On the Outside...
Name: Stephanie
Birthday: Nov. 8
Current Status: single
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
On the Inside...
My Fear: How long have you got?
My Weaknesses: being too idealistic/unrealistic, perfectionism...lots more!
My Perfect Pizza: How does this fit into the "on the inside" category? Well, whatever. I love pizza with mushrooms and pineapple together. Yum.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow:
My thoughts first waking up: %&#@*
My bedtime: Right now? 2:00ish.
My most missed memory: What I miss the most? Maybe beach bonfires.
My Pick...
Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi....but preferably, root beer.
Single or group dates: single
Adidas or Nike: Nike
Tea or Nestea: Tea
Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee: neither
Do You...
Smoke: No
Curse: Yes but only when alone or with certain people...and never at work.
Take a shower: No...so if you were wondering what that smell was.... Yes, obviously I shower!
Have a crush: Currently? No.
Think you've been in love: No
Go to school: Well, I work at a school.
Want to get married: Yes...with qualifications.
Believe in yourself: sometimes....and believe in myself to do/be WHAT?
Think you're a health freak: no
In the Past...
Smoked: Nope, I've never tried it, and I've never had any desire to try.
Gone to the mall: Yes. (Of course.)
Been on stage: Yes.
Eaten sushi: only California rolls, and I didn't like them.
Dyed your hair: yes, a few times (never dramatically different...just more red)
Have You Ever...
Played a stripping game: No, and since I suck at poker, I would only play strip poker if my end goal was to be naked in front of whoever I was playing with (which is unlikely).
Changed who you were to fit in: of course
Done something your kids will never know about (at least till they are adults): probably
Age You're Hoping To...
Get married: If it happens, it happens, and I'll be happy whatever my age.
Take your dream vacation: I don't have a specific "dream vacation" so I don't know.
In a guy:
Best eye color: blue or green
Best hair color: blonde, dark brown or black
Short hair or long hair: usually short
Clean cut or scruffy: scruffy
Best attribute: good sense of humor, loves me
What Were You Doing...
A minute ago: this
An hour ago: bathing Pippin (sooo cute!)
A month ago: finishing up the Strengthening Family classes
A year ago: wondering if I would have a job (if the grants would go through)
Finish the sentences:
I love: my bird, hiking by myself, chocolate, reading, fresh-from-the-wash sheets
I feel: ready to go to bed
I hate: cleaning, getting up early, reality shows, game shows
I hide: boxes under my bed and lots of stuff in the laundry room
I miss: the ocean, my relatives in Maine, friends scattered around the country, Novato
I need: to figure out what I'm doing and where I'm headed.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I think that our culture keeps us so busy, we think that busy-ness is a sign of importance...and friends just fit in where they can.
In times of trouble, it’s always interesting who is there for you…and who isn’t. This time around, this sickness, I’ve felt really alone, and it kind of scares me about the gaps in my life. Last time I was really sick like this, I lived in California, and my friends were so amazing. But…my life was also more tightly woven with theirs. I had roommates…and many of those who came around to help, take me to the doctor’s, keep me company, bring me Gatorade, etc. were former roommates. Here, I don’t have family, and maybe my friends aren’t as close as I thought. It’s kind of disappointing. The other hard thing is that when you’re sick, it’s really not the easiest time to go make new friends or even deepen relationships with existing friends. My friends are, for the most part, passively supportive…but I really need friends who are proactively supportive.
One surprising person has been my neighbor…who continually offers to go to the store for me, has called to check on me, invites me over, etc….and I don’t really know why. She’s probably in her late 60’s, has children and grandchildren nearby. She doesn’t need me in any way. She’s just being kind. I think about the parable of the Good Samaritan and how Jesus asked, “Which one of those BECAME a neighbor to him?”
Another supportive person is my aunt. She’s terrible about calling, but when I do talk to her, she just “gets it” so fully. Almost always. It is such a refuge to have someone who understands.
Anyhow, added to my “to do” list for when I feel better….
1. Re-think my relationships.
2. Be there for someone else.
One surprising person has been my neighbor…who continually offers to go to the store for me, has called to check on me, invites me over, etc….and I don’t really know why. She’s probably in her late 60’s, has children and grandchildren nearby. She doesn’t need me in any way. She’s just being kind. I think about the parable of the Good Samaritan and how Jesus asked, “Which one of those BECAME a neighbor to him?”
Another supportive person is my aunt. She’s terrible about calling, but when I do talk to her, she just “gets it” so fully. Almost always. It is such a refuge to have someone who understands.
Anyhow, added to my “to do” list for when I feel better….
1. Re-think my relationships.
2. Be there for someone else.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I Shall Believe
I'm not a huge Sheryl Crow fan (overall), but this is one of my favorite songs:
"I Shall Believe"
Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Even if it's a lie
Say it will be alright
And I shall believe
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly you won't give up on me
And I shall believe
And I shall believe
Open the door
And show me your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like you
And you hold the key
Never again
would I turn away from you
I'm so heavy tonight
But your love is alright
And I do believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly
You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
I shall believe
"I Shall Believe"
Come to me now
And lay your hands over me
Even if it's a lie
Say it will be alright
And I shall believe
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly you won't give up on me
And I shall believe
And I shall believe
Open the door
And show me your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like you
And you hold the key
Never again
would I turn away from you
I'm so heavy tonight
But your love is alright
And I do believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly
You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
I shall believe
Yeah, I guess I'm kind of lame.....
Okay, so, as you probably know, I've been sick a lot this year. And really sick this summer. I went to the doctor's today, and the doctor agreed, yeah, I'm pretty sick. He ordered a whole bunch of tests and mentioned a plethora of possibilities for my illness. One was systemic valley fever (which isn't, technically, valley fever if it spreads beyond the respiratory system but it's the same fungus...and isn't that lovely). Anyhow, I was looking up symptoms of systemic infection, and one is "lameness." Huh. Yep, that would be me. ;) Who knew there was a medical explanation for my perpetual lack of cool-ness........
Anyway, if you pray, I'd appreciate prayers that we'd get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later, and that I will be well. I don't want to have a million tests. I had some x-rays today, lab work tomorrow and an electrocardiogram later in the week. I would like them to find something very easily treatable. Thanks for your prayers.
Anyway, if you pray, I'd appreciate prayers that we'd get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later, and that I will be well. I don't want to have a million tests. I had some x-rays today, lab work tomorrow and an electrocardiogram later in the week. I would like them to find something very easily treatable. Thanks for your prayers.
Media Report
DVDs
*Hellboy-- I didn't like it. I tried to, but I actually found it really boring. The beginning-- with the Nazis and the occult links-- was intriguing....but then it degenerated into l-o-n-g fight sequences between various monsters. I got bored and went to go check my e-mail.
*Torchwood-- I just started watching this British series on DVD. So far, I've only seen three episodes, but I really like it! It's kind of like Alias crossed with X-Files. The series is a spin-off from Dr. Who, but I've never seen Dr. Who and am having no trouble following Torchwood's plot.
*Prime Suspect: The Final Season-- Another British drama, I think I've watched all of the "seasons" (more like mini-series, by American standards). To be honest, the ones in the middle all blur together. However, this last one is about a murder rooted in things that happened in Bosnia. I don't know very much about the Bosnian genocide, but I appreciated the chance to learn a little bit more.
Books
*Seductive Poison (Deborah Layton)-- This has gotten almost 100% 5-star reviews on Amazon. I'd give it a 3 or a 4, but I think that's because I already know so much about Jonestown and cults, in general. I was hoping for new insights, which this didn't really provide. However, if I had read it without that background, I probably would have found the story more interesting.
*Spiderwick Chronicles (Holly Black and Tommy DiTerlizzi)-- I was hoping that this fantasy series would have cross-age appeal like Harry Potter. Unfortunately, it really doesn't. However, it seems like an enjoyable enough series for kids 7-11ish.
*The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander)-- I hadn't read any of the Chronicles of Prydain so I decided to give it a try. I enjoyed this book. I can't say I adored it, but it was a typical hero's quest.
*Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir (Paul Monette)-- This is a memoir about Paul Monette's experience of his lover's battle with AIDS. His lover, Roger Horwitz was diagnosed with AIDS in the early 80s, when so much of the disease still remained a mystery. Monette has significantly more self-awareness than most autobiographers, and he frequently qualifies his perspective. The memoir, drawn from Monette's extensive diaries, frequently reads like an extended diary. This is both a positive and a negative. On the negative side, sometimes it gets bogged down in references to a plethora of people in Monette's social and business circles, as well as an overabundance of little details and daily schedules. On the positive side, it captures the ordinariness of their lives, as well as the subtle effects of AIDS on that life. Monette acknowledges (and I don't think it can be stressed enough) that they weren't "typical" in terms of people in the first wave of the AIDS epidemic. They were both well-educated, well-to-do and well-connected. Their financial resources alone meant that they could afford private nurses, private hospital rooms and time without work. Their connections (to well-connected doctors and scientists) proved to be an even greater boon. Roger was one of the patients in a clinical trial for an early AIDS drug, suramin, which ultimately proved to hasten the progression of AIDS. According to Monette, Roger was also the first person west of the Mississippi to get AZT. However, despite all of that, Roger died about a year after his diagnosis. Monette, who learned of his HIV+ status during Roger's illness, died in 1995.
*Hellboy-- I didn't like it. I tried to, but I actually found it really boring. The beginning-- with the Nazis and the occult links-- was intriguing....but then it degenerated into l-o-n-g fight sequences between various monsters. I got bored and went to go check my e-mail.
*Torchwood-- I just started watching this British series on DVD. So far, I've only seen three episodes, but I really like it! It's kind of like Alias crossed with X-Files. The series is a spin-off from Dr. Who, but I've never seen Dr. Who and am having no trouble following Torchwood's plot.
*Prime Suspect: The Final Season-- Another British drama, I think I've watched all of the "seasons" (more like mini-series, by American standards). To be honest, the ones in the middle all blur together. However, this last one is about a murder rooted in things that happened in Bosnia. I don't know very much about the Bosnian genocide, but I appreciated the chance to learn a little bit more.
Books
*Seductive Poison (Deborah Layton)-- This has gotten almost 100% 5-star reviews on Amazon. I'd give it a 3 or a 4, but I think that's because I already know so much about Jonestown and cults, in general. I was hoping for new insights, which this didn't really provide. However, if I had read it without that background, I probably would have found the story more interesting.
*Spiderwick Chronicles (Holly Black and Tommy DiTerlizzi)-- I was hoping that this fantasy series would have cross-age appeal like Harry Potter. Unfortunately, it really doesn't. However, it seems like an enjoyable enough series for kids 7-11ish.
*The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander)-- I hadn't read any of the Chronicles of Prydain so I decided to give it a try. I enjoyed this book. I can't say I adored it, but it was a typical hero's quest.
*Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir (Paul Monette)-- This is a memoir about Paul Monette's experience of his lover's battle with AIDS. His lover, Roger Horwitz was diagnosed with AIDS in the early 80s, when so much of the disease still remained a mystery. Monette has significantly more self-awareness than most autobiographers, and he frequently qualifies his perspective. The memoir, drawn from Monette's extensive diaries, frequently reads like an extended diary. This is both a positive and a negative. On the negative side, sometimes it gets bogged down in references to a plethora of people in Monette's social and business circles, as well as an overabundance of little details and daily schedules. On the positive side, it captures the ordinariness of their lives, as well as the subtle effects of AIDS on that life. Monette acknowledges (and I don't think it can be stressed enough) that they weren't "typical" in terms of people in the first wave of the AIDS epidemic. They were both well-educated, well-to-do and well-connected. Their financial resources alone meant that they could afford private nurses, private hospital rooms and time without work. Their connections (to well-connected doctors and scientists) proved to be an even greater boon. Roger was one of the patients in a clinical trial for an early AIDS drug, suramin, which ultimately proved to hasten the progression of AIDS. According to Monette, Roger was also the first person west of the Mississippi to get AZT. However, despite all of that, Roger died about a year after his diagnosis. Monette, who learned of his HIV+ status during Roger's illness, died in 1995.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Random quotes
Random quotes recently added to my collection....
*To escape criticism-- do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. -Elbert Hubbard
*This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force. -Dorothy Parker
*Insanity doesn't run in my family. It gallops. -Cary Grant
*The length of this document defends it well against its chance of being read. -Winston Churchill
*If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. -Mother Teresa
*Charity sees the need not the cause. -German proverb
*Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through the snow. -Jeff Valdez
*Make yourself necessary to somebody. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence. -Henrik Tikkanen
*I don't really trust a sane person. -Lyle Alzado
*Reality continues to ruin my life. -Bill Watterson
*People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children. -Bill Waterson
*Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of witnesses. -Margaret Millar (This is extremely true!)
*The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance. -Laurence J. Peter
*Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. -C.S. Lewis
*If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. -C.S. Lewis
*We are all on earth to help others. What on earth the others are here for, I can't imagine. -John Foster Hall
*As scarce as the truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. -Josh Billings
*To escape criticism-- do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. -Elbert Hubbard
*This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force. -Dorothy Parker
*Insanity doesn't run in my family. It gallops. -Cary Grant
*The length of this document defends it well against its chance of being read. -Winston Churchill
*If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. -Mother Teresa
*Charity sees the need not the cause. -German proverb
*Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through the snow. -Jeff Valdez
*Make yourself necessary to somebody. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
*Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence. -Henrik Tikkanen
*I don't really trust a sane person. -Lyle Alzado
*Reality continues to ruin my life. -Bill Watterson
*People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children. -Bill Waterson
*Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of witnesses. -Margaret Millar (This is extremely true!)
*The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance. -Laurence J. Peter
*Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. -C.S. Lewis
*If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. -C.S. Lewis
*We are all on earth to help others. What on earth the others are here for, I can't imagine. -John Foster Hall
*As scarce as the truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. -Josh Billings
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Fandom Meme
List 6 fandoms before looking at the questions:
1. Alias
2. Supernatural
3. Harry Potter
4. Veronica Mars
5. Prison Break
6. Dexter
1. Who is your favorite character from #6? [Dexter]
Dexter
2. Who is your least favorite character from #4? [Veronica Mars]
Madison
3. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include? [Alias, Prison Break]
Actually, they would intersect quite easily. Conspiracies, lots of conspiracies.
4. Who is your favorite ship from #1? [Alias]
Sydney/Vaughn
5. If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be? [Harry Potter, Dexter]
Well, it would be helpful to send Dexter on a date with any of the female villains from Harry Potter....as Dexter could find a way to make them disappear!
6. If you could meet one person from #4 and spend the day with them, who would it be, and what would you do? [Veronica Mars]
I'd hang out with Logan. Maybe he could teach me to surf. Well, we'd think of something.....
7. If you could change one thing about #2's plotline, what would you change? [Supernatural]
I haven't liked any of the female recurring characters. Just get rid of all the girls.
8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and why you like the relationship between them. [Prison Break]
Prison Break has several really intriguing relationships, but one of the sweetest is the friendship between Michael Scofield and (former) cellie Fernando Sucre. Sucre's character is adorable, and even his reason for being in prison is funny (well, kinda). Anyway, he's a good foil for Michael's intensity, and he's an extremely loyal friend with a heart of gold.
9. If the lead title characters (first name in the credits) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be? [Alias, Harry Potter]
Sydney and Harry Potter? I'm sure Sydney would be fine. She'd just siphon air from tires or Jack would save her or something like that. I'd save Harry.
10. If you were able to add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be like and what would their role be? [Dexter]
I think Dexter needs a roommate! Preferably a very nosy one.....
11. What happens in your favorite episode of show #2? [Supernatural]
I'm not sure that I have a favorite episode. I like the brotherly stuff that happens in between the "monster of the week" crises.
12. If you could kill off one of the characters of #1, who would it be and how would you do it? [Alias]
Lauren. Well, they already killed her, but it needed to happen much, much sooner (like, 10 seconds after her character was introduced). Any type of death would be fine so long as she stays dead!
13. If you got the chance to visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which would you choose? [Harry Potter, Prison Break]
Prison Break. Two words: Wentworth Miller
14. So, I saved the best question for last. If you could date anyone from any of these shows, which show and which person?
As much as I love Michael Scofield, he's a dangerous guy to date. I think I would be most compatible with Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper) from Alias.
1. Alias
2. Supernatural
3. Harry Potter
4. Veronica Mars
5. Prison Break
6. Dexter
1. Who is your favorite character from #6? [Dexter]
Dexter
2. Who is your least favorite character from #4? [Veronica Mars]
Madison
3. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include? [Alias, Prison Break]
Actually, they would intersect quite easily. Conspiracies, lots of conspiracies.
4. Who is your favorite ship from #1? [Alias]
Sydney/Vaughn
5. If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be? [Harry Potter, Dexter]
Well, it would be helpful to send Dexter on a date with any of the female villains from Harry Potter....as Dexter could find a way to make them disappear!
6. If you could meet one person from #4 and spend the day with them, who would it be, and what would you do? [Veronica Mars]
I'd hang out with Logan. Maybe he could teach me to surf. Well, we'd think of something.....
7. If you could change one thing about #2's plotline, what would you change? [Supernatural]
I haven't liked any of the female recurring characters. Just get rid of all the girls.
8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and why you like the relationship between them. [Prison Break]
Prison Break has several really intriguing relationships, but one of the sweetest is the friendship between Michael Scofield and (former) cellie Fernando Sucre. Sucre's character is adorable, and even his reason for being in prison is funny (well, kinda). Anyway, he's a good foil for Michael's intensity, and he's an extremely loyal friend with a heart of gold.
9. If the lead title characters (first name in the credits) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be? [Alias, Harry Potter]
Sydney and Harry Potter? I'm sure Sydney would be fine. She'd just siphon air from tires or Jack would save her or something like that. I'd save Harry.
10. If you were able to add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be like and what would their role be? [Dexter]
I think Dexter needs a roommate! Preferably a very nosy one.....
11. What happens in your favorite episode of show #2? [Supernatural]
I'm not sure that I have a favorite episode. I like the brotherly stuff that happens in between the "monster of the week" crises.
12. If you could kill off one of the characters of #1, who would it be and how would you do it? [Alias]
Lauren. Well, they already killed her, but it needed to happen much, much sooner (like, 10 seconds after her character was introduced). Any type of death would be fine so long as she stays dead!
13. If you got the chance to visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which would you choose? [Harry Potter, Prison Break]
Prison Break. Two words: Wentworth Miller
14. So, I saved the best question for last. If you could date anyone from any of these shows, which show and which person?
As much as I love Michael Scofield, he's a dangerous guy to date. I think I would be most compatible with Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper) from Alias.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Jello, poetry, and entertainment update
*Okay, since you asked (yes, YOU :), here are my thoughts on "The More Loving One":
There’s a Felicity episode where Felicity quotes this poem: “If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me.” I don’t even remember the context, but that couplet has stuck with me.
Me, I tend to be rather intense. I care very deeply about the people who are important to me. Oftentimes, I’m not going to find “equal affection,” and if that’s the case, yeah, I would rather care too much than too little.
Okay, so that’s why I like this poem.
Here's my best little paraphrase: We love the stars, but the stars couldn't care less about us. But just think if they could? What if they were radiating love to us every night, and we couldn't return that same passion? Indifference is less painful. In reality though, as much as we think we love the stars, we don't really pine for them during the day. If they suddenly disappeared, we could learn to love the dark night sky just as much. We are fickle.
Here's an analysis of meter and meaning (more meter than meaning, though he does say the theme is the "ambivalence of affection").
*Because I've been sick, I got some Jello cups, which is not a usual food item for me. As I was eating one, Pippin kept looking curiously at the Jello. I pointed to it and said, "Jello." She cocked her head and answered, "Hello!" It was very cute. :) I guess Jello does sound like "hello."
*Atonement-- I recently watched this on DVD. I love the cinematography and the color and feel of the film. It is well-written and well-acted. However, I felt rather let down by the movie. It reminded me of Cold Mountain, though I liked Atonement better.
*Frontline: The Age of AIDS-- I got this 4-hour documentary from Netflix. It is very informative, tracing the international spread of and reaction to AIDS. I was looking for something with more personal stories, which this didn't really address, but it's very good for what it is.
*The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver-- I've liked the Kingsolver books I've read (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven), but it took me multiple attempts to start this book, something I've heard from other readers. The beginning is very slow. However, once I got several chapters into this book, I quickly fell in love. This is a complicated, fascinating novel about a missionary family who travels to the Congo right before Congo's declaration of independence...and the decades of aftermath. It's very good. I highly recommend it.
*Rent: The Broadway Soundtrack-- Awesome!
"The opposite of war isn't peace; it's CREATION!"
"No day but today."
"Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year?"
There’s a Felicity episode where Felicity quotes this poem: “If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me.” I don’t even remember the context, but that couplet has stuck with me.
Me, I tend to be rather intense. I care very deeply about the people who are important to me. Oftentimes, I’m not going to find “equal affection,” and if that’s the case, yeah, I would rather care too much than too little.
Okay, so that’s why I like this poem.
Here's my best little paraphrase: We love the stars, but the stars couldn't care less about us. But just think if they could? What if they were radiating love to us every night, and we couldn't return that same passion? Indifference is less painful. In reality though, as much as we think we love the stars, we don't really pine for them during the day. If they suddenly disappeared, we could learn to love the dark night sky just as much. We are fickle.
Here's an analysis of meter and meaning (more meter than meaning, though he does say the theme is the "ambivalence of affection").
*Because I've been sick, I got some Jello cups, which is not a usual food item for me. As I was eating one, Pippin kept looking curiously at the Jello. I pointed to it and said, "Jello." She cocked her head and answered, "Hello!" It was very cute. :) I guess Jello does sound like "hello."
*Atonement-- I recently watched this on DVD. I love the cinematography and the color and feel of the film. It is well-written and well-acted. However, I felt rather let down by the movie. It reminded me of Cold Mountain, though I liked Atonement better.
*Frontline: The Age of AIDS-- I got this 4-hour documentary from Netflix. It is very informative, tracing the international spread of and reaction to AIDS. I was looking for something with more personal stories, which this didn't really address, but it's very good for what it is.
*The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver-- I've liked the Kingsolver books I've read (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven), but it took me multiple attempts to start this book, something I've heard from other readers. The beginning is very slow. However, once I got several chapters into this book, I quickly fell in love. This is a complicated, fascinating novel about a missionary family who travels to the Congo right before Congo's declaration of independence...and the decades of aftermath. It's very good. I highly recommend it.
*Rent: The Broadway Soundtrack-- Awesome!
"The opposite of war isn't peace; it's CREATION!"
"No day but today."
"Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year?"
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The More Loving One
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
-- W. H. Auden
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
-- W. H. Auden
Huh.
About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him-- and I don't know how dominant that part might be-- that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
-Twilight
Oh, please! Could we be more cheesy and melodramatic?? I wasn't really looking forward to reading Twilight, but I did promise some of the girls (Twilight-crazed 13-year-olds) that I would read it over the summer. So anyway, I've been sick-- really sick-- for the past three weeks and finally broke down and started Twilight a few days ago. Um, yeah, now (about 1500 pages later) I'm almost done with the third book in the series and eagerly anticipating the fourth.
How did this happen? I don't know. Let's blame it on the illness.
Seriously, the books ARE cheesy and melodramatic and not exceptionally well-written. (I wouldn't say they are poorly written, but there's no subtlety or even vocabulary.) They are ADDICTIVE though! There's a lot of suspense....and they vibrate with teenage girl energy.
So...do I recommend them? Eh, not to most of you. But...they are kind of fun.....especially if you are sick...and like vampires and werewolves and blood...oh my!
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him-- and I don't know how dominant that part might be-- that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
-Twilight
Oh, please! Could we be more cheesy and melodramatic?? I wasn't really looking forward to reading Twilight, but I did promise some of the girls (Twilight-crazed 13-year-olds) that I would read it over the summer. So anyway, I've been sick-- really sick-- for the past three weeks and finally broke down and started Twilight a few days ago. Um, yeah, now (about 1500 pages later) I'm almost done with the third book in the series and eagerly anticipating the fourth.
How did this happen? I don't know. Let's blame it on the illness.
Seriously, the books ARE cheesy and melodramatic and not exceptionally well-written. (I wouldn't say they are poorly written, but there's no subtlety or even vocabulary.) They are ADDICTIVE though! There's a lot of suspense....and they vibrate with teenage girl energy.
So...do I recommend them? Eh, not to most of you. But...they are kind of fun.....especially if you are sick...and like vampires and werewolves and blood...oh my!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)