So, this weekend was basically insane. Working, celebrating the boyfriend and my four year anniversary (I know, I know, heckuva long time), Bratfest, and Memorial Day Parade. I am definitely ready for a break. Unfortunately, I don't get one.*le sigh* Well, at least the insanity was fun.
For our anniversary, the boyfriend and I ate lunch at TGIF's and then watched Thor. TGIF's was delicious! We split a plate of mozzarella sticks, which you can almost never go wrong with, and I had some sort of Chicken Sandwich, with cheese, fried onions, tomato, lettuce, ketchup, and pickles, and also a side salad, as well as some of Jordan's fries. Holy. Crap. The portions were absolutely HUGE-NORMOUS! I actually saved half of my sandwich for dinner later that day and boy was I stuffed! As for the movie, it was rather disappointing. The pacing was just way too fast and the relationship between the scientist girl and Thor was poorly developed. Kat Dennings did a commendable job at trying to save the film with her humor, but ultimately failed to keep it afloat. Oh well. Still had a fun time with my honey. :)
Yesterday we went to Bratfest!! In case you don't know what that is, it's basically a giant festival celebrating brats, which are basically giant hot dogs, but way way tastier and savory. Om nom nom nom. There's music and food and games and rides and all sorts of fun stuff! When Jordan and I went, the weather wasn't too great (it had just rained and was pretty muddy), but it was still very entertaining. We rode a couple rides before getting our brats. The Tilt-a-whirl was definitely my fave, because it's so much more fun than it looks. I also went on the Gravitron for the first time and that was really trippy. I also disovered I have this tendency to laugh hysterically when I'm subjugated to abnormal G-forces, so I laughed a lot on both of those rides.
Going on all the rides really psyched me up for the summer. I wanna go to Six Flags!!! I think I'm just really in the mood for crazy adventures right now, and I can't wait to see what's in store!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
My Preoccupation with "Heroes"
So, I know I've already posted about a song called "Hero," but this seems to be one of my more insistent obsessions. It's only rather recently that I've noticed how much I love them. Superman and Peter Parker have always been my favorite comic book heroes. When it was still running, I was a loyal follower of the NBC drama "Heroes." Middle Earth and Narnia have always enchanted me. There is just something about superheroes and epic heroes that just appeals to me.
Of course, there is the whole "superpowers/shiny armor" thing that I enjoy. Who wouldn't want the ability to fly, or healing powers, or an awesome sword? But there's more than that. It's the story, the journey that these heroes take that really draws me in. It always starts the same. Ordinary boy/girl living in an unremarkable world makes a decision that changes his or her life, faces monsters/demons both inside them and in the real world and somehow defeats them, emerging victorious and wiser because of it. Every single hero goes through this process, in different ways and forms.
I think the reason that heroes appeal to me, and to other people as well, is that they represent the best parts of ourselves. We see ourselves in them when they fail and we hope to be like them when they succeed. I know how Peter feels when he is running around New York, trying to juggle his school, his friends, his family and his responsibilities to the people. I know how Clark Kent feels when he is thinking that he might not belong to this world. I understand Aragorn and the Pevensies' desire to protect their loved ones from harm. And I hope that when I'm faced with a tough decision that I'll be able to make the right choice. And yes, I'm aware that not all heroes make the right choice. But then again, neither do all humans. They're just like us.
I believe that there's a hero in all of us, waiting for us to realize he or she is there. Somewhere inside everyone there is a desire to slap on a pair of tights and a cape and rid the world of evil, it's just that we are afraid. If we declare ourselves heroes, then that makes us a target for the villains. It puts us at risk, marks us as different, and sometimes isolates us. But if we don't listen to our inner hero, if we squash our desire to help others, if we refuse to live out the story of our lives, then what are we doing?
Sure, I understand that being a hero is hard. I've read enough comics and seen enough movies to know that a hero's life is not picture perfect. And I know that I'm not going to be the one to come to the rescue all the time. But still. I like to think that sometimes the one who saves the day, the one who makes the right choice will be me. And it can be you too. :)
Of course, there is the whole "superpowers/shiny armor" thing that I enjoy. Who wouldn't want the ability to fly, or healing powers, or an awesome sword? But there's more than that. It's the story, the journey that these heroes take that really draws me in. It always starts the same. Ordinary boy/girl living in an unremarkable world makes a decision that changes his or her life, faces monsters/demons both inside them and in the real world and somehow defeats them, emerging victorious and wiser because of it. Every single hero goes through this process, in different ways and forms.
I think the reason that heroes appeal to me, and to other people as well, is that they represent the best parts of ourselves. We see ourselves in them when they fail and we hope to be like them when they succeed. I know how Peter feels when he is running around New York, trying to juggle his school, his friends, his family and his responsibilities to the people. I know how Clark Kent feels when he is thinking that he might not belong to this world. I understand Aragorn and the Pevensies' desire to protect their loved ones from harm. And I hope that when I'm faced with a tough decision that I'll be able to make the right choice. And yes, I'm aware that not all heroes make the right choice. But then again, neither do all humans. They're just like us.
I believe that there's a hero in all of us, waiting for us to realize he or she is there. Somewhere inside everyone there is a desire to slap on a pair of tights and a cape and rid the world of evil, it's just that we are afraid. If we declare ourselves heroes, then that makes us a target for the villains. It puts us at risk, marks us as different, and sometimes isolates us. But if we don't listen to our inner hero, if we squash our desire to help others, if we refuse to live out the story of our lives, then what are we doing?
Sure, I understand that being a hero is hard. I've read enough comics and seen enough movies to know that a hero's life is not picture perfect. And I know that I'm not going to be the one to come to the rescue all the time. But still. I like to think that sometimes the one who saves the day, the one who makes the right choice will be me. And it can be you too. :)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Summer/Soundhound
Well, gang, from what I've seen so far of it, this summer might be awesome, terrible, or a weird, unfortunate mixture of the two. Here's the run down so far.
That's about it so far. Hopefully things start improving. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a really neat little app available for iPods, iPhones, smart phones, and whatever else have you. It's called Soundhound. It's an app that will allow you to record a snippet of a song with your microphone, and then it will search its databanks and find the name, artist, album and all the other info about that song! It's super amazing. You can even sing a little bit of the song into your microphone and it will find the song info for you. Now, when you hear a really awesome song on the radio, you won't always be left wondering who it's by and the name and all that. You don't have to try and remember some of the lyrics or anything! Just record and search. I've used this app plenty of times so far and have found at least a dozen new songs to listen to. (Loving it!) The best part? It's FREE!
Granted, the Soundhound database does have a few holes in it, so if the song is really super obscure, it might not be able to find it for you. I've only experienced this once before, and I was able to find the song the old school way (searching some of the lyrics). This app is still definitely worth downloading.
Anyways, next time I'm thinking I'll post up part of a short story I wrote for Creative Writing class last semester. It's actually semi-autobiographical and deals with the issue of interracial couples and culture clashes. Hopefully it's not too horrendous.
Until next time!
~Becca
- I've applied to no less than eight jobs in about two weeks and haven't heard back from any of them. It should be noted here that I have spent the last academic year trying to find a job and have gotten lots of interviews, but no job offers. (I really hope it's not that I'm horrible and unprofessional and ugly in person.) I am disappoint.
- I traveled six hours total to help my boyfriend move out of his dorm room. It was a long, sleepy adventure.
- I just realized that taxes last month basically wiped out all the money I had in the bank, so I had to ask my parents for money for the first time, as an adult. It kind of sucked a lot.
- I got my grades for this past semester. Straight A's. Word.
- I realized that even if I work full time during the summer (assuming I get a job that starts in June), I can only hope to make $2000 maximum before having to leave for London.
That's about it so far. Hopefully things start improving. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a really neat little app available for iPods, iPhones, smart phones, and whatever else have you. It's called Soundhound. It's an app that will allow you to record a snippet of a song with your microphone, and then it will search its databanks and find the name, artist, album and all the other info about that song! It's super amazing. You can even sing a little bit of the song into your microphone and it will find the song info for you. Now, when you hear a really awesome song on the radio, you won't always be left wondering who it's by and the name and all that. You don't have to try and remember some of the lyrics or anything! Just record and search. I've used this app plenty of times so far and have found at least a dozen new songs to listen to. (Loving it!) The best part? It's FREE!Granted, the Soundhound database does have a few holes in it, so if the song is really super obscure, it might not be able to find it for you. I've only experienced this once before, and I was able to find the song the old school way (searching some of the lyrics). This app is still definitely worth downloading.
Anyways, next time I'm thinking I'll post up part of a short story I wrote for Creative Writing class last semester. It's actually semi-autobiographical and deals with the issue of interracial couples and culture clashes. Hopefully it's not too horrendous.
Until next time!
~Becca
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Special Sort of Brownies
STAR WARS BROWNIES! What kind of brownies did you think I was talking about? (lol)
So last year I found this "Star Wars Cookbook" that I just had to have. It's full of recipes like "Wookie Cookies," "Hoth Chocolate," and "Boba Fett-uccine." My boyfriend and I both being lovers of food and Star Wars, I decide to Amazon that stuff right then and there to try some of the recipes. Now I must confess that I have only tried one thing from the cookbook and it's (you guessed it) the brownies. Their proper name is Bossk Brownies. Everyone I've served them to has really enjoyed them (my siblings say that they taste "salty" but they are all just being mean because it's me), so I thought I'd share the recipes with you. All ownership goes to whoever wrote the cookbook.
Ingredients
Butter for greasing baking dish
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I only use 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (or microwaved until half-melted, but NOT boiling)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspooon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate or butterscotch chips (or peanut butter, if you wish)
How to Make 'Em
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2) Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. (I like to use a whisk to make sure everything is nice and mixed. Also, you might want to use a spoon or something to break up the little lumps of baking powder.) Set aside.
3) Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in another bowl and mix until creamy. You can use either a electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Either works well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until blended. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
4) Pour into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with the wooden spoon.
5) Bake it. Bake it good. (About 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.)
6) Using pot holders (unless you're impervious to burning), take out the dish and let cool completely before cutting into pieces.
7) Enjoy!
I think this summer, if I don't get a second job, I'll try some of the other recipes and see how they turn out. For now, the Force is strong with these brownies.
Until next time!
~Becca
So last year I found this "Star Wars Cookbook" that I just had to have. It's full of recipes like "Wookie Cookies," "Hoth Chocolate," and "Boba Fett-uccine." My boyfriend and I both being lovers of food and Star Wars, I decide to Amazon that stuff right then and there to try some of the recipes. Now I must confess that I have only tried one thing from the cookbook and it's (you guessed it) the brownies. Their proper name is Bossk Brownies. Everyone I've served them to has really enjoyed them (my siblings say that they taste "salty" but they are all just being mean because it's me), so I thought I'd share the recipes with you. All ownership goes to whoever wrote the cookbook.
Ingredients
Butter for greasing baking dish
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I only use 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (or microwaved until half-melted, but NOT boiling)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspooon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate or butterscotch chips (or peanut butter, if you wish)
How to Make 'Em
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2) Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. (I like to use a whisk to make sure everything is nice and mixed. Also, you might want to use a spoon or something to break up the little lumps of baking powder.) Set aside.
3) Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in another bowl and mix until creamy. You can use either a electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Either works well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until blended. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
4) Pour into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with the wooden spoon.
5) Bake it. Bake it good. (About 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.)
6) Using pot holders (unless you're impervious to burning), take out the dish and let cool completely before cutting into pieces.
7) Enjoy!
I think this summer, if I don't get a second job, I'll try some of the other recipes and see how they turn out. For now, the Force is strong with these brownies.
Until next time!
~Becca
Sunday, May 15, 2011
It Is Officially Official
SO! I've turned in the very last form for studying abroad this fall. London is so close I can smell it! (It smells like tea and crumpets.) Also, IT IS SUMMER!! *wiggly arm dance* I got done with finals on Wednesday and it is only just hitting me now, because I don't have to wake up at six in the morning tomorrow!! Oh. Em. Gee. So. Happy. Really, I am. Can't you tell?
In any case, I've been wondering a bit lately about whether I should start another blog. I love this blog so far, but it seems a bit too personal and rather random to me. I've told a few of my professors and advisors that I was planning on starting a blog, and they asked me to send them a link when I did. Should I start another one that's focused solely on my study abroad experience?
In any case, I've been wondering a bit lately about whether I should start another blog. I love this blog so far, but it seems a bit too personal and rather random to me. I've told a few of my professors and advisors that I was planning on starting a blog, and they asked me to send them a link when I did. Should I start another one that's focused solely on my study abroad experience?
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day!/Storymatic
Happy Mother's Day everyone, especially those of you who are mothers. Thank you so much for blessing those of us who are children with your awesomeness. :D
For today's post, I'd like to bring to all of your attention one of the awesomest writing tools ever created for writing. It is called (la-loo~!) The Storymatic.
The Storymatic was developed by a guy named Brian Mooney, a successful creative writing teacher. It's basically a giant box full of little colored cards. Gold cards have character traits written on them, such as "surgeon" or "amateur boxer" or "subject of a medical experiment." Copper cards have events/situations written on them, like "nobody is watching" or "e-mail that cannot be un-sent" or "this time it's bound to work." If you've encountered (and by encountered, I mean slammed into like a semi-truck carrying bricks) the horrible, terrible, no-good, very-bad thing called writer's block, then all you have to do is pull out one gold card and one copper card and then WRITE! This may not be a cure-all for the injuries you've sustained from the semi vs. block accident, but it's the first step on the way to recovery, for sure.
Alternatively, it can be used as a game, akin to Exquisite Corpse (the one where one person writes a sentence, then the next person must draw a picture of that sentence, then the next person must write what is going on in the previous person's picture, and the person after that must draw a picture of the previous person's sentence and etc), or a teaching tool, or as a prompt maker for visual artists, or just as a thought-provoker. In any case, it is guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing.
I was first introduced to this little box of magic in my Creative Writing class. My reaction was probably along the lines of "OMG MUSTHAVE WANTNOW GIMME." I haven't gotten around to buying it yet, as I've been hoping someone would be kind enough to buy it for me as a gift, but if that doesn't happen by the end of summer, I'll definitely be getting it for myself. It's going at about $30 on the Storymatic website, and as far as I know, that's the only place you can get it. Gah, talking about this makes me want to buy it right now. Must. RESIST! Must. Save. Money!
In any case, as a sort of example of a story that can be brought to life by the Storymatic, here is a "live broadcast" of me, taking a few of the prompts and spending exactly five minutes writing.
Prompts: "neglected sibling," "person who will do whatever it takes," and "can't get down from roof"
Ready? Set? GO!
Sarah crouched on the roof of her house in the middle of a humid, hot, oppresive Wisconsin summer, trying to judge exactly how far of a jump it would be from where she was to the ground. Her father and brother had been up here before, patching a bit of tiling that had gotten damaged in the last big thunderstorm. She'd brought them up some lunch, but then Dad and Michael had both gone down to use the bathroom, and then suddenly, when she'd turned around, the ladder she had used to get up here was gone. Great. This was going to be fun.
"Dad? Mike? I'm still up here you know!"
Nobody answered. They never did. Sarah scrambled her way to the other end of the roof and looked around, just to see if there were any way to get down from over there. She knew that there wasn't-the oak tree in their front yard was the only thing that was taller than their house-but it didn't hurt to look. She considered stomping on the roof to try and get her mom's attention. Mom was probably in the kitchen, cleaning. She cleaned a lot. But that probably wasn't a good idea, as the broken tiles weren't the first problems they'd had with the roof. So Sarah made herself as comfortable as she could and looked up at the blue, cloudless sky, and wondered how long it would be until her family noticed she was missing, or if they would even notice at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. I'm not getting paid to endorse this product (why would I be?). I just wanted to share with all of you. :D
For today's post, I'd like to bring to all of your attention one of the awesomest writing tools ever created for writing. It is called (la-loo~!) The Storymatic.
The Storymatic was developed by a guy named Brian Mooney, a successful creative writing teacher. It's basically a giant box full of little colored cards. Gold cards have character traits written on them, such as "surgeon" or "amateur boxer" or "subject of a medical experiment." Copper cards have events/situations written on them, like "nobody is watching" or "e-mail that cannot be un-sent" or "this time it's bound to work." If you've encountered (and by encountered, I mean slammed into like a semi-truck carrying bricks) the horrible, terrible, no-good, very-bad thing called writer's block, then all you have to do is pull out one gold card and one copper card and then WRITE! This may not be a cure-all for the injuries you've sustained from the semi vs. block accident, but it's the first step on the way to recovery, for sure.
Alternatively, it can be used as a game, akin to Exquisite Corpse (the one where one person writes a sentence, then the next person must draw a picture of that sentence, then the next person must write what is going on in the previous person's picture, and the person after that must draw a picture of the previous person's sentence and etc), or a teaching tool, or as a prompt maker for visual artists, or just as a thought-provoker. In any case, it is guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing.
I was first introduced to this little box of magic in my Creative Writing class. My reaction was probably along the lines of "OMG MUSTHAVE WANTNOW GIMME." I haven't gotten around to buying it yet, as I've been hoping someone would be kind enough to buy it for me as a gift, but if that doesn't happen by the end of summer, I'll definitely be getting it for myself. It's going at about $30 on the Storymatic website, and as far as I know, that's the only place you can get it. Gah, talking about this makes me want to buy it right now. Must. RESIST! Must. Save. Money!
In any case, as a sort of example of a story that can be brought to life by the Storymatic, here is a "live broadcast" of me, taking a few of the prompts and spending exactly five minutes writing.
Prompts: "neglected sibling," "person who will do whatever it takes," and "can't get down from roof"
Ready? Set? GO!
Sarah crouched on the roof of her house in the middle of a humid, hot, oppresive Wisconsin summer, trying to judge exactly how far of a jump it would be from where she was to the ground. Her father and brother had been up here before, patching a bit of tiling that had gotten damaged in the last big thunderstorm. She'd brought them up some lunch, but then Dad and Michael had both gone down to use the bathroom, and then suddenly, when she'd turned around, the ladder she had used to get up here was gone. Great. This was going to be fun.
"Dad? Mike? I'm still up here you know!"
Nobody answered. They never did. Sarah scrambled her way to the other end of the roof and looked around, just to see if there were any way to get down from over there. She knew that there wasn't-the oak tree in their front yard was the only thing that was taller than their house-but it didn't hurt to look. She considered stomping on the roof to try and get her mom's attention. Mom was probably in the kitchen, cleaning. She cleaned a lot. But that probably wasn't a good idea, as the broken tiles weren't the first problems they'd had with the roof. So Sarah made herself as comfortable as she could and looked up at the blue, cloudless sky, and wondered how long it would be until her family noticed she was missing, or if they would even notice at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. I'm not getting paid to endorse this product (why would I be?). I just wanted to share with all of you. :D
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Something Substantial: Being Human
So it occurred to me that some people might actually want to learn a few things, be made to think about things, have their interest piqued or their emotions stirred when they read my blog. Whaaaaaaaaaaat? I know, right? Anyways, I guess for the next few days/weeks, I'll be posting up things that I enjoy doing or have an interest in and some information about it in case you find you'd like to take it up yourself. Hopefully I'll find you something super awesome great to do!
First things first: I found an awesome new show on Syfy a little while ago, and I've been pretty obsessed with it ever since. It's called "Being Human," and it is usually on Mondays at 8, but is currently between seasons. I don't know when the second season premiere is supposed to be, but I imagine it won't be for quite a while (some sources say 2012. Boo.). It's based off of the British show of the same name, which is currently up to season three in the UK. I haven't watched any of the British version, but things are probably pretty similar, except for the location and the names of the characters. Here's the gist of things in the US.
Josh is a 20-something year old guy who just wants a normal life. He was scratched by a werewolf two years ago and is now cursed with the whole werewolf dealio. He lives in Boston with Aidan, a vampire who was turned during the Civil War, who has been trying to live "clean" and not drink from live humans, subsisting instead on bagged, donated blood, which apparently tastes like dirt or pickled goat's tongues or something else really really nasty. Josh and Aidan also live with Sally, who is a ghost, trapped in the house where she died, and unable to remember how she passed or why she is still here, and is really really happy to have someone to talk to after being ignored for the past six months.
Top left: Aidan, top right: Josh, bottom left: Sally.
I really like it because not only is it supernatural and funny, it also raises a lot of questions about what it means to be human. What does it take to be classified as such? Is it really just a certain number of chromosomes or a certain arrangement of genes? What about the capacity to love, to learn, to feel pain, happiness or compassion? It also deals with the issue of family. SPOILER WARNING! SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOURSELF. Josh's family thinks he had a mental breakdown and ran away, Aidan killed his wife and son, and Sally's fiancee killed her by pushing her down the stairs. These three are pretty messed up, but they somehow band together to form a cohesive, mildly functional family unit. Yay!
I should warn you though. This show is not for little kiddies. You probably shouldn't watch it on the family TV if you have children under the age of 15 or so (it's all up to your discretion, but that's my personal opinion). There is lots of blood and gore, sex, death, and such like. It can get pretty dark and existential sometimes, which I enjoy, but isn't for everyone. Anyways, if it sounds interesting, go here for the official show webpage and here for the Wikipedia page with all the episode summaries and things. You can find all the episodes on this YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Lastly, few bits of trivia, for all you Star Wars geeks out there, like me.
~Aidan is played by Sam Witwer, who some of you might recognize as Starkiller from the video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed." He provided the looks and the voice for that character, as well as the voice for Emperor Palpatine in that game! Crazy, right? You can also find him in Smallville, season 8 as Davis Bloome/Doomsday.
~Josh is played by Sam Huntington, who Star Wars geeks may recognize as Eric from the parody movie "Fanboys," Jimmy Olsen from the movie "Superman Returns," and/or Marcus Adams from the new movie "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night." He's been in a lot of stuff!
Until next time,
~Becca
First things first: I found an awesome new show on Syfy a little while ago, and I've been pretty obsessed with it ever since. It's called "Being Human," and it is usually on Mondays at 8, but is currently between seasons. I don't know when the second season premiere is supposed to be, but I imagine it won't be for quite a while (some sources say 2012. Boo.). It's based off of the British show of the same name, which is currently up to season three in the UK. I haven't watched any of the British version, but things are probably pretty similar, except for the location and the names of the characters. Here's the gist of things in the US.
Josh is a 20-something year old guy who just wants a normal life. He was scratched by a werewolf two years ago and is now cursed with the whole werewolf dealio. He lives in Boston with Aidan, a vampire who was turned during the Civil War, who has been trying to live "clean" and not drink from live humans, subsisting instead on bagged, donated blood, which apparently tastes like dirt or pickled goat's tongues or something else really really nasty. Josh and Aidan also live with Sally, who is a ghost, trapped in the house where she died, and unable to remember how she passed or why she is still here, and is really really happy to have someone to talk to after being ignored for the past six months.
I really like it because not only is it supernatural and funny, it also raises a lot of questions about what it means to be human. What does it take to be classified as such? Is it really just a certain number of chromosomes or a certain arrangement of genes? What about the capacity to love, to learn, to feel pain, happiness or compassion? It also deals with the issue of family. SPOILER WARNING! SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOURSELF. Josh's family thinks he had a mental breakdown and ran away, Aidan killed his wife and son, and Sally's fiancee killed her by pushing her down the stairs. These three are pretty messed up, but they somehow band together to form a cohesive, mildly functional family unit. Yay!
I should warn you though. This show is not for little kiddies. You probably shouldn't watch it on the family TV if you have children under the age of 15 or so (it's all up to your discretion, but that's my personal opinion). There is lots of blood and gore, sex, death, and such like. It can get pretty dark and existential sometimes, which I enjoy, but isn't for everyone. Anyways, if it sounds interesting, go here for the official show webpage and here for the Wikipedia page with all the episode summaries and things. You can find all the episodes on this YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Lastly, few bits of trivia, for all you Star Wars geeks out there, like me.
~Aidan is played by Sam Witwer, who some of you might recognize as Starkiller from the video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed." He provided the looks and the voice for that character, as well as the voice for Emperor Palpatine in that game! Crazy, right? You can also find him in Smallville, season 8 as Davis Bloome/Doomsday.
~Josh is played by Sam Huntington, who Star Wars geeks may recognize as Eric from the parody movie "Fanboys," Jimmy Olsen from the movie "Superman Returns," and/or Marcus Adams from the new movie "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night." He's been in a lot of stuff!
Until next time,
~Becca
One More Day of School
So, after today, there is only one more day of school, and then finals, and then SUMMER. I only have one class today that really really counts (but I'm still going to go to the ones that don't) and one class tomorrow, so I'm pretty darn happy about that. Also, my boyfriend is coming home this weekend! Yay! :D Super happy about that! Anyways, I've noticed I've been taking a lot of pictures lately. Not like artsy ones or anything, but just odd ones of odd things that I see in my life. For example, this:
Wut? It's an odd sort of tea I found in the local Asian store. I'm not sure what it's for, but there are lots of hilarious ways for people to interpret this, so I thought I'd share.
Also, this:
Wut? It's an odd sort of tea I found in the local Asian store. I'm not sure what it's for, but there are lots of hilarious ways for people to interpret this, so I thought I'd share.
Also, this:
A video I made of a Hmong 'dab neeg' or folk tale. Perhaps I'll post up a translation of the story at a later date. :)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Last of my Poems
Yeah, yeah, I know that NaPoWriMo is over, technically, but I was looking through some of my old things from high school and discovered this little scrap. I wrote it back in 2007 (forEVER ago!) so I thought it'd be interesting to put it up and compare it to the more recent stuff. :) Ta da!
Live Not Like Snow
For unknown reasons I awoke one night
And lay there for a moment in my bed.
But restlessness dwelled in my heart that night.
My bed no longer comfort held for me,
So quietly I sneaked away from there
And donned my coat to shield me from the cold.
Into the dark I made my great escape
Into the forest, where I found a path
That seemed to lead to nowhere, yet it called
Me nonetheless. I hiked along this path
For quite a while, and all the while I heard
The crunch of snow beneath my winter shoes.
And suddenly, the snow began to fall
Like tiny stars that glinted in the light
The moon reflected. Wonderful, the sight
Around me was. I held my mitten out
To catch some stars. But as soon as they landed on
Me, they were gone, melting in my
Too warm hand. ‘A sad life that a snowflake
Leads,’ I thought. ‘To fall through nothingness,
Then die. And each so pretty, so unique.
‘Tis such a waste of time so precious, that
Some men would live their lives out like the snow,
For snow and man are more alike than not.
Men! Live not like fallen snow: drifting through life
Without a passion, care or troubled thought.
Live not like foolish snow, content to just
Exist. For like the snow we travel through
A massive sky, with many joys to find.
If only we are brave enough to try.
Reading it now, I think it's an alright poem. Not the greatest, and kind of hoity-toity, but that's kind of how I felt about poetry back then. I think we might have been reading some old poetry in school, as well, stuff like Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson and things of that nature, so that probably influenced my decision to put it in iambic pentameter. (Meter is soooooooo difficult!!) And *la looo~* that marks the end of my poetry series! Hope you've all enjoyed. Maybe I'll start putting up parts of my short stories. Of course, when I say "short" stories, I mean 10-12 pages on MS Word, so not that short. But I guess we'll see. :)
P.S. LAST WEEK OF CLASSES!!
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