Shadow of the Real World

Viennese Waltz

2008-08-15T21:48:00.001-05:00

test for my website

Movin' on up!

2008-02-05T14:36:00.001-06:00

Well - I've decided to take the plunge and move my blog! My blog will now be at:

www.readwithjoy.com

Yep, I have my own domain address! This means, dear reader, that even if I move to a different server...the url address will stay the same. Also, my blog is now part of a larger website. I'll be including recommendations, reviews, news, and of course, my general thoughts on life. :-) I know that I haven't been very faithful this year to post, but I am resolved to get more consistent!

Also, if you are wondering who this "Dee Anne" girl is -- it's me! :-) For various reasons, I've decided to be a little less ambiguous with my identity. (I feel like a superhero with a secret identity...Jill Pole is really Dee Anne... ta da!!)

I hope to see you over at the new place! You can still comment on my blog, as I've enabled the comment feature on the website. Take care!

An Experiment with a New Blog....uh, Website

2008-02-02T16:48:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!
I've decided to experiment with a new site. I was looking for something a little simpler and, at the same time, a little more complex. I know that doesn't make sense...but it does to me!

So, here is my new site. Check it out!
http://web.mac.com/readwithjoy/Withjoy/Welcome.html

Murder Unscripted

2008-01-11T22:48:00.001-06:00

Well, I do love a good murder mystery. Lately I've been enjoying Poirot and Nero Wolfe. Here's a new show starring Chris Noth, BD Wong, Eric Bogosian, Dean Winters, Kate Erbie, Peter Gerety, and Zeljko Ivanek. I'm thinking this one probably isn't going to make it. Writers. I sure miss 'em.

When should we watch TV?

2007-12-30T22:09:00.000-06:00

If you want to know when the last few episodes of your favorite shows are going to air -- check out The Futon Critic. Remember - the strike won't end until the studios give the writers a fair deal. (Yes, I'm a little biased. So?)

If you want to get information from the source - check out United Hollywood. Another spot for information on Hollywood issues is Nikki Finke's blog for LA Weekly, Deadline Hollywood Daily. Remember, if you are hearing any information about the strike at all from network news -- for all practical purposes the networks are the studios. If you want your voice to be heard --- Fans 4 Writers has some good ideas.

Most of the scripted TV shows have between one and three episodes before they are out of new episodes. (Lost is an exception; it has eight episodes to air.) There are a few mid-season replacements that will be shown. Terminator: the Sarah Conner Chronicles and New Amsterdam are two I am looking forward to. Unfortunately, most shows are about to be SOL. I've heard a lot of buzz that the back end of this season is a lost cause. I really hope that isn't true!

This should also be the beginning of pilot season, when the networks green-light scripts that they would like to see produced for the 2008-09 TV season. There were a lot of interesting possibilities that I will be disappointed not to see. Particularly, a new show from my favorite writer/creator of all time - Mr. Joss Whedon. Yes - he has a proposal for a new show starring Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) It's a sad day for TV if "the master" doesn't return next season! (In my opinion, he shares that title with the great Aaron Sorkin. I re-watched the pilot of Sports Night this afternoon. Good stuff.)

In other strike news, David Letterman's company, World Wide Pants, has negotiated a deal with the WGA on its own. So - The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Furguson will both return with writers. It will be interesting to see how those shows do compared with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, etc - who will be coming back sans writers. Jay, Jimmy, and Dave have all been paying their staff out of their own pockets. (Dave pays Craig's staff as well.) It is rumored that Jimmy Kimmel, in particular, could not afford to continue doing that for much longer. They are all under contract with the networks and are returning due to threats of lawsuits. It will be interesting to see what they have to say about the strike! (Not that I'll start watching late night TV. I'm in bed by then! I'll catch it on YouTube the next day.) :-) :-)

Anyway - the strike continues. Yuck. If only the studios listened to literature teachers from Kansas...

Computer adventure

2007-12-22T20:10:00.000-06:00

Hello All - I just had to share a victory I had today. Some of you might know that I am one of those DVR people. I have a Replay machine (sort of like a TiVo) and it has completely changed the way that I watch television. I honestly can't imagine going back to the old "program the VCR and channel surf" way I used to be. I watch far less TV than I used to, and I'm much more intentional about it.

Anyway - a few days ago, my Replay broke. It kept showing the same screen and after much research on the Internet, I discovered that the hard drive was toast. It needed to be completely replaced. So - adventure girl that I am, I decided to attempt this on my own. I am completely intimidated by computer hardware. Software, no problem - I love figuring out computers and programs -- but hardware is another story. If it's not a USB cable, I don't know what to do with it! But, how hard can it be, right? (Famous last words...)

Well, I did some more research and found a guy who would sell me a new hard drive for my Replay. All I'd have to do is open up the machine, remove 16 screws from various places, unplug a few things, replug the things, replace the screws, and then I'd be in business! Uh huh, okay...

The new drive came today. After a few tense moments wrestling with a stubborn IDE cable, the new drive was in! As recommended, I tightened all the screws on the motherboard and power source, replaced the rest of the screws, and put the top back on the machine.

After a few minutes of set up, my machine is working perfectly! (As a bonus, the cheapest drive I could find took me from 40 hours of recording space to 120 hours of recording space.) Now, if only the studios would settle with the Writers' Guild so that we could have the rest of our TV season!! (Not to mention the pilots for next season's new shows...)

Batman: The Dark Knight

2007-12-17T06:17:00.000-06:00

If you are looking forward to the new Batman movie, here is the trailer --
The Dark Knight
I'm definitely sold on Heath Ledger's Joker. Scary. I hope that there is character development in this film. It really irritates me when a wonderful and complex character like Bruce Wayne is used as a vehicle for flashy action sequences and nothing else. Hopefully, this will follow in the footsteps on Batman Begins and engage the audience in Bruce's story.

Last update for now...

2007-12-14T17:35:00.000-06:00

It's Friday at 5:30, and my family just left. The power came back on over on Stagg Hill some time this afternoon, so life is somewhat back to normal. It sure is quiet over here without all the extra people! The dryer is sort of echoing in the stillness...

I miss my little niece already! It was so fun to get quality time with her. (Not mention the rest of the family -- of course!!) :-) I'm sure that everyone is glad to sleep in their own beds (including me,) but it really was a fun adventure while it lasted.

Still together!

2007-12-14T13:40:00.001-06:00

The latest update -- It's Friday. Still no power at Mom and Dad's, still no school. (Apparently, this is the longest school has been canceled in Manhattan since 1973.) We are still all camping at my house. Good times!!

Huh.

2007-12-13T20:38:00.000-06:00

So, a phrase I never expected to hear my mother say, "We played Twister." It was then followed by, "It was better than Jello wrestling." Yep. Those words actually left her mouth. Crazy. (Turns out the Twister was at a staff Christmas party. The things people get up to these days...)

Update

2007-12-13T12:02:00.000-06:00

As of noon on Thursday - still no power at Mom and Dad's house. Their house is 43 degrees (and the plumber said to open the water lines and turn off the water so the pipes don't freeze. Good tip...) So -- we are still camping out at my house. School is still cancelled, and although most of the buildings in the district have power, the building I teach in doesn't. So - I'll find out this afternoon if I have to go to school tomorrow. Hope you all are warm and dry!

Ice Storm 2007

2007-12-12T14:28:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, Manhattan was hit with quite the ice storm this on Monday and Tuesday. I only lost power for about five minutes on Tuesday, but much of the town is going on the second day without heat. My mom, dad, sister, bro-in-law, and niece have joined me and my roommate at our house. It's been quite the party! :-) Of course, we are having fun holding the baby, but I'm sure they will be happy to go back to their house. I thought I'd share a picture from my backyard. Remember - this is a house with no loss of power, internet, or cable!
Yep - those are all limbs from one tree. Shelley and I kept hearing limbs breaking all night Monday. (Several hit the roof!) I started hauling them out to the curb this afternoon, but didn't get very far. My cable line is tangled up in one limb, so that one is staying where it is! (I still have cable and don't want to mess it up!) :-)

The Office is Closed

2007-12-11T13:30:00.001-06:00

Those "Office" writers -- so funny. :-)

My niece...so cute!!

2007-12-08T20:45:00.001-06:00

Isn't she lovely?

That's Papa in the background... (and my hand.)

The family on day 4.

Happy, happy day!!

2007-12-06T06:36:00.000-06:00

I have a niece!! She's so, so cute! She was born yesterday, and she is just adorable! Okay, so I'm a little gushy over her, but hey--I'm allowed. I'm the aunt! :-)

Woo Hoo!

2007-12-05T19:23:00.000-06:00

I'm looking forward to this one!
Prince Caspian
Although, I'm anticipating The Voyage of the Dawn Treader even more...

Books for Mom

2007-12-05T09:34:00.000-06:00

2007-11-30T10:41:00.001-06:00

Hollywood actors supporting the strike...

2007-11-26T21:52:00.001-06:00

Here is the beginning of the "Speechless" campaign. Ahh, the Internet...
BTW - it's kind of fun to see these people looking like regular people! :-) How many do you recognize?

Wesley and Dr. Brown

2007-11-24T18:25:00.000-06:00

The 80s geek in me enjoyed last night's episode of Numb3rs. It guest-starred Wil Wheaton and Christopher Lloyd. And it was about comic books. Fun times. :-)

In response to a comment...

2007-11-13T22:04:00.000-06:00

For some reason, Blogger isn't letting me comment, so here is my answer to Ren's comment. (BTW - I'm so glad you stopped by my Blog!)

Ummm...actually there is tremendous ad revenue that comes from streaming video. Check out streaming from most Hollywood sources - the big studio dotcoms, E-online, etc. Most of them have a short commercial embedded in the video that you must watch before the clip, interview, etc. There is some thought that this type of advertising space is actually more valuable than commercials on TV. The viewer cannot fast forward or skip these commercials, the way I do the ones on my DVR. Even one ad before a streamed show generates a significant amount of revenue for the studio. Just like authors are paid a royalty for every book sold, screen writers are asking for a royalty for every time profit is made from their creative product. It seems pretty reasonable to me. They are the initial creative force behind the show -- they should get a small cut of the profit. Notice, they are only asking for .6%. Not even six percent. Sixth tenths of one percent.

One of the reasons they are fighting so hard for this is the future. No one really knows what media is going to look like in ten years, but it's a pretty safe bet that "new media" will play a huge role. Television as we know it today might not even exist. I know that I never watch a show when it is actually on anymore. I always delay my viewing until later. Traditionally, a writer is paid for the initial broadcast of a show and then again when it is re-broadcast later in the season. Writers depend on this as part of their yearly income. Most of them do not make much at all and need the 2nd residual. In the past year, several shows (The Office, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, etc.) have stopped running that second broadcast and just streamed the episode online instead. The writers' salary is cut in half. This is what they are trying to deal with. It's not only an increase -- it's fighting the loss of current income to a format that is not covered under their contract.

More on the Writers Strike

2007-11-12T19:46:00.000-06:00

One of the best arguments I've seen for the writers. Interestingly, it uses the words of the studio heads!

As you can see from this video, the primary issue for the writers is not DVD revenue as I reported before. In fact, the night before the strike, the WGA took their DVD demands off the table in hopes that the studios would compromise on Internet revenue (of which writers receive NOTHING.) The studios refused to meet them part way on the Internet revenue issue, insisting that downloading and streaming video are purely for promotional purposes. (My question is this - if it's promotional...why do I have to watch the commercial before my show or clip???)

Thoughts on the Hollywood Writer's Strike

2007-11-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

I realize it's been ages since I've posted anything. It's not that I don't have anything to say...it's just that I'm not sure this is the best forum. :-) However, there's something going on that I'd like to mention. I'm sure that many of you don't care, but this is close to my heart! :-)

The Writers Guild of America (both East and West) are going on strike! The strike could begin as soon as Monday. The writers have been unable to reach an agreement with producers and studios over the money they receive from DVD sales and other recently popular forms of media distribution. This might not seem like a big deal to many of you, but imagine something you created bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions)to studios, while your portion of that is less than six figures. That might seem like a lot of money to those of us sitting here in middle America. (In fact, if I earned even $40,000 in a year, that would be amazing. Why can't this country pay teachers??) However, we need to keep in mind that most writers are not on salary. They are paid one job at a time. Even a writer for a television show has very little job security. A successful show might last for a few years, but then the writer is back to square one. They have little or no income and must rely on savings from previous jobs. Writers are basically self-employed, and there are significant risks that come with that. When a writer is supporting a family with children in Southern California, money gets tight very quickly. Writers are asking that their contracts are renegotiated in light of the media trends of recent years. DVD sales and digital media have changed the profit landscape. Studios are making significant amounts of money on distribution formats that didn't exist even a few years ago. The writers are asking for their share of the profit from the art they have created.

All of that said, I remember the last time the writers went on strike. It was 1988, and I was fourteen years old. The television season that year was abysmal. Television lost ten percent of its audience, and they never came back. I fear that something worse will happen now. Studios have tried to stockpile scripts to last for awhile, but if the teamsters join the writers like they did last time -- the studios will find it very hard to function in any capacity. The networks are going to have to fill the schedule with more reality TV and other so-called "unscripted" shows. Shows like Letterman and The Colbert Report are going to suffer immediately. There will be no writers to write sketches and jokes.

The current season of TV could be drastically reduced. New shows that are good but struggling in the ratings could be destroyed if they aren't given time to build an audience. In fact, the entire landscape of scripted television could change. Audiences are already dwindling, and this strike could have permanent negative consequences. I hope, for the sake of the television drama that I love, this strike will end quickly. I hope that the producers and studios will give the writers fair compensation for their creative property.

Clarification: Just to put some of these money issues into perspective -- the writers guild is proposing "to double the home video residual formula from 0.3% to 0.6% for the first $1 million in reportable gross and from 0.36% to 0.72% over $1 million." (WGA website) To translate that into English = If a TV season on DVD sells for $50.00, the writer earns fifteen cents. They would like to earn thirty cents.

Babies on my mind...

2007-08-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

My beloved cousin is having a baby right now, and my beloved sister will be having one soon. Babies have been on my mind recently. I can't wait to be an aunt.
Here is a video that brought a smile to me.

Photosynth Prototype video

2007-08-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

This clip is fascinating. I hope that this software becomes widespread. Can you imagine your vacation pics from Tienanmen Square or the Great Pyramid becoming part of the rich experience of a total stranger as they view these places? It puts a whole new slant on the traditional vacation slide show! :-) I would loveto use this to explore Oxford or Florence, Italy or the British Museum or all the other places where I wish I could walk and wander, but can't afford to yet.

Thoughts on a few upcoming films...

2007-08-01T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising - The Dark is Rising books are some of the most memorable of my childhood. I am VERY interested to see if the movie does them justice.

Things We Lost in the Fire - This looks like it could be a beautiful film. It seems to be saying a lot about grief. I'll probably be comparing it to Reign Over Me, which I thought was one of the most meaningful films I've seen in a long time. We'll see how it stacks up...

Dedication - This one looks quirky. and good. and quirky. I like quirky.

Lust, Caution - Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain) is one of the directors whose films I will watch simply because he is involved in the project. While I don't always enjoy everything he does, he is brilliant and never fails to move me profoundly. One of my favorite aspects of his work is that his films are always beautiful. This one, set in WWII Shanghai, looks intriguing.

Beowulf - Hmmm. I hope this one is better than The 13th Warrior. It's hard for me to imagine Beowulf done well as a film. The poem is amazing, but I don't think it works as well in modern English -- much less as a movie! The Old English language is so moving, and the imagery is vivid. But, as a movie? We'll see.

The Darjeeling Limited - A Wes Anderson film about three brothers traveling across India. It's a Wes Anderson film. That's about all I need to say. Either you like them or you don't. I do. :-) (It also has Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, and Jason Schwartzman playing the brothers. That'll be funny.) :-)

December Boys - I really want to see this one. (Not just because it's Dan Radcliffe in a different character.) The story of four orphan boys who are longing for family, but also not wanting to be hurt by hope dashed. I want to know how this story goes.

3:10 to Yuma - This looks like a classic western. (And I mean that in a good way.) Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Don't think I need to say much more. :-)

Feast of Love - I don't know about this one. A Midsummer Night's Dream is my least favorite of Shakespeare's popular plays, but the trailer intrigued me and I do love Greg Kinnear.

Arctic Tale - Okay, this looks cute. I enjoyed the penguin movie and this one looks like a nice follow-up. (Hopefully, we won't have a glut of animated polar bear movies coming.)

The Spiderwick Chronicles - Another film based on a children's book. I haven't read this one, but the trailer looks pretty good. I love stories about a child who knows something that others don't believe (see in Lucy and Narnia.)

In the Shadow of the Moon - Sometimes, it's still a little hard for me to believe that we went to the moon. I mean, think about it. Slowly. Men walked on The Moon. In space. It's pretty amazing. I wish we had a goal like that now. I often feel like our national goal is, "Don't get blown up." I wish we had something to motivate us and excite our imaginations today like going to the moon.

Charlie Bartlett - I think Charlie Bartlett might be the Ferris Bueller for today. We'll see.

Death at a Funeral - It's British humor. Always a little dark, but I do find it funny. Also - Wash is in it. I sort of like anything that has an actor from Firefly. :-)

Hitman - I like the comic book feel of the trailer. If the movie is the same, count me in.

The Water Horse - This looks sweet. (and it's about the Loch Ness creature.)

Gone Baby Gone - Casey Affleck is one of those actors that I've been watching for a long time. He stood out in the first film I saw him in, Good Will Hunting. Since then, he's played a variety of supporting roles, most notably in Ocean's 11, 12, & 13. This could be his breakout role. Not to mention, it's his older brother Ben's first directing job.

The Jane Austen Book Club - Well, it's called The Jane Austen Book Club. Of course I want to see it. Jane Austen (while more than a tad over done today) is my favorite author. She is... I'm not even sure I have words for how wonderful her books are. Elizabeth Bennet is my favorite character. No, maybe Elinor Dashwood is... Well, Emma Woodhouse isn't. :-) Anyway - it's the Jane Austen Book Club. Nothing else needs be said. :-)

August Rush - This looks wonderful.

Link for Mom

2007-07-19T11:04:00.001-05:00

Jill's Blockbuster

2007-07-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

For those of you who like to borrow DVDs from me -- here the new link to my collection:
Jill Pole's DVDs

P.S. - If you've got a DVD of mine collecting dust on your TV...bring it back!! They get lonely if they are gone from the shelf too long!

Loving my Mac (need to organize my money)

2007-07-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

The past few months have been a fun adventure for me of discovering the world of the MacBook. I have been a devoted PC girl since the mid-80's. (Mom - when did we get our first computer??) Although I never learned to program or do much with hardware - I was competent with PC software. I was comfortable and able to do pretty much everything I needed to with my not-so-reliable PC.

Then an interesting thing happened. My roommate bought a MacBook last year. A whole new world was opened up to me. I had no idea that computers could be so intuitive and simple. She could do all kinds of fun things on her MacBook that I couldn't even begin to do on my PC. The most obvious of these was build a pretty and functional website. After several months of thinking (and quite a bit of laptop jealousy) I took the plunge.

I've been enjoying my MacBook for a three months, and I can't imagine ever going back. I've turned into one of those snobby Apple people who gush over things like "widgets" and "Tiger vs. Leopard."

All of this to say - I'm on a hunt for a good personal finance program for the Mac. Right now I'm looking at Cha-Ching and iBank. They both have free trials, so I'll probably play around with them and see which I like better. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I need the program to handle budgets, credit cards, multiple bank accounts, and split transactions. (That's the downside of Cha-Ching. No split transactions.)

I'll get back to you with my reviews when I make my final decision.

How Superman should have ended

2007-06-25T23:06:00.001-05:00

Too funny!!

Long time, no bloggin'

2007-06-07T07:38:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to step back into the blog world. That's probably a completely different post! I just wanted to shout out and say a huge public thank you that I live in a world where God is in control. God exists, and he (and good) will ultimately triumph!!

What brought this on was a somewhat tramatic experience I had last night. Some friends came over for our first weekly movie night of the summer. (Wednesday nights at my house, for those of you in town!) Anyway - one of the gang requested we watch Sin City. I had not seen this film, but I'd heard many, many things about how great it was. I was looking forward to the experience. Wow. It was definitely an experience. Even now, I'm not sure what I think about it.

One of the guys said something I thought was really insightful. He said that in this film -- God is dead and good is relative. Yes. This film goes to edge of what the world would be like if that was true. If God really didn't exist and good really did depend on circumstances and perspective -- we might be in a world like Basin City. There was no character who acted heroically. Even the two characters that we might see as the "good guys," really weren't. One, Marv, was a mass murderer who tortured others gleefully to find the information he was seeking. The fact that he was trying to revenge the death of a young woman and ultimately killed her canabalistic killer, doesn't really change the fact that his methods were horrific. The other, Hardigan, seemed to be making good choices that led to horrific consequences. Yet, even he was convinced to do something he originally thought was wrong by a young woman he wanted to protect.

Every decision in the film seemed to be driven by the needs of the moment. What makes you feel good? What will protect you? What will make someone else hurt? There was never a thought beyond that immediate future. No thought of what was right. It truly was a movie about Sin City.

I woke up several times in the night, thanking God for being there. Just the fact that he exists is worthy of praise!! I'm so grateful that he has set up the rules for our world. Wether we acknowledge them or not -- they exist. Good is good, and evil is evil. Sometimes the lines get blurry, and it's hard to tell exactly where we stand -- but God knows, and I believe that he leads us in the path we should go.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4 KJV

I like this one, but I'm not sure it fits...

2007-05-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

Your results:
You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)

Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		85%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		85%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		75%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		65%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		55%
River (Stowaway)		50%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		40%
Inara Serra (Companion)		40%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		40%
Alliance		35%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		5%

You are good at fixing things.
You are usually cheerful.
You appreciate being treated
with delicacy and specialness.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Worthwhile

2007-05-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

The National Marrow Donor Program is currently having a drive for new donors. You can get typed and registered on the website for free May 7-21. I just signed up and it didn't take long at all. Go ahead - be available to help someone who needs it.

Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC. (Mac PC Parody) #1

2007-05-10T20:47:00.001-05:00

Okay - so I really am a DC fan, but I just couldn't resist posting this when I found it. The Mac/PC commercials are brilliant and seem to lend themselves to parody delightfully. Check out the British ones on YouTube if you haven't seen them yet. Fun!

Links for Mom

2007-05-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007-04-24T22:22:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest trailer for the new Harry Potter movie. They're getting darker...

more india 2

2007-04-23T21:43:00.001-05:00

J. and S. at local temples. Notice J. is barefoot on marble! We all had to take our shoes off when we visited this temple. S. (the lucky dog) was wearing socks. J. and I froze our little toesies on the cold marble floor.

Finally - more from India!

2007-04-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

View of the street from a bicycle rickshaw.

If you are around my age...

2007-04-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

you'll probably get the funny in this article. If you're not, you won't. :-)

How to be, in essence, "The Swayze."

(slight warning: language is a little colorful)

Doctor Who starts again on Saturday...

2007-03-29T21:36:00.001-05:00

...too bad it's only in the UK! :-) I have really been enjoying the new incarnation of the classic British Sci-Fi series over the past year or so. I'm looking forward to seeing the new season as soon as possible. (And Captain Jack is coming back...woo hoo!)

Hus On First

2007-03-15T19:25:00.001-05:00

Okay - I hope nobody is offended by this, but I almost fell out of my chair laughing! It's funnier if you know Abbott and Costello.

Link for Mom

2007-02-26T10:47:00.001-06:00

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

2007-02-20T17:31:00.001-06:00

I love this video about the web and what is going on with it. It's complex and intriguing and unifying and dividing. It isolates us and brings us together. Where are we headed next? (I also love that a K-State prof named Michael Wesch put it together! Go Cats!) :-)

Link for Everyone

2007-02-18T14:08:00.000-06:00

Hello All - I thought I'd introduce to you a delightful book that my roommates and I are reading out loud to each other. I haven't enjoyed a story this much in quite a while. It's a lovely story, full of humor and a quirky view of the world. If you like young adult fiction or stories about families, this one is for you. (It also won the National Book Award, which is rare for a comedic novel.) Enjoy the the story of "Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy..."

Link for Dad

2007-02-17T13:45:00.000-06:00

This is for my brother!

2007-02-16T17:39:00.001-06:00

Well - it's the Transformers...and for me - it's got Josh Duhamel. What more does a girl need? A good looking, funny guy and some really big vehicles that change shape...heaven. :-) :-)

Ackkkkk!!

2007-01-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

I hate grading papers!!!! Hate it, hate it, hate it!!! Agggggggggggg....... The only thing getting me through this night is a package of Red Hots, some Diet Dr. Pepper, and the thought that summer is coming. It just a few short months away. Oh beloved summer...

(I just had to vent my frustration... I'll be posting more India pictures as soon as I'm not staring at this mountain of paper.)

At the sari fabric warehouse

2007-01-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

Scenes from the street

2007-01-25T12:34:00.000-06:00

Finally! pictures from my trip...

2007-01-25T11:54:00.000-06:00

Here is the view from the little balcony off the guest room in which I slept.

Here is J. in the kitchen. She's going through the gifts I brought from America.

John Barrowman Sound of Musicals Sunset Boulevard

2007-01-11T19:46:00.001-06:00

More John Barrowman. Still loving his voice. I think am going through a musical phase. I need to go pull out my "Les Miserables" CDs... :-)

John Barrowman - Maria (West Side Story)

2007-01-11T18:48:00.001-06:00

So I stayed home sick from work today. Nothing too serious, I'm just worn out and catching something. (Not a "friend" from India, though!) :-)

Anyway - I've spent way too much time on YouTube today. Boy, that's addictive! I went in search of some clips of John Barrowman. I've been enjoying his role as Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and Torchwood and just wanted to check to see if there were a few interviews with him. Well. Little did I know. The man is an amazing singer. Apparently he's had the lead in 16 West End musicals in London. (That's the UK's version of Broadway, for those of you unfamiliar with the West End.) I have fallen in love with this man's voice. Wow.

Here's a clip of him talking about and then singing "Maria" from West Side Story.

Thankful

2007-01-05T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm back! And very, very tired. I've had about 8-10 hours of sleep since Tuesday evening (Kansas time.) So, all I have the energy to say is, "I'm here; all my luggage made it, and I'm very grateful for large hot water heaters!"

More to come after I've slept for at least 12 hours...

India Update

2007-01-02T22:39:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I've been trying to send e-mail updates, but for some reason, I can't access my e-mail here in India. So - this will have to do. It's Wednesday morning and we were supposed to fly to Delhi today. Unfortunately, our flight has been cancelled. There is an incredible amount of fog/smog on the ground in Delhi, and it's causing delays and cancellations of flights. I am taking Flight #293 at 12:55AM on Friday morning. The same flight is taking off today at 6:30PM. That's basically an 18 hour delay. Hopefully the flights will be back on schedule by Friday morning! (And that we will be able to make it to Delhi by that time!)

Right now, my bro-in law is trying to get train tickets to Delhi. This will mean that we will arrive sometime Thursday. If we can't get train tickets, there is an option of really expensive alternate airline tickets, but with the fog...that's no guarantee. So - Please pray that we would make it to Delhi and that I would get on a plane at the right time! I have to teach on Monday and I really don't want to come straight from the airport... :-)

In other news, the rest of my time here has been awesome. My sister, brother-in-law, and I went boating on the Ganges river yesterday. It was beautiful and sad. The riverside is filled with temples and throngs of people coming to bathe in the river they consider holy. They are searching for peace and hope in a very polluted river. People were burning the dead at two different spots that we passed. The dead are burned on open piles of wood beside the river, and then the ashes are dumped into the river. We also passed people doing their laundry in the river, bathing, and worshipping the river. I'll try to put up a few pictures when I get home.

My sister and I met some of her friends and went shopping for saris on Saturday. It was so fun. The woman who took us is a friend of my sister, but we don't know her name. It would be inappropriate, because she is older than us. She is delightful. She took us to her brother's sari warehouse where we were surrounded in clouds of colorful silk. I bought a blue and silver sari, but I'm not sure where I'll ever wear it! :-) :-)

Update on the travel: The travel agent just called and it looked like we were going to take a 12 hour train that was possibly really dirty...but then he called back! Some seats have opened up on a faster train that is probably a little cleaner. We will leave at 1:00AM (late tonight) and arrive in Delhi at 9:00AM tomorrow. If the train isn't too late...we should still have a little time to see Delhi.

I'll try and write a bit more later. Please pray that everything would work out according to our Father's plan.

P.S. - Mom - I set up a cell phone update on the American Airlines flight that should call your cell phone. If there is a change in the flight time, could you call us here? We will have the cell phones in Delhi.

I made it!

2006-12-28T00:25:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Thursday at about 12:00PM, and I'm about ready to go downstairs to have lunch with my sister's landlady. Apparently, she is the best cook in the country. (According to my sister.) :-) Anyway - I've really been enjoying the food so far.

The trip was a little hectic at the beginning. I arrived very, very late on Saturday in the capital city and my sister met me at the airport. It was so awesome to see her face in the crowd outside the baggage area. Then we went to a hotel to spend the night. The hotel was very clean, but out room had five doors. Yes, five. We didn't even discover two of them until the next morning. It was a tad creepy, but everything turnout okay. :-)

We walked to a local market for breakfast and then headed back to the airport to fly to my sister's city. We took a taxi from the airport into town, and I pretty much collapsed at the flat. We unpacked and I tried to hide the unwrapped presents from my sister and bro-in-law. That was a blast!

The next morning was Christmas. We woke up and had an awesome breakfast! (My sister made blueberry scones.) Then we unwrapped presents and relaxed for a tiny bit. The rest of the day was filled with visitors. In India, people come to visit you on your holiday and you have food and conversation ready. I spent most of the day not understanding a word that anyone said. It was a little tiring, but fascinating at the same time. The next day we spent at a Christmas party with some friends of my sister and bro-in-law. They were lovely people, and we all had a lot of fun talking, laughing and eating really good holiday food.

Yesterday was our "Day of Sloth." My sister and I declared that nothing would get accomplished and we would just lay around. It didn't quite work out like that, but almost. :-) It was a good day.

I've got to run -- Auntie-ji and really good food await!

Into the wild blue yonder

2006-12-21T14:45:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow at this time I'll be in an airplane and on my way to INDIA!!!! I'm so excited! In addition to getting to see another country with a rich culture and history -- I get to spend some time with my beloved sister and brother-in-law. I can't wait!

Christmas is going to be special this year!

To my faithful readers, I'm sorry I haven't felt much like blogging recently. I'll be trying to get back into the grove in January. I'll return with stories and pictures of my latest adventure across the pond.

Have a merry, merry Christmas...

Blessings

2006-12-12T06:43:00.000-06:00

I have been feeling very blessed over the past week. Some of it I can share and some I can't, but I just wanted to throw out a huge, "Thank you!" to my family, roommates, friends, and the Lord.

A few things that have been extra special lately: I was able to get a new mattress (which was desperately needed) and it arrived on Friday afternoon. I've been sleeping on a cloud, folks! The day before, my grandmother remembered me and my trip to India to visit my sister in a very tangible way. Thanks, Nana! My roommates have been extra terrific lately. (Not that they aren't always great...) Shelley and Rachel, I had a great time hanging out and laughing with you two this weekend.

So - I just wanted to send some thanks out into the blogsphere. God has been so faithful, and He has been using wonderful people to show His love to me. I am blessed.

For the bargain hunters

2006-11-13T18:28:00.000-06:00

I found a site that those of you who are willing to work for a bargain might enjoy. It lists the sales that will take place on "black Friday." (That's the day after Thanksgiving, apparently.)
http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/
I might head over to Target or Walmart for a movie or two. But I'm not camping out to do it! If you are planning on making a large electronic purchase, this might be the day. You can look at several different vendors from this site.

I just felt like laughing…

2006-11-12T23:24:00.001-06:00

This is the funniest bit evah!

(I was reminded of this by a recent episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.)

for Mom

2006-11-02T17:46:00.001-06:00

Oh Happy Day!

2006-11-01T22:29:00.000-06:00

My favorite TV show in the whole wide world is finally coming to DVD!!
Beauty and Beast ran for three seasons in the late 80's/early 90's, and it was appointment television for me. Everyone knew not to call between 7:00 and 8:00 on Friday nights. :-) February 13, 2007 is quite the appropriate release date as this is definitely one of the most romantic shows ever produced. (Even if my dad did insist on calling it "that lion-man show." "Dad - quit getting in the way of the TV!!" Oh, those were the days...)

In other news, I started my novel tonight. I didn't get quite 1670 words, but I've gotten started, which is better than I've done in a long time.

This is for my brother!

2006-11-01T20:17:00.001-06:00

How to save your wet cell phone.
I thought this might help someday! :-)

Bloglines

2006-10-31T18:13:00.000-06:00

By the way, those of you who keep up with my blog in Bloglines might have to re-subscribe. I switched over to the new version of Blogger, and I think it messed up the subscriptions with Bloglines.

Runaways

2006-10-31T18:05:00.000-06:00

I recently heard that Joss Whedon was going to write for a new comic book series. Since I'd never heard of it, I figured I'd better get caught up. (As my faithful readers know, I'd read Joss Whedon's laundry list if he published it.) So - not knowing what I was getting in for, I ordered Runways Vol. 1. Wow. It's the story of six teenagers who find out that their parents are supervillians. How would you feel if you found out at sixteen that your dad was Lex Luthor or the Green Goblin or...the Joker? These children/teenagers decide to run away and try to make up for their parents' misdeeds. I'm only halfway through, but it's quite a good story. I can't wait to see what Joss does with it. He so great with the teenage angst. This story just drips with angst.

On another note - Tomorrow is the start of NaNoWriMo! I'm ready to go...

Coolest thing I've seen...

2006-10-29T07:51:00.000-06:00

...in a LONG time!
The hidden door disguised as a bookshelf!
Some day, I'm going to have a house with a library and there will definitely be a hidden door! :-)

Another funny quiz...

2006-10-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law pointed the way to this one. The first time I took it, I ended up to be Brigitte Bardot. Since I thought the picture of her was a little too revealing, I changed two of the answers that could have been answered more than one way. So I ended up as:

You are Maryiln Monroe

A classic tortured beauty
You're the dream girl of many men
Yet they never seem to treat you right

What Famous Pinup Are You?

Oh well...I tried. This doesn't seem to bode well... :-) It's a good thing these crazy time wasters are ridiculous! :-)

National Novel Writing Month

2006-10-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

I've decided to tackle a monster of a challenge next month. November is National Novel Writing Month and the challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. This is approximately 1670 words per day! I am going to attempt it. Part of my reluctance to write is that I am such a perfectionist. I don't want to put any words on the paper unless the scene is perfect. Well, that's impossible.

I realized that the only time in my life that I wrote anything consistently was when I took writing classes in college. I have fond memories of Jessica and I sitting in the living room typing away furiously, trying to meet deadlines. (Every once in awhile, she could tell I was playing minesweeper by the sound of my mouse clicks. She would always get me back on track. I miss you, Jessica!)

The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that you don't have to write a good novel. It can be totally crappy. It just has to be 50,000 words. This is what I need. I need to get words on the page, so that I can then go back and edit -- seeking perfection. :-) :-) Wish me luck... Does anyone want to join me?

Jeeves and Wooster

2006-10-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

I've just spent a delightful hour watching the first episode of Jeeves and Wooster, starring Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster and Stephen Fry as Jeeves. It is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. Hugh Laurie is just amazing in his physical comedy, and Stephen Fry has the dry, dry humor down perfect. I highly recommend getting this series, based on stories by P.G. Wodehouse, from Netflix or your local rental spot. I plan on finding a copy of some of the source material as soon as possible!

What a great idea...

2006-10-21T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm concerned that if I misplace my flashdrive, I'll never get my life back! This might work.
How to configure your USB drives to say, "Help! I'm lost! Send me home."

On another note: Smallville is getting really good! I'm liking the Oliver Queen character. (Of course, it helps that Green Arrow is one of my favorites.) This week's episode was awesome. I hope that we are going to see Clark become Superman over the next season or two. Not mention there were hints of the Justice League. Cool.

2006-10-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Watch this!

This is quite the eye opener. It makes me want to support Dove products. What do you think? (No wonder I never feel pretty...I can't use a computer and make my real neck skinnier and my eyes bigger!) Crazy!

You know, some days...

2006-10-18T19:15:00.000-05:00

...I love the things I find on the Internet. Pete Townshend has a blog -- who'da thunk it?
Pete's Diaries
(For my parents - Pete Townshend is the guitarist for The Who.)
(Also for my parents - The Who are a legendary rock band. . . You probably know them from the theme songs to the CSI shows.) :-)
:-) :-) I love you guys! :-)

My favorite poet right now

2006-10-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Alanis Morrisette is my favorite poet right now. Tonight, this song spoke to me. The lyrics don't do it justice and you miss out on a beautiful flute piece at the end........but it still speaks. If you get a chance, listen to the real version.

that I would be good even if I did nothing
that I would be good even if I got the thumbs down
that I would be good if I got and stayed sick
that I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

that I would be fine even if I went bankrupt
that I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth
that I would be great if I was no longer queen
that I would be grand if I was not all knowing

that I would be loved even when I numb myself
that I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
that I would be loved even when I was fuming
that I would be good even if I was clingy

that I would be good even if I lost sanity
that I would be good
whether with or without you

You can move into the Shire...

2006-10-02T06:43:00.000-05:00

...it's in Oregon. Apparently a small group of developers have created a subdivision/ community that is inspired by Tolkien's hobbit villages. It's called The Shire:Place of Enchantment. There are some things I love about this idea and some things that I think are disturbing.

I love the idea of creating a living space that encourages community. The houses all face inward toward a common outdoor living space. There are lots of surprises with gardens, little streams, and other landscaping. There is a little amphitheater for the residents to have small concerts or just sit around with guitars on a summer night. Very cool.

I do not like the idea of creating something like the Shire from Tolkien's work. It's unsatisfying. The "hobbit holes" are basically maintenance sheds. They store lawn mowers and such. If you are going to create a hobbit hole -- I want to be able to go in, sit down at the fire, and read a good book. I like the idea of the old world, cottage architecture. I just wish that it didn't feel contrived. It's okay not have thatched roofs (unless there is some energy efficiency reason for having them.) Use local materials and create an Oregon version of Old English Architecture... They have done this to some extent and I applaud the effort. I just wish the cheesy elements weren't there. No place could ever live up to the Shire in my imagination and it seems to cheapen it to try.

However, I keep returning to the idea of community and living in the midst of such a beautiful garden. I love that. Some of the designs for the floor plans are really cool and I love all the stonework. So I'm torn. What do you think?

Nevermind...

2006-09-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it turns out - we didn't lose FOX. My program guide is just completely messed up. It's listing all the shows for the Wichita station as if it were a "My Network TV" station (which it says it is...) But, the shows are actually FOX shows. I recorded Fashion House tonight, hoping it would be Vanished. It was. So, the Cox people aren't idiots -- it's the program people who don't have it together. Oh well, at least I'll get House tomorrow. :-) :-)

Sittin' in the Bistro

2006-09-25T19:15:00.000-05:00

I'm killing a bit of time before my class starts tonight. I should be grading...but I left my folders at school. Oh well... :-) So here are my thoughts on the new season:

Vanished - I'm liking it. This is one of those shows that grows on you. The first episode seemed rather generic, but it is getting more and more interesting every week. There is a mysterious conspiracy and I really have no idea where it is going. I also heard that they are killing off the lead character next week! The lead! (And this isn't Buffy. He ain't comin' back.) My understanding is that this was the plan from the beginning. Gale Harold has been scheduled to start rehearsals on a play in NYC for awhile. He was the reason I tuned in in the first place, but I might stick around after he leaves because I'm so shocked by the turn of events. (Then again, I might not. It sort of ticks me off that Gale is leaving. He's still the reason I tune in.)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - It's not as good as The West Wing. Okay, now that the inevitable comparison is over...I think it's going to be pretty good. I'm definitely interested in the character interactions. I think I'm going to love Matt and Danny, not to mention a few others. The first episode had some off-putting comments about conservative Christians (although a few of them were not wrong.) Before I got offended, I remembered that The West Wing started the same way. (Remember the whole Josh and Mary Marsh debacle on Capitol Beat?) Anyway - TWW went on to treat conservatives and Christians with a healthy measure of respect. It didn't necessarily agree with them, but the show respected them. I have enough trust in Aaron Sorkin as a writer to wait and see what he will do.

Criminal Minds - This is my favorite premiere so far. It was a nice conclusion to last year's cliff hanger. Talk about characters I love. This show is just head and shoulders above any of the CSI formula shows. You learn about the characters. Just as important, their strengths and weaknesses are significant. I think Spencer Reid is my favorite character on TV now that Josh Lyman is gone. :-)

Bones - I'm loving this one also. The characters seem to be a larger part of the story. Again, a crime show with interesting characters that actually change over time. What a shocker! (Can you see a theme with me?)

House, M.D. - Ahh, Gregory House. Don't you just want to fix this guy? I call it the "Han Solo Syndrome." There is a certain segment of the female population that is just irresistably drawn to broken men. "Hi, my name is Jill and I am an angsty-guy-aholic." Anyway - House brings it out in us. He certainly has a core of integrity that seeps through, even though he tries to hide it. And besides, the show has Neal from Dead Poet's Society. It's so fun to see Robert Sean Leonard in something.

C.S.I. - Thursday's episode was something of a question mark. I'm still pretty irritated that we don't get to see any of the development of the Grissom/Sara relationship. I feel cheated out of the story that I am most interested in. I only care about the murders and subsequent drama as they relate to the characters. When huge parts of character development are ignored, I feel as if the writers just gave me the finger. They were perfectly willing to explore Grissom's fear of relationships, but we get nothing of how he got over that fear. Irritating.

Smith - This is the first one to go for me. I hated it. I was looking forward to something like The Thomas Crown Affair or Ocean's 11. Instead, I got a cast of characters that are unabashed murderers. These are genuinely amoral people and I have absolutely no sympathy or interest in the rest of their story. Imagine The Usual Suspects with bad writing, no Keyser Soze, and no characters you like at all. Yuck. (And The Usual Suspects is one of my favorite movies.)

Justice - this is a maybe. I like Kerr Smith and Victor Garber. It's defense lawyers and crime. Hmmm.

Shark - better than Justice. This is prosecution lawyers and crime. It's got James Woods and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine, if you care about that sort of thing.) I like his interaction with the team of interns. We'll see. I'm waiting for at least another episode.

Men in Trees - I like it. And I'm surprised that I do. It's the quirky supporting cast that makes it fun. (Hmmm...Alaska? Quirky cast? Remind you of any show?)

There are several shows that I haven't had a chance to see yet. I'll let you know more as the season progresses. Note on the FOX situation...it's still AWOL. So annoying. Now I've got to download the Fox shows. Yuck.

Ummm...my channel disappeared!

2006-09-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

Well, as of this morning, we no longer have a FOX affiliate in Manhattan. That means House, M.D., Bones, Vanished, 24, Family Guy, Justice, The O.C., Standoff and any other show on FOX...is NOT HERE. Instead of KTMJ, FOX 43 out of Topeka -- we now have KMTW, My Network TV out of Wichita. This is showing some experimental English telenovelas, Desire and Fashion House.

I e-mailed my local Cox Communication contact and guess what they told me?

"Dear Mr. Anderson:

My TV is the new fox station."

First of all, I love the fact that they think I'm a man!!!! (I sincerely hope that it was automated, otherwise I think a monkey replies to these e-mails.) And, please -- don't insult my intelligence. I wouldn't have written you if "My TV" was actually the new FOX station. It does happen to be owned by the FOX network, but it's a completely different set of programs! Agggghhhhh!

I'll write about the new season of TV when I'm less irritated at my cable provider...

Life's a Dance (and a song...and a really cheesy plot...)

2006-09-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, I haven't laughed so hard on a Friday night in a long time! :-) :-) My roommates and I watched Disney's "High School Musical," and I literally almost fell on the floor, I was laughing so hard. I think this movie hits every single stereotype of acting, high school, and musicals! (And there is a delightful "Sing-A-Long" feature that you have to see to believe!)

Now, if only I could actually sing, my dreams of my life spontaneously breaking out into song and dance might not seem quite so far fetched...

The New Season Cometh

2006-09-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

This week begins the marathon of new shows for the fall season. I'm guessing that I'll be doing a lot of viewing on Saturday. :-) My week is pretty crowded. I'll try to give you a recap of my favorites as soon as I get something written up.

So far I've been watching new episodes of House, M.D. and Bones. I enjoy both shows, but not with the fanatical passion I reserve for The West Wing and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While Joss Whedon has left TVland for the delights of the new Wonder Woman film...Aaron Sorkin is back! Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is definitely the show that I most anticipating. Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme are the dynamic duo of television, in my opinion. (Not to mention the show has Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry. (Though, I confess, I sorta wish they were playing Josh Lymon and Chandler Bing. That'd be fun...) :-) :-)

Take care, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Joining the eBay generation

2006-09-15T06:34:00.000-05:00

Well - I'm late to the party, but I finally bought something on eBay. :-) I have looked for random stuff there for years, but have never been sufficiently motivated to bid. However, I recently found a RePlay machine with a lifetime subscription for SIGNIFICANTLY less than I paid for mine. If I bought it, it would double the amount of harddrive space I have. Well - I took the plunge. It was so fun to have the winning bid. (Although I find it interesting that we say "winning." Does that make it less like "buying?" I think not.)

It came yesterday and I spent some time setting it up. It works perfectly!! I can even record things in the living room and watch them in the bedroom. If you don't have a RePlay or a TiVo...it really does completely change the way you watch TV. I can't imagine going back to the ancient days of the VCR. It sounds silly, but I love my RePlay! :-) :-) :-)

How does my garden grow?

2006-09-10T06:38:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics I took yesterday. It had rained in the morning, so those are actual raindrops you can see in a few of the shots. :-) This garden has been such a blessing to me this year. I love to wake up, get my cup of coffee, and walk around looking at what the Lord has created since I last looked. I'm always struck by something beautiful.

Still here!

2006-09-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in ages. I've had little things to say, I just never got around to it. First of all, several people have asked me - yes, I liked the football movie. Invincible was a lot of fun and I even followed the football references. Of course, now that the pro season has started -- fantasy football is all I'll hear about during lunch. Oh. Yay. (there some dripping sarcasm, in case you didn't catch it.) :-) :-)

Star Trek turned 40 today. Thanks, Mom, for introducing me to Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the gang.

And finally! I bought my plane tickets to go visit my sister today! They were CRAZY expensive, but she and bro-in-law are TOTALLY worth it. Christmas in India. It has a nice ring, don't you think?

Is there new protocol and I missed it?

2006-08-26T22:37:00.000-05:00

Okay - I need some comments from the peanut gallery. I have read a few things over the past several months that have made me wonder if I've missed a big change in the guy/girl dynamic. I have been taught most of my life that the guy is supposed to make to the first move. For me, this pretty much goes across the board. If a guy wants to get to know me as a purely platonic friend, he's still going to have to initiate that friendship. Not because I am a stuck-up snob who doesn't like the men I know, but because my understanding of the way the world works is that any attempt to chase after a guy is both tacky and unwanted.

Do I have a deep longing for men to be part of my life, see me, and speak truth into my life? Yes. Is that longing ever met? Rarely. . . if at all.

I believe that am a complete person. I don't need male friends to fulfill something that's missing that God left out. God is sufficient... But in a fallen world, I sure need them if I am going to be a well rounded person. Life gets boring when I'm surrounded by women. I deeply miss my male friends from college. It seems to me that men and women have rather large differences in the way they perceive the world. Isn't that awesome? I love that difference and miss hearing that perspective.

I have several acquaintances who are guys, but they are basically, "Hi, how's it going?" kinds of acquaintances. We do not enjoy each other's company on a regular basis or come even close to the interesting conversations and discussions that would be so fun to have. (In fact, I'd love a good argument! Give me someone who can genuinely be on the other side of an issue and still respect me. I love a good friendly discussion between people who genuinely respect each other.) Many of these men are married. That pretty much puts them off limits. I feel very uncomfortable being friends with a married man unless I am better friends with his wife. (Stacey, if you are reading this, thanks for letting me hang with you and Jay from time to time.)

As for the single guys I know, I have NO idea how to move into a deeper friendship. In the past seven years, there have been several times that I've mentioned the desire for a friend to a guy. With a few exceptions, there's been a lot of smiles, nods, "That would be nice," and . . . nothing. (All three of the exceptions have married and moved away or we are no longer close.) It's not a track record that leads to any boldness on my part. I just figure that guys, for the most part, aren't interested in being friends. I certainly don't have any encouragement to step forward and express my desire for a friend yet again, only to be rejected by being ignored or forgotten.

I don't want to turn into a bitter women who hates men. I don't. But why do they bemoan the lack of women in their lives? We are here. They just don't see us. Several months ago, an acquaintance said that he didn't know any educated, Christian, single women who traveled. Let me tell you, that comment was a knife to the gut. He didn't know any. Not because I have a secret longing for this guy. (Although he's nice and has always come across as a great guy.) No, it was because I love God, have an M.A. in Literature, and have lived and traveled overseas. It's not that I felt rejected, it's that I was unseen. I am assuming that this guy is actually looking for much more than "educated, Christian, and likes to travel." There has to something else that he wants because he is actually surrounded by several women that fit that description. I can think of at least ten without even thinking about it for more than a minute or two. Why are the amazing single women that I know overlooked?

Since 1995, I have gone on dates (not had a relationship with...gone on dates) with three men. Three in eleven years. And the one in the middle was not a Christian. I'm not saying this because I want you to be shocked. I've actually dated quite a lot for an older single Christian woman. My best friend has NEVER been in a dating relationship. Not one man has said, "Wow, this beautiful woman could be an amazing person to get to know." Jessica is beautiful, amazingly funny, smart, well-traveled, articulate, one of the best cooks I know -- and truly loves God and walks with him. She would love to be a wife and mother and honestly, I can't think of another girl who would be better as a life companion than Jessica. But for some reason, she is unseen. In the midst of years of heartache and longing for a life that she can't have, she tries to be open and vulnerable and continues to believe in a God who is good and who loves her.

I guess this whole post driven by a bit of complaining that I've been hearing recently. I've been hearing, from more than one source, a lot of, "What's wrong with women?" comments. Well - what should we do? Please. I'm really asking. If you are a single guy in my town, I have almost no way of meeting you. Church on Sunday is pretty much my only context, and I can't just sit around and hope that you'll ask me and my friends to lunch. That leads to a lot of heartache and tears in the car on the way home. If you smile at me or catch my eye across the sanctuary, I'll smile back...but I'm not going to chase you, even when all I'm hoping for is a good friend. I've always been told that it's demeaning and that you don't want me to chase you anyway. I don't really know where the line is when it comes to initiating stuff, so I'm probably going to err on the side of caution. Not because I don't think you are interesting or worthy of time and effort, but because I assume that if you aren't asking me to lunch...it because you do not want to eat lunch with me.

So, what is appropriate?

"I want to see the football movie."

2006-08-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

Yep, I said that. I can guarantee that those words have never crossed my lips before! But tonight my roommates and I are headed out for the new football move about the bartender who walks onto the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm actually looking forward to it. Of course, I'm not going to pick up on the nuances of football strategy, but I think I'll get the story. :-) :-)

Inspector Lynley

2006-08-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

I think I've mentioned before that I love British mysteries. Well - I've found a new one. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. The set-up is that a rather upper crust English lord, Thomas Lynley, is a police inspector. He is paired with a very lower working class partner, Barbara Havers. (I just love the upstairs/downstairs cultural clashes.) They bring their unique perspectives and sharp banter to solving murders.

The Brits do know how to put on a good story. This particular one is based on a set of novels by an American author, Elisabeth George. I was somewhat surprised when I learned that George had written the original stories. I guess I just don't expect a good British murder story out of an American author. The stories keep getting better and better. I'm in the middle of the second series and can't wait to watch the rest.

I think my favorite part of the story is the chemistry between the two leads. It's not romantic, in fact they are involved with other people. But there is definitely something there. A touch of unresolved tension that keeps the story interesting.

Movies on a Saturday Afternoon

2006-08-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

School started on Thursday, but you know what? I don’t really want to talk about it… :-) (It’s not so bad, I’d just rather write about other things right now.)

So – my roommates and I are sitting in the living room watching Alton Brown’s Feasting on Asphalt. I love this show. It’s all about a road trip, good company, meeting new and interesting people…and food! I’ve also been thinking. I don’t say this about many famous people, but I think I could marry Alton Brown. :-) I mean, life would be an adventure, and I think I would live that adventure while laughing a lot along the way! (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s cute and smart.)

My fall movie preview edition of Entertainment Weekly came last week and I’ve been meaning to write a blog entry on the films I’m anticipating. Today’s the day, so here we go! Jill's list of movies that might be interesting between now and Christmas...

Casino Royale – The new Bond flick. I always enjoy Bond movies. I don’t own any and I usually don’t re-watch them, but they sure are fun in the theater! I like the idea of giving us an origin story. How did Jimmy become “Bond, James Bond?” I'm looking forward to the story. Especially if there is actually a good story. Sure, we all love Bond for the explosions and beautiful people, but I want a real story. There's potential for greatness. Will it deliver?

Crank - I like a good action flick and this one looks good. Jason Statham (The Transporter and The Italian Job) must keep his adrenaline levels high or he'll die from a poison he's been given. He also has to find out who poisoned him, find an antidote and get the girl. Fun times.

The Queen - this is about the British royalty in the week after Princess Diana died. The summary sounds exploitive, but it stars Helen Mirren. I'm intrigued.

The Black Dalia - A very, very dark film noir about the famous murder. The author also wrote L.A. Confidential, which I loved. This movie might be a bit much for me, but I'm interested all the same.

Eragon - There's dragons. That's all I need to know.

Hollywoodland - This is about the mysterious death of George Reeves, the actor who played the original Superman. I'm interested to see if Ben Affleck can resurrect his career.

Flyboys - Americans who flew fighter planes for the French in WWI.

The Departed - The Mob and the Police. Not a story that normally attracts me. But, this is Martin Scorsese with Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Mark Wahlburg. Could be pretty good...

Flags of Our Fathers - This one's for my Dad. The story of the six soldiers who planted the flag on Iwo Jima.

Fast Food Nation - This seems pretty depressing and I can't imagine that it will be fun to watch, but it'll probably be pretty educational. It's a fictionalized version of a best-selling non-fiction book. I'm guessing that I won't ever want to eat fast food again if I see it.

Running with Scissors - A boy stuck in a crazy, crazy family. Sad crazy, not funny crazy.

Marie Antoinette - a very stylized look at the famous queen. Written and directed by Sophia Coppola. Since all that most people know about her is the "let them eat cake" line, this might open some eyes. I've always thought that she was a tragic figure. She married at 14 and was basically a prisoner in a very elaborate cage. She had no concept of the life of the average person. I've always wondered if history has given her a bad rap. However, I don't think this movie is going to fix it. Historically accurate, it ain't. (The queen wears tennis shoes and dances to punk music.)

Lucky You - about a man terrified to connect. (It's also about poker...) It seems like the skills for poker would be detrimental in a relationship. Imagine, being with someone who is able to completely hide what they are truly feeling.

The Prestige - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Scarlett Johansson in a film about magicians. This is by the same writer/director team as Memento. It's supposed to be a puzzle of a narrative.

Man of the Year - Robin Williams playing a Jon Stewart type. That's gonna be funny. Maybe.

Stormbreaker - It's described as "Harry Potter meets James Bond." Could be good. And it has Ewan McGregor.

A Good Year - This makes me want to see Russell Crowe in a movie. (I'm not a huge fan.) And it's directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed Alien, Blade Runner, and a little film called Gladiator. But it's a pastoral film about a vineyard in France. huh.

Deja Vu - A sci-fi movie about a ferry bombing filmed in New Orleans soon after Katrina. It's a Jerry Bruckheimer movie starring Denzel Washington.

The Fountain - Hugh Jackman, sci-fi, and the Fountain of Youth.

For Your Consideration - It's from the gang that did Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. It'll be good.

Bobby - A story about people in the Ambassador Hotel the night Bobby Kennedy was shot. This was written and directed by Emilio Estevez and apparently, the Ambassador Hotel was being torn down around them while they shot the film. It was destroyed only days after they wrapped.

Dreamgirls - a musical about a Supremes-esque girl group. It's got Beyonce.

Blood Diamond - about the strip mining of Africa and the suffering that is caused by diamond cartels. (And it stars Leo.)

The Good German - a murder mystery set in post-WWII Berlin starring George Clooney, Tobey Maguire and Cate Blanchett. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. And it's in black and white. What's up with Clooney making black and white pictures for which he gets paid almost nothing? I'm impressed with his indie record lately. Well, Ocean's 13 is coming soon and I'm guessing his paycheck for that was pretty hefty...

The History Boys - the play won a bunch of Tonys, and the same actors and writer made the film for a ridiculously small budget. It's about college bound British teenagers.

Rocky Balboa - Yep. Rocky again.

The Pursuit of Happyness - First of all, that's how it's spelled in the title. I didn't mess up. Will Smith in a pretty heavy drama. This looks like the performances and the story are good. I'm just not sure I want to watch the sadness.

The Holiday - FINALLY, a romantic comedy. I was starting to think that people had forgotten how to make them! It stars Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and -- wait for it -- Jack Black. I can't wait to see him in a romantic lead. I love the guys who make me laugh. :-)

Night at the Museum - Stuff comes to life at night at the American Museum of Natural History. It stars Ben Stiller, but I'm looking forward to Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney.

The Good Shepherd - A secret agent over 20 years leading up to the Bay of Pigs. This is supposed to be a very smart script. Directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon.

The Nativity Story - Mary is played by Keisha Castle-Knight, the girl from Whale Rider and Alexander Siddig is in it also. (If you are anything like me, you'll remember him as Dr. Bashir from Deep Space Nine.) I'm not sure what to think about this film and I haven't heard any buzz, but it seems to be a respectful telling of the story. I'm interested.

The Painted Veil - a period story of a British doctor and his wife who travel into the interior of China to help with a cholera epidemic. It was filmed entirely on location in China.

We Are Marshall - the story of rebuilding the Marshall College football team after 75 players and most of the coaches were killed in a 1970 plane crash.

Pan's Labyrinth - Okay, I really don't want to see this one because it's supposed to be really creepy. But I had to mention it because my sister's friend, Doug Jones, is in it. He plays the title character, Pan. It's a story of a fantasy world created by a little girl in war-torn northern Spain.

Miss Potter - the story of Beatrix Potter, starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. I love that Ewan has the same name as Peter's nemesis. I love the Potter stories. I'm not sure about the animals talking in the film. We'll see. I don't like talking animals. They creep me out. That's why Charlotte's Web isn't on this list.

Renaissance - I love the look of this. Animation in grey scale.

Stranger Than Fiction - When it comes to this movies, I think my dislike of Will Ferrell will be outweighed by my love of Emma Thompson. A man discovers that he is a character in a novel when a woman's voice begins narrating his life.

Back to media...

2006-08-07T07:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything on TV or film, so I thought I'd give an update on a few things on the horizon.

First of all, my new favorite show that's currently on the air...Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt.
This show is literally a fun ride. Alton is taking four weeks to ride a motorcycle across the continental United States and eat good road food along the way. He is avoiding interstates and trying to find local and regional cuisine...and it's Alton - so it's a lot of fun! Check it out on the Food Network.

So, here are the movies...

The Fountain - It's fantasy and Hugh Jackman. What else do you need to know?

Wordplay - crossword puzzles. This is a clip, not a trailer. But it looks good. Here's another.

Scoop - It's a mystery. And has Hugh Jackman. Again, what else do you need to know? I'm not usually a Woody Allen fan, but this looks really enjoyable.

Charlotte's Web - I hope this is wonderful. Charlotte's Web is one of my "childhood books." I've read it more times than I can count. We'll see how the movie stacks up...

Invincible - I'm not a fan of sports movies. They usually seem exactly the same as every other sports movie to me. (An exception is Chariot's of Fire.) Anyway - this one still looks the same - an underdog comes from behind to win the big game...yawn. But there is something about this one that intrigues me. I think I like the Cinderella aspect to the story.

Step Up - Okay, I confess, I love dance movies. Yep, they also have a formula...I don't care. I like 'em anyway! :-) :-)

The Last Kiss - Did we chose the life we are living? Is there another choice that is better...or more exciting? Are we stuck? These are questions that this film seems to be asking.

The Illusionist - Mystery, magic and intrigue... This one looks good. And it has Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton.

Flyboys - Bi-planes and WWI. I've flown in a plane like that. (Of course, when we were spinning there were no bullets or explosions.) Still - it's probably the single most exciting thing I've ever done. I wonder if the movie catches that? Flying straight up and stalling the engine, then falling back toward Earth, hoping the pilot can start the engine back up before you crash. Nothing like it.

Running with Scissors - This is quirky. I like quirky. But I also get the feeling that it's sad. I haven't read the book yet, so I can't recommend it on that score.

Rocky Balboa - This looks good, if you are a Rocky fan. My friend Robbie is pretty excited. (I'm guessing that Carol is too!) :-) I'm intrigued for the history aspect. Can they do it again? (and not have another Rocky V?)

A Good Year - To what do we give our life?

Night at the Museum - For some reason, this looks really funny to me.

Transformers - I confess...not real excited about this one. David, did you watch Transformers? Now, if they would make a Jem and the Holograms movie - I'd get on board for that one!

The Departed - Well, it's Jack and Leo and Martin and Matt and Mark. Should be good, if the script is decent.

Emma House Students

2006-08-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

If you are a student at Emmanuel House Seminary, I put links to the textbooks on my other blog.

Jill's Other Blog - for links to books...

If you are planning to buy your books through Amazon, using the links provided will give me a small percentage. (And doesn't cost you a dime.) I'm using the money to help me with materials for the Cultural Literacy class. Thanks!

A few pics...

2006-07-31T20:43:00.000-05:00

David and Katie have a camera, so here are some visuals...

Dave and Jill at the Naples Museum of Art.

Eating sushi for the second time! This is from Blu, a restaurant in Naples. We got an order to go tonight and ate before heading to the beach for sunset.

David makes me laugh!

With Katie on the beach.

Art for (lots of) Money

2006-07-31T08:24:00.000-05:00

By the way! - I almost forgot to tell you! Part of the art I got to see yesterday was the Chihuly installations at the Naples Museum of Art. They were amazing. I think my favorite was the blue icicle one in the stairwell. (see picture on left)

If you are keeping up with news in the art world these days, Dale Chihuly is currently involved in a rather sticky controversy over the rights to his type of glass work. He is suing a former assistant and another artist for creating similar work. Personally, I think this is small of him. Even if they are copying his work (which I'm not sure that they are,) artists have been copying the techniques and methods of great artists for hundreds of years. Just because an artist paints ballerinas like Degas, doesn't mean that he is Degas! (Or that people will pay the same for their work, or stop buying Degas.) I don't think collectors are going to pay less for Chihuly's work just because someone else is similar. After all, they want a genuine Chihuly. Of course, I really don't understand all the factors, but I do believe the cliche that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Chihuly is certainly a successful commercial artist. He makes a lot of money doing what he does. Does that make us respect him less? Is there something about the "starving artist" that we respond to? Should art be a way to make a ton of money? Honestly, I have no problem with artists making a very good living. (I just wish that I could afford their work!) :-) If only great teachers made the same. :-)

Sittin' on the couch with Posey

2006-07-31T08:05:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to give you a quick update on my vacation. It's been a blast! I'm currently sprawled out on my brother and sister-in-law's couch with their dog, Poe. (She's so pretty...) I've eaten great food, looked at some beautiful art, rested, seen some beautiful Florida scenery and watched the entire Lord of the Rings extended series with David and Katie! It's been a great time.

One thing that's kind of strange is that it feels completely normal to be here. As if I just live an hour away and could pop over at any time. I hate to think that I'll be leaving tomorrow and I have no idea when I'm going to be able to come back. (Part of that is probably fueled by the fact that this is the third time I've visited in the past year. I doubt I'll be able to do that again...)

I wish I could give you pictures, but I don't own a digital camera yet. That will probably be my next big technology purchase, but I've got to save up! Do any of you have suggestions? Good cameras? Cameras to stay away from? What is worth the money and what is a dumb extra expense?

Chihuly's Glass

2006-07-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

Without a doubt, my favorite living artist is Dale Chihuly. I have been fascinated by his work for probably twenty years. I remember reading an article about him and his glass when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I just couldn't get over what he could with glass and color.

I rediscovered that love today when I found his website. I have spent hours today looking at his work and watching videos of his installations, selected works, and process of creating his art... There is actually a Chihuly installation in my hometown. One of his chandeliers is hanging in the Beech Museum of Art here in Manhattan. (My little town continues to surprise me...)

There are several things I love about Chihuly's work. First of all, glass seems to be a little unpredictable. There are accidents that can make a piece more beautiful and intriguing than it was designed to be. Chihuly works fast to take advantage of this. He deliberately tries to avoid thinking too much about his creations during the design phase because he believes that spontaneity is part of the process. He also seems to be one of those people who inspires those around him to reach their full potential and go beyond what they thought they could achieve. People become better artists because of his influence.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that glass is incredible. Sand makes up a large part of it. Sand. And it turns into something desperately beautiful. Something relatively unattractive and very cheap is transformed in the hands of a master craftsman into something exquisite and very, very valuable. What a picture of the Lord and the touch of his hands on our hearts.

I think what I love most about Chihuly's work is how he uses color. I love color. Especially bright, bold color. I also love flowers and nature and the color combinations that God put together. If you visit Chihuly's website (and I highly recommend that you do) check out the video on the chandelier he created for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It's amazing. I think one of the reasons I love that piece is that it's the color of leaves and the sky on a beautiful Spring afternoon. Also, check out the ceiling of the Bellagio hotel. Talk about color!!

Someday, if I am given a lot of money by an unknown relative (and I don't have any, so it's not likely,) I would love to own a Chihuly piece. If I had hundreds of thousands of dollars, I would build a house with a space to hang a Chihuly chandelier. If I had tens of thousands, I would love to have a piece from the "Macchia" series. Since I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen, I am enjoying his website. Check it out. Your day will be brighter...

FLORIDA!!!!

2006-07-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

I get to go visit my brother and sister-in-law!! Woo Hoo!!!!!! They live in Naples, which is the beach in the above picture... In a few weeks, I'll be lazy in the Florida sun (and hopefully, eating some really good sushi!) :-) :-)

Much thanks goes to my Dad, for helping me out with part of my plane ticket... Thanks, Dad!

I love the mail...

2006-07-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite sights when I get home is a brown box with a swoopy arrow sitting on the counter. Yes, it's the beautiful box from Amazon. It might seem a little crazy (and maybe a little "Shoppers Anonymous") but it's so much fun to tear into those boxes! Yesterday, the mailman brought me a few graphic novels I ordered. I'll let you know if they are any good.

Amazing Chocolate

2006-07-05T07:19:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you a little story. Tucked into a small Texas town, in a beautiful old Victorian house, is the most amazing chocolate I have ever tasted. This is Wiseman House Chocolates. Wiseman House Chocolates is a creation of Kevin Wenzel, a friend of my sister's. When she and I recently visited her in-laws, we took a little trip to Wiseman House.

Kevin is a genius with chocolate. I don't throw that term around lightly. He uses the most unique ingredients and creates chocolate truffles that are simply a taste of heaven. When we went to visit, Kevin took us back to the kitchen and let us taste a new flavor he was creating. Readers, this is art. Kevin is an artist as much as, if not more than, a painter or sculptor. In addition to being very conscious of the aesthetics of his chocolate, Kevin is also deeply concerned about the taste, texture, flavor and aroma of his creations. He attempted to explain some of the science that goes into truffle making. (I confess, I got a little lost around the second or third application of heat and specific temperature. Suffice it to say, this is a difficult procedure, folks.)

After all of that, when you put a truffle into your mouth, the visuals don't matter and it's just the chocolate that is melting own your tongue. Wow. I put a link to their website above and I highly recommend you order a few. I think that this is going to be my gift of choice for a few people and I'm looking forward to ordering some myself, especially when the weather cools down a bit. They ship anywhere and include a cold pack in the summer months to avoid premature melting. :-) Right now, my favorite is the "Love Potion." This is a truffle with slight hints of cinnamon and chipotle pepper. It's incredible. Then there is the "Wild Woman." This one won "Best Truffle" at the Austin Chocolate Festival. Of course, we can't forget "Snooky" or "Southern Hospitality" (with a hint of Jack Daniels) or any of the other unique flavors.

(P.S. - The picture above is from their website. The truffle on the left is "Wild Woman" and I'm not sure about the others. Please don't use this picture for anything other than talking about Wiseman House Chocolates. (And Kevin, if you happen to see this and don't want me using the picture, just let me know!)

Hello Again

2006-07-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone...

I know, it's been ages since I've written. For a long time, I just didn't feel like I had anything to say. Then, I wasn't sure how to say what I did have. :-) When I last wrote a real entry on this blog, I was definitely at a low point. I finished the school year feeling like I was drained completely dry. It's only been recently that I've begun to feel human again. I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me and listened to me. Thank you so much for being listeners and not advice givers. You have all given me so much grace to be where I am, instead of trying to make me feel better. That is such a rare gift.

That said, I think I'm emerging from the dark a little. God has been faithful through it all and even when I almost couldn't see him, he was there. As I look back, I see evidences of this along the way. Jesus has been with me and usually he has revealed himself through a friend. There are a few people that I want to thank especially -- Jessica (friend), Jessica (sister), Melody, Shelley, Precious, Mom, Amber, Davelyn, Aunt Susan and everyone else who has been loving up on me the past few months. A few days ago, a friend asked me if there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I told her, not yet...but I think I've traveled past the blast radius of the big explosion. :-) Maybe there's a glimmer ahead... I know that's all a little vague, but I didn't want to start posting on random stuff without letting you know how I am.

I am taking this summer off and, let me tell you, it feels a little weird. I'm not sure that I'm all that comfortable with not have a list of tasks. In fact, I think I enjoy having stuff to do. It's very weird. I thought I would love having a summer full of reading, sleeping, movies, and playing on the Internet. I think it's actually stressing me out a little to have nothing to do.

So, I've got a few projects. What is so restful about them is that there is no deadline. I have been organizing my library and if there are books on the floor for a few weeks...that's okay. My wonderful new roommate doesn't care! (Thanks, Alethea!) So, I've come to the conclusion that the most restful thing for me to have is a few projects, but no real pressure to finish them in a timely manner and no one who cares if they are perfect but me. I'm off to assemble my new bookcase! :-)

link for Mom

2006-06-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Oh those quizzes

2006-06-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

Here's another completely unscientific quiz. Although, it's actually not too far off. :-) I wonder if it's just more general than I think it is and every answer would sort of fit me? (Kinda like the horoscopes.)

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside.
You tend to avoid confrontation and stay away from sticky situations.
You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences.
You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Still...there is

2006-06-02T21:56:00.000-05:00

Joy and Happiness

2006-06-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about happiness and joy. I know that there is a difference and, intellectually, I can talk about "happiness is circumstantial and joy is based on the eternal." I know all this. But right now, I can't remember the last time I was genuinely happy. I'm sure there have been moments in the past year, but I can't remember them. I have been two breaths away from crying for months. It's getting old. There have been a lot of fun times and some laughter, but they were in reaction to something funny. -- So maybe what I really mean to say is that I've been happy, but I can't remember the last time I was joyful.

I wish that the joy that I know is real would be part of my heart and my life in a more concrete way. There is hope and heaven is waiting. I know that. I guess it's just hard to get promises to move from my head to my heart. It seems like the joyful lives in my head and the sad lives in my heart.

I was talking to a friend a while ago about what we hope for. We talked about the need to have something to anticipate. I'm seeing the reality of this right now. For several months I was looking forward to two things - my roses blooming and the end of school. Yep. That's it. I know that it seems a little sad and empty, but it's the truth. Well, it's June and school is over and my roses are blooming. (They are beautiful, by the way. Thank you, Jesus.) My sister is coming to visit and I can't wait for that. That's my next thing. Maybe I just need to have one thing at a time. Sometimes I pause and think that heaven seems to be the next good thing. I know it's not, but it seems that way. Those are the not-so-good days.

I don't want to always be looking toward tomorrow. I'm sure there are many, many things to find joy in today. The reality of my life right now is that I just can't see them. It seems like there is the smokey blue curtain that just covers everything. It only takes a thought and I'm crying again. I hate that. (Esp. when I do it in public. I'm really tired of crying in front of random people. Good friends, okay -- but my boss at work, not so much!)

I feel a little weird spewing all this onto the net, but it's easier for me to think if I'm talking or writing. It helps to have someone to listen. So, in the words of Jane Eyre, "Thank you, Dear Reader." The truth is, I'm not really walking around in a rain of depression. Maybe it's more like a slight drizzle.

There is a book title that has been running through my head lately. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. It's not so much the contents of book that I have been thinking of -- just the title. What does it look like in my life to truly know the presence of God always? Am I still sad? I think so. God being with me does not change the circumstances of my life. But His presence certainly brings joy. The real kind, not the circumstantial kind. What will it mean for God to bind my broken heart?

Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Psalm 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Shadow of the Real World

Viennese Waltz

Movin' on up!

An Experiment with a New Blog....uh, Website

Murder Unscripted

When should we watch TV?

Computer adventure

Batman: The Dark Knight

Last update for now...

Still together!

Huh.

Update

Ice Storm 2007

The Office is Closed

My niece...so cute!!

Happy, happy day!!

Woo Hoo!

Books for Mom

Hollywood actors supporting the strike...

Wesley and Dr. Brown

In response to a comment...

More on the Writers Strike

Thoughts on the Hollywood Writer's Strike

Babies on my mind...

Photosynth Prototype video

Thoughts on a few upcoming films...

Link for Mom

Jill's Blockbuster

Loving my Mac (need to organize my money)

How Superman should have ended

Long time, no bloggin'

I like this one, but I'm not sure it fits...

Worthwhile

Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC. (Mac PC Parody) #1

Links for Mom

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

more india 2

Finally - more from India!

If you are around my age...

Doctor Who starts again on Saturday...

Hus On First

Link for Mom

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

Link for Everyone

more links for mom and dad

Link for Dad

This is for my brother!

Ackkkkk!!

At the sari fabric warehouse

Scenes from the street

Finally! pictures from my trip...

John Barrowman Sound of Musicals Sunset Boulevard

John Barrowman - Maria (West Side Story)

Thankful

India Update

I made it!

Into the wild blue yonder

Blessings

For the bargain hunters

I just felt like laughing…

for Mom

Oh Happy Day!

This is for my brother!

Bloglines

Runaways

Coolest thing I've seen...

Another funny quiz...

National Novel Writing Month

Jeeves and Wooster

What a great idea...

You know, some days...

My favorite poet right now

You can move into the Shire...

Nevermind...

Sittin' in the Bistro

Ummm...my channel disappeared!

Life's a Dance (and a song...and a really cheesy plot...)

The New Season Cometh

Joining the eBay generation

How does my garden grow?