Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol SQUEE Post
Note: I posted this on my LiveJournal on Christmas Day right after I watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Today, however, I realized that I didn't post it here, which is a travesty on my part (may I be forgiven). So, a few days late, but never a dollar short (well, I try not to be) - here is the first of what I hope to become a tradition - and not just at Christmas.
**begin post**
My nerves are frazzled - and that all came before 7:00. All day - ALL DAY - our electricity was blinking on and off. Our phone and our internet were down at random times. We had to open presents this morning in the dark (though the sun came up toward the end of the process) and breakfast was cold cereal. The power eventually came back on - then it blinked off and on at random intervals during the day.
Happy Christmas...
Not that I'm complaining - but when you have the DVR set to record "Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol" on BBC America at 7:00 pm, you sort of want it to, you know, WORK!
Well, it did. Mostly. The power blinked off for about five minutes in the middle, but it came right back on (luckily, some of what I missed was commercials) and I was able to enjoy the happiness and glee that is experiencing an episode of "Doctor Who" (somewhat) simultaneously with the rest of the world. Below the are some of my initial "OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!" responses. None of these are very coherent - in fact, I'll be surprised if you see any semblance of proper English grammar (but there are spoilers - now, those you might actually figure out).
**HELLO SWEETIE**YES, THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE**PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK**
Arthur Darvill's been upgraded to top billing in the opening credits - HECK YES!!!!
Fish flying through the clouds that like opera music - clouds that can only be controlled by the hands of a grumpy old miser - a crash-landing honeymoon flight - Welcome to Christmas, Steven Moffat!
(or should it be Welcome to Steven Moffat, Christmas!)
On a personal note for my viewing experience: the power blipped off right as the Doctor and the young Kazran were about to be eaten by a shark. Yeah - Santa Moff + Fritzing Power Grid = SPAZ!
The Doctor and Kazran visiting Abigail throughout the years - fez, scarf, bowties = aksghuiae aksdgh sakjdgh askjdgh asdsfdssdYES!!!!!!!!!!!
I was trying to catch something that might possibly hint at what the upcoming season would be about (example - "The Christmas Invasion" briefly introduced Torchwood, "The Runaway Bride" made mention of Mr. Saxon, I don't remember if "Voyage of the Damned" had anything to do with Series 4… though Grandpa Wilf was there - but if I remember correctly, Bernard Cribbins' inclusion in that season was a last-minute change due to unforeseen circumstances in casting) - but the only thing that I could peg as a useful hint to the new season was Rory taking a call from a certain "Marilyn."
Except… there was this line - "Things have to end, otherwise, how would things get started?" (something like that. I'm quoting from memory here). O_O O_O O_O O_O
(Have I mentioned I don't like it when DW makes mention of endings????) DX DX DX DX DX
Preview SQUEEage - "Stetsons are cool!" ^_^ Pirates!! (at least, I think they were pirates) - the Doctor taking over the Oval Office - tally marks on River AND Amy - Amy has to save the Doctor - and a lot of other stuff that I can't properly remember because there was so much and I'm going absolutely bonkers over it!!
(I just realized... I need some Matt Smith gifs... barring that - anything with Karen Gillan or Arthur Darvill or even Alex Kingston would work too...)
Now, I need to post this before something goes berserk again!
ETA: I finally got to rewatch this in it's entirety - meaning I caught the approx. 5 minutes I missed - and I must amend my earlier statement that the power blip didn't cause me to miss too much - I missed an entire plot point! The part I missed was the part where the Doctor "marries" Marilyn Monroe (or so we are led to believe) and Abigail and Kazran kiss and Kazran begins his descent into jaded-grumpy-"Life's-not-fair"-old-man. Damn you, Mt. Wheeler Power!!! *shakes fist*
**begin post**
My nerves are frazzled - and that all came before 7:00. All day - ALL DAY - our electricity was blinking on and off. Our phone and our internet were down at random times. We had to open presents this morning in the dark (though the sun came up toward the end of the process) and breakfast was cold cereal. The power eventually came back on - then it blinked off and on at random intervals during the day.
Happy Christmas...
Not that I'm complaining - but when you have the DVR set to record "Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol" on BBC America at 7:00 pm, you sort of want it to, you know, WORK!
Well, it did. Mostly. The power blinked off for about five minutes in the middle, but it came right back on (luckily, some of what I missed was commercials) and I was able to enjoy the happiness and glee that is experiencing an episode of "Doctor Who" (somewhat) simultaneously with the rest of the world. Below the are some of my initial "OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!" responses. None of these are very coherent - in fact, I'll be surprised if you see any semblance of proper English grammar (but there are spoilers - now, those you might actually figure out).
**HELLO SWEETIE**YES, THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE**PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK**
Fish flying through the clouds that like opera music - clouds that can only be controlled by the hands of a grumpy old miser - a crash-landing honeymoon flight - Welcome to Christmas, Steven Moffat!
(or should it be Welcome to Steven Moffat, Christmas!)
On a personal note for my viewing experience: the power blipped off right as the Doctor and the young Kazran were about to be eaten by a shark. Yeah - Santa Moff + Fritzing Power Grid = SPAZ!
The Doctor and Kazran visiting Abigail throughout the years - fez, scarf, bowties = aksghuiae aksdgh sakjdgh askjdgh asdsfdssdYES!!!!!!!!!!!
I was trying to catch something that might possibly hint at what the upcoming season would be about (example - "The Christmas Invasion" briefly introduced Torchwood, "The Runaway Bride" made mention of Mr. Saxon, I don't remember if "Voyage of the Damned" had anything to do with Series 4… though Grandpa Wilf was there - but if I remember correctly, Bernard Cribbins' inclusion in that season was a last-minute change due to unforeseen circumstances in casting) - but the only thing that I could peg as a useful hint to the new season was Rory taking a call from a certain "Marilyn."
Except… there was this line - "Things have to end, otherwise, how would things get started?" (something like that. I'm quoting from memory here). O_O O_O O_O O_O
(Have I mentioned I don't like it when DW makes mention of endings????) DX DX DX DX DX
Preview SQUEEage - "Stetsons are cool!" ^_^ Pirates!! (at least, I think they were pirates) - the Doctor taking over the Oval Office - tally marks on River AND Amy - Amy has to save the Doctor - and a lot of other stuff that I can't properly remember because there was so much and I'm going absolutely bonkers over it!!
(I just realized... I need some Matt Smith gifs... barring that - anything with Karen Gillan or Arthur Darvill or even Alex Kingston would work too...)
Now, I need to post this before something goes berserk again!
ETA: I finally got to rewatch this in it's entirety - meaning I caught the approx. 5 minutes I missed - and I must amend my earlier statement that the power blip didn't cause me to miss too much - I missed an entire plot point! The part I missed was the part where the Doctor "marries" Marilyn Monroe (or so we are led to believe) and Abigail and Kazran kiss and Kazran begins his descent into jaded-grumpy-"Life's-not-fair"-old-man. Damn you, Mt. Wheeler Power!!! *shakes fist*
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Post-Christmas Analysis
Happy Boxing Day everyone! (hey, if my dad can call his sweatshirt a "jumper," then I can refer to Boxing Day).
It was an odd Christmas - but a good one. The power was out yesterday morning, so we opened presents in the semi-darkness. It came back on eventually, but it continued to blip on and off, much to our great annoyance. Well, I guess since Mt. Wheeler Power are a bunch of jackwads during the rest of the year, it would follow that they would play the Grinch on Christmas too.
We got to talk to Mark, though it took twenty minutes and a trek in the snow to my cousins' to use the phone (Beehive Telephone Company got in the Grinch act as well this year). Honestly, I can't wait until that kid is home. Maybe it's just mission fatigue or the fact I haven't seen my brother in three-plus years. It'll just be good to have our whole family together again.
Anyway - I did make a pretty good haul this year. For Christmas, I got:
- A Felicity doll plus her Christmas outfit (I'm annoyed that the packaging called it her "Holiday" outfit. Good grief - she celebrates Christmas in the book, you morons).
- The new Brad Paisley CD
- "Mockingjay" and "America by Heart"
- "Doctor Who" Seasons 3 and 4 on DVD (and "A Christmas Carol" aired on BBC America on Christmas Day - I count that as part of my gift haul, but it was a close call with the power blipping on and off).
- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on DVD
- Some shirts from Old Navy and DownEast (plus a Colts shirt from Fanzz ^_^)
- Fuzzy socks
- Tall boots with flat heels (yay!!)
- Mark sent us all Argentina National Team soccer jerseys and authentic Gaucho slippers ($4 off the streets of Buenos Aires ^_^)
- An M&Ms dispenser made to look like a fortune teller - it has a little button you push and you get an answer to any question you ask. Well, "yes or no" questions, anyway (think Magic 8 Ball)
- A quilter's kit complete with scissors, a rotary cutter and a new quilt pattern from Kathryn (it's pretty sweet)
- $50 Barnes and Noble gift card
- $40 from my grandparents
- Lotion and fancy hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works
- Plus plenty of candy!
I love getting money for Christmas... but now I am somewhat presented with a dilemma. See, I've been in the market for either a Kindle or a Nook. I've been looking up reviews on both and trying to decide which one I want to get. As far as I can tell, there's very little difference between the two other than a few small things that pretty much balance out the comparison. The only thing I'd want it for would be to read books (I don't really need or want the audiobook capabilities). I don't really need 3G service either, so I'd be looking at the Wi-Fi-only option.
I have downloaded some of the free Kindle books to my laptop, but the one book that I actually purchased never would download (I just found a free torrent for it and that worked, so I count that I paid for it). If I got a Nook, I could use my gift card, plus the money from my grandparents and that would knock off about $90 from the final price. But... I like the fact that Amazon keeps your books in your Kindle archive in case you lose them... but the Nook lets you back up your books on micro SD cards. I'm a little wary of leaving things solely online because that means you're counting on the internet never, ever, ever crashing or going away. And with the recent Delicious scare, I'd almost rather have a physical backup of my own (yes, I know that Yahoo didn't really shut down Delicious, but the chaos that ensued on the internet was deafening - so to speak). But also, the Kindle can read PDFs and I use those a lot and it'd be cool to use that feature.
Anyway - those are my thoughts. Does anyone out there have any insight into my conundrum? Do you own either one of these eReaders? What do you like or dislike about them? Please chime in because I'd like some input from actual Nook and/or Kindle users before I make my final decision.
It was an odd Christmas - but a good one. The power was out yesterday morning, so we opened presents in the semi-darkness. It came back on eventually, but it continued to blip on and off, much to our great annoyance. Well, I guess since Mt. Wheeler Power are a bunch of jackwads during the rest of the year, it would follow that they would play the Grinch on Christmas too.
We got to talk to Mark, though it took twenty minutes and a trek in the snow to my cousins' to use the phone (Beehive Telephone Company got in the Grinch act as well this year). Honestly, I can't wait until that kid is home. Maybe it's just mission fatigue or the fact I haven't seen my brother in three-plus years. It'll just be good to have our whole family together again.
Anyway - I did make a pretty good haul this year. For Christmas, I got:
- A Felicity doll plus her Christmas outfit (I'm annoyed that the packaging called it her "Holiday" outfit. Good grief - she celebrates Christmas in the book, you morons).
- The new Brad Paisley CD
- "Mockingjay" and "America by Heart"
- "Doctor Who" Seasons 3 and 4 on DVD (and "A Christmas Carol" aired on BBC America on Christmas Day - I count that as part of my gift haul, but it was a close call with the power blipping on and off).
- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on DVD
- Some shirts from Old Navy and DownEast (plus a Colts shirt from Fanzz ^_^)
- Fuzzy socks
- Tall boots with flat heels (yay!!)
- Mark sent us all Argentina National Team soccer jerseys and authentic Gaucho slippers ($4 off the streets of Buenos Aires ^_^)
- An M&Ms dispenser made to look like a fortune teller - it has a little button you push and you get an answer to any question you ask. Well, "yes or no" questions, anyway (think Magic 8 Ball)
- A quilter's kit complete with scissors, a rotary cutter and a new quilt pattern from Kathryn (it's pretty sweet)
- $50 Barnes and Noble gift card
- $40 from my grandparents
- Lotion and fancy hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works
- Plus plenty of candy!
I love getting money for Christmas... but now I am somewhat presented with a dilemma. See, I've been in the market for either a Kindle or a Nook. I've been looking up reviews on both and trying to decide which one I want to get. As far as I can tell, there's very little difference between the two other than a few small things that pretty much balance out the comparison. The only thing I'd want it for would be to read books (I don't really need or want the audiobook capabilities). I don't really need 3G service either, so I'd be looking at the Wi-Fi-only option.
I have downloaded some of the free Kindle books to my laptop, but the one book that I actually purchased never would download (I just found a free torrent for it and that worked, so I count that I paid for it). If I got a Nook, I could use my gift card, plus the money from my grandparents and that would knock off about $90 from the final price. But... I like the fact that Amazon keeps your books in your Kindle archive in case you lose them... but the Nook lets you back up your books on micro SD cards. I'm a little wary of leaving things solely online because that means you're counting on the internet never, ever, ever crashing or going away. And with the recent Delicious scare, I'd almost rather have a physical backup of my own (yes, I know that Yahoo didn't really shut down Delicious, but the chaos that ensued on the internet was deafening - so to speak). But also, the Kindle can read PDFs and I use those a lot and it'd be cool to use that feature.
Anyway - those are my thoughts. Does anyone out there have any insight into my conundrum? Do you own either one of these eReaders? What do you like or dislike about them? Please chime in because I'd like some input from actual Nook and/or Kindle users before I make my final decision.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tomorrow is Christmas - It's Practically Here
Our internet was out all day, which means I am woefully behind on all my internet stuff. But, it's Christmas Eve and that meant that I actually got presents wrapped among other sundry things.
The cousins and I are caught up and ready for the Doctor Who Christmas Special tomorrow (squee!) And there's presents and food and family and all that wonderful stuff that comes with the holidays, so this is pretty exciting!
There's not much else I want to say - except for you all to have a Merry Christmas! And also - to post this video that I have already posted, but I want it up for today and tomorrow -
The cousins and I are caught up and ready for the Doctor Who Christmas Special tomorrow (squee!) And there's presents and food and family and all that wonderful stuff that comes with the holidays, so this is pretty exciting!
There's not much else I want to say - except for you all to have a Merry Christmas! And also - to post this video that I have already posted, but I want it up for today and tomorrow -
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Best "Christmas Carol" EVER!!
I don't have a whole lot of time to post over Christmas, but I've located some fun Christmas videos, including some with songs from my favorite Christmas movie of all time - "A Muppet Christmas Carol" And the music is great too) Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!
Dear World: Michael Caine as Scrooge = AWESOME! Thank you for your time.
And if I didn't include this song, it wouldn't be Christmas:
Oh, and this is one I made as my gift to the internet:
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sorta Dropped the Ball...
Just to "dress up" my blog for Christmas (and because I like putting off-topic videos on my posts), here are Matt, Karen and Arthur with a fun little Christmas performance just for you all ^_^
Ever since Thursday Night Football started, my pick schedule's been all messed up. So, I'm just going to skip that game and make picks for the rest of the week (but some quick commentary - I thought that the Niners would at least make an effort against the Chargers. Good grief...)
New Orleans @ Baltimore - Saints
Arizona @ Carolina - Arizona (not because I like them, but because anyone who picks Carolina to win anything this year is an idiot)
Cleveland @ Cincinnati - Cleveland
Washington @ Dallas - I really don't know about this... I mean, McNabb's not exactly the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Rex Grossman is... well, Rex Grossman. Well... I guess I'll go with Washington anyway (stranger things have happened)
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - Okay, I'm crossing my little fangirl fingers here... a win can only help Indy, so please, please, please, PLEASE football gods let the Colts win!
Buffalo @ Miami - Miami
Philadelphia @ NY Giants - Giants (please???)
Kansas City @ St. Louis - Kansas City
Detroit @ Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay
Houston @ Tennessee - murgh... oh fine - Houston
Atlanta @ Seattle - Atlanta
Denver @ Oakland - I want to say Oakland, but I think Denver is going to be all about paying back for that 59-14 loss back in October... but then I see that Oakland actually has a better record than Denver... but then I remember that it's not about records at all... but then I remember I have a nickel in my pocket and I can flip for my pick! *flips coin* Tails - Oakland
NY Jets @ Pittsburgh - If anything, this past year has proven that the Jets are the new Cincinnati Divalicious weirdo team and it's coming back to bite them in the butt *cackles evilly* Pittsburgh
Green Bay @ New England - Dear heaven above - PACKERS!
Chicago @ Minnesota - Chicago
Ever since Thursday Night Football started, my pick schedule's been all messed up. So, I'm just going to skip that game and make picks for the rest of the week (but some quick commentary - I thought that the Niners would at least make an effort against the Chargers. Good grief...)
New Orleans @ Baltimore - Saints
Arizona @ Carolina - Arizona (not because I like them, but because anyone who picks Carolina to win anything this year is an idiot)
Cleveland @ Cincinnati - Cleveland
Washington @ Dallas - I really don't know about this... I mean, McNabb's not exactly the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Rex Grossman is... well, Rex Grossman. Well... I guess I'll go with Washington anyway (stranger things have happened)
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - Okay, I'm crossing my little fangirl fingers here... a win can only help Indy, so please, please, please, PLEASE football gods let the Colts win!
Buffalo @ Miami - Miami
Philadelphia @ NY Giants - Giants (please???)
Kansas City @ St. Louis - Kansas City
Detroit @ Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay
Houston @ Tennessee - murgh... oh fine - Houston
Atlanta @ Seattle - Atlanta
Denver @ Oakland - I want to say Oakland, but I think Denver is going to be all about paying back for that 59-14 loss back in October... but then I see that Oakland actually has a better record than Denver... but then I remember that it's not about records at all... but then I remember I have a nickel in my pocket and I can flip for my pick! *flips coin* Tails - Oakland
NY Jets @ Pittsburgh - If anything, this past year has proven that the Jets are the new Cincinnati Divalicious weirdo team and it's coming back to bite them in the butt *cackles evilly* Pittsburgh
Green Bay @ New England - Dear heaven above - PACKERS!
Chicago @ Minnesota - Chicago
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Now I Know We're Related
Anyone who knows my sister and I knows how vastly different we are. I think it's a form of subconscious rebellion we've undertaken against our parents who insisted on dressing us alike when we were little. There is a picture of us both in these frilly red dresses going to church (a sad, sad relic that serves to remind us of the fashion horrors committed in the '80s). Even more distressing is the memory I have of at least three people coming up to us during church as asking us if we were twins (even though these people knew our family and knew full well that my sister and I are two years apart in age thankyouverymuch).
However, now that we are older, we have developed our own interests that rarely (if ever) cross paths. Even with one interest we have in common - cheering for University of Utah football - we don't participate in together. This past Thanksgiving, for example, I went in one room to watch the Utah-byu game. My sister was sitting in the room as well and asked me (rather pointedly) where I was going to be watching the game. I shrugged, sat down said "In here." She promptly got up and walked in the other TV room, citing that she cannot watch football games with me - I make her too nervous. After she and my other sister left, my dad (who had been witness to this entire exchange and knows perfectly well how we sisters are) started laughing. All I can say is thank heaven for multiple DirecTV receivers in the house.
I'm not upset about this at all. Far from it - I've actually gotten some pretty funny stories out of encounters with my sister. Siblings have every right and reason to be their own individual people. Why would you want to be attached at the hip with your brothers and sisters for the rest of your life? But we are so different that I have had people express surprise when they find out that she is my sister.
This brings me to my point in writing this. In the course of announcing that she and my brother-in-law are expecting, my sister posted to her blog one of the funniest versions of someone announcing their pregnancy I've encountered online. Her post also serves the dual purpose of confirming to me that my sister and I indeed share common DNA because I agree with her wholeheartedly.
However, now that we are older, we have developed our own interests that rarely (if ever) cross paths. Even with one interest we have in common - cheering for University of Utah football - we don't participate in together. This past Thanksgiving, for example, I went in one room to watch the Utah-byu game. My sister was sitting in the room as well and asked me (rather pointedly) where I was going to be watching the game. I shrugged, sat down said "In here." She promptly got up and walked in the other TV room, citing that she cannot watch football games with me - I make her too nervous. After she and my other sister left, my dad (who had been witness to this entire exchange and knows perfectly well how we sisters are) started laughing. All I can say is thank heaven for multiple DirecTV receivers in the house.
I'm not upset about this at all. Far from it - I've actually gotten some pretty funny stories out of encounters with my sister. Siblings have every right and reason to be their own individual people. Why would you want to be attached at the hip with your brothers and sisters for the rest of your life? But we are so different that I have had people express surprise when they find out that she is my sister.
This brings me to my point in writing this. In the course of announcing that she and my brother-in-law are expecting, my sister posted to her blog one of the funniest versions of someone announcing their pregnancy I've encountered online. Her post also serves the dual purpose of confirming to me that my sister and I indeed share common DNA because I agree with her wholeheartedly.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Holy. Crap.
I really have nothing to say about this - I just think it's unreal and deserves to be shared far and wide.
It's like The Greater Cosmos(tm) saying: "Just when you thought the NFL season couldn't get any weirder - here's a stadium roof collapsing! And make sure you catch it on camera!"
(Just for the record - it was nice and sunny out here in Utah. I didn't even need my coat today. Neener, neener).
The weirdest thing is last night I had a dream I was on the Titanic while it was sinking (it's a dream - just go with me, here) and it was making that same noise (I also remember floating underwater and thinking that James Cameron's CGI work was a bunch of crap. Oh, how I love my subconscious).
It's like The Greater Cosmos(tm) saying: "Just when you thought the NFL season couldn't get any weirder - here's a stadium roof collapsing! And make sure you catch it on camera!"
(Just for the record - it was nice and sunny out here in Utah. I didn't even need my coat today. Neener, neener).
The weirdest thing is last night I had a dream I was on the Titanic while it was sinking (it's a dream - just go with me, here) and it was making that same noise (I also remember floating underwater and thinking that James Cameron's CGI work was a bunch of crap. Oh, how I love my subconscious).
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Strangest Post I've Ever Posted
I'm leading off with my football picks and then I'll go on with some other important stuff
Colts @ Titans - Listen up, Colts - I have picked you since the beginning of the season and here my loyalty is rewarded with a pitiful 6-6 record and we're playing for a freaking WILD CARD SPOT??? DOUBLE-YOU-TEE-EFF??? whyyyyyyyyyy? ...sigh... I guess I shouldn't abandon my boys now - but I'm afraid that I'm just bad luck. Oh, what the heck - Colts.
Browns @ Bills - Poody. Just... poody. Browns
Falcons @ Panthers - Are you kidding me? This matchup isn't even fair - Falcons.
Packers @ Lions - Packers
Raiders @ Jaguars - Jaguars
Giants @ Vikings - Giants, Giants, GIANTS!!! (ftw)
Bengals @ Steelers - Steelers
Buccaneers @ Redskins - As much as I want the 'Skins to win... I think the Bucs are better (renaissance year in Washington notwithstanding).
Rams @ Saints - Saints
Seahawks @ 49ers - Neither are that good, but I like the Niners
Broncos @ Cardinals - What is this, making me pick between Bad or Worse? (and I'm not sure which is which). Broncos
Patriots @ Bears - the Bears are good... but the Patriots are better (darn it). Excuse me whilst I vomit - and select the Patriots (now watch, this'll be the the week they choke)
Dolphins @ Jets - Jets
Chiefs @ Chargers - KC
Eagles @ Dallas - Dallas is even further on my poop-list from last week's Colts-beating shenanigans and I choose the Eagles
Ravens @ Texans - Ravens
Tomorrow is our play and I'm really excited for it. I'm nervous, to be sure, but I'm also excited. The kids are ready to rock and roll and I'm ready for... something big to go down. I've just had a lot of fun doing this. I almost want to do another play in the spring (almost).
And - for something completely different - I've been reading the "Mark Reads" blog, where this guy named Mark reads books chapter-by-chapter and he reviews them. Currently, he's reading "The Hunger Games," (which I loved and am on my second read-through) and he's read all of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight." I'm reading through his thoughts on HP - I tried to read the "Twilight" ones, but there was too much WTF-ery for me to process (and some of his anti-LDS sentiments sent me seething. It was better to avoid it altogether). I do love reading his thoughts as he read HP because it reminded me of the absolute joy and giddiness that I experienced when I read all the HP books for the first time. I am a big enough person I can set aside larger differences (religion, politics, etc.) for the pure love of fandom (what can I say - I hold out hope that there is somewhere in this world that people can get over these ticky-tack differences and find something - however small and/or seemingly insignificant - that they can agree on).
However, some comments in the blog (and some lines from Mark himself) brought up some questions of morality and sexuality (don't ask me how these things happen - the internet practically invented random tangents) and that got me pondering about my own thoughts on the topic. Sort of an odd thing for me to be musing over (if you know me, you probably know that this is something I've never been comfortable with discussing - that's just how I roll), but I've run into some articles about how sexuality is viewed in society - whether it's from a religious or secular standpoint - and I've become fascinated by what others have said. I'm not about to change my opinion on the subject (unless something earth-shattering happens, but how earth-shattering is another topic), but I do like learning about what other people think and why they think that. It's something I'd like to expound upon for myself, but not in a way you might expect. I've got to think it over, though, so give me a while.
(Wow - that was the weirdest post I've ever written - everything from football to sex... And... I'm going to leave it at that...)
Colts @ Titans - Listen up, Colts - I have picked you since the beginning of the season and here my loyalty is rewarded with a pitiful 6-6 record and we're playing for a freaking WILD CARD SPOT??? DOUBLE-YOU-TEE-EFF??? whyyyyyyyyyy? ...sigh... I guess I shouldn't abandon my boys now - but I'm afraid that I'm just bad luck. Oh, what the heck - Colts.
Browns @ Bills - Poody. Just... poody. Browns
Falcons @ Panthers - Are you kidding me? This matchup isn't even fair - Falcons.
Packers @ Lions - Packers
Raiders @ Jaguars - Jaguars
Giants @ Vikings - Giants, Giants, GIANTS!!! (ftw)
Bengals @ Steelers - Steelers
Buccaneers @ Redskins - As much as I want the 'Skins to win... I think the Bucs are better (renaissance year in Washington notwithstanding).
Rams @ Saints - Saints
Seahawks @ 49ers - Neither are that good, but I like the Niners
Broncos @ Cardinals - What is this, making me pick between Bad or Worse? (and I'm not sure which is which). Broncos
Patriots @ Bears - the Bears are good... but the Patriots are better (darn it). Excuse me whilst I vomit - and select the Patriots (now watch, this'll be the the week they choke)
Dolphins @ Jets - Jets
Chiefs @ Chargers - KC
Eagles @ Dallas - Dallas is even further on my poop-list from last week's Colts-beating shenanigans and I choose the Eagles
Ravens @ Texans - Ravens
Tomorrow is our play and I'm really excited for it. I'm nervous, to be sure, but I'm also excited. The kids are ready to rock and roll and I'm ready for... something big to go down. I've just had a lot of fun doing this. I almost want to do another play in the spring (almost).
And - for something completely different - I've been reading the "Mark Reads" blog, where this guy named Mark reads books chapter-by-chapter and he reviews them. Currently, he's reading "The Hunger Games," (which I loved and am on my second read-through) and he's read all of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight." I'm reading through his thoughts on HP - I tried to read the "Twilight" ones, but there was too much WTF-ery for me to process (and some of his anti-LDS sentiments sent me seething. It was better to avoid it altogether). I do love reading his thoughts as he read HP because it reminded me of the absolute joy and giddiness that I experienced when I read all the HP books for the first time. I am a big enough person I can set aside larger differences (religion, politics, etc.) for the pure love of fandom (what can I say - I hold out hope that there is somewhere in this world that people can get over these ticky-tack differences and find something - however small and/or seemingly insignificant - that they can agree on).
However, some comments in the blog (and some lines from Mark himself) brought up some questions of morality and sexuality (don't ask me how these things happen - the internet practically invented random tangents) and that got me pondering about my own thoughts on the topic. Sort of an odd thing for me to be musing over (if you know me, you probably know that this is something I've never been comfortable with discussing - that's just how I roll), but I've run into some articles about how sexuality is viewed in society - whether it's from a religious or secular standpoint - and I've become fascinated by what others have said. I'm not about to change my opinion on the subject (unless something earth-shattering happens, but how earth-shattering is another topic), but I do like learning about what other people think and why they think that. It's something I'd like to expound upon for myself, but not in a way you might expect. I've got to think it over, though, so give me a while.
(Wow - that was the weirdest post I've ever written - everything from football to sex... And... I'm going to leave it at that...)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
NFL Picks - Lucky 13
And we welcome you to Week 13! Roll on with the picks -
Houston @ Philly - I flipped a coin and it said Houston... but my first instinct was to go with the Eagles, and I typically like my first instinct, so that's what I'm going with.
Buffalo @ Minnesota - Minnesota
Cleveland @ Miami - Miami
Jacksonville @ Tennessee - If Tennessee wins, that helps the Colts. But I don't think it'll happen (darn it). Sigh... Jaguars (but come on Titans!)
New Orleans @ Cincinnati - New Orleans
Denver @ Kansas City - KC
Washington @ New York Giants - Giants
Chicago @ Detroit - Chicago
San Francisco @ Green Bay - Green Bay (it was so sad watching Monday Night Football last week and the commentators make all kinds of jokes at the NFC West's expense... wish they would pick it up...)
Oakland @ San Diego - My pick is San Diego, but due to the outcome of a certain game last week that I can think of, I will be cheering for Oakland (I really don't like the Chargers. They aren't yet to the level I hate Dallas or New England, but they're making a case for it).
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - Ooooh... this should be an unusually good one. The Falcons are hot, so I'm going with them.
Dallas @ Indianapolis - I have long since resigned myself to the fact that this is just not Indy's year. However, that does not mean I'm going to abandon them now, and especially NOT against Dallas. Colts by 7.
St. Louis @ Arizona - It will be a cold day in hell when I throw my chips in for a team that has max hall on it - even if he's just a backup (watch... he'll get traded to someone I like in the off-season - just watch). St. Louis.
Carolina @ Seattle - Seattle
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - Another one that promises to be a barn-burner. But I like the Steelers, so I will go with them.
New York Jets @ New England - The lesser of two evils: Jets.
Current Standings - Last week's results garnered 12-4 (though, I happily relinquish any points because of a Rams win). Record-to-Date: 78-41
Now, off to finish my final LI843 project. I need to come up with something interesting and fun about fonts and typography in web design. Seeing as I'm a bit of a newspaper/yearbook layout junkie, you'd think this would be right up my alley. HA! And again, I say - HA HA! It's converting that information into a decent-ish website that's the problem. Well... I guess I'd better get started...
Houston @ Philly - I flipped a coin and it said Houston... but my first instinct was to go with the Eagles, and I typically like my first instinct, so that's what I'm going with.
Buffalo @ Minnesota - Minnesota
Cleveland @ Miami - Miami
Jacksonville @ Tennessee - If Tennessee wins, that helps the Colts. But I don't think it'll happen (darn it). Sigh... Jaguars (but come on Titans!)
New Orleans @ Cincinnati - New Orleans
Denver @ Kansas City - KC
Washington @ New York Giants - Giants
Chicago @ Detroit - Chicago
San Francisco @ Green Bay - Green Bay (it was so sad watching Monday Night Football last week and the commentators make all kinds of jokes at the NFC West's expense... wish they would pick it up...)
Oakland @ San Diego - My pick is San Diego, but due to the outcome of a certain game last week that I can think of, I will be cheering for Oakland (I really don't like the Chargers. They aren't yet to the level I hate Dallas or New England, but they're making a case for it).
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - Ooooh... this should be an unusually good one. The Falcons are hot, so I'm going with them.
Dallas @ Indianapolis - I have long since resigned myself to the fact that this is just not Indy's year. However, that does not mean I'm going to abandon them now, and especially NOT against Dallas. Colts by 7.
St. Louis @ Arizona - It will be a cold day in hell when I throw my chips in for a team that has max hall on it - even if he's just a backup (watch... he'll get traded to someone I like in the off-season - just watch). St. Louis.
Carolina @ Seattle - Seattle
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - Another one that promises to be a barn-burner. But I like the Steelers, so I will go with them.
New York Jets @ New England - The lesser of two evils: Jets.
Current Standings - Last week's results garnered 12-4 (though, I happily relinquish any points because of a Rams win). Record-to-Date: 78-41
Now, off to finish my final LI843 project. I need to come up with something interesting and fun about fonts and typography in web design. Seeing as I'm a bit of a newspaper/yearbook layout junkie, you'd think this would be right up my alley. HA! And again, I say - HA HA! It's converting that information into a decent-ish website that's the problem. Well... I guess I'd better get started...
Monday, November 29, 2010
It Must Be Christmas...
...because, apparently, every girl on the freaking planet wants diamond jewelry (according to Monday Night Football advertising, anyway). Personally, I don't know what the heck is the big deal with diamonds - beyond that they're stinking expensive and sparkle like Edward Cullen. I can see the big hoopla if a guy is asking a girl to marry him, but last I checked, a guy traditionally gives a girl a diamond engagement ring. Not a necklace or earrings (but what do I know?)
Speaking totally for myself, if I had a significant other (pffft... riiiiiiight...) and he was going to spend money on me, I'd rather he take the money and buy me something of real value. Like a Wii.
Speaking totally for myself, if I had a significant other (pffft... riiiiiiight...) and he was going to spend money on me, I'd rather he take the money and buy me something of real value. Like a Wii.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Win or Lose...
... I take consolation in the fact that I will never have to suffer through another Utes game called by the Orem Community College Remedial Sports Broadcasting class.
(For those lacking a sense of humor, I know there's no Orem Community College. It was a joke. Sort of like the Utes' passing game of late. C'mon boys - pick it up in the second half!)
(For those lacking a sense of humor, I know there's no Orem Community College. It was a joke. Sort of like the Utes' passing game of late. C'mon boys - pick it up in the second half!)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Turkey Day! (and NFL Picks)
First of all - do you know how hard it is to find celebratory videos that are purely for Thanksgiving? Not that I'm complaining - because I love this old classic:
(originally from here, but I like embedding videos, so YouTube it is! Except when they block stuff I make).
ANYWAY... another grand Thanksgiving tradition at our house is football and this year is no exception. There's the traditionalLions getting their butts kicked games on Thanksgiving, plus the end-of-season Utah-byu rivalry game on Saturday. Say what you will about it - that's how our family rolls ^_^
So - onto the picks!
New England @ Detroit - Tradition dictates that the Lions play someone we absolutely hate on Thanksgiving. This year will make forbloody interesting conversation because little cousin Johnny loves the Patriots, but nobody else in my family does. And Johnny is a cocky little twerp when he wins (though I do have to give him credit for not being a punk last Sunday over the Pats-Colts game). So, my prediction is that New England will win and Johnny won't make it to the pumpkin pie.
New Orleans @ Dallas - Tradition usually dictates that Dallas (who we also hate) plays some little cream puff team, orchestrates a blowout and further ruins any joy we otherwise would have. However, Dallas has become the cream puff this year and New Orleans is the defending Super Bowl Champs. It is with much joy and happiness that I call it a win for the Saints.
Cincinnati @ New York Jets - A fairly new tradition - a third Thanksgiving Day game in prime time. Sadly, it's two teams that I'm not particularly fond of, so I really don't care (I'll probably be in a turkey coma by then anyway). Even so, I pick the Jets.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - Back to the regular Sunday format... Green Bay
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Steelers
Carolina @ Cleveland - Browns
Titans @ Texans - mmm.... Texans
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - The Giants need some good juju, so I send some post-Thanksgiving Day good feelings in their direction.
Minnesota @ Washington - Now that the Vikings' coach has been replaced, will they pull out a win? Mm... probably not. Redskins.
Miami @ Oakland - Oakland has been doing better... but I'm going with Miami.
Kansas City @ Seattle - I've been silently cheering on the Chiefs in this renaissance year and I think that will continue.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - Ravens
Philadelphia @ Chicago - Eagles
St. Louis @ Denver - Feh... Broncos
San Diego @ Indianapolis - I predict Philip Rivers will channel his inner fanboy and crap out again as the Colts look to vent some frustration over that stupid loss to New England (Please note: fanboys don't like it when the status quo in their fandoms is upset). Colts.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Man, how did Monday Night Football get such crap-fests this year? Sigh... I can never in good faith cheer for a team with classless max hall and certainly not after Rivalry Week. Niners.
Current Standings - Last week's result was a rather impressive 13-3, which bring my current totals to 66-37.
(originally from here, but I like embedding videos, so YouTube it is! Except when they block stuff I make).
ANYWAY... another grand Thanksgiving tradition at our house is football and this year is no exception. There's the traditional
So - onto the picks!
New England @ Detroit - Tradition dictates that the Lions play someone we absolutely hate on Thanksgiving. This year will make for
New Orleans @ Dallas - Tradition usually dictates that Dallas (who we also hate) plays some little cream puff team, orchestrates a blowout and further ruins any joy we otherwise would have. However, Dallas has become the cream puff this year and New Orleans is the defending Super Bowl Champs. It is with much joy and happiness that I call it a win for the Saints.
Cincinnati @ New York Jets - A fairly new tradition - a third Thanksgiving Day game in prime time. Sadly, it's two teams that I'm not particularly fond of, so I really don't care (I'll probably be in a turkey coma by then anyway). Even so, I pick the Jets.
Green Bay @ Atlanta - Back to the regular Sunday format... Green Bay
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Steelers
Carolina @ Cleveland - Browns
Titans @ Texans - mmm.... Texans
Jacksonville @ New York Giants - The Giants need some good juju, so I send some post-Thanksgiving Day good feelings in their direction.
Minnesota @ Washington - Now that the Vikings' coach has been replaced, will they pull out a win? Mm... probably not. Redskins.
Miami @ Oakland - Oakland has been doing better... but I'm going with Miami.
Kansas City @ Seattle - I've been silently cheering on the Chiefs in this renaissance year and I think that will continue.
Tampa Bay @ Baltimore - Ravens
Philadelphia @ Chicago - Eagles
St. Louis @ Denver - Feh... Broncos
San Diego @ Indianapolis - I predict Philip Rivers will channel his inner fanboy and crap out again as the Colts look to vent some frustration over that stupid loss to New England (Please note: fanboys don't like it when the status quo in their fandoms is upset). Colts.
San Francisco @ Arizona - Man, how did Monday Night Football get such crap-fests this year? Sigh... I can never in good faith cheer for a team with classless max hall and certainly not after Rivalry Week. Niners.
Current Standings - Last week's result was a rather impressive 13-3, which bring my current totals to 66-37.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Ooh, Risotto, Risotto, Risotto!
The Schwan man is coming out today, so I was compiling my "shopping" list for when he gets here (plus, my mom wanted me to get a few things for this weekend). Anyone who knows me knows that I hate cooking and I avoid it if at all possible. It's not like I can't cook or that I won't cook, there are just other things I'd like to do with my time (and all that work for something that's going to be gone in 30 minutes anyway? No thank you). I usually just buy things that I can heat up in the microwave in two minutes and life is great.
However, I've decided that I'm sick of just eating microwave corn dogs and I'd like some variety in my diet. I was checking out the pasta section of the Schwan catalog to see if there was something relatively affordable that I could cook, eat and save leftovers from (leftovers = WIN). I happened upon a risotto and peas. I almost bought it, but it's too expensive (like a lot of things Schwan sells). So, I started searching for risotto recipes because it looked like some relatively easy I could make (and I am insanely curious about risotto - for reasons yet unknown.. Yes, reasons completely unknown. I dare you to click that link. Go on - do it!)
Ha ha ha. And again I say, ha. Twenty-plus minutes of standing over a pot of boiling rice is not my idea of a fun time. I was about to abandon my search for a decent risotto recipe that didn't force me to slave over a hot stove when I found this little gem. Anything that has "microwave" in the title must be promising.
But then I look at the ingredients list - like the Oatmeal says, every recipe I've tried to make at home requires that I go out and buy a boatload of crap that I'm only ever going to use for this one recipe (I think I still have spices from my freshman year of college in a box somewhere. Yes, I probably ought to throw those out - but it seems such a waste. And yet... I'm still not using them. Betty Crocker I am not).
However, this recipe has things that I actually do buy - at least, one of the substitutions says that I can replace the white wine with white grape juice or apple juice and I have been known to buy both. And who doesn't have butter or margarine in their fridge? The only thing I wonder about would be that you have to use a certain kind of rice... and I just buy whatever rice is at the store.
... or I'll just buy another box of frozen corn dogs. sigh... what I wouldn't give for a decent Chinese place somewhere close...
However, I've decided that I'm sick of just eating microwave corn dogs and I'd like some variety in my diet. I was checking out the pasta section of the Schwan catalog to see if there was something relatively affordable that I could cook, eat and save leftovers from (leftovers = WIN). I happened upon a risotto and peas. I almost bought it, but it's too expensive (like a lot of things Schwan sells). So, I started searching for risotto recipes because it looked like some relatively easy I could make (and I am insanely curious about risotto - for reasons yet unknown.. Yes, reasons completely unknown. I dare you to click that link. Go on - do it!)
Ha ha ha. And again I say, ha. Twenty-plus minutes of standing over a pot of boiling rice is not my idea of a fun time. I was about to abandon my search for a decent risotto recipe that didn't force me to slave over a hot stove when I found this little gem. Anything that has "microwave" in the title must be promising.
But then I look at the ingredients list - like the Oatmeal says, every recipe I've tried to make at home requires that I go out and buy a boatload of crap that I'm only ever going to use for this one recipe (I think I still have spices from my freshman year of college in a box somewhere. Yes, I probably ought to throw those out - but it seems such a waste. And yet... I'm still not using them. Betty Crocker I am not).
However, this recipe has things that I actually do buy - at least, one of the substitutions says that I can replace the white wine with white grape juice or apple juice and I have been known to buy both. And who doesn't have butter or margarine in their fridge? The only thing I wonder about would be that you have to use a certain kind of rice... and I just buy whatever rice is at the store.
... or I'll just buy another box of frozen corn dogs. sigh... what I wouldn't give for a decent Chinese place somewhere close...
Monday, November 22, 2010
Happy Birthday Doctor Who!
(Yeah, the date says November 22 - but I'm posting this right before I go to bed, and it's the 23rd in most of the world by now, anyway).
It's an exciting day today - and not just because it's a short week. Today marks the 47th anniversary of the broadcast of the very first episode of "Doctor Who." "An Unearthly Child" was broadcast on November 23, 1963 and the rest is history. You can watch the first part of "An Unearthly Child" here (the rest of it is there too - just look down the playlist).
And I here celebrate with one of my favorite fanvids that includes all incarnations of the Doctor to this point:
Happy Birthday to our favorite Time Lord - and here's to many, many more!
It's an exciting day today - and not just because it's a short week. Today marks the 47th anniversary of the broadcast of the very first episode of "Doctor Who." "An Unearthly Child" was broadcast on November 23, 1963 and the rest is history. You can watch the first part of "An Unearthly Child" here (the rest of it is there too - just look down the playlist).
And I here celebrate with one of my favorite fanvids that includes all incarnations of the Doctor to this point:
Happy Birthday to our favorite Time Lord - and here's to many, many more!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Geek Mama Grizzlies - UNITE!
I know I've posted a boatload of stuff today, but I have to post about this because - well, just because.
First, read this blog post. Or, if you're too lazy - Katie is a first grader who took a Star Wars water bottle to school - because it matched her Star Wars lunchbox and Star Wars backpack. A group of obnoxious littlemaggots boys teased the poor girl because (ahem) Star Wars is only for boys.
Take a minute to let that sink in. Then go beat the stuffing out of your nearest convenient pillow. I'll wait.
This story is similar to something that happened to me in kindergarten. When I was a kid, I LOVED the Ninja Turtles! I watched the cartoon every time it was on and my mom would rent the videos for me to watch. I had some of the comic books and Leonardo was my favorite - I thought the swords were cool (yes, I know they were katana - but four-year-olds don't quibble about details like that). Now, living on a farm outside of town, I didn't get much interaction with kids my own age. Oh, I knew kids in my Primary class and from preschool, but we didn't get too much into things like favorite cartoons and stuff like that.
When I got into kindergarten, however, there were more kids that I didn't know, but I didn't think much of it. I proudly proclaimed that I was a Ninja Turtle fangirl (in not so many words, but yeah). I distinctly remember a group of girls sneering at me for it. Like "Ew - Ninja Turtles are for boys!" And the boys weren't much better - they'd rather eat dirt than let a girl play with them (which, they probably ate dirt anyway, but that's not the point).
It made me feel terrible - like there was something very, very wrong with me because I liked the Ninja Turtles. I kind of starting backpedaling, like "Ha ha, just kidding - I don't really like the Turtles," but that didn't work. If anything, it caused me more heartache because the girls I played with weren't the kind of girls I should have been friends with (boys may like to beat each other up, but girls are just cruel and catty and that's 100 times worse than getting punched in the nose, in my opinion). I eventually learned my lesson, returning to my roots and telling those mean girls to bug off. That was the beginning of my "weird" reputation - a badge of honor I proudly wear to this day. Over the years, the same girls (and boys) that teased me for my odd choice in TV softened in their outward attitudes, but they found other means of tormenting me - the girls especially.
There comes a point where you realize that you don't need to deal with that sort of crap. So what if I'm a cute little five-year-old whose favorite cartoon hero is a giant turtle? So what if Katie is a stinking adorable little girl with a Star Wars lunchbox? This new generation of geek girls is lucky in that the internet has made it possible to know that we are not alone. Dude, there's an entire blog of dedicated geek girls who are into this stuff! Even so, it's tough when no one in your immediate circle of acquaintances shares the same interests as you. It's even worse when they belittle you for it (especially when it's snot-nosed twerps doing it. I've said it before - kids are among the cruelest beasts in the universe).
There is a good side to this story. If you didn't notice, Katie's mom asked for other females who like somewhat-geeky things to share their stories. I added my two cents, but I was amazed by the sheer volume of comments she was getting! And this blog requires you to have an account to leave a comment! (Here's a different blog that doesn't require an account to comment - and the similarity between her title and my title is purely coincidental, I swear!)
And the other good thing - the kind of treatment I received from these kids actually spurred me on to enjoy other geeky things (sort of a "Take That!" to the established idea of what little white Mormon girls in Utah should like). I learned that the more people tell me I should/should not do something and it's something I actually want to do (that last one is the key here), the more I'm motivated to participate in it. So, in a way, those little snotwipes I had to deal with in elementary school did me a favor. Nowadays, I chalk it up to a character-building exercise. Maybe I should thank them.
First, read this blog post. Or, if you're too lazy - Katie is a first grader who took a Star Wars water bottle to school - because it matched her Star Wars lunchbox and Star Wars backpack. A group of obnoxious little
Take a minute to let that sink in. Then go beat the stuffing out of your nearest convenient pillow. I'll wait.
This story is similar to something that happened to me in kindergarten. When I was a kid, I LOVED the Ninja Turtles! I watched the cartoon every time it was on and my mom would rent the videos for me to watch. I had some of the comic books and Leonardo was my favorite - I thought the swords were cool (yes, I know they were katana - but four-year-olds don't quibble about details like that). Now, living on a farm outside of town, I didn't get much interaction with kids my own age. Oh, I knew kids in my Primary class and from preschool, but we didn't get too much into things like favorite cartoons and stuff like that.
When I got into kindergarten, however, there were more kids that I didn't know, but I didn't think much of it. I proudly proclaimed that I was a Ninja Turtle fangirl (in not so many words, but yeah). I distinctly remember a group of girls sneering at me for it. Like "Ew - Ninja Turtles are for boys!" And the boys weren't much better - they'd rather eat dirt than let a girl play with them (which, they probably ate dirt anyway, but that's not the point).
It made me feel terrible - like there was something very, very wrong with me because I liked the Ninja Turtles. I kind of starting backpedaling, like "Ha ha, just kidding - I don't really like the Turtles," but that didn't work. If anything, it caused me more heartache because the girls I played with weren't the kind of girls I should have been friends with (boys may like to beat each other up, but girls are just cruel and catty and that's 100 times worse than getting punched in the nose, in my opinion). I eventually learned my lesson, returning to my roots and telling those mean girls to bug off. That was the beginning of my "weird" reputation - a badge of honor I proudly wear to this day. Over the years, the same girls (and boys) that teased me for my odd choice in TV softened in their outward attitudes, but they found other means of tormenting me - the girls especially.
There comes a point where you realize that you don't need to deal with that sort of crap. So what if I'm a cute little five-year-old whose favorite cartoon hero is a giant turtle? So what if Katie is a stinking adorable little girl with a Star Wars lunchbox? This new generation of geek girls is lucky in that the internet has made it possible to know that we are not alone. Dude, there's an entire blog of dedicated geek girls who are into this stuff! Even so, it's tough when no one in your immediate circle of acquaintances shares the same interests as you. It's even worse when they belittle you for it (especially when it's snot-nosed twerps doing it. I've said it before - kids are among the cruelest beasts in the universe).
There is a good side to this story. If you didn't notice, Katie's mom asked for other females who like somewhat-geeky things to share their stories. I added my two cents, but I was amazed by the sheer volume of comments she was getting! And this blog requires you to have an account to leave a comment! (Here's a different blog that doesn't require an account to comment - and the similarity between her title and my title is purely coincidental, I swear!)
And the other good thing - the kind of treatment I received from these kids actually spurred me on to enjoy other geeky things (sort of a "Take That!" to the established idea of what little white Mormon girls in Utah should like). I learned that the more people tell me I should/should not do something and it's something I actually want to do (that last one is the key here), the more I'm motivated to participate in it. So, in a way, those little snotwipes I had to deal with in elementary school did me a favor. Nowadays, I chalk it up to a character-building exercise. Maybe I should thank them.
NFL Week 11 - Back in Action
One more day until the weekend! And I am excited as stink. It's been a long week.
Since Thursday Night Football started last week (and since I missed making my picks last week as well) - here's an early start to the weekend -
Thursday -
Bears @ Dolphins - Erm... ... ... ... the Bears? Sure, we'll go with that.
Sunday -
Ravens @ Panthers - Ravens
Falcons @ Rams - Falcons
Raiders @ Steelers - The Raiders have actually picked up the pace lately... then again, it's the Steelers... and the Steelers spent Sunday night getting stomped by the Patriots and they're ticked off... oh hell - I'm going with the Steelers (the Raiders are still a work-in-progress at this point - a fairly good work-in-progress, but a work-in-progress nonetheless).
Texans @ Jets - ugh. Two teams that I'm not particularly fond of... but I do have my record to consider... so, I'll go with the Jets.
Browns @ Jaguars - Jaguars
Buccaneers @ 49ers - Bucs
Colts @ Patriots - I'll be in church while this is going on - and my anxiety levels rejoice. Going with my head and my heart - Colts
Giants @ Eagles - I think the Giants will pull things out here. They're pretty good at this stuff at this point in the season (usually... I hope so, anyway).
Detroit @ Dallas - Ugh... do I have to make this pick? I guess... Dallas. If only to save my record.
Packers @ Vikings - I like the Packers. I just do :)
Seahawks @ Saints - Saints
Redskins @ Titans - Redskins
Cardinals @ Chiefs - Oh, the Chiefs. Definitely.
Bills @ Bengals - ...sigh... Bengals.
Monday -
Broncos @ Chargers - Broncos (meh...)
Since Thursday Night Football started last week (and since I missed making my picks last week as well) - here's an early start to the weekend -
Thursday -
Bears @ Dolphins - Erm... ... ... ... the Bears? Sure, we'll go with that.
Sunday -
Ravens @ Panthers - Ravens
Falcons @ Rams - Falcons
Raiders @ Steelers - The Raiders have actually picked up the pace lately... then again, it's the Steelers... and the Steelers spent Sunday night getting stomped by the Patriots and they're ticked off... oh hell - I'm going with the Steelers (the Raiders are still a work-in-progress at this point - a fairly good work-in-progress, but a work-in-progress nonetheless).
Texans @ Jets - ugh. Two teams that I'm not particularly fond of... but I do have my record to consider... so, I'll go with the Jets.
Browns @ Jaguars - Jaguars
Buccaneers @ 49ers - Bucs
Colts @ Patriots - I'll be in church while this is going on - and my anxiety levels rejoice. Going with my head and my heart - Colts
Giants @ Eagles - I think the Giants will pull things out here. They're pretty good at this stuff at this point in the season (usually... I hope so, anyway).
Detroit @ Dallas - Ugh... do I have to make this pick? I guess... Dallas. If only to save my record.
Packers @ Vikings - I like the Packers. I just do :)
Seahawks @ Saints - Saints
Redskins @ Titans - Redskins
Cardinals @ Chiefs - Oh, the Chiefs. Definitely.
Bills @ Bengals - ...sigh... Bengals.
Monday -
Broncos @ Chargers - Broncos (meh...)
Small Children = Evil Creatures
I totally speak for myself on this. I don't give a crap what anyone else does. Some people can handle have a bunch of little monsters children of their own. Some people can be Primary teachers who coo about how precious and angelic and close-to-heaven these little turds are. Happy day for you if you are one of these people. I am not.
I constantly am reminded why I like working at the high school and why I want to be a YA librarian. For all their hormones and moodiness and cocky attitudes, I can successfully relate to teenagers on a pseudo-adult level. I basically treat them as adults unless they demonstrate that they don't deserve that kind of treatment. And usually, that's enough to clue them into the fact that they need to knock off whatever stupidity they are currently engaged it (note that I said usually - often, teenagers are just little goobers no matter what you do. That's when you send them to the principal's office).
Small children, on the other hand (and by "small," I mean anything younger than 13 - the generally accepted elementary school age group) are the nastiest little punks known in the world. Especially in large numbers (say, more than four or five). They aren't capable of listening and comprehending that the adult in the room actually wants them to stop throwing pudding at the walls (sometimes, it's worse than pudding). Two-year-olds are the worst because they still have that "I'm so cute" aura about them, but they are about as cuddly as the Rancor in "Return of the Jedi" (you know - that monster that Jabba the Hutt had in his basement. The one that almost ate Luke. The one that one Fat Man cried over when Luke killed it). Honestly, "two-year-old" is merely a euphemism for "Emissary of Hell." I make it a policy to never deal with these people (that is usually reserved for people who are physically older but still act like this - not because of any medical thing, just because they're immature twerps. That's another post).
That being said, I have to admit that I don't mind children in small doses (sometimes). To be fair, I do derive great enjoyment out of my little cousins and the children of various friends and family members. But the thing that works in these instances is that these kids belong to other people. When I'm dealing with other people's kids, I am well within my rights to pawn off the little yard ape onto their parents when the kids become a threat to my temper and my sanity. And I don't mind baby-sitting (especially if I'm being paid for my efforts). I just don't want any little terrors of my own.
I'm not disparaging people who have small kids. If there were no small kids, there would never be any big kids which means there would never be any adult kids. I am very happy that my parents, at least, decided to have kids. I'm looking forward to my siblings someday having kids (if they so choose) and my becoming an aunt. I actually want to the "Fun Aunt." But I'd go completely nuts if I had a child and I couldn't get away from it.
UPDATE: Item #6 on this list pretty much sums it up.
I constantly am reminded why I like working at the high school and why I want to be a YA librarian. For all their hormones and moodiness and cocky attitudes, I can successfully relate to teenagers on a pseudo-adult level. I basically treat them as adults unless they demonstrate that they don't deserve that kind of treatment. And usually, that's enough to clue them into the fact that they need to knock off whatever stupidity they are currently engaged it (note that I said usually - often, teenagers are just little goobers no matter what you do. That's when you send them to the principal's office).
Small children, on the other hand (and by "small," I mean anything younger than 13 - the generally accepted elementary school age group) are the nastiest little punks known in the world. Especially in large numbers (say, more than four or five). They aren't capable of listening and comprehending that the adult in the room actually wants them to stop throwing pudding at the walls (sometimes, it's worse than pudding). Two-year-olds are the worst because they still have that "I'm so cute" aura about them, but they are about as cuddly as the Rancor in "Return of the Jedi" (you know - that monster that Jabba the Hutt had in his basement. The one that almost ate Luke. The one that one Fat Man cried over when Luke killed it). Honestly, "two-year-old" is merely a euphemism for "Emissary of Hell." I make it a policy to never deal with these people (that is usually reserved for people who are physically older but still act like this - not because of any medical thing, just because they're immature twerps. That's another post).
That being said, I have to admit that I don't mind children in small doses (sometimes). To be fair, I do derive great enjoyment out of my little cousins and the children of various friends and family members. But the thing that works in these instances is that these kids belong to other people. When I'm dealing with other people's kids, I am well within my rights to pawn off the little yard ape onto their parents when the kids become a threat to my temper and my sanity. And I don't mind baby-sitting (especially if I'm being paid for my efforts). I just don't want any little terrors of my own.
I'm not disparaging people who have small kids. If there were no small kids, there would never be any big kids which means there would never be any adult kids. I am very happy that my parents, at least, decided to have kids. I'm looking forward to my siblings someday having kids (if they so choose) and my becoming an aunt. I actually want to the "Fun Aunt." But I'd go completely nuts if I had a child and I couldn't get away from it.
UPDATE: Item #6 on this list pretty much sums it up.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!
It was exactly nine years ago today that "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was released in theaters! I know - it freaked me out when I realized it. I was still in high school, for crap's sake! Mom let me skip school that day (she called the school and told them I had an appointment... which is partially true, if you think about it) and I camped out at the movie theater for tickets. The newspaper even came down and took pictures of people waiting. I had been reading "Prisoner of Azkaban" and the newspaper folks got a shot of me reading my book, which ended up on the front page of the paper. To this day, it remains one of the best photos ever taken of me (and I'm looking down ^_^ I probably have a copy of it in shoebox somewhere). Seems fitting, seeing as how this Friday, part one of "Deathly Hallows" is coming out.
But nine years ago today - the SQUEE was unleashed. Enjoy some nostalgia:
(Everybody's thinking it, I'm just going to say it: HOLY CRAP THEY'RE SO LITTLE!!!)
But nine years ago today - the SQUEE was unleashed. Enjoy some nostalgia:
(Everybody's thinking it, I'm just going to say it: HOLY CRAP THEY'RE SO LITTLE!!!)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
In Which I Make Humble Apologies
To my loyal readership who has come to expect I make NFL picks from week to week. Yeah, well, I dropped the ball this week (very much like the Utes have done for the last two weeks. Feh). In my defense, I had my class weekend which included a huge presentation and much driving between home and Salt Lake. Still not a good enough excuse, but I offer it to my followers (all four of you).
This might not make up for it, but this is my blog and I post what I like. The following clip made me SQUEE nine ways to Sunday. Even though I don't watch "Leverage," it makes my heart happy to see American shows do this sort of thing:
(Personally, I would have rather been Mrs. Peter Davison, but only because I skipped ahead and started watching episodes from the Fifth Doctor's tenure - to the joy of my fangirly senses. Maybe once I go back and watch episodes with the Fourth Doctor, I will gladly jump on that Tom Baker bandwagon - but I do love Sarah Jane ^_^)
Oh, and this one made me giggle too. I have been known to catch NCIS from time to time:
This might not make up for it, but this is my blog and I post what I like. The following clip made me SQUEE nine ways to Sunday. Even though I don't watch "Leverage," it makes my heart happy to see American shows do this sort of thing:
(Personally, I would have rather been Mrs. Peter Davison, but only because I skipped ahead and started watching episodes from the Fifth Doctor's tenure - to the joy of my fangirly senses. Maybe once I go back and watch episodes with the Fourth Doctor, I will gladly jump on that Tom Baker bandwagon - but I do love Sarah Jane ^_^)
Oh, and this one made me giggle too. I have been known to catch NCIS from time to time:
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