I hate rain

It's rainy and cold. I was packing my backpack for school today and thought, "I don't need my umbrella." On my way to class, it started pouring. Go figure. Gray weather makes me tired and unmotivated. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and watch a movie. Luckily, it's a Friday, so I don't have to worry about homework until tomorrow. Right now, I am listening to "Northampton," the newest Enter the Haggis CD. It is cheering me up immensely. They are all so ridiculously talented. I can't wait to see them live!

Midterms are over!

I am finally done with all my midterms. What a relief! I was pretty stressed there for a while. Seriously, if I have to write another essay about why Hamlet isn't a tragic hero or something along those lines, I am going to cry. Besides, Kenneth Branagh has ruined Hamlet for me. I don't even like THINKING about that play anymore. The best way to ruin Shakespeare is to see a terrible performance. Just ask anyone who saw my high school's production of "Romeo & Juliet." Anyway, I'm rambling now, but just be thankful that you don't have to take midterms (if you're out of school). They ruin your life.

Some advertising

This is Enter the Haggis. They are one of my favorite bands of all time. Go out and listen to their music. Also, check out their new blogs! Each member started a blog this year, and they're worth checking out. Here's Brian's blog. You can find all the others on his side bar. Check them out! :-)

I'm Keanu Reeves...

Last night I watched "The Matrix Revolutions" with the people who live on my floor, and we had a good laugh at Keanu Reeves' lack of talent. He has one expression that conveys all his emotions, except the only thing it really conveys is, "I'm Keanu Reeves..." And (spoiler) we decided that the real reason that they decided to burn out Neo's eyes was to avoid having to try and make Keanu look sad when Trinity died. I mean, he looked exactly the same with the blindfold on as with it off. Blank. So it was easier to cover his eyes than try and get him to show some real emotion. Haha.

Omigod!

Today I watched, "Legally Blonde: The Musical" on MTV. It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But totally wonderful. To give you an idea of how ridiculous it was, the songs are named things like "Omigod You Guys", "Bend and Snap", and "Whipped into Shape". It's halfway making fun of the movie "Legally Blonde" and musicals in general and halfway serious. If you like musicals, it's pretty great. And the best part? Emmett, the Luke Wilson character (if you've seen the movie) is played by Christian Borle, who played Herbert in the original cast of "Spamalot". Basically, I love him just for that. I couldn't watch him in "Legally Blonde" without imagining him singing "Where Are You?" in that ridiculous Herbert voice. It was amazing. So, if you like musicals and don't mind when things are corny and silly, definitely watch "Legally Blonde: The Musical". It's on again tomorrow night...hint hint.

Warning: DO NOT see this movie!!

Okay, I will admit that I have not actually SEEN the movie "The Seeker" nor do I intend to. I have, however, seen the trailer (it made me cry), and I LOVE the book "The Dark is Rising" on which the movie was based. When I first discovered that they were making a movie of it, I screamed. Literally. Ask my parents. You see, "The Dark is Rising" was one of the books on my list of movies that I would like to make. It would make a FANTASTIC movie if done well. It is a marvelous story. So, although I was upset that someone else had beat me to it, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. I mean, sure, it looked like yet another stale, packaged Hollywood fantasy movie, but I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, I was right. The trailer made me cry, as I mentioned before. I mean, they made Will Stanton AMERICAN! When the whole story is based on Welsh mythology! The outcries of angry fans resounded across the IMDB message boards. Also (spoiler alert) his brothers are terribly mean to him. Not the case in the book. Will's family is supposed to be loving and supportive. Now, normally I don't put much stock in movie reviews, but when 82% of reviewers say this movie sucked and the average movie goers (from die-hard "Dark is Rising" fans to those who have never even heard of the books) agree...well, the information is in front of you, folks.

I might be able to cut the movie some slack if the filmmakers even cared a TINY BIT about the story. However, the director, David L. Cunningham, has said that he doesn't even think the books provide good movie material and that he doesn't, in fact, even like fantasy movies OR movies for children. So why on Earth did he decide to turn this wonderful, classic story into one of the worst examples of children's fantasy film? Not only that but Ian McShane who played Merriman Lyon, the mentor character, didn't even WANT the role. Please explain to me why a director who doesn't like the material and an actor who dislikes his character decided to go ahead and make this movie anyway. It all translates into money, and it is disgusting.

So, let's recap. Unenthusiastic crew and cast. Doesn't follow the story remotely (not only are important characters changed. Some very important characters are reportedly missing from the movie entirely). Lots of plot holes (according to just about every review I've read). This movie makes the 4th Harry Potter movie look good, and that's pretty hard to do.

Movie Review: "Mon Oncle"

For my film analysis class, we watched "Mon Oncle" as an example of a movie where the plot is pretty much superfluous and the setting is the most important part. It was made in 1958 by Jacques Tati, and it's a wonderful movie. It was very funny, but not necessarily in the laugh out loud way that we're used to today. "Mon Oncle" contrasts modern and old Paris in the 1950s and gently pokes fun at both lifestyles. I have to say, though, the old fashioned life style is a lot more appealing. I absolutely LOVE Mr. Hulot's house. If you watch the movie, you will understand. Since it's neither plot or character oriented, there's not much to say about it. Or, rather, there's not much to say that can fully describe the movie. It's kind of...Charlie Chaplinesque in a way, but Mr. Hulot isn't as overly comic as Chaplin is. The best thing I can think to say about the movie is this: Imagine you (the viewer) are a character in the movie. Or, better yet, imagine the characters are real people. When you walk down the street and pass people, you don't know anything about them outside of that singular experience. You don't know what's going on in their head or if they have some deep inner turmoil. The characters in "Mon Oncle" are the same way. There's no big character development or even much of a story line. It's simply a slice of life from Paris in the late 1950s. It's very beautiful, and if you don't mind slower movies, I would highly recommend it.

Quote of the Day

"Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing." - Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

My friend Jack loaned me this book to read, and it's hilarious. He also loaned me about 3000 pages worth of French classics. My "homework" is to read "Le Miserables", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and "The Man in the Iron Mask." That's in addition to my REAL homework. Thank you, Jack. I'm glad you're looking out for my intellectual well being. Not. :-P

Why I Hate Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh

So last year for our last project in English we had to read the play "Hamlet", watch two movie interpretations, and write an analytic essay about the movies in comparison to the play and one another. Now, the essay part didn't bug me at all. I love film analysis essays. The problem was, we had to watch this god-awful 5 hour movie directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh. All the actors were good actors, but the movie was just put together and directed horribly. The actors were either screaming or whispering, the lighting was almost fluorescent, the soundtrack didn't fit the action at all, and Kenneth Branagh was far too charismatic to play Hamlet. Ever since then, I've held a grudge against Kenneth Branagh (despite the fact that I enjoyed "Dead Again"), and even the mention of the play "Hamlet" has made me frustrated. Cut to this year. We were assigned "Hamlet" for my Intro to Drama class. I skimmed it to refresh my memory and turned in the summary that we were assigned. I didn't bother reading the entire thing because I'd already read it twice and watched three film interpretations of it. I got full credit on my summary, and we were going over the play in class when our professor announced that we were going to watch the "closet scene" from three different films. I thought, "Hmm, I'm guessing Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, and Ethan Hawke." I was right. As soon as Branagh's name was announced I started getting frustrated. And when we watched it I wanted to scream. HE'S SO OVERDRAMATIC! It drives me nuts! He's too forceful for Hamlet! Hamlet is supposed to be emo and sulky and indecisive! Grr. So now all of you guys get to hear my angry rant. Lucky you.

Quote of the Day

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been crazy. Here's today's quote.

"Stop displacing your thingy stuff!" - Nel

I believe the word you're searching for is "anger", my dear. Tempers run high and vocabulary goes down the drain when you're up until all hours making papier mâché eggs for "Charlotte's Web". Luckily, nothing diffuses a tense situation like your best friend saying something ridiculous.

Quote of the Day #2

This is Sunday's official quote.

"I'll draw a smiley face on your forehead, bitch!" - Laurel

My friend Laurel gets crazy during English class. Haha.

Quote of the Day #1

Even though it's REALLY early on Sunday morning, let's just pretend it's still Saturday.

"Only boys who wear their wellies have a chance with me." - Gaelic Storm, "Kelly's Wellies"

"Kelly's Wellies" is a song about a boy who can't afford shoes so he has to wear Wellington boots all year round. All the other boys make fun of them, but Kevin Kelly gets his payback when they get to high school and all of the girls like him as opposed to the other boys.

I met Gaelic Storm!

So today I went to Irish Fest because my favorite band, Gaelic Storm, was playing there. My friend Chloë went with me. She'd never heard Gaelic Storm before but thought it sounded really fun. When we got to the fairgrounds, Gaelic Storm was finishing their 4:30 show. We listened until they stopped playing, then went over and got in line for autographs. This was my 4th GS show, and I've already gotten their autographs 2 times before, so I decided to get my picture taken as well. I managed to get pictures with 3 of the members, (in order) Patrick Murphy, Pete Purvis, and Ryan Lacey. They're my favorite members, although I have a soft spot for Ryan because 2 years ago I went to one of their concerts at a bar back home, and my little sister really wanted to go but it was too late for her. I'd promised her that I'd get her their autographs, so I bought her a $2 bumber sticker and gotten the band to sign it. Everyone just signed their name when I told them who it was for, except for Ryan who wrote something along the lines of, "Grace, I'm sorry you couldn't be here. Ryan Lacey." It was really sweet. Anyway, back to today's show. So, after I got my picture taken with the band, Chloë and I walked around the fair grounds for a while. Then, at about 8:00, we went and stood at the front of the stage. Gaelic Storm wasn't playing until 9:30, and there was another band before them, but we knew that if we didn't get up there early, we weren't going to be able to get that close. The band who played first wasn't that good, and it was pretty uncomfortable because we were squished up against the barrier at the front and surrounded by drunk people. One guy spilled his beer on the back of Chloë's leg. It was gross. All that was worth it, though, because we had a great view of Gaelic Storm. For those who don't know, Gaelic Storm was the Irish band who played in the movie "Titanic." The members have changed a lot over the years, but the band currently consists of Patrick Murphy (Vocals, accordion, harmonica, spoons, bodhran), Steve Twigger (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Jesse Burns (fiddle), Pete Purvis (bagpipes, uilleann pipes, penny whistle, backup vocals), and Ryan Lacey (percussion, backup vocals). They're great on cd, but SO much fun to see live because they obviously really enjoy playing together and, also, Patrick is really really funny (as you can see by the picture he's quite the clown). The concert was, of course, amazing, but the coolest part was that Pat saw me and Chloë standing at the front of the stage and, recognizing us from earlier that afternoon, waved at us. Later, when the drunks were getting really rowdy, he looked at me again, winked, and crossed himself as if to say, "God help you." Haha. Finally, when they were singing the song "Drink the Night Away", they started throwing plastic Gaelic Storm shot glasses out to the crowd. Patrick grabbed one, pointed at me and tossed it to me, but, unfortunately, the guy next to me reached over and grabbed it out of the air. I was disappointed because that one was given to me specifically by Pat. There was nothing I could do, though, so I let it go. All in all, the concert was really fun and worth the $8 that I payed to get in. Plus, I was really thrilled by the whole "meet the band" and "Patrick recognizing Anna" things. Sometimes it pays to be one of the only sober people in the audience. I find that the band likes you more and is more interactive with you, if only because it means they can avoid interacting with the drunk people around you who are all striving to get their attention. Yay for being short, blond, and sober! :-P

Detroit, here I come?

So, I've been invited to serve on the high school subcommittee for the 2008 FGC (Friends General Conference) Gathering in Johnstown, PA. The only problem is, the first meeting is held in Detroit, MI, in two weeks, while I'm going to school in PA, and the Johnstown meeting is going to be held in May, when I'm back home in the midwest, so the timing really sucks (That's right, mom, it SUCKS). However, it sounds like they're offering me full financial aid on my travel expenses (I'm making sure to clarify it before buying my plane tickets), so I may be able to serve after all. Yay! I'm excited, because I get to plan things like business meeting and the out-trip, even though I'm not in the high school group anymore. So, it looks like I'll be getting to do some free traveling. :-)

Quote of the Day

"Shouldn't you be off spreading religiosity to the fuzzy wuzzies?" - Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, "Firefly"

Mal doesn't take to kindly to religion, not since the rebels were defeated by the Alliance in the Battle of Serenity Valley despite his many prayers. He counters any of Shepherd Book's attempts to enlighten him with sarcasm and wit. Sigh. I love him.

Class cancelled?

So, I went to my Astronomy lecture today, and there was nobody there. That's extremely odd, considering I was running a bit late and there are at least 300 people in my class. Usually by the time I get there, most of the seats are filled and the professor is up on the stage setting up his power point presentation and getting ready to begin the day's lecture. So, you can imagine how walking into an empty lecture hall threw me a little bit. There was no note on the door or anything, and I don't remember Professor Stein mentioning that class was either a) cancelled or b) being held in a different place. Well, what's a girl to do? I decided not to worry about it and instead went to the bank to clear up a money issue and got some lunch. I mean, it's not like they take attendance or anything, and the notes are always posted online. As long as I read the chapter in my textbook and do well on the tests, I'll be fine. Yay for more free time today! :-P

Music and Lyrics

So, I just finished watching "Music and Lyrics" starring Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, and Brad Garrett. In general, I quite enjoyed it. It was a little cliché, as most romantic comedies are, but it was sweet and less formulaic than most. Hugh Grant was, well, Hugh Grant. Minus the jerk persona that he usually has in movies, though. His character, Alex Fletcher, a has been 80s pop artist, was very sweet and charming and not smarmy in the least. Drew Barrymore's character was neurotic but lovable. The music was very enjoyable, although by the time I finally saw the movie, the 80s pop (or should I say Pop!) video was a bit old. You see, my sister saw this movie several months ago and watched the music video nonstop on YouTube for a couple of weeks, so I'd already seen it, oh, about 10 times. Still, it was silly, and I quite enjoyed watching Hugh Grand prancing around with 80s hair. Anyway, back to the movie. The plot, as I said, was a little generic, but entertaining nonetheless. I'm a sucker for romance movies, anyway. :-P The dialogue was actually surprisingly good. There were some pretty witty lines in there. I did feel, however, that Drew Barrymore's inner conflict was a bit unresolved. They just kind of brushed over the subject. In fact, her whole storyline, her past, felt a bit forced. Other than that, though, it was a pretty good movie.

Quote of the Day

"You can't stand on a wall! You'd get footprints all over the wallpaper!" - Big Bird, "Big Bird in China"

This is Big Bird's response to being informed that he is actually standing on the Great Wall. What a great guy. Smart, too.

The Band Downstairs

So there is, apparently, a band living underneath me. I heard them practicing this weekend and was very confused as to where the music was coming from, but it soon became apparent that 1. it was live music, and 2. it was coming from the 9th floor. They're actually pretty decent. Anyway, I met one of the band members in the elevator today, and he very graciously asked me if we could hear them and if it was bothering us. He was wondering how much of the dorm they were annoying. :-P Well, it seems like it's only my room and maybe the rooms on either side of us that can hear them, so I told him it wasn't that bad. He said if they ever start annoying us, we should just go downstairs and knock on the door and tell them. The only problem is, he didn't know exactly which room they're in. Haha. Oh well. I'm sure we can figure it out, and they don't practice at unreasonable hours or anything. So, from now on, I will have the pleasure of hearing live music without having to even leave my dorm room or pay a single dollar. Well, other than the $5,000 or so that I'm spending on my dorm itself.

Quote of the Day

Before I post my first "Quote of the Day", I'd like to explain where these quotes come from. I keep a small journal where I write down quotes that strike me. They can be funny or inspirational and come from many sources: movies, books, tv shows, my friends, myself. I'll also offer a short explanation if needed. So, on to the first quote!

"I like airplanes. I want ice cream!" - Nel Bailey

Nel is my best friend back home. This is an example of how her mind somehow jumps from one thing to another. Even I can't explain it, and I practically live with the girl. Haha.