The Monday of Mondays

So, Monday was a Monday of Mondays. First, I was so excited because I thought I might be on time to Latin class, but then I wasn't. We got a quiz back and (surprise surprise) I didn't do so well on it. Later in my TA's office hours, we talked about study strategies and how, basically, I am still at a 101 Level with my Latin, and now my TA understands why I'm having such difficulties with figuring out stuff (I believe the quote was "wow, this stuff must look like gibberish to you"). So, today is the first day of the rest of the semester and I'm going to do my utmost to get a good grade. Sorry if that means I ignore you as a friend. I promise I still love you! :D

Anyways, then my laptop screen broke again and I went to ITS to turn it in, and this time I requested to have all of my work logs printed out so that I can have a hard copy. Turns out, in the course of just over a year, my laptop has been in ITS 11 times for a combined total of 43 Days (and counting!). I really hate my laptop. The only thing I like about it is my collection of stickers on it. I'm emotionally invested in those things.

So then I went to English, and oh my god quote of the semester!!! We are talking about WWII and how WWI and WWII changed the way people wrote about war in literature. The Prof cited All Quiet on the Western Front (on my list of favorite books of all time) and more recent endeavours in the literary/film genre such as Black Hawk Down, to which the continuing studies student made this comment: "Oh, one of my friends was involved in that..and, well, now he's a transgender, but that's only been in the past few years. It's amazing how war can affect people like that..." There was a moment of very awkward silence and everyone looked at her; the Prof didn't know what to say and I was tempted to go ghetto on her and say "Bitch, please, I don't think it works like that," but I didn't. It was just so awkward! Anyways, the Prof moved on as best as he could, but then about fifteen minutes later, COMPLETELY out of the blue, the girl raised her hand: "Oh, I just wanted to say one more thing about my friend...I didn't mean that it was a negative change...just trying to be PC, sorry." It was TOTALLY awkward!!!

Anyways, the rest of the day went on pretty smoothly, until our entire class pissed off our Comm TA to the point that he just left...no one (myself included) really did the readings or brought it to class. His frustration was understandable...:-(

So, yea...it was an interesting day overall. Hooray Mondays.

Weekend of Doom (and Fun)

So, this weekend got of to a very, um, interesting start. So you know how I've been b*tching about Latin a lot...well, I got my most recent test back and if I wasn't failing already, I sure am now. This is going to require some serious ass kicking over the next few weeks. I'll be channeling my inner hermit crab and probably very very not involved in a lot of things...take note.

Anyways, Friday, due to the Latin shenanigans, was a real mess. I was basically curled up in my room in a little ball of tears and Beatles music while trying to go over Latin translations (which, surprise, surprise, I did the wrong section of...hooray being in a mindset that allows me to read the syllabus correctly). Luckily, I get by with a little help from my friends. C and R came over and wanted to watch Office Space. Sorry guys, I was being in a funk so it took me a few minutes to go ahead and watch it, but it kinda turned out to be the nice little release I needed at that moment.

Saturday was nice and relaxing. I spend the day drawing out storyboards for my COMM 130 Project, which is about zombies. It's actually pretty awesome, but that's just my opinion. A friend from work and I came up with this idea a while ago, so I'm using it for my production proposal for COMM.

Saturday night was the amazing WXYC 80's Dance Party! I've never been to one so it was a lot of fun to get dressed up and prance around in ridiculous outfits listening to awesome music. Anyways, I didn't get home until about 2am, thus resulting in my missing Mass Sunday...whoops.

Sunday was equally as amazing, if not more amazing. Sunday was Amanda Freaking Palmer day! So, in the morning, I had Peer Advising Training which was interesting. I'm very excited about next year, it's going to be awesome. Anyways, I went home and did some more work on my proposal for the zombie movie, and then took a nap. Suddenly, because this seems to happen with every nap, my phone rings (I know, I know...I could put it on alarm only, but I always forget to). It's a friend from work asking if I wanted to go watch the game with her (I was unaware that there was a game...oh well). So, I went to her apartment where we put icing on two cakes she made earlier in the day and then "watched" the game. I think we both proved how girl we were because we couldn't stay away and the afternoon turned into a nap party. Within fifteen minutes of tip-off, we were both asleep. Luckily, we won. Hooray Final Four!!!

Anyways, I get back to my dorm and it is now approx. 7:55pm. The Amanda Palmer concert starts in 5 minutes. I quickly get ready and meet up with CK and we end up walking to Carborro, which isn't too bad of a walk, but we were a little late. Luckily, we got there just as the opening act was getting off the stage and Amanda Palmer was about to start. It was an interesting concert experience because unlike most other concerts, the audience was sitting down and just absorbing her performance. She came out and sang a song a capella which was a very interesting way to start the show and very enjoyable. She then went to the piano and took off pretty much all of her clothes (there was much rejoycing from the guys in the audience and a few of the girls). Amanda Palmer was very witty and humorous throughout the concert, spending a lot of the time talking to us about things she had experienced (for example, the fist fights between her opening band in Florida and then one of them passing out due to a cocaine overdose...) All in all it was a very enjoyable show and I'm sorry if you missed it...

After the show, CK and I hit the merch table and I got a really cute Who Killed Amanda Palmer t-shirt and a free face painting from this cray-cray* who travels around following the Amanda Palmer tour and does face painting for free. She also painted this big picture of Amanda Palmer which was amazing. CK and I then stood in line to meet Ms Palmer herself, and when we got there, she signed my t-shirt and wished AD Happy Birthday over the phone (sad, he couldn't go himself, but it was really awesome that she talked to him...totally respect artists more when they're really involved with their fans). We then walked home. The end. (Sorry, I suck at finishing stories...)

Amanda Palmer talking to AD on the phone after the Concert.

Thus concludes the Weekend of Doom.

PS- I'll probably not be going out anymore for the rest of the semester, sad, but hey, it's only 32 more days, right? Not too bad. Hooray studying!

*The term "cray-cray" is in reference to someone who is not technically crazy, but is just a little odd. I would never refer to someone who had actual mental challenges/diseases as a cray-cray.


OOOH OOOH! Teaser for the next blog post: How War Leads to Being Transgendered and Other Exciting Tales from a Monday of Mondays.

Another Week Over

Salve, amici! Another week is down and we're in the final stretch until summer. I'm so very excited about this semester being over. I literally have weeks left of the self-inflicted torture called Latin.

I'm still working on finishing up this History paper on Cicero. I'm almost done though, just going over some editing/ revising. Oh, also I have been awake for 21 or the past 24 hours, and it looks like tomorrow might be a similar situation. I have scheduled sleep for Saturday. I know I said I would try to get to something tomorrow- game watching I think?- with K, but I really don't think that's going to happen. You probably don't want to see me that tired ever because a little secret- when I get super tired, I get so very unlike myself and either become very angry and beligerant or really stupid or (which is worse) a combination. Is there anything worse than a stupid angry person? Maybe a stupid angry person with some sort of weapon...anyways, as you can tell, the loopy is starting to set in. Hooray. It is three in the morning, afterall.

So, I finished my image sequence for my Comm class. I think it turned out pretty well considering that I have no idea as to what I was suppose to do (the prompt was literally: Compose a sequence of images). Thank you to my dear friends who don't know yet that I used their picture(s) in this project, mainly CK and MP. Anyways, I'm posting it here for people to watch/ comment on.

Song credits: "In the Sun" performed by Joseph Arthur

In other news, the Amanda Palmer concert is on Sunday and I'm so very excited about this. Oh, and did I mention that I might be cooking for Amanda Palmer et crew? Part of the "Who Feeds Amanda Palmer?" thing...esentially fans trade their cooking and food for getting to feed Amanda Palmer and get merch. Yay merch. I love merch. And to trade mini quiche for merch would be splendid. I will most assuredly update when I find out for sure. I am super looking forward to this weekend.

Oh yea! Before Amanda Palmer amazingness, yours truely will be going to a Peer Advising Training Session!!! Yup!!! I'm going to be a peer advisor for the Communications Dept. next year! I'm very excited about this. Maybe not as much as the concert/ cooking for Amanda Palmer et crew, but it certainly looks better on a resume than "Oh, and before a concert, I made a mean batch of mini-quiche for this amazing singer that you have a 10% chance of ever having heard of."

Speaking of mini-quiche: Does anyone happen to have a muffin pan that I could borrow Saturday for the making of said mini-quiche? I would greatly appreciate it and probably will give you a hug.

Aww...I'm listening to my iTunes on shuffle and "Good Day" by the Dresden Dolls just came on, which is funny because that song has been defining my life for the past few days.

God, it's been a lovely day. Everything's been going my way. I took out the trash today and I'm on fire.

Whoa...what a week!!

Wow...so this week has been pretty fantastic. Cheesy moment in three, two, one: for the first time in a long time I really felt God in my life. It was a good feeling.

I had my peer advising interview on Thursday and I think it went really well. Here's hoping I get the job; I find out sometime today (!) I'm really really hoping that I get this. Friday was also a Latin test and I think I did really well on it. I think we're getting them back tomorrow, so again, here's hoping.

This weekend was an amazing adventure. Friday was one of the best days I've had in a long long time and it started an amazing weekend. I can't really talk too much about what I did Friday or Saturday night (nothing bad, just not looking to get people in trouble, or more trouble than they already are). Saturday was pretty amazing. I watched the Little Mermaid with NB and then went to Ben and Jerry's, then met up with CK and P for a night of fun festivities, though P got lost halfway through the adventure of trying to find apartment 5G. It took much longer than it should have considering the complete state of sobriety we were in.

There will probably be pictures on facebook of the event, but it's up to CK's discression as to what gets posted; I didn't have my camera. If you super want to know the adventure, just ask and I'll tell you, but I'm not posting it to the blog.

In other news...this is the one year anniversary of being Catholic!!! Ahhh!!!! It does not seem like it has been a year already! Time moves so slowly here and yet so fast simultaneously. C and I were discussing the possibility that this place is located on the cusp of a timewarp, so it is affected differently at different times, depending on the wind and such. To celebrate this morning, I had breakfast with M and C and it was quite lovely. But alas, it is now time to study, or shower, or something more productive than blogging. See ya!

What a Fantastic Day!!!

"God, it's been a lovely day. Everything is going my way. I took out the trash today and I'm on fire."


Wow, so for being the Monday after Spring Break, this has been a wonderful day! It all started with Latin...and a dreaded meeting with my TA. I was expecting to drop the class because I was under the impression that I was failing (His words were "your grade probably isn't where you want it to be..."), but it seems that my TA and I have two very different expectations as to where I want my grade to be. I'll be satisfied with a C at this point...it is a reasonable and realistic expectation. Anyways, I get in there and he lets me know that I am in fact passing, and that I can probably manage to get a C or a B-/B in the class. So, I'm not dropping it and I'm feeling much better about the situation as a whole.

Later in the day, I got an exam grade back from a class where I have my suspicions that the TA doesn't appreciate my somewhat conservative point of view, and it was a B. I'm very very happy with this because I probably could have studied more for it than I did but considering it was the last exam of Hell Week, I'm glad I didn't start writing about seahorses (it's happened...Latin 101 Final).

I then had lunch with my wonderful roommate, M, and we had a really good conversation about religion and being defined by faith. We don't spend a whole lot of time together so it was good to be able to get caught up with each other, especially after break. I love her. :D After that I went to work and I picked up two extra work shifts a week, which means I'll finally be able to earn some real money instead of just $20 a week. The circumstances of me getting the extra shifts isn't wonderful and honestly I'd rather it didn't happen than have them, but since I can't do anything to change it, I'll take the money and run.


Later, I got dinner with CK and we got caught up after break and exchanged music (hooray!) . While at dinner, a guy I worked on a film with last year paid me back the money they borrowed for the film, which was very exciting because it was a good amount of cash. After dinner, I went to the gym and now I'm here about to start studying Latin. Overall, this has been such a great day! It's so good to be back on the hill.

PS- I'm trying to make the blog more readable, so comment and let me know if it's better/ what I should do to improve it. ;D

Break is Over

Well, Spring Break 2009 is over and classes start up tomorrow. I'm considering dropping my Latin 203 class because I'm not doing so well in it and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get my grade up to a place where I'd want it. I'm talking to my TA tomorrow about it, but I need to make a decision ASAP because tomorrow the last day to drop! If I did drop, I'd just take the class again in the Fall after having some more time to look over this. Bah- I hate languages. All of them. They drive me up a wall! I feel like Spiderwoman over here!

Really, what is the point of having a foreign language requirement? Sure, having a working knowledge of another language could be helpful later in life, but when some people (such as myself) fulfill the requirement with languages that are not used or are very obscure, what is the point in requiring a certain level? If there is going to be a requirement for a foreign language, it should at least be a language that is still in use. Part of me just wants to be so done with Latin and is willing to just say to hell with whatever grade I get and just move on with my life.

Sorry- I needed to vent that out of my system.

In other news- I can't wait to start Bracket challenges with people! This week should be pretty fun. CK is organizing another bowling trip (hurray!) and on Saturday, some of us are having a movie-day/makeover party, where some of us will be dying our hair fun colors and others will be getting piercings. I will probably be doing neither because I'm chicken, although I do have some semi-permanent purple hair dye, so maybe. We'll see. I'm excited because I'll get to hang out with NB, whom I haven't seen since forever ago! Perhaps the movies will be sing-along type musicals (Moulin Rouge, Sweeney Todd, and Repo: The Genetic Opera?) .

Fourteen Days until Amanda Palmer in Carrboro!!!! :D :D

Somewhere Over the Outback: Movie Review of Australia and Ophelia of the Spirits

Australia (2008)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
165 min.

I went in to this movie having very high expectations. First- Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) is one of my favorite directors for his unique style and writing. Second- one of my good friends who has somwhat impeccable movie taste recommended it as one of the best epic films he's seen in a while and after watching it, I have to agree. It was amazing.

The film is obviously a Baz Luhrmann film with his signature quirky and unexpected subtle humor and the repetitive dialogue (repetitive in a good way). But don't expect it to look like Moulin Rouge! or Romeo and Juliet- this is not a part of the Red Curtain Trilogy. The film's overall look is sophisticated, while still very Baz. While the colors are more traditional that colors usually seen in Luhrmann films (the deep passionate colors of Moulin Rouge nd Strictly Ballroom and the bright technocolor world of Romeo and Juliet), but there is a high level of stylized contrast in many of the scenes- outlines of objects seem very pronounced and such- that really identify it as a Bazmark production.

The plot is fairly predictable but still good: Rich woman falls in love with working-class man as they fight to save the family farm. Luhrmann includes enough minor twists to keep the movie engaging for quite some time. The backdrop of World War II provides the epic with an exciting new direction about two thirds of the way in.

A warning to future viewers- if you have a short attention span concerning watching movies, this might not be be film for you. You will still enjoy it, but after the first hour and forty-five minutes, it seems that every twenty minutes presents a perfectly satisfying end point, complete with nice final fade out, only to continue on to a completely new chapter of the story. That is the nature of the epic but it sometimes felt that the nice end-points were too satisfying for there to be anything left to film.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and I am highly anticipating Luhrmann's next adventure, The Great Gatsby.
Rating: A-


Check Out: Ophelia of the Spirits

So, I first heard Ophelia of the Spirits on the Australia soundtrack (she provided two of the five tracks off the EP) Her voice is enchanting and haunting- reminding me of Enya and Lorenna McKinnett, but with an Australian flair. If you are a fan of these two artists, then you'll most likely enjoy Ophelia of the Spirits. Her EP ("Ophelia of the Spirits") is a less "Australian" sounding musical style but equally enjoyable. Give her a listen, New Age music fans!

Ophelia of the Spirits- House of Cards

A note on the video- the footage is actually from the 1929 silent German film "Pandora's Box," which is the second half of the "Lulu" Opera (yup...THAT Lulu for those of you who know).

Whoa...it's Thursday?!

Ahh! Where has this week gone?!? Break is now half-over, and I'm trying to decide what I've actually done productive...the answer is nothing. Oh well. I super needed a few days of doing absolutely nothing. It has been nice. However, starting later today (it's actually around 2:30 in the morning, I need sleep!) I am going to do productive things.

In case you haven't picked up yet, I'm having a manic moment...this is pretty normal and I'm use to it by now. It's actually really nice to have moments of extreme motivation to take on the world and I feel rather invincible. I'm sure a psychiatrist would think this is a problem, but hey, they don't need to know... ;-)

Anyways, after a good night's sleep, I'm going to actually study. I need to get caught up in a lot of my class readings, and hopefully get a little ahead. I really need to look at Latin, a lot! I'm really struggling in that class right now...but hopefully I can pull it together by the end of the semester. I'm not going to share it here because I know it would bore the absolute bejesus out of you, but I'm going to put together a schedule for tomorrow and the rest of break. I find it easier to take on the world when I have a plan to go about it.

Speaking of plans, after break, I need to get all my craziness together. Time management is something I super need to work on. I'll probably work on a schedule, again.

Speaking of schedules, I'm looking at classes to take next semester and if all goes well a) I'll be done with my History major requirements at the end of next semester and b) I won't have class on Friday. That would be absolutely lovely.

Well, I should probably get working on stuff...goodnight!

Amanda F*cking Palmer!!

Okay okay okay, don't judge me. I know I'm just getting off the Jesus Christ Superstar high, but now I'm bouncing on a new cloud...Amanda F*cking Palmer is coming to Carrboro March 29th! I' m so excited!!

Amanda Palmer is the lead singer of the Breichtan Punk Cabaret Band The Dresden Dolls (very excellent, if I might add), and she has come out with a solo album ("Who Killed Amanda Palmer, see review below) and is on tour. She's coming to Carrboro! I can walk to Carrboro from my dorm! I can walk to Amanda Palmer! Ahh!!!

Hopefully, I'll be able to bring along a few friends; AD might come, which is awesome because the concert is the day before his 20th b-day and I haven't seen him since Christmas Break.

Home Sweet Home

So, I'm pretty lucky that I live in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Being home is a nice break from the big city life (though I doubt half of you would consider where I go to school a big city...). I was getting groceries with my mom and when I went outside I noticed something that I have never noticed about where I live before- it's so quiet.

I didn't realize how much I missed the quiet.

The Letter to Myself

So, last year before I was confirmed into the Catholic Church (yup, I'm a newbie...), we had to write letters to ourselves during our RCIA class. They would be kept and mailed out the next year. Well, I just got mine in the mail today. Here are a few exerpts:

Congratulations! Guess what? You're Catholic! Does it still feel weird or have you gotten over it? Hopefully you haven't beocme a luke warm Catholic like Kevin warned against. Just remember what it all means if you have.
I hope for your sake that your first year of being Catholic went smoother than the monts leading up to it. If it hasn't, then I'm sorry. I know you have probably had doubts about this whole thing and you probably alwasy will, but that is a good thing. Everything happens for a reason and hoepfully you haven't forgotten that. While things might not always work out the way you hope, they work out all the same. The people in your life are there for a reason and were put there at the right time.
As much as you may resent certain people now, never forget how much you once loved them and how much they influenced your life. Had God never given you a roommate like C... you would have never gone to Newman and made the frist you did, nad you would most likely not be Catholic right now. Even if you hate them now, remember that you are who you are today because of them.
You should forgive yourself for things that have happened in the past and realize that you can't change them and can only pray that the future gets better. Never let yourself believe that you are alone or will always be alone. People love you very much. I love you.

It's interesting to read that a year later and realize how true a lot of the things are. I do still have a lot of doubts and I still wonder whether I did it for the right reasons. I looked back and realized that I had become a luke-warm Catholic. I'm going to try to be better. I hate having doubts and while sometiems they can be amazing things, I need to learn how to reconcile having differences with what the Church believes instead of seeing that as a reason to doubt the Church (and sometimes God) completely.

Finn has often commented that I am an Atheist who just doesn't know it yet. I refuse to admit in the present that I don't believe in God, but I can admit that in the past I have had moments where I looked up at the stars at night and saw nothing. No God, no heaven, no angels. Nothing. I'd then be in Mass and look around and see people praying to something that jsut wan't there. It alwasy is a strange and unsetteling feeling when I question whether God really exists. I want to have a faith that is strong enough to say 'yes, of course there is a God,' even in the really bad times, but looking at my religous track record, I'm not holding on to any high expectatoins.

But perhaps I was right a year ago- I am where I need to be. A few weeks ago, I was having doubts, but then I thougth to myself "If you really don't believe any of this, why are you still here?" I'm here because I need to be here.

Jesus Christ Superstar!!!

Okay, okay, I know I've been talking about this for weeks, nay, months, but the day finally arrived! Jesus Christ Superstar night! It was so amazing! Ted Neeley did a phenominal job and can still hit those high notes. I cannot count how many times I got goosebumps last night during hte performance. Everything was just so amazing! The actor playing Judas, James Delisco, was so amazing! He stayed after the show and signed autographs. We all got a picture with him. He was very nice.

But oh my God! The show was so indredible! JCS is my favorite show of all time, hands down. I think it is becuase when I think about Jesus, I want Jesus to be like the Jesus in the show- someone real with real emotions and real hopes and fears. I can't stand the Jesus movies where Jesus is alwasy kind and shows no emotionality or anything other than a bland sense of benevolence.

So, overall, I am a happy camper. :D This was the perfect way to start Spring Break.

LAST DAY OF CLASS BEFORE SPRING BREAK!!!

So, Hell Week 2009 is coming to a close, and thank God! It could not have come a day too soon. Honestly, I feel like I am about to crack. But, it is soon about to be over and I'll be on Spring Break! Back to B-town for a week, spending time with friends and my parents and my cat. I've missed Robert the cat so much!

But before I see my home, parents, and cat, I'm seeing Jesus Christ Superstar!!! Tonight's the night! I can't wait- I've been looking forward to this for weeks. Again, JCS is my favorite musical of all time and the 1973 film is possibly my favorite movie of all time. Hopefully, I'll have pictures and stuff to blog about tomorrow, when I'm in B-town. Ahh! B-town! I'll be home!

So, I've been looking at service-learning programs and I found one that looks amazing. It is a semester in India working with orphanages and street children, teaching them English and taking care of the kids. This is something I've always wanted to do and I'm coming to the conclusion that if I want to do this, I need to do it now becuase after college I won't have the chance. The total cost I'm looking at is $15,000 for the semester. I'm assuming that my parents can help me out for the first $9500 because that is how much they'd be spending for me to go to school in the states. So, I need to find about $6000 to cover the rest of it. I'm looking into scholarships and such for this so hopefully, fingers crossed, I can get the money.

Well, I should go...My history professor is sitting in on our recitation session. (Love him!)

HELL WEEK 2009!!!!

Okay, so it is officially Hell Week 2009. The week before Spring Break. Freedom is within our view but before we can enjoy the sweet pleasures of no classes, we must go through an agonizing gauntlet to prove our worth.

So, this week....I finally got back to the dorm today, which is very exciting! I've missed my lofted bed. I've got a homework assingment due tomorrow, which isn't too bad, but then Thursday I have my Comm midterm, and Friday I have a 12 page English paper due and a 2 page History Paper. Friday is also another Comm midterm. Exciting stuff, isn't it? I probably won't be blogging for a few days, but I must say that I am very excited about Friday. I'm going to see Jesus Christ Superstar with *wait for it* TED NEELEY!!!!!!!!!

Okay, for you non-musical freaks out there (which is most of you I guess), Ted Neeley was the original Jesus in the 1973 film! It's pretty cool, trust me. ;-)

This is really the only thing that's keeping my sprits up...that and knowing that in 27 Days I'm going to see Amanda Palmer in concert...and the whole Spring Break thing, but no, mostly this. This is my favorite musical of all time. No joke. No exageration. Everyone should go see it. Rent the movie. Right now. No, I'm serious. Right now. <3

Well, that's really all I have for today. Next post will hopefully have me in better spirits after this week is over.

Let it Snow (?)

Hello again! I'm just in a blogging frenzy this week, aren't I? If you're curious as to why, it is because I have a 12 page paper to write by Friday and two 2 page papers for Comm and English AND two mid-term exams.

Today, classes were cancelled before 10am! Hoorah! This was nice because I am actually commuting due to the fact that I am house sitting. This morning I did my best to scrape the ice off my car but it was rather difficult considering that I only have flip-flops in my possession. Oh well. I can't complain too much. A failure to plan is a plan to fail! We got a good amount of snow here last night and campus looks very very pretty. I don't have my camera with me but I will try to steal some pictures from other people to post here if I get the chance.

I'm contemplating going home now or waiting and eating lunch with the gang, considering that I don't like the idea of walking across campus in flip-flops...my toes would revolt against me. Hmm...I haven't seen CK or K all weekend but I did just see M on Saturday. Really I should go home and work on my paper and get something productive done.

I have five days to write 10 1/2 pages of this 12 page paper. Dear God! Wish me luck!

Coraline, or Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Coraline-2009, PG
Directed by Henry Selick


Last weekend, I saw Coraline with CK and N and it was amazing! I cannot explain how amazing the whole movie looked. The animation was spectacular. While the plot line was fitting for a children's movie (and thus a little juvenile), it had elements of creepy that was able to be appreciated by all ages.

The movie follows a little girl, Coraline, who has moved to the Pink Palace with her career-focused mulch-loving gardening parents. Coraline's parents never seem to have enough time for her and so one night, Coraline follows a pack of mice into an alternate world, inhabited by her Other Mother and Other Father. These parents seem to be the perfect parents, but soon the idyllic alternate world turns dark when Coraline's Other Mother demands that Coraline has buttons sewn into her eyes. Coraline must then decide what is important to her. Coraline has a very good message- Be careful what you wish for. If you could have the perfect life, what would you give up?
Now, for the animation style. It was fantastic. Coming from the creators of The Nightmare Before Christmas, there were high expectations, but the animators did not disappoint. They took the 3-D claymation style and combined it at times with 2-D animation. It blew my mind. I think the best moments were the spider web and when the alternate world fell away. It was amazing. I loved it.

So, overall rating: A-


Who Killed Amanda Palmer?
Amanda Palmer

Okay, so I have always been a fan of The Dresden Dolls and their lead singer, Amanda Palmer's debut solo album is amazing. The musical style of the entire album ranges from bouncy, radio-friendly pop ("Oasis") to emotional punk/alternative rock ("Ampersand") to something that sounds like a music-box ("What's the Use of Wond'rin?").

I must give highest praises to Amanda Palmer's songwriting and lyrics. The lyrics are poetic, following the same style as the Dresden Dolls. "Ampersand" and "Strength through Music" stand out as two of my favorite tracks on this album.

The video series of this album is phenomenal. They can be found on youtube pretty easily. These videos really bring the whole album to a higher level of awesome. The other music videos for the two independent singles "Oasis" and "Leeds United," while unrelated, are fun and matching with their own individual styles.

Two of the songs' videos, "Strength Through Music" and "Guitar Hero" MUST be viewed in order as they flow into each other. These two videos also take a step away from the rest of the video series, but still manages to fit in with the rest of them in the end through the placement of the little red man (watch the videos and you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm not going to give anything away here). These two videos were made to be a memorial to the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 but in Amanda Palmer's own special way.

Oasis- Amanda Palmer

Ampersand- Amanda Palmer


What's the Use of Wond'rin?- Amanda Palmer

Overall Rating: A

Lazy Weekend/ Lazy Sunday

So, this weekend has gone by in a blur. I so needed it!!! Seriously by Friday afternoon I was ready to turn in the towel! I had one of those "failure to plan/ plan to fail" moments when I realized that while yes, I had finished my paper on time, my laptop didn't have the Pharos printing installed yet so it was of no use. I immediately rushed to the UL to get it printed, then also realizing that I needed to put it in a folder because my TA wants our papers in folders (...?). So, I rush to Student Stores, now already five minutes late, go upstairs and get a folder, only to realize that I had managed to leave my onecard (which also is my debit card) in the UL by the printer. I'm not a big fan of carrying cash around, but luckily I had a dollar in my pocket for some reason or another so I was able to get the folder. I completely ignored the fact that my one card was still in the UL and high-tailed it to class, now ten minutes late.

So now I was a little grr at the universe and also, I hadn't eaten anything all day because it is Lent and for some reason, I thought that fasting on Fridays was a good thing to do...hard core sunrise-to-sunset fasting. So I'm late, hungry, already tired, and so I wasn't in the best of moods. I refuse to call this a FML moment simply because that phrase is getting WAY too overused!!! Anyways, after lunch, I kinda said "screw it" to the whole all day fast and went lunch with the coolest people in the universe: CK and M. I'm still trying to convince them that we should all go see the Amanda Palmer concert in Carrboro next month. She is one of my favorite artists so I'm really excited. Also, AD might come up from South Carolina, which would be fabulous. Hopefully that works out, but to be honest, his track record of showing up to things/ being on time is not one I'm counting on.

Finally, I went back to the UL and who did I see? None other than a boy referred to only as Duncan. I quickly walk past him and we didn't actually communicate, which was lovely.
I then went home (well, the house I'm housesitting for and played with two amazing dogs...skipping Sushi night, sorry guys).

Saturday was a much better day- it was game day. So I went with Krazy K, M, and AH. We were playing Georgia Tech and we whooped them good! (Sorry for all you Grammar nerds, but it had to be done). The final score was 104 to 74. After the game, Krazy K and I went out to find food because I have access to a car in the form of the Purple Minivan of Doom (I love this thing!) We ended up driving around for a while until we found a cheap little Chinese place. It wasn't that good, but oh well. We had a fun time enjoying each other's company.

I went home and then Finn IM'd me asking for a ride to the mall. This started possibly the most fun adventure I've had in a while. First of all, Finn is a very very interesting character. Of all my friends, I would have to say that he is the most witty and charming and clever character. Anyways, we went to pick up his Mac which broke after he spilled apple juice (I find that funny and ironic) on it. On our way home, we ended up getting lost. How lost? Well, with one dead cell phone and another dying cell phone, we found ourselves at the Duke University golf course. Finn started freaking out and not wanting to die. Now, the reason we got lost is because we wanted to find a Wendy's to get something to eat. Essentially, by the time we got back to Chapel Hill, I was in a full nervous giggle-fit, which Finn found not at all comforting and while we could have just said "FU" to the idea of getting Wendy's, I am not one to quit. Luckily, there is one in Carrboro. Hooray Carrboro. I then went home again and tried to do some school work.

But yea, that's been my weekend. Spring Break in less than a week!!!! :D