz). I love the guitar intro and the lyrics are so tortured and heart-felt.

And sorry for the cheesy Twilight movie poster picture. It was either this or pictures of R-Patz,which wouldn't have been bad if they hadn't been drawn all over with PhotoShop'd hearts. Oy!

Broken Bells: The High Road & Vaporize

2010-02-15T23:26:00.007-06:00

Ahhh!!!! New music! (Yes, I am a bit of an indie music freak. Yes, my new indulgence is SPIN Magazine. Yes, I live by iTunes. No, I'm not ashamed to admit any of this.)

Okay, now that that's been established, check out the below single from Broken Bells: The High Road. The album is due out March 9 (according to iTunes).

Loving the previews available for this album, too, by the way!

Another sampling:

Have I mentioned how much I <3 YouTube??

Remember When...

2010-02-08T14:54:00.002-06:00

...it was Valentine's Day time and you had to write out all of those awful Valentines to your classmates?

Remember when you wanted to make sure your best girlfriends got the best ones: the ones with your favorite Disney princess, favorite white kitty cat, favorite superhero? Remember when you tortured yourself over which one to write to the cute boy in class: either the card that--even as a ten-year-old you knew had sexual overtones--you really wanted to send him, or do you send THE CUTEST BOY EVER the uber-generic "Happy Valentine's Day" one, so that he didn't really know you liked him (not that it mattered either way, because, seriously...he's a boy & would never "get it" anyway)? Remember when you HAD to give one to Billy, even though he had buck-teeth and science experiment blemishes and you prayed that he wouldn't get the wrong idea by the most simple obligatory two cent V-day Valentine? You even contemplated not signing it, but your mom was sitting right there and [kindly] reminded you to sign your name.

These are the memories dredged up in the aisle of the local Target, whilst I shopped for my daughter's valentines for her party on Thursday at preschool. They all came rushing back to me today while I remembered back to my own angst over this seemingly harmless little holiday thrust upon prepubescent kids by sadistic elementary teachers...or at least that's how it felt at the time. A day of great anxiety, pretty much wasted on something so insignificant that everything was forgotten by the following morning, when you realize that you nearly pushed yourself to the point of a heart attack for nothing...except for the tiniest bit of anticipation that pounded in your chest when you opened the valentine from the "cute boy." That may have been worth it...

Media Monday...on Tuesday

2010-02-02T19:08:00.003-06:00

Yeah, so this is a little late, but I couldn't wait a week to tell everyone about this. I'd like to say thanks to my dear friend (you know who you are) for introducing me to Cake Wrecks.

You'll love it...and possibly pee your pants/gasp in horror.

Enjoy! :)

Random Useless Trivia for your Tuesday

2010-01-12T18:47:00.003-06:00

United States General Ambrose Burnside served during the American Civil War...and had wicked sideburns. In fact, he is the reason they're called "sideburns." It's a play on his name. (See picture at left for proof.) True story.

Yummy Words

2010-01-06T22:42:00.002-06:00

In reading ultra-pretentious works required for my degree or in searching through various Thesauri for cool synonyms--because I just can't use the same word again--I've found some fun (or in my description: yummy) words that I jot down on sticky notes for future use. Try them out sometime:

sempiternal = eternal

wraith = ghost/shadow

confluence = coming together at one point

ostensibly (OK, I know this isn't "way out there," or anything, but I just like the way it sounds) = outwardly appearing as such

quondam (I'm a sucker for Latin words) = former

maelstrom (love this one!) = state of confusion

inexorable = unyielding/relentless

inane = ridiculous

cacophonous = disharmonious

stymie = block/frustrate

Happy Wednesday! :)

Musical Magic and a Flash Back

2010-01-04T10:15:00.007-06:00

So, this year for Christmas, in addition to an Achmed the Dead Terrorist doll (which I love), I also got from my brother an iTunes gift card. Ah!! Magic in plastic form! I'm a bit of a musical addict, I'll admit. I clean to music, I work to music, and most importantly, I write to music. It really does not matter what I'm writing, I have to have it. So, here's a few to check out:

I realize it's been out for a few months, but I finally got around to getting the new Muse album: The Resistance. Naturally, it's awesome and their musicality is amazing, but I think I still like Black Holes and Revelations better. But, I usually have to listen to Muse a few times to really get into their albums, so I'm not giving up on it yet, and there's still not anything negative to say about the album; it's exactly what I expected: more musical magic from Muse! :) Everyone knows they're amazing; that's not anything new.

But, I purchased two albums that I HAVE to tell you about!! This borders on moral imperative status, people!

First, run, don't walk to your nearest iTunes program/music store and get For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver. ZOHMYGOSH!!! It's amazing. Someone said that it makes them want to lay back in the grass and watch the clouds go by. I agree! There's something very otherworldly about his voice. He supposedly recorded it in a secluded cabin in the woods, and that isolation translates into chords and harmonics in a...you guessed it...magical way!!! I realize it's been out for a while, but I just discovered it, so there you go!

A warning: make sure you sample it first. I love just about every kind of music and this album could be depressing for some. It kinda reminds me of a male version of Jewel's early work, but even that description is inaccurate. There's not much out there like that. So, check it out before you purchase.

Second, check out Dan Black's brand new album: UN. If you subscribe to iTunes, his first single, Symphonies is the free music download from last week (pretty sure you can still get it today, Monday). If you like this track, you'll love the rest on the album. The songs are upbeat and nice to listen to. There's a kind of hope in a lot of the tracks that is pretty much non-existent in a lot of the stuff that comes out today. My favorite quote? "Life is life/Dreams are dreams/and I'm floating/Somewhere in between" from Life Slash Dreams. How can you not like that?

And in other media, I stumbled across this clip from In Living Color on YouTube. If that doesn't take you back!! If you haven't seen Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula, you won't be able to appreciate how well Jim Carrey mimics Gary Oldman, but the clip is of him, and Jamie Foxx as "Wanda." It's so wrong and so hilarious. Enjoy!!

Happy Monday!

Album pics courtesy of: http://muse.mu; http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG115; http://www.danblacksound.com

Holiday Hiatus

2009-12-24T23:04:00.003-06:00

Hello my little chickadees and chickadudes! I realize I've been absent from the blogging world for the past few weeks, but I shall join it once again with gusto after the New Year! It appears that the life of a wife/mommy/entrepreneur/writer/artist/grad student gets pretty busy come turkey time.

Oh! but there have been so many things I've wanted to blog about: New Moon! The db that is Jon Gosselin! Adam Lambert and how he's screwed up his career! R-Patz (my super secret...or not so much...celeb crush)! Turkey Day! SYTYCD! Margaret Atwood and the strange book of hers I recently read! Football...I really could go on, but I won't for now.

So, I will leave you until January with my wish that you have a beautiful and very Merry Christmas! I hope you have the chance to set aside work, school, chores and all the mundane aspects of life, and take a moment to gather the people that are most important around yourself and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

...And maybe catch a good movie or two. I'm thinking Avatar and It's Complicated...

Merry Christmas :)

Media Mondays: New Moon Madness and AMAs

2009-11-23T13:24:00.006-06:00

Well, unless you've been abducted by aliens or you've been living in a cave with a tin foil hat on, you know that this past weekend was opening weekend for the second installment of the Twilight saga: New Moon. It made a ton of money from its screaming (and nearly fainting) prepubescent fans...and its "older" fans...making more money on its opening day than any other movie before, beating out The Dark Knight's record-breaking first day revenue.

Oh, yeah, and if you picked up on the "older" part of my previous statement, it should be noted that "older" equals 25+ in the Twilight world. EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?!?!? I'm OLDER?? I think not.

Besides...Edward is 109...that makes him older. I digress.

Check out author Stephenie Meyer's website where she's answered a ton of questions recently posted about Twilight, etc. She's asked if she's surprised by "older" fans & I LOVE that she responded that she wrote it for her 29-year-old self, so no. Check out the quotes and fun answers to a bunch of questions.

Moving on to the other weekend madness: the American Music Awards.

I think perhaps the most memorable moment--though not for good reasons--was Adam Lambert's homo-fest. Sorry; I know I'm not pulling any punches with this one, but that's really what it was. There was a big make-out moment with someone...was it a guy? was it a girl? do we want to know? Oh yeah, and gratuitous crotch rubbing...by faces. *shudder*

And in other AMA news: Lady Gaga gave a laughable performance. She's special.

And Jermaine Jackson needs to remember that he, in fact, is NOT Michael, never has been and never will be and should be ashamed of his behavior.

There were some good performances: the Black Eyed Peas, for instance are always great and Carrie Underwood rocked it out.

Congrats to Taylor Swift for all of her wins and I have to say, the girl's a genius. She wasn't in L.A. for the awards, but in London...Kanye was nowhere close! Love ya, Taylor!

Ah, and here you see that my two subjects intersect! This is better than six degrees of Kevin Bacon!

Taylor Swift (AMA big winner) + Taylor Lautner (New Moon buff boy) = (neither confirmed, nor denied) LOVE!!!

Happy Monday! :)

Thrifty Thursdays: Kroger Ads

2009-11-13T11:23:00.002-06:00

Check out Kroger's website for downloadable coupons and management of your Plus card. You can also make up a shopping list so you're careful not to forget all those fabulous 10 for $10 deals! Happy coupon hunting!

Writing Wednesdays: The Dictionary

2009-11-11T23:27:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite resources is www.dictionary.com. Now, it is available (with Thesaurus and Reference pages) for your BlackBerry. But, more importantly, it's available for MY BlackBerry! Hehe! Just kidding. This is an awesome resource and I use it daily, and that's really not an exaggeration. It's been pivotal in those random conversations one has while out shopping or having lunch...like: what's the plural for platypus? (It's platypuses or platypi, by the way.) Yay for mobile references! :)

Trivia Tuesdays: The Whole Nine Yards

2009-11-10T21:00:00.003-06:00

No, it's not just a movie! :)

I had always heard that this figure of speech (would it be considered that?) had to do with the "whole nine yards" of ammunition in WWII airplanes. But, it turns out that there are numerous explanations and theories about this phrase, some of which have to do with the "whole nine yards" of fabric in a full men's...or wait, is if full women's(?)...suit. Does it have to do with nautical yards...or maybe something related to cement mixing? The theories seriously go on for...well...the whole nine yards!

So, the jury's still out. I'll let you know if I can come across a definitive answer for this one; be sure to let me know if you've found one yourself! :)

Happy Tuesday!

Media Mondays: Musicals!

2009-11-09T11:32:00.004-06:00

I love musicals!! As I write this, my daughter is watching one of my favorite musicals of all time: Mary Poppins. Is there a better musical turned movie? And if there is, does it star Julie Andrews?

In looking for a picture for this post, I came across some really neat pics on www.imdb.com, courtesy of MPTV Images. Here are some candid photos that I think are totally cool! Browse over to the third page to view behind-the-scenes photos. What fun! :)

What is it about musicals that we love? I think it's the passion in the music: whether the passion of happiness and jollity, as in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, or the darker passions of hopelessness or yearning for love as in Fiddler on the Roof or The Phantom of the Opera.

Whatever may be the case for our love of musicals, I am thrilled to see that they are still popular and patrons flock to the theaters for new musicals such as Wicked (which I hope to see at some point, myself!).

If you haven't watched your favorite musical in a while (and who doesn't have a favorite?), pull it out on the next rainy Saturday, cuddle up with a blanket on the couch and enjoy!

(photo: movieposter.com)

Free For All Fridays: What is a Conservative?

2009-11-06T16:21:00.003-06:00

I could get on my soapbox, quote the Declaration of Independence, cite Conservative leaders and wistfully look back to the era of Reagan...or, I could just let Jonathan Krohn do it for me. Author of "Defining Conservatism," this (13 year old) young man is a genius and lays out the foundation of conservatism in precise and easy-to-understand language.

I don't care what your political affiliation may be, this kid is AMAZING! I'm floored and I would seriously love to know what his I.Q. is!

Thursday: Taking a Moment

2009-11-05T18:01:00.002-06:00

While I would normally blog about something "thrifty" for Thrifty Thursdays, today I feel that it is more appropriate to remember and say a little prayer for the victims of the shooting at Fort Hood, TX which took place today. As of this moment, the last report I heard is that 12 people have been killed and 31 have been injured.

Watching footage from the post, the sirens signaling an emergency at the fort are haunting. What a terrifying experience for these people. I cannot even imagine, and my heart goes out to the survivors and the families of those wounded and killed. What a senseless and horrifying event.

Please take a moment to say a prayer for the families and the victims of today's tragedy.

Thrifty Thursdays will return next week.

God Bless

Writing Wednesdays: Music to Write By

2009-11-04T08:59:00.002-06:00

Writers are individual in their habits and styles, just like they're unique in their "writing rituals," if you will. I, for one, always write to music. Whether it's for enjoyment, an online journal or a massive research project, I have music of some sort streaming through my headphones. I realize this doesn't work for everyone; it's completely distracting for some, but for me, music helps me focus. I can tune out the unimportant noise in the room and really concentrate on the words running across the computer screen.

So, I wanted to post a song that I came across about a month ago. It's been inspirational in some of my free-time writing lately, and I'm just in love with the song. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Happy Hump Day! :)

Trivia Tuesdays: MAS*H

2009-11-03T15:58:00.002-06:00

Did you know that the T.V. show M*A*S*H, which is set during the Korean War ran for 11 seasons? The real Korean War lasted for just three years...well, if you count the 1953 cease-fire as the end of the war. Some would argue that it is still an ongoing conflict, but that's a debate for another time. If one uses the 1953 date, then the television show lasted almost four times as long as the actual war...and was obviously more popular.

Incidentally, M*A*S*H was more of a criticism of the Vietnam War than anything, using the earlier Korean War as its platform and setting.

Happy Tuesday! :)

Media Mondays: Are You Ready for Some FOOTBALL??

2009-11-02T14:37:00.004-06:00

Come Hades or high water, I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan. Don't care if Jessica's jinxin' them, if Tony's got butter fingers, even when T.O. was being...well...T.O., I have loved them.

However, I have to hand it to Brett Favre & the Minnesota Vikings. The most entertaining part of this football weekend, in my opinion, was the smack down the Vikings (who picked Farve up after Green Bay dumped him) gave the Packers...and after the Packers fans "boo"-ed when Farve took the field. It would have been one thing if the Packers had actually won, but they didn't & had to fold up their mean signs and go home the losers. Booyah!

(photo credit: Torsten Bolten via Wikimedia Commons)

Free for All Fridays: Life Down Here on Earth

2009-10-30T09:06:00.006-05:00

Well Happy Friday, again! This really is my favorite day of the week. Sure, it's a work day, but by 5 p.m., it's the weekend!

Going through my music library last night, I came across an album that I haven't listened to in a long time. It was given to me by my uncle a couple of years before he passed away and I can't help but think of him whenever I listen to it. He was a lot of fun and while we had our differences, there are times when I wish I could hang out with my Uncle Ronnie. Here's one of Kevin Welch's songs, Life Down Here on Earth. The video is a little low-budget, but listen to the song & I dare you not to smile:

And it got me thinking: life down here on Earth is pretty dang good! We are so blessed with so many wonderful things from our Heavenly Father; so many things that are just for our enjoyment!

And so, this train of thought sent me back to a subject discussed in one of my classes last week: national parks. Just look how beautiful this nation is:

Here's Yosemite National Park (photo credit: National Parks Service). How gorgeous is this?!

Vermont! (photo credit: Vermont Geography Portal) While I've never personally been here, it's on my list of stops (in summer) for the trip to the northeast which I plan to take...sometime! :)

And I had to include this pic from Sedona, AZ, taken by my mother this summer(she's a fantastic photographer, huh?!). I simply love the western part of the United States. I always say I want a summer home in Colorado. How majestic are these peaks and cliffs? Gorgeous!

We have been given so many wonderful gifts and are so blessed to live in this special nation. We must protect and be good stewards over everything we have been given, and this extends beyond the physical aspects of the United States:

(John Trumball "Declaration of Independence"; Architect of the Capitol)

My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.
America (My Country, 'tis of Thee), by Samuel F. Smith
(HymnSite.com)

Happy Friday!

Thrifty Thursdays: Candy Stock Up!

2009-10-29T15:48:00.004-05:00

A quick Thursday edition of "Doodles" to remind you to, after Saturday (Halloween), check out your favorite stores for discounts on candy (if the insulin shock of this weekend is just not enough for you), decorations, costumes, etc.

And, here's a fun picture I shot the other day while at my local discount store:

Only at Wal-Mart (and Target...and Hobby Lobby...and Michael's...and, well, you know) can you shop for Christmas trees BEFORE Halloween! I'm sure the Turkey Day stuff was an aisle or two over...

Writing Wednesdays: Robert Frost & MLA Fun!

2009-10-27T15:37:00.005-05:00

I absolutely LOVE Robert Frost's poetry, which I understand some may view as cliche, but whatever! Here's one of my absolute favorite poems: "Acquainted with the Night." I first encountered it in high school and am still just as enamoured with it!

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
A luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

Thanks to www.poemhunter.com:
Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost

And now for a new resource for those writers who must use MLA out there:

MLA has come out with new guidelines for 2009 which reflect our advancement into the digital/Internet age. The primary change is the addition of "medium." Check this awesome, easy-to-read article out from a writer on Suite101.com! I happened to just come across this a few weeks ago & thought I'd include it here, because though I don't personally use the format in my line of work and study, I know that many schools do require MLA formatting.

MLA Citation Changes 2009

Photo credits: Robert Frost, American Poet, 1941. By: Fred Palumbo, World Telegram staff photographer, Library of Congress
MLA Handbook Cover Shot: www.amazon.com

Trivia Tuesdays: This Week in History & Fun with Google

2009-10-26T18:04:00.006-05:00

This is a busy week in history!

*10/26/1881: The Earp brothers and Doc Holliday fought the Clantons, et al. at the O.K. Corral.

*10/28/1965: The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri was completed (I honestly had no idea it was this young!).

*10/30/1938: The War of the Worlds is aired and radio listeners in America panic at the news of an alien invasion!

*11/01/1512: Michelangelo unveiled his paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

And just for fun, here's one of my favorite Google things that I've come across in recent years:

1) Go to www.google.com
2) Type in "French Military Victories" (without quotes)
3) And hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button

Hehehe!

Thanks to www.history.com for the "This Day in History" info! See more on this exciting week in history at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Landing&displayDate=10/26&categoryId=leadstory

Pictures from Tombstone (1993) & Arc de Triomphe pic courtesy of U.S. Library of Congress

Media Mondays: Artistic Freedoms

2009-10-26T09:44:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, artistic freedoms are a good thing. Take, for example, this clip from The Twilight Saga: New Moon:

This scene totally didn't take place in the book like it's shown here, but "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a..." well, you know the quote! I think the movie will be fan-freakin'-tastic!!

And then other times, "artistic freedoms" (if you want to call them that) don't work out so well. Especially when writing for a children's show featuring creepy puppet-esque/Jim Henson's worst-nightmare characters who can't eat anything...especially a banana:

Thank you, Yo Gabba-Gabba once again for another interesting scene...

Free-for-All Friday: Gratuitous Destruction of Landmarks in Movies

2009-10-23T11:05:00.016-05:00

Last night, my darling husband brought home a new movie; one which he's been chomping at the bit to see: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I'm into guy movies (and no one can deny that it's a "guy movie," there are simply too many explosions and excessively hot chicks in the film for it not to be a guy flick), but I'm game. About 3/4 of the way through, I'm watching as one of the big bad guy robots (I don't know which one, I just know he's up to no good)starts tearing one of the pyramids of Giza to shreds. You'd swear the landmark--nay one of the Wonders of the World--was made out of cheddar cheese, the way this guy was tearing through it.

So it got me thinking: why is it that Hollywood can't (or rarely doesn't) make an action movie without massive carnage to at least one of our national monuments or famous world landmarks?

In no way is this a criticism of the gratuitous destruction of national landmarks in movies, but simply my musings on what this might mean to us, and what it might mean about us, as humans.

This is a common trend in the big, epic, end of the world and action-adventure flicks. Here's one from Planet of the Apes:

And here's the Eiffel tower, meeting her demise in G. I. Joe:

This image is no doubt disturbing for millions of French citizens, but also for the millions of women out there who were proposed to by their boyfriends-turned-fiances from its towering heights.

And here's a pic from Armageddon, which is too eerily prophetic for comfort:

So, why in these, as in countless other films, are landmarks such as these destroyed so violently? I often tease that I would never want to live in a big city if aliens/terrorists/demons/crazed robots attacked...some massive skyscraper would be sure to fall on my head when I least expected it!

The simple reason is this: these monuments are a testament to human greatness, of our ingenuity and superiority here on Earth. To watch a symbol like the Eiffel tower fall is to watch our human technological advances and a symbol of modernity fall (it was, after all a tribute to advancement at its building). It is also a symbol of love, one of those emotions we humans are generally quite fond of.

Watching the Statue of Liberty fall, blow up, or seeing her dismembered head lying on a beach equals the death of democracy and America herself.

In short, Hollywood knows what affects us as humans in a profound way and understands that images of pyramids being shredded, towers burning and monuments crumbling strikes us as an assault against our very existence.

On a lighter note, while there are also the gratuitous images of cleavage in the second Transformers movie (in addition to the destruction of pyramids, etc), there's also a little eye candy for us girls:

That's right, girls! Your hubbies/boyfriends may get to ogle Megan Fox, but we get Josh Duhamel.

And you thought I'd stick a picture of a shirtless Shia LaBeouf up here! I'm sorry, but he'll always just be whiny Cody Maverick to me!

Images from: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009); Planet of the Apes (1968); G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009); Armageddon (1998)

Howdy!

2009-10-22T17:38:00.002-05:00

Welcome to "Doodles on a Notebook," my blog for fun! As a freelance and creative writer and an artist, I have some strange creativity swarming in my head and love to share things I've found and things that inspire me. I'm also a work at home mom (WAHM??) and so value things like coupons and family values. Check back often for Monday-Friday fun!

Here's what's in store:

Media Mondays: music that inspires, movies that I like and news reports of interest.
Trivia Tuesdays: this is just fun. "This Day in History," famous birthdays, word of the week, etc.
Writing Wednesdays: maybe an original poem, maybe a quote from a book, perhaps a new writing reference I've found helpful.
Thrifty Thursdays: deals and steals that I've found as well as recipes, home organization and entertainment on the cheap.
Fun, Freaky, Free-for-All Fridays: my random day of the week. I'll blog about whatever's on my mind, just for fun!

Enjoy!
Love,
Meg