happy november!

Greetings, blogging world!

So has anyone else ever had the experience of reading a friend's blog and then following one of his/her friend links to the blog of someone else you know, and then following that person's link to another person you know, and so on and so forth? I did this the other day, and I'm pretty sure I discovered half of my graduating class here on Blogger. As such, I will probably be bookmarking and commenting randomly to people. If you happen to come by here, I apologize for not being very interesting ;-)

In lieu of actual words, here, let me share some really cute pictures!

books, books, books!

Another post in such short time? I'm on a roll!

I was supposed to be in Las Vegas tonight, but since I'm not, and I'm still feeling a little down about it, I thought I would take this opportunity to write about some of the books I've been reading and loving recently!

Percy Jackson And The Olympians. Here are the first three books pictured. There's a fourth, which unfortunately didn't come in a nice little all-in-one picture. The fifth and final book in the series will be out on May 5th of 2009. These are fantastic books. I cannot stress this highly enough. If you enjoyed Harry Potter, or like Greek Mythology, these books are worth checking out. Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy who finds out he's a half-blood -- the son of a mortal and a Greek God. The books are all about his adventures in a modern day America that's immersed with every God, demigod, monster, hero, and myth you could ever think of from classic Greek Mythology. The characters are lovable, endearing, and funny. I know these books are geared toward a younger audience, but I think they're still highly enjoyable for adults. I passed each one on to my mom as I was finished and she's really enjoyed them as well.

The House Of Night series! Yay! Awful pictorial representation! Boo! I love these books. I actually prefer them to the Twilight series. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Edward Cullen, but I like that Zoey, the main character/protagonist isn't seemingly perfect the way Stephenie Meyer makes Bella out to be. Zoey messes up, Zoey has flaws, yet I love her anyway and I'm cheering her on, even when she's making mistakes. The basic premise of these books is this: vampire finishing school. Basically, when a human starts turning into a vampire, they go to a House Of Night to learn about vampires and how to become a one. If their human body accepts the change, they'll become a full-fledged vampire. If their body rejects the change, they'll die. Zoey discovers she's a powerful vampire fledgling and the books are about all the mystery and intrigue she gets up to with her friends at the House Of Night.

They're really fun books and pretty addicting. The authors are PC Cast and her daughter Kristen. It's sometimes hard to get through the "teen lingo" that Kristin Cast has thrown into the book to make the characters seem more realistic to how teenagers are today. I don't actually think it's very realistic at all and is, honestly, somewhat stereotypical, but if you can overlook that element (it gets better, I promise!), these books are worth reading if you're into a good series about vampires! Small warning: Zoey hates swearing and cursing, but a couple of the other characters don't share her viewpoint. Nothing constant and crass (this isn't The Departed, after all ;-) ), but words do show up now and again. There are currently four books in the series -- I've read that the Casts will be writing 9 total! They come out every six months, thankfully.

This little book packs a lot of awesome information in a fairly short number of pages! It focuses on all areas of your life: physical and mental health, spirituality, exercise, happiness -- this book has it all. I'm kind of a geek about self-improvement/New Age books, and this one has been one of my favorites. I loved the recommendations on anything from daily blue green algae supplements (I take them!) to the importance of daily relaxation/meditation. If you come across this book, that may not be the cover -- mine is a pink and orange cover with a flower on the front, and is, of course, lacking the Amazon "look inside!" logo, but that was the only good picture I could find ;-) If you're looking for little ways to improve your overall health and happiness, I'd start here.

I'm taking a class this semester called Novels And Films, and the genre is noir. I've always liked noir, but this class has given me a new appreciation for it. So far we've read three novels -- The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, and The Big Sleep. All good books! The Big Sleep is a little bit slow getting started, The Maltese Falcon is enjoyable from cover to cover, and Double Indemnity is fairly action packed from almost the first page. Murder! Mayhem! Mystery! Private detectives and damsels in (sometimes) distress! All three of the movies have been pretty good as well, but so far I've always preferred the book. Humphrey Bogart IS pretty awesome, though, and he's in two of the three.

my life in pictures

Hello, Blogspot. It's been a while! I can't believe it's already October. This year has gone by so fast. 8 is my favorite number, so I was hoping to make something special out of 2008. I'm not sure that I really achieved all of the goals I wanted to, but nonetheless it's been a pretty ok year! I have good friends, a wonderful little family, and I'm back in school with a solid path in mind. Growing up isn't always as fun as I imagined it would be when I was little, but for the most part I'm content. I do my best to focus on the good things I have going for me and be grateful for those instead of focusing on all the little things I'd like to change.

Here's a few pictures to illustrate what I've been up to since my last post:

I spent a fantastic almost week in July in Las Vegas. I saw Cirque du Soleil's LOVE and Stomp Out Loud. I spent some time with my friends the Benzons and won $40 in a nickel slot machine. I love the city of Las Vegas. Who knew? ;-)

I also went to Philadelphia in August to visit Jenn, and that was also tons of fun. In addition to spending time in the city, we spent a few days with her parents in the awesome little mountain town of Jim Thorpe. We also rode the ferry over to Camden to go to an aquarium.

On Labor Day, the Supper Club was born!

Check out that rockin' Blackberry cult!

Well, that's all for now! I'll be uploading the rest of my Vegas and Philly pictures onto my Photobucket account hopefully soon. Supper Club shenanigans can always be found on Facebook and YouTube.

more filler!

I promise some more actual content coming soon (I took a ten day trip to Philadelphia which was awesome and which there is much photographic and somewhat less videographic (is that even a word?) evidence of) but I just wanted to put this here for now and say hi, hello! I'm ecstatic that so many old friends from high school and my childhood have Blogspots and that I'm finding all of you (or that you're posting Facebook statuses that enable me to know where you are!)

To give this a point, here are ten random things that I think are neat:

- a sincerely and genuinely good book
- that perfect position in your bed that makes you never want to move ever
- honey mustard pringles, or rather, the invention of honey mustard period
- THE MELTING POT. You guys, why did I never know that fondue is AWESOME?
- concerts, music, and the ability to relate to one another on a universal level through these things
- getting to feel like a kid again by having a whole summer sans school and work
- embracing imperfection
- that yoshi's island for super nintendo does not get old after beating it three times within a month
- my mom, and your mom too
- peanut butter

just for fun

I was browsing through some old pictures and found this. From top to bottom: Lucy, Hetty, and Allie. I love my girls. I'll have to hunt down a more recent picture of Lucy and Allie because they are just the sweetest, funniest, most ridiculous dogs in the world. Sometimes I still miss Hetty so much, but pictures of her always make me smile.

"If you're looking for me, I'll be at the show..."

This is a complete list of every concert I've ever been to in my lifetime. I tried to make this as detailed and accurate as I could, and it was fun for me to take a little stroll down Memory Lane and re-visit some of these experiences! Doing this has inspired me to work on a sister list of all the plays and musicals I've ever been to, so we'll see if I'm as successful there ;-)

Headliner: Nelly Furtado
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: The Hallmark Olympic Celebration Series (Winter Olympics 2002)
When/Where: February 18th, 2002 at the Olympic Medals Plaza in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: *NSYNC
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: The Hallmark Olympic Celebration Series (Winter Olympics 2002)
When/Where: February 23rd, 2002 at the Olympic Medals Plaza in Salt Lake City, Utah

Event: The 2002 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies
Performing Artists: *NSYNC, Dianne Reeves, Kiss, Earth Wind And Fire, Harry Connick Jr., Irene Grandi and Elisa, Willie Nelson, Laura Garff Lewis, Charlotte Church and Josh Groban, Moby, Christina Aguilera, Angie Stone (with Moby), Bon Jovi, and Gloria Estefan was supposedly somewhere in there too!
When/Where: February 24th, 2002 at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: *NSYNC
Opening Act(s): Not-So Boyband, Tony Lucca, P.Diddy (with Busta Rhymes)
Tour: The Celebrity Tour
When/Where: April 18th, 2002 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: *NSYNC
Opening Act(s): Not-So Boyband, Tony Lucca, P.Diddy
Tour: The Celebrity Tour
When/Where: April 21st, 2002 at the MCI Center in Washington DC

Headliner: Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera
Opening Act(s): The Black Eyed Peas
Tour: The Justified/Stripped Tour
When/Where: August 8th, 2003 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: American Idol Season 2 Top 10
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: American Idols Live! 2002
When/Where: August 23rd, 2003 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Good Charlotte
Opening Act(s): Goldfinger and Eve6
Tour: The Young And The Hopeless Tour
When/Where: November 14th, 2003 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken
Opening Act(s): The Beu Sisters
Tour: The Independent Tour
When/Where: March 26th, 2004 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Ryan Cabrera
Opening Act(s): Matt Nathanson
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: February 12th, 2005 at the University of Connecticut Jorgenson Center in Storrs, Connecticut

Headliner: American Idol Season 4 Top 10
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: American Idols Live! 2004
When/Where: August 26th, 2005 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Green Day
Opening Act(s): Jimmy Eat World
Tour: The American Idiot Tour
When/Where: September 21st, 2005 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Gwen Stefani
Opening Act(s): The Black Eyed Peas
Tour: The Harajuku Lovers Tour
When/Where: October 25th, 2005 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Fall Out Boy
Opening Act(s): The Hush Sound, From First To Last, Hawthorne Heights, and The All-American Rejects
Tour: The Black Clouds And Underdogs Tour
When/Where: March 19th, 2006 at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey

Headliner: Panic! At The Disco
Opening Act(s): The Hush Sound and The Dresden Dolls
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: July 1st, 2006 at the Festival Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: Justin Timberlake
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: The SexyBack Club Tour
When/Where: August 26th, 2006 at the Avalon in Boston, Massachussetts

Headliner: Panic! At The Disco
Opening Act(s): Cobra Starship and Jack's Mannequin
Tour: The Nothing Rhymes With Circus Tour
When/Where: December 8th, 2006 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Fall Out Boy
Opening Act(s): Permanent Me, The Early November, and New Found Glory
Tour: The Friends Or Enemies Tour
When/Where: January 14th, 2007 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: My Chemical Romance
Opening Act(s): Rise Against
Tour: The Black Parade World Tour
When/Where: February 25th, 2007 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: Justin Timberlake
Opening Act(s): Pink
Tour: The FutureSex/LoveShow Tour
When/Where: March 29th, 2007 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Headliner: Gwen Stefani
Opening Act(s): Lady Soverign and Akon
Tour: The Sweet Escape Tour
When/Where: April 30th, 2007 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Damien Rice
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: May 4th, 2007 at the McKay Events Center in Orem, Utah

Headliner: Morrissey
Opening Act(s): Kristeen Young
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: May 8th, 2007 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Fall Out Boy
Opening Act(s): Cobra Starship, Paul Wall, The Academy Is..., and (+44)
Tour: The 2007 Honda Civic Tour
When/Where: June 4th, 2007 at the Tweeter Center in Camden, New Jersey

Headliner: Justin Timberlake
Opening Act(s): Good Charlotte
Tour: The FutureSex/LoveShow Tour
When/Where: August 13th, 2007 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Headliner: Celine Dion
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: A New Day... (Live In Las Vegas)
When/Where: December 8th, 2007 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Fall Out Boy
Opening Act(s): Doug Neumann, Cute Is What We Aim For, The Plain White T's, and Gym Class Heroes
Tour: The Young Wild Things Tour
When/Where: December 2nd, 2007 at The Joint in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: OneRepublic
Opening Act(s): The Daylights and Eric Hutchinson
Tour: The Dreaming Out Loud Tour
When/Where: January 16th, 2008 at the McKay Events Center in Orem, Utah

Headliner: Cobra Starship
Opening Act(s): We The Kings and Metro Station
Tour: The Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour
When/Where: February 6th, 2008 at Club Sound in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Mika
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: The Dodgy Holiday Tour
When/Where: February 8th, 2008 at In The Venue in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Bon Jovi
Opening Act(s): Daughtry
Tour: The Lost Highway Tour
When/Where: April 5th, 2008 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California

Headliner: My Chemical Romance
Opening Act(s): Drive By and Billy Talent
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: April 11th, 2008 at the Great Saltair in Magna, Utah

Co-Headliners: Paramore and Jimmy Eat World
Opening Act(s): Dear And The Headlights
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: May 2nd, 2008 at the Mark G. Etess Arena at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Headliner: My Chemical Romance
Opening Act(s): Drive By and Taking Back Sunday
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: May 6th, 2008 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: Panic At The Disco
Opening Act(s): Black Gold, Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, and Motion City Soundtrack
Tour: The 2008 Honda Civic Tour
When/Where: May 9th, 2008 at the Festival Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: Panic At The Disco
Opening Act(s): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, and Motion City Soundtrack
Tour: The 2008 Honda Civic Tour
When/Where: June 4th, 2008 at the Great Saltair in Magna, Utah

Headliner: Kanye West
Opening Act(s): Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D., and Rihanna
Tour: The Glow In The Dark Tour
When/Where: June 9th, 2008 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Panic At The Disco
Opening Act(s): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, and Motion City Soundtrack
Tour: The 2008 Honda Civic Tour
When/Where: June 13th, 2008 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada

Event: 2008 Vans Warped Tour
Artists Seen: Relient K (for two songs), The Higher, Beat Union, The Academy Is..., Cobra Starship, Oreskaband, Katy Perry, Gym Class Heroes
When/Where: June 28th, 2008 at the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: American Idol Season 7 Top 10
Opening Act(s): n/a
Tour: American Idols Live! 2008
When/Where: July 14th, 2008 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: The Hush Sound
Openig Act(s): Steel Train and The Cab
Tour: The Dance Across The Country Tour
When/Where: July 28th, 2008 at the Avalon in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: The Hush Sound
Opening Act(s): The Morning Light, Steel Train, and The Cab
Tour: The Dance Across The Country Tour
When/Where: August 22nd, 2008 at the Theater Of Living Arts (TLA) in Phliadelphia, Pennsylvania

Event: The Big Ass Show
Artists Seen: Trapt, Atreyu, Jack's Mannequin, Hawthorne Heights, and Shiny Toy Guns (for about four songs)
When/Where: September 27th, 2008 at the USANA Amphitheater in West Valley City, Utah

Headliner: Panic At The Disco
Opening Act(s): The Cab, The Plain White T's, and Dashboard Confessional
Tour: Rock Band Live
When/Where: October 16th, 2008 at The E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Event: Justin Timberlake And Friends
Artists Seen: The Jonas Brothers, Leona Lewis, Boyz II Men, Esmee Denters, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake (who performed with will.i.am, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, 50 Cent (who had his own solo performance), and Lionel Richie)
When/Where: October 17th, 2008 at the Theater Of The Performing Arts at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Gym Class Heroes
Opening Act(s): Estelle and The Roots
Tour: No Name Given
When/Where: October 19th, 2008 at The House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Cobra Starship
Opening Act(s): Sing It Loud!, Hit The Lights, and Forever The Sickest Kids
Tour: The SassyBack Tour
When/Where: October 21st, 2008 at The Avalon in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Panic At The Disco
Opening Act(s): The Cab, The Plain White T's, and Dashboard Confessional
Tour: Rock Band Live
When/Where: November 1st, 2008 at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: OneRepublic
Opening Act(s): The Hush Sound, The Spill Canvas, and Augustana
Tour: ???
When/Where: November 16th, 2008 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Celine Dion
Opening Act(s): Goldie Brown
Tour: ???
When/Where: February 22nd, 2009 at the Energy Soultions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah

Headliner: Fall Out Boy
Opening Act(s): Hey Monday, Cobra Starship, and Metro Station
Tour: The Believers Never Die Tour Part 2 (?)
When/Where: ??? at the Great Saltair in Magna, Utah

Headliner: Britney Spears
Opening Act(s): The Pussycat Dolls
Tour: The Circus Tour (?)
When/Where: April ? at ? at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada

Headliner: Green Day
Opening Act(s): The Bravery
Tour: ?
When/Where: July ? at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: Blink-182
Opening Act(s): Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy
Tour: ???
When/Where: August 12th at ? in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Headliner: American Idols Live 2009
Opening Act(s):
Tour:
When/Where: August ? at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Headliner: The Killers
Opening Act(s): Nervous Wreckwords and Mariachi El Bronx
Tour: ????
When/Where: September 26th, 2009 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah

Upcoming Shows:

wee disclaimer: All venue/band names listed here are as they were on the date of that particular show. So, for example, I know that the Delta Center is no longer named the Delta Center, but any show I saw there while it was still the Delta Center will be listed as such. Likewise, I refer to Panic At The Disco as Panic! At The Disco because both times I saw them, they hadn't yet dropped the exclamation point from their name. Any future shows I see will be listed sans exclamation point, etc.

There are 60+ books Oprah thinks I should read!

In light of my recent rekindled love of reading, I've decided to take on the task of reading all of the books chosen for Oprah's book club. Anyone who knows me knows that I think Oprah is pretty rad, so this will hopefully be a fun experience! Of the 61 (65, technically) books she's chosen since she started announcing book selections in 1996, I've read one. I'm leaving this list here as a sort of master list/ reference point for myself. I'm still trying to process a clever name for this challenge. Hmm.

1. The Deep End Of The Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
2. Song Of Solomon by Toni Morrison
3. The Book Of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
4. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
5. Stones From The River by Ursula Hegi
6. The Rapture Of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
7. The Heart Of A Woman by Maya Angelou
8. Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris
9. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
10. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
11. A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons
12. Bill Cosby Trio: The Best Way To Play, The Meanest Thing To Say, and The Treasure Hunt by Bill Cosby
13. Paradise by Toni Morrison
14. Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman
15. Black And Blue by Anna Quindlen
16. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
17. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
18. What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
19. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
20. Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts
21. Jewel by Bret Lott
22. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
23. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
24. White Oleander by Janet Fitch
25. Mother Of Pearl by Melinda Haynes
26. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
27. River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke
28. Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay
29. A Map Of The World by Jane Hamilton
30. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
31. Daughter Of Fortune by Isabel Allende
32. Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
33. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
34. While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
35. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
36. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
37. Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
38. House Of Sand And Fog by Andre Dubus III
39. We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
40. Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
41. Stolen Lives: Twenty Years In A Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir
42. Cane River by Lalita Tademy
43. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
44. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
45. Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
46. Sula by Toni Morrison
47. East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
48. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
49. One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
50. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
51. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
52. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
53. A Summer Of Faulkner: As I Lay Dying, The Sound And The Fury, and Light In August by William Faulkner
54. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
55. Night by Elie Wiesel
56. The Measure Of A Man by Sidney Poitier
57. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
58. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
59. Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
60. The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett
61. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
62. The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Other Boleyn Girl + Becoming Jane

I saw The Other Boleyn girl a week ago with Kathleen and I really, really enjoyed it. The Tudor period of England has always been one of my favorite historical eras so it was definitely a fun and interesting couple of hours. Phillipa Gregory's take on the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII isn't exactly historically accurate, but interesting and appealing enough for me to want to pick up the book in the near future.

It was a well-shot movie with visually pleasing sets, scenery, and costumes (the one notable exception being the necklace Anne spent most of the movie wearing that looked like it was stolen right off of Betty Suarez's neck). The storyline was fairly interesting, but what I found most compelling about the film were the characters and the interpretive decisions the actors made in portraying them. I think every actor did a fine job, but I'd like to make special note of Jim Sturgess and Natalie Portman. Jim Sturgess played George Boleyn, and he's probably most well-known for his portrayal of Jude in Across The Universe, a movie I have just recently fallen head over heels in love with, so it was a pretty delightful surprise to see his name up on the screen during the opening credits. He was great. I think I'm officially a fangirl. In the book, Phillipa Gregory chose to portray George as a homosexual, which the movie hinted at but never directly stated, and I thought Jim Sturgess did a good job of layering the nuances of that in very sutble ways. And Natalie Portman is just good in everything, isn't she? Well, "Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo..." aside... ;-) What I really loved about her performance was the way she made Anne cruel and calculating and harsh but absolutely sympathetic all at the same time. I felt sorry for Anne and the way her life never seemed to go her own way, and all throughout the film you could just feel her desperation to have some semblance of control over the things that were happening to her and around her. Very nicely done.

I was, however, not as pleased with Becoming Jane, which I watched last night. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this movie, I just didn't love it. I'm actually rather conflicted as to what rating I should give it on Netflix, which doesn't happen very often. The problem with this movie was that it was well acted, well shot, and well done in terms of props and costuming and location, but the script was just somewhat disappointing. The movie bordered on downright boring in parts, but mostly I couldn't invest myself in a love story that felt like it had no natural progression. I'm not talking about the instantaneousness of "movie love", but when Jane and Tom Lefroy finally gave in to their feelings for each other, it felt forced and unnatural, which is weird because the actors had great chemistry! I don't know, man. Like I said, I think the script was really at fault here. Even the sub-plots felt tacked on. It's an interesting idea, the never-married Jane Austen falling in love in her youth and being inspired to write her great novels by a love that could never come to frutition, but the script just fell flat. There were some good moments, though, and it was worth seeing once. I always enjoy a little bit of Maggie Smith being a cranky British woman in my life.

I love this!

Across The Universe

I watched the film 'Across The Universe' for the very first time on Friday afternoon. Wow. What an incredible two hours that was! I immediately wanted to re-start the movie and watch it again, but I had to go to work, so I'm saving my second viewing for sometime this weekend. This film is very reminiscent of Tim Burton's stylistics, yet I don't think it can quite be compared completely to a Burton film because this movie is just so original and unique and visionary. It's fun and whimsical and strange, the acting is superb, the music is absolutely WONDERFUL (what a fun and clever use of classic Beatles songs), and the characters are real and complex and flawed, but I found myself loving them and cheering for them and wanting every single one of them to have a happy ending. For a movie with such an "psychedelic" feel, the love story was refreshingly realistic. This movie made me not only want to fall in love in the midst of the radical hippy movement of the 60's, but to be a part of that era and that time, to live and love freely without social restraint. Up until today I'd always considered myself a fair-weather Beatles fan -- I know all the hits, I'm familiar with their repertoire, and I appreciate their place in pop culture and what they did for the music scene. However, this movie made me want to be a full-on fan: consider this the beginning of my Beatles Revolution. Eddie Izzard and Bono make fantastic cameos in this film. If you haven't seen it, I highly, highly recommend it!

As a bit of a side note, and without giving too much away, my favorite moment of the entire film happens at the very, very end of the movie when the cast is singing one song and then one of the characters chimes in with the chorus of another song in this sort of sonic duet of bliss. Combined, it sends such an incredible message about life and love, I think. Sometimes I really do believe that all you need is love.

"I think this line's mostly filler..."

Right now I'm currently sitting at my work desk (well, I share it with the other staff members) counting down the minutes until I get to go home (an hour and 13 minutes, as I type this). Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but I'm staaaaarving and according to my mom there's pizza rolls waiting for me.

I feel like I need to include more posts here before I start linking people and pestering them to get Blogspots of their own so I can comment to them and read their posts. It was a little confusing getting everything started, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. Today I've been working on some tweaks and edits, as well as structuring my sidebar links. Blah blah blah, this is all pretty boring, right? I have two books to finish before I start posting book reviews (one book is the third novel just released in a planned series of six, and the other is a book I bought at the bargain price table at Barnes and Noble).

Ok, here's something substantial I think I can post. There used to be a website affiliated with T-Mobile Sidekicks where you could take pictures and post them to a sort of blog (you could also write full-on blog entries if you wanted, no pictures necessary). Well, the website was revamped entirely and what was once hiptop.com is now PoweredByDanger.com. I have a link to my PBD profile off to the right, but haven't uploaded anything there because on the whole, I found the Hiptop site to be much more user-friendly. I lost some (not all) of my pictures and entries on Hiptop when it was usurped, which is unfortunate. So, I'll be uploading to this blog the pictures from my Sidekick that I have currently, and I think I might just cut out the middle man (aka PBD) and just post anything taken on my phone right here. Stay tuned for that, Maddie, since you're the only one reading this right now!

testing 1, 2, 3...

So, here I am. I signed up for this Blogspot because I thought it might be fun to have a place to post pictures and updates about my life somewhere other than MySpace. So we'll see how it goes! My goal is to start taking more pictures and better document the things I'm doing with my "wild and crazy" 20's (and by wild and crazy I mean not at all). So I'm going to work on trying to figure this thing out, and we'll see how it goes!