"Focus on trusting your intuition and you will get through it."
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Movie Review: "Cowboys & Aliens"
I wasn't expecting very much from this movie, but I guess some part of me thought Jon Favreau was awesome enough to make a ridiculous-sounding movie at the very least fun and, you know, have a plot. But no. No, no. It's just ridiculous.
It starts reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally slowly, then about halfway through there's a twist that's just kind of stupid, and along the way there are two conflicts that are supposed to be serious but instead feel like the screenwriter just needed to crank out extra pages. And the end is predictable slash boring.
The one piece of silver lining: There's lots of Daniel Craig and some Sam Rockwell to ogle. And they're wearing cowboy duds and cowboys are ALWAYS hot (unless they're playing football, in which case they are usually a disappointment. Looking at you, Tony Romo.)
Wait for this one to come out on DVD and then rent it from your nearest Red Box for $1. I was annoyed at the matinee money I spent on my ticket today.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
I take it back, again
I LOVE when people make me eat my words, and it's happened twice with the casting choices for "The Hunger Games" movies.
I didn't think Jennifer Lawrence could pull off Katniss, but when I saw her in costume with the dark hair, I was sold.
However, I was still skeptical about the actors chosen for Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson.) I take it back, again.
They look exactly right! (And all of these assessments on my part have been based solely on looks. I'm sure they're all excellent actors.) I'm getting more and more excited about these movies!
I pride myself in being knowledgeable of and having good instincts about things relating to movies. But, I have to say, "The Hunger Games" team has proven me wrong twice now and I love, love, love it!
I didn't think Jennifer Lawrence could pull off Katniss, but when I saw her in costume with the dark hair, I was sold.
However, I was still skeptical about the actors chosen for Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson.) I take it back, again.
They look exactly right! (And all of these assessments on my part have been based solely on looks. I'm sure they're all excellent actors.) I'm getting more and more excited about these movies!
I pride myself in being knowledgeable of and having good instincts about things relating to movies. But, I have to say, "The Hunger Games" team has proven me wrong twice now and I love, love, love it!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Book Review: "Thirteen Reasons Why"
Jay Asher's debut novel is a YA suspense/drama that I would have read in one sitting if I hadn't started it late last night and needed to pause for sleep.
The story centers around Hannah Baker, a teenager who committed suicide by swallowing a bunch of pills. Before she took her own life, though, she made a set of tapes that speak about and directly to people and events that affected her along the way. Some negative, some positive, but in the end, everything affects everything.
The instructions Hannah gives at the beginning of the first tape (each tape is dedicated to a person) are for the people to listen all the way through the set and, when they're done, to pass them along to the next person in the sequence. There is a second set of tapes that exist, and the person keeping them has been instructed to release them publicly if any of the people on the list don't follow the instructions. Clay Jensen, who always had a crush on Hannah and spent a little time with her when they both spent a summer working at a movie theater together, is number nine.
Clay has no idea why he's on the tapes and after hearing the first few of them, begins to question every interaction he'd ever had with Hannah, wondering if something he said or did contributed to her decision to kill herself. On top of his panic at that idea, he learns a lot of things he never wanted to know about his classmates and about Hannah herself.
The text switches back and forth between Hannah's recorded voice and Clay's internal (and sometimes external) reactions. It's a very clever presentation. I've read plenty of books written in the format of letters, but I think this might be the first I've read written in the format of a tape. It's essentially the same, but there's something about imagining the actual voice on the other end that makes it a little more... real?
Everything affects everything. (The copy of the book I got from the library was signed by the author, who wrote that line with his signature.) It's not fair or realistic to expect people to always be on eggshells, wondering if every little thing they say or do will kick off a series of events, butterfly effect style, that could lead to a tragedy. But, it's also not fair to assume that the things we say or do don't have weight. Perhaps a good rule of thumb should be to think before we speak or act. Oh. Right. We're supposed to do that already.
I've been on a YA kick recently, but this one could easily read as an adult novel. Let's face it, though -- what better time to identify with the feeling that your life is over than in high school?
Coincidentally (or not, depending on how you feel the Universe works) as I signed on the computer to type this review, the first thing I saw online was the news of Amy Winehouse's death. There's a person who was screaming for help. And people were on hand to give it to her. How many times was she in and out of treatment? How many times did fans show up to concerts, hoping they would be the ones to witness her comeback? How many times did her parents defend her in the media? Perhaps there are just some people who are beyond any help they could get, and when a person is that far gone, I don't know if a tragic result is anybody's fault. But I guess the answer to that is Amy's to keep. Unless she left something for us to listen to.
Oh, right: "I ain't got the time, and if my daddy thinks I'm fine, they'll try to make me go to rehab, I won't go go go."
Monday, July 11, 2011
Why I love Harry Potter
Besides the fact that it's a kick ass story, I love Harry Potter for the same reason that a generation (or two, by now) does: It got them to read.
I was a huge reader when I was a kid. HUGE. I knew exactly when the next Sweet Valley High book was coming out and made my parents take me to BookStop (old school!) to get it on the first day. I owned everything by Judy Blume. I read, and re-read, and re-read and to this day re-read the Little House series. I even had kid versions of the classics like Little Women and Call of the Wild that helped me know what was going on when I eased into the true versions.
In high school, reading became a requirement, which automatically makes it less fun. I still enjoyed (most) of the books, but doing dialectical notebooks for each one was a time suck and a pain in the ass.
~~We now interrupt this blog entry to explain what a dialectical notebook, or DN, is: While reading a book, you write a quote or passage from the book onto the left side of your page, and then on the right explain that quote or passage's significance. Minimum of 3 entries per chapter.~~
The only stuff I remember reading for pure fun in high school was Jane Austen.
In college I dropped reading altogether. This includes my textbooks, for the most part. College was when I went through my whole existential crisis, though, so at least there's a reason.
After I graduated, I just... didn't read.
Here's where Harry Potter comes in.
I had seen all the movies and thought they were really fun. The world fascinated me. I felt like a kid when I watched them. So, in 2007 when Deathly Hallows was published, I decided I'd order the complete Potter set of books and read them straight through. (I maintain that this was the best way to do it. I would have gone insane waiting years between books.)
It took me about six weeks to finish (I read the last half of Hallows in one sitting.) And a magical -- pun intended -- thing happened: I fell in love with reading again.
Now I have a little baby library in my apartment and a regular queue of book hold requests at the library. I borrow from and loan to friends. I can go to the movies and see a set of previews and know exactly what's happening because I've read the books already. (This drives my sister bananas, which makes it that much more fun.) :)
Not only am I now (again) an insatiable reader, I think all this reading is making me a better writer as well. That, I hope, will prove to be invaluable. And I have Jo Rowling to thank for it.
Other people will be emotional about the Potter era coming to a close this week for various reasons, but for me it's more than just the story or the end of an era. It's letting go a little bit of the thing that reignited my mind and spirit and imagination in the most wonderful way. Thanks for that, Jo.
But, as Rowling herself said at the London premiere, we don't have to be sad: "The stories we love stay with us. Whether you come back on the page or on the screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."
I was a huge reader when I was a kid. HUGE. I knew exactly when the next Sweet Valley High book was coming out and made my parents take me to BookStop (old school!) to get it on the first day. I owned everything by Judy Blume. I read, and re-read, and re-read and to this day re-read the Little House series. I even had kid versions of the classics like Little Women and Call of the Wild that helped me know what was going on when I eased into the true versions.
In high school, reading became a requirement, which automatically makes it less fun. I still enjoyed (most) of the books, but doing dialectical notebooks for each one was a time suck and a pain in the ass.
~~We now interrupt this blog entry to explain what a dialectical notebook, or DN, is: While reading a book, you write a quote or passage from the book onto the left side of your page, and then on the right explain that quote or passage's significance. Minimum of 3 entries per chapter.~~
The only stuff I remember reading for pure fun in high school was Jane Austen.
In college I dropped reading altogether. This includes my textbooks, for the most part. College was when I went through my whole existential crisis, though, so at least there's a reason.
After I graduated, I just... didn't read.
Here's where Harry Potter comes in.
I had seen all the movies and thought they were really fun. The world fascinated me. I felt like a kid when I watched them. So, in 2007 when Deathly Hallows was published, I decided I'd order the complete Potter set of books and read them straight through. (I maintain that this was the best way to do it. I would have gone insane waiting years between books.)
It took me about six weeks to finish (I read the last half of Hallows in one sitting.) And a magical -- pun intended -- thing happened: I fell in love with reading again.
Now I have a little baby library in my apartment and a regular queue of book hold requests at the library. I borrow from and loan to friends. I can go to the movies and see a set of previews and know exactly what's happening because I've read the books already. (This drives my sister bananas, which makes it that much more fun.) :)
Not only am I now (again) an insatiable reader, I think all this reading is making me a better writer as well. That, I hope, will prove to be invaluable. And I have Jo Rowling to thank for it.
Other people will be emotional about the Potter era coming to a close this week for various reasons, but for me it's more than just the story or the end of an era. It's letting go a little bit of the thing that reignited my mind and spirit and imagination in the most wonderful way. Thanks for that, Jo.
But, as Rowling herself said at the London premiere, we don't have to be sad: "The stories we love stay with us. Whether you come back on the page or on the screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Movie Review: "Super 8"
Movies that were awesome when I was a kid:
"ET"
"The Goonies"
The "Back to the Future" Series
Everything done by John Hughes
"Hook"
"The Newsies"
"3 Ninjas"
"The Mighty Ducks" Series
"The Sandlot"
"Jurassic Park"
"Now and Then"
"Clueless" (which then led me into other high school-related movies of the '90s, but that's for another post.)
What did everything before "Clueless" have in common? Smart ass kids who weren't attached some electronic device (except for those dorky kids in "Jurassic Park," but I can let that one slide) and who found themselves in a predicament that few if any adults could understand. There was also usually some kind of big adventure or big mystery. And there was also usually the influence of Steven Spielberg.
"Super 8" has all of that. It's awesome. AWESOME. It's set in a small Ohio town in '79. The newest form of technology is the Walkman, which the sheriff hilariously warns is a "slippery slope." That sheriff is probably the old man who keeps calling me at work and asking for random information because "not everyone owns a computer, young lady."
Anyway, these middle school-aged friends spend their summer making a movie on a Super 8 camera, and just happen to witness and accidentally film a train crash. But it's no ordinary train crash. The cargo (which goes missing) is something that the military is in town to retrieve, but they can't talk about it with the locals. So, who takes it upon themselves to figure out what the hell is going on and save the day? The kids, of course!
Remember when you watched these kinds of movies and were totally swept away by them? It will happen again while you watch this. Maybe it's because of the nostalgic setting (I don't know if this storyline would play if it was set in modern day) or that the sarcastic comments and cursing is reminiscent of youth, when you just loved to say the word shit more than almost any other. Maybe it's because these kids look like normal, age-appropriate kids and not some perfect Disneybot.
Whatever it is, watch "Super 8" and it will take you right back to your middle school days. (The fun ones, not the awkward horrible ones.)
Oh, and Spielberg produced. Mint!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Tarot reading
A few days ago I had my first ever Tarot reading done by a woman in my book club who learned how to do it while she was living in Saudi Arabia. I've never done anything like this before. Never been to a psychic or a palm reader (although this same woman dabbled in palm reading and told me, based on some line in my hand, that I am very passionate and will have at least one child. Ok.)
We went with a six-question circle, which looked like this:
Code
Card 1 is about relationships
2 is finances
3 is career
4 is health
5 is travel
6 is querant, the card that sort of wraps the others up into an all-encompassing idea
More lingo
Dignified means the card was facing me when flipped over. Ill-dignified means it was facing away from me (this can sometimes -- but not necessarily always -- mean something negative.)
A lot of the reading was based on what I saw when I looked at the card, so it was art-specific. I couldn't find images of the cards my friend used, and I didn't take pictures, so I'll describe the best I can.
1. Relationships
I got the Ten of Cups, ill-dignified. The cups were spread across the card and filled with water, and there were streams of water and bridges that connected them. The water and connectivity were the first things I noticed.
Meaning: It could mean that I have a lot of relationships in my life that are fulfilling and important to me. I feel the connection to each, and the connections between them. It being ill-dignified could suggest that it's something I worry about losing, or the exact opposite -- that I'm not worried about it at all, therefore it's not high on my radar. (I do worry that I don't have more strong friendships than I do, but I'm confident in the ones that are strong. Also strong are my family connections. No romantic relationship at the moment, but I'm not worried about that.)
2. Finances
I got the Page of Cups, ill-dignified. The page was standing in a field, holding a goblet with his eyes closed and a little smile on his face. He seemed to listening and/or waiting for something or someone.
Meaning: Perhaps he's waiting for the start of something new. Ill-dignified could mean that it's something I've already done, or something I'm about to do, or that I'm not worried about it. (This one was significant. For the past month I've put myself on a fairly strict budget to pay off my credit card. I've already started, and hopefully in the end I'll be fulfilled by not having debt.)
3. Career
I got the Five of Wands, ill-dignified. Five men seem to be fighting each other or competing somehow using big clubs that look like tree branches. A smaller man is standing in the middle of all this with his hands on his hips, smiling like he's enjoying the spectacle. I figure they're doing it for his benefit.
Meaning: Career-wise, this could mean that I feel like I'm in the middle of work competition and vying to impress the folks in charge. Ill-dignified, it could mean that I don't care about all that. (At my current job, I certainly don't care about all that. But in my career as a writer, I know it's going to feel very competitive when it comes time to shop my book to agents and publishers. Multiple meanings!)
4. Health
I got the Four of Swords, dignified. A man is sitting in a tee-pee made out of the four swords and a cloth. He looks desperate and in pain, on his knees and reaching up toward the sky, like he's begging a higher power for help. He's isolated from the village that's in the distance behind him.
Meaning: It could mean that I'm struggling with something and struggling on my own, and that I need help. Dignified, it could mean that I've accepted this and have taken matters into my own hands to solve the problem. (This was HUGE for me. I've made no secret with my weight struggle, which I do feel isolated in handling. This card was the only one that faced me when I flipped it over. The Universe was telling me to pay attention and do something about it already. Also, the day after this reading, my sister called me with some worrying health news of her own. Was the card an omen? I think her call was another moment where they Universe smacked me on the back of the head and said, "See?")
5. Travel
I got the Three of Coins, ill-dignified. The card had three gold coins on the left side and what looked like a marble or stone statue of an artist standing on a pedestal on the right.
Meaning: It could be that it takes an investment, monetary or creative, to get to the point of reverence, like the artist. Someone thought enough of him to make a statue of him. Ill-dignified, it could mean that this level of fulfillment is not within my reach yet, or that I've rejected it. (This card confused me. I didn't really feel anything from it, which I take to mean that I'm not too worried about whether I'm ever revered or not. I think the journey will be the exciting part, whether or not I'm revered at the end is insignificant to me.)
6. Querant
I got the Queen of Coins, ill-dignified. She's sitting on her throne with her head tossed back in a laugh and one arm tossing a coin into the air. She has different objects at her feet and is wearing an expensive-looking gown. She looks comfortable and relaxed. It could be interpreted that she's flaunting her wealth and position, but I don't think she can be bothered to care about the impression she gives. She's too happy.
Meaning: This being the Querant card was almost like seeing what I have to look forward to. It being ill-dignified could mean that I don't have the confidence of the Queen's security yet, or that I don't think I'll get it. (Can I just say how satisfying it was that my overall Querant card was a Queen? AWESOME. I definitely don't have the confidence of her security or prosperity yet, so ill-dignified makes total sense.)
It means something if you get more of one suit (coins, cups, swords, wands) than others, but since mine was fairly even it suggests that I have balance in my life. I guess that's true. All but one of the cards being ill-dignified could mean that I'm not sweating any of those things at the moment, which is also true. I let most stuff roll right off my back. The Health card being the only dignified, like I said, was a big deal for me. I think that's what I need to pay attention to, and the rest will work itself out.
I had the BEST time with this. I want to learn how to do it. Maybe my friend will take me under her wing and teach me. I'll be interested to see how the cards fall next time.
We went with a six-question circle, which looked like this:
[6Q]
[5T] [1R]
[4H] [2F]
[3C]
Code
Card 1 is about relationships
2 is finances
3 is career
4 is health
5 is travel
6 is querant, the card that sort of wraps the others up into an all-encompassing idea
More lingo
Dignified means the card was facing me when flipped over. Ill-dignified means it was facing away from me (this can sometimes -- but not necessarily always -- mean something negative.)
A lot of the reading was based on what I saw when I looked at the card, so it was art-specific. I couldn't find images of the cards my friend used, and I didn't take pictures, so I'll describe the best I can.
1. Relationships
I got the Ten of Cups, ill-dignified. The cups were spread across the card and filled with water, and there were streams of water and bridges that connected them. The water and connectivity were the first things I noticed.
Meaning: It could mean that I have a lot of relationships in my life that are fulfilling and important to me. I feel the connection to each, and the connections between them. It being ill-dignified could suggest that it's something I worry about losing, or the exact opposite -- that I'm not worried about it at all, therefore it's not high on my radar. (I do worry that I don't have more strong friendships than I do, but I'm confident in the ones that are strong. Also strong are my family connections. No romantic relationship at the moment, but I'm not worried about that.)
2. Finances
I got the Page of Cups, ill-dignified. The page was standing in a field, holding a goblet with his eyes closed and a little smile on his face. He seemed to listening and/or waiting for something or someone.
Meaning: Perhaps he's waiting for the start of something new. Ill-dignified could mean that it's something I've already done, or something I'm about to do, or that I'm not worried about it. (This one was significant. For the past month I've put myself on a fairly strict budget to pay off my credit card. I've already started, and hopefully in the end I'll be fulfilled by not having debt.)
3. Career
I got the Five of Wands, ill-dignified. Five men seem to be fighting each other or competing somehow using big clubs that look like tree branches. A smaller man is standing in the middle of all this with his hands on his hips, smiling like he's enjoying the spectacle. I figure they're doing it for his benefit.
Meaning: Career-wise, this could mean that I feel like I'm in the middle of work competition and vying to impress the folks in charge. Ill-dignified, it could mean that I don't care about all that. (At my current job, I certainly don't care about all that. But in my career as a writer, I know it's going to feel very competitive when it comes time to shop my book to agents and publishers. Multiple meanings!)
4. Health
I got the Four of Swords, dignified. A man is sitting in a tee-pee made out of the four swords and a cloth. He looks desperate and in pain, on his knees and reaching up toward the sky, like he's begging a higher power for help. He's isolated from the village that's in the distance behind him.
Meaning: It could mean that I'm struggling with something and struggling on my own, and that I need help. Dignified, it could mean that I've accepted this and have taken matters into my own hands to solve the problem. (This was HUGE for me. I've made no secret with my weight struggle, which I do feel isolated in handling. This card was the only one that faced me when I flipped it over. The Universe was telling me to pay attention and do something about it already. Also, the day after this reading, my sister called me with some worrying health news of her own. Was the card an omen? I think her call was another moment where they Universe smacked me on the back of the head and said, "See?")
5. Travel
I got the Three of Coins, ill-dignified. The card had three gold coins on the left side and what looked like a marble or stone statue of an artist standing on a pedestal on the right.
Meaning: It could be that it takes an investment, monetary or creative, to get to the point of reverence, like the artist. Someone thought enough of him to make a statue of him. Ill-dignified, it could mean that this level of fulfillment is not within my reach yet, or that I've rejected it. (This card confused me. I didn't really feel anything from it, which I take to mean that I'm not too worried about whether I'm ever revered or not. I think the journey will be the exciting part, whether or not I'm revered at the end is insignificant to me.)
6. Querant
I got the Queen of Coins, ill-dignified. She's sitting on her throne with her head tossed back in a laugh and one arm tossing a coin into the air. She has different objects at her feet and is wearing an expensive-looking gown. She looks comfortable and relaxed. It could be interpreted that she's flaunting her wealth and position, but I don't think she can be bothered to care about the impression she gives. She's too happy.
Meaning: This being the Querant card was almost like seeing what I have to look forward to. It being ill-dignified could mean that I don't have the confidence of the Queen's security yet, or that I don't think I'll get it. (Can I just say how satisfying it was that my overall Querant card was a Queen? AWESOME. I definitely don't have the confidence of her security or prosperity yet, so ill-dignified makes total sense.)
It means something if you get more of one suit (coins, cups, swords, wands) than others, but since mine was fairly even it suggests that I have balance in my life. I guess that's true. All but one of the cards being ill-dignified could mean that I'm not sweating any of those things at the moment, which is also true. I let most stuff roll right off my back. The Health card being the only dignified, like I said, was a big deal for me. I think that's what I need to pay attention to, and the rest will work itself out.
I had the BEST time with this. I want to learn how to do it. Maybe my friend will take me under her wing and teach me. I'll be interested to see how the cards fall next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)