Storm in a Teacup

Musical Interlude - Stateless

2011-06-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

So, I was listening to Pandora (internet radio) recently. Specifically, I was listening to my own radio station "Victoria's Vault" that I started almost exactly four years ago. I've been finessing my station for so long now, with those "like" and "dislike" buttons, that I've gotten it down to a nice blend of progressive rock, alternative rock, and some moody acoustic/indie artists and instrumental offerings. I know that sounds like a weird mix, but it really does work.

For those of you who haven't used Pandora before, their music genome project will analyze the types of sounds you like and, based on its formulas, will offer up songs it thinks will match what you like. (If you're interested in the parameters Pandora has identified for my musical tastes, just click here. Not sure what "extensive vamping" is musically, but apparently I like it.)

When it suggests a song or band I haven't heard of before, or that I didn't "seed" my station with, I will usually think it's just okay or passible, but every now and then, Pandora will strike gold. A few weeks ago Pandora played the song "Bloodstream" by the British band Stateless and I was over-the-moon and completely hooked. I downloaded the album and I simply can't. stop. listening. to. it. Stateless is, for want of a better description,an electronic alternative rock band with hip hop, classical guitar and electronica dance influences. That makes it sound like a hot mess (and definitely not something that I would instantly be drawn to), but it really is something to be heard.

Today, gentle readers, I'm giving you a three-for-one on this Musical Interlude, because I couldn't decide which video to link to. "Down Here" is my favorite song and video, but "Bloodstream" seems to be their big hit now (thanks to being featured on the show True Blood). And, if you only watch one video, be sure to click on "Ariel" to see the trippy motion-capture special effects they used.

Do you use Pandora? What band/artist have you discovered as a result of Pandora or another internet radio service? Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know. I'm always on the hunt for new ear candy.

Teatime Tuesday - Alice's Garden

2011-03-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Still image taken from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my brief dream to have an Alice in Wonderland themed garden, with giant teacups serving as flower planters. The reality of living in an area where nothing grows but cactus pretty much stomped out that dream. What hasn't changed is the fact that I still have a terrible case of Spring Fever. The weather outside is beautiful, everyone is talking about spring break vacations and plans for Easter. So, I'll continue to feed my need for a pretty flower garden by virtually creating one.

I didn't know who Jim Shore was, prior to writing this post. He is a folk artist that has gone mainstream, applying his unique style to known brands, such as Disney characters. In searching for the perfect items for my imaginary garden, I stumbled across his line of Disney Wonderland themed garden accessories. My type-A personality loves matching things, so they'll do perfectly for my pretend garden. (Click on the linked text to be taken to the item for sale on Amazon.)

First, we'll have a little stone path, leading along the side of the house and up to the wooden gate, where you see this little "Welcome" sign sticking up in the grass, letting you know that you're entering Wonderland. You might have to push aside some overgrown bright pink bouganvilla to reveal a strange and wonderful little garden oasis.

There, lining a lush and manicured grassy lawn, you'll see beds of purple and yellow pansies turning their faces up to the sun, bushes of ruffly peonies, rows of pure white tulips, peach Jacob's Ladder roses climbing along the brick wall, proud irises of every color holding their heads high above the smaller flowers. Oh and we simply must have fragrant lilac bushes, with their pretty little lavender flowers perfuming the air.

There will be a little clearing amongst the flowers, surrounded along the edges by Queen Anne's lace, as if someone had made a place for a picnic or afternoon tea. Sure enough, there will be a teapot there, with white and yellow daises spilling out of it. (Daisies, to represent sweet Alice and her innocent youth). Right next to it will be the teacup, but instead of tea, it will have snapdragons of every shade shooting up from the cup. (Snapdragons, a funny-looking flower with a funny name, to represent the very funny Mad Hatter.)

There will be a small reflecting pool (the Pool of Tears, of course) with lily pads and lush green vegetation surrounding it. Maybe we need some trees too, like a big weeping willow with its branches arching over the pool, providing some shade. In the dark recesses of the bushes and in amongst the exposed roots of the tree, there will be white and orange mushrooms pushing up through the dirt.

As you keep walking along the path, you'll come to some beautifully manicured rows of deep burgundy roses. There will be iridescent blue butterflies alighting here and there on the flowers and, if you look closely, you'll see the White Rabbit running in between the bushes on his way to his appointment. He's very late, for a very important date, you see.

Speaking of the White Rabbit, maybe we should have a vegetable garden too, in addition to our flower garden? We would definitely have carrots for the White Rabbit, as well as lettuce, strawberries and cucumbers. We could also have tall stalks of smiling yellow sunflowers.

The sunflowers would bring birds to our lovely garden, and we'd want to be hospitable, so we should provide a birdhouse of some kind. Although I don't think the belly of the Cheshire Cat is what you would call being "hospitable". Still, I have a feeling this particular cat is harmless and would give them a good home, as he swings by his tail from the limb of a tree.

And that, dear readers and fellow adventurers in Wonderland, is what I would put in my imaginary garden. What's in your (real or imaginary) garden? What are you going to plant for Spring? Desert flowers and plants can be pretty too; so if you live in the Valley of the Sun like me, let me know what your favorite one is.

Musical Interlude - Florence + The Machine

2011-03-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those moments where you stumble across a musical act or piece of art or literature, and wonder to yourself, "Where have I been this whole time, that I'm just now finding out about this?" Well, that's the reaction I had when I first heard Florence + The Machine. Although, to my defense, she's a new artist, having only released one album (Lungs) in 2009. And now, you too, will be in the dark no more, as I introduce you to her fabulousness.

The "band" consists of English singer Florence Welch and various studio session musicians and guests artists providing support. It's hard to describe her musical style, but I suppose I would call it eccentric pop/rock with a little soul thrown in too. All I know is, from the moment I heard her first song, and promptly downloaded the album, I've been unable to stop listening to it.

Two songs in particular are my favorites: "The Drumming Song" and "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", however, I'm going to feature "Rabbit Heart" here, because of the Alice in Wonderland and fairy tale references, both in the song's lyrics and in the music video. So far, I've identified references to: Alice in Wonderland, Greek mythology (i.e. the Three Graces, King Midas), the Bible, the Lady of Shallot, Ophelia, fairy tales, and Pre-Raphelite paintings. It reads like a list of all my favorite things!

They've disabled the video embedding feature, so just click on the image below and it will take you directly to the video on You Tube. Be sure to watch/listen to "The Drumming Song" too. What new music have you discovered recently? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Teatime Tuesday - Alice Goes to Broadway

2011-03-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Alice has been through the looking glass, visited wonderland on the silver screen, traveled through American McGee's video game adventure and went back down the rabbit hole with Tim Burton, but I don't think she's ever been to Broadway... until now. There's not much at the official website for the musical, but here's an Associated Press article that describes the role reversals, costumes, and alternate interpretations. Looks like it will be set in a Wonderland underneath New York City and the costuming and setting will be modern, and Alice will be an adult. I love "re-imaginings" of Wonderland and variations or new takes on the theme, but I'm not sure how I feel about all this, since I'm not really a fan of musicals. However, I love it that, all these many years later, Lewis Carroll's imagination and the world and characters he created continue to inspire artists and spur more creativity. If this production ends up touring and coming to my town, I just might have to see it. What do you think? Do you like Broadway musicals? Do you like "re-imaginings" of classic stories, or does it bug you when they don't stay true to the original?

Musical Interlude - Steamy Music

2011-03-07T22:58:00.000-08:00

So, I went to my first fan convention this past weekend. (I know, big surprise to you that I'm a geek and a nerd. Shocking.) I attended the Wild Wild West steampunk convention in Tucson, AZ. I will probably write more about this later, but for now, I thought I'd share some of the music from the event, since it's Musical Interlude Monday.

First, there is Abney Park, a relatively famous steampunk band (well, famous within the steampunk community). I was impressed that the organizers were able to bring them to this con to perform, since this was the first year for this particular con. We weren't able to see them in concert but here's a little taste of what they sound like (video was not filmed at the Tucson con):

Then there were the Dusty Buskers. (Clever name, huh?) They are a local Tucson group that plays old-time folk and bluegrass music. They aren't strictly a steampunk group, but they fit in just fine. This isn't the best quality video but I used it because it was actually filmed at the Tucson con. You can listen and see more by going here.

And last but not least, there was another popular steampunk group - the all-steam powered robot band called the Steam Powered Giraffe. Again, the video quality isn't the best, but I chose to use this because it was filmed at the Tucson con. Be sure to check out their other videos, because these guys really are quite funny and extremely talented.

Teatime Tuesday - A Flower In Your Teacup

2011-03-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

When I was in Walmart recently I turned down an aisle and suddenly thought I'd dropped into Wonderland. Or if nothing else, that I had taken a sip from a "Drink Me" bottle and shrunk in size, because the shelves were filled with giant tea cups with saucers and giant tea pots.

Giant teacup planters from Baum, found on Amazon.com.

The scope is lost on these pictures, since there's no frame of reference, but they are huge. They were the size of a large mixing bowl or punch bowl and were built with drainage holes in them so they could be used as garden planters. They gave an entirely new meaning to the term "flower pot".

Amazon.com

When I was standing there in the aisle, I was struck with visions in my head of a beautiful Alice-themed garden with Japanese paper lanterns strung across my porch and roses of every color and snapdragons springing forth from these teacups, and maybe even a little statue of a white rabbit tucked in the bushes somewhere.

Then I remembered I live in Arizona, where the summers are like living on the surface of the sun, and anything that isn't a cactus is burned to a brittle brown husk, and the dream died. But it was a fun dream for the brief moment I had it.

When I was searching online for a photo of the giant teapot (which I couldn't find) I came across this ingenious garden decoration you see to the left. It's called a Rain Chain. The idea is, when it rains, the water will pour through the opening in the top of the teapot, weave in and out down through the chains and into each teacup, like a decorative water fountain, only powered by a rainstorm. I immediately fell in love with it, (which should be no surprise, given the name of my blog,) however, I don't have a spare hundred dollars lying around. And it doesn't hardly ever rain here, so the poor thing would go unused.

So, my dreams of a flower garden will remain in my head and I will be content with my cactus. What about you, Gentle Readers? What's your favorite thing about your yard or garden? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Once Upon A Time...

2011-02-26T08:55:00.000-08:00

A Tale from the Decameron by John William Waterhouse

Today (February 26th) is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! I couldn't let this day go by without giving it a mention, considering my absolute love for fairy tales and storytelling.

According to Wikipedia, a fairy tale is a type of short narrative that typically features such folkloric characters as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories thus designated explicitly refer to fairies. The stories may nonetheless be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables, although a moral lesson is usually conveyed.

Back in the day, when I used to babysit, I would make up fairy tales and tell them to the kids. It was the only way I could get them to go to bed. Of course, I firmly believe that fairy tales aren't just for children. So, here are a few suggestions on ways you can celebrate today, whether you're around little ones today or not.

Read a fairy tale out loud to your kids or your favorite friend. This is a no-brainer and the whole point of the holiday.
Read one of the original Grimm's fairy tales. You'll be surprised at how different they are from the Disney versions.
Go to a book store or library and check out some of the current fairy tales. Thankfully there is a small group of modern authors who enjoy writing in the genre and even re-telling or finding new twists on the old themes.
Make up a story with your kids. You don't have to be an author. It doesn't have to be perfect. I just saw the film The King's Speech last night and there was a wonderful scene with the king making up a story on the spot to tell his two daughters before bedtime. Such a sweet moment.
Play dress up with your kids. Part of fairy tales is imagination, so dress up in some fun costumes and let your kids help you make up the story collaboratively or they can act out the story as you read it.

So, what's your favorite fairy tale? Leave me a comment and let me know. May you find a fun way to celebrate imagination and storytelling today and may you live happily ever after!

A Very Merry Un-Anniversary to Alice!

2011-02-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to wish a very merry un-anniversary to Disney's Alice! To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the release of Alice in Wonderland, Disney has released the film on Blu-Ray this month. Disney's Alice was orignally released on July 28, 1951, so that's why I called this post an un-anniversary, because the actual date is in July.

Lewis Carroll's stories don't easily lend themselves to the cinematic treatment, but I think Disney took the best of both stories and combined them in a way that was faithful to the original works and celebrated the wit and silliness of the characters and wonderland, as well as Alice's plucky personality, yet made it more approachable for a wider audience. Not only that, it was some of the most stunning animation that Disney has ever produced, under the art direction of Mary Blair. What's odd is that Alice was probably one of the most negatively reviewed and criticized films in the Disney cannon, especially during its original release. Most of the criticism came from Lewis Caroll devotees, literary purists, and British critics who accused Disney of "Americanizing" the story.

To celebrate this un-anniversary, I thought I'd provide some fun diversions for you, on this lazy Friday afternoon. Below is a list of links, with more information about the film, as well as a list of the Blu-Ray special features, and even a link to some crafts and coloring pages for your kids (or for you, if you're a big kid). Cheers!

An overview and fun facts about the film can be found at the Disney Archives site here.

Click here to watch a "making of" video discussing the creation of the Alice soundtrack.

You can find games, downloadable coloring pages and crafts on Disney's site here. (Disney's site really is massive and has a ton of free stuff, if you're ever looking for a new desktop wallpaper, or something for you and your kids to do on a rainy afternoon.)

Click here to see preview clips of the Blu-Ray version of the film. Below is a list of the special features included on the Blu-Ray.

• Blu-Ray Features:

o Through the Keyhole: A Companion's Guide to Wonderland - View the movie in this special mode and discover references to the original Lewis Carroll classic - introduced by the voice of Alice, Kathryn Beaumont.

o Disney View - Watch the movie in this expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen

o Painting the Roses Red game - Help paint the roses red in the Queen's garden. Careful, or someone could lose their head

o Walt Disney color TV introduction (1959) - A never-before-seen color TV intro by Walt

o Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob - Kathryn Beaumont provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob

o Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks - Kathryn Beaumont introduces a newly discovered pencil test of Alice shrinking

• PLUS, Classic DVD Features:

o Reflections on Alice

o Operation Wonderland (now in hi-def)

o "I'm Odd" newly discovered Cheshire Cat song and intro

o Thru the Mirror - Mickey Mouse animated short (now in hi-def)

o One-hour in Wonderland

o An Alice Comedy: Alice's Wonderland

o Original theatrical trailers (1951 and 1974)

Musical Interlude - Elliot Smith

2011-01-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

So, we're getting ready to head into February, otherwise known as the month of luuurve, otherwise known as the greeting card and jewelry industries' heyday. I had a crazy thought, that I would work with a theme and choose love songs for this month's worth of musical interludes. The idea quickly passed once I realized that what I consider a romantic love song is not only something that most people wouldn't classify as such, but my choices would probably spark a general concern for my mental well-being.

Let's just say that I've never really been into Valentine's Day and leave it at that.

So let's talk about Elliot Smith instead. He was a singer-songwriter who made some wonderful acoustic guitar type music with lots of harmonies and layering. Beautiful stuff. If you know of him at all, or if his music sounds familiar to you, it's probably because you've seen the film Good Will Hunting, in which most of his music is used for the soundtrack. He was even nominated for an Oscar for his song "Miss Misery". I re-discovered him recently in our vast music collection. (Do you ever do that, when you go so long without listening to an album that when you go back to it, it's like discovering it all over again, brand-new?)

Sadly, Elliot died at the age of 34, from an apparent suicide attempt, although the investigation was inconclusive. After he died, fans started leaving flowers and writing notes on the wall of Solutions Audio in Hollywood, CA. The wall was painted with decorative swirls, and a picture of Elliot standing in front of the wall was used for the cover of his album Figure 8, so it became a natural unofficial gathering place for fans. The creator of this video filmed the notes on the wall, and set it to one of my all-time favorite songs by Elliot Smith - "Between the Bars". Watch for the triple-pun on the word "bars". Enjoy!

Between the Bars
by Elliot Smith
drink up, baby, stay up all night
the things you could do, you won't but you might
the potential you'll be, that you'll never see
the promises you'll only make
drink up with me now and forget all about the pressure of days
do what I say and I'll make you okay and drive them away
the images stuck in your head
people you've been before that you don't want around anymore
that push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
drink up, baby, look at the stars
I'll kiss you again between the bars where I'm seeing you
there with your hands in the air, waiting to finally be caught
drink up one more time and I'll make you mine
keep you apart deep in my heart separate from the rest
where I like you the best and keep the things you forgot
the people you've been before that you don't want around anymore
that push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still

A Year-End List of Lists (2010)

2011-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday I was writing my "best of 2009" year-end list and now here we are - 2010 is over and we're already half-way through January 2011. So without further ado, and before my list starts growing mold, here are a few of my favorite and not-so-favorite things from 2010.

As I think back to the movies I watched over this past year, my favorites readily jump to mind. Inception haunted my dreams, Book of Eli gave me hope and Shutter Island gave me chills. Inception was the type of movie that challenges the way narratives are presented in film. What a treat to be the first audience to see an innovation like that. I've been a big fan of director, Christopher Nolan, ever since Memento and it's been fun to see the films he's chosen to do since then. I love how he played around with narrative in that film as well (a film about memory, instead of dreams). He's quite a creative genius and his films are always a solid bet.

Book of Eli had an interesting visual style and an awesome story with an ending I didn't see coming. (Pun intended.) Shutter Island was a terrific homage to Alfred Hitchcock's style of visual storytelling and subject matter. I think he would have liked the film. Who knew I'd ever have two Leonardo DiCaprio films in my top three favorite films? I've never been a big fan of him as an actor, but these movies bring out the best of his talent.

I feel like I should also mention Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The more I think about that movie, the more I like it. Not everyone will enjoy it, especially if you didn't grow up playing video games and hanging out at the mall arcade, but like Inception, it introduced a whole new innovative way of telling a story and use of special effects that really was amazing. It was a fun rollercoaster ride. And I'm partial to director, Edgar Wright's, style too. (Funny, I didn't realize I was such a fan or follower of certain directors until I wrote this post.)

Other movies worth mentioning for one reason or another... The Town was one of the best gang/mafia/bank robber movies I've ever seen. Iron Man 2 was a fun sequel. Toy Story 3 was a great end to the trilogy and made me cry. Winter's Bone made me thankful I don't live in the Ozarks. Wolfman's tribute to the classic horror monster made me smile. Robin Hood presented an interesting side to the hero. Date Night was funnier than most of the comedies that are released nowadays. The Secret of Kells brought back the magic of hand-drawn animation and storytelling. Under Great White Northern Lights was a rocking documentary. Get Low was a quiet surprise and True Grit was a fun cowboy/western adventure. Two movies that I missed in 2010 that are still on my want-to-see list are the Social Network and Never Let Me Go.

On a negative note, the award for biggest disappointment goes to Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. I still can't talk about it. And a final note of caution, a film to AVOID AT ALL COSTS: Splice. Just trust me on that one. I'm still trying to scrub the images out of my brain. The same might go for Black Swan, but I haven't quite made up my mind about that movie yet.

Now let's talk about some tune-rific treats. My favorite album of the year was Prepare the Preparations by Ludo. I laughed. I cried. I was scared. I rocked out. It is, quite possibly, the most perfect album. Attending their concert with my good friends and seeing Ludo perform live was simply the icing on the cake. Or should I say the whipped cream on top? Either way, it was one of my favorite moments of the year, and one of the best concert experiences I've ever had. (You can read a fun recap of the event here.)

I also enjoyed Toby Mac's Tonight and wasn't disappointed by Red's new album, Innocence and Instinct. After seeing Cavo open for Daughtry in concert, we were so impressed we downloaded their Bright Nights, Dark Days album onto our iPod as we sat in the parking lot after the show. My progressive rock cravings were sated by the album Tear the World Down by (We Are) The Fallen. The one album that I hit the repeat button on constantly was the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Just ask my husband; I'm pretty sure he's sick to death of hearing it. Great movie, great soundtrack. For pop/coffee shop acoustic type music, I really liked Christina Perri's The Ocean Way Sessions and discovered Damien Rice's O this year.

Even though they greatly disappointed me with their sudden decision to get political and not perform a concert in Arizona, I must admit I still fell in love with Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by My Chemical Romance. They may have broken my heart but they are still one of my first loves. The award for biggest disappointment was Of the Blue Colour of the Sky by OK Go. The band is awesome. This album is not.

As I may have mentioned here before, I belong to two book clubs. Last year, I didn't do so well at keeping up with the reading for both clubs. Part of the reason was I was distracted by things I wanted to read, and the other factor was that, for part of the year, I was busy helping a friend re-work his yet-to-be-published novel. (Exciting!) That doesn't mean I didn't get any reading done though. I was captivated by Orson Scott Card's Treasure Box. (You can read my full review of it here.) I was challenged and haunted by The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and enjoyed a classic gothic story in Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier.

I traveled back in time twice: to the South in the 1960s through The Help by Kathryn Stockett and back into the time of the early western settlers in Arizona in These Is My Words by Nancy Turner. I followed a runaway through a modern day fairy tale in Rat by Fernanda Eberstadt and lived through a frightening abduction in Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. I was infuriated by the parents in The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and devoured the short stories in By Blood We Live. I'm happy to report that Edward was no where to be found in that volume.

I only made it halfway through The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen, a historical fiction that consisted of poorly written fiction and dryly-recounted history with no purpose or overarching theme. However, the worst book I read this year, and perhaps ever in my entire reading life, was Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. Oh, the horror, the horror! Put this book on your "avoid at all costs" list right next to the film Splice.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the artistic media that I encountered in 2010. I feel passionately about the arts, thus my discussion of them on this blog. However, they are not the most important things from the past year. They merely reflect truths about the things that really matter: love, friendship, faith, triumph over adversity, the sovereignty of God, etc. These are the things that life is made of and that truly matter.

Many thanks to you, my Loyal Readers, for following my blog and leaving comments. What were your favorite things of 2010? Leave me a comment and let me know. Or, if you have some time to kill, you can check out my other lists of favorite things by clicking on this link.

To close, I'll leave you with a new year's wish, courtesy of one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. I've used it before, but I don't mind repeating myself, because I so very much love this quote.

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." ~ Neil Gaiman

A Christmas Prayer

2010-12-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema - The Nativity Story.

"O God our loving Father, help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. May Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake, amen."—Robert Louis Stevenson

Teatime Tuesday - Want to go for a spin?

2010-12-07T23:01:00.001-08:00

Photo courtesy of Disney's website.

I've professed before on this blog, of my love for all things Disney and all things Alice, so of course, I love it when those two things intersect. Take for example, the tea cup ride at Disneyland.

Disney's Alice in Wonderland animated film premiered in July 28th, 1951. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party attraction opened a few years later on June 17th, 1958. The ride is located in Fantasyland and is inspired by the "unbirthday" celebration sequence in the film with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare throwing a crazy tea party. The ride control house looks like Rabbit's house from the film. There are colorful Japanese lanterns strung over the tea party, along with lots of plants and real flowers, as well as large metal flowers that all add to the garden party feel or setting of the ride. The ride is whimsical and fun, and I think the art design of the ride really captures the spirit of the tea party in the film.

There are 18 brightly colored giant tea cups to chose from and they spin on three different revolving platters which are all mounted on one larger turntable. You control how fast your tea cup spins by rotating the wheel in the center of your teacup. That's a whole lot of twisting, spinning, madness!

Photo courtesy of Disney Desktops at Rocket9.net.

If you ever get a chance to visit - then make note that the orange diamond-decorated cup is the fastest spinner, along with the purple cup. If you'd rather take a leisurely spin through the tea party, then try to get one of the two heart cups, which are the slowest. It's better to ride this attraction earlier in the day, because the lines and wait times are longer when it gets later into the day. However, my favorite time to ride the tea cups is at night, because the lighting is just beautiful. The Japanese lanterns are lit with a wonderful glow and the large metal flowers also serve as lamps, with lights in the blossoms. It really does add another magical level to the experience.

Below is a fun video of the ride, taken from inside one of the tea cups. I hear that song and I can't help but smile. :-) A very merry unbirthday to you! :-)

Have you ever taken a spin on the tea cups? Or do you avoid rides like this because of motion sickness? What's your favorite ride at Disneyland? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Musical Interlude - Zooey Deschanel

2010-12-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, when the Valley of the Sun pretends to experience winter weather, the streets are filled with stressed-out crazed drivers anxious to get all their shopping done, my neighbors beat me yet again at getting the outside Christmas lights up, and my weekly musical interludes turn to Christmas music.

I don't remember much about the movie Elf, except that it was cute and funny. I also remember being impressed with Zooey Deschanel's singing. Below is a link to her singing, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in the film. It turns out that in addition to being an actress, Zooey has her own folk/indie band called She & Him and she writes her own songs. I definitely recommend you check out some of their stuff. (I love this one song in particular.) She has a voice that is perfectly suited to an old fashioned way of singing. I just love the quality and color of her voice. I hope you like her too.

Tea and Sympathy

2010-11-30T23:13:00.000-08:00

For our Teatime Tuesday, here's one of my favorite songs, that just happens to be about tea. Well, it's not about tea, but it uses tea for the metaphor. For added enjoyment, why not brew yourself a cup, then take in the song. At this time of night, it will have to be Sleepytime or Camomile for me. Enjoy!

Tea and Sympathy
by Jars of Clay
Fare thee well
Trade in all our words for tea and sympathy
Wonder why we tried, for things that could never be
Play our hearts lament, like an unrehearsed symphony
Not intend
To leave this castle full of empty rooms
Our love the captive in the tower never rescued
And all the victory songs
Seem to be playing out of tune
But it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
You begin
And all your words fall to the floor and break like china cups
And the waitress grabs a broom and tries to sweep them up
I reach for my tea and slowly drink in
[Chorus:]
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy
So fare thee well
Words the bag of leaves that fill my head
I could taste the bitterness and call the waitress instead
She holds the answer, smiles and asks one teaspoon or two
[Chorus x 2]
Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out

Musical Interlude - Pretty Reckless

2010-11-29T06:50:00.000-08:00

I'd never heard of The Pretty Reckless, until a friend forwarded this video to me, of the band playing their song "Make Me Wanna Die" on the Late Night Show. I also don't know who Taylor Momsen is, outside of being the lead singer of this band, and you know what, I don't really care, because this song rocks, and she has one of those rare things - a female voice that is completely suited to sing rock and roll.

Driving guitars? Check.
Rockin' lead singer? Check.
Creepy organ music? Double-check.
Yes, please may I have some more?

This will get your blood pumping on a Monday morning. Enjoy! (Not ready for something loud like this? Try this haunting acoustic song instead. I'm just as much in love with it as I am this song.)

Book Bite - What's in the box?

2010-11-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

"Quentin Fears never told his parents the last thing his sister Lizzy said to him before they pulled the plug on her and let her die."
~ first line of Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card

Isn't that one of the best opening lines you've ever read? Doesn't it make you want to know more about that boy, with the last name of Fears, and why his sister Lizzie died? What did she say to him before she died? Why did her parents let her die? And what, exactly, is the treasure box that the title refers to?

A fellow book-loving friend of mine recommended this book to me, and he has never steered me wrong with one of his recommendations, so I ordered it from Paperback Swap. A few days later, my husband and I were leaving the house to go to a party and we checked our mailbox on the way out. This book had arrived. I opened it in the car and flipped to the front, just scanning it over out of curiosity, since my friend hadn't told me anything specific about it. Next thing I knew, a half-hour had passed, we'd arrived at our destination and my husband was telling me I had to get out of the car. I'd gotten completely sucked into the book and had read it for the entire car ride. I didn't want to go in to the party. I seriously wanted to stay in the car and read. It was that good.

I have a thing for opening lines. If an author can't capture my attention in the first sentence, or the first paragraph, then there's not much hope of me enjoying the journey, or finishing the book for that matter. It's not a hard and fast rule or anything, just something I've noticed after all my years of reading. Not only did this book open in an interesting place, but it has one of the best closing passages I've ever read. Beautifully written, deeply satisfying, poetic and hopeful; when I got to the end I read it over and over at least three times. Then, a couple of days later, when I walked by and saw it sitting on the table, I picked it up and read it again, just to enjoy that moment all over again. An opening sentence and a closing verse do not a successful novel make, however, I'm pleased to report that the bits in between delivered on all the promises made in the opening lines, and then some.

If you've ever heard of the author Orson Scott Card, it is probably from his book, Ender's Game, which if you haven't read yet, then turn off the computer and get yourself to a library or bookstore right now. It is a sci-fi classic. Simply wonderful. That was the only book I'd read of Card's, so I assumed Treasure Box was going to be another sci-fi book, set in the future in outer space. On the contrary, this book is set in modern times, in regular old everyday America. It follows a boy named Quentin Fears, as he mourns his sister's death. He grows up to be a very successful millionaire computer entrepreneur while at the same time being very socially awkward and reclusive, untrusting and unwilling to open himself to love anyone, for fear of losing them like he lost his sister. Then he meets Madeline at a posh party in Washington D.C., someone who is also hiding the hurts of her childhood and a mysterious past.

Halfway through the book, things start turning slightly to the left and even then you, like the main character, accept the explanations for the odd happenings because, no one believes in ghosts, right? And so far the majority of the book has been grounded in reality, so it puts you as a reader in the same disbelieving position of the main character. Card has an absolutely amazing and enviable skill at foreshadowing. He is so deft and so subtle, you don't notice it until the final act, when you look back and see the answers were there all the long. He is a genius at story structure and execution as well as writing engaging, clever dialog. The story slowly builds to a powerhouse of a final scene, but the strong development of the characters and their motivations, as well as the layers of the mystery, are what keep you hanging on for the ride.

You'll notice I mentioned ghosts. Please note that this is not a ghost story or a horror novel, in the traditional sense, but the supernatural does play a significant role. It was refreshing to read a novel where good and evil were firmly defined and put in their proper places (instead of having the evil monster be the hunky hero - Twilight, I'm looking at you). Additionally, it was nice to read an excellent novel that didn't contain anything gratuitous within (i.e. language, violence, sex).

I want so desperately to recommend this book to you, Gentle Readers, and to write a review that makes you want to read it, but I also don't want to ruin the adventure for you, so that's why some of my descriptions of the book may seem vague. I now see the challenge most book and movie reviewers have in writing spoiler-free reviews!

If you happen to give Treasure Box a chance, please be sure to come back and leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it. Or if you have a good book recommendation, please leave it in the comments. I'm always looking for the next great adventure!

An Itty Bitty Doodle

2010-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

This was a little doodle I did at work, while I was on the phone with someone. I'm posting him here, because someone stopped by my desk and remarked that he was cute. I thought about it; he's simple, he's little and, yeah, he's kind of cute. So, up on the blog he went (instead of up on the rooftop. Ha!). You can tell it's on the edge of an e-mail that I had printed out, and I find that kind of funny; here's a fun, swirly artistic flourish juxtaposed next to dull corporate business.

I doodle a lot, especially when I'm on the phone, usually on hold. I'd never thought much about my doodles, but this is the third time recently that someone has commented on how cool they were. I always just saw them as scribbles, but now maybe I'll give them a second look, and see if there's any inspiration hidden within them for bigger more detailed illustrations or works. I kept a lot of my notebooks from school, not for the notes, but for all the doodles I did in the margins. It might be fun to go back and revisit those as well.

This little reindeer is ready for Christmas. How about you? Here's my reader question for the evening - what's your opinion of the stores setting out their Christmas decorations so early in November, or even sometimes at the end of October? Does it wear you out on Christmas cheer long before the actual day arrives? Or do you enjoy the decorations and music for as long as it lasts? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Teatime Tuesday - Brewing for the Guests

2010-11-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

We never had hot tea in my house growing up. Both my parents were originally from the Midwest so if we had tea at all, it was iced tea or sun tea. They both loved coffee though, especially my dad.

My dad didn't like to travel or go gallivanting around much. His home was his castle and there was nothing he enjoyed more than being at home with his family, building us kids a sandbox in the backyard, tending to our citrus trees or our rose bushes, working on cars in the garage, or reading a good book. What he really enjoyed most of all, was hosting people at our house for an evening for dinner. My mom enjoyed this too, so they were a good match. Mom would make a fabulous meal and then, as the dishes were cleared, the spotlight was on my dad, as he pulled out his selection of after-dinner coffees.

My dad researched different coffees and growing regions. When someone was traveling, especially out of the country, he'd give them money to bring back coffee. He had Kona coffee from Hawaii, Arabic coffee from Morocco, and more. He preferred to grind his own beans, immediately before brewing, and had both an electric grinder and a hand-crank coffee grinder, with a little drawer you'd pull out to get to the ground coffee. I guess you could say he was a coffee connoisseur. He enjoyed picking the perfect coffee to compliment dessert, or to cater to the specific tastes of his guests.

He used to tell me that all Swedes put lots of milk in their coffee, to keep their hair blond (since that was the color of the coffee by the time they got done) and lots of sugar too, to keep them sweet. My dad was fun like that. I actually believed it, as a kid, and asked him one time if I was going to have to start drinking coffee too, since we were Swedish, and if that was what I was going to have to do to keep my hair blond. We didn't know the "fine art of serving tea" but we knew about coffee.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I was thinking back to all the people my parents would invite into our home for the turkey day meal - all the single people from church, or people who didn't have family in state, or friends and their kids - and how the ritual of coffee after the big meal, with a slice of pie for dessert, was never missed.

I don't know much about coffee and don't drink it, but I hope I can be just as knowledgeable with my tea, and that I can learn to be a better hostess, and maybe even invite people into my house for the occasional meal so I can serve them, and make them feel special, the way my dad did with his coffee.

The only problem is... I have to learn to cook something presentable first. I can't just offer them tea...
P.S. This post is supposed to have nifty pictures of a coffee grinder and some fall-themed tea pots, but for some reason Blogger isn't letting me upload photos tonight. I'll try again in the morning.

P.P.S. I'm so thankful for happy memories, and for the good example I had in my parents.

***UPDATE 11/24/10 Pictures have been added.***

I'm not typically one who likes to collect decorative tea pots just for the sake of collecting. I have enough nicknacks to dust as it is. However, it might be nice to have one functional, seasonal teapot to use for the Thanksgiving dinner. Below are a few examples of fall-themed teapots that I might like to own and use, especially the "Gather Together" one.

All teapots available at The English Tea Store. Just click on the picture to go to the site.

Musical Interlude - Depeche Mode

2010-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

I had wanted all my posts this week to be related to the theme of thankfulness and gratitude, since we're celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, but I must admit, I'm just not feeling it tonight. I'll be honest with you, Gentle Readers, I did not have a good day today. Which, in retrospect, makes me feel terrible that I even feel terrible about it, because even one of my worse days is nothing compared to what horrible things could happen out in this broken world. In fact, I've had much worse days than this one. I should know better.

I have my health, my husband, my friends, and I came home to a house with a roof over my head and food in my pantry. And as much as I hated my workplace today, I do have a job and a paycheck - something that many people in this country and in this economy are desperate to have.

I could go on and on and on about all the blessings and luxuries I have, and I do really truly appreciate them, but tonight, I'm just tired and I want to go home. Even though I am technically at home, this place has never felt like home to me. And part of the Thanksgiving holiday seems to be about people returning home and being with family. Home, is where your family is (or your heart is), I suppose. And part of my family is in heaven. It is a separation that you never get used to.

I could have easily linked to this song, but I decided to link to Depeche Mode instead. It's a blast from the past, but it's a beautiful, haunting, heartfelt song, and one that I was completely addicted to when I first got my hands on the Ultra album when it was released. Unfortunately, this was the best version of it I could find on You Tube. Even with the poor recording quality, I think Martin Gore's awesome voice still shines through.

What "home" do you think they're singing about? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Home

by Depeche Mode

Here is a song
from the wrong side of town
where I'm bound
to the ground
by the loneliest sound
that pounds from within
and is pinning me down

here is a page
from the emptiest stage
a cage or the heaviest cross ever made
a gauge of the deadliest trap ever laid

And I thank you
for bringing me here
for showing me home
for singing these tears
finally I've found
that I belong here

The heat and the sickliest
sweet smelling sheets
that cling to the backs of my knees
and my feet
I'm drowning in time
to a desperate beat

And I thank you
for bringing me here
for showing me home
for singing these tears
finally I've found
that I belong

Feels like home
I should have known
from my first breath

God send the only true friend

I call mine

Pretend that I'll

Make amends the next time

And befriend the glorious end of the line.

Teatime Tuesday - Winter Dream

2010-11-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

It seems like tea and coffee gift packs or gift baskets are a popular gift item around the holidays, especially when people find out you're a tea or coffee junkie. Most of the time, those baskets contain some of the most overly-processed, forgettable, tasteless, bitter teas ever to be packaged. I'm speaking from experience here. However, last year I was gifted with a box of assorted teas from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and it was an entirely different experience.

There is a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee shop very close to where I live, but since I make most of my tea at home, I'd never had tea from one of these coffee shops before. All the teas in the box were wonderful in taste and were presented in nice silk tea bags, but one stood out from the rest - Winter Dream Tea.

This tea was, hands down, amazing and very aptly named - it is a dream! According to the website, it is a "blend of Ceylon black tea and South African rooiboos, with traditional sweet mulling spices." Call it what you will, I call it "YUM!" It was like actually drinking Christmas straight out of a mug. I hoarded this tea and rationed it out to myself as a very special treat, trying to make it last as long as I possibly could. It was a futile effort, and very soon I was completely out. So I jumped in the car and drove to the Coffee Bean, only to discover they were sold out. I figured, "No problem, they'll have more in stock in a couple of days." Oh no, no no. This is a seasonal blend that they only offer around the holidays, and they were done stocking it for that season. I almost cried right there in the store. Suffice it to say, I'm going to take out a small loan this year and buy up as many tins as I possibly can. Yes, it really is that good.

Oh, and if you're looking for a gift to put under the tree for little ol' me, then look no further. A tin of this tea would make me so very happy! (Hint, hint, dear hubby.)

The Soundtrack In My Head

2010-11-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you all can relate, Gentle Readers, to hearing a song on the radio that you haven't heard in years, and having it instantly transport you back to a time in your life when you first heard that song. Maybe it was a song that was all over the airwaves that summer, when you spent every waking minute at the pool or the beach. Maybe it was the song they played at your high school dance. Maybe it was just you, alone in your room, enveloped by the sound. I love music, and I love those moments and the memories it creates. Who says time travel is impossible?

For me, not only can music be a reminder of fond memories and different times and places in my life, but some music really resonates with me. Like a tuning fork humming in sympathetic harmony, I can hear certain music and it's as if my spine hums; it resonates with my core being and feels right. Some of my most favorite musicians are the ones whose music takes me to that imaginary world in my mind. It's as if they've crawled inside my head and written a soundtrack for my thoughts and dreams and when I listen to their music, I feel like I’m home. Queensryche is one of those bands.

I remember where I was when I heard Queensryche for the first time. A friend of mine kept telling me about this new band and insisted I listen to them. He made me a copy of the album, Empire, and I went home and popped it in, curious to see what had him all wound up. I can still remember sitting on the floor in my room in front of my stereo and listening, spellbound, as that musical door opened up, and I felt like I was home. The soaring vocals and harmonies,the intelligent well-crafted lyrics, the intricate guitar-playing, the dark, layered, complex compositions, the hints of classical music and orchestration - this was not the heavy metal I knew, but a new subgenre called progressive metal, and I was hooked. Queensryche's songs also told stories. Stories that, in a way, felt like they'd walked right out of my own head. Not that I fancy myself a lyric writer or musician. Far from it. But these stories resonated with me, and reflected back to me how I saw life. (Oh yeah, and they rocked too.)

I must admit, I probably knew my then-boyfriend (now-husband) was "the one" when the new Queensryche album came out a few years later. We went out and bought it as soon as it came out, went back to his apartment, sat down in front of his stereo and listened to it from beginning to end. Most of my friends drove me nuts, when I wanted them to listen to some new musical find of mine, they'd want to chitchat and visit while the music played on in the background, while all I wanted was for them to shut up and listen to the magic that was coming out of the speakers. That was not the case here. When my future husband and I sat down to listen to that album, we took it all in, volume cranked high, sitting side by side, not saying a single word.

Turns out he was from my strange little world too, and my heart resonated with that, just like it did with the music.

Anybody Listening?

by Queensryche

You and I
long to live like the wind upon the water.
If we close our eyes, we'll maybe realize
there's more to life than what we have known.
And I can't believe I've spent so long
living lies I knew were wrong inside,
I've just begun to see the light.

Long ago there was a dream,
had to make a choice or two.
Leaving all I loved behind,
for what nobody knew.
Stepped out on the stage of life
under lights and judging eyes.
Now the applause has died and I
can dream again...

Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone that sees what's going on?
Read between the lines,
criticize the words they're selling.
Think for yourself and feel the walls
become sand beneath your feet

Feel the breeze?
Time's so near you can almost taste the freedom.
There's a warm wind from the south.
Hoist the sail and we'll be gone,
by morning this will all seem like a dream.
And if I don't return to sing the song,
maybe just as well.
I've seen the news and there's
not much I can do...alone

Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone who smiles without a mask?
What's behind the words--images
they know will please us?
I'll take what's real. Bring up the lights.

Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone that sees what's going on?
Read between the lines,
criticize the words they're selling.
Think for yourself and feel the walls...
become sand beneath your feet.

On The FRINGE Between Two Worlds

2010-11-11T22:16:00.000-08:00

Promotional image released by FOX Broadcasting Company.

It's been a while since I've written about my latest television obsession - FRINGE! I love this show more with each and every episode, and that's no exaggeration. It's not so much a replacement for LOST, since it's a very different kind of show as far as structure and subject matter, but there are other things that make it similar to LOST. It has a cast of characters that are complex, imperfect and engaging who are always growing, learning and changing. They are characters that I care about, root for and cry over. It has an inventive, creative plot, with twists of a forensics procedural combined with sci-fi creepiness. Each show has a problem or mystery that is solved within that one episode, but also ties into the larger over-reaching plotline. Each week, I am invariably on the edge of my seat, or so excited I'm yelling back at the TV.

Those of you who haven't seen the show yet, I suggest you try it out, but be sure to start from Season 1, Episode 1 and go from there. Give the characters (and the writers) time to settle into the show and really get their footing, and the whole thing just takes off and soars (about midway through the first season). For those of you who are watching, you can keep reading.

***BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS***

I think Anna Torv should get and Emmy for her acting this season. She's playing two different characters, who in turn, are pretending to be someone else. How hard is that? And she's pulling it off beautifully. I always know who is on screen (even if it wasn't for the different hair color) and with just a glance, or the way she carries herself, you know what they are thinking. I've also been impressed with John Noble's (Walter) acting from the beginning of the show. His character could easily be played as a cliche - the mad scientist - but Noble gives him heart, and shows the frustrations and triumphs that come with being a brilliant genius, but also someone challenged with mental/psychological problems. I love it that they didn't make his relationship with Peter easy and straightforward, and didn't give them an easy resolution to their problems. In fact, some of their problems are still ongoing, and that's good. Life isn't so easily resolved in one 40-minute block of time.

If you weren't aware of it, there's a great website called Fringepedia that you simply must check out if you're a fan of the show. Did you know the images that appear before commercial breaks are actually glyphs in a code? Did you know the Observer appears in every episode? Did you know there are secret clues or references in the above picture? These things don't make the show what it is, but they certainly do add to the fun.

If you're watching, what do you think of the new season? Please leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to discuss what's going on. You can also read my other thoughts about FRINGE here.

IF: Parable

2010-11-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

About two months ago, I decided I would start participating in Illustration Friday (IF), as a way to start getting back to drawing and making art. I figured it would be a good little exercise, a way to knock the rust off my creative gears when it came to my art. My first IF assignment was for the word "dessert", which you can see here. The second week, the IF assignment posted was "parable." I love fairy tales, folk tales and parables so I didn't figure I'd have a problem coming up with an idea.

Then I promptly ran into a brick wall.

It wasn't writer's block, it was artist's block. It lasted throughout the week, and I missed the IF posting deadline. I still wanted to draw something for the assignment though, but the longer it went, the worse it got, and self-doubt crept in. When I decided to take on the IF assignments, I thought I might have difficulty making time to work on my art. I never anticipated simply not having the brain-power to come up with an idea to begin with. I've never experienced that before, when it comes to my visual art, and it was incredibly frustrating to me. I gave up.

Then, weeks later, out of nowhere, an idea came to me while I was at work. I hadn't even been thinking about the assignment (like I said, I'd given up), but suddenly the fable of the tortoise and the hare popped into my head. I quickly sketched out the idea on a post-it note so I wouldn't forget - the tortoise with a blue first place ribbon stuck to his shell - thinking I would execute a full-blown piece of work based on the sketch later. Turns out I like this little draft instead, so here it is below, complete with yellow post-it note background.

I find it ironic that, after being stuck, discouraged, and giving up - the image that finally came to mind was the tortoise. Ah, the irony wasn't lost on me. Here I was, with my new endeavor (i.e. drawing again, and completing the IF assignments) starting out at a snail's pace, if not almost a complete failure. Well, I'll try to remember now that slow and steady wins the race. I've taken a lesson from this picture and will try to listen to myself. I've lowered my expectations. Maybe I can't do the IF assignment every week. Maybe I'll only do one drawing a month. I just need to be happy in whatever I can find time to do, not put as much pressure on myself, and show myself a little grace. It's a start...

Teatime Tuesday

2010-11-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

Image taken from Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

If you've been reading this blog for any period of time, then you probably know of my love for all things Alice in Wonderland, which is the inspiration for the title and tagline for this blog. There's actually more than one reason that I picked "Storm in a Teacup" for a blog (more on that later) but one of the reasons is that I love hot tea. I'm pretty sure I must have been British in my previous life (not that I believe in previous lives, mind you). So I thought I'd start writing "Teatime Tuesday" posts, and share anything and everything about the wonderful art of "taking tea".

Another thing you probably already know about me from reading my blog, is my love for all things Disney. Today, two of my favorite things combine - tea and Disney. I'm in my happy place.

Found on Amazon.com.

Found at the Disney Store.

One of my dear friends brought me back some Alice in Wonderland tea from her last trip to Disneyland, along with this cute Mickey Mouse tea ball/tea diffuser. Isn't it adorable? She brought me a tin of the Mad Tea Party blend. It has fruity, ginger, peach and apricot notes and is definitely a desert tea. It was so yummy, that when I took my trip to Disneyland in October, I purchased a tin of the Un-Birthday Tea blend. It is a black tea similar to English Breakfast. The tea is of really good quality and the Mad Hatter's crazy tea making instructions on the tin are pretty funny. Leave it to Disney to have excellent quality tea and awesome packaging, with no detail left untouched by Disney magic.

Found at the Disney Store.

When I went to pull up pictures of these wonderful finds on the internet, I came across some other Disney - tea items that I might have to put on my wish list. For example, check out this Alice in Wonderland tea press. I've used tea presses before in fancy restaurants and cafes, but have never owned one. They certainly do make a good cup of tea, and having one with Alice in Wonderland silhouettes cut into it would just make me smile.

But what if you want to make a lot of tea? Why not use this adorable Mickey Mouse tea kettle? For as much as I love Disney, I'm not the type to have my house covered in all kinds of Disney swag (believe it or not) but seriously, how could you not smile with this sitting on your stove?

Found at the Disney Store.

I'm going to make myself a cup of tea - probably Sleepytime, since I'm posting this at 11:30 PM - but while I'm gone, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Do you "take tea"? What's your favorite way to have it?

P.S. If your name is Shawn and you're reading this, consider this post a big hint for "good gift ideas" for the wife for Christmas. (wink) Love you!

Musical Interlude - My Chemical Romance

2010-11-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

Band photo courtesy of My Chemical Romance's facebook page.

I had already planned to post on My Chemical Romance for today's musical interlude. I've been wanting to write about them again for a while now. Ironically, when I looked back on my blog posts, exactly one year ago today, is when I came clean on this blog, declaring my absolute love for the band. Why did I want to write about them again? Well, other than the fact they are probably one of my all-time, top five favorite bands, I'm counting the hours until the new My Chemical Romance album, Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is released on November 22nd. It's been four, count them, four years since their last album release and I'd almost given up hope on hearing new music from them. I can hardly stand the wait, especially in these last two weeks.

Their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, is pure punk rock, with a hint of things to come. The songs are very narrative and seem to follow two Bonnie and Clyde type characters who are eventually gunned down in the California desert, with vampires, zombies, clinical depression and 9/11 thrown in for good measure. I know that probably doesn't make you want to rush out and listen to it, but trust me, they make it all work. The album has a lot of energy and is very lose technically, but that makes sense, considering the band recorded the album shortly after they formed.

The band took a giant leap forward in musical growth with their second album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Their alt-rock-punk sound was more focused, their writing style tighter, more intense, and the songs are even more narrative in nature. Where Bullets hinted at a concept, Three Cheers is definitely a concept album. It's a New Jersey mafia version of the Romeo and Juliet story, combined with Orpheus and Eurydice. Romeo finds himself in purgatory, where he makes a deal with the devil, to be resurrected along with his dead Juliet, in exchange for the souls of a thousand evil men. He is then resurrected and sent out on his gruesome task. It's like a horror movie in musical form. It has a driving intensity and is beautiful, powerful, funny, romantic and dark. I am still in love with that album, which contains my favorite song, "Helena". (Also, one of the best videos ever, in my humble opinion.)

The band then reinvented themselves stylistically both with their image and their music, taking another huge jump forward in their musical growth. They got rid of their black, white and red mafia three-piece suits, bulletproof vests and goth makeup, and pulled on the black and gray marching band uniforms of The Black Parade. A pure rock opera, with sweeping arrangements and progressive rock leanings, this album follows the story of The Patient, a man dying of cancer. It follows him through his supposed death, on to his journey through the afterlife and his reflections on his life, as he meets characters such as Mother War, and Fear & Regret. I won't tell you if it has a happy ending or not... (wink)

And now, they have reinvented themselves again,which by the way, even though it requires adjustment of expectations on my part, I see this as a good thing, that they continue to grow and challenge themselves as artists. No longer band members in the Black Parade, they are now the Killjoys. They now wear rebellious technicolor outfits and fight bad guys with ray guns in a black and white post-apocalyptic world. Since the album hasn't been released yet, I can't give you the full scoop on the entire concept/story or the new musical direction they are going. Although, if the first single (and video) is any indication, they're taking a more straightforward rock and roll approach, with some power-pop mixed in.

It took a while for this first single to grow on me. I'm not used to this band just having fun and being... uh... happy. But it has a blistering guitar solo in the middle, that kept me coming back for more and now I love it. I have no idea what direction the new album is going to take, but I know I can trust them. I'm just going to hop in the Trans Am with them, buckle my seat belt and hang on for the ride!

Click on the image below and the video will launch in a new window. It makes a ton of B-movie and pop culture references, and is a treat in and of itself. Enjoy!

Na Na Na (Na Na Na)
By My Chemical Romance

(intro)
Look alive, Sunshine.
109 in the sky but the pigs won't quit.
You're here with me: Dr. Death Defying.
I'll be your surgeon, your proctor, your helicopter.
Pumpin' out the slaughtermatic sounds to keep you alive.
A system failure for the masses, anti-matter for the master plan.
Louder than God's revolver and twice as shiny.
This one's for all of you rock 'n' rollers,
All you crash queens and motor babies.
Listen up!
The future is bulletproof!
The aftermath is secondary!
It's time to do it now and do it loud!
Killjoys, make some noise!

Drugs
Gimme drugs
Gimme drugs
I don't need 'em
But I'll sell what you got
Take the cash
And I'll keep it
Eight legs to the wall
Hit the gas
Kill 'em all
And we crawl
And we crawl
And we crawl
You be my detonator
Love
Gimme love
Gimme love
I don't need it
But I'll take what I want
From your heart
And I'll keep it in a bag
In a box
With an X on the floor
Gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme more
Shut up and sing it with me
(Na Na Na...)
From mall security
To every enemy
We're on your property
Standing in V formation
(Na Na Na...)
Let's blow an artery
Eat plastic surgery
Keep your apology
Give us more detonation
(More! Gimme more! Gimme more!)
Oh, let me tell ya 'bout the sad man
Shut up and let me see your jazz hands
Remember when you were a madman
Thought you was Batman
Hit the party with a gas can
Kiss me you animal
(Na Na Na...)
You run the company
F*** like a Kennedy
I think we'd rather be
Burning your information
Let's blow an artery
Eat plastic surgery
Keep your apology
Give us more detonation
(spoken)
And right here
Right now
All the way in Battery City
The little children
Raised their open filthy palms
Like tiny daggers up to heaven
And all the juvee halls
And the Ritalin rats
Ask angels made from neon
and eating garbage
Scream out!
"What will save us?"
And the sky opened up
Everybody wants to change the world
Everybody wants to change the world
But no one,
No one wants to die
Wanna try, wanna try, wanna try
Wanna try, wanna try, now
I'll be your detonator
(Na Na Na...)
Make no apologies
It's death or victory
On my authority
Crash and burn
Young and loaded
Drop like a bulletshell
Dress like a sleeper cell
I'd rather go to hell
Than be in purgatory
Cut my hair
Gag and bore me
Pull this pin
Let this world explode

An Overflowing Teacup

2010-11-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

At the insistent prodding of my husband, I started this blog on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. I know, it's a big surprise I started my blog on Halloween, isn't it? (She said sarcastically.) Although it was at a different address than it is now, but a couple days later I moved everything over to Blogger and have never looked back. For those of you who are contemplating starting a blog, I have found Blogger to be extremely easy to use and a very stable hosting site, at least in my limited experience.

In my very first post, I wondered what the purpose should be for this blog.  Initially, it was an extension of the "Mad Tea Party Afternoon" website I shared with a friend of mine, which is now defunct. The two of us had been commiserating about how we missed the deep discussions and interactions from our college classrooms, and we started the website hoping to re-create some of that dialog and to establish connections to other like-minded art-loving souls via the Internet. On the website, we wrote articles analyzing and discussing the arts (i.e. movies, music, art, literature, etc.), while the blog was more like a journal of my random thoughts, and recountings of the personal things that have happened or were happening in my life, and other such things. I look back on those posts now and cringe. It's like discovering your diary from when you were twelve:  kind of interesting, kind of endearing, but mostly embarrassing.

Eventually the Mad Tea Party Afternoon website gave up the ghost and we shut it down. The only visitors we ever attracted were spambots and hackers. It was too much work, too expensive to host and, at the time, blogs were all the rage, they were free and they seemed to be superseding traditional websites. So the purpose of my blog slowly morphed into discussing the arts and for posting articles that I used to post on the website.

The following year, I evaluated the blog and vowed to post more articles and less lists. Reading that today made me smile, because I had forgotten how obsessed I was with writing and posting lists. I still am, but they don't make it onto the blog as often anymore. I also said I wanted to continue to focus on writing about the arts instead of my everyday life, saying I didn't want the blog to turn into "an autobiographical navel-gazing type thing." And yet, I find there are moments where I still do that (just recently, in fact). I also said I wanted to post more regularly and consistently. Four years into this venture and that is still an ongoing challenge, one that I hope I'm slowly getting better at. These were all good blogging goals to have, and ones that I'm yet again going to re-commit myself to. A dear friend also sent me a link to these blogging guidelines, which I'm going to keep in mind as well.  So, I thank you, Gentle Readers, for sticking with me on this journey over the last four years and I invite you to continue with me, as I refocus as well as expand my goals for this little venture.

Lately, I've been feeling introspective as well as trapped, discouraged, without purpose and just downright stuck, as this recent post illustrates. We all have our moments, I suppose. I don't yet have the answers to most of the unhappy "stuck" situations I find myself in, and which I discussed in that post, but I do know a few things. I know that I have an overflowing teacup. I know I'm incredibly privileged to have the means and the time to even mess around with a blog.  I also know that I am blessed beyond measure with a wonderful, loving, encouraging husband and a bunch of caring, supportive friends, who are all cheering me on. And I know, most of all, that God has blessed me with gifts and talents, and He wants me to use them to reflect His glory. I don't know exactly what that looks like yet, but I do know that God helps those who help themselves. I have this wonderful tool - a blog - and I'm going to try and harness it, and use it more effectively, with my talents, for God's glory. God will take care of the rest.

So what does that mean for you, Gentle Reader? Well, in the next month or so, you can expect some re-tooling and re-designing of the blog itself (if I can figure out all the code-hacking), and you can expect to see more original works from yours truly (both visual and written), in addition to my usual analytical or expository articles. Oh yeah... and there will be more tea... Won't you grab a cup and join me?

13 Days of Halloween - Even More Lessons Learned

2010-11-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

I hope you've enjoyed reading my Halloween posts as much as I enjoyed writing them. As usual, I will end the series with a post of lessons learned. I've listed my previous tips below, but if you'd like to read the full explanation of each one, just click on the year date and it will take you directly to that post. I hope you all had a safe, fun and spooky Halloween holiday!

THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM PAST HALLOWEENS

2008
1. Temporary hair color isn't necessarily temporary.2. If your costume comes with an explanation, you'll be better off finding another costume.
3. Never ever go first into the haunted house.
4. Wigs are itchy.5. If the candy looks like it was made in the 70s, it probably was.
6. No one has the patience (or appreciation) for black and white horror movies.7. Carving pumpkins isn't nearly as fun as it looks.8. This tip is for all the kids... HIDE YOUR CANDY BAG!

2009
1. If you've started a new job, ask around and make sure people dress up on Halloween BEFORE you decide to show up in costume.
2. If Halloween falls on a Friday or Saturday night, don't expect as many trick-or-treaters.
3. Fake blood stains EVERYTHING.
4. If you want a unique costume, check out Goodwill.
5. Don't be THAT house (the one that passes out weird stuff instead of candy).

2010
1. Murphy's Law is in full effect on Halloween too. I have discovered that if I anticipate a lot of trick or treaters and purchase several bags of candy, I won't have hardy any kids come to my door and will have a ton of candy left over. Then, the following year, basing my candy purchases on the previous year, I will only buy one or two bags, only to be inundated with kids, and consequently have to shut my porch light out early in the evening. Sometimes you just can't win.

2. If you want to rent a costume, then do it in late-September, early-October. Some of my friends were surprised to learn that I start planning my Halloween costume in September. Usually it's because I try to put my costumes together from re-purposed items, crafted items, Goodwill purchases, etc. so I need time to pull that all together. However, if you are interested in renting a costume, you should probably investigate your options and reserve a costume early as well. Most costume shops don't have multiples of a costume for rent, or if they do, it's only a couple, and their rental requests get taken up fast in the month of October. Not only will shopping early ensure you a good selection, but you will also be able to try on the rentals at your leisure, without having to run into eighty billion other shoppers in the store as you come and go from the changing rooms. My favorite costume shop in the Valley of the Sun is Easley's Fun Shop. They are, hands-down, the best around and I heartily recommend them. My bridal party even rented their costumes from Easley's (but that's another story for another time.)

3. If you leave your carved pumpkin on your porch overnight, you might find javelinas munching on them in the morning. This probably only applies to those of us who live in the AZ desert, but you can fill in the blank (raccoons, bears, etc.) for animals that are indigenous to your own area. I didn't personally learn this lesson, but have had this happen to several friends including, most recently, to my friend Chandy.

4. If your costume inhibits movement or limits your visibility, then don't play party games that require physicality. You would think this would be a no-brainer, but I feel like I must mention it here as a safety advisory. In the eighth grade, I invited my best friend to a Halloween party. She went dressed as an Egyptian (think Cleopatra). Her mother sewed, so she made her a white column type dress by using a t-shirt type pattern and just extending the length down to her ankles. It looked great, but there was no kick pleat or slit to allow for large strides to be taken. We participated in a relay race, and my friend, trying to run in a dress that really wasn't made for running, on grass that was somewhat wet with evening dew, fell/slid and slammed into a brick wall. Ouch! She ended up breaking her wrist, because she'd put out her hand to stop herself, and that's what got jammed into the wall. Not only did that put a damper on the rest of the party, but she then had to spend the next several hours in the ER on Halloween night. She ended up having to get a cast and later had to figure out how to wash her hair with one hand and her head hanging over the edge of the tub, which took about an hour, because instead of buying a wig, she's bought black hairspray and coated her hair with it. Then she had to wear the cast for six weeks. It was a catastrophe of immense proportions on many levels for a tender 13-year-old girl, and she blamed me for ALL of it, because I'd invited her to the party, and it was my idea to go as Egyptians. Even though we remained good friends she continued to hold that grudge against me all through high school. We've since lost touch, but I'm sure somewhere out there, she's telling her kids about that one time she got hurt at a Halloween party...

5. Shop the after-holiday sales. Everyone always thinks to shop the after-Christmas sales to get good deals on deeply discounted holiday decorations, wrapping paper and the like. The shops don't want to have to put these items into storage, gathering dust until the next year, but instead want to get rid of it, so they usually have these items marked at 50 percent off or more. Did you know this is also the case with Halloween decorations, candy (and sometimes costumes) too? The biggest deals I found this year were at Michaels Craft Store. I picked up some Halloween-themed candy molds and cake decorating items, some room decorations, party favors, and fall floral sprays all for a screaming deal. I went there the week before Halloween, when they'd just put everything into deep discounts to clear the items and make way for their Christmas merchandise. Of course, waiting this late into the season to purchase something means you run the risk of the store already being sold out of the item, so don't wait on a sale for something you really really need. But if you're looking to add to your decor collection, or candy supplies, or whatever, it's definitely worth it to wait.

What are some of your holiday tips? Please leave me a comment and let me know. And we'll see you next year! Until then, stay tuned for a year's worth of non-Halloween blog posts and a few new changes coming to my blog in the month of November.

13 Days of Halloween - a Masquerade vs. a Strip Club

2010-11-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I had out-of-town company visiting for the Halloween weekend. It was one of my very dear friends who is also a Halloween-loving, horror-movie-watching dark-hearted fiend. So, along with my husband, we spooky three spent our time enjoying the holiday weekend, including partaking in four (count them, four!) horror movies. Consequently, I completely slacked off on my Halloween posts. I was too busy enjoying it to stop and take time to write about it! But here are a few final posts to catch us up. This particular post will fall into my "rant" category.

Since when did Halloween for young girls and adult women become less about clever, cute or creepy costumes and more about so called "costumes" that look like they came from the lingerie aisle or worse yet, Strippers R Us? I know I'm probably stating the obvious here, but our society is becoming so completely over-sexualized, it's ridiculous. I was going to put an example picture here, but I couldn't even stand to have a picture of one of those costumes on my blog, even with black modesty bars across the exposed bits. I'm sure I don't need to explain them. If you went costume shopping this year, or went out on the town over Halloween weekend, I'm sure you were witness to at least one of these atrocities. Out of all the costumes listed on BuyCostumes.com, approximately one-third of the adult costumes are listed as "sexy". They are sleeveless, bustier, garter-belt, short-skirt combos that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.

A sexy ladybug? Really?

Or worse yet, a sexy Big Bird costume. Yeah, the Big Bird from Sesame Street, a KID'S show!!! That's just wrong on so many levels.

Speaking of kids... I'm not a parent, but I have friends with kids, and have tried to shop for said kids, for birthdays or whatnot, and been dismayed at the lack of modest clothing for little girls. It's not cute for a five-year-old to have "Juicy" or "Sweet" emblazoned across the seat of their pants. So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that these skimpy Halloween costumes are also invading the pre-teen sizes as well. There was a pre-teen girl that showed up at my door to trick-or-treat last night in the raunchiest, tiniest Catholic school girl get-up, that I wanted to loan her a coat to cover up with.

We are robbing children of their innocence much too soon. We are desensitizing ourselves to sexual images. Women who are respectable moms, co-workers and friends, are walking out of the house in clothes they wouldn't dare go to the mall in on an average afternoon, all under the premise that "Halloween makes it okay. It's just a costume." We're objectifying our bodies, then complain when men treat us poorly. Has the whole world gone and lost its mind?!?!

Are sexy Halloween costumes really a reflection of a bigger problem in our culture or am I just overreacting? Or if you agree, what's the solution? Please leave me a comment and let me know.

13 Days of Halloween - Snick-a-loaf

2010-10-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Another short and sweet post for tonight: a video of comedian Tim Hawkins talking about Halloween candy. He mentions the infamous popcorn balls that I discussed in one of my posts. If you've never heard Tim Hawkins' songs or routines before, be sure to click on his other videos. My particular favorites are "Chick-fil-a" and "Delilah". Enjoy!

13 Days of Halloween - Trunk or Treat

2010-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when the whole Trunk or Treat thing started. I'm guessing it was shortly after 9/11, because I remember everyone was afraid to let their kids go trick-or-treating in neighborhoods, and they were taking them to the mall, or to private parties.

Trunk or Treats are, in my experience, usually put on by churches, but I think some schools also do it. In case you've never been to one, here's how it works. Everyone parks their cars in one lot, and the lot is then roped off, so that you don't have to worry about traffic and the kids can run freely from car to car. This is much safer than kids running up and down residential streets, like they do with traditional trick or treating, with traffic or people backing out of their driveways. Everyone opens their trunk, decorates the trunk and/or their whole car, and the kids go from car to car, trick or treating.

Last night was my church's trunk or treat event. It was a blast! In addition to the decorated cars, we also had carnival games like a ring toss, cake walk, etc. and food. That would be me, in the above picture, dressed as The Grey Lady (a common title for a female ghost) standing in front of my haunted abode. I took a piece of cardboard from a TV box and, using poster paint, painted the house onto it. Then I cut out the windows, so that the light from the trunk would shine through the windows. The kids had to reach through the front door to get a piece of candy. Even though there wasn't anything in the trunk to get them, I'd hint that something might get them, so they'd better be quick. (I only did this with the older kids.) Funny how our own imaginations can give us the biggest fright.

I also had a game for them to play; a trick in order to get the treat. They had to throw three squishy balls into the jack-o-lantern's mouth. (You can see it to the right of the photo.) It was just a box that I also painted with poster paints, then cut the mouth out. I sat the box on a folding chair so it would be at the right height. I was surprised at how much this was a hit with the kids. Although, maybe it was because I was hamming it up, in character, and talking about how my jack-o-lantern was hungry and needed to be fed... We also played creepy Halloween music through our car speakers to set the mood. Again, it was a lot of fun. In fact, I think I had just as much fun as the kids did.

Now I know this is going to surprise you, (Ha!), but when it comes to Halloween, I'm usually a traditionalist. When I first heard of Trunk or Treat, I reacted thusly: "No, no no. Trick or treating is done door to door! Where's the fun in going from car to car? How can walking up to a car replace knocking on the door of a spooky dark house, not knowing who is going to open the door?" But having experienced a couple of Trunk or Treats now, I'd have to say, they're growing on me. It's nice that it's a controlled, safe environment, but I think my favorite aspect of it, is that I get to celebrate trick or treating and Halloween with 60+ of my closest friends and acquaintances. I remember when I was little, my parents would drive me all over the neighborhood, just so I could trick or treat at our friends' houses, so they could see my costume, etc. Well, now all your friends are just one or two parking spaces away!

What do you think? Do you prefer Trunk or Treat over the traditional door-to-door approach?

13 Days of Halloween - Creepy Kitchen

2010-10-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get this posted yesterday because I had a loooong night and was exhausted by the time I got done. I had to make decorations for our car, then had to make candies and use them to decorate a two tiered Halloween cake, all for tonight's Trunk or Treat festivities (more on that, including pictures, will be posted after the event tonight). I thought it might be fun though, to do a quick little tutorial on how to make your own molded candies. They are super easy and always make for a great reaction from your party guests or candy recipients.

I use Wilton Candy Melts when making molded candy (see picture above). They melt nicely, are easy to use, and come in a variety of colors. You can also purchase candy flavorings if, say, you want to tint the red candy to have a cherry taste. You can get Candy Melts at Michaels, JoAnns and speciality stores. I also bought a bag of Brach's Autumn Mix, since I needed small pumpkins, and the pumpkin mold I had was too big for the scale of the cake.

For this particular project, I melted my candy three different ways. First, I knew I was going to use a lot of milk chocolate, so I fired up this little baby: Wilton's Chocolate Melter. It's a big time help when it comes to making candy. There's no messing with a double boiler, no having to reheat your pan of chocolate when it starts to get cold and sets up on you, and no separating chocolate because you got it too hot. You can dump in a whole bag of the candy melts and it melts them all down, then you can change the setting to warm, and it keeps the chocolate at a perfect temperature. You can lift the pot out of the warmer too, so you can hold it over your molds or whatever you're working on. I also use this when I'm making chocolate covered oreos.

Next, I melted just a wafer of each of the three different colors that I was going to be using to paint details on the molds. I melted them in this little palate thing I have made for that purpose. I also put some white chocolate wafers, dark chocolate wafers and black chocolate wafers into three plastic disposable piping bags. All these items went into the microwave and I started melting them down at 30 percent power, at 30 second intervals. After each 30 seconds, I'd need the bags and stir the little paint pots. This slowly melts the chocolate, so that it doesn't separate. You just keep doing this until all the solids are melted and the mixture looks smooth.

Using a decorating brush, I painted the details on the candy mold. Candy molds can be purchased at Michaels, JoAnns, some speciality stores and online, of course. My favorite place to shop in the Valley of the Sun is ABC Cake Decorating. They have a huge supply of candy molds for everything imaginable, and lots of awesome cake making supplies too. I let that candy set up, which usually takes no time at all, since it's a thin amount of candy. Then I went back in with the piping bag with the next color I wanted. For example, for the bats, I painted red on their eyes and mouths, then went in with the piping bag and filled in the bat with the black candy. Once it set, I spooned out milk chocolate from the warmer, and filled the rest of the mold until it was level. You almost have to think backwards, or in reverse.

Here's a key step, so pay attention - you need to gently tap or shake the mold, to get all the bubbles out and to make sure the candy has seeped into every crevasse of the image. These molds are surprisingly detailed, but it can ruin the detail if you've got air bubbles or missed filling in a spot. I hold the mold up and look underneath to see if I've gotten rid of all the bubbles. For stubborn areas, I take a toothpick and insert down into the chocolate and get rid of them that way. You have to be careful when you do that, because even though you let the other colors set up first before filling in with the milk chocolate, the heat from that chocolate will re-heat the other layers and you could smear your colors together.

Although, in the case of my little tombstones, I wanted to make a marbled effect for the stone, so I piped in white and black directly in the mold and then swirled and mixed them with a decorating brush. The experiment paid off and it made a streaky, marble gray. You can leave your candies out to set up in room temperature, but that takes forever. I slide my molds into the freezer, just until the bottom of the mold appears frosty or the candy is firm to the touch (just make sure the molds can sit flat in the freezer, otherwise the chocolate won't set up level and you'll have slanted candies). You can tell by looking at it if it's hardened. Then just turn the mold over onto some wax paper and they usually pop right out with little or no coaxing.

Below is a picture of my finished candies, which I then used to decorate a cake (again, there will be more pictures posted tonight). You'll also notice the roof and side pieces of what looks like a house. This is one of my favorite molds. You put the four sides and two roof pieces together, using melted chocolate as the glue, to make a haunted house, which I used as my cake topper. How cool is that? Also, the bat molds are actually shaped to be like cake picks. You know - those little plastic decorations they stick into cupcakes - but instead, you can eat these ones! Again, how cool is that?

Sorry I didn't take more pictures while I was working; I was under a time crunch. Maybe for Christmas or Valentine's Day I can do another tutorial on how to make filled candies, truffles, drop candies and dipped items (like oreos, pretzels, etc.) How about you - do you make candies for the holidays? Leave me a comment and let me know.

13 Days of Halloween - Trick-or-Treat

2010-10-26T00:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a little interesting tidbit about the tradition of Trick-or-Treating. It actually dates back to the middle ages, when it was common for people to dress up in costumes and beg door-to-door for food or treats on holidays (similar to Christmas caroling or wassailing). It wasn't originally called trick-or-treating but souling, when children and the poor would go from house to house on Hallowmas (Nov. 1) and receive food in exchange for promising to pray for the souls of the dead for that homeowner, on All Souls Day (Nov. 2). This stems from the Catholic tradition that souls in purgatory can be prayed into heaven by living believers.

It wasn't until much later, in about the 1920s, that trick-or-treating became more of a thing that was solely for children, who would go to the shops in town and to their neighbors and sing little rhymes or recite poems in exchange for fruit or nuts. So the "trick" was actually a mini-recital. It wasn't long after, that the tricks soon became harmless good-spirited pranks, similar to toilet papering someone's house in today's time. And the nuts and fruits were replaced with candies.

Out of all the candy sold throughout the year in America, one quarter of it is sold during October, for Halloween. How much is that? Try 600 million pounds of candy! I think I got a cavity just from researching that on Google.

So, let's talk about candy! Leave me a comment and let me know... What is was your favorite candy to get at Halloween? (KitKats. I also loved getting Bazooka bubble gum, anything chocolate and tootsie roll pops or charms blow pops.) Did you have any neighbors that gave out full size candy bars? (I didn't. I did have a neighbor who gave out those little paper treat bags, stuffed with hand-selected candy. She was awesome.) How do you feel about candy corn? (I love them.) What about popcorn balls? (I've yet to try one that didn't feel and taste like eating Styrofoam.) Do you prefer hard candy over chocolate? (Depends on my mood, but chocolate usually wins out.) What is the weirdest thing you ever got in your candy bag when trick or treating? (For me, it was probably a pencil with a Halloween design on it, or a religious tract.)

13 Days of Halloween - Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!

2010-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Since I'm busy with all my crafts and assorted errands in preparation for all the Halloween activities this week, I'm going to keep this post short and sweet tonight, (or should I say short and creepy?). I love Edgar Allan Poe - he was an innovator of poetry and the mystery/thriller genre. He was an amazing, albeit tortured, author. I don't have the words or the time to go into it here (maybe another post for another time?). I also love Vincent Price. I could listen to him read the phone book. He has a beautiful, eloquent and yet sinister voice. And his films will also take a rightful place in horror movie history. So combine the two together...ah... pure genius!

And yes, that picture above is me dressed as a raven from Halloween a couple years ago. I went around quoting "The Raven" all day (and probably driving everyone in my office nuts).

13 Days of Halloween - The Cat Came Back

2010-10-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today I was moving some boxes around in my garage, getting out some more Halloween decorations. I had the garage door open to let in the beautiful crisp fall air, which we are finally starting to experience here in the Valley of the Sun. As I was working, I saw a shadowy flash out of the corner of my eye. I walked around the side of the car, and there was my neighbor's black cat (the one that uses my yard for her own personal litter box and has screeching cat-fights in our backyard at 2 AM), her creepy yellow eyes staring at me. I hissed at her and she scooted out of the garage. Not but a few minutes later, as I was getting ready to shut the garage, I saw her along the wall, sneaking up to the nook where our water heater is located, so I had to shoo her out again. I thought to myself, "That darn cat came back!" and for whatever reason, this triggered a long repressed memory in my brain, and it came back to me, as clear as yesterday...

When I was in elementary school, around Halloween, we would sing creepy Halloween songs in my music class. One of the songs we would always sing was called, "The Cat Came Back". As I pulled it up on YouTube, I wondered why in the world my music teacher would have us sing this at Halloween, let alone have little children sing about violence towards cats. Ah, I suppose, it was the golden age of cartoon violence, a time when Tom and Jerry beat each other up every afternoon. I guess it was harmless. And black cats are a traditional image around Halloween. "The Cat Came Back" is a folk song from the 1800s, but here is a pretty funny version courtesy of the Muppet Show. (Keep reading down after the video - I have two more songs to share.)

There are two other songs that I remember singing. One was "With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm", an ode to the ghost of Anne Boleyn by folk band The Kingston Trio. Again, I am somewhat amused and mystified that we were allowed to sing these songs as little kids.

If you think those two songs were a bit twisted, just wait until you hear this one. This is the last song that I remember singing in our Halloween-themed music class. It's called, "The Hearse Song". The fact we were allowed to sing these songs probably explains a lot about me and the way I am today... ha ha! Below is the only decent version I could find of it on YouTube, but he does change the arrangement and the lyrics a little. Below the video are the original lyrics as I remember them. If I remember correctly, this is an American folk song that originated with soldiers in the Civil War.

The Hearse Song
Well don't you laugh as the hearse goes by,
For you may be the next to die.
They wrap you up in a big white sheet,
From your head down to your feet.
They put you in a big black box,
And cover you up with earth and rocks.
All goes well for about a week,
Until your coffin begins to leak.
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes.
A big green worm with rolling eyes,
Crawls in your stomach and out your eyes.
Your stomach turns a slimy green,
And pus pours out like whipping cream,
You spread it on a piece of bread,
And that's what you eat when you are dead.
So next time you see the hearse go by,
Watch out!
For you may be the next to die!

13 Days of Halloween - Browsing the Book Table

2010-10-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

I live in a two-Kindle household. My husband and I are voracious readers. We have adapted to e-books and electronic media, mostly to combat our storage problem, since we have a great big love for books but an itty bitty living space to store them all. However, there is still something to be said for physical books. I continue to frequent PaperbackSwap for used books and Barnes & Noble for new books. There's just something about the tactile feel of a book, the smell of newly pressed pages, and the illustrations and cover art, that adds to the reading experience. I also get a bit giddy whenever I walk into a bookstore and survey the aisles upon aisles of new worlds just waiting to be explored.

One of my favorite things about going into a bookstore is browsing their seasonal tables, especially around the Halloween season. Sure, Amazon has "If you've read this, you might like this..." recommendations it offers, and you can see recommendation lists from other Amazon shoppers, along with user reviews. I have found a couple of books that way, but I don't think anything can replace just physically browsing through stacks of books and having a title or cover illustration jump out at you. You pick it up and investigate it, read the back cover, open it and scan the first paragraph and either keep it in your hand or set it back down.

Around Halloween, most bookstores have a whole table of books themed around the holiday displayed in a prominent area (usually near the entrance) - one table of non-fiction, costume ideas, party games, etc. and one table of fiction, such as scary stories to tell in the dark, kids picture books about trick or treating, and an assortment of horror-themed fiction. I love this table. Often the display consists of the latest blockbuster offering from Stephen King or Dean Koontz, which I don't mind, but I already know all about them. The good news is, the store's marketers or clerks usually pull some oddball, non-mainstream books to fill up the rest of the table space.

One year I found a little gem called 100 Vicious Little Vampire Stories, a collection of short stories gathered and published by Barnes & Noble themselves. I thought I'd pretty much read everything there was to read on vampires, then I came across this hefty tome. It was only $7 and worth every penny. The stories in it are imaginative and run the gamut from frightening to humorous, exploring all creative aspects of the mythology. I enjoyed it so much, that the following year I went back and purchased 100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories, which was also a treat. Each story is as yummy as a bit of trick-or-treat candy.

This past year, I scored two books that actually made my "best of 2009" list. One was Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge and the other book (which my husband actually found for me) was The New Vampire's Handbook: A Guide for the Recently Turned Creature of the Night by the Vampire Miles Proctor. The New Vampire's Handbook was one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, but then again, I think I was the target audience (i.e. someone who knows a lot about the vampire mythology and is somewhat disgusted by the modern turn the genre has taken). Written like an instruction manual for a newly made vampire, it is actually a send up modern vampire mythology and what pop culture has done to it. It was witty and smart.

An even better book, which I also found on the holiday table, was Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge. It's more of a novella in size, and I only picked it up because of the intriguing, detailed artwork on the front cover. I purchased it because it looked like a quick read, and because the price was right. I had no idea how much bang I was going to get for my buck when it came to this little novella. Wow. In fact, I delayed on finishing it, simply because I didn't want it to be over. The narrative style is unlike anything I've ever read. It's in your face, and addresses the reader directly, immediately making you a part of the story. The first line starts out: "A Midwestern town. You know its name. You were born there." When I read that, I replied, "I do? I was?" After that line, I was completely hooked. The book is a combination of an ancient fable, a 60s B-movie flick or Twilight Zone episode, and a spooky ghost story. In fact, here's the first paragraph of the novella, (also available on Amazon):

"A Midwestern town. You know its name. You were born there.

It’s Halloween, 1963… and getting on toward dark. Things are the same as they’ve always been. There’s the main street, the old brick church in the town square, the movie theater – this year with a Vincent Price double-bill. And past all that is the road that leads out of town. It’s black as a licorice whip under an October sky, black as the night that’s coming and the long winter nights that will follow, black as the little town it leaves behind."

"Black as a licorice whip" - don't you just love that?

My birthday is in late September and another one of my horror-loving friend's birthday is in October. Consequently, each year, we both know we're going to get books from that Halloween table for birthday gifts. This year he got me Werewolves: An Illustrated Journal of Transformation by Jessup and Haller that is filled with some wonderful free-form pencil illustrations and I got him Werewolf Haiku by Ryan Mecum, which looked like a pretty funny take on the trials of being a shapeshifter. I'm also looking forward to reading the collection Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Fiction. How about you? Do you still frequent bookstores or are you all about the Kindle? Do you ever check out the bookstore specialty tables? What is your favorite campfire ghost story? Or do you hate scary stores? Please leave me a comment and let me know, and to read my other posts about my love of books and bookstores, just click here.

13 Days of Halloween - The Addams Family... Sings?

2010-10-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

I love Charles Addams' comics. I've discussed them once before, here. He was doing things that paved the road for future comics like The Far Side. His humor was a little twisted, a little macabre and always surprising and ingenious. His comics were the basis for the Addams Family TV show that aired in the 60s and a feature film released in the 90s. Almost every one of the sight gags or jokes in the movie were taken directly from his comics. The picture above is how the Addams Family appeared in his cartoons.

As a child, I would hurry home from school to catch the television episodes. Not caring that they were in black and white, all I knew was that the show's humor resonated with me and I connected with their strange sensibilities. I was always a different, weird kid (Big surprise there, right?) so it was nice to see a family of people that I could relate to. (Yeah, that's right, I related to the Addams Family... paging Dr. Freud!) And I'm still a fan. I've collected all the TV shows and the film on DVD and have watched them more times than I can count. I've collected most of Addams' comics in book form as well. For the longest time, I had the TV show's theme song as my ringtone, and I might just admit that I have a secret desire to name my first daughter Wednesday. I feel like the Addams Family is a distant third branch on my family tree, and I always feel at home when I pop in the DVD or crack open a book. It really is like visiting old friends.

Just recently, I have received some disconcerting news that the Addams Family has been turned into a... brace yourselves... a Broadway musical. Hmm. Uh. Yeah. Not sure how I feel about that. I cannot imagine the Addams Family singing, unless it was the Mamushka, of course. The musical stars two very talented, funny people: Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia. For the most part, I just can't seem to wrap my sensibilities around musicals. Perhaps I would like this one? But I just can't envision Uncle Fester or Wednesday breaking into Broadway song. Singing showtunes seems a little too cheery for this dreary little family. You can check out the website for the musical here. What do you think? Do you enjoy musicals or do you find them cheesy and a bit hard to take (like I do)? Leave me a comment and let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to go fire up the DVD player and visit my old friends. They're creepy and their kooky, mysterious and spooky...

13 Days of Halloween - Are You A Good Witch or A Bad Witch?

2010-10-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West, from the 1939 film adaptation of the Wizard of Oz. It seems like we often forget that Glinda is referred to as a witch. With Halloween approaching, images of witches are everywhere. It has prompted me to write a little missive (maybe even a bit of a rant) on the whole knee-jerk reaction some of us have to the topic of magic and witches. Before we start, I feel as if I must mention that this post is being written by a Christian, with other Christian believers as the target audience I have in mind.

Most of the books I've read and movies I've seen that include the use of magic or witches approaches it 1. as a literary device and 2. for the most part clearly presents two sides - good and evil (or at least, in my humble opinion, the good fiction does this). When I say authors use magic or witches as literary devices, I mean it is simply a fantasy tool used to tell a story. Magic is what helps transport the Darling children to Neverland, or the Pevensie children through the wardrobe (or painting, etc.) into Narnia. It's a way for the author to get the main characters into a fantastical land. Often, the fantasy land and its characteristics, inhabitants, quests, etc. all work as an allegory or are symbolic of the deeper message the author is conveying. Sometimes magic is simply used as a skill, just like fencing or horseback riding, that the characters use to complete their quests.

The same thing goes for witches. In the Wizard of Oz, witches are simply magical rulers over the different lands within Oz. Some witches, like Glenda, are good while others are evil, like the Wicked Witch of the West. Not only are witches being used as a literary device - the witches and their magic are used to further along the story, to present obstacles or to provide magical tools or helps for our main characters during their quest or journey - but they are also firmly established on the side of either good or evil. In fairy tales there are often witches (evil) and fairy godmothers (good). The literary character of a witch or the literary tool of magic is neither good nor bad, but is painted as one or the other by the author or film-maker.

Having said all that, let's talk for a moment about Harry Potter. I have had well-meaning individuals approach me and admonish me up one side and down the other and question my faith, simply for reading the Harry Potter novels because of the evil "witchcraft" and "magic" they contain, but these same individuals are fine with the Chronicles of Narnia stories or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Correct me if I'm wrong, but those stories all include a witch or wizard and magic, don't they? Yes, the queen in Narnia uses magic and is evil, but don't forget the Pevensie children also use magic. For example, Lucy is given a flask with a magical fluid of healing in it. We must take the thing, whether it is magic, monsters, fairies or witches, and look at the context. What is the author's purpose and goal? What is the author saying?

In the case of Harry Potter, magic is simply a skill, just like arithmetic or fencing. The Hogwarts school teaches the children to use their magic (i.e. skills) for good. There are witches and wizards who use their magic for evil and they are most definitely painted in a negative light and are even arrested and punished for the crime of using their magic for evil. The good witches use their magic to defeat the bad witches in battle. I'm not saying the Harry Potter series isn't flawed, or that it's the best work of fiction ever. I'm just saying it gets a unfairly bad rap by individuals who react to the content (i.e. witches and wizards) without taking the time to understand the context.

In my view, the Harry Potter series is no different in style or themes than the Star Wars films, where The Force is like a magical talent that certain people can tap into. Some people (i.e. Jedis) use it for good, while others (i.e. Sith) use it for bad, even calling it The Dark Side. These stories all tell of the eternal struggle of good versus evil, and don't we all love to see goodness prevail and triumph over evil? It satisfies an innate human desire to make the wrong things right. Furthermore, it is a pattern or shadow of the true story of our faith, in which Jesus, perfect, good and sinless, sacrificed himself and conquered death and sin, to bring salvation to sinful man and restore him to righteousness. (As a point of interest, J.K. Rowling has a Christian background and although I wouldn't call the Harry Potter books "Christian fiction", they have a decidedly Christian theme, especially in the final resolution of the series, where one man lays his life down in order to save others from ultimate evil.)

Now, I want you to hear me very clearly on this next point. I am not, in any way, shape or form, condoning actual, real life witchcraft. There is the realm of fantasy fiction, and then there's the realm of reality. I'm also not condoning anything that glorifies evil. For example, I'm okay with reading Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia and think they are fine as works of fiction, but I'm not interested in seeing films such as The Craft or Practical Magic, that try to present real life witchcraft as acceptable or something to be pursued. I've met and had long discussions with people who follow the Wicca religion and it is not anything one should be messing around with.

Furthermore, if someone used to be steeped in the occultic lifestyle or Wicca or satanism or anything of the sort, and have since come out of it, I can fully understand how any exposure to or any reference to witches or magic and the like might be harmful and disturbing or bring up a temptation for that person to return to that lifestyle. Each individual has his/her own comfort levels, and I fully respect that. For example, alcohol, in and of itself, is not evil. However, if you've battled with alcoholism, then you shouldn't be watching or reading things that make you want to drink and/or cause that temptation or sin to rise up in you. The same goes for literature. Although these literary devices may be harmless in and of themselves, if it causes you to sin or be tempted, then it's best to avoid them.

As Romans 14 says, "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." If reading about magic or witches bothers you or burdens your conscience, then I'm most certainly not going to badger you about how you have to read Harry Potter and keep dropping the books off at your house, and I won't judge you for it either. Conversely, if I don't have a problem with it and my conscience is not convicted by reading them, then I would hope you would refrain from judging me about it too.

At this point, you may be thinking, "the lady doth protest too much" and that I am being defensive because I'm trying to justify sinful behavior or pursuits. On the contrary, I am simply frustrated with the lack of consistency, education, discernment and thoughtfulness when it comes to Christians and the arts. (I've spoken about this issue before, here.) I think the bottom line of what I'm trying to get at here, is I would just like for us to have discernment in all things. Engage your brain. My goal is to read with a book in one hand and the Bible in the other, and to actively think about the literature I'm reading or the movies I'm watching. What is the author trying to say? Does it glorify evil, or tell the truth about evil and sin? Are witches and magic used simply as literary devices, or is it presented as an alternative path to God's Truth? If you have a specific problem with a work of fiction, then let's discuss it on its literary merits, and the context in which magic and witches are used, and, keeping Romans 14 in mind, if it comes to it, let's agree to disagree within the unity of Christ. What do you say? Deal?

13 Days of Halloween - Mickey's Halloween Party

2010-10-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, my little Monsters and Ghouls; time for my countdown to Halloween! If you'd like to read my previous Halloween posts, just click here. To kick off the thirteen days, I'm going to start by talking about Halloween in Disneyland. Yes, you read that right: Halloween and Disneyland, two of my all-time favorite things together in one place! My husband recently treated me to a surprise trip to Disneyland to celebrate our anniversary. Back in the day, my husband and I honeymooned there, so not only was this trip filled with Halloween festivities and Disneyland but it was also full of nostalgic, romantic warm fuzzies.

As an aside, those of you who know of my love for Halloween and all things Fall probably won't be surprised to know that I was married in October. In fact, I really wanted to get married on Halloween, but my mother was already so freaked out about the whole thing, I decided to save her sanity (and mine) by not pushing the "wedding tradition" envelope.

Starting near the end of September and running through the month of October, Disneyland decorates the park with Halloween and Fall decorations, and they have special Halloween festivities. Additionally, the Haunted Mansion (my favorite ride) is converted over with a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay, which they leave up through December, since it combines both holidays. (Are you doing the math? Halloween + Disneyland + Tim Burton = FUN!)

Disneyland is perfection, down to the last little detail, and their Halloween decorations were no exception to that rule. Jack-o-lanterns were perched everywhere on Main Street, the bakery had bat shaped cookies and pumpkin muffins, the flowers and landscaping were done in Fall colors. Frontierland had a pumpkin patch and scarecrows and Día de los Muertos decorations near the Mexican restaurant, while the French Quarter was decorated in classy, black decorations that matched the mood of the Haunted Mansion. I wanted to take pictures of everything! In fact, there's so much to see at Disneyland (whether it's at a holiday time or not), that I think I take pictures of different things each time I go. There's so much detail to see, I always notice something new and different on each visit. Even the costumed characters were dressed in their Halloween finest. Minnie Mouse had the cutest orange and purple witch costume on, I wish I'd gotten a picture of it.

It was my first time going through the Haunted Mansion ride with its holiday overlay, and all I can say is, "WOW." I'm not even sure how to explain it, except to say it was like actually being in the Nightmare Before Christmas movie. My mouth hung open in awe for the majority of the ride. The narration is different and the music is replaced with songs from the movie. They even pipe in the smell of gingerbread in the ballroom to further enhance the experience of being in Jack's version of Christmastown. We went through it twice in the short time we were there. Space Mountain also gets a Halloween upgrade and becomes Ghost Mountain. It still looks like you're flying through space, but now there's a galactic ghost that chases you and pops out at you at different points throughout the ride. It was fun, but it didn't add much to the original ride experience.

On Friday nights in the month of October, the park closes at 7:00 PM and hosts Mickey's Halloween Party for those who want to attend. When my darling husband was making the travel arrangements and found this out he said, "Well, of course we have to do that!" (I just love him!) Guests arrive dressed in costume and are given trick-or-treat bags. There are candy stations all around the park on a trick-or-treat walk/path. Everywhere was spooky lighting and fun Halloween themed music was played through all the speakers throughout the park. There were also little scenes with characters, such as a talking scarecrow. The castle was lit in ominous colors and the Rivers of America was covered in fog for a very spooky effect. There was a Halloween parade and then a Halloween themed fireworks show, complete with a flying Zero and talking Jack head that loomed over us, all set to the classic Halloween songs. Just check out this brief video of the night and the fireworks show.

I didn't want to leave and, in fact, asked my husband if there was any way we could live there. Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth, and when they are celebrating a holiday, it just increases the fun. (I've been there during the Christmas holiday and it's magic to the tenth power. But that's another blog post for another time.) I'm so thankful that I was able to experience Disneyland while they were celebrating my favorite holiday. I'm even more thankful that I got to enjoy this magical, spooky time with my husband. Thanks sweetie, for such a special gift. You made my Disneyland-dreaming, Halloween-loving heart happy!

To read my other posts about the magic of Disneyland and why I love it so much, just click here.

Musical Interlude - When I Was A Fool

2010-10-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, Gentle Readers. I apologize, again, for the umpteenth time, for being such a tease. I constantly make promises on this blog to you (and to myself) and then consistently fail in meeting them. I have the best of intentions. Honestly, I do. But you know what they say about good intentions.

You'll notice my Illustration Friday challenge flamed out after only one week. How pathetic is that? I encountered artist's block (I know of writer's block. What do you call it when you're stumped on visual art?) on the second assignment, then completely froze up beyond that week. The longer it went, the worse it got, and self-doubt crept in. Maybe I've completely lost the ability to be creative, to draw, to write. They say "use it or lose it"; and I have neglected this area of my life for so long, maybe I have, in deed, lost it. (I'm pretty sure I've lost it in the writing arena; I mean, look at how many cliched phrases and aphorisms I've already used in this post alone.)

They say you can identify the things that are important in your life, by where you spend your time. What does this say about me? For the most part, the things that are most important to me are at the bottom of the list, with hardly any time devoted to them. I barely have time to do the basics of life - go to work, fix dinner, do laundry, etc. What is wrong with me that I can't make time for the things that are important to me? I used to be such an organized, driven person.

Then, when I finally try to get back on the creativity horse with trying to do some artwork at least once a week, I fall flat on my face. I set some goals for my writing on my blog, and don't meet any of them. Some other, additional writing goals or opportunities were crushed recently as well. Then there's the whole thing about setting some goals about getting a job that is just a smidgen of rewarding, yet I continue to settle for a dead-end, un-challenging, desk job in cubicleland. If I wasn't feeling frustrated and disappointed enough in myself already, then came this week's Bible study. Normally, the Bible studies I participate in with my small group on Sunday nights are very edifying, but this week the topic stressed me out and made me feel even worse. In short, it was about making time for relationships, and taking the time to really be present with others and share God's love with them. I can barely fit in time to pray and study the Bible, and already feel like I'm failing miserably in that arena. Now here's another area where I'm not devoting enough time or energy. UGH!

If you've read this far, then I feel like I need to apologize to you again. I know that no one wants to read or enjoys reading a blog where the author whines about being slothful, and I know I'm breaking an unofficial blogger rule here by self-critiquing and blogging about not having time to blog, etc. but I'm seriously trying to wrap my head around all of this. I'll be honest with you, Gentle Readers, and admit to you that I'm feeling pretty low tonight (as if you haven't already figured that out). I'm in quite a deep hole, and I have no one to blame but myself for getting here.

I didn't write this to fish for compliments or platitudes or sympathy. (In fact, if I can figure out how to do it, I might just disable comments for this post.) I don't even know what I want to gain by writing all this. I'm completely at a loss - about everything. I just feel like a walking piece of meat, sucking air, taking up space, and pulling a paycheck. (I'm just a little ray of sunshine tonight, aren't I?) I know that's not true, but it's how I feel right now.

And on that cheerful note... (ha!) here's a musical interlude. I don't have all the answers, but I do find some comfort in knowing other people struggle with these things. I've always felt a connection to Johnette Napolitano (lead singer of Concrete Blonde) and her music. This song is actually written from a different perspective, about somewhat different issues (i.e. the dual-edged sword of celebrity, and fading fortune and fame as a rock star, etc.) but I can relate to her questioning tone, about what to do with this life we have. I just wish I could feel as strong, confident and victorious as she does by the end of the song.

When I Was a Fool
by Concrete Blonde

I re-read silly lines
That made sense at the time
Pages all stained with tears and red wine
And I walk through the
airport and see magazines
Every face that I see
So much younger than me
And I smile to myself how I
don't even miss
My glorious past or the
lips that I've kissed
And I think to myself
that how easy this is
Easy to breathe, easy to live
And I wonder why I tear myself in two
Over how to be, what to say and what to do
And I know you liked me better then
And I know you liked me
better when I was a fool
...I was a fool
...mm
...I was a fool
...mm

So I live in these days
But I still have my old ways
'cause the future,
somehow, has yet to arrive
And I see all around me the women on time
Kids and divorces and crisis in midlife
and do I surrender and give up my dream
for a brick in the wall and
a washing machine
grow up and get real
for a kid in their teens
who won't care what I've done
where I've been, what I've seen

And I wonder why I tear myself in two
over who to be, how to be and what to do
and I know you liked me better then
and I know you liked me
better when I was a fool
...I...was a fool
...I was a fool
...I was a fool

I'm free to a fault
I'm 45
I'm playing guitar
I'm living my life
Fly down the highway
Sun on my face
I belong to nobody
I belong to no place

Musical Interlude - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Soundtrack

2010-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

Follow me on this one: in a case of art imitating art imitating art, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is actually a series of comic books (or graphic novels, if you prefer) in which the main character plays in a band. There's much more to them than that, but we'll go with that short explanation for now. The graphic novels inspired a movie directed by the genius, Edgar Wright. In the film, he had to bring Scott's band, the Sex Bob-omb, to life. The actors all played their own instruments and sang, and the artist Beck wrote the music for the band. And that, Gentle Readers, is how we come to today's musical interlude.

This first song by this fictitious, although now somewhat brought to real life, band playing the song called "Garbage Truck" with footage taken directly from the movie. This song cracked me up, but it also kind of rocked. And because I just couldn't help myself, I posted a second video from a different, rival band from the film called The Clash at Demonhead. (There's a lot of focus on the local music scene in the movie.) The song is called "Black Sheep" and it has a retro feel to it. It was recorded by a band called Metric. The footage for the video was also taken from the movie. YouTube wouldn't let me embed the video, so just click on the picture and it will take you to the video on YouTube.

If you haven't seen the film yet, or read the comic books, I highly recommend both. Especially if you grew up playing video games, since video games are referenced stylistically throughout the story, sometimes just for fun but oftentimes as a metaphor for the challenges Scott faces in his life. There are a few things in the plot I wish weren't there, but for the most part it is good clean fun. And I obviously recommend the soundtrack; everything on it is just fun, good music! If you've seen the film or read the comics, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it.

IF: Dessert

2010-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

There is a website called Illustration Friday that, according to the site, serves as a "weekly creative outlet and participatory art exhibit for illustrators and artists of all skill levels... It's a chance to experiment and explore and play with visual art." Basically how it works is each week a one-word topic is suggested. Participants create an illustration inspired by it, post it to their blog, then link to it on the IF website.

I know the website says it's for artists of all skill levels, both novices and pros alike. I know it says there's no pressure, no judgment. I've stalked this site for a while now and the other artists do seem to be supportive and encouraging of each other when they leave comments. I know all that, but...

I'm still as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Now there's an image for you.

It's been a long time since I've shown anyone my work. This may seem silly, but drawing this picture, and then posting it online, felt like a big step for me. This week's IF assignment was "dessert". Having just recently taken a class about body image and intuitive eating, this was the first thing that came to mind. We're so quick to put certain foods off limits, but that only makes us desire them more because they are forbidden. We give food the power over us, and we become even more obsessed. What did you think of, when you first saw this picture? Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know.

I miss doing art. I'm so much happier (and healthier mentally) when I'm drawing and painting on a regular basis. My heart is so frustrated over the fact that I can't currently get to any of my art supplies. Consequently, the drawing shown above was done on printer paper with a #2 pencil and no pencil sharpener. Not my first choice for media (printer paper is not very forgiving), but it finally got to the point where I just had to put pencil to paper somehow and start creating again. Maybe next week I'll at least upgrade to a drawing journal or something, until I can get my little art studio back into a usable state and can access my supplies. There are so many projects I want to work on, but I've got to knock the rust off the ol' gears first. Hopefully these little Illustration Friday challenges will help me do just that.

Because I felt helpless in being unable to get to my art supplies, I actually downloaded the Brushes program to my iPhone. It's an amazing little program, but having never used digital software to create art before (yeah, I'm old school) there's a bit of a learning curve. I actually tried to draw for this assignment using the program, but I felt like I spent the majority of the time adjusting my "brush" width, transparency, color, etc. and then constantly zooming in and out on the page. You can see the sad result of my efforts below.

Even though the software is very intuitive and relatively easy to learn, I don't know if I have the patience for it. It seems a whole lot easier and quicker to just pick up a pencil that is the color you need, or to use the side of your finger to blend a shadow, then it is to finesse a software tool ad nauseam before you can even begin to draw. I'm guessing the program would be easier to use on a bigger screen, like on the iPad (hint hint - to anyone reading this who may be shopping for my birthday) and maybe once I get the hang of it, and get quicker at it, the results will be more immediate and satisfying, like they are when using real life materials. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be posting videos to YouTube like this one. Ha!

Art Is Not Evil

2010-09-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

"Art is much less important than life,

but what a poor life without it." ~ Robert Motherwell

I dislike rants. I dislike reading blogs that frequently post rants. But I understand the occasional overwhelming desire to vent, to open your personal door into the blogosphere and scream at the top of your lungs, "This is driving me nuts and I'm not going to take it anymore!" This would be one of those times. This topic has been simmering in my brain for a while now, and the more I read and encountered online the more it began to churn until it has boiled over. So... commence rant in three, two, one...

Art is Not Evil
Art, in and of itself, is not evil, but it is powerful. By "art" I mean all creative expressions: visual arts like painting and sculpture, as well as theater, television, movies, literature, poetry, music, dance, etc. I really think that Christians, and Americans in general, need to become better educated about the arts and the various languages these mediums use to communicate, such as the splice cuts, extreme close-ups and moving images of a film, or the musical chords and tonality in a score. We need to become media savvy. I also think, as Christians, we need to study both the Bible and history, and learn that artistic ability is a gift from God. We need to recognize how the arts can be used to reflect His truths. In fact, throughout much of history, Christianity was the driving force behind the arts and culture. The church was at the forefront of creative expression and innovation. How did we get it all turned around, and the church is now the last one to the party when it comes to cultural influences and has been relegated to simply reacting to all the evil that is in the arts and touting that it should be avoided at all costs?

Learn the Language
The arts are a powerful tool for communication. They can communicate an idea, a feeling, an emotion, a message. Each artistic branch has its own set of tools to communicate with. For example, literature is built up with symbolism, allegories, metaphors, foreshadowing, overarching themes, etc. One of the biggest rules in writing is to "show, don't tell" your audience what you want them to know. How do you do that? By the use of these many tools. If you don't understand the devices and how they are used, you won't understand what is being communicated. The same thing goes for major and minor notes or rhythm in music, or the composition and use of colors in a painting or printed image. When we don't understand the language of a given artistic medium, then we are more prone to making erroneous assumptions and split-second judgments about the content or message of the piece, which leads to my next point.

Dull Salt and Dim Light

Here's an example of someone making an erroneous assumption about a piece of art. As most of you already know, I am an avid fan of the TV show LOST. The LOST writers used a lot of Biblical references and symbolism, as well as Biblical themes such as redemption, sacrificing self to serve others, etc. in the telling of their story and, for the most part, they presented these Christian messages in a positive light. However, I recently saw an online discussion where a commenter said, in regards to the Christian themes in LOST, "The Bible plus anything equals heresy." Umm...okay. As a statement that's true, but as a Christian, that's really the choice you want to make? That's going to be your reaction to a hit show that is watched by millions of people across the country and overseas? You are going to isolate yourself completely from the culture and miss out on an opportunity to share about your faith? LOST is not a replacement for the Bible by any means, and I don't think any of the writers implied or intended it to be. But rather, what a wonderful opportunity to start a discussion about morality with fellow LOST fans, who wouldn't be open to talking about the Bible or spiritual topics otherwise.

There's nothing that annoys me more than the automatic fearful reaction some Christians have towards books, films, music, etc. They instantly condemn it without truly taking the time to investigate the medium and educate themselves about the material. We are to be in the world, but not of the world, but so many of us have trouble finding that balance, and I think it comes from a place of fear and lack of confidence in our faith. How are we to be salt and light to the world, when we are so far removed from it, or afraid to engage it? We have crippled ourselves and made us and our message irrelevant. If people, and Christians specifically, had a better understanding of things such as symbolism, and understood the artistic tools used to convey an idea, and were taught how to read properly with deductive reasoning skills then they wouldn't have a knee-jerk reaction to every little thing that appears to threaten their faith.

My favorite book contains murder, witches, burning children alive, adultery, lying, incest and war. What is your initial reaction to that? As a Christian, would you tell me not to read it? What if I told you it's the Bible? Yes, the Bible actually has all those horrible things in it, and more. However, it doesn't glorify those things, but shows good and evil in its proper light.We can't judge a book by it's cover. It isn't simply about content but about the application and the deeper message. When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he was educated about the mythical stories, art and culture of the people there, and used quotes from their own poets to reason with them. A modern literary work of tragedy, full of murder and lies, even if it is not overtly "Christian" in nature, can still be used to teach things such as ideas have consequences, and all sin leads to death. We can and should engage our gray matter and actually reason through things, including the arts. The bottom line is, it's all about education and discernment, so that we can be more effective messengers.

Our Creative Creator

God is creative. It is part of the nature of God. The Bible starts out with telling us that He created and it was good. Look at the amazing and beautiful assortment of flowers, of creatures, etc. that he created. Being creative is a reflection of our Creator. We are made in His image, and our creativity and ability to create is a reflection of that image. There is no such thing as secular art and sacred art. All beauty is God's beauty. All truth is God's Truth. Now whether the author or artist wants to acknowledge or celebrate that is another matter entirely. Many Christians complain about the current state of movies or literature or what is being offered on television, but few offer an alternative, especially an alternative that is relevant to the culture we live in (instead of works that just preach to the choir, without reaching a new audience). We need to encourage and support Christians that choose to enter an artistic field. Instead of shunning Hollywood, we need to support those Christians willing to go into that environment and create a piece of quality art that reflects and celebrates God's Truth. Let's take back the arts! Even if we're not the artists, we need to do our part too. Let's not be afraid to use the brains God gave us and educate ourselves, reason through the things that the arts and current culture present to us, and with discernment, engage our culture!

Musical Interlude - Whipped Cream

2010-09-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

No need to prepare the preparations, the new Ludo album is here and it is a-maz-ing! I dare say it is their best album yet. In listening to it, I feel such a kinship with the band members. It's like they crawled inside my head and wrote a soundtrack for what they found there (although I'll admit I don't think my imagination and dreams are as witty as they are). In my final post celebrating their new album release, I was going to tell you my initial thoughts about it and give you a taste for what it's like. But why re-create (or in this case, re-write) the wheel when it's already been done? Instead, go read this article which describes the album per-fect-ly. Here's my favorite quote:

"The product of brave choices and skilled execution by the band, 'Prepare the Preparations' is funny, fantastical, epic, intimate, heartfelt, haunting and unapologetically nerdy. It’s an incredibly entertaining album with no reservations that is 100-percent Ludo."

Below are the videos for the first single off the new album: "Whipped Cream". Similar to their song "Go-Getter Greg", this song pokes fun at the creepy guys with the cheesy pick-up lines. This isn't my favorite song (although it is hard to pick a favorite on this album, since they are all so different) but this the only one they've made a video for so far. In fact, they've made two videos. The band likes to make their own homemade videos (just search for "The Ludo Video Thing" on YouTube and you'll see what I mean). So I've posted both the studio version of the music video and their homemade version. They're both funny, but I think I like their homemade one better. Enjoy!

Musical Interlude - Broken Bride

2010-08-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's week three of my blog-hosted love-fest for the band Ludo, as we count down the weeks in preparation for the release of their new album. I've tried to articulate in my last two posts Ludo's distinctive sound and what makes them so special (not an easy writing task, mind you). They do not limit themselves to one musical style on an album and they have a lot of humor woven into their lyrics, which can be more prominent in some songs than others. What is surprising is how they pull it together and make it all work. Not only can they write a catchy radio single, but they can also write grand sweeping cinematic pieces too, such as the Broken Bride album. In doing a little research online about the members, I discovered that lead singer Andrew Volpe was a college music composition major and guitarist Tim Ferrell is drawn toward microtonal music and the “notes between the notes of the western scale”. That's some high-falutin' music talk from just a bunch of rock 'n rollers, and it helps me understand how Broken Bride came to be. It's a 30 minute rock opera/concept album of pure genius. It has pop tunes, rock tunes and lush cinematic soundtrack-type music as well, with some wonderful reoccurring themes.

When I first got the album, I decided to listen to it on my way in to work one morning. Since my commute is about 30 minutes long I was able to listen to the whole thing. I started out thinking,"Ha! What a cool idea. Ha! He just mentioned dinosaurs," but by the time I pulled into the parking garage at work, I was shellshocked. I just sat in my car, crying my eyes out. I would try to explain it, but I think I'll let this commenter, indierockfan, from Amazon do it for me, because his/her analysis is everything I want to say about it, but can't figure out how to put into words:

An unbelievable post-punk rock opera
There's no question that "Broken Bride" is a rock opera, but the music has more in common with "American Idiot" than similar narrative concept albums by The Who or Meatloaf. It tells the story of a man (The Traveler) who builds a time machine to prevent the death of the woman he loves. The machine malfunctions, sending him back to pre-history and forward to the Rapture. Ultimately, the Traveler must make a choice that will decide whether he saves his wife or all of humanity.

When I first read about the concept, I laughed out loud at how ridiculous and overwrought it was. By the last song, I had to keep myself from crying. That's not what you'd necessarily expect from Ludo, whose self-titled first release positioned it as a Weezer-ish alternative rock band with a sense of humor. Broken Bride features the same emo-tinged vocals and hook-y rock, but the band evades any attempt at genre categorization in its second outing.

In fact, the album's range is wide enough that there may be some moments that are too hard or too soft, depending on how you like your rock. But every genre twist and turn is perfectly executed, lushly produced, and imaginatively composed. It's an easy album to love, and one you'll want to be sure to listen to from beginning to end.

So as not to spoil it for you, I've posted the first song from the album below. I couldn't post my favorite song, because then it'd give the whole story away. I hope you like it, and I hope you're intrigued enough to download the whole album and take the journey for yourself.

Musical Interlude - Hum Along

2010-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is week two of my Ludo-lovefest, leading up to the release of their new album. As I mentioned in my previous post, Ludo crafts songs with serious/touching lyrics as much as they do humorous lyrics and at times they even combine the two into one song. The problem that stems from writing the humerous songs, though, is that people often overlook the musical talent and craft involved. The song "Hum Along" is one of my favorites, and showcases all these things. I love how the song/lyrics capture the feeling of what it's like to have a crush on someone that you know is completely unattainable, knowing you will never have the opportunity (or perhaps courage) to even talk to them and yet you still wish and hope and dream (or perhaps obsess) about him/her. Then the bridge just gets silly and shows their humor. The music itself is a solid, sing-a-long (or in this case, hum-a-long), catchy pop tune. I hope you like it as much as I do...

"Hum Along"

by Ludo

You'll never hear this song
You'll never see the movie in my head
But you infest my sleep, and your figure creeps
Through my walls and hums above my bed

I know your name, and that you're photogenic and tall
But I've never heard you talk
And there's something about you
That stabs me right through

Chorus:
It isn't right for me to paint your picture
Every night, but I do (I can't find sleep)
And it feels so wrong (I breathe too deep), to sing this song (into the sky)
But maybe (as I walk and sing), somehow, you'll hear me (you'll hear a song)
And hum along
You'll hum along, you'll hum along, you'll hum along

And I've only seen you once, at your graduation
No cinematic glow or soft rock soundtrack
And I watched you move and breathe and cry
And it felt so wrong

(Chorus)

Maybe you'd be kidnapped by pirates
And they would take you to their hideout
As pirates often do
But I'd find the secret map
And I would vigilante-bushwhack
Through the jungles of Peru
Just to save you and I'd take you north to Mexico
Where you would tell me your life story on the steps of a Mayan temple
Where we'd camp, singing nonsense songs in 12 bars to the jaguars, until you'd sense me
Your eyes convincing, and I would kiss you like a hero in the half-light
Dryer sheets and peach shampoo, the smell of palm leaves, I'd sleep against you
Until the natives found us, but they would crown us king and queen
And we could stay there, spend our days there, eating guava by the sea
And I could understand your views and you could fall in love with me

(Solo)

And while the silly human race talks to droids in outer-space
We grow old and laugh about this song
And between the jungle and the stars, you sing nonsense songs in 12 bars to me
And in my sleep I hum along

You'll never hear this song
You'll never see the movie in my head

Musical Interlude - Love Me Dead

2010-08-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

It must have been fate when I heard my first Ludo song. I mean, how could I possibly not like a band who took their name from a character in one of my favorite movies? But that's not the only reason I like them. Ludo is one of the most inventive, entertaining and surprising bands I've come across in quite some time.

It's hard to describe their sound or genre. I suppose they would be classified as "alternative" but simply because they do a little bit of everything and can't be pigeonholed into any one genre. They can rock out in one song, have a catchy pop tune the next one, and then blast an almost punk vibe, then switch to a sweet ballad - and that's all on one album. Not only that, but their songs reference such things as pirates, zombies, spacemen, Halloween, time travel, dinosaurs, Star Wars and other geeky stuff, but also have a lot of heart and can be touching and serious.

Several of their songs also showcase a tongue-in-cheek irony and are somewhat satirical. To quote keyboardist Tim Convy, in regards to the band's humor, “It's kind of a blessing and a curse, but it’s a large part of what we do. We’re just trying to be genuine and true to the cornucopia of human experience. We have songs that are dark and creepy as well as songs that are stupid and fun.”

Having said all that, you would assume their music sounds like a messy hodgepodge with no definition or skill. On the contrary... they somehow make it work and, in my humble opinion, it works quite well.

Ludo's new album will be released on September 7th and I'm more than a little excited. So I've decided that for the next several weeks, Ludo will be taking over my weekly "Musical Interlude" posts as we prepare the preparations for the new album release date. This is the song and video that started it all for me: "Love Me Dead" off the You're Awful, I Love You album, about a dysfunctional love/hate relationship where you know he/she isn't good for you, but you keep going back for more. I suspect you will have to watch the video more than once, (like I did) just to catch all the fun sight-gags. Enjoy!

LOVE ME DEAD
by Ludo

Love me cancerously

Like a salt-sore soaked in the sea.
'High-maintenance' means
You're a gluttonous queen
Narcissistic and mean.

Kill me romantically
Fill my soul with vomit
Then ask me for a piece of gum.
Bitter and dumb
You're my sugarplum.
You're awful, I love you!

CHORUS
She moves through moonbeams slowly
She knows just how to hold me
And when her edges soften
Her body is my coffin
I know she drains me slowly
She wears me down to bones in bed
Must be the sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead!
Love me dead!

You're a faith-healer on T.V.
You're an office park without any trees
Corporate and cold
Gushing for gold
Leave me alone.

You suck so passionately
You're a parasitic, psycho, filthy creature
finger-bangin' my heart
You call me up drunk
Does the fun ever start?
You're hideous and sexy!

REPEAT CHORUS

Must be the sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead!
Love me dead!

SOLO

Love me cancerously
Brrrot-dot-da-d-da-da!
How's your new boy?
Does he know about me?
You've got the mark of the beast.
You're born of a jackal!
You're beautiful!

REPEAT CHORUS

Wha' 'bout that sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead!

Part III - Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:17/18 The End)

2010-08-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the LOST finale yet... first of all, what rock have you been living under? And secondly...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. This is the final installment of a three-part discussion of the LOST finale. You might want to read Part I and Part II before you continue on with reading this post. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk LOST...

My LOST posts are coming to an end... I plan to re-watch the series on Blu-ray and as I do so, it might inspire me to write about it again. But other than that, this will be the last LOST post, at least for a while. I still feel a strange hesitancy to even finish this post. I don't want to be done discussing the show. I don't want the show to be over. Even with three blog posts about the finale, in addition to all the weekly blog posts I did, I still feel like I haven't covered everything I want to talk about. (I guess that's what Lostpedia is for.) Following my shocking/heartbreaking/funny pattern that I've used for all my LOST blog posts, my first post discussed the most shocking moment of the finale. In the second post, I discussed the most heartbreaking moment of the finale. Which means in this post, I will talk about the funny moment of the finale. As usual with this show, there were several to choose from.

I thought these were the funny moments from the finale:

Sawyer (to Jack, referring to his talk with Jacob): " Well, Doc, how about you come down off the mountain top and tell us what the hell the burning bush had to say for itself."
~
Sawyer (to Jack, discussing Smokey): "'Cause he ain't got what he needs. I'm guessing that'd be Desmond. That's where we were headed before your inauguration. Sayid said Locke tossed him in a well."
Jack: "Jacob didn't say anything to me about Desmond."
Sawyer: "Doesn't sound like he said anything about anything."
Hurley: "That's kind of true, dude. He's worse than Yoda."
Sawyer: "All right, y'all head to your heart of the island and I'll go get the magic leprechaun out of that well."
~
Sawyer (to Kate): "I'd ask you along, but that'd take all the fun out of me telling you that you can't come."
Kate: "Uh, I guess I'll just have to resist the urge to follow you anyway."
Hurley: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

This show had it all: heart, humor, drama, mystery, fantasy/sci-fi, high-caliber acting, amazing set designs and locations, a haunting, heart-wrenching score from Michael Giacchino, superb writing and directing. It was like watching a box office quality feature film every week, albeit only 40 minutes long. It challenged its viewers to rise to the occasion and to actually pay attention and think about what they were watching. It trusted the viewers to follow a large story arc spanning six years. It discussed issues like faith, science, love, forgiveness, redemption, and other topics that most sitcoms or TV dramas usually shy away from. They broke all the rules, introduced new means of storytelling within the television format, and proved that television could be art, and didn't have to pander to the lowest common denominator. There has never been a show quite like this, and I suspect there won't be another one for quite some time.

Below I've listed just a few of my many favorite characters or scenes or moments from the entire series. In taking on that task, I discovered it's impossible to list them all, and I'm sure there are some I've forgotten, so please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know which things stick with you the most.

The writers and creators of the show said the relationships between the survivors are what was really at the heart of everything about the show, despite all the mythology and mystery. The finale, with its focus on this group of friends and lovers, reuniting in heaven, solidifies that theme. Ironically, the one thing I will remember most of all about the show, and take with me, is that very same thing: relationships. I will remember, more than anything, the fun I had with my fellow Lostie friends. No doubt about it, it was a fun show, but you all were the ones that made it a blast to watch every week - both my IRL Lostie friends, whom I had viewing parties with every week, to those virtual blog-stalker Lostie friends out there. Thanks for coming along with me for the ride.

Just a few of my favorite moments from all six seasons:

The pilot episode - when Jack breaks through the jungle vegetation and both he and the viewers are assaulted with sights and sounds of a horrific airplane crash. I was hooked from that very moment.
When we found out Locke was wheelchair-bound before the plane crash.
Charlie - everything about him, the episode when he kicked his drug habit and the island gave him back his guitar, when Ethan hung him and he almost died, his imaginary peanut butter for Claire, his friendship with Hurley, and of course, his heroic end. To know how you die and to still choose to do it, instead of trying to avoid it...sigh... of course, now we know, it was all for nothing (but I won't get into that here).
The moment when Rose and Charlie talk about faith and she starts saying the Lord's prayer for the both of them.
The launching of the raft, such a triumphant and hope-filled moment, only to be followed with the horrible moment of Walt being kidnapped.
The light turning on in the hatch.
Discovering the Tailies
After almost two months apart on the island and not knowing if their husband/wife was alive, Rose and Bernard are finally reunited.
The episodes with Benry in the box. He said he was Henry Gale. We found out his real name was Ben. Sayid tortured him for information and locked him in the gun safe in the hatch. Benry got inside Locke's head, and freaked us all out. The best scene was when they let him out and Ben was pouring himself some cereal while telling them a terrifying hypothetical "what if" he "really" was a bad guy... then calmly asked them, "You got any milk?" Priceless.
Watching the first Dharma Initiative initiation film and Locke saying, "We're going to have to watch that again."
Just when I think I can't dislike Michael more than I already do, he kills Libby and Ana Lucia, then leads the other Losties into a trap.
Desmond and Locke decide not to type in the numbers and let the hatch clock countdown. Purple haze explosion!
Richard - everything about him and his mysterious reoccurrances. The Richard-centric episode was terrific and sad and wonderful too, with Hurley "ghost whispering" so Richard could finally say goodbye to his dead wife. (sniff sniff)
Discovering Alcatraz (a.k.a. Hydra island) and the dark mind games played there with Juliet, Sawyer, Jack and Kate.
When Desmond time/mind-travels. This episode embodied everything that is special and perfect and wonderful about the show. It had heart, a sci-fi twist, a completely new and ingenious way of storytelling, and excellent acting by Cusik (Desmond) and Walger (Penny). I will never forget that phone call on Christmas Eve. (sniff sniff... oh great... I'm crying again...)
Sawyer finally comes face to face with the man that murdered his parents (who happens to be Locke's dad and a con man) and gets his revenge. Again, extremely well-written and well-acted.
Jack's gamble with Ben on the surgery table, when he begs Kate to go and makes a way for her to escape, even after seeing her and Sawyer on the cameras (you know, the cage scene...). Watch the scene with Jack and Kate on the walkie talkies again... he's so in love with her and trying to protect her, even while his heart is breaking. Talk about sacrificial love.
Hurley - everything about him - the golf course, the way he loved and encouraged everyone, how he saved the day by crashing the Dharma van onto the beach, his cannonball into the sea when he thought they were rescued, his good heart, his humor, and every single "dude".
In season 3, when what we thought was a flashback of a bearded Jack was actually a flashforward! Hello, shift in storytelling technique!
When Ben takes a gamble with the freighter mercenaries and Alex is killed right in front of him.
Sun's bloodcurdling scream as the freighter (and supposedly Jin) explodes.
The acting between Holloway (Sawyer) and Mitchell (Juliet) during Juliet's death scene.
It's John Locke in the coffin!
Daniel Faraday and his nerdy mad scientist ways.
Rousseau and her crazy jungle lady ways.
All the purple haze time jumps
Creepy Eloise Hawking
When we finally got to meet Jacob.
The polar bear.

LOST fan and blogger Ack Attack wrote a funny and touching send-off to LOST as well. It's worth clicking over and reading it here, but not before you leave me a comment about your favorite moment! ;-)

Part II - Let's get LOST (Episode 6:17/18 The End)

2010-08-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the LOST finale yet... first of all, what rock have you been living under? And secondly...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. This is the second installment of a three-part discussion of the LOST finale. You might want to go here and read Part 1 before you continue on with reading this post. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk LOST...

As I said in my previous post, there were so many things I wanted to discuss about the LOST finale I couldn't do it in one single blog post. It was a finale that ended six years worth of storyline and obsession; I couldn't possibly relegate all my thoughts and feelings to one blog post. Besides, I'm having trouble letting go (obviously) so any excuse to drag out the discussion, and linger over the magic that was LOST and I'm on it. In my first post, I discussed the most shocking moment of the finale. In this post, I'll discuss what I thought was the most heartbreaking moment of the finale, which was a hard decision since there were so many moments that touched my heart or made my eyes fill up with tears.

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:

On the island, Jack stumbles through the bamboo forest, passing the white tennis shoe hanging from a branch, now dirty and weathered after three years of being exposed to the elements. Jack comes to the spot where he first woke up from the crash and collapses to the ground, still clutching at the wound to his side. He lays back down on the ground when he hears a dog bark - it's Vincent. Vincent greets him then lays down beside him, fulfilling the reoccurring theme that if you live together, you won't die alone. Staring up into the sky, a dying Jack witnesses the Ajira plane fly overhead as his friends head home. He smiles, knowing he isn't going to die for nothing. Jack's eye closes. He is gone. The end.

The first thing we saw in the first episode.

There is a poem called "The Dash" by Linda Ellis that talks about the date of birth and date of death on one's tombstone and how those dates aren't what is important, nor are they anything that anyone will remember, but rather it's the little dash in between the two that holds so much meaning. In some ways, you can look at Jack ending up in the same place he started the show as very depressing. He went through all of that and ended up in the exact same place he started? What was the point? But where he started and where he finally came to an end in this little adventure isn't as important as the time he spent in between those two moments, and I think that's what the LOST writers were trying to get at with the finale. It is not the time spent, but how it was spent: the relationships we had, the moments in which we chose to do something good, something heroic, something selfless, something loving, something forgiving, that truly matter. This is a beautiful truth that we could all do well to remember on a daily basis. Jack could have been on the Oceanic 815, crashed on the island, and died right there in that bamboo grove. Instead, he had an amazing adventure and lived a lifetime in those three years. He loved and was loved, he struggled with his faith, he (eventually) overcame his need-to-fix-things savior complex and his daddy issues, he had some amazing friendships and, oh yeah, he saved the world from evil and destruction.

There is something beautiful and compelling about the symmetry of this in the storytelling, coming back to where we started, but being a much different person, informed full of experiences, and that goes for Jack as well as the viewers. It fulfilled the classic story archetype of the "Journey" or the "Voyage and Return" in a satisfying way. And even at the very end, the writers were still challenging the viewers with questions about fate versus faith and free will. Was it inevitable that Jack would die there, on the island, in the bamboo grove, no matter what he did? The LOST writers continually challenged their audience to engage their gray matter and think about the story and actively participate in understanding it. That's one of the things I appreciated most about this show.

The last thing we saw in the last episode.

So in those ways, I loved this "real timeline/island" part of the finale as much as I did the "alternate timeline/heaven" part of the finale. However, as I did with the alternate timeline part of the finale, I too had problems with this ending. I understand that the LOST writers said they weren't going to answer every question posed by the story and didn't want to de-mystify all of it, and I like that approach, but I still feel like they didn't give us quite enough to form a satisfying conclusion. I think it's acceptable to leave it up to the viewers to come to their own conclusions about some of the mysteries, but I felt like it needed a more dramatic and definite ending to the major points of the mythology they had introduced.

I'm still confused as to what purpose the island served, exactly. What did the magical cork at the bottom of the waterfall have anything to do with anything? Why was it necessary to keep the Light Source "corked" and protected? Why did the Light Source turn the Man in Black evil and how did it turn him into Smokey? Why bother with all the Dharma stuff? Why was Dharma even there to begin with? And why focus so much on the importance of the hatches or Dharma if in the end it didn't factor at all into the big finish? Who was behind Dharma anyway? Was Widmore a secret benefactor behind Dharma? Speaking of which, why did Widmore want so desperately to regain control the island? To use and corrupt the power from the Light source? What was his feud with Ben about? Why was Walt special and did the island enhance those abilities? What was the deal with all the fertility problems on the island? Why was it important that Claire raise Aaron instead of giving him up for adoption? Was he special? What was the deal with Ms. Hawking? Could she time travel? How did she know Desmond was time traveling? Why introduce so many weird and fascinating aspects of the story, such as all the references to Egyptian and other ancient civilizations and mythology, if you're not going to address them or wrap them up in some way?

Aside from all the mythology type questions, there's the matter of the ones who went home: Miles, Sawyer, Kate, Richard, Claire, Frank. I'm not typically someone who ruins the fun or the spirit of a film or TV show by complaining about all the practical explanations for how things couldn't have worked out a certain way. It's easy for me to suspend my disbelief and "just go with it". But when they showed Jack looking up into the sky and smiling as his friends flew overhead, instead of being relieved and happy like Jack, it nagged at me - how are they going to have a "happily ever after" when they land back in the good old USA? How in the world are they going to explain that the Ajira flight crashed on an island, everyone died except for Frank and Kate, but when they managed to lift off from the island, they brought back people who were presumed dead from a separate plane crash three years ago (Sawyer and Claire) that just happened to be on that same island, where they also happened to find Miles (who arrived on the island via a secret mission on a freighter) and Richard - a dude who has no identification of any kind. I know we're just supposed to be happy and content in the fact that they survived and escaped the island alive, but this still bugged me. Maybe because the writers had already shown us the reality of the Oceanic 6 and the logistics and problems they had when they tried to re-enter society after going back home after the crash. I guess what I wanted to say to the writers was this - don't play it straight one minute, then cop-out the next. I know you only had a few hours to wrap everything up, but come on...

The bottom line is that, despite the nagging questions, the ending still left me an emotional mess. Seeing Jack collapse on the same place where the story started, after fighting the good fight, and in his last moments, with Vincent by his side, having that happy smile come across his face, then closing his eyes... I still get teary-eyed just thinking about it. Rest in peace, faithful hero.

There were lots of other heartbreaking moments in addition to the one I chose to focus on here. For example, all the moments when different characters were reunited in the afterlife and recognized one another - Sawyer and Juliet at the vending machine, Sun and Jin in the hospital with the ultrasound, Kate and Claire and Charlie. Nevermind seeing everyone reunited in the afterlife... (sniff sniff)

During Desmond's first encounter with Jack, he ended their conversation with his famous little catch-phrase, "I'll see you in another life, brotha." and sure enough, he did. He saw him in the afterlife. (Cool, huh?) Despite my dissatisfaction with some elements of the finale, it was overall satisfying and bittersweet, and I too will be seeing all these characters again soon, as I re-watch the series on DVD. In the meantime, if you still feel like discussing it (this long after the end of the show...I know I'm very late to the discussion party, but humor me...) please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought about this part of the finale. What questions or elements are still bugging you? How did you feel about Hurley being left on the island as the new caretaker? Did you want a scene of Desmond and Penny reuniting one last time? (I know I did.) Leave me a comment and let me know. Namaste. ;-)

Part I - Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:17/18 The End)

2010-07-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the LOST finale yet... first of all, what rock have you been living under? And secondly...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk LOST... for the final time... (sniff)

Dear Readers and fellow Losties...I didn't want to write this post. You can see by the date of this post, that I started it on May 24th, the day after the finale, but I just couldn't hit the "Publish" button until now, almost two months later. How pathetic is that? My reaction to the end of the show, as a weekly social experience and mind-challenging puzzle, surprised me. I was in complete denial. I felt like if I finished my post and published it, that would mean I would have to accept that this wonderful ride was finally over, and I don't want it to be over.

I've heard that the first stage of grief is denial (This can't be happening. It isn't over.). However, I've moved on through the anger stage (That can't be the way it ended!), to bargaining (Maybe they'll continue the story of Hurley and Ben on the island?) to depression (I'm so sad. What am I going to do with my Tuesday nights?) and finally acceptance. Fellow Losties...take a deep breath...brace yourselves... it really is over. I feel like we need to start a support group or something. Having said all that, here are my three final LOST moments. (Edit - This post ended up being so long, I broke it into three separate posts, one post for each of my "favorite moments".)

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
Jack: "Dad?"
Christian: "Hello Jack."
Jack: "I don't understand... you died..."
Christian: "Yes. Yes, I did."
Jack: "Then how are you here right now?"
Christian: "How are you here?"
Jack: "I...I died too...?" (crying)
Christian: "It's okay... it's okay son."
Jack: "I love you, dad."
Christian: "I love you too, son."
Jack: "You... are you real?"
Christian: "I'm real. You're real. Everything that's ever happened to you is real. All those people in the church... they're real too."
Jack: "They're all...they're all dead?"
Christian: "Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some of them before you, some... long after you."
Jack: "But why are they all here now?"
Christian: "Well, there is no 'now' here."
Jack: "Where are we, dad?"
Christian: "This is the place that you... that you all made together, so that you could find one another. The most... important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. That's why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone, Jack. You needed all of them, and they needed you."
Jack: "For what?"
Christian: "To remember... and... to let go."
Jack: "Kate... she said we were leaving."
Christian: "Not leaving, no. Moving on."
Jack: "Where are we going?"
Christian (smiling): "Let's go find out."

Early on in Season 1 and 2, I was a fierce proponent of the Purgatory Theory as an explanation for what was going on with LOST. Not that I believe in Purgatory, in my own real life, but I thought the literary device would make for interesting storytelling.  My version of the theory, was that they all died in the plane crash, and the island was a type of purgatory where they could have a second chance at redeeming their past mistakes, making peace with the past, rising to the occasion to become better people and make the right choices this time around. Then, once everyone "got it" and those who were truly evil were punished - boom - they'd be back on the plane, alive with a real-life second chance to live their lives better and make better choices, after all their lessons learned and growth from going through the purgatory-type therapy. What a surprising, hope-filled ending that would have been. I liked the idea of a gracious God giving them a second chance after a near-death experience clarified what their priorities should really be, after their whole lives on the island actually passed in the blink of an eye as they nearly crashed, or something like that. I liked the Twilight Zone type feel for that plotline. All those themes of redemption and tabla rasa were there from the beginning, and the island was strange enough, it could pass for a bizarre limbo or purgatory. I was excited about this plotline, however, the writers took us in other directions and I reluctantly abandoned my theory.

So you can imagine how surprised and somewhat pleased I was, when it turned out the alternate timeline was in fact, not real, but a type of purgatory or a "waiting place" in the afterlife. After seeing all the suffering they'd been through in their lives on and off the island, it was nice to see them reunited in "heaven" - no more tears, no more suffering, no more hurt, everyone whole and happy and with the ones they love. Now that is a happy ending!  I also loved the parallels from this final episode and how they tied it back to the beginning episode. For example, Charlie's question from Season 1, "Guys, where are we?' was mirrored in this final episode with Jack asking his father, "Where are we dad?" (I'll discuss the symmetry more in my next post.)

And it was very Twilight Zone-ish for them each to have to "wake up" or come to the realization that they were dead, to be able to shed the last of their attachment to their old life on earth and move on into the afterlife or heaven. It reminded me of classic ghost stories, where the deceased person couldn't move on to the afterlife or heaven because they were in denial about being dead, or just didn't realize they were dead, or were waiting to be reunited with a loved one before they could move on. I also like the idea of them making peace with their remaining flaws or hurts, taking care of unfinished business, before they could wake up and move on. But this all leads to a few things that I disliked, or left me a little uncomfortable or dissatisfied, about this show and its dealings with eternal truths and the afterlife.

Even though it was nice to see Jack rise above the problems with his father, and become a good father to his own son, and make the right choices, and it was nice to see Ben, when presented with a moral dilemma, to choose to protect his surrogate daughter instead of advancing his own selfish agenda, but all of that was bittersweet, once we realize that none of it ever really happened. Jack's son, David, doesn't even exist (as far as we know). Was Jack's son just a construct of Jack's subconscious to give him a vehicle to get over his daddy issues?  I think that's probably the case, since Jack's dad tells him, "This is the place you all made together, so you could find one another." So, does what we do in the afterlife count too? Because if you ask me, this was just a bunch of ghosts or spirits playing at shadows of their former lives until they woke up to the reality of their situation. The show often repeated the phrase, "Whatever happened, happened." but does that mean the choices they made in the afterlife count too, and actually happened, even though it was occurring in a fake reality?

This show started out as a group of people who survived an airplane crash, and learned to live together or die alone in a strange environment. Very early on, the show started asking or toying around with the "big questions of life" - Why are we here? Are our lives governed by fate or by faith? Is there an absolute good or an absolute evil? I don't mind a show that plays around with these ideas, because it makes you think and stimulates a good discussion. (I mean, it's prompted me to write over 50 blog posts.) And it reflects the human condition - we all have an innate desire to find answers to these questions. In the early seasons, they initially seemed to give definitive answers to some of those questions. Well, maybe I should rephrase that, because this show hardly ever gave definitive answers. Let's just say they put forward strong theories towards the faith vs. fate, good vs. evil type issues and were leaning towards somewhat definitive lines.

But then something happened. I would have loved to been a fly on the wall to see if the writers argued over the issue of ultimate good, ultimate evil, spirituality, and what that would look like on their show. It seems the first few seasons, the story was told from a simplified Christian worldview, but later, and especially in this final episode, I feel like they hedged on the very things they committed to and turned towards a very post-modern, politically correct, fuzzy approach to the spirituality of the show. To say the characters needed to "let go" and "move on" sounds like New Age lingo, and even Eastern religions that think you "move on" to the next level of spiritual enlightenment or "move on" to the next reincarnated life. The set designers (who I'm sure were prompted by the writers and showrunners) also felt the need to place every religious symbol in the room where Jack and his dad meet and in the stained glass window of the church. It bugged me that they were trying to be all-inclusive, and equivocate on some of the morality rules they'd set forth in the beginning of the show.

One could argue that this show was always about blurring the lines between good and evil, but I don't think that's true. I think LOST started out with the premise that everyone is evil or has a dark side, even the people who appear to be good, and that this aspect must be corrected or redeemed. Then that slowly turned into the idea that there is no white or black, good or evil, but only gray. At first blush that may sound very similar in thought but it is actually a much different supposition altogether. In my opinion, they needed to pick one of those two approaches and stick with it. You can't have it both ways.

So, to summarize, I liked the "everyone in heaven" part of the finale and I think it was executed well and was satisfying on a basic literary, storytelling level, even though I feel like it brought to light some underlying flaws in the overall show.

On the plane, at the beginning of this final season, Rose leaned over and told Jack "It's okay, you can let go now." When we first saw that, we thought she was referring to him bracing himself through the turbulence. Now we know she was telling him it was okay to let go and die and pass on into the afterlife. I'm not sure if I can "let go" of LOST just yet... I have two more posts to go (discussing the most heartbreaking moment, and the funniest moment). Until then, if you still feel like discussing the show (even though it's two months past now), please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought about the alternate timeline actually being the afterlife. I'd love to talk about this more, especially the idea of a piece of literature or a story establishing the rules by which it will operate in, and then proceeding to break all those rules. Sometimes this is done intentionally, for effect, to serve a deeper message, and other times it is the result of inconsistent writing. Can you guess which one I think was the case with LOST?

Musical Interlude - Shaman's Harvest

2010-07-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've never heard of Shaman's Harvest before and I know little to nothing about the band. I just happened to discover this song on the radio, on the rare occasion when I was actually listening to the radio on the way home from work. All I do know, is that this song rocks. It's pure solid rock, with a nice little blend of southern rock mixed in, and it has an excellent groove and build-up. As far as the lyrics go, I think he's bemoaning the state of the world, as well as his own sinful nature, and asking what can be done about it. I know the answer to that question, but I have no clue why he thinks it has something to do with a dragonfly. Maybe it's slang for something that I'm not cool enough to know about? Either way, crank the volume and enjoy the crunchy rock goodness!

(Note - to those Losties who are still lurking around my blog, trying to cope with massive LOST withdrawals, I might be ready to hit "Publish" on my final LOST post, if you're still interested in discussing it. I think I have finally accepted that it really is over. Be watching for the post later tonight. sniff sniff)

Dragonfly
by Shaman's Harvest

Maybe the sky's falling out around the babies
Maybe the world is going to spin out of control
I don't care anymore
What if I quit today working for the man
Who said I have another, well, maybe I can
its all gonna end anyway
Tell me doctor, whats the cure, for the wicked mans blue's
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
When the skies, fall to the seas
I won't mind
The cause is me
When the wind, blows through the trees
I want to ride
The dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
When I come
Give me a beat
and take my advice
Just let me be
When the moon, turns black as night
When it erupts
Oh, dragonfly
Don't take so long
I'll be here before you know
See you in my mind's eye
Fly, fly dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly
Fly Dragonfly

Musical Interlude - Ilene Woods

2010-07-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

As a professed Disney fan, I couldn't let this pass by without giving it a moment on my blog. Ilene Woods, the voice of Walt Disney's "Cinderella", passed away on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at the age of 81. It feels like maybe a little of the Disney magic is gone now too, since she was such a big part of bringing Cinderella to life. The animators used an actress in a costume to sketch from and capture the movements of Cinderella, but in my opinion it was Ilene's voice that truly gave Cinderella her heart and soul. As you listen to her speak (and sing), it was easy to believe that she was kind to all creatures, forgiving and loving, sweet and good and full of hope and dreams.

I think all of the songs in Cinderella are beautiful, but I've posted the video for "Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale" because I think it shows off her singing talent the best. Here's a little background on the song, which I found in her tribute on D23 (the official Disney fan blog). If you have a minute, click on the link and read the article. It will be worth your time.

During recording sessions, Walt would drop by to offer suggestions, including asking Ilene if she could harmonize with herself on "Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale." She later recalled, "It was such a beautiful sequence — Cinderella scrubbing the floor and each time a soap bubble would rise with another image of Cinderella, so would another voice. When we heard the finished product, Walt kidded, 'How about that? All of these years I've been paying three salaries for the Andrews Sisters, when I could have only paid one for you!"

Ilene may be gone, but it makes me smile, to think of the generations of kids yet to come, who will be enchanted by her sweet voice, and stare in wonder as Cinderella gets her magical ballgown, or even when she sings into the soap bubbles. Sweet dreams, princess! Thank you for lending us your song.

Musical Interlude - Joe Purdy

2010-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have no words this morning. The LOST finale aired last night, and my brain is still trying to process it all. Today is supposed to be a Musical Interlude Monday, not a LOST post, but I just can't help myself. I'm feeling nostalgic, confused, and thoroughly entertained by this show. So for today's music, I've posted a link to the song "Wash Away (Reprise)" by Joe Purdy, as it was used in Season 1, Episode 3: "Tabula Rasa" on LOST. It's one of those classic, end-of-show montages, set to the music Hurley is listening to on his headphones. Just to warn you, if you're a LOST fan, this song and video are going to make you cry. Watch it with some kleenex in hand.

The embedding feature on this video is disabled, so just click on the picture below and it will take you to the video on YouTube.

Wash Away (Reprise)
by Joe Purdy

I got troubles, lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I have sins, lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I have friends, lord, but not today
'Cause they done washed away
They done washed away

Lord, I've been crying alone
I've been crying alone
No, no more crying alone
no, no more crying here.

We get lonely, lord, but not today
Cause we're gonna wash away
We're gonna wash away

I got troubles, lord, but not today
Cause they're gonna wash away
This old river's gonna take them away.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:16 What They Died For)

2010-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

This week's episode was titled "What They Died For" but it could have just as easily been titled "What They Watched For". Jacob said, "Sit down and I will tell you everything," and all of us Losties at home were screaming "We ARE sitting down! Tell us! Tell us!" And surprisingly, he did.

We found out Kate's name was crossed off the list because she had become a mother, and there was now purpose and healing in her broken life, so she was no longer a candidate. We also found out that Jacob chose the candidates, and brought them there, not to be cruel, but because they were alone, looking for something they couldn't find (Love, perhaps? Belonging? Family?). He gave them a chance to rise above their broken lives. Like Jack said to Kate (Season 1, Tabla Rasa) "It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really. Three days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over." I would like to think that the writers have done that, given a fresh start and a redemptive type story to almost all of the characters, even if their character arc ended in death. But before I get into some of the deeper thoughts I have about this episode, and the nice parallels and closure that was woven into the story, let's talk about my favorite moments from the evening.

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
Ben: "He doesn't get to save his daughter."

I knew there would probably be a high body count towards the end of this show, but Ben shooting Widmore still surprised me. I thought Ben's motivation was believable, especially after just being near Alex's grave earlier, so her death was on his mind. I don't think Ben has gone back to being eeevil, I think he's conning Smokey, in one last great deception. (Oh, Henry Gale, how we've missed you and your evil conniving.) Only this time, I think, Ben will be conniving in the cause for "good". As much as one can talk about "good" and "bad" on this show. Ben has repeatedly said, "I always have a plan," and I think he has one here too.

One of the questions I've always had, is what has been Widmore's motivation throughout this whole story. Why was he trying to get back to the island? Did he want to rule it? Did he want to "rescue" the Others from Ben's evil rule? Did he want to harness the powers of the island? It was never quite clear, and we'll never know, because he's dead now. I know the writers don't have time to give everyone a proper death scene or final monologue, but I felt like Widmore's death was a little too abrupt for such a main, pivotal player in this drama. Speaking of abrupt, unsatisfying deaths...

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:
Danielle Rousseau: "You are the closest thing to a father Alex has ever had."

Tied with
Sawyer: "The bomb on the sub. . .you said he couldn’t kill us."
Jack: "I’ve been wrong before."
Sawyer: "I killed them, didn’t I?"
Jack: "No. He killed them."

Tied with
Jack (to Jacob): "I’ll do it. . . This is why I’m here. This is . . . this is what I’m supposed to do."

Who am I kidding? If I would have allowed myself, I could have wept all the way through this episode. We are so close to the end... But these three moments stood out for me, and here's why.

I always enjoyed Rousseau's character. She was crazy, yet helpful. She was paranoid yet resourceful and talented. I loved it that she was finally reunited with Alex, but then I felt completely cheated that they killed her off unceremoniously without giving her one final "moment" or even letting her go down in a blaze of glory as she fought off a horde of Others, allowing Alex to safely make her escape. Nope. Shot in the back. (See my disappointment in Widmore's death above.) These are small disappointments, in an overall amazing story, but they still kind of stick in my craw. This particular one was rectified a little bit, by seeing a happy, normal Danielle last night with her daughter. It did give her storyline some kind of closure (although I suspect it is a fake closure, as I'm still not sure that the alternate time line will end up being "real"). I loved her scenes with Ben and Alex. I love it that in this reality, all of Ben's "good" qualities are at the forefront, instead of his manipulative evil ones. I have to admit, the whole thing made me a little misty-eyed.

My heart also broke for poor Sawyer, who is now carrying around the doubt/guilt that he was responsible for killing everyone on the submarine. That was some great acting by Josh Holloway. You could just see it in his eyes, the doubt and the pain that he might have been responsible. And how interesting that, a few years ago, the Jack we knew would have jumped at the opportunity to blame Sawyer and rub his nose in his mistake and "make him pay" for it. This Jack showed him grace, and assured him that it was Smokey's fault for putting them in that position to begin with. What an interesting change in dynamics between the two of them.

When Jack stepped forward to take on the responsibility of protecting the island, my heart caught in my throat. Whether you like Jack's character or not (which I've never been a big fan, but have liked him more than most of the bloggers online), there's something about watching a man step up and sacrifice his desires, and his life, to protect others and do the right thing. It reminded me of a soldier volunteering to go on a suicide mission during a war, knowing that it needs to be done, and knowing full well they won't be coming back alive. Jack is sacrificing his life, not in the sense of dying, but in the sense that he will never be able to leave, and is giving up a "normal" life in the "real" world. His quiet resolution to his decision, and his simple acceptance of the situation set before him, was touching to me in a way that I can't quite explain yet.

And finally, here is the funny moment of the night:

Miles: "Do you know where you're going?"
Ben: "I lived here for a long time, I think I know my way around."
Miles: "Well, I lived here 30 years ago, which was last week, and I still don't know where we are."

So, the body count continued to rise (so long Richard (sniff sniff), Zoe and Widmore) and we found out that we were right about Desmond being the Ace in the hole (no pun intended). We also discovered that the alternate reality Losties are going to all be converging at Miles's and Drive Shaft's concert, which has an odd sort of rightness about it, like we get to be a part of the cast's finale wrap party. I wonder what will happen there...

The show is whizzing by at a breakneck pace, and I feel like I'm missing a lot of the nuances that the writers have been working into the story, especially towards the end here. And I'm not just talking about the mirrors. Everything is becoming very circular and we're ending up right where we began. In the first episode, Kate stitched up Jack on the beach. In this episode, Jack was stitching up Kate's bullet wound on the beach. In season two, Jack and Locke constantly talked about fate vs. coincidence, faith vs. reason, and in this episode, in Jack's office, they had that same conversation again. When Ben and Locke were looking down the well for Desmond, the way they were positioned, the torches, the camera angle, it looked almost exactly like the image of Jack and Locke looking down into the hatch at the end of season one. I know I'm missing others. Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know which ones you picked up on.

There is so much artistry to this show, not just from the writers, but from the directors, cinematographers, set designers, and of course actors. I suspect this show will be even richer upon a second viewing, as we will "know" the story, won't have to worry about getting answers, and will be able to sit back and enjoy all the finer nuances. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I've never ever experienced a television show quite like this one, and I don't think we will again any time soon. I'm happy I was able to come along for the ride, but I will be sad on Sunday when it is all over. We have a few precious days to discuss our very last weeknight show... so let's talk and theorize and get it all in before it's too late!

Musical Interlude - We Are The Fallen

2010-05-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, little D. discovered a band called Evanescence. She sat, enraptured in front of the stereo, as she listened to their debut album, and found it was like someone had crawled inside her head and written a soundtrack to what goes on there. This is a very rare occurance. Only two other bands had been able to accomplish this. She was in love with the music. She experienced an unexplainable connection to the sound. If you could have worn out a CD, she would have, from listening to it so much.

Then, like any good thing, it had to end. The band became famous. In fact, it became HUGE. And like any new band that experiences a fierce debut success and metoric rise, it came crashing down in flames just as quickly. The lead singer, Amy Lee, carried on with the band name, and several years later put out a second album, but it was never the same. The spark just wasn't there. What a sad, tragic story.

Then, sweet D. began to hope, as she heard whispers of a new band, called We Are the Fallen. This new incarnation consisted of guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, formerly of Evanescence, bassist Marty O'Brien from Distiburbed/Static-X, and Carly Smithson on vocals, formerly of American Idol fame. Would this new line-up, led by the co-founder of Evanescence, be able to find that magical musical place? We would like to answer that question with an emphatic "Yes!" and end this little story with the phrase, "...and they all lived happily ever after", but for D., the verdict is still out, as she continues to listen to and contemplate the new album. It may never be like that first kismet moment, and the heart of the music once created by Amy Lee and Ben Moody may be dead forever, but this new album is pretty good...

So, little ones, since you sat so well and listened to this little tale, here is a treat for you. The new single from We Are the Fallen called "Bury Me Alive." And please don't be tempted to pish-posh it simply on the title alone. Hint - it's not about cemetaries or coffins. It's a metaphor. ;-)

Bury Me Alive
by We Are the Fallen

There's no use in crying
all my tears won't drown my pain
Free me from your sorrow
I can't grieve you again
I watched you let yourself die
and now it's too late to save you this time

You bury me alive
and everybody's gotta breathe
Some how don't leave to die
You're too consumed by all your emptiness and lies

All I did was love you
now I hate the nightmare you've become
I can't let you fool me
I won't need you again
I watched you let yourself die
and now it's too late to save you this time

You bury me alive
and everybody's gotta breathe
Some how don't leave to die
You're too consumed by all your emptiness and lies

Can't feel this love we used to hold
all I see is black and cold
As I try to pull you down,
to the ground, the ground

Everybody's gotta breathe
some how don't leave me to die
You're too consumed by all your emptiness and lies

You bury me alive
and everybody's gotta breathe
Some how don't leave to die
You're too consumed by all your emptiness and lies

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:15 Across the Sea)

2010-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

Those of us who know our Bible stories, have thought all the long that Jacob and Smokey were probably brothers, and probably twins (based on Jacob's name, and the story of the twins, Jacob and Esau). In this episode, we got confirmation of that. We also got a lot of answers about the island, and the good vs. bad passion play that Jacob and Smokey are locked into. We learned the Unnamed Mother (now taking suggestions for her nickname) was the protector of the island before Jacob, and that between Jacob and Smokey, she somehow knew that Jacob would be the next "candidate" to protect the island. I have some really cool mythology insights to share, but before I do that, here are my favorite moments of the evening.

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
The Adam and Eve skeletons are actually the Man in Black and the Unnamed Mother!

There were so many shocking revelations tonight about the donkey wheel, the origin of Jacob and Smokey, the first group of "Others", the magic golden light force of the island. But I think the puzzle of the skeletons was one of those Season 1 questions I never thought would be fully answered. Or, I was just sure the skeletons would be Rose and Bernard, or Desmond and Penny, or Kate and Jack/Sawyer, and the time travel/jumps would explain why they were there from the past, yet could discover their decomposing bodies in the future. Well, we were all way off track, weren't we? It was the Man In Black's original body and the body of their Unnamed Mother.

So, if going into the light is a fate "worse than death" as Unnamed Mother said, then does that mean the Man in Black's spirit is now trapped in the Smokey thing? We know from other flashbacks that he continues to appear as the Man in Black. Can he do that because the Man in Black's body is now dead? Just like how he can now take on the appearance of Locke, now that Locke's body is dead? Is the Smokey thing ultimate evil incarnate? Maybe the "Source" (i.e. the golden light) was what was keeping the evil imprisoned in the center of the island. Did giving the evil a sacrifice (Man in Black's body) somehow release it onto the island? The light seemed to die out and it looked like the water was turning dark - does that mean the light's powers, or the island's powers are now corrupted or lessened in some way? Is this the same water that they lowered Sayid into at the temple? Is this why Ben had to fiddle with a pool of water in order to "call" the Smoke monster, since Smokey is somehow connected to this previously-golden, now murky water? My answers to all those questions is - Yes - in my humble opinion. I'm not sure the LOST writers will take the time to answer all these minute details, but I'm okay with that. It seems like we can get our answers from inference and leave it at that.

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:
Jacob putting the Man in Black and his Unnamed Mother to rest.
tied with
Seeing the clips of Jack, Kate and Locke discovering the skeletons and the pouch with the black and white rocks in 2004.

Poor Jacob and the Man in Black and the Unnamed Mother... they had a dysfunctional family, didnt' they? I guess it's hard to grow up in a family tasked with eternally protecting the "Source" - light and goodness, the soul of the island. I was sad for Jacob, in this scene where he laid his brother and his Not-Mom to rest in the alcove of the cave. He really seemed to regret his moment of anger and revenge in killing his brother. And even though he knew his Not-Mom was unstable, he stayed with her, and was sad at her passing. It also seemed, from Mark Pellegrino's excellent acting performance, that Jacob was genuinely confused and distressed about these turn of events and his place in this world, and that made me really sorry for him.

Both Jacob and his Not-Mom did things that were "bad" in the service of doing "good" (i.e. protecting the light) and I'm not really sure how I feel about that. I'm almost craving some characters that represent pure good and pure evil but the writers continue to blur those lines. Fine for them to do that with the "mortals" who sin and make mistakes but I was at least hoping the "immortals" such as Jacob and Smokey would be definitively good or bad. I must admit, I am kind of sad that Jacob is just another mortal man, who has been tasked with a supernatural duty which allows him certain benefits, like immortality. It takes some of the mystique of him away. I would have rather he'd been an angel or a god of some kind. On the other hand, I liked this episode, and this scene specifically, because it made me feel something for Jacob and empathize with him. It gave his character more depth, instead of him being just a one-dimensional mysterious playing piece in this story.

I got choked up when they intercut to the scene of Kate and Jack finding the skeletons and the black and white rocks. I'm not sure why. I guess because, in a way, the viewers feel like we've been on this long journey with these individuals (and we have - six years of dedicated TV viewing), so seeing where we came from, all those seasons ago, was in stark contrast to how close we are to the end. I mean, we now know who the skeletons are. How wild is that? One of the questions that's been with us since season 1 has finally been answered. The end is near...

And finally, here is the funny moment of the night:
There wasn't one. But several of us in our viewing party simultaneously thought the ratted tangle of yarn hanging from a stick in the cave was the back of Crazy Claire's head.

Speaking of Claire, this is the third time a baby was taken from its mother and raised by another (Alex, Aaron and now the twins). I wonder if there's any deeper meaning to that reoccurring theme? Another pattern seems to be emerging - it looks like the protectors of the island are immortal and cannot kill themselves but have to be killed by someone else - and it appears - this can only happen after they have passed the protection mantle on to someone else.

I also wanted to share some Roman mythology with you. In last night's show, the twins' birth mom was named Claudia. I don't think this was by accident. In Roman mythology Claudia was a Vestal Virgin, who conceived the twins Romulus and Remus, the fathers of Rome. Vestal Virgins guarded the sacred fire of Vesta (similarities with Not-Mom guarding the golden light/water?). They originally numbered two, but were later increased to four and eventually six (recognize some of those numbers). They were selected by lot and served for thirty years (did you notice last night the mention of thirty years?) tending the fire and performing rituals. By analogy, they also tended the life and soul of the city through this sacred fire. The Goddess Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home and family.

What interesting theories have you heard? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. We only have one show left, then the two and half hour finale!

Musical Interlude - Cavo

2010-05-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

We just saw Daughtry in concert recently and they rocked the house. It was a great concert and Chris Daughtry's voice is even better live than on the radio. It was a high energy show full of good straightforward rock and roll. There was an added bonus, in that they had two excellent opening acts: Lifehouse and Cavo. I love it when I go to a concert and discover new music in the process. It's a double-bonus. So instead of linking to a Daughtry song, I thought I'd link to my newly-discovered band - Cavo. Enjoy.

Crash
by Cavo

You're a beautiful wreck now you're out of control
Crossing the double lines
You're a perfect disaster road to catastrophe
You don't stop for the signs
Heartbreak waiting to happen
Headlights cut through the rain
Tears hit the windshield
And I can't look away

(chorus)
Every mile gets you further away from the past
Feels like you're shattered and covered in broken glass
And I'll be here at the end the next time you crash

Time turns to rust and it's hard for you to trust
Every turn every shoulder you feel
But I'm right here when it's just too much
You can let me take the wheel
Heartbreak waiting to happen

(chorus)

Crash, I'm right here waiting for you
I'm right here in front of you
Just ask and I'll hold your breath in my hands and save you from when you crash

(chorus)

Every mile gets you further away from the past
Feels like you're shattered and covered in broken glass
Losing control, can't you see that you're running to fast
I'll be here the next time
And I'll pick you up the next time you crash

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:14 The Candidate)

2010-05-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...

BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!

Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

Originally, this post was going to be very short. I was going to have pictures of Jin, Sun and Sayid, and the text was going to read: "Noooooo!!! No! No! No!" I still don't feel very talkative. I'm kind of bummed, kind of disappointed. I am again amazed at how much emotion this show enlists from me. I have never ever watched a show like this before in my life, and I suspect there will never be another one like it.

I thought this was both the most shocking moment and the most heartbreaking moment:

R.I.P. Jin and Sun

R.I.P. Sayid

Sayid's death made sense to me. It really was the only way his character could get some redemption. The writers had kind of painted him into a corner. His character had arrived at a very dire and hopeless place, so at least they gave him an honorable and heroic exit. I did find some satisfaction in seeing the eeeevil Sayid disappear for a moment, and the good Sayid take over and save the others. So long Sayid. It was nice knowing you. Your instincts never led you astray, and your talents always came in handy. I hope you were reunited with Nadia in the afterlife.

Sun and Jin's death, on the other hand... seemed a touch unnecessary. I wished in my last post (and in several others) that the writers would give Sun and Jin a happy ending. Was my wish granted? Nope. Wish denied! Although I must admit I had a sinking feeling and was secretly worried that Jin and Sun had "CANNONFODDER" stamped on their foreheads the minute after they were reunited and their story was somewhat resolved.

Dear LOST writers, just because there was no more story to tell when it came to their characters, that didn't mean you had to kill them off! I mean, really, was that necessary?! You're giving me very little hope that anyone is going to have a happy ending on this show and that's starting to worry me. You made Ji-Yeon an orphan, you big meanies!

I cried a little bit when they showed Sun and Jin's last moments, and that they were holding hands until the very end, but mostly I was in disbelief. Then they showed Hurley break down into sobs and I lost it too. Ugh. Goodbye Sun and Jin. I enjoyed seeing you overcome the highs and lows and all the challenges to your relationship. I hope you are happy and free now and together, forever.

Discussing a "funny moment" from this show seems inappropriate, but there was indeed one. I'll mention it here, simply for the sake of staying consistent with my post format.

This was the funny moment of the night:
Jack wakes up in the outrigger canoe.
Sayid: "Welcome to Hydra island. At least you didn't have to paddle..."

What do you think about the casualties from tonight's show? Did you think we'd make it to the end without losing any more key players? Do you think they will kill off everyone but Jack? (i.e. the Candidate) Jack may be the candidate (I think we've known that since his epiphany at the lighthouse) but I still think Desmond is the key. He's the wild card to ending it all. I also think Jack is right - Smokey doesn't need them with him in order to get off the island, he needs all the candidates dead, in order to get off the island. What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know, while I get up to retrieve a fresh box of Kleenex. Sniff.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:13 The Last Recruit)

2010-05-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...

BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!

Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

There was a lot of action in this episode. A lot of moving and shaking and boat-taking and side-changing and meet-ups - and that goes for both sides of the timeline. Everyone's worlds were colliding in the alternate universe. Jack and Claire were at a lawyer's office, who just happened to be Ilana. Sawyer has Kate on lock down at the station, then runs out to arrest Sayid for shooting Keemy. Locke is being shipped to the hospital after being run down by Desmond and, sure enough, Jack gets paged to do his spinal surgery. This is what I refer to as a "transitional" show, where it isn't really centered on any one character, but the writers are moving everyone around and getting them in place for the next scene. That doesn't mean there weren't some good moments though. Here are my favorite.

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
Claire didn't shoot Kate.
tied with
Sawyer gives Jack a choice, and Jack jumps off the yacht.

Claire just got through telling Jack that the reason she stayed with Locke is because she felt like everyone else had abandoned her. Then she sees them take off into the woods without her. That look she shot them gave me the shivers. She was at DEFCON-10 when she strolled up to the yacht and confronted them with her rifle. Then, of all people to talk her down, Kate steps up. I shook my head, just knowing that this was a bad mix and that either Kate or Claire was going to die in that stand-off. So color me surprised when it all worked out and she climbed on the boat with them. Huh? Then for Sawyer to give Jack an ultimatum and for Jack to continue to be a man of faith and jump off the boat. Huh? When Jack washed up on shore, Locke told him, "It's okay, you're with me now." But is Jack really choosing to be with Team Smokey? Really? Is he the "last recruit" that the episode title refers to? Oh, LOST... you drive me crazy.

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:
Sun and Jin are FINALLY reunited after three years apart.

I knew we'd finally get to see this. I was looking forward to it. And it was so sweet. I hope Sun and Jin get the happy ending they deserve. They've been through all kinds of terrible things. I want them to go home to their daughter and have the life they've always been striving towards, away from the island, free from the repressive hand of Sun's father. They deserve it.

And finally, here the funny moment of the night:
Sawyer: "We're gonna ditch Locke. You, me Jack, Hurley, Sun and that pilot that looks like he's stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie."
Kate: "You didn't say Claire."
Sawyer: "She ain't comin'.
Kate: "I promised I would bring her back."
Sawyer: "That was before she started drinkin' Locke's kool-aid."

Is Desmond dead in the well? Nah. I don't think Sayid shot him. In fact, when Smokey found him, I think Sayid was looking up into the trees, looking for a vine to throw down to Desmond to help him out. Maybe he's not completely eeevil? I think it was Smokey (or maybe Jacob) that said a "war was coming" and it looks like that might be what we see in the next episode. Widmore is launching missiles at the main island and Smokey looks like he's finally ready to retaliate. What is Zoe and Widmore going to do with the Losties on their island? How is Smokey going to get past the sonic fence? What is Jack's role in all of this? What is the status of Desmond! I can't believe we have to wait two weeks for the answer! Leave me a comment and let me know what your thoughts and theories are.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:12 Everybody Loves Hugo)

2010-05-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

Just when we thought the LOST writers couldn't top the emotion and storytelling of last week's amazing Desmond-centric episode, and then they go and follow it up with a Hurley episode. My little LOST-loving heart nearly burst out of my ribcage. I love the alternate-reality version of Hurley. He's so confident, successful, kind, caring and happy - everything that we've slowly discovered was in him in the island-reality, underneath all his self-doubt and neurosis. It was nice to see all those attributes on display, front and center. Well... except when it comes to his self-esteem in talking to girls...that hasn't changed. I squealed with glee when Libby came over to Hurley's table in the restaurant! But I'm getting ahead of myself... here are my favorite moments from this episode...

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
Ilana goes BOOM!
tied with
Hurley blows up the Black Rock.
tied with
Desmond runs down Locke with his car in the alternate universe.

We should have seen it coming. We saw what happened to Arntz. The dynamite blowing up Ilana should not have made me jump out of my seat, but it did. I didn't think we were quite done with her character, but apparently we were. Now here's a thought for you... We keep flashing back to when Jacob comes to her in the hospital, to tell her he needs her help, and Ilana is all wrapped up in bandages like she's been burned. But we've never been told what caused her injuries. I wonder if she's in some weird time loop of her own, where she keeps getting blown up by the dynamite and blown back to that moment in time? It's a stretch, but just something I thought I'd toss out there.

Why did Desmond run down Locke in his car? It seems like it's "true love" that is snapping people out of their reality and making them realize that they are in an alternate universe (Charlie remembered Claire, Daniel remembered Charlotte, Desmond remembered Penny) but Locke is already with his "true love" Helen in the alternate universe. So maybe it's his injury or accident that will wake him up or make him remember the island reality? I think we know now why Desmond asked for the flight 815 manifest in the previous episode. It seems that he's going to each Lostie and trying to wake them up. (Why do I feel like I'm talking about The Matrix all of a sudden? Take the red pill!) That would explain why he just so happened to be at the Mr. Clucks and just so happened to go over and talk to Hurley.

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:
Hurley and Libby kiss, and in that moment, all of Hurley's memories of Libby come flooding back.

This was such a happy, sad, touching moment. I was already getting teary-eyed, seeing them have a picnic on the beach; the picnic or first-date that they were never able to have on the island, because Michael shot Libby when she came to the hatch to get blankets. Sigh... Speaking of which, that was such a powerful, well-acted scene between Hurley and Michael, when ghost-Michael apologized to Hurley for shooting Libby. And Hurley, ever of the forgiving and big heart, accepted the apology and forgave him. If everybody didn't love Hugo already, they should be won over after that scene.

And finally, here's the funny moment of the night:
After Ilana just blew up...
Ben: "Now what?"
Richard: "We get more dynamite. Or else she died for nothing."
Jack: "Maybe she died to show us to stay the hell away from dynamite."

And now a word about the brief moments we saw of Desmond and Smokey in this episode. Remember how in my previous post I discussed Desmond's "specialness" and how I think he's seen the future? Well, this would explain his cool, aloof, almost knowing demeanor, in the island time line when encountering Smokey. I think from the minute he saw him Desmond knew who Smokey was (even though he played along and said he was Locke) and I also think he knew that Smokey was going to push him in the well, because he said, "What use is there in being afraid?" He already knew it was going to happen; maybe even knew that it needed to happen. And there's no need to be afraid if he already knows how it all ends.

We've always known Desmond is special. I'm starting to think he might be the "messiah." Jacob and Smokey are all worried about the endless loop they've been trapped in all these years with candidates and being trapped on the island, and the good vs. evil struggle. However, I think Desmond is special, above and beyond all that, and he might be the answer or the solution to end it all for good, and resolve the never ending game Jacob and Smokey are in. I don't know if that means he'll destroy Smokey or what, but I do think Desmond will figure prominently into the solution of the conundrum known as LOST. What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:11 Happily Ever After)

2010-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

Before we discuss this particular episode, let's take a look at Desmond's specialness or gifted abilities. When Desmond blew up the hatch by turning the fail safe key in "Live Together, Die Alone" we learned that he could time travel within his own body/consciousness. When he woke up from that explosion (naked in the jungle) in "Flashes Before Your Eyes" we found out that he could see the future in a limited way. He could see into the immediate future when Charlie was in danger and about to die. He also time traveled within his own body/consciousness in "The Constant" and reconnecting with Penny is what finally grounded his consciousness in one time. Now, in tonight's episode, after getting zapped in Widmore's electromagnetic pulse room, and then being "woken up" by his near death experience forced on him by Charlie and then his vision of Penny, I think Desmond can "see" in between the two alternate/parallel universes or timelines (island reality vs. LA reality) and I also think he's seen ahead into the future and knows how this is all going to play out. That's my prediction. So without further ado, here are my favorite moments from this episode, although it's hard to pick favorites, since Desmond-centric episodes are always 100% amazing.

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:

Uh... the entire episode!

Although if I had to pick one moment that kind of caught me off guard, it was this:

Faraday: "What if this wasn't supposed to be our life? What if we had some other life and for some reason we changed things?... I don't want to set off a nuclear bomb, I think I already did."

Thank heavens Faraday showed up with his journal to explain everything. How cool was it that he saw Charlotte at the museum, and it was his true love that "woke him up" to the reality that the world he's living in isn't quite right? He realized that he's supposed to be in another reality, and that this LA reality where he's a musician is false or fake in some way. It's the same thing that happened to Charlie - when he had his near-death experience on the plane, he saw his island life with Claire - his true love. Aww... It turns out that true love is what anchors, not just Desmond and Penny but, every character on this show. I think that's a terrific plot element! Love it!

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:

Watching Charlie drown AGAIN
tied with
Desmond's underwater flashbacks to Penny and him together in the "island reality"
tied with
Desmond: "Would you like to go for a coffee?"
Penny: "There's a coffee shop on the corner of Switzer and Melrose. I'll meet you there in an hour."
tied with
Only five new more episodes left!
I was weepy through this whole episode, especially when they played Desmond and Penny's musical thematic line in the music, when Desmond met her at the stadium. Those sad sweet strings. I'm pretty sure it's the same theme that played when Desmond made his phone call on Christmas to Penny. I don't think I've ever discussed the music on LOST, but it probably deserves it's own separate post. The soundtrack is cinema quality - just beautiful and always perfect to the situation.

And finally, here's the funny moment of the night:

Penny: "I shook your hand and you fainted. I must have quite an affect on you."

Why do you think Desmond willingly went with Sayid? Did he see more of the future? Why did the alternate reality Desmond want the list of everyone on flight 815? We learned that Faraday was able to pursue his original dream and become a pianist in the alternate reality, which was kind of cool. We also learned that Mrs. Hawking (a.k.a. Widmore) is creepy and evil no matter what reality she's in, and she's always nasty to Desmond whenever it concerns Penny. I still don't understand Eloise's motivation in all of this. That's actually a nagging question I hope they answer. Is she special like Desmond and can time travel at will? I want Daniel Faraday to show up at my house with his little journal and explain everything to me! What were your favorite moments of the night? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:10 The Package)

2010-04-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...
BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

I don't know how I feel about the alternate timeline universe. So many of the plot lines and characters are better over there, in the sense that they've triumphed over the tragedies in their lives, instead of letting it destroy them. But at the same time, things are worse. Sayid was never married to Nadia (although she never got tortured). Sun is a stronger, self-reliant woman, instead of the submissive repressed one we originally knew, and Jin seems to be pretty nice to her too, however, it looks like she might lose her baby, where in our island timeline, her daughter is alive. I'm dying to know how they are going to rectify the split time or alternate reality. Which one is the one that "really" happened? Until we find out, here were my favorite moments of the evening:

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:
Desmond is the "package"!

So we all knew that the "thing" locked in the sub was probably a person and not an object, and I think even some of us in our viewing party guessed that it was Desmond, but it was still a shock to see him. I was so busy worrying about our Oceanic Six, or the original survivors or whatever you want to call them, that I had momentarily forgotten about Desmond and Penny. I had pleasantly tucked them away in my mind as having gone off happily ever after. I think in the last episode that we saw Desmond, he was at the Lamppost Station telling Mrs. Hawking and the rest of the Oceanic Six that they were all crazy and he wasn't having any part of the island. Then he got shot right through the milk jug by Ben at the pier. When we last saw him, he was recovering in a hospital bed, promising Penny that he would never leave her ever again. Oh well, so much for that promise. And if memory serves me right, didn't Mrs. Hawking talk to Penny when she and Charlie Jr. were in the hospital waiting room? I wonder if Mrs. Hawking is in cahoots with Widmore, and helped him get Desmond out of the hospital and onto the sub? But why?

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:
Widmore (to Jin): "We searched the Ajira plane, discovered your wife's luggage and found this inside. (Hands Jin a digital camera.) I thought you might want to have it. Go ahead, turn it on. Her name is Ji-Yeon. I understand you've never seen her before. I have a daughter too. and I know what it's like to be kept apart."

How could you not get a little teary-eyed at this scene? I love it that, despite all the sci-fi weirdness of alternate universes and Egyptian mythology and flying smoke monsters, the LOST writers have brought this season back to home, focusing back to the heart and intimate struggles of each of the main characters (as was the focus in season one). I hope that Jin gets to meet his daughter. I'm pretty sure I will cry big fat tears if he doesn't.

And finally, here's the funny moment of the night:
Miles: "Unless Richard is covered in bacon grease, I'm not sure Hurley can track him."
Lapidus: "Hey, don't talk about bacon."
tied with
Ben: "What?!?! For the fourth time - I was gathering mangoes when I found her passed out under a tree. Why won't you believe me?"
Ilana: "Because you're talking."

Sorry I'm so late in getting my LOST posts up lately. I get them half-written, then get busy and never get back to them to clean them up, find a good picture, and hit the "publish post" button. By the time you read this, Faithful Readers, we all will have probably watched tonight's episode, but that's okay, I'd still like to chat. Leave me a comment and let me know if you think Sun and Jin are going to have a happy ending, and what you think about their alternate personalities. (P.S. Mirrors continue to be a running theme this season. Did you see Sun stop and do a double-take in the mirror, as if she didn't recognize herself? Cool.)

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-03-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past ... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

~ Walt Disney's speech at the grand opening of Disneyland

Anaheim, CA, July 17, 1955.

Happiness. Dreams. Joy. Inspiration. Disneyland. How can I add anything more to Walt's wonderful opening invitation to Disneyland? It says it all.

Furthermore, how can I begin to describe my love for Disneyland and all things Disney? From a very young age, up until today, I have been in love with fairy tales and storytelling, and Disney was a master. Not only that, but I loved (and continue to love) to draw. In junior high, I decided I wanted to be a Disney animator when I grew up and, out of love for one of my beloved artistic innovators (or should I say "imagineer") I changed my cursive capital D to mimic that of Walt Disney's signature/logo. I still sign my name that way. When I was in college, I went to an art gallery showing of the original cells and hand-painted backgrounds from Snow White, the world's first full-length feature cartoon. They were breathtaking. I geek out on the Doombuggies website, and read up on everything there is to know about the creation of my favorite ride. I'm not a super-fan, in the sense that my home isn't covered with all things Mickey Mouse (although I do have a few pieces of memorabilia and collectors items). I just appreciate the ideals Disney strove for, both in his movies and at his park, his craftsmanship, his innovation, his art, his creativity, his storytelling.

Most of the Disney stories touched me because they reaffirmed the idea that, even though there might be some tough times along the way, things will turn out okay in the end. This is something my childhood self desperately needed to hear - me with the coke bottle glasses, short boy haircut, and shy personality that made me a prime target for daily bullying in the school yard. I continued to have hope, because as Cinderella sings, "no matter how your heart is grieving/ if you keep on believing/ a dream that you wish/ will come true." (My faith certainly helped me too. But that's an entirely different post I'm working on, called Faith and Fairy Tales.)

So when I visited Disneyland for the first time, at about eight years old, I was a combination of shocked, giddy, and overjoyed, to discover that those magical places from all the storybooks and movies were embodied in a real place. There were no bullies in Disneyland, and I was a princess, no matter what I looked like, and the magic was real. Even if I knew we were still playing pretend, it was the most wonderful, glorious, elaborate game of pretend I'd ever played. An interviewer once asked Walt Disney what his favorite moment was out of all his animated films, and he said it was the scene when Cinderella gets her ballgown. That feeling of awe and wonder, beauty and magic and possibilities - that's what Disneyland feels like.

It sounds cheesy - the happiest place on earth, a place where dreams come true - until you get there, and see it for yourself. From every little enchanted flower in the landscaping, to the smiles and pleasant attitudes of each "cast member", to the attention to detail and gorgeous art and thinking outside of the box by the Imagineers on all the rides and attractions, to the full-on commitment the costumed cast members take towards their roles, it all adds up to an environment where you can just let go and dream and have fun. You truly can be a kid again. The park holds everything any kid's imagination has ever longed for: you can run away with pirates and search for buried treasure on the high seas, sneak into a haunted house, fly over London with a pixie, ride a space ship into the future, visit an enchanted castle, brave the dangers on safari through a treacherous jungle, tame the wild west, ride a real locomotive. It's a kid's dream come true.

Each time I've gone back to Disneyland, at different ages throughout my childhood, in college, even for my honeymoon, and just recently as an adult, each experience has been shaded in different magical hues and has been uniquely special. Is it escapism? Yes, most definitely, but it is a type of escapism that reminds you of the good things in life, the things to strive for. On my most recent trip, it was towards the end of the day when I realized I had gone all day without worrying about anything (this is an earth-shattering feat for me, a hard-core worrier and all-around fret-box). Yes, all my troubles would be waiting for me when I got home. I wasn't in denial about that, but for one day, the burdens were gone, and I was just a kid, dreaming about possibilities. Disneyland reminds us of the potential good in each of us, to overcome adversity and find joy. It reminds us to take time just to laugh and have fun. It brings out the kid at heart. I smiled so much that day, my face ached.

The old saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words", so I'll close here, with probably the only picture of myself that will ever appear on this blog. It was taken by my dear friend, who facilitated my most recent trip back to Disneyland. ("Thank you" just doesn't seem to express my gratitude.) When I look at this picture, I see my eight year old self, just laughing in the moment, free of all cares, and it makes me smile. Life will always be there to give us troubles and no, things don't always turn out the way we want them to, but Disney chose to remind us that if we keep hope and stay true to what we know is right, then just maybe, it "makes no difference who you are/ anything your heart desires/ will come to you." We all need to be reminded of that sometimes...

Musical Interlude - Nichole Nordeman

2010-03-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Since this is the week leading up to Easter, I thought I'd pick a Christian song that more directly discusses faith. (Although I'd argue with you that most of the stuff I've posted already for my Musical Interlude Mondays has a Christian message of some kind within the lyrics...but I digress...)

This song always makes me think of my apologetics-practicing husband, and the people he ministers to on a daily basis. He's good at asking people questions, to get to the bottom of what their stumbling block is with coming to Christ, and sometimes (as I think is the case in this song) it comes down to a matter of the heart. You can give all the facts and proofs and arguments for the Truth of scripture and Christ and the gospel story, and people still will choose not to believe, because there is an emotional issue keeping them from surrendering. Often times, with friends, after I've answered argument after argument that they've brought up about God, and they're still not satisfied, I've wanted to ask them the same thing Nichole does in this song..."aren't you tired of running away from God?"

I saw Nichole Nordeman in concert, and she told the story behind this song, "What If", before she played it and I wanted to include that story here. In fact, if you're interested, I found an article online, here, with her discussing the meaning behind all her songs on the Brave album. (I love the album and highly recommend it!) I also want to point out that, although I agree with her that no one was ever "argued" into the arms of Christ, I would clarify that idea slightly, and say there's a right way and a wrong way to talk to people about issues of faith and Truth. It doesn't have to be a heated argument, but that also doesn't mean you can only talk about your faith in an emotional sense. There are good reasons for my faith, and there's nothing wrong with sharing them in a loving way, being respectful and tender to the heart of the person you're talking to. I also think different things bring people to Christ. Sometimes it is an intellectual argument, sometimes it's an emotionally powerful event in their lives, most times it's a combination of the two (always with the working of the Holy Spirit). The good news is that Jesus meets you where you are. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Happy Easter indeed!.

So here's her story behind the song, in her own words, with the video and lyrics following.

I’ve never felt comfortable arguing about God. That’s not to say I haven’t done it. Trust me, I’ve engaged in more than my fair share of full blown, take-your-corner, gloves up, ten full rounds of Bible beating with people. It’s so embarrassing and humiliating to remember. Especially since my victims probably never set foot in another ring, (and not because I was such a formidable opponent, I just had this nasty habit of always hitting below the belt). Winning an argument for God was a big deal... But I don't argue anymore. Nobody ever got argued into the arms of Christ. Nobody gets brow beaten or humiliated into a relationship whose very foundation is mercy and grace... When every argument and piece of well defended evidence sounds empty to a hurting heart, it is the love of Jesus that comes rushing in and changes things. I wrote this song for a friend who I believe strongly will run out of arguments one day, and straight into the arms of Jesus.

Let's get LOST! (Episode 6:9 Ab Aeterno)

2010-03-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this week's episode of LOST yet...

BEWARE! HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!

Don't say you weren't warned. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk LOST!

Remember how last week I said I wasn't really into the relationships or romantic plot lines on this show? Yeah, this week's episode made me such a liar. My heart just broke in two for the story of Richard (a.k.a. Ricardo) and his sweet Isabella. What a sad, tragic, beautiful story! What wonderful and amazing acting by Nestor Carbonell! And what a gift - to the actor and to the audience - for the writers to take time to give us this particular story. They didn't need to. They could have explained Richard's immortality in a quick two minute exchange between him and Jacob or any of the survivors. Or they could have just left ti with the explanation they had given previously: "It's because of Jacob that I'm this way. He gave me this gift." Instead, they devoted 40 minutes to his story, with almost all of it being set in the past, and I loved every single moment of it. Thank you, LOST writers. You continue to rock my world. I'm so going to miss you. (sniff sniff) Here are my chosen highlights of this amazing episode...

I thought this was the most shocking moment of the night:

A huge tsunami-type wave lifts the Black Rock up and crashes it into the Taweret statue, destroying it!

Everyone has a different level of comfort, when it comes to watching a magician on stage. There are some who are dying to know how he did it, and will not rest until the illusion is explained and all mystery expunged from the trick, then there are those who, even though they know it is a trick, are willing to play along with the deception, and are comfortable just reveling in the the mystery and the magic of it and being entertained. I think I fall more into that latter category. I am hoping that LOST answers the big questions to this massive story, and wraps up major plot lines in a satisfying way, but I'm alright with it if they don't ever fully explain all of it, like why the numbers are magical, for example. They just are, and I'm okay with that. I'm okay if they don't explain every little mysterious detail about the island. Once you explain all the mystery away, it rubs away some of that magic fae glitter, and leaves a dull spot. So, having said all that, I had no expectations that they would ever explain how the statue was destroyed, and was pleasantly surprised by this.

I was also a little surprised to find out that Hurley wasn't talking to Jacob, but instead, it was Isabella he was communicating with. Hurley seems to be a more effective Ghost Whisperer than Miles. I'm glad Hurley has embraced this gift, instead of freaking out and assuming he was having a relapse of mental illness whenever he saw dead people (although who could blame him?).

I thought this was the most heartbreaking moment of the night:

Isabella: "It wasn't your fault that I died, Ricardo. As much as you wanted to save me, it was my time. You've suffered enough."
Richard: "I would do anything for us to be together again."
Isabella: "My love, we are already together."

It sounds like a cheesy romance novel, with the words just written down like that, and taken completely out of context, but what a powerful, heart-wrenching scene this was, when Richard was able to talk to the ghost of Isabella through Hurley. Nestor Carbonell was able to show what an amazing actor he is and he made me believe every single moment of that scene - and he did it with his eyes closed - literally! I seriously hope he gets offered some major acting roles after this show concludes. I wouldn't mind seeing more of his acting chops. I also appreciate the artistry the director/cinematographer took with filming the scene so that Hurley faded out and we could savor the intensity of the moment.

And finally, here's the funny moment of the night:

Ilana: "So Richard, what do we do next?"
Richard: "Hee hee." (Giggling like a panicked little girl whose just lost her mind.)

So, there it is. I think if I had to rank my top three favorite episodes of LOST, it would be #1 The Constant (Desmond's time travel episode), #2 Through the Looking Glass (Charlie's Death) and #3 Ab Aeterno!

LOST, while not overtly a Christian show, per se, has very much toyed around with Christian themes throughout the show. This show especially brought those themes to the surface again. The Man in Black continues to remind me of satan, in the way he speaks to and interacts with people. His offer to Sayid reminded me of the same way satan spoke to Jesus, when tempting him in the desert. And the way he manipulated Richard, taking on Isabella's form to mess with him, was just cruel (and also similar to what he did with Mr. Eko). My other Lostie friends immediately thought of baptism when Jacob started dunking Richard into the ocean, so that he would realize he is alive. The agreement the Man in Black has with Jacob also is starting to remind me of the book of Job and how satan asked God for permission to tempt and test Job. My Lostie friends also came up with the idea that Jacob is an angel (maybe Michael?), sent to guard over satan and keep him trapped on the island, and that's why he can't directly influence the mortals in their choices. Maybe the island is Eden and the skeletons we're calling "Adam and Eve" really are THE Adam and Eve? Whoa.

One last freebie tidbit for you: the title of the show, "Ab Aeterno" is Latin for "from eternity". The phrase is used to mean "since the beginning" or "for long ages". What are your theories, on the overarching plot of the show? Does it seem like they are starting to build up to the ultimate finale, or are you still frustrated and unsatisfied with the plot? Leave me a comment and let me know - we have less than 24 hours to discuss until the next revelation!

Musical Interlude - Nightwish

2010-03-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

Nightwish is a progressive metal/rock band from Finland. That description makes them sound weird but their music is oh-so-right. Believe it or not, Nightwish is Finland's most successful band, having sold more than 7 million albums worldwide. Never heard of them? Well, let me introduce you, by giving you the definition of progressive rock or progressive metal. I was going to write up my own definition, but turns out paraphrasing the definition from Wikipedia will work just fine:

Progressive rock expands past rock's technical and compositional boundaries by going beyond the standard rock or popular verse-chorus-based song structures. The arrangements often incorporate elements drawn from classical, jazz, and world music. Instrumentals are common, while songs with lyrics are sometimes conceptual, abstract, or based in fantasy. Progressive rock bands sometimes use concept albums that made unified statements, usually telling an epic story or tackling a grand overarching theme.

In the case of Nightwish, they have a female opera singer for the lead vocalist, are a traditional rock band full of electic guitars and pounding drums, yet they also encorporate a lot of orchestral/symphonic accompanyment, and each song tells a fantastical story. This music is the soundtrack for my happy place. I love it.

This week's Musical Interlude is a two-fer. I couldn't decide between these two videos, so I posted both. One is a harder, more metal song, while the other is more lyrical. I hope you enjoy them! :)

And here's the more lyrical song: