tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66158247002459271892024-02-20T07:39:50.880-08:00Mixed MediaMy musings and reviews of music, books, tv, movies, and any other related media I come across.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-89351834349343829522009-10-02T13:00:00.000-07:002009-10-02T13:01:11.005-07:00Ben Rector<p>Ben Rector is a current favorite of mine, and this video rocks!</p><p> </p><p><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MNCJTFhbzZY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MNCJTFhbzZY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></p>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-64103060125102525682009-09-19T07:47:00.000-07:002009-09-19T08:06:56.873-07:00Book Review: The Moon in the Mango Tree<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Mango-Tree-Pamela-Ewen/dp/0805447334">The Moon in the Mango Tree</a><br />by Pamela Binnings Ewen<br />2.5 out of 5 stars<br /><br />Oh boy, I have total mixed feelings about how to rate this book. I usually do, because I know that even if I disliked the book, this any many others that I give low ratings are still decent fiction stories that most people would probably find enjoyable. I don't know, I just feel like there are so many GOOD and GREAT books, I don't want to waste my time on the masses of what my college Literature proff called "crap-o-rama".<br /><br />By the time this book became available to me on Paperbackswap.com, I had completely forgotten who had recommended it to me or what it was about. It begins as the story of a young woman who gives up her singing career to join her husband in medical missions in Thailand in the early 1900's. There are sort of two stages to the book. The first half is the story of their experiences in a tiny village in Northern Thailand, and the second is later years spent as secular socialites in the big cities of Thailand and Europe. At first I thought it was going to be a classic lame Christian fiction, but it wasn't. The main character basically gives up her faith and Protestants are portrayed in a very bad light. That made things interesting because I was curious to know which life-philosophy the author was going to go with.<br /><br />Ultimately what does make it a powerful story is that it's based on the true story of the life of the author's grandmother. Although the writing wasn't awesome, what I found most engaging was the inner battle of the main character between Independence and being the supportive wife. When she chooses to support her husband she feels useless and meaningless. When she leaves to pursue her singing career she weighs the potential loss of her husband and children.<br /><br />What really drove me crazy is that the main character was SO selfish and narcissistic. Her perspective on life in the village just made me want to wring her neck and yell at her to suck it up and get on with life instead of sitting around the house moaning about how awful life is. Later in the book when she moans about having given up all of her dreams to support her husband's career I STILL found it hard to sympathize with her because I felt like she never tried to find a middle ground, to discuss things with her husband and find a way for them both to pursue their dreams at once. She just played the victim.<br /><br />So - it was an interesting story but ultimately I rather disliked the main character and the writing wasn't fantastic. The final philosophy is only portrayed in the last few pages and actually seemed ridiculous to me after reading an entire book of her wrestling with faith and doubt and various religions.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-42951047320528922152009-09-15T08:57:00.000-07:002009-09-15T09:33:59.654-07:00Book Review: Still Alice by Lisa Genova<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Still-Alice-Lisa-Genova/dp/0595440096">Still Alice</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Still-Alice-Lisa-Genova/dp/0595440096">by Lisa Genova</a><br />4.5 out of 5 stars<br /><a title="New York Times Best Selling Novel, &quot;Still Alice&quot; by Chris Seufert, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mychatham/3276675499/"><img style="WIDTH: 230px; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="New York Times Best Selling Novel, &quot;Still Alice&quot;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3276675499_94b4676c19.jpg" width="500" height="345" /></a><br /><br />Technically this is a work of fiction about a Harvard professor who finds out she has early-onset Alzheimer's while she is in her mid-50's. It is written as a first-person account, and it flows beautifully through the initial startling moments of forgetfulness and then the deep grief of diagnosis, and then through the next couple of years into increasingly simple and contradictory thoughts and vocabulary. The author is actually a neuro-scientist and Alzheimer's is her field of study, so this book has been lauded by patients and the medical field as being very accurate.<br /><br />It was very emotional to read, and you grasp the deep feelings of helplessness as an intelligent and independent woman loses her grasp on reality and memory. It made me ache for my aging grandparents, knowing that dementia works in similar ways. I totally recommend this book.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-87158433516365722632009-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:002009-09-10T12:18:17.161-07:00Movie Reviews: State of Play, Star Trek, New in Town<div align="left"><a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/306913"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Star Trek</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> 5/5 stars</span> </div><div align="left"><br /><a title="Star Trek New Kirk &amp; Spock by Mark Storey Graphic Design &amp; Art, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/markstorey/3305407211/"><img style="WIDTH: 129px; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="Star Trek New Kirk &amp; Spock" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3436/3305407211_5dc4af3fe0.jpg" width="354" height="500" /></a><br />Star Trek was probably the best movie I've seen this year. I'm not a Trekkie, in fact I knew nothing about it other than that it was the future and it was in space. For me, it was awesome, a total crowd pleaser. Great plot, great acting, funny and dramatic at once. I thoroughly enjoyed it and totally want to own it! I thought the worst part was the main character, who was too much the young hot star and not a brilliant actor. However, he was survivable, and the rest of the movie was great. </div><div align="left"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/344551"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>State of Play</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>:</strong> 4/5 stars</span> </div><div align="left"><br /><a title="Totally Rad Show - Episode 109 - Uber Gubious - State of Play, Crank: High Voltage, Demigod, The Unusuals, Southland by revision3, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/revision3/3463635254/"><img style="WIDTH: 246px; HEIGHT: 158px" alt="Totally Rad Show - Episode 109 - Uber Gubious - State of Play, Crank: High Voltage, Demigod, The Unusuals, Southland" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3463635254_c7c64114f1.jpg" width="500" height="299" /></a><br />You know, I haven't heard much buzz about State of Play even though it's Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, and Rachel McAdams. I thought it was excellent. It's a mystery - Affleck plays a congressman whose research assistant dies. Affleck's old college roomate and seasoned investigative journalist is Crowe, who get tangled up in investigating the death. It's a good mystery with great twists and turns. Russell Crowe is of course fantastic. Affleck plays exactly the character he should play to not distract - a smarmy clean-cut guy. Mirren and McAdamas are great in their supporting rolls. It was a good movie - I totally recommend it.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/370556"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>New In Town</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> 3.5/5 stars (ALMOST four stars)</span> </div><div align="left"><br /><a title="New In Town (Widescreen Edition) starring Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr. by mareneyblackstone@yahoo.com, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42012898@N08/3865492119/"><img alt="New In Town (Widescreen Edition) starring Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr." src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3865492119_3582726dfc_m.jpg" width="112" height="160" /></a><br />I like a good chick flick, but most chick flicks aren't good. I watched this one alone so as to avoid inflicting a potentially bad chick flick on my husband and roomates. You know, it wasn't bad, and I would say it is mostly a comedy with a little chick flick thrown in. I actually enjoyed it. It's Renee Zellwegger playing a career businesswoman who is sent to a company factory in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota. She is charged with overhauling the factory and making major layoffs. Of course, the little town of New Ulm is rather set against the corporate bigshots and any changes they may want to make. What made this movie enjoyable was the hilariously quirky town of New Ulm, with fantastically cliche residents and their awesome Fargo-like accent. I laughed repeatedly and thought it was clever and not overly cheesy. Of course there is a romance developed between Zellwegger and the town's young widow, played by Harry Connick Jr, but it doesn't play too central of a part. Light movie watching, but enjoyable.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/347985"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Tudors (the TV Series)</strong></span></a> (3.5/5 Stars)</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /><a title="The Tudors by Judyclk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/judyclk/3346165005/"><img alt="The Tudors" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3346165005_191c5f8436_m.jpg" width="120" height="172" /></a><br />Isaac and I are watching the second season of the Tudors, which is a tv series based on Henry VIII. It's actually very very well made, historically accurate, well-acted, and interesting. There is a caveat though. To me, it's very similar to how I feel about the series <a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/284927">Rome</a>, which is also a fantastically made and historically accurate show. Rome, however, is maybe TOO historically accurate. The show is SO sexually explicit/trashy. Yes, it's true that ancient Rome really was pretty crazy sexually even compared to today. Still... I really don't want to see it. Similarly, yes, Henry VIII was obviously pretty trashy himself, but again, we don't want to see it, and I think the show goes beyond realism and into things that I think are straight up innapropriate. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">So... it's such a shame because both shows are excellent and really educational in history.... and rather difficult to watch at times. Too bad. </div>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-13573409104334248272009-09-07T21:41:00.000-07:002009-09-07T22:23:38.125-07:00Book Review: Under the Banner of Heaven - A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Banner-Heaven-Story-Violent/dp/1400032806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252387158&sr=8-1">Under the Banner of Heaven - A Story of Violent Faith</a><br />by Jon Krakauer<br />4/5 stars<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanomak/2146844723/" title="Lights and Reflections of the Temple Square by Ivan Makarov, on Flickr"><img style="width: 152px; height: 219px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2357/2146844723_ef4f02227b.jpg" alt="Lights and Reflections of the Temple Square" /></a><br />(Temple Square in Salt Lake City)<br /><br />What a book. Krakauer presents the Mormon church through the broad lens of their history, beginning with Joseph Smith and working through to today. He also focuses in on the modern-day story of Dan and Ron Lafferty, two members of a fundamentalist Mormon splinter group who murdered their sister-in-law and niece in cold blood because they believed God told them to.<br /><br />Although the book is about the Mormon church and the Fundamentalist Mormon church, the underlying theme is Krakauer wrestling with faith. How and why do people believe, and what defines the difference between those who lead peacefully pious lives and those who follow their faith into extreme and sometimes violent acts. Those questions are really what made the book powerful on top of the very interesting history.<br /><br />Reading about the history of Mormonism is always fascinating - it seems so utterly ridiculous that I just find it stunning that so many people follow it. In any case, most of the history section was well-written and interesting. The description of the splinter groups off of Mormonism was also fascinating. A couple of years back when <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6520837">Warren Jeffs was arrested</a> I was treated to some public display of the <a href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/fundamentalist_church_of_jesus_christ_of_latter_day_saints">Fundamentalist Mormon church</a>, but Krakauer explains their history and WHY they believe what they believe. For the most part they practice polygamy and spurn both the modern-day Mormon church and the US Government. It was shocking to see how these splinter groups are simultaneously twisted together as well as scattered and divided.<br /><br />Warren Jeffs with a 14 year old bride:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cangele/3350573154/" title="Warren Jeffs by howdyhipeople, on Flickr"><img style="width: 193px; height: 156px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3470/3350573154_723d754550.jpg" alt="Warren Jeffs" /></a><br /><br />One fascinating section described the trial of Ron Lafferty, one of the murderers described above. Though Ron didn't claim to be crazy, at one point in his trials there was a lot of debate about whether or not his fanatical beliefs and actions made him crazy. There was a huge reaction to this charge because while Ron was certainly eccentric, he wasn't a loner, he wasn't withdrawn or humorless. He was social, a big thiner, loved to laugh and in general couldn't be defined as crazy, only zealous. If the court found him insane, it would be purely for his religious beliefs. While his beliefs were unconventional, believing that God spoke directly to Him, that demons were around, and that he was in a battle for God's purpose in a world controlled by evil is actually the prevailing belief of many, many people in the US and the world.<br /><br />Interesting, eh? I plan to write a little more about my thoughts on this on my theology blog, but I'll close with Krakauer's own closing words, which explain his own perspective on faith that informed the search and writing of this book.<br /><br /><blockquote>"I don't know what God is, or what God had in mind when the universe was set in motion. In fact, I don't even know if God even exists, although I confess that I sometimes find myself praying in times of great fear, or despair, or astonishment at a display of unexpected beauty.... And if I remain in the dark about our purpose here, and the meaning of eternity, I have nevertheless arrived at an understanding of a few more modest truths: Most of us fear death. Most of us yearn to comprehend how we got here, and why - which is to say, most of us feel the ache to know the love of our creator. And we will no doubt feel that ache, most of us, for as long as we happen to be alive."</blockquote>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-76267669945231178662009-09-04T14:47:00.000-07:002009-09-04T15:01:46.237-07:00Book Reviews: Secret Life of Bees and The Opposite of Love<a title="The Secret Life of Bees by adele.turner, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adeleturner/3290700471/"><img style="WIDTH: 146px; HEIGHT: 190px" alt="The Secret Life of Bees" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3290700471_6390e2ebe7.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Bees-Monk-Kidd/dp/0143114557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252101053&sr=8-1"><strong><span style="color:#330033;">The Secret Life of Bees</span></strong> </a><br />by Sue Monk Kidd<br />3/5 stars<br /><br />The Secret Life is a super popular book and movie, but this was my first exposure. I've been reading some pretty long books recently, so this was a refreshing, quick read. It was heart-warming and dealt a lot with loss and trauma in childhood. It was really beautiful to a child find a place that she is truly at home, and of course that is seen as pretty unusual since she's a little white girl and is staying with a rather eccentric group of black women. So yes, it's beautiful. The depiction of a syncretistic faith drawn from Marian exhaltation in Catholicism and some flat out animistic practicies is probably realistic, but I sure hope readers aren't being influenced by it!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Love-Random-Readers-Circle/dp/0385341237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252101096&sr=8-1"><strong><span style="color:#330033;">The Opposite of Love</span></strong></a><br />by Julie Buxbaum<br />3/5 stars<br /><br />Total chick book. :) Buxbaum's work received RAVE reviews from several bloggers I follow, so I ordered it to see what everyone was so excited about. It IS a good book, and I think it would be a really good book if I had grown up in America. The main character reminded me of the girls I worked with in Chicago - good but somewhat broken family, driven professionally but feeling empty inside, searching for romance, alternately hitting up parties with friends and hibernating in her apartment. The novel totally dug into the heart of a young professional - the longing for love, for family, for meaning.... so I see why everyone raved about it. For me, though, it made me feel like I'm from an alternate universe. Even though I have worked in that world, my heart is in the jungle and the mountains, in third-world countries, or working with my refugees. I struggle to relate to the world of young professionals in America, so even though the book was GOOD, it was a little hard for me to relate to.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-45413204709785629712009-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:002009-08-29T08:00:14.711-07:00Book Review: Night by Elie Wiesel<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shastrix/3675288346/" title="Night by Elie Wiesel by shastrix, on Flickr"><img style="width: 140px; height: 184px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3675288346_1004f1a806.jpg" alt="Night by Elie Wiesel" /></a><br /><br />Night is by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust and Auschwitz survivor and a Nobel prize winner. The book is short and powerful, and is required reading for most US public schools.<br /><br />It was an easy read. I don't think the writing itself stands above and beyond other writing. I think the power of the story and the deep emotion is really what makes it a Nobel novel. Wiesel says in the preface that the novel was initially much longer and was liberally slashed. Reading it felt like reading stream-of-memory thoughts because so much was slashed that probably initially made it flow nicely. I think the bluntness helped the power of the novel - it felt extremely raw.<br /><br />To me, though, the most interesting thing was actually a forward written by Francois Mauriac, the man that found a printer for the book. He tells of meeting Wiesel, of talking about the Holocaust and being shocked and silenced by the darkness of Wiesel's childhood experiences of having his mother and sister taken to the ovens, his father dying before his eyes, and in the process losing what was once a deeply personal Jewish faith.<br /><br />Mauriac is a Christian, and his thoughts blew me away. I'm not quite sure how it made it into the printing. He compares Wiesel's process to the musings of Nietzsche, and understand that in the face of such immense evil, Wiesel can't conceive of a good God and so decides that God is dead. Mauriac says,<br /><br /><blockquote>And I, who believe that God is love, what answer was there to give my young interlocutor whose dark eyes still held the reflection of a hanged child? What did I say to him? Did I speak to him of that other Jew, this crucified brother who perhaps resembled him and whose cross conquered the world? Did I explain to him that what had been a stumbling block for his faith had become a cornerstone for mine? And that <span style="font-weight: bold;">the connection between the cross and human suffering remains, in my view, the key to the unfathomable mystery in which the faith of his childhood was lost</span>? </blockquote>This paragraph stuns me. I believe it's true - that is is impossible to face the depth and darkness of human suffering and depravity with any hope until you recognize the participation of God in the death and suffering and the hope we now gain in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Yeah. I don't know how in the world that paragraph was let through, considering the book and its audience are highly skeptical of faith.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-30037688630578795702009-08-12T16:11:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:47:35.410-07:00Book Review: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kewlio/63390711/" title="a fine balance by kewlio, on Flickr"><img style="width: 107px; height: 141px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/63390711_383bad9bbe.jpg" alt="a fine balance" /></a><br /><br />A Fine Balance<br />by Rohinton Mistry<br /><br />Wow. This book was truly a masterpiece. It is now officially on my favorite book list.<br /><br />Mistry is Indian American and his book is set in India. It follows a number of characters and their families through a couple of generations, painting a picture of life in India in the city and in the country, in low and high caste, from the perspective of a man and that of a woman. The main characters are a widowed woman named Dinah that attempts to open her own tailoring business in order to keep her apartment and independent life. She hires two tailors who have come to the city looking for work, Ishvar and his nephew, Omprakash. She also takes on a boarder, a student from a well-off family in the mountains named Manek.<br /><br />The story is brilliant and the characters are gripping. It's a long book, so by two-thirds of the way through the book I was completely wrapped up in Ishvar and Omprakash's story. I felt their hopelessness as they were swept out of the slums into the brick-making factory. I rejoiced as they finally settled into Dinah's flat and seemed to create a patch-work family that took joy in their strange lives. I smelled the stench of the train-track bathroom and worried about the local beggars with them. That's the power of the story.<br /><br />Thing is, I hate this book for getting me so wrapped up into it, because I SO wanted it to end well. It so effectively portrays the tragedy of life and the systemic injustice in Indira Gandi's India. I was so content when the book seemed to be wrapping up the story to show that despite the madness, they could create simple life filled with love for each other and it would all be worth it - a grand tapestry with tragedy and triumph.<br /><br />However, that's not the way it ends. Mistry rips the beauty apart and Ishvar, Om, Dinah and Manek are all taken up in things that just seem SO unjust. I got so angry about it that I found myself telling the whole story to Isaac and he also grasped the horror of it all. I just couldn't separate myself from their story and think about it objectively, which really shows the power of the book.<br /><br />So - I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's a bit like reading an old Dickens novel, except quite a bit easier to read. You follow quirky characters that all end up interconnected, and much of it is dark and sorrowful despite the humor of the writing. It's tough for me to reconcile myself to the anti-fairy-tale ending, but at the same time Mistry IS portraying injustice, and most of the time injustice isn't ever reconciled.<br /><br />5/5 stars from me.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-44348015279198633112009-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-28T06:00:00.062-07:00Movie Reviews: Defiance, Seven Pounds, Taken<a href="http://www.defiancemovie.com/"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Defiance:</span></strong> </a><br /><a title="Defiance by cybermelli, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybermelli/3204707863/"><img style="WIDTH: 158px; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="Defiance" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3204707863_e4f49f2b09.jpg" width="338" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I totally loved Defiance. I was excited to see it after Valkyrie because I like Daniel Craig better than Tom Cruise and I thought the story sounded incredible. I had no idea that a group of brothers managed to organize a community of Jewish refugees hidden away in the forests of Belarus and stayed there until the end of the war, when over 1,200 men, women, and children emerged. I guess I'd say the movie isn't a huge epic drama and it had its more stilted moments, but it was still a powerful story and I enjoyed the movie.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sevenpounds.com/"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Seven Pounds:</span></strong><br /><img style="WIDTH: 190px; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="seven pounds" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3479617170_39f8e94544.jpg" width="336" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This was another super heavy one that takes you for a ride. I had no idea where the storyline was leading when we started watching, so it unfolded before me as a mystery, and at the ending I was just as horrified as the directors meant for their audience to be. I've heard some vehement reactions to the movie - a lot of people hate it with a passion, and I see good reason for that. Will Smith is given an element of heroism because of his great sacrifice, but ... at the same time he does something truly awful.<br /><br />I had mixed feelings. I'm about to give away things here, so stop reading if you plan on seeing it! To me, Will Smith was a pretty powerful Christ-type in some ways. He gives away everything he has, even down to his life itself, in order to save those around him. That should be beautiful, right? Except - it's a failed Christ-type because while Christ's sacrificial death gave us access TO Him. It gave us relationship, and love. Will Smith's death took away relationship and love, and left people (in particular the woman that had fallen for him) alone. To me, it wasn't really a sacrifice at all, because he didn't do it FOR her or any of the other people, he did it to assuage his own feelings of guilt. I suppose in the end I didn't hate the movie because it provided food for thought about the beauty of the sacrifice of Christ.<br /><br /><a title="Will Smith y Rosario Dawson _03 by MyCine, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mycine/3081795837/"><img style="WIDTH: 256px; HEIGHT: 185px" alt="Will Smith y Rosario Dawson _03" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/3081795837_e07b700161.jpg" width="500" height="341" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Taken:</span></strong> </a><br />We made the mistake of watching a movie about the kidnapping of a young American girl with my sister, the day after we picked her up from traveling across the world alone. Poor thing! I don't think it went over well. It is a pretty intense movie with a typical Hollywood hero that outsmarts the bad guy in a huge dramatic show-down. I would say the movie is totally unrealistic in most ways, and it's not particularly amazing, and I can't stand the main actress. However, it has helped bring human-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">trafficking</span> into public conversation, and that's hard to criticize.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-36652623790078707892009-07-27T20:28:00.000-07:002009-07-27T20:39:46.240-07:00Book Review: Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Temple-Bombing-Melissa-Fay-Greene/dp/0449908097">Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene</a> caught my eye at Half-Price Books because it was in the multi-cultural literature section, and I generally love that genre. I have mixed feelings about the book, despite the 5 star reviews it received on amazon.com.<br /><br />Greene is a detailed author telling the true story of the bombing of a Jewish temple. I loved the historical context of the bombing among southern race relations after desegregation. However, about halfway through the fascinating context gave way to minute details on the investigation and trial related to the bombing, and at this point the detail becomes paaaainfully boring. I couldn't finish the book. It's no the fault of the author - she did a brilliant job of painting a vivid picture of the Jews in the South and how they perceived themselves and their faith amidst the culture. It's just that the trial itself really isn't all that interesting.<br /><br />3 out of 5 stars.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-68472966397105530722009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-24T14:03:07.636-07:00Book Review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson<a title="Gilead by momma a, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/55521733@N00/1117715478/"><img alt="Gilead" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/1117715478_a7556875c7_m.jpg" width="100" height="149" /></a><br /><br />Wow. What a book. Five stars from me.<br /><br />Gilead fascinates me. I added it to my paperbackswap list because it was a Pulitzer Prize winner and several book bloggers recommended it. The stunning reviews on the back of my copy are from Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Chicago Tribune, TIME, etc. I figured it was going to be a good book.<br /><br />What I didn't expect is for it to be the powerful and blatantly Christian fiction book I have read in a long, long time.<br /><br />The <a href="http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/books/reviews/10525/">New York Magazine review</a> said this:<br /><blockquote>You can appreciate and admire Marilynne Robinson’s beautifully evoked novel if you don’t share her religious values: You can even be moved by it. But unless you are a believing Christian with strong fundamentalist leanings, you cannot truly understand Gilead. Lacking such faith, you’re probably not going to like it much, either. That is, if you read Robinson with the seriousness and intelligence she deserves. </blockquote><br /><br />Thing is, I've hardly heard anything about this novel from the Christian world, which doesn't surprise me I guess, because the Christian world is so inundated with shallow feel-good fiction. Robinson IS intelligent, and her book is packed with theology. You just won't appreciate it without being willing to really think about life. Back to the review quoted above:<br /><br /><blockquote>To pass over it as some light fictional conceit would be to transgress against the novel’s essential meaning. The first two sentiments, for a skeptical, secular reader, are impossible to accept. To such a reader, there is nothing great or bright about suffering and dying; and some human faces, like the faces of torturers, do not possess a trace of courage, and not any sort of loneliness that would arouse love or forgiveness. Ames would test the faith of many Christians, too. </blockquote>Despite all of that, Gilead is highly praised by the literary world. The reason is clear - she writes beautifully. It is the beautiful, reminiscing, meandering thoughts of an old preacher in a tiny prairie town in Kansas. At the beginning I thought it would be the kind of book that I love solely for its achingly beautiful description of small everyday things. Somehow in the midst of that beauty, Robinson ends up unraveling the complex relationships through a couple of generations of families. The central themes are the father-son relationship, forgiveness, blessing, death and life.<br /><br />I highly recommend the book, but have to be honest and say that if you like easy-reading, you may not like this book. I think you have to be able to read on before you have been drawn into a plot, because this book is delayed gratification in that respect.<br /><br />A few quotes from the old pastor:<br /><br /><blockquote>I’m writing this in part to tell you that if you ever wonder what you’ve done in your life, and everyone does wonder sooner or later, you have been God’s grace to me, a miracle, something more than a miracle. You may not remember me very well at all, and it may seem to you to be no great thing to have been the good child of an old man in a shabby little town you will no doubt leave behind. If only I had the words to tell you.<br /><br /><br />To me it seems rather Christlike to be as unadorned as this place is, as little regarded. I can’t help imagining that you will leave sooner or later, and it’s fine if you have done that, or you mean to do it. This whole town does look like whatever hope becomes after it begins to weary a little, then weary a little more. But hope deferred is still hope. I love this town. I think sometimes of going into the ground here as a last wild gesture of love–I too will smolder away the time until the great and general incandescence. (pg 247)<br /><br />You can know a thing to death and be for all purposes completely ignorant of it. A man can know his father, or his son, and there might still be nothing between them but loyalty and love and mutual incomprehension. (p 7)<br /><br />I don’t know exactly what covetise is, but in my experience it is not so much desiring someone else’s virtue or happiness as rejecting it, taking offense at the beauty of it. (p 188)<br /><br />There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, every one of them sufficient. (p 243)<br /><br />I feel sometimes as if I were a child who opens it eyes on the world once and sees amazing things it will never know any names for and then has to close its eyes again. (p 57)<br /><br />Sometimes I have loved the peacefulness of an ordinary Sunday. It is like standing in a newly planted garden after a warm rain. You can feel the silent and invisible life.<br /></blockquote>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-29101606761845758712009-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:35:49.095-07:00Movie Reviews! Before Sunrise, Changeling, Bride Wars<a title="Before Sunrise by riceandsoup, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/riceandsoup/84680242/"><img style="WIDTH: 261px; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="Before Sunrise" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/39/84680242_564403c1d0.jpg" width="500" height="297" /></a><br />I have to start off with the biggest surprise. I watched this movie on my own because I had no idea if it would be great or a total mess of a movie. I'd seen it on a couple of lists of the best romantic movies of all time, and that intrigued me since I'd never heard of it before. I did my research and added it to the blockbuster list, and you know, it WAS pretty good.<br /><br />It's the story of a free and easy young man and woman that meet on a train in Europe. He is visiting from the US, sight-seeing and trying to assuage the pain of a breakup. She's traveling alone. They hit it off and spontaneously decide to spend a few hours together before his plane leaves the next day. The movie is the story of those hours, and it's rather beautifully done. They wander around the streets of Vienna - in parks, bars, etc. Mostly they talk - about life, love, their hopes and dreams, faith, etc. I think I liked it because it showed the type of interactions that I really love - two people just being totally honest and falling in love as a result.<br /><br />On the other hand, it definitely smacks of the philosophical narcissism of the '90's. They'll say something esoteric and cynical sit in silence to think about it for a while. I know that at the time those sorts of thoughts seemed new and ground-breaking and daring, but 10 years later they just sound like all of my generation as teens - being cynical about things we knew nothing about and thinking we were cool because of it.<br /><br />So yeah, there are some things that are ridiculous about the WAY they think about life. What is beautiful is just the personal interaction. It really is beautifully portrayed, and geez, Celine manages to look like such a natural chick in an old dress who looks stunningly beautiful. And you know, here's the odd thing. They don't sleep together. They discuss it and decide not to because it will make all of their connection and conversation seem like it was only because of the sex.<br /><br /><a title="BEFORE SUNRISE by mueredecine, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mueredecine/324925531/"><img style="WIDTH: 314px; HEIGHT: 215px" alt="BEFORE SUNRISE" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/324925531_1464980d42.jpg" width="500" height="328" /></a><br /><br />The other thing that makes it unusual is the total lack of resolution. Even as they continued to feel closer and closer to each other, they pull a Sleepless in Seattle and agree to just say goodbye, not contact each other, and to meet again in a year if it really did mean something in the grand scheme of things. However, unlike the other 90's movies with that plot-line, this movie ends with the goodbye, and there is NO hint of what happens afterwards. It sort of drove me crazy even though I loved it.<br /><br />I guess years later they made a sequel, and it's in my blockbuster queue but I'm not holding my breathe. I think this movie has a unique tension in it that any sequel will spoil.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Changeling:</span></strong><br /><a title="Film Title: Changeling by Alessandra Ogeda, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleogeda/3205158202/"><img style="WIDTH: 180px; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="Film Title: Changeling" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3205158202_3d027e483d.jpg" width="333" height="500" /></a><br />Yow. I have actually become a pretty big fan of Angelina's acting, and I was excited about this one despite not really knowing anything about the plot. It is a HEAVY and dark movie. They don't hold back - they show the grief of a mother after a kidnapping, the horrific home of a mass murderer of children and how he went about his murders, it shows the agonizing trial, it shows a hanging without any subtlety, and it shows an abusive women's mental hospital.<br /><br /><a title="Film Title: Changeling by Alessandra Ogeda, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleogeda/3204377963/"><img style="WIDTH: 297px; HEIGHT: 194px" alt="Film Title: Changeling" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/3204377963_eccdd87bd9.jpg" width="500" height="331" /></a><br />Yeah. It wasn't particularly fun to watch. It is based on a true story though, and that true story is pretty near unbelievable, and totally deserves to be told. There's a lot to learn from it. On the other hand, you sort of at least wish there was a happy ending to balance out the great grief and trauma of the rest of the movie. No. It pretty much ends by saying there was ultimately no resolution for this mother, which completely sucks. I recommend the movie as a powerful movie, but absolutely NOT for light movie watching.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bride Wars:</span></strong><br /><a title="poster_Bride Wars by Cine Fanatico, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29745871@N08/3104632295/"><img style="WIDTH: 191px; HEIGHT: 284px" alt="poster_Bride Wars" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3104632295_d9e2d6e52f.jpg" width="338" height="500" /></a><br />I'm not a girl that likes the mindless romantic comedies (but I do enjoy the ones that ARE smart!). I hoped this one would be enjoyable but I fell asleep halfway through because it was just ridiculous. Yeah it's a funny story about two friends competing over their weddings, but their characters have absolutely no depth to them - it's just all over-the-top girly drama (unlike He's Not That Into You, which I thought delved more deeply into the characters). I just couldn't get into it.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-63879955177022312012009-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:002009-07-16T09:22:33.681-07:00SYTYCD favorite routine this weekMy favorite So You Think You Can Dance routine of last night ... Jason and Janine, dancing you Jason Mraz's "If It Kills Me" (I want that cd, by the way). I just can't pick between Janine and Jeanette as my favorites!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UE15sSA5oxo&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UE15sSA5oxo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-34254133185460869392009-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-16T06:00:01.712-07:00New obsession: Josh GarrellsI have a new musical obsession. Josh Garrells. Now to actually buy his cds instead of just listen online. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1620360&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1620360&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/1620360">"Train Song" - Josh Garrels</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joshgarrels">Josh Garrels</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2601488&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2601488&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/2601488">"Travel The Land" - Josh Garrels</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joshgarrels">Josh Garrels</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-25758069304846915432009-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-14T06:00:06.781-07:00What I love about country music<strong>I love country music.</strong> It's one of the few things that most people disagree with me about but I still proudly, defiantly cling to.<br /><br />I just love it. I never listened to it or liked it until mid-college, when my brother's then-girlfriend got him started. I tell you, it spreads like a disease, and by now it's to the point that I will spend days with my radio dial not just on country, but on bluegrass, which is the epitome of twang.<br /><br />Country music makes me feel happy. I love that it almost always tells a story. I get so disgusted on the pop-rock station when I hear artists moaning on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unintelligibly</span> or with lyrics that make no sense to anyone but the artist themselves. Country music dwells on the every-day. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Relationships</span>. Marriage. Kids. Beer. Trucks. God.<br /><br />I have a love-hate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">relationship</span> with Country's depiction of life in the USA. It most often depicts the romantic small-town America that I do love - I see it as my cultural heritage, even though I never experienced it. For instance:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IyCCeQC8XOE&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IyCCeQC8XOE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />See that? It's like the Little House on the Prairie grew up and became good <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ol</span>' small-town country USA. I appreciate those things about the US. I love the emphasis on family, home, love, hard work, and faith. It's its own unique culture, and I find it delightful. I mean, the beauty portrayed in Kenny <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chesney's</span> song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MIJShOqh8Q">"There Goes My Life"</a> is so awesome.<br /><br /><br />My favorite country singers - Brad Paisley, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rascall</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flatts</span>, and Kenny <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chesney</span>... all tend to sing either sweet love songs, nostalgic memories, or hilarious stories that never fail to make me laugh (see Paisley's Mr. Policeman). I mean, who can beat lyrics like "God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy" (Billy <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Currington</span>)? It's just... FUN...<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o8PUprRC39o&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o8PUprRC39o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NlQQMLTDbFE&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NlQQMLTDbFE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />On the other hand, then there are songs that show the xenophobia, super-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Conservative</span> politics, or just ridiculous parts of small-town America that either make me mad or just make me shake my head in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">exasperation</span>. For instance, John Rich's "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Shuttin</span>' Detroit Down", which just makes all <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">corporations</span> or business owners look like lazy, greedy rich people that take advantage of the little guys.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_exPnlC3wpY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_exPnlC3wpY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Now I see all these big shots whining on my evening news,<br />About how their losing billions and its up to me and you<br />To come running to the rescue.<br />Well pardon me if I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">dont</span> shed a tear.<br />There selling make believe and we <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">dont</span> buy that here.<br />Because in the real world their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">shuttin</span> Detroit down,<br />While the boss man takes his bonus paid jets on out of town.<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">DCs</span> bailing out them bankers as the farmers auction ground.<br />Yeah while there living up on Wall Street in that New York City town,<br />Here in the real world their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">shuttin</span> Detroit down.<br />Here in the real world their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">shuttin</span> Detroit down.<br /><br /><br />Anyways... regardless, Country music still remains my go-to music for feel good fun or heart-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">breakingly</span> beautiful music.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/elZs9SkiOZs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/elZs9SkiOZs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-32285868067946132502009-07-13T15:04:00.000-07:002009-07-13T15:22:09.236-07:00Favorite So You Think You Can Dance Routines*warning - might take a while to load*<br /><br />I LOVE watching people dance. All types of dancing. Thus, I love the show So You Think You Can Dance. Lucky for me, so does our roomate Steph, so we've been watching every week.<br /><br />Last week another Mia Michael's choreographed dance with the theme of addiction had tv blogs buzzing. I don't actually like Kayla or Kupono, but the dance was beautiful.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/svPgENMwYko&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/svPgENMwYko&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />I have several favorites from last season, including Katee and Joshua's dance to "No Air". Man...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vGG_w6vFApM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vGG_w6vFApM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Apparently Katee was one of my favorites, because I also loved another Mia Michael's routines with Katee and Twitch centered around a door:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/534EdtAXqlw&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/534EdtAXqlw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Another one from a few seasons ago - "Bleeding Love" with Mark and Chelsea:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3_J2GCY-9I&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3_J2GCY-9I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Oh man, there's so many more though.<br />Travis and Heidi and the bench: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paecnvlpTNY<br />Twitch and Joshua having a manly competition in Russian Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz8C64_YFBQ<br /><br />This season I'm definitely a fan of Jeanette and Brandon and also love Janine...<br /><br />So ... who are your favorites and what are your all-time favorite dances?Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-9719438396446833322009-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:002009-06-11T11:54:25.103-07:00Movie Reviews: Benjamin Button, Terminator, Broken TrailI'm behind on my movie reviews, so today you get them in bulk.<br /><br />First of all, have you guys even heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Trail">Broken Trail</a>? It's not a movie, it's a mini-series starring Robert <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Duvall</span> that came out in '06 and is sort of an old Western. It was really highly reviewed on Blockbuster.com, so I added it to my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">queue</span>. I actually ended up loving it - it has such a redemptive message to it and although it deals with some intense topics, I'd say the world-view of the show makes it very family friendly.<br /><br />It's a little slow at time - it highlights the gorgeous scenery of a cattle drive through the West as a an old man and his nephew herd the last of their family cattle to sell. Along the way they encounter a load of Chinese women that are being taken from San Fran to be prostitutes in Wild-West sort of town. The addition of these Chinese girls into the story is really what made it fascinating to me - I know this plot twist is based on real historical trends, but I don't think this actual story is very realistic. Add in some bad guys, gun fights, saloon hold-ups, etc, and you have all the ingredients for a great old Western. I recommend it.<br />8/10 bags of popcorn<br /><br />Terminator -<br />Well, in anticipation of the latest Terminator movie coming out Isaac has been borrowing the old ones from the people we babysit for (who are sci-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">fi</span> fanatics) and forcing me into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">rewatching</span> them. I managed to sleep through most of one of them and I've had some good laughs at the ridiculousness of the 80's, but all in all I've generally enjoyed getting on this bandwagon. Mostly I think I liked this newest Terminator best. It definitely reflects the trends in movies today, which is less pure action flick (like the 80's action flicks) and more plot and dialogue. That's what made Terminator Salvation much more enjoyable to me than the other Terminators, but I still wouldn't recommend seeing it without seeing the others, simply because there's so much continuity between them. Sci <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">fi</span> and action are not my thing, but given the genre this was okay.<br />7/10 bags of popcorn<br /><br />The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -<br />You know, I actually really liked this movie. Brad Pitt has picked some excellent roles recently. The basic <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">gist</span> of the plot is that Benjamin Button is born into the body of an old man and proceeds to get younger as he goes through his life. He does life in reverse. He also just lives a unique life and has plenty of adventures and falls in love and it's really my kind of movie - very character-driven and interesting. I think the most powerful thing about the movie is how it examined age and its effect on people. What does an old soul do in a young body? What does a young soul do in an old body? In all of these stages Brad Pitt/Benjamin Button is an unperturbed and keenly interested man that is fun to watch.<br />8/10 bags of popcornKaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-44677885073230042592009-05-27T20:55:00.000-07:002009-05-27T21:10:40.701-07:00Books vs. TV shows and my double-standardsWhen I read a mediocre novel I will toss it down at the end of my reading with disgust and rail on about junk-food style writing that isn't beneficial to actual thought and intelligence, and then settle down to read someone like Chaim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Potok</span> or Ayn Rand. Yeah. I think I'm so cultured and thoughtful.<br /><br />And then I'll sit down and watch the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bachelorette</span>.<br /><br />I know. It's hypocritical.<br /><br />Somehow I just can't stand reading for pure entertainment when I know there is plenty out there on my to-read list that is both entertaining and intelligent. However, sometimes I just need a brainless <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tv</span> show that allows me to just unwind and laugh a little.<br /><br />Part of it is that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tv</span> shows are just an hour long and books take hours and hours to read, so somehow I feel like it's just giving my mind a break to watch a show before getting back to business. My TV watching is also very interactive, because Isaac and I talk our way through shows, mocking them together.<br /><br />And that, folks, is why watching the first two Episodes of The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bachelorette</span> with Isaac has been extremely entertaining. I find The Bachelor to be infinitely frustrating, because there is not much that is more annoying than watching a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">houseful</span> of women bicker and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">backstab</span>. On the other hand, watching a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">houseful</span> of guys compete for a woman is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">stinkin</span>' hilarious. The competitiveness comes out strong, but so does the joking and manly sarcasm and all sorts of crazy guy antics. And then there's Isaac's commentary..... "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Ooooohhh</span> that guy just totally broke the man code. Not cool dude, not cool." I love it.<br /><br />The show gets so trashy and ridiculous in it's final weeks, but right now it's pure entertainment.<br /><br />And little to no culture and intelligence. ;)<br /><br />I'd love to tell you our thoughts on Jake the romantic pilot from Dallas or the guy with the creepy foot fetish, or Juan the metro charmer with no sense of man-code, or Wes the way-too-intense country singer, or the hilarious break-dancer that is so not able to get serious enough to try to win the woman, or the handsome Kiptyn, but.... there is no time.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-12759202772627907762009-05-22T05:00:00.001-07:002009-05-22T05:00:18.268-07:00Book Review: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robynw/1519920826/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/1519920826_f06926bf18_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robynw/1519920826/">Cathedral in Santa Fe built by the Bishop Cather wrote about</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/robynw/">-robynw-</a></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;">Death Comes for the Archbishop</span> by Willa Cather really took me off guard. I, like many people, read <span style="font-style: italic;">My Antonia</span> in school. I knew from that experience that Cather is a master word-smith, and truly paints a picture better than any other author I've ever read. She makes landscape come alive in a way that words aren't supposed to be able to do.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My Antonia</span> fits Cather's life. Cather grew up in a small town in Nebraska, and My Antonia reflected that experience and was a melancholy, emotional coming of age story rooted in the world of immigrants in the Nebraskan prairie. The story flowed naturally out of her own past.<br /><br />Because of that, <span style="font-style: italic;">Death Comes for the Archbishop</span> really took me off guard. It's a story based on the life of the first Archbishop in New Mexico. It is a deeply Catholic novel, it is steeped in the world of the desert, Indian myth, and the history of the the southwest. It felt like a biography in story form - there is very little dressing up of the story, it is very matter-of-fact. I had to do some research on Cather's life to understand how a girl from the prairie could write about a world that was so far from her own experience. France, Catholicism, the southwest? How could she know enough to write a full novel about these things? It seems as though she was actually quite a researcher and a masterful journalist, and she really painted a great picture of the southwest through the eyes of a true historical character, a French Catholic Archbishop.<br /><br />I was fascinated because I love historical fiction and this is from a period that I know very little about. The story starts just as New Mexico is made U.S. territory, and this French BishopLatour is assigned to the territory from his previous post in Mexico. He and his dearest friend, Father Vaillant , trek across the Gulf of Mexico and the desert to get to Santa Fe, and are there as their territory expands into Arizona and then up into Colorado when the gold rush hits. Cather gives you a peek into the world of the Hopi and Navajo Indians that the Bishop learns to respect despite their deeply ingrained animist beliefs. Kit Carson is a major character, and the desert is itself is very nearly a character as well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsnap/2923655242/" title="Santa Fe, New Mexico by el.snap, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3292/2923655242_5fa0bb1747.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Santa Fe, New Mexico" /></a><br /><br />It was really a fascinating book, but as I said, it almost felt more like a historical biography than a work of fiction. It isn't plot intensive, though it is beautiful. For me personally it wasfascinating to see how Cather portrayed the life of a missionary. My life as the child of missionaries was of course very different than these turn of the century Catholic priests, but there are still some shared experiences. I loved this passage, where the aged Bishop is contemplating returning home to France to die or staying in Santa Fe.<br /><br /> <blockquote>[Returning to France] seemed the natural thing to do, and he had given it grave consideration... But in the Old World he found himself homesick for the New. I twas a feeling he could not explain; a feeling that old age did not weigh so heavily on a man in New Mexico as in thePuy-de -Dome. He loved the towering peaks of his native mountains, the comeliness of the villages, the cleanness of the country-side, the beautiful lines and cloisters of his own college.Clermont was beautiful, - but he found himself sad there; his heart lay like a stone in his breast. There was too much past perhaps...</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Just a few pages later the aged Bishop recognizes that his memory is changing.<br /><blockquote><br /> He observed also that there was no longer any perspective in his memories. He remembered his winters with his cousins on the Mediterranean when he was a little boy, his student days in the Holy city, as clearly as he remembered the arrival of M.Molny and the building of his Cathedral. He was soon to have done with calendared time, and it had already ceased to count for him. He sat in the middle of his own consciousness; none of his former states of mind were lost or outgrown. They were all within reach of his hand, and all comprehensible</blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwoodphoto/2737850898/" title="Twisted Tree in the Badlands by jwoodphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2737850898_5b7a1fbcba.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Twisted Tree in the Badlands" /></a><br /><br />All in all, I'm quite impressed with Cather's range of writing ability. I really enjoyed Death Comes for the Archbishop, mostly because it was about a time and place I knew nothing about.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4/5 stars.</span>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-73693866318398189782009-05-21T05:00:00.000-07:002009-05-21T05:00:18.227-07:00Al Trautwig's really interesting thoughts on "The Incident"It's very sad to not be blogging about Lost today. I'm still not quite ready for the next nine month waiting period before the last season. And I am definitely not ready for the last season to be over, because that will end a very special and treasured season for me. ;)<br /><br />In any case, I am actually writing to pass on <a href="http://www.sl-lost.com/2009/05/15/al-trautwigs-thoughts-on-the-incident/">a link to this Al Trautwig's really interesting thoughts </a>on "The Incident", Jacob and Fred (who he calls Esau). He's a video blogger and I was really intrigued by his theories. I can't embed the video, so click on the link.<br /><br />Also, <a href="http://lost-and-gone-forever.blogspot.com/2009/05/incident-analysis.html">Lost and Gone Forever </a>just posted his really insightful thoughts on "The Incident" and some great speculation about next season.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-39896066046083809222009-05-19T17:14:00.000-07:002009-05-19T18:08:49.792-07:00American Idol - Final Two - Kris and Adam!Live blogging here..<br />Isaac is voting for Adam and I'm voting for Kris, but probably neither of us will actually vote so in a way, our opinion doesn't matter one iota. However, I'm still writing!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Contestant Pick of songs from the season</span><br />First song is supposed to be one of the contestant's best performances of the season. Adam chooses Mad World, which was probably MY favorite of his performances because it was soft and tender. He's appealing to the masses here - the crowd that doesn't like his scream. Nice move.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9vYe0H6UMeM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9vYe0H6UMeM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Kris picks Ain't No Sunshine, which is also a pick for the masses. I liked Falling Slowly better, but this was truly beautiful, and the song where he first really stuck out to me as someone that could take a song and make it something new and beautiful.<br /><br />Man, I just gotta say, I love Kris. LOVE his style.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pj012FjA284&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pj012FjA284&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Okay, Randy is wearing a plaid retro jacket, a checked purple and white shirt, and a polka-dotted tie. WHAT IN THE WORLD. Meanwhile, Paula looks like she stayed too long in the tanning machine, and her shirt reminds me of a lime popsicle.<br /><br />Round one - Kris wins, but it's a close one.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Producer Picks:</span><br />Adam performs Change is Gonna Come. This is interesting because in my opinion it's different than anything he's done before. It is bluesy, almost southern gospel. He gets in a good long screech, though, and it fits the song. Seriously, this feels like a gospel choir performance except for the black nail polish. He is wearing a suit, though!<br /><br />How hilarious is it that Adam totally avoided country music on country week, but managed to fit it in in the finale? It was great, as Randy says, "you can sing your face off!". I don't know what the judges are talking about though - this wasn't his best performance or interpretation. Not to say that it wasn't good, it's just that he's been phenomenal theo whole season, so I don't know how this particularly tops it.<br /><br />Kris is singing something... I forget the name of it. I can sorta see why the producer picked it - it's a chill pop song, and they are dressing it up with the djembe. Kris does it well - but I often hate the producer and judges pick of songs, and I also hate the songs that they give the winner on their first cd. It all tends to be so cheesy and just... crap. Regardless of their voice. I felt like this song choice was that kind of a pick. Crap. He did alright, given the song choice.<br /><br />Round two, Adam wins and I mentally lecture Simon Fuller.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kara's Songs</span><br />*sigh*... I don't have a good feeling about this at all.<br />Adam is doing an intense tender song that will probably end in screams. Wait for it.... it's intensifying.... here it comes...<br />hey I heard a sour note! First I've heard from Adam all season. Maybe his voice is tired.<br />Wow, I was totally wrong. No scream. And I didn't like the song and found the entire performance uninteresting and probably one of Adam's worst of the season.<br />Way to go Kara.<br /><br />I gotta say the start of Kris's song is boring.<br />Did he just forget a line or was it just paced funny?<br />He's singing better than Adam did, ironically, but it's more mountains and dreams and pink bunnies and butterflies (okay I lied about the last two).<br />I need to go listen to some Coldplay, I think. Something semi-depressing to conteract the cheez-whiz.<br />Way to go again, Kara.<br /><br />Round Three leaves the contestants even and Kara being roasted over the coals.<br /><br />Wow. that was a rather uninteresting show.<br />Who will win? I'm guessing Kris, mostly because the vast majority of people that liked Danny will probably vote Kris. I like Kris better but I hate the cds that Simon's record company puts out with the winners, so I almost hope he loses and gets to pick his own record deal.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-3962571095935094052009-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:002009-05-18T09:24:44.648-07:00Movie Reviews: Wolverine and Paul Blart - Mall CopWell, a weekend away to celebrate Isaac getting through another semester of seminary meant that we got to see TWO movies in the theater (ok ok, so Paul Blart was at the dollar theater, still, it's a big screen!). The downside of the movie-viewing is that Isaac got to pick the movies, and he likes total guy movies. Well, I love the man and he deserved it, so I put up with it with no complaints.<br /><br />In any case, these are my thoughts.<br /><br /><strong>Paul Blart - Mall Cop</strong><br />Dumb comedy. That pretty much says it all. Yes, there are some funny parts, but most of them were in the trailer. It was less of a guy comedy than a family comedy, which means it wasn't very crude (if I remember right). Isaac didn't even enjoy it that much. It's easy, safe watching, but it's really not clever or well-made.<br /><strong>2 out of 5 stars<br /></strong><br /><strong>Wolverine</strong><br />Wolverine made up for the disappointment of Paul Blart. Isaac loved the crazy action and X-Men lore, and I thought it had a great plot and character development and was very well made. If you haven't seen the X-men series I wouldn't watch this one, because so many little references are meaningless without knowing the broader story. I'm a big fan of Hugh Jackman, and he was great. The beginning of the movie felt pretty rushed, and I wished we could have seen more from the early stages of Wolverine's life. Still, I thought the period that was focused on was super interesting.<br /><br />However, I have to throw in this caveat. I have never read the X-men comics and I don't think Isaac has either. Everyone that knows the way the original story goes is infuriated by the movie. I can't claim to be able to speak to that at all. In my perspective, this is a good movie. Not great, but good.<br /><strong>4 out of 5 stars</strong>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-86490656052176271492009-05-15T05:00:00.000-07:002009-05-16T11:01:48.255-07:00Book Review: Walk Back the CatI got this book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Back-Pamela-Binnings-Ewen/dp/0805443444">Walk Back the Cat</a> by <a href="http://pamelaewen.com/author.htm">Pamela Ewen)</a> via <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">PaperbackSwap</span></a>, and couldn't remember what it was about or who recommended it to me, which is really the best way to go into a book (or a movie, for that matter). No preconceptions.<br /><br />After a couple of chapters I could see a polemic being set up between faith and the secular world, but it took me a while to figure out exactly which side the book was on because it just didn't have the feel of a typical Christian novel, at least not at first.<br /><br />Actually, it was sort of strangely timely, because a lot of the tension in the book is surrounding whether or not faith in the supernatural makes sense (all woven into a good story), and I've been dealing with those questions a lot recently, as you can read <a href="http://wellthoughtoutlife.blogspot.com/2009/04/arguement-against-materialism.html">here</a>. It has a bit of the feel of "The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DaVinci</span> Code" without the crazy action, and in the end siding with faith instead of against it. All in all, it's a pretty good novel that I do recommend. It is reviewed well outside of the Christian community as well.<br /><br />Now, stop reading here if you don't want spoilers or to engage in a discussion of theology.<br /><br />Once I realized that this book was coming down on the side of faith, I was sort of puzzled by a few elements in it. First of all, one of the debates my friends and I got into in college was about apologetic methods - in other words, how people come to belief and how we guide them there. The two general sides are <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">presuppositionalism</span></span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">evidentialism</span></span>. To put it briefly, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">evidentialism</span> says that we argue from evidence and proof of facts lead to faith (i.e. "The Case for Christ" and "Evidence that Demands a Verdict") On the other side (where Isaac and I generally find ourselves), we say that though facts and reason for our beliefs to exist, rarely does anyone come to faith becomes of rational <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">arguments</span>. In the end we choose a presupposition - perhaps take a "leap of faith", regardless of what we believe. For Isaac in particular this follows his reformed theology, because he believes that no one believes until God first changes their heart.<br /><br />In any case, Ewen comes down hard on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">evidentialism</span> side - she very clearly says that without proof, people lose faith. So - the novel goes on to attempt to show some proof for faith, and this is where I was really puzzled, because her proof is one I've never heard before, and so I actually thought that the novel would end up being against faith because I thought her proof was somewhat laughable. She centers the story around the Shroud of Turin, which I really knew nothing about, but it is an old relic that is said to be the burial cloth of Jesus. Ewen basically centers the book around the validity and proof of the cloth being the ACTUAL shroud of Jesus, and this then gives us confidence in the truth of our faith.<br /><br />Wow... so that really surprised me. The author's note in the back says that all of the research on the shroud presented in the book is real research, which was really shocking. I've got to go do my own research now. The thing is, I really agree with what Ewen says in the book through the character of Priest Leo: the death and resurrection of Christ is the center and foundation of our faith, and without it, Christianity falls. But what I really question is 1) whether the Shroud of Turin is really viable and 2) that we actually need something like the Shroud of Turin to have the historicity of the death and resurrection of Christ be viable. I think we have... MUCH better <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">arguments</span>, so much so that I really see no need to see the Shroud as important. Ewen is a lawyer, so that she really thinks the Shroud is viable... I don't know. It's surprising.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and the other thing that got me is that while most of the book was meant to be very realistic and a realistic story that could happen today, there's one story line from back in the time of Jesus that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">follows</span> the Apostle Peter's niece during the death and resurrection of Christ. It got really weird and had the little girl fade through time and appear to a modern day character... and it is her appearance to him that ultimately is meant to prove the truth of the Shroud to him. What? It just felt so... weird. It was like, if you're going to try to PROVE the Shroud by hard evidence, it's sort of contradictory to then bring in a sort of supernatural vision to seal the deal - wouldn't these characters simply not believe in the supernatural? It felt awkward to me.<br /><br />In any case, it was a very different type of Christian novel than I am used to. I think the author may be Catholic and that may explain why we think so differently about faith.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-58878037330344314802009-05-14T11:18:00.000-07:002009-05-14T14:40:48.884-07:00Lost Finale - The IncidentBut ... oh my gosh, there is a lot to talk about. What does it all mean?? I actually wrote this long post and posted it, and then it disappeared, and I got very angry and yelled at the computer. SO... this is an attempt to rehash it all really fast, because I don't have the energy to do it all again in detail. I wanted to discuss the first scene in detail because it's huge, so I put that at the end.<br /><br />- Isaac and I totally called that Locke is really dead and that the new Locke is actually... some other guy. I'm going to copy <a href="http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/05/14/lostwatch-everything-that-rises-must-converge-eventually-right/?xid=newsletter-daily">James from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TIME's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lostwatch</span></a> and call him Fred. In any case, we are awesome.<br /><br />- I was so annoyed with the teenage mood swings and decisions based on nothing that was going on with Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Juliet. Please, people. Jack says that he had Kate and lost her, but is it really logical then to decide to blow everyone to smithereens with a bomb? I loved Miles' suggestion that they might be causing the exact incident they were supposedly trying to prevent, but it annoys me that the writers are acting like the characters aren't smart enough to at least consider that possibility.<br /><br />- How funny was it that Rose and Bernard had been living peacefully with Vincent in the jungle for three years? Isaac loved it, and it sure seemed to me like a case of the producers browsing the net and realizing all the blogs were clambering to know where the two were and saying, "Oh yeah, we have to write them in somewhere."<br /><br />- When <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ilana</span> came out of the cabin, she said that Jacob wasn't there and hadn't been in an long time, and that someone else had been living there. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Umm</span>.. does this mean that we can assume that when John Locke and others had encounters with Jacob in the cabin, it was actually someone else, probably Fred? Which would also then mean that the ghostly Christian <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Shepard</span> is actually Fred, and that Fred has Claire, if she is still alive?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddstuart/3508639201/" title="LOST-5-15 by Todd Stuart, on Flickr"><img style="width: 315px; height: 210px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/3508639201_204b13c100.jpg" alt="LOST-5-15" /></a><br /><br />- It was John/Fred post-resurrection that gave Richard the compass to give to John and tell him that he had a purpose and that he'd have to die. So... Fred has manipulated John's life and death the whole time, and Locke was just a pawn....<br /><br />- Fred/Locke made a comment that after he'd seen Jacob, they'd have to "deal with" the other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ajira</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">passengers</span>. That means he must KNOW that they are working for Jacob, and that perhaps is setting us up for a showdown next season. One blog suggested that it would be Fred/Locke, Ben, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Widmore</span> vs.... everyone else. How awesome would that be? Locke and Ben are possibly the BEST actors on the show.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marielaurencedube/3515784759/" title="115865_144 by marielaurencedube, on Flickr"><img style="width: 231px; height: 345px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3515784759_e4226283b0.jpg" alt="115865_144" /></a><br /><br /><br />- What is UP with Jacob? He appears human (something I did not expect), but he jumps through time and places and has foreknowledge. It's strange to me that he has foreknowledge about the lives of our characters, because wouldn't that mean that he knew Locke would die? Did Jacob know about his own death?<br /><br />- In his appearance in each of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Losties</span>' <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">back stories</span>, Jacob intentionally touches each of them. Why? What is the significance of that?<br /><br />- Funniest lines of the night<br />Locke to Ben: "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"<br />Ben: "I'm a Pisces"<br />and<br />Hurley: "Everything will be fine when Jack changes the past.... or the future... one of those."<br /><br />- What happened when the bomb went off? Does everyone die? Are they blasted through time? I have NO CLUE what will happen with all of that.<br /><br />- Apparently Alpert's answer to "What lies in the shadow of the statue" translates to "He whom we all serve.", which I guess is Jacob. I also totally called it that Alpert would be one of the "Shadow" group.<br /><br />- Jacob's last words were "They're coming". Who? The shadow of the statue gang? The other group being blasted through time?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Really, Really Important Stuff</span></span><br />That very first scene on the beach with Jacob and Fred was CRUCIAL and really significant.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian_howe_battle/3530879149/" title="Lost - Jacob, Locke and Backgammon by brian_howe_battle, on Flickr"><img style="width: 287px; height: 324px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3530879149_f92dd192df.jpg" alt="Lost - Jacob, Locke and Backgammon" /></a><br /><br />Think about that scene after watching this scene. You can click to about halfway through it to see where Locke begins to describe backgammon to Walt:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hn-g8OmkEIE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hn-g8OmkEIE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />People, that scene was from THE PILOT. I've watched it many times since then, because from this point on it was clear that the show was setting up a juxtaposition of the light and the dark, a good side and a bad side, and a game or war between the two. We've never been sure WHO are the good and the bad. Was it the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Losties</span> and the Others? Was it the Others and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Dharma</span> Initiative? Was it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Widmore</span> and Ben? I think this is our final answer - Jacob is the light, Fred is the dark. When Jacob and Fred are on the beach, Jacob is wearing white, and Fred is wearing black. It's fascinating to me that they mentioned ancient Mesopotamia in the trailer, and we didn't see any of the ancient stuff played out until four five seasons later!<br /><br />The conversation between Jacob and Fred is super important, and I don't fully understand it yet. They are watching what we assume is the Black Rock, which apparently Jacob has brought to the island. They seem to be discussing more broadly what happens when humans come to the island.<br /><blockquote>Fred: "They come, they fight, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same."<br />Jacob: "It only ends once. Anything that happens before that--it's just progress."</blockquote>This is philosophy, which is one of the things I love about this show. It has depth and intelligence. Fred seems to be sort of anti-human. He doesn't like human presence on the island. He does SEEM to be right, though. It seems that each new group of people on the island does what our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Losties</span> have done - run around in circles being suspicious of everything and messing everything up while they try to fix things. They fight, kill, and destroy. It DOES seem to be ending the same.<br /><br />Jacob, on the other hand, is... well.. I'm not totally sure. He's saying that all of this process of groups coming to the island is part of the process leading up to the end.... they are not individual things, it's all going somewhere, and apparently since he is manipulating things, it's going where HE wants it to go. My automatic thought was that Jacob is quite Darwinian - the idea of the evolutionary process of history seems to be there. Isaac thought of <span style="visibility: visible;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"><cite><b><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">heilsgeschichte</span></b></cite></span></span>, which is a theological term that refers to God's formation of the grand meta-narrative of history as progressing to him, a grand story of salvation. Both of those things deal with the progression of history.<br /><br />And... that leads me to the book that Jacob was reading when Locke fell to the ground behind him. It was so obviously displayed that the producers may as well have posted sign saying "NOTICE THIS BOOK!". The book was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Flannery</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">O'Conner's</span> "Everything that Rises Must Converge". Now, I actually think the point was not the book itself but the title of the book, which <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">O'Conner</span> drew from a book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin">Pierre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Teilhard</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Chardin</span></a>, who was a Jesuit priest and philosophy and scientist. Turns out that he was known for his belief in the progression of space, time, and humanity to its peak - Christ. The Church was upset with his process theology and the implication of his evolution, but he stayed within the Church and was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">insistent</span> about the primacy of Christ. You can read a section of the book that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">O'Conner</span> was quoting<a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Science-Religion/2001/04/Everything-That-Rises-Must-Converge.aspx?p=1"> here</a>. Here is the actual quote:<br /><blockquote><br />Followed to their conclusion the two paths must certainly end by coming together: for in the nature of things everything that is faith must rise, and everything that rises must converge.</blockquote>So... what are the producers trying to say with this? It seems like they're saying that Jacob believes in the ultimate path of the progression of the island towards an ultimate GOOD. Everything that happens and has happened in that Lost world is for a reason and a part of the path to that ultimate purpose. I guess my question is, is Jacob a divine figure? What is the ultimate good that he is pushing the island towards?<br /><br />Interesting, interesting stuff.<br /><br />I LOVE this show, and I love that I am yet again at a place where I feel like I've learned a lot but I'm still so confused.Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615824700245927189.post-48767164425083970742009-05-12T18:37:00.000-07:002009-05-12T20:41:40.127-07:00American Idol's incredibly amazing top threeI got on the American Idol bandwagon late, and it seems like at the same time I started, a lot of people jumped off. As a result, I hardly have any friends that watch the show (sad). Therefore, no one is able to sympathize with my total awe at the top three gentlemen of American Ido this season. I am REALLY impressed by our top three, and they are all so different.<br /><br />So - to summarize, we have one gay flamboyant guy with an absolutely incredible voice who never makes a mistake but rocks out in a way that blogging moms don't tend to appreciate.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Adam:</span><br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fgh8OQwwjOE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fgh8OQwwjOE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we have a likable raspy-voiced bluesy crooner with a heart-rending story of his wife's death and some bad dancing.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny:</span><br />(note - this video totally doesn't show Danny's bluesy raspy side, so go to this one if you want to see his other side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfpPDaqeeRc)<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R-uPyZQAU24&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R-uPyZQAU24&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />And finally, we have a quiet mannered newlywed cutie-pie that sings like a cross between Jason Mraz and John Mayer and plays some amazing guitar and piano.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kris</span><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NPv0vbEW8xw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NPv0vbEW8xw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />So who are the top two? Oh man, I think my boy Kris is going home, which I think I'm okay with because I still think he'll go far.<br /><br />A few notes from tonight's episode:<br /><br />-The judges' bickering is cute sometimes, other times it's just flat annoying and just shouts narcissism. Tonight it was annoying. I wanted to pull Kara's face out of the screen and point her eyes at mine the way you do when you're lecturing a little kid, and firmly say, "SHUT UP."<br /><br />-I thought it was interesting to hear Ryan repeatedly say that Kris has been a quiet, humble contestant. I have also heard other people say that a quiet joy radiates out of him, and I agree. To me, his faith is apparent in his demeanor and attitude, and I love it.<br /><br />-Simon name-dropping Bono's personal contact with him sort of cracked me up. Oh, and by the way, I love "One" and I find it it interesting to see how people try to interpret Bono's lyrics<br /><br />-I think Danny's version of "You are so Beautiful" was indeed beautiful and probably sent all of the middle-aged women into a hot flash, but for me it brought back vivid memories of Stephen Crafts in 4th grade singing it to a mortified Clare.<br /><br />-Yeah baby, I LOVE what Kris did to Kanye's "Heartless", and it just shows once again why I love his style.<br /><br />-Did anyone else see the last wide shot of the audience and the stage, and notice that on the judge's stage Kara was trying to get out of her chair and almost fell off? Hilarious.<br /><br />UPDATE:<br /><br />I was youtubing clips from the contestant's hometown visits because I will miss seeing the recaps tomorrow. I loved this clip that I found of Kris leading "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin at his church:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uz3i6KvPSN8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uz3i6KvPSN8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Kaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06374573594800663980noreply@blogger.com5