This was stolen from Aarika because she's awesome.
Listing the titles that I have from 27-32 on my Blockbuster queue (because I suck and don't have Netflix.)
27. Twelfth Night - Ok, I've seen this. Honestly, I prefer the version that aired on Great Performances a couple of years ago with Paul Rudd as Duke Orsino. But Helena Bonham Carter is pretty and my sister was on a "period" movie phase so I put this on the list but then she went out of her "period" movie phase but I left this on because I want to see it again.
28. The Thief and the Cobbler - I heard this was really good and I'd never seen it so I put it on my queue. I should really move it up higher in the queue. Reading the review of it again, it really sounds like something I might enjoy.
29. Swing Kids - Another I have on my list because my sister hasn't seen it. She's a huge fan of Christian Bale and he does a great job in this film. I haven't seen it since the 90s so I figured it was about time for a rewatch.
30. Royal Deceit - Um, if I read this right this is a Danish retelling of Hamlet with Christian Bale in the role of Hamlet. IT also has Kate Beckinsale, Helen Mirren, and Gabriel Byrne. The reviews aren't great but boy is this a pretty cast!
31. Trauma - It's Colin Firth in a ghost story. I probably should have just stopped at It's Colin Firth. That should explain it all.
32. Greenfingers - Ok, so I've seen this too. But it's a great movie! And it has Clive Owen! And they wear jumpsuits that have Edgefield stitched onto them! I'm from Edgefield (Ok, not the prison the town... in the US. But still! Edgefield!)
Hello! *wave* Updating is so strange to me. It used to come so naturally. Now I actually sit here and I have to think how I want to start an entry. I had half an entry all written out last week but I had to leave for dinner and when I came back I didn't want to post it anymore. It was rather depressing and I wasn't really feeling all that depressed. All in all I don't get that depressed anymore. I mean, I'm not saying there aren't days where the blues follow me around like my own little storm cloud. Oh no, I have plenty of those days. Luckily, where there were once stretches of weeks where that cloud would follow me around, now I only have a few days here and there. Soooo, what to say? What to say? Well, let's see. A couple of weekends ago (January 20th to be exact) Adam and I took a road trip to Atlanta to see Ron Sexsmith. Who is this Ron Sexsmith, you ask? Well, he's a brilliant Canadian Singer/Songwriter. If you know a song by him it's probably Whatever It Takes or Secret Heart. I had never heard of him until Adam introduced me to him. It wasn't long before a certain song of Ron's Tomorrow in Her Eyes became our song. Before the concert I logged into Ron's forum and placed a request for that song. It was last minute so I wasn't sure he would play it. The concert was AMAZING. The two opening acts were fantastic (Meghan Coffee especially! Check her out on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/MeghanCoffee She has some of her songs available to listen to there.) Ron took the stage and just blew me away. He really is just wonderful. If you have a chance, check out one or two or ALL of his albums. I've uploaded a song from his most recent album, Time Being to share with you. If you like it, go hunt down his CDs. They are WELL worth it. So, here's the song: (I'm very sorry it's in WMA format. It's the only thing I could do on the spur of the moment.) http://download.yousendit.com/DECE930A43BC1650 And here's Adam and I after the concert with Ron: No, we didn't force him into the picture at gunpoint. He wasn't feeling well and ... well, if you look at the pictures on his webpage... he doesn't smile much. Anyway, I love this picture even if Ron does look miffed. He was unbelievably nice. Really. I can't say enough about how great he is. CHECK HIM OUT. Oh: http://neilgaiman.com/stardust/ That has some stuff about the upcoming movie of Neil Gaiman's book Stardust. The Charles Vess coloring book is cool. :) Julia and I went last Saturday to see Blood and Chocolate (NOT BY MY CHOICE. I feel like I must scream that from the rooftops. It looked like a piece of crap and guess what? I wasn't wrong.) It was ... not good. At all. I mean, Hugh Dancy is pretty. I like to watch movies with him in it. But even his prettiness could not save this movie. The acting was wooden (ESPECIALLY by Olivier Martinez) and they butchered the story from the book. I didn't care about any of the characters and whether they lived or died. One thing though: Bryan Dick (He plays Rafe in the film) should play a younger brother/cousin/some relation to Christian Bale. I think he looks like Christian in a relative sort of way and with the floppy hair and the British accent and his mannerisms? I can see him playing Bale's younger brother in a movie at some point in the future. It was kind of a not good weekend though. I think I was fighting off the stomach virus that's been going around. I felt run-down and icky pretty much all weekend. They're predicting we might have a little ice or snow on Wednesday night and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it happens. I love the snow. I love it. I need to see some snow. The sleet that we got a few weeks ago just wasn't enough to make me happy. Television update: Finish this sentence: I am... Still unbelievably addicted to Heroes. Saddened by the fact that they've killed one of my favorite characters off of Stargate: Atlantis. Losing interest in Prison Break, little by little. Trying to give Gilmore Girls another chance. Really ready for the auditions to be over on American Idol. not really caring when or if LOST ever comes back on the air. Well, I suppose I should be off now. I have work to do. I hope you're all doing well. I actually updated! Yay! *hugs all around* Have a great day!!
What's the first image that comes up when you Google your name? (I had to filter because all the pictures that came up featured nudity.)
I have been a reading FIEND lately but I still have TONS of stuff to go through. I'm currently in the middle of Artemis Fowl: the Lost Colony that I've had since it was released. I have Mistral's Kiss that I just received today. I'm listening to Darkly Dreaming Dexter and loving it. There are so so many books and so VERY little time. Eesh. Anyway.
Bella at Midnight was one that I thought I'd get halfway through and get bored with. I started it on Monday and finished it at lunch today. It is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story and though I was counting on it being predictable (well, of course, it was predictable! It was Cinderella!) but it was also beautifully done with each chapter told by a different character. Bella wasn't a simpering Cinderella! She was brave and strong and SHE is the one who saves the day. Not the prince! She saves herself and I liked that. I loved that Prince Julian wasn't just a face. He actually had a character. I loved Julian and Bella's relationship. It was a fast read because the chapters are short, and generally I don't like that, but it moved the plot along and made it easier to read while working the front desk!
All in all this is a great retelling of a classic. Fairy tale fans make sure to check this one out!
Show us some holiday decorations.
These were taken by my cell phone around my office today. We just finished getting up the decorations on Monday. Oh, with the exception of Rudolph. I took that one last week. The glowing nose wasn't planned, it just sort of happened!
Show us something by your favorite artist.
Submitted by Miss Parker.
I never really had a favorite artist. I always admired Da Vinci and Michelangelo but none of their work really spoke to me. A few years ago, I went into a poster store that had opened in the mall and the first thing I spotted was:
And it was familiar to me, though I couldn't put my finger on where I had seen it before. I just knew I loved it and had to have it. So I bought it and a frame and took it home where it adorns my wall. Later, while watching my favorite movie, Labyrinth, I realized that Sarah has the same print on her wall. Perhaps I was influenced by that, I don't know. All I know is I love the start lines and the strangeness of his art. I love the upside down staircases and the water that really shouldn't be flowing, the ladders that take you nowhere...
I've also recently fallen in love with the artist Michael Parkes:
Pure fantastical, surreal images. Statues come to life. Ropes strong enough to hold someone aloft while floating high above the ground. They are gorgeous pieces of art.
There's another artist I enjoy as well but I can't remember his/her name right at the moment and so cannot find the artwork. When I do I will post a few of those images as well.
Have a great day!
What song gives you the most holiday cheer?
Submitted by Roxy.
That would HAVE to be Christmas is Coming from the below album. I was such a fan of the Muppets and John Denver when I was a little one. Whenever Miss Piggy starts to sing Christmas is Coming I want to start decorating the tree or cooking for the holidays. I love this album so much.
Lyrics:
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,
Please to put a penny in the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha'penny than God bless you.
So, a few weeks ago I was asked to come present a program at North Augusta Elementary, right down the road from where I work now. I wasn't sure what to present. I knew I could do Thanksgiving or Children's Book Week but I wasn't quite sure where I could go with them and how interested I could get the kids (2nd to 5th graders). So, I thought and looked up stuff online to see what else was happening in November. I happened to look over on my desk and what should I spy but a calendar with items to celebrate on it. On November 15th it was the 104th birthday of the "Teddy Bear" - it isn't the day it is celebrated (that falls sometime in October) but November 15th was the day Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot the baby bear and so the stuffed bears ended up being named after him.
So, I took a bunch of teddy bears and books on Teddy bears and did a program on the history of Teddy Bears. I think everyone really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun with it. I made posters for different famous bears (The Care Bears were the favorites though!) and read from Winnie the Pooh. After the program was over the school served teddy bear cookies and lemonade. It was a good day. I had been dreading it all week, afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep their attention.
Well, this morning while I was working on the shelves Mr. Stallworth came in - he's the husband of the lady who asked me to do the program and he had a stack of papers with him. "I think you must have had a good time!" he said as he handed them to me. It was 14 letters from students of the school thanking me for coming to the program and asking me to come back. Many of them mentioned how much they liked the Care Bears and how they want me to bring Wish Bear back next time I visit. I had such a big smile on my face after reading those letters. They really made my day. I was in such a bad mood when I woke up this morning. A foul black cloud over my head. It has dissipated now. I want to hang these letters on my wall somewhere so whenever I get to feeling overwhelmed I can just look at those and breathe and know that I can do this.
I'm currently listening to the above book. It's good but strange. I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to read the sequel or not but I think now that I have to. I was sure it was going to turn out something like The Crucible. Luckily it has not. The reader, Jo Wyatt, has a fabulous voice. Almost all the Books on CD that I have listened to have been read by male readers and this is the second female one that I've done. The first I was rather aggravated with halfway through the book but I'm enamored of Jo's voice (especially when she does the Scottish accent. It's wonderful.)
Annnnd I should probably go now. It's nearly lunchtime and I have things to do! Have a great day everyone!
Which of your five senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, or smell) do you value the most?
Submitted by Elisheva.
It would have to be sight. I'm a librarian. I love to read. It is something that has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I can't imagine not being able to read. I know that there are other ways (audio books and braille) but there is something about the written word. I also love being able to look into the eyes of my love and to see my love reflected back at me. I love to look at the moon when it is full (especially as it was this weekend). The harvest moon is the most beautiful moon. When it rises it is full and orange and looks exactly like a pumpkin. I love to be able to see the sunset over our pond - especially in the haze of lazy summer evenings when the sky turns a pink that can only be found in nature. I can imagine living without other senses - hearing, smell, taste, touch... ) but I can't imagine not being able to see.
Currently Reading:
Yes, that's two books at once. I am the master of having four or five books going at one time. Eragon is actually the audio book that I'm listening to whilst driving back and forth to work every day. I have REALLY enjoyed it. It took me forever to get into - I kept picking up the hardcover and putting it down and I just couldn't get into it. Even the CD seemed rather dull to me. Once the dragon hatched though? I was hooked. It's really been a lot of fun. I'm hoping I'm not too disappointed with Eldest. I've heard it's not nearly as good as Eragon.
The Thirteenth Tale is fascinating. It's rich and dark. It's like reading Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. I am over halfway through it now and I have been enamored by it. I have firm pictures in my mind of the cast. I wonder if it will eventually be as classic as the Bronte sisters books. Seriously, if you enjoy dark, gothic novels pick up this book - you won't be sorry.
Halloween shopping tomorrow! I can't wait. I'm thinking I'll go as this:
I just fell in love with the costume when I saw it on Buycostumes.com. I'd really like to LOOK at it though, you know? The one shop I've been to so far didn't have it. I'm hoping Fatman's Forest will. They tend to have a lot of stuff other party shops don't.
Ah, and now I've run out of things to babble about. I should be going. Have a great day!
