New and Improved Movies I Want to See (Plus How the Old Ones Sucked)

So about a year ago I made a post about a few of to movies I wanted to see (Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman from what I can remember).
    The Hunger Games was ok. It was really true to the book. Josh Hutcherson was short, but has a surprisingly hot jaw line. Ect. ect. Nothing too interesting or thought provoking happened in the movie.
    Snow White and the Huntsman was just horrible. I'm not even going to blame Kristen Stewart. Even an actress with real facial expressions couldn't have made that butchered blunder of a script make any sense. Most of the time they had her going around silent, yelling "insightful" things about a white light at soldiers, and doing something that was meant to reflect some sort of flirting, but was more like a spasm of giggles and "yeah". And that was all the writer's fault. The moronic script did, however, keep me from noticing too many of Kristen Stewart's "acting" blunders.
    Needless to say, I was a little disappointed in these movies. So I'm a little hesitant to go all gung-ho on a new batch of movies....... But I have to. So here is a new set of movie trailers that I'm FLIPPING OUT about.


The Immortal Instruments; City of Bones

  I read these books a few years ago, and just recently started reading the original series, as well as the 2 new "companion" series, this year. Honestly, I know it won't be all I want it to be. Cassandra Clare is an amazing writer. Her characters are complex, her story-line a mystery even as it sums itself up, her humor subtle yet in-your-face at the same time. I don't know if a movie will really be able to capture everything that Cassandra Clare put into her writing. As they say, the book is always better.
   And then there is the casting. Ahhh, everyone groans. Six years after Twilight casting and people( fans and Twilight-haters alike) can still erupt into venomous arguments about who Jacob SHOULD have been played by, why Edward should have been acted out by someone who didn't sound like he was being strangled, and how Bella should have had facial expressions(after all, this is a vampire movie. Not a Zombie movie. But we'll get to zombies later).
    Cast as Jace Wayland/ Morgenstern/Lightwood (no wonder he is the boy with issues, am I right?) is the Golden-Eyed Jamie Campbell Bower, who has appeared absolutely luscious in movies like "Anonymous" and "Camelot", yet looks a bit bone-y in the trailer. I myself am fine with him as Jace; he's hot yet weird-looking. Cassandra Clare didn't write him as some prissy Hollister model, which is why I'm glad they didn't cast Alex Pettyfur. He's turning out to be a bit of a snob for me. As for Clarey, to be played by the infamously big-eye-browed Lilly Collins..... Well, I'm not really going to complain. Lilly will do fine with the role, I'm sure. I just didn't see Clarey and such a strong looking person... And she is meant to have flaming red hair. Lilly at her best has a dark auburn.
   But the commercial looks pretty cool!! Can't wait for it to come out this summer.

Warm Bodies

Now this looks like it's going to be one strange movie. Usually when "zombie movies" come up, it's all about shooting them. Not thinking they are hot. It's definitely going to be one of those movies I either love to death because of how weird it is, or hate....because of how weird it is. For being about the zombie falling in love, the trailer is full of dry humor, I really think it could be hilarious in a completely "in your head laugh" sort of way. Plus, for being a dead guy who can't remember him name and rubs blood  on other people, R is really likable in just these two minutes. 

    So, will these movies disappoint me? Unfortunately I have to wait months and months to find out. But here's hoping!!

Booksneeze Review-Right Where I Belong

right where i belong- By Krista McGee

   This book is a companion to Krista McGee's two other books(both of which have been on Booksneeze) "First Date" and "Starring Me". 

   It starts out in Spain, where Natalia Lopez's father is leaving yet another wife. This forces the plot into motion. When Natalia's father leave Maureen, Natalia's favorite step-mother who in fact led her to Christ, Natalia decides to swear off men and follow Maureen back to the states. In this sense it loosely portrays the story of Ruth. The storyline isn't very gripping, it's fun and light; very easy to read because of the humor and likable characters-who are cross overs from "First Date" and "Starring Me". The message is about finding yourself, finding your calling, and trusting God with your future. So while there wasn't any suspense, I still found it interesting- especially with the comparison of different cultures(parts of the book take place in Spain and Costa Rica), as well as Brain, the "romance interest" in the book, who was pretty much the most adorable male character I've ever read without seeming like he was 12 years old. I'd definitely recommend this book for everyone. The themes were not only for teenagers; in the background Maureen's depression and anger over her divorce from Natalia's father played a large emotional role, and was a part of another great message in the book- reach out to those you love, and let your church family help you when broken.

Book Review- Lovlier than Daylight

Lovelier than Daylight by Rosalyn Elliot is the third book in "The Saddler's Legacy". The whole series is cool, because it is based on actual history.
   The book is about Susanna, a niece to Anne, the original character in the first saddler's legacy novel. Susanna's sister, Rachel, has gone missing and all of her children put into orphanages. Susanna blames Rachel's alcoholic husband. Susanna searches for answers and a way to save her nieces and nephews with the help of Johann Giere, the son of a German beer-maker. Susanna despises any type of alcohol, and at first they clash due to their differing opinions. After time, Susanna sees Johann's kindness, and learns to give up her judgmental prejudices.
    This book was OK, though I"ll admit I liked the first two better. Susanna was a bit judgmental, and mixed her sappy softness, I found it annoying. And I didn't really know Johann's character that well. But it was still an interesting read, and there are very few books that go into temperance issues.

Tidewater Inn Book Review

Tidewater Inn- by Colleen Coble

    Once again Colleen Coble has made another great thriller-meets-romance novel. The story is about Libby, who inherits a beautiful old Inn from her long-lost and thought-dead father. As if trying to bond with her not-so-friendly half brother and sister, and trying to figure out if she has feelings for Alec, a coast guard who lives in Hope Island, has feelings for her, there is also the fact that she saw her business partner kidnapped right before her eyes.
    So as Libby struggles with threats, secrets and trying to figure out whether she should sell the Inn or not, she is also under suspicion for the kidnapping of her friend.
    Now, the book was really gripping. Colleen Coble always delivers a novel to keep you interested. Yet there were some things that just didn't click. Such as the detective's constant suspicion of Libby- it seemed to kind of lag along in the book. It also seemed that some of the "family secrets" were vague, and not explained well enough.
   But altogether, the book is a great read and worth reading.  

The "K Stew" Thing

So I want to chime in on the "K Stew" arguments.

Point 1 : K Stew is about the most moronic nickname I've heard. Ever. Come on fans, if you don't want her being made fun of, give her a nickname that doesn't invited mocking.(I was thinking of making a pun about how she was "roasted" because of this nickname....but...hmmm...seems kinda corny, ya know?).
Point 2: I am not one of those girls who is like OMG!! HOW DARE SHE LIKE ROBERT PATTINSON!!!!! HE IS THE EPITOME OF HOT-NESS. I DON'T EVEN CARE WHO SHE IS, I THINK HER ACTING STINKS JUST BECAUSE OF THE SOLE FACT THAT SHE DARES TO DATE SOMEONE I NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL MEET.

Hmmm....a-ctrac-tive. Not

. not Just thought I would get that out there. Because (1) Go find a real boyfriend. Nothing wrong with having a celebrity obsession(like mine with Chris Hemsworth), but you can't go around hating anyone just because of who they're dating(other than Selena Gomez. I thought she was a slut before she started dating Justin Bieber though, so that doesn't TOTALLY count). (2) I don't think Robert Pattinson is even that hot or that good of an actor. I can remember mocking him for his brain-dead version of Edward Cullen after the midnight showing of the first Twilight movie.
Point 3: Look at the way Kristen Stewart acts in all of her movies. Maybe she doesn't have different personalities....but you have to focus to remember that. "Great Actresses" can be in dozens of different roles and it's like they are different people! I've seen Scarlett Johansson do it, Rachel Mcadams, Johnny Depp(who, yes, is an actor not an actress, but I feel like he's so amazing he deserves to be thrown in). Heck, I've even seen Miley Cyrus and one of the Olsen twins do it, and we all know how mind-boggling that is. And I know, some people are saying "Her acting could improve over time". But I saw Dakota Fanning act wonderfully at a much younger age. But we all thought that Hilary Duff''s acting would improve with age and look what happened there....
   I will concede that there are some actors/ actresses that are put in the same roles. Like Catherine Heigl ( I'm always an independent, witty, slightly klutzy person in my movies), and Angelina Jolie( sexy/action woman with a mysterious aura and the same freaking way of walking). The characters they play pretty much seem the same, with a few minor adjustments. Difference: They are actually good at the roles they act. They make the characters seem LIKABLE and fresh in every movie, whereas you feel like you're watching a mini-series on "K Stews" lack of facial expressions in any of her movies.

Point 4: I'm serious. She doesn't have many facial expressions. It amazes me. She either looks high or upset. And sometimes she kind of wiggles her eyebrows around and it's like a mix of both. Whenever she smiles, it's basically a half smile and it never gets to her eyes. So either she never gets into her characters, and feels joy when they do, or she just...doesn't feel joy period. Also, her habit of sighing loudly and looking to the side all nervously...that's not called acting. It's called forgetting what the heck you're character is supposed to feel in that moment, so you avoid eye contact.
Point 5: She does seem just a little stuck up. I know, she does have a reason to being as she somehow managed to become a millionaire. But she has to remember, it's only because the people who are still claiming she can act.
Point 6: Even if I DID like her acting, I think she was seriously miss-cast in "Snow White and the Huntsman". Just look at her, do you really think she's the fairest in the land? I'm not saying she isn't mildly pretty. But she definitely has a different look about her that isn't described as mainstream beauty.
      I am still planning on seeing 'Snow White and the Huntsman"(but mostly because Chris Hemsworth). I will probably see Kristen Stewart in other movies. But I will probably see Lindsay Lohan in other movies too, so it's not like I'm saying either will get any better.

Through Rushing Water

Through Rushing Waters- by Catherine Richmond

   This is the story of Sophia, a refined young woman with a painful and tremulous past from Russia. Her journey begins after being jilted by her "dream man". Without even knowing how it happened, she ends up as a missionary for the ponca Indians, something she never planned.
   Sophia, while being a real character, is hard to connect too.It's not that she's unlikeable really- she has some good qualities like being quick-witted and loyal-it's just very hard to not feel indifferent towards her character. Because despite being in her head, you feel like you don;t know her because her actions and habits totally don;t fit the way her character is seen by others. Honestly, it seems like she should be stuck up. it creates both confusion and relief when she ends up not being a snob.
   In the same way, it's hard to feel a connection with the character Will. You get the sense that he's meant to be good natured, but the author somehow doesn't capture it and he seems incomplete and his personality in pieces all over the pages, unable to form a complete picture of who he is. The relationship between Will and Sophia is also in pieces. Sometimes they seem immensely close, other times it's like they don't even like each other- or know each other as friends! It's all very confusing, and not in the good, love-struck way.
   The supporting characters are unique, but completely unlikeable and not described- physically or emotionally- very well. The book is dry, but strangely easy to get into. From the historical aspect it's very interesting- it's a time and people not written about much, and you see a very clear and heart-wrenching picture of what it was like for Native Americans on American reserves.
  

Poca and John

Can I just say that Pocahontas is just about the most unfulfilling Disney Princess movie ever?
First, Poca (I'm just going to give her that nickname from now on. Pocahontas is way too long to spell out ten times and now I've done it twice. Yay.) won't marry the wonder-boy of the Indians, Kocoum-who is pretty hot in my eyes- because he is too "serious".
 Um, first point: He was "so serious" as apposed to John Smith, who was like, what, a clown or something?? Second point: If he hadn't serious, A BEAR WOULD HAVE EATEN HIM.
   So then Poca and John Smith meet and fall in love( even though he had been about to shoot her. It was good luck for Poca that she wasn't an ugly Indian girl, or he would have just shot right through her. Nice message to kids btw). Then John Smith is just like "Oh, a talking tree. That's nice."
   I guess in every movie when there is a talking tree/ animal, people aren't quite as shocked as they should be(I mean, c'mon, I get scared when my phone vibrates and I'm not expecting it to). But John Smith looks at it for five seconds and just acts like he is meeting Poca's mom or something(which would also have been shocking since her mother is dead.... But I'm sure John would have handled it just fine!!).
    So now we are just going to skip ahead to when John and Poca kiss(on their 3rd or 4th meeting no less) and Kocoum freaks out. As children, we are taught to believe that this is wrong(and kissing someone you've known for 3 days is right...?)
   Um, HELLO! The white guy(who comes from the group of people he thinks is going to kill his whole village) just kissed the girl he's planning on marrying, the girl he's tried several times to protect(a good quality in a guy I think). Romeo never gets any grief for attacking Juliet's cousin that day after they were married, so why can't Kocoum get a little mad?
   And then, it all ends with John Smith being sent home because he, also, was shot. That's great. I guess the "happy ending" was the fact that the Indians and English didn't kill each other, but still! That was a lot of emotional turmoil you went through just to send the love interest home.
   And here's the real kicker: John Smith was never in love with Pocahontas.
   So BASICALLY all Disney did here was lie to children and make them more historically challenged than they already were.
   Yet, I still love this movie... I guess we can complain on and on about the stupid messages/ characters in Disney movies(especially the Princess movies)...but they just ARE. Plus John Smith is really hot, even if he and Pocahontas never fell in love in real life, and the art work is gorgeous.

This is such a cool picture- I love pretty much all the art work during the "Colors of the Wind" song

                                     I don't even remember this pic from the movie but it's beautiful!                                                    

Why Comfort Food and Romance Movies are Needed

This may seem random now, but just wait.

I never wanted to be one of those girls who went on and on about how guys are horrible. I can't say that's what I really think-they can't all be horrible. And yet none of them are going to be perfect either. I don't expect them to be, but couldn't we at least expect them to treat us like we are human? Because some guys just won't accept the fact that they should at least be POLITE to the girls they apparently "like"(and yes, that is the oh-so-poetic phrasing they come up with for their feelings), I feel like I just have to rant a bit. And what I'm talking about isn't even just what has happened to me, it's stories I've heard(or seen) from girls around me.
   Why is it that a guy can't understand that you can't claim to love one girl, and like another. If you love someone, you shouldn't need another girl to take up your spare time. A girl will feel betrayed by this; why isn't she enough to love? Why is it that you can't stay committed? A guy may say that it's not big deal, that he can have feelings for two girls at the same time. But the truth is, if a guy can like a girl while he says he loves you, it shows that he won't stay with only you, that his feelings aren't very deep, and he'll screw around on you.
   Also, how come it seems that guys move on so easy? Maybe they don't; but they sure know how to fake it. You can feel so close to a guy, really become his friend, and then they suddenly drop you... and how is a girl supposed to just turn off all the caring she felt? Forget that she ever listened to him for hours, would have listened to him for even more.

   This is why girls need chocolate. And many, many hours watching Kate Winslet in Titanic- if you're feeling in a particularly bad mood and just want everyone to die- or- if your in a slightly better mood- "Sense and Sensibility". Then, after feeling like you've had enough chcocolate to last a lifetime(even though we all know, we will end up having more) and crying/ sqealing over sappy movies, we can move onto better things. Like watching the Hunger Games just to get a good look at Josh Hutcherson's god-like jaw line.

  

Angel Eyes

Angel Eyes 

by Shannon Dittemore

   Angel Eyes is about a ballerina- Brielle- who moves back to her hometown after the death of a friend. It is here that she meets Jake- the new kid with mysterious powers. Tradegy is in the past, and destiny is in the future. Both of them are drawn to each other and brought into a struggle between demonic forces and celestial powers.
   Angel Eyes is kind of like a cross between Twilight- the woods, the cold, the small town high school and mis-placed characters who don't melt into the social scene- and the Immortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare- there are demons. Only this book is Christian fiction.
  Brielle is a pretty likable character, as well as a believable teenager. Some authors seem to have trouble getting the "lingo" (and that's the first sign that they aren't going to actually sound like a teenager....they use words like "Lingo") of a teen and there characters are annoying and either too young or too old for their age. But Shannon Dittemore made a very believable, eighteen year old girl.
   Jake is easy to like well, what with his witty comebacks and protective appeal. He manages to be mysterious without coming off as a total jerk, which is what most authors do to make you interested in their male characters. Jake was actually nice and attractive at the same time, which was refreshing.
   The different tenses between character was a little confusing.  Not only would the chapters switch from Brielle to Dominic( the demon) or Canaan(the angel), but suddenly it would be third person (as in: Dominic flew, Dominic saw) from first person( I saw, I cried). This made the chapters where Brielle wasn't "narrator" very confusing and slow-moving.
   The ending is just- wow. It is happy, but suddenly all these questions are raised and you can just see the second book's plot developing. Shannon Dittemore did a really good job of making you want to read the sequel- Broken Wings which comes out in early 2013.
   So altogether I really liked the book. It was different- not many books deal with angels and demons in a truly biblical way. It was funny and kept me reading.

Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley

So this book was a little slow to get into. But even at the beginning when it wasn't that captivating just yet, the writing was really beautiful. After a few chapters it gets really easy to get into, so no troubles there!
   Tiamat is the daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar, and since he has gone mad, she's been married and widowed. Now she doesn't want to give up her freedom, but all of the secrets and scheming make it very hard for her to plan her own life.
    Alright, I'm just going to list a few things I like about the book. First, the writing is really beautiful and interesting. She words things in ways that you wouldn't think to, which is part of why the book is easy to get into. It also helps that she lives in a palace that is gorgeous and has the beautiful hanging gardens right behind her. So really, the whole setting of the book is really beautiful.
   Also, the character Tiamet is really easy to like...and dislike. She is a very real person. She is selfish, she is ignorant of other peoples pain, she is very pig-headed about believing what she has grown up being taught...and that's all ok, because she shouldn't be perfect. It's also really cool that she's a tomboy. She likes to "work out" and run and be active.
   The "love story" isn't the hugest part of the book. It's nice to have a story that isn't obsessed with one guy. I mean, there is, of course, a love story in there....but it's just a small part of the story. I don't want to call this book a "thriller", because really, it's not. The love story is sweet and completely human at the same time, there is that thriller aspect ;and there are some really beautiful ideas about God. But I wouldn't call it a straight "romance", "thriller" or "christian novel". It's all three of those tings and just a really good book that has lots of Biblical history and interesting topics. I'd give it a 10.

Things in D.C

OK, so I just want to tell you a little about the differences between people from DC and ...us(from St. Louis).
Number One-
   The way they dress. In St.Louis we have people who dress "stylishly". But lets face it, for the most part we dress pretty casual and just try to look cute in whatever we put on. There is no such thing as looking casual or cute in D.C. Have you ever heard of business casual? Well, that's what they wear. It's not fancy exactly...just very designer and put together. I mean, all of the shirts they wear are worth AT LEAST forty bucks, and that is on the very low side.
Number Two-
   I'm sorry to say...they are kind of rude. I know that in all reality, a whole city can't be rude. But there is definitely that feeling. When people bump into you in St.Louis, they say excuse me. I have not heard one person say "excuse me" here, even when I was hit with a cart in Walmart.
Number Three-
   There are a lot of foreigners. this is not a bad thing, just an observation. I'm sorry to say, in my mind, if there are large amounts of foreigners, it's the ghetto. Because that's the way it is in St. Louis, I'm not saying that's the way it should be. but almost every grocery store is for foreigners. you know what I'm talking about, it had cookies with weird name and pickled radish Yataki. There are some of those in St. Louis, but they don't overtake all grocery stores.
Number Four-
   Their Chinese food costs more. I don't know why, it just does and it's annoying.

The Lindsay Trap

The person I want to talk about is Lindsay Lohan, not me or any other Lindsay/Lyndsey/Lyndsay/Lindzy...(Why are there so many different spellings for one name? What set of parents decided to take the original spelling-whatever that was-and go all haywire on it?) Anyway.

  Nowadays Lohan is thought of as a partying, drugged up, maybe lesbian who is constantly in court both in the United States and out for either (A) shoplifting even though she has money (B) drug possession or (C) not showing up to her court dates/ breaking probation.

     But that isn't where Lohan started out at all. in fact, she started out in The Parent Trap. She was cute and freckled, and that husky voice of hers was actually interesting instead of annoying. 

     Then she was a "teen star", being in movies like 'Freaky Friday", 'The Confessions of a Teen Age Drama Queen" and "Mean Girls" it seemed like things were going good for her. One thing I want to point out is that she was the "Star" in all these movies. Her name was the biggest, she was the main character. 

    And guess who the lesser characters were in these movies? In "Drama Queen" Megan Fox was the "mean girl". At this point Lohan was thought of as the bigger star, Fox just a pretty girl there to fill the spot in the movie. Look at where she is now! She is pretty popular, while Lohan-though known-has been in few movies over the years.  

      In "Mean Girls" Lohan was yet again the main character and "biggest actress". Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried starred with her. Both Rachel and Amanda are big-time stars now, starring in box-office films and making big names for themselves.

      Though Lohan claims that her partying days are over, and she is being offered roles such as the part as Elizabeth Taylor, her addictions have already set her back. Lohan hasn't been in any hit movies for so long that she is still thought of as a teen star, while some of the people she starred with are now known as adult actresses.  

Heart of Gold Book Review

Heart Of Gold by

                           Robin Lee Hatcher

       This book was really hard to get into. it's not that the writing was bad, actually it was pretty good. But there were all these clichés. Such as how the main character , who is overly wordy-because she just so happens to be the "well bred southerner" coming to the "rugged west"-opinionated, and rich, happens to fall in love with the rough, ungenteel man who feels guilty because he never gave enough attention to his sister, nephew etc. etc.

       It's the "timeless story" of Shannon-the main character-coming to the West and learning to be non judgmental and loving, and Matthew Dubois becoming engaged for the sake of his nephew. They of course fall in love with a lot of twists and turn and emotions along the way....
         I'm not saying all these aspects aren't great in a book, it just seemed like there were too many used ideas. I know that every story is repeated in a different way, but in "Heart of gold" it seemed that the character personalities had been worn out in too many different books, the concept, the morals, the actual story line.... it was all so used.
         I suppose it's not a bad book in general. It's just not my style; but it might be yours!

Globes and White Houses

Right next to me I have a really old globe. I mean, it still has an east and west Germany. And probably many other things that don't belong. I wouldn't really know because all my geography seems to teach me is the capitals of all the 3rd world countries and something about Mount Kilimanjaro. I just think it's weird that the globe is always changing when the actual earth isn't(other than when Japan moves around).
    And what is up with Iceland? It's freaking half the size of America. I guess I don't look at globes enough(I mean, really, who looks at globes enough :p.....) and it just makes everything seems either (a) really big or (b) really small...... Hmmm..... Strange situation hmmmmm???
     Anyway. Speaking of things on earth, I'm pretty sure I'm going to see the White house this week(why am I only "pretty sure"? Well, because my parents are insane and never plan anything.) I think seeing the White House will be cool. I mean, I would have liked to see it while a President I actually liked was in, but people-who-have-never-been-to-Maryland can't be choosers.

Bella in the Snow

Can you imagine how it would be to see snow for the first time? I can't imagine. I mean, if looking at it still blows me away after living in a place where it's this frikkin cold for 6 months out of the year how would it look to someone who lives in like, Florida? I think they would find it so beautiful.

    That reminds me of Twilight. She(Bella) saw snow for the 1st time and she wasn't impressed with it. That can't be right. I don't think anyone could see snow for the first time and just say, "Oh. It just looks like a cotton ball. Nothing cool about that."
    Come off it Bella!!!!! It's frozen stuff FALLING FROM THE SKY.

Wow!!! More white cottony stuff.....no big deal.

How to Deal?

So lately I've been dealing with death a lot.
Not in the sense that family members or people especially close to me have died. It's just that people connected to me have had people die. And it breaks my heart for them, it scares and confuses me. How would I ever deal with that? And how do you make them feel better? It's not like anyone can have the magic words to make your world go right again. Because the world is seen in a new way, it has taken from you.
     My friend knew this guy who was only 21. He died in his sleep and they don't know what of. I'm not saying she was super close to him, but he was there in her life. She thought he was funny and goofy....and she never expected him to be gone. It's so horrible how the little things like that can make us think....what would we do if we lost a friend? A parent? A sibling or even a neighbor?
     I think death might be the thing I'm most afraid of. Not for myself(well, not that much) but for the people around me. Because I can expect all sorts of bad things in life. They are going to come and knock me down, scar me and change me. But most problems can be fixed. Death can't be "fixed". It's too permanent, like a thorn that constantly aches under your skin.
     Some might say we shouldn't be sad when people die. Some may have been taken from their suffering, it was God's timing...God's plan. Well, yes it was God's plan. That doesn't mean I have to understand it right away, does it? That doesn't mean I  have to jump up and down with joy that a person has been ripped from my life.
      And I'm not yelling at anyone who can accept change and grief like that. I understand that maybe it's better for them. The fact that they have that much courage and faith amazes me. I'm just being honest when I say there is no way I could act like that, and that sometimes I hate death. That it has to happen and screw with so many people. I mean, we are human. We react in human ways.
      With grief, with anger, or solitude, or confusion or fear. What really scares us is that there is no way to avoid death.
       You can hide form a car wreck by not driving, you can keep yourself from getting hurt in a relationship by not dating or numbing yourself to love and emotion. but death is the ultimate force of change. And there is no way to stop change, to keep things the same as you like them.

The Moon Nation vs. the Squeegee

So lately the presidential campaigns have been getting a lot of attention. Newt G.(because I'm not going to try to spell his last name, I just know it reminds me of the Grinch) has been saying a lot about moving to the moon and making it a state....
Now, I'm no going to call him crazy for talking about this- though it does sound crazy when you first hear it. But then, haven't the "the unimaginable" always been thought crazy by men? The fact that we could even get men to the moon,the telephone,those crazy clothes in the 80's....all of them were incredible to mankind.
But you see,that is exactly the problem. This generation doesn't really care about things like that. These days "inventions" are the newest versions of the apple ipod or that squeegee rag they show on late night commercials.
It might be said that the historical value of making the moon a state would be a draw. But hello! History is in the making everyday as you read the cover of "People". So many teenagers or young adults care more about knowing what the current state of Demi Moore than our country.
America for the most part just wants to know who can give them the most. More money,less taxes...I can't say I know everything or even a lot about political stuff,but I do know the American people want to know they will be taken care of more than the moon.
But no matter what,I'll be voting republican this November,even if it means creating a setting for "The Jetsons". It might be called narrow -minded to not even consider a different party. After all,I am supposed to "become me own person" and "come up with my own opinions". Well. As soon as democrats stop killing babies I'm sure I'll give it some thought. Even then,it probably wouldn't happen. I don't really believe in somewhat-socialism. Socialists always seem to be really crazy and shoot their girlfriends.

Winter Jam (And no. It's not Jelly made of a Christmas Tree)

So a couple of nights ago I went to Winter Jam. I'm not going to talk about the bands, because I only liked about 3. I'm going to tell you about y actually winter Jam Experience.
The doors open at 4:45. Due to the fact that we were at McDonalds at this time, we weren't exactly first in line. At about 5:00 we were still(all 20 of us in a 17 passenger van. Very warm. No need for the heaters...) on our way. When we finally got there at about 5:15 and waited in a huge line huddled together for about 15 minutes. The bands started playing while we were still in line, so we missed about 20 minutes, which really annoyed me actually. Why can't they wait until the doors have been open at least an hour?
     After we got inside, we found 2 other people who had been there since noon, but instead of going to find seats they waited for us.
      ????????????
      I don't understand that at all. Due to the fact that everything was un-organized, we ended up splitting into 3 groups(and not even on purpose. The crowds there are insane). After walking around in a circle for about 20 minutes and finding no 2 seats together, we finally reverted to doing something "illegal(which, we found out later, the other groups did too. 8 of them climbed up on this table and just sat there until they got yelled at. But, hey, it's a random table. of course people are going to sit on it). There were some seats taped off as restricted. No one was sitting there. So we just took them.
      They were seats behind the stage. And I know that might sound kind of sucky, but we were really close to the bands and we got to watch them walk on and off stage. Plus you know that time at a concert when a slower song is playing and it's all black and people get out there phone? It was sooooo beautiful I wish I had a picture. Behind the stage is the best place for a view like that.
       It's funny to think that when our parents were kids/teenager/young adults, you would take out a lighter at the concert. I have no idea what that looked like, but I don't think it could have ever been as pretty as cell phones. As my friend Chelsea said, it's like being at a concert in space.
        Anyway..... After the pretty cell-phone display, we noticed that a lot of people were doing the same thing as we did(going into restricted seating). The good thing about this, it made us feel less-guilty. The bad thing, it got us noticed. Some old guy(and I'm really only calling him that because I'm still bitter that he made us move) came and told us we had to leave. And we did.
        60 seconds later, another group had moved into those seats.
        So then we walked around some more, and found another restricted area. But we ended up not staying, and on my way out the yellow tape wrapped around my leg, "catching me in the act".
        We ended up at the very top of the arena. At the very top not even sitting on chairs, but leaning against the wall. I went with a few other people and we went down to the ground floor and just sat there for a while. Then we went all the way back up to the top(fighting our way through the crowds. again.)only to sit there for one performance(Sanctus Real) and then go back down to the ground floor to watch "Skillet".
         And omigosh am I glad we did. Up til then I hadn't REALLY liked any of the bands. But Skillet always put on the best performances.
        It started a violin and cello player in these white robes. There were these spooky, distorted shadows behind them and they moved all jerky playing their instruments. It's was really cool. Then in the 1st songs, there were these blasts of fire behind them. We could feel it all the way to the back of the room, I don;t know how they could be 3 feet from it.

And no, I did not pick this picture of her just because she's
doing the "L" backwards. I think it's cute!

        I never really get that excited about music. I mean, I like it, I dance to it, I know the words.... But there is something about going to a concert and it being so loud and the people right there....it just makes it that much more amazing and you can't help screaming, you can't help not caring that your ears can't hear anything less than a ringing noise for hours.
        After Skillet was done(and I didn't even begin to tell you how cool their whole concert was)we met out in the parking lot and I had to hear my friend go on and on and on about Jen Ledger. And I agree, she is very pretty. But can I go on and on and on about how amazing that dude form Thor looks without getting a glare? No, I can't.

Cats with Helmets On

So today I don't really have anything to talk about. I was thinking about talking about cats. Not for any reason, just because for some reason I was thinking about them today(most likely because my dog, Jasper, knows the word "cat" because a black and white one keeps coming into out yard because she let her kittens get loose a couple of weeks ago and my sister's friend kept one. Needless to say, whenever we say the word "cat" he runs to the wondow and starts barking. Lately we say that word a lot just to tease him.)
    As you can see I have nothing to say about cats.... :P
   Now I want to show you some pictures of some very smart-looking cats:

Key-lime Kitty

Now these two deserve some kind of scholarship. They look smart like those monkeys who can operate spaceships or whatever......

First Date Book Review

First Date
                    By Krista McGee

This book is basically chic-lit gone Esther-story. Addy is chosen to go on a reality Tv show called "The Book of Love" and try to win a prom date with none other than the president's son. Through this story, she must try to find the confidence to speak about God.
   The reality TV show didn't seem...twisted enough. There were no fights, no ones's words were turned from an innocent statement to a mean jab. It seemed to clean for a reality TV show. And I get that this is a Christian book and it wouldn't be the best idea to fill ever page with millions of cuss words and innuendos, still, if she was setting it in a reality TV show it should have been a bit more harsh.
    Then there was Addy.  At some times her character didn't seem quite believable. Yes, she is a serious, smart and responsible Christian girl. But that doesn't automatically add up to no makeup, no cares about looks, and little to no knowledge about anything not contained in a text book. I mean, c'mon. She is stil a girl who wants to look nice, would occasionally happen to glance at the bold, yellow letters on the front of tabloids, and would be just a tinsy bit excited about being on TV. sometimes it just really gets to me how characters in Christian books seem so predictably- and unrealistically-  the same. At least she succumbs to some girl-like tendencies and "falls for" Jonathan-the president's son-before accually knowing him.
   The part about talking about God is a lso a bit unrealistic. She reads the Bible, goes to a Christian school, and acts totally different than everyone else; yet she can't even admit it to her room mate until the end of the book. And when she does finally "come out with is" to Jonathan and Hank-the selfish and God-hating director of the show-the outcome is a bit corny. But it does show a valubale point, and how she connects with her parents-missionaries who died years before- even after they are gone is really sweet.
    Despite the tings I've complained about, I still really liked the book! It was sweet and sincere, and I loved the insane character of Kara.