Apocalypses, Daily Lives, and Culture... Oh my!

I'm kind of with Nicole on the being afraid of the apocalypse. I don't mind talking about it, but it has made me squirm a little inside for as long as I can remember. (To explain, I come from a Christian background, but I also tend to doubt and question my faith. In Revelation, it talks about the time in which Jesus will return and, "separate the sheep from the goats," and I have always been afraid that I will be a goat and not welcomed into His kingdom, and that makes the end of the world a very terrifying concept for me.)

But if I knew the end of the world was coming, I would probably spend as much time with the people I love as I possibly could, and I would quit doing some of the things I do because I need to, rather than because I want to (like classes I hate). I would also try to warn everyone else that the end was coming and to be prepared (in both the Christian and secular manners). I'm not going too in-depth on my beliefs because I know people come from all different backgrounds, and I know all of this can be really, really touchy. But if anyone does want to discuss it, I'd love to chat in the comments.

But on a more cheerful note, I found my Ilene! (If you don't know what I mean, check out some of John's advice videos. It's his concept.) His name is Dana, and he is willing to help me do what I need to do to improve my writing. I met with him, and the best advice he had for me at the start was to read good writing. He lent me his copy of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which I am extraordinarily excited to read. I also turned nineteen (finally!) and have begun my Spanish class to prepare for my trip to Honduras at the end of the summer. It's been a very wonderful, very busy week, and I'm exhausted.

To close, I want to ask a question I've been dwelling on for quite a while. When listening to my International friends (I lived in the international hall on campus, so I've got friends from Honduras, Afghanistan, Mexico, China and Korea), I hear them talk about the culture of their country. I am jealous of all of them. There is something about their homelands that ties them together, whether it be their food, their mannerisms, their birthday traditions... There is something very pinpoint-able that makes their culture THEIRS and ties them to being part of it. For example, there is something about Honduras that ties my Honduran friends to being Honduran, that separates them from the cultures of El Salvador or Guatemala. While it is certain that America is unique, we are the melting pot. We have a blend of cultures, but they change based on your location in the nation: food, sports, climate, traditions... We vary as much as our population does. So what is it to you, if anything, that ties Americans to being American and gives us our culture? Do we have a culture?

That's all I've got, I think. Happy Friday!

Adventures in the land of the Joe.

Let's see where to start?

First off, hello everyone I hope that your week has been well. I've been collecting my experiences this summer like lightning bugs in a Mason jar.

Earlier this week my Mom and brother's came up to school to treated me to a massive amount of food at the Olive Garden. We took a ton of pictures, we ran into one of my professor's that I had last fall and then we went to get frozen yogurt because that's just what we do. Then we all came back to my dorm and my mom stared my room down and sized it up like moms do and she could barely contain her Perfectionist OCD. NOt that I live in a disgusting room, I just enjoy organized clutter. But the biggest kicker was when my mom looked on my ever growing bookshelf and grabbed 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Of all of the books that I have for   her to possibly choose from she picked that one.

Also, I started talking to an old friend again and we stayed up late one night on Facebook talking about books and writing and music and I pretty much fell in love. He invited me to a writers club that he's in and for my first meeting I got to sit and listen and occasionally throw in my own two cents every now and then. It was pretty fun, except that they are very different writers than the kind that I'm usually accustomed to being around. They're a bunch of sadists to their characters and there's a lot of guns and werewolves and I don't even know. This is clearly a boys club, except for the other girl that was there with me. So next Wednesday I have to have something to turn in. Thankfully, I'm already working on something and that I don't get laughed at by the group because I'm writing what I know. But if I do, I'm just going to chalk it up to experience and go on my way because if anything it will have made my skin tougher than it already was.

I want to see the movie "Seeking A Friend for the End of the World", it looks great, but when the topic actualy comes up I usually tend to avoid it. Sorry guys, but I will not be divulging how I feel about this because I hate thinking about it. I'll give a story about how uncomfortable it makes me feel; when I was working at Pizza Hut about a year ago one of my regulars came in, he was an older gentleman and he came in and we started talking until his pizza was done ya know, small talk. He started to talk about religion which then went into the world's biggest discussion of the Apocalypse and when it was coming and what would happen and all that. The guy started telling me that he was happy that he was so old and had accomplished so much things with his life because whatever happened he would be ready to go. By this point in the conversation I was already starting to have a mini panic attack going on inside my head, my heart was racing a little and I was probably as white as a sheet because I was only 21 at the time. I hadn't accomplished a whole lot with me life, so of course I was freaking out. I wasn't put on this Earth to go through all of the things that I had by that point just have it ended abruptly even if that is how life works. I've read The Fault in Our Stars, I know that life can end mid-sentence. But I've made too much of an effort to keep myself alive during all of the surgeries that I've had to not be here for a reason and I can't afford to think that far into the future because I've seen Death and so I force myself every day to live life to the fullest because I don't want to go without having a least something tangible for others to remember me by.

Sorry, I hope everyone has a great rest of the week.

DFTBA!

Nicole

So much sport, so little writing.

Too much sport and too little downtime makes rachel go something something...

So you guys know that i play roller derby, its a pretty awesome sport and i love my open season team and my leagues travel team are doing so great. We have a big game coming up against a good league in a couple of weeks and since i have been away on holiday for so long i'm kind of worried ill be a bit out of it (if i make this games team that is). On top of that, i just made it onto a gridiron team! Which is American Football, but for some reason we call it gridiron lol I did one semester in Texas and i watched every UT game that i could and i fell in love! When i found out my home town has a gridiron team i ran to the tryouts and somehow made it onto the team... I thought i had been training hard for roller derby but after one session with the gridiron girls and i haven't been able to feel my thighs in 3 days... this is going to be rough lol So im hitting the gym more often now and im trying to get my strength up, but if anyone knows any tips for gridiron or anything like that (seeing as how you're all Americans) id be more than grateful.

I know that sports usually aren't associated with the nerdfighter type of person, but i kind of geek out when it comes to gridiron, and roller derby is similar in so many ways so i guess thats why i love it too.

Anyways lol basically im in pain but itll be worth it when im all geared up on the track with my amazing team actually playing the game :)

Now onto Shelby's question. I may or may not have already have thought about the end of the world, different ways it could happen, and different things i would do - I blame watching too many "the day after tomorrow" type movies lol So I have several answers to that question, all of which could be really weird and have me somehow refusing to give in to the fact that the world is ending lol

1: Zombie apocalypse - I already have a zombie plan. As the virus runs rampant i locate my best friend, who also happens to be a zombie expert, along with whichever members of my family i can find and my gf (being careful not to make the group too big). We get basic supplies, weapons, food, water, and head away from any major cities, once in the middle of Australia we find a safe house with several escape routes and hopefuly commandeer a plane as well. We live out the end of the world in safety and venture out only for supplies and to search for more survivors.

2: Natural Disaster - I think the only real way to survive another ice age, or a meteor hitting the earth, or some freak disaster would be to get an air plane, so it seems i need to have one of my family members learn how to fly. And then we all need to move closer to an airport just in case lol then we can just kill sometime in the air, and find somewhere to land which its all over... If there's nowhere to land or we end up crashing for some reason, at least we tried and we were together.

3: Biological warfare - This is almost like my zombie plan except with more gas masks and more secrecy. Maybe live in the subways or something? Start some kind of rebellion against who ever is conducting the war-games. Set the world free.

4: Aliens: Run run run and hide hide hide lol every since i watched signs one night while i was alone on my parents farm house i have freaked out at the thought of aliens lol i would more likely die from fright anyways so id make sure to say goodbyes early...

Anyway lol it seems every one of my end of world scenarios involves getting close to my family so i guess im alike Shelby in that way at least. Probably wouldn't go to the beach, its not that much of a novelty for me... maybe if i had to take a last trip it would be to the snow or canada or something. Somewhere beautiful and filled with nature :)

Hope that didnt let you guys too far into my sometimes very odd mind haha i guess thats why i write so much, to get the weird out :)

An Abundance of Doom

Hey y'all, it's 7:30pm Tuesday evening and I only just now figured out what I wanna write about. Yeah... This week just hasn't been exciting so far. 

ANYWAYS........

My fiance and I just got back from seeing Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. It was a brilliant movie, by the way... but only if you like dark comedies/dramas with a sweet story. If you haven't heard of it, here's the trailer.

While it's grim subject matter, it got me thinking: what would I do if I knew that the end of the world was drawing near? The characters in the film knew what they wanted. Some went crazy through all manner of activities. Some stayed home alone. Some sought out family to reconcile and gain closure for things in the past. But, what would I do, and also, what would you (my fellow bloggers/readers) do?

I think it's an easy decision for me. I'd be with my family and my fiance (and his family). I'd try to take one last trip with all of them... most likely to California to hang out at the beach. I'd try not to focus on the impending doom of mankind by enjoying life, cherishing the excitement the world has to offer. Of course there would be moments of terror and depression, I have no doubt about that. But it can't be hard to understand that it'd be almost impossible to remain totally sane when you know death is so closely imminent. In the end, why not spend your last weeks, days and hours with those you care for the most? Seems perfect to me...

What would you guys do (hopefully not anything too crazy!)?

Sorry for the dark question... but I thought it'd be an interesting one to pose.

Well, see you next Tuesday! 

DFTBA, 

Shelby W. 

P.S. My fiance came up with the title for this blog post... Isn't he just so clever? =P

Howdy, y'all! Another Monday blog headed for your faces!

My mommy says thank you for the birthday wishes XD

 I really liked the movies that you all said you had watched while you where kids. I have a LOT of movies I shouldn't have watched. My family is really in love with scary movies and general badasserie so I watched a lot of gory scary movies. Friday the 13th, Halloween, Exorcist, Poltergeist, ect.

So I am working with this company to try and get me employed but with the way things are going I am going to have to jump threw a bunch of hoops and do things I would need to be employed to do and I am sitting here like "What the heck is wrong with you?" Granted this is stuff I need to have done but I can't afford to have it or have it done. (sorry, being vague) Thats really what is on my mind right now. I am not really sure what to do. Save for walking away from a company that has done more harm than good and just do it myself. That seems like the best thing for me to do. *sigh* sorry, crappy blog from Craig today I just have a lot on my mind. I will try to be awesome for my next one ^.^

Best wishes and DFTBA,
Craig

Back to Normal

I actually had to go back and reread my last post. I knew it was about Charlie Brown, but I didn't even entirely remember what I wrote. I crashed more-or-less effective immediately after that post. This one has more structure. I promise.

Craig, thanks for the understanding, and happy birthday to your mom! Also, AWESOME choice on movies. :) The Princess Bride is made of win.

Shelby, AW! Happy 21st! I'm SO glad to hear that you're becoming part of your fiance's family. That was really, really awesome, and quite special! I hope things continue to move in that direction. :)

Rachel, I too am incredibly jealous of your trip! I would love to hear more about it when you get back! And I understand your wish to punish me. To be honest, I don't want to be, but I do feel like I deserve it. I had a definite derp moment.

Nicole, I don't know what to say to you that I haven't said in person. XD Agreed... Six more weeks. You can survive Mother Hen! And I will survive Clean Freak 1 and Clean Freak 2 (though I'm not nearly as crabby toward those two as I have been; we've mellowed out). Now if only the final roommate would stop being mad at me... Bah. BUT we can hide in each others' rooms as the need arises, yes?

My daily life has been a bit off... For as little as I've had to do this week, it's been incredibly long. My math adviser is in D.C. for the week, so things have been quiet on that front. Meanwhile, I've helped in the costume shop, picked up my new phone, gotten into a fight with one of my suitemates, cried a few times in massive bouts of nostalgia, laughed my butt off at my friends and the other people on headset, and sat through Charlie Brown for the fifth time. I have also decided to drop as many math classes as I can while still obtaining my degree and plan to double major in Math and Theatre simply because theatre makes me happier than anything has in a long time. It's been both calm and hectic and stupidly emotional. But being in the theatre tonight put me in an extraordinarily good mood. :D I start classes again on Monday. Eight a.m. four days a week, 2.5 hours a day. All Spanish. I'm not particularly excited, but it'll help me for my upcoming trip to Honduras! (My passport got here today. I'm SO excited. EEK!)

To answer this week's question... I don't actually remember any. I was usually a good kid, and I was hopelessly in love with Nickelodeon and Disney movies, so I spent a good chunk of time on that. I remember watching this movie Screech or Screecher or something like that (It wasn't Scream) that terrified me. Also, Stay Alive with Frankie Munez, which freaked me out as a kid. But that's really the only ones I remember.

But I think that's all I have for the week. Craig, I will see you on Monday!

This post is coming to you in 4 parts.

Hello everyone, this post will be coming to you in four parts.

First, I want to thank everyone for the support and kind words, especially you Craig. What you said really meant a lot to me and I appreciate it. Also, happy belated Birthday to you're Mom :).

Secondly, this week has been a bit of a roller coaster. But one not quite as bad as last week's, which I'm considering a really good thing, but the six weeks that I have left in this dorm until I get to move back "home" are going to slowly go by and I'm not too thrilled about that mainly because there is a girl in my suite that I've dubbed "the mother hen" and she's found a way to push a lot of my buttons over the past five weeks and it's getting a little out of hand. One mother is enough for me. Six more weeks. Must push through.

Third, My summer reading has dwindled a lot lately, sadly. Now I'm just picking up random books and not sticking to the list I had. But I have read six books so far this summer so that's a thing. My Gilmore Girls marathon has been doing great. I'm on Season 5, which means that I only have two very sad seasons left.

Fourth, some of my favorite movies that I watched as a kid and that I've tried to push onto my little brother's is quite a list. But I'll name six just for variety; The Princess Bride, America Pie and well I think that's about it. I didn't really live in a very sheltered environment.

Enjoy your new Macbook, Rachel, Happy Belated Birthday, Shelby I hope it was great! Also, I loved the cover that Hank made of  "Somebody I Used To Know'.

Til next time I hope everyone has a great weekend!

DFTBA

Nicole
                                                                                   

A big promise from a slightly more tanned blogger

Hey everyone!!!

Wow, i feel like this blog is becomming a book i cant put down!

I am no longer in an airport, but i am in a very dodgy internet cafe in the middle of Legian... i think ... And though it is wednesday here, i have no idea what day it is in America, so please forgive me if this is early, or late, or even actually on time - forcing you all to read this apology for no reason at all.

Firstly to Nicole: Thats heavy, and i honestly have no idea how that would feel or even how to express exactly what i want to say to. Thank you for sharing that with us, it made me feel so close to a person i in all seriousness hardly know. I will be thinking about you on Fathers Day, and know that i am taking you with me all throughout Bali in my heart!

To Linnea... I hope you have gotten some sleep haha, But i do think you need to be punished for missing your day lol just because im cruel like that :P

To craig: A huge happy belated birthday to your mum! And im inspired by your strength and support for Nicole! And to answer your question i was a good kid haha, but i think i snuck in to see Jurassic park when i was way too young... yeah, im a rebel, i know lol sorry, ill try have better stories next time!

And to shelby! I have 2 minutes left to write this so im sorry if i cut this short lol but a huge huge happy 21st to you!!!

And now onto my promise! I promise as of next wednesday that my blogs will be much more coherent and well thought out than the last two have been! Thanks for being a bit leniant with me while i've been on vacation everyone!

Speak to you next Wednesday from the comfort of my macbook :)

Family Dinner, Birthday Cake, Gotye and Answers

Hey everyone!

So, Monday was my 21st Birthday. I didn't spend it partying or bar-hopping. I began my birthday at midnight reading A Storm of Swords and almost fell asleep in the bathtub. I went to Olive Garden with my mom and my fiance (my dad is working out-of-state and won't be back until Saturday) for dinner Monday night. Nothing really exciting there, apart from their amazing bread sticks and my fiance surprising me by ordering an awesome chocolate cake. (Oh, and that Strawberry Pomegranate Mojito...yum.)

The night before, my fiance and I went to his parents' house for the usual Sunday family dinner. He has four siblings (two sisters and two brothers), and it's always an interesting, often scary time over at the house. His older sister as a baby boy that just fell in love with the birthday hat they made me wear. His youngest brother is a fan of Sci Show (he obviously never forgets to be awesome!). His youngest sister is my age... and then there's his brother who is in high school. That boy repeatedly shout-sang these two lines from Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know": 

1. "But you didn't have to cut me off!"
2. "Now you're just somebody that I used to know..."

He didn't know any of the chorus lyrics in between those lines, which are the first and last. It made for some interesting moments, and he often parodied those lines as well. So, I naturally mentioned Hank Green's brilliant Subway parody.

I wasn't expecting much of a birthday celebration from his family. Over the years, there had been so much drama between all of them and us. But, as I am helping his younger sister light all the candles on the ice cream cake, I see two gigantic gift bags out of the corner of my eye. Attached to my chair were a whole bunch of balloons and then the ice cream cake. I mean, I expected a cake, but all those gifts? It really made me feel welcome; it's the most comfortable I've felt around his family in the three years we've been together. When I opened the gifts, one of the cards hadn't been signed. They snatched it away and quickly passed it around to be signed by the whole family. When I got it back, I found money in the card! Gifts and money!? I think they may have gone overboard, a bit. Also in the card was the line, "Now you're just somebody that I used to know..." We all know where that came from. =P His oldest sister (whom I've had a hard time getting along with for many reasons) even gave me a card. I feel even more part of their family now, and I'm happy that I can finally say that.

Now on to Craig's question:  "What movies were your favorites as a kid that you probably shouldn't have been watching?"

This is a good question... When I was 8-9, I was obsessed with Titanic... So much so that I watched it multiple times a week (for the record, I was homeschooled, so I had all the time in the world to do that). But, I suppose that's not all that bad unless you bring up the nude scene... Other than that, the only movies I can think of are some random horror films (I went to see Saw with my mom when it first came out... I was 13), and then Grease and Grease II. It might seem weird to list those two films, but if you watch the videos below, you'll understand why I shouldn't have been singing along with these songs, let alone watching the films.

• Greased Lightning - from Grease
• Reproduction - from Grease II

I think those are the only films I shouldn't have been watching when I was younger... not all that bad, really...  Or maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better. haha. Well, I can't wait to see what films all of you mention... Hopefully they won't be as awkward as mine. 

See you next Tuesday,

DFTBA 

~ Shelby

Hello, my lovely blogger blogging blog buddy's....... BLOG! Monday rolls around yet again.

  I do hope that everyone had a good fathers day weekend. Nicole, I don't want to demean what you went threw: but I feel similar to you. I lost my father as well, though that was 6 years ago (7 this August). I know what it felt like back then and it still bugs me even now. I know that you will do what you need to to cope with this and I will always be around to listen to you and everyone else we share this blog with. But for all intents and purposes for today NO MORE SORROW!

 So today I celebrated my moms birthday! Not her actual birthday today but this was the best time to do it other than the up coming weekend. My brother and I got her one of the best movies ever: The Princes Bride XD! So fracking metal! My brother also drew a birthday card for her which I contributed to heavily by signing it..... Yeah..... I kinda suck...... ANYWAYS! She really loved our gifts and I will be surprised if she hasn't ripped open the package and is watching it at this very moment! We love that movie to death.

I really liked your review of Prometheus, Shelby! I myself am very hesitant to go see this film. I am one of those people that grew up watching Aliens. To the point where I got very mad when they mixed Aliens and Predator (Predator being another film I grew up with). But your review changed my mind enough to at least give this movie a chance.

 Rachel, I am sorry you where not in the comfort of anywhere other than an airport when you blogged last, and I am sorry that you didn't win the second game of your tournament. But seeing as it inspired more love for Roller Derby........ing........ I TAKE MY SORRY BACK! (not really....... or really? Not really) Better luck next time though! I know you will do better next time and bring home the gold! If that's what they give you.......


Linnea, Don't worry about missing your day. We are just starting this shin dig so its bound to happen every now and then XD I am happy that you have so much fun in your show's but I must point out that if it's based on Charlie Brown you are prone to running into bad writing and even bad songs. Charlie Brown is the most dag gum depressing thing EVER! But it will still be loved by one and all. That's just his charm. I have always seen him as my kindred spirit..... I just can't stand Lucy. LET HIM KICK THE BALL! And you are no psychiatrist, lady! Oh no! No no no!


Here is a question for my lovely's: What movies where your favorites as a kid that you probably shouldn't have been watching? Don't lie! I know you have them!

That's all for me today! Have fun, be safe, be happy, and best wishes!
Craig.

The Little Blogger Who Could

I have 39 minutes to get this post up before I miss my day again. I think I can, I think I can... First off, I am so, so, SO sorry for missing my post last week, and if you guys want to punish me, I definitely deserve it. I don't even have a good excuse. I thought about it early in the day on Friday, said I'd do it later, and woke up thinking, "OH MY GOD! I MISSED MY DAY!" There's no excuse. So... As this week does seem to be a free week, I think I'm going to slam on the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Now, first thing's first. I work backstage crew for our campus theater, and this is my fifth show in the last year and probably the most hectic technically. So that already gives it a bad vibe for me. That being said, I absolutely love the people I'm working with. I've been costume crew for all five shows, and we've managed to have the same costumer throughout, so obviously that's fun! The stage manager (and her assistant) know how to get things done and are a LOT of fun doing them, and the technical director manages to keep this awesome sense of humor even when everything seems to be falling to bits. Then there's the cast... Sweethearts one and all. I love these people. The music's fun! I mean, it's cheesy and a lot of it seems pointless (which is a drawback), but it's enjoyable. More so than it would be without the music, at least. XD What kills me is the plot. There isn't one. I mean, I guess there is, but it feels like the only central theme is that Charlie Brown sucks and nobody likes him. At the beginning, he sucks and nobody likes him. At the end, he sucks and nobody likes him... But he's happy/complacent about it, even though his friends kind of treat him like crap. I just don't get the message, I guess. So sitting through it's a bit of a drag. I'm loving my theatre home though, and the more I'm there, the more I consider the minor. I love learning new things: how to sew or to edit cues in the cue board or to paint trees like Charles Schultz. It's always new. And from what I can tell, they like having me there, so this symbiotic relationship is working out fine. :D Now, I know this post lacks a bit of depth and such, but please understand... In the last 36 hours... I have spent 1.5 (4%) sleeping, 4 (11%) with my research team, maybe 3 (8%) eating outside of the theatre, 1.5 (4%) in my room relaxing, and the rest (73%) on stage left attached to a headset and projector. I am entirely out of thoughts and depth for the week. Anywho, I do believe I've made it in time, and I look forward to reading your guys' posts next week! (Especially hearing about your trip, Rachel!) So, happy weekend, and Craig, I'll see you on Monday.

Slutty brownies, Father's Day weekend and an emo Nicole

This week I may have forgotten to be awesome, John would be disappointed.

So I've been feeling a little depressed lately, guys. Since this week seems to be a free week I guess I'll tell my fellow nerdfighter's about it.

My work week has kind of sucked, and so has one of my friend's so I had the idea to have a crappy week party at her apartment the other day. It included Slutty Brownies and kool-aid, which unfortunately made us both sick as dogs. But we did watch P.S I Love You and ugly cried so that was fun. I guess.

This weekend is Father's Day, and I plan on locking myself in my room with a small mountain of food and a box of tissues. I lost my father two years ago to cancer so my plan is to become a recluse and let myself write, read, sleep, etc. to try to keep my mind off of everything that's not happy about the holiday. I'm sorry if I just killed this Thursday for everyone. I've had a long week and I'm trying not to project on to this blog.
But the good thing is that I'm thinking that next week will be a good week. I hope you all have good weekends!

DFTBA,

Nicole

I wish I was in Bali.

A quick note from another grey walled airports

So apparently once you get through customs they decide you no longer require the Internet... Didn't border patrol know I would need to write a blog once i got in here! Anyway, I am typing this from my iPhone and need to board my plane to Bali in about 20 minutes so this won't be a long post. We won our first game at the tournament but lost our second and didn't end up making it to the quarter finals. But it was still I great time and my passion for all things derby is now stronger than ever! I have Jane eyre packed in my bag and I'm hoping to finish it on the plane, I saw a copy of the game of thrones novel in the airport bookstore and was very tempted. Has anyone read it? Anyway, I am so ready to get away from this cold and Ito my holiday :) I'll post pics with my next blog :) I really am loving reading all of these posts :) Sorry this one wasn't more substantial! Talk soon.

Prometheus: A Review

I honestly had no idea what to write about this week, so I figured I'd review the most recent film I saw: Prometheus. I will try not to spoil the film for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but I'll give hints about the plot and the themes it relies on.

So, here we go...

There are two ways to go into the theater to view Prometheus as well as two ways to judge/rate it: 

1. You can go in viewing it as the first (hopefully) of a series of prequels to the 1979 film Alien.
2. You can go in viewing it as a stand-alone film.

To be honest, I don't recommend the second option, and I'll explain why throughout the review. In the end, while a set of sequels to Prometheus might not occur, it cannot be viewed as a stand-alone film due to the way the story progresses. 

The film begins with a montage of beautiful scenery on a planet (whether it be Earth or some distant planet, it doesn't matter; form your own opinion on that) that seems untouched by living creatures. Then we see something happen. A sacrifice? A form of creation? A catalyst for evolution? Who knows, but you see it and you're instantly intrigued, thinking: What the hell just happened? Well, that question isn't answered right away, so you just keep it in your mind. 

The film then changes location to the giant ship Prometheus where a robot named David (brilliantly played by Michael Fassbender) is keeping the ship in working order and learning all he can while its crew is in cryogenic sleep. When they all awaken soon after, it is revealed to the crew what their mission really is (two years after agreeing to join the mission). They are attempting to make contact with humanoid aliens that have left their mark throughout the ancient world. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) are the ones hoping to make contact, while Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) so obviously believes she's in charge of the mission. To be fair, she has reason to believe this since her father was the founder of the tech company (Weyland Corp.) funding the whole thing. 

Not long after this, they arrive on the planet to find monuments built in a long valley and choose to go out and explore one of them. This is where they find the room shown in the picture (right).

And, I guess you could say everything goes downhill from there... In Alien fashion, ordinary organisms turn into the stuff of nightmares and the ship's safety is compromised repeatedly. Not only that, but the robot David is often found in the middle of the chaos acting innocent... 

The motives of all the characters are one of the most intriguing aspects of this film, but that's not the only thing keeping you in your seat and munching on popcorn. The implications of the discovery of possible alien life are greater. Throughout this film, the meaning of life and its origins motivate decisions and drive the plot to its open conclusion. 

As a prequel, it ties in well with Alien by examining questions that many fans might've been asking for the past thirty-three years. This promotional image (below, left) hints at the answer to one of the most puzzling parts of the 70s film: The Space Jockey.

 

Do we get answers? I can say that we don't get answers as to the Space Jockey found in the 70s film, but you do learn what the creature is. 

In the end, die hard Alien fans might be disappointed by the revelations about the franchise's universe  scattered throughout this film. But, there's still much more to learn. All we can hope for is a sequel that answers more of our burning questions, and the questions that have been plaguing Alien fans for decades. 


As a prequel, this film astonishes fans and newcomers alike with interesting questions (which rarely get answered) and complex themes that leave audiences pondering and guessing long after they've left the theater. It is visually stunning and has just the right amount of suspense to show a change from the 1979 film that "started it all," while also giving a great balance of horror/suspense and sci-fi. All in all, it deserves an 8 out of 10.


As a stand-alone, there's no real sense of understanding, which leaves audiences confused. But, it's visually stunning and raises interesting philosophical questions about the meaning of life and its origin. It tests beliefs and challenges the viewer to think outside the box. All in all, it deserves a 6 out of 10. 

I am lost. Not sure how to open this. I AM CRAIG!


Nicole asked if we have read any of the books she listed. I have not read them, sorry. :(

Rachel wanted to know our favorite (other than Harry Potter) and hated movie book adaptations. My favorite movie adaptation if from a book I haven't read: Hearts in Atlantis. I don't know if you are counting those *shrugs* And I haven't really seen a movie book adaptation I hate to be honest.


Shelby wanted to know what constitutes a true fan. You bring up good points, Shelby, but as usual the truth resists simplicity. We should all be respectful of ech other and not just discredit people without a lot of information about that person. There are so many kinds of fans that it's hard to put a good finger down on the subject. There are the fans who get a little too crazy and sit in there favorite artist's shower recording them brush there teeth and collect there nail clippings and there are the fans that are okay with the artists work but doesn't give a crap about the artist. Two ends of the spectrum. Both valid fans save one is a bit too excited and the other could be a better fan. We can't discredit either of them when they have something to say though. That doesn't mean they are right, but we can't. Sometimes though: people are just asshats. They either want to stir the pot or don't view you as an authority on the subject. All we can do is try to not step on toes. If you do let them step on your toe back. And if they stomp ask if they are satisfied. If they try again laugh in there face and call them a sad human being. We just need to try not to let things get out of hand.


Yes, my metaphors do suck. Thank you for noticing.
Craig

P.S. I give Linnea permission to go ahead and post. I notice she has hers fired up.

Summer reading

Bib-li-o-phile  [bib-lee-uh-fahyl, -fil]

noun a person who loves or collects books, especially as examples offline or unusual printing, binding, or the like. AKA Nicole

This is my bookshelf..kind of.

First off kudos to you Craig, because this is one of my favorite subjects in the world, and any time I get the chance to recommend or dish to someone about a book I've read I love it. 

So my custodial job at school tends to have a lot of down time and I've had some spare money from time to time since I've been working this summer and I've given in to my temptation's and I have bought myself about four new books. I know at the time of buying them that I didn't need them, but at the same time I did/do even if my summer reading list is already as long as my leg, but they were titles that I didn't see myself finding again for awhile. When I find some down time I always whip out whatever book I'm reading the time and the last book that I just finished this past weekend was Bossypants by Tina Fey and it was amazing! I started The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett Monday and I'm more than half way through and so far it's pretty amazing, it's definitely not your everyday story but I think that's why it's so good. 

So I guess I'll leave you guys with the rest of my Summer Reading List:

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (I started it, but never finished it)
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
• The Great Gatsby by the great F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Diary of Anne Frank, I've read it a long time ago, but I want to read it again.
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman 
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave 

Have any of you guys read any of these before? If so could you tell me what you thought about it? I would really appreciate it. 

Also, do any of you know about the website Goodreads.com?  If you have an account on there we should be friends! This is me!

Until next time, DFTBA! 

Nicole

P.S Sorry about the wonky way my writing came out, I blame the background color (my background colors are usually white or something else that is easy to to see over. 

Derby and Bali and Jane Eyre... Oh my!

It is wednesday night here at home and I am almost finished packing for my vacation to a national roller derby tournament and then off to Bali.

I have been planning this trip for so long i cant believe its finally here.

Firstly, before you ask what roller derby is please just go and google it lol because i am the worst at explaining it, the best i can do is tell you that it is a sport played on roller skates that does not involve a ball. My league is called Gold Coast Roller Derby and we have been waiting for this tournament for a very long time. The only downside is that we have to fly to Adelaide, and even though it is already winter where i am, it is nowhere near as cold here as it will be in Adelaide... my nipples are going to fall off haha But i just know our all star team is going to do our league proud and i cant wait for the games to begin. You can even watch them too if you want, they will be broadcast live on www.derbynewsnetwork.com

My next post will probably come to you from a computer at an airport as i will be just about to fly off to Bali, and its gloriously warm sun. I will write more about this next week when i am just beaming thinking about the amazing tan i will be about to get.

Jane Eyre is already packed, and will be read. I have also packed the fault in our stars (im with you there craig haha), Little Women, and a book I've been told i must read - the monk who sold his Ferrari. Needless to say, i plan to sit by the pool and read... Pure bliss!I also want to take Eat, Pray, Love with me to bali so i can Ketut Liyer to sign my copy - even though i hear he has gone a little too commercial these days. I also loved the book to movie adaption of Eat, Pray, Love, and loving adaptions is not something i do often.

So i was wondering, what book to movie adaption do you love most (excluding harry potter) :) and which do you hate the most?.

I think im going to add all of your book choices to my reading list :) thanks for the suggestions.

See you all next week from the airport :)

What makes a true fan?

First off, I need to answer some previously posed questions...

 I'd like to mention to the bloggers I'm writing with here that I enjoy critiquing stories, so if any of you would like me to critique or give feedback for a story/chapter you've written, I'd be happy to! So, that basically answers Linnea's question about sending one another our chapters or stories for editing/critique.

To answer the "what are you reading" question, I have to say that it's now quite difficult to answer. I am technically reading the 1,000 page World Without End by Ken Follett. I read his novel Pillars of the Earth a few years ago and loved it. This is Pillars' companion, set in the same priory town but two centuries later. I'm really enjoying, apart from the plot mimicking Pillars in almost every way. Which leads to the part that makes the question difficult to answer. After the epic finale of Game of Thrones (Yes, I mentioned GoT again), I realized that I really need to finish the third book in the series. I started it, but got terribly frustrated with one character's chapters, so I stopped. But with the hints dropped in the finale, I need to read it. So, my dilemma is: Finish World Without End, or start reading A Storm of Swords again...? *sigh*

Now on to the point of this post...

After seeing many fans posting rants about the differences in Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games television and film adaptations, it got me thinking: what makes a true fan? Obsessive fans spew their purist opinions about the screen adaptations and claim fans who liked them aren't true fans. They begin melodramatic rants about how fans shouldn't support the directors, screenwriters or showrunners because they are ruining the source material. Should these people be called true fans? Many GoT fans understand that George R. R. Martin trusts the showrunners of the HBO series with his baby, the novels. He knows they'll change things, but trusts that they'll make it work. Most Hunger Games fans understood why things were taken out or changed in the film to make everything work on screen, and even accepted strange casting decisions because of Suzanne Collins' support of those decisions. 

As fans, shouldn't we trust the author of the books if they have faith in those working on the screen adaptations? Are these so-called "true fans" really true fans if they can't even trust the authors? I don't like being told that I'm less of a fan because I enjoyed a film/TV adaptation of a beloved book. I like them because I can view the two formats differently and understand that the written source is only limited by the imagination of the author, while the film or show is limited by budgets, special effects and time. If all fans can see the two formats in this way, fan communities would be a lot better to be a part of.

Well, that was the post for Tuesday! See y'all next week...

DFTBA

Monday hath come once more! 
 And Craig, the Lord of Mondays has come with it!


 I really enjoyed reading your answers to my question last week. Now would be the time to do what I told you I was going to do and give you my answer...... *thinks*........ *brain dies* Well if anything this will help me out a lot hahah. Or even just doing the hardest thing ever and just writing without any thought of publishing. Just writing to write again. I wrote a lot more when I didn't realize my own limits and didn't have a soul crushing dream looming over me hahaha. And I should not always try to do everything at once.....



BOOKS! The books that I am procrastinating on reading are as follows and I list them even though one will make y'all mad at me.
1: Monster Blood Tattoo book III: Factotum. It's a really good series of books so far but I get to the middle of Factotum and stop reading x.x
2 and 3: The Saga of Lartin Crepsly book II and III: I just havent been reading them x.x
4: The Fault in our Stars *braces for onslaught of hatred* I will get around to reading it!


I am just awful at when it comes to getting things done to be honest. No matter what it is.


Sorry but this one is going to be a bit watered down it seems. That also happens to me. As a wise man once said "Don't forget to be awesome"

EEK! I missed my day!

I'm so, so, so, so, SO sorry for missing my day. I really don't have a good excuse. I got caught up in a Glee marathon last night and woke up this morning thinking, "Oh my god! I was supposed to post last night!"