MaskedOffender

Dark Knight Review

2008-07-18T03:29:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight would have much more accurately been called "The Joker". Christopher Nolan was kidding himself if he thought that he could pass this blockbuster off as a movie about anything but a villain. Indeed, the Joker (though having maybe half the screen time as our favorite billionaire) enchants and horrifies the audience almost as if they were his unlucky victims too. Heath Ledger truly outdid himself with this genius portrayal of chaotic evil. It was the performance of his career and he deserves nothing less than best actor.

Despite the brilliant casting of what will undoubtedly go down in movie history as one of the best villains of all time, the movie did have its faults. The trade off between Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes left most of the audience a little dazed, and the momentary welcome appearance of the past villain--and heartthrob--Dr. Jonathon Crane (played by Cillian Murphy) was all for naught. The incorporation of this character added little or nothing to the plot, and so we are left wondering.

As a whole, the movie is outstanding. There is not a moment when the audience isn't entranced. It is well worth the overpriced movie ticked and your time.

2008-05-28T03:48:00.001-07:00

I don't know what to say.
I'm trying very hard to know what to say.
But I have no idea.

Insanity is...

2008-03-07T16:49:00.001-08:00

...explaining all of one's faults that one can think of in an email.

Still a fat ragamuffin? Oh, and creative writing.

2008-02-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

I'm in a creative writing class. This is good. I want to be a writer, I'm being forced to write--yay! Even better, English Writing is my major, and this is currently my favorite class...Even though it's from 7pm-10pm on tuesdays. Which is annoying. And I put off all of my work until 3:00pm on the same day...
lawl.
So, I have to write a list poem. What is a list poem, you ask!? Let me tell you!
A list poem is a poem that is also a list. LAWL. So, here is my first attempt at a list poem;

"Groceries"

Need milk,
butter too.
Running low on bread.
Cereal'd be nice,
and maybe even rice
But we don't need any pudding
or jam.

Seriously, though. I have to write something like that. Maybe more meaning. But basically the same. Maybe I should just turn that one in? Anyway...

Current Weight: 138.6
New Goal: 135
Weight to lose: 3.6 lbs.

Tschau!

FAT RAGAMUFFINNESS OF DEATH. ...And doom too.

2008-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

139.6

I'm under 140! YAY! That has been the biggest mental obstacle ever. "Oh, gosh. I'm still over 140, no matter what I do, I'll never get below." Well.. Now I am.

Current weight: 139.6
New Goal: 135.0
4.6 lbs to go!

Tchuss!!

Oh my God.

2008-02-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better,
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent
falls below my heavy breathing,
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder
Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat
all the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense
Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God

Not mine, but i know how that feels.

2008-02-10T20:44:00.001-08:00

For any of you who don't follow Postsecret.com consistently, this is me telling you to.

LAWL. I love my friends.

2008-02-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

InfoMans

Add to My Profile | More Videos
<3

2008-02-01T18:17:00.001-08:00

Made me cry.

It used to make me laugh because I thought they said 'illuminate the nose'. Then I actually listened to the lyrics. Bad move on my part.

Class Schedule

2008-02-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

Not really viable to change... Except maybe the photography class. Not sure yet.

The first day of the rest of my life?

2008-01-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow Biola classes start, and I'm not going. I'll be at home, feeling a little anxious about not going to Biola, making phone calls about transcripts, registering last minute for classes, and probably blogging about it all.

Oh gosh.

The House Always Wins

2008-01-22T22:04:00.001-08:00

My preliminary schedule for COC:

Beginning German
Drawing I
Cycling
Intro to Cameras and Composition
Dance Appreciation (hopefully will cover the fine arts req for Biola/other colleges. May change if biola dislikes it).

On top of that, I may take bible classes through moody, and, hopefully science fiction or film as lit from COC. This all depends on my transcripts and such from biola. but at least I have classes to take next semester.

Let it Rain, Let it Pour. Hallelujah.

2008-01-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

A lot of things have happened. A lot of decisions have been made.
I'm very different from who I was a year ago. But I'm also very much the same.

I'm not going back to Biola. I'm pretty sure at least. I avoided blogging about it for as long as I could, to be sure that it would be final, and by no means is it final now, but it's as sure as it's gonna be, for at least a week. And I can't stand it any longer.

Basically, my grades suck compared to my intellect. I can't justify 15k a semester for a 2.0 GPA. That's the basic truth of it. In the end the decision was mine--my parents would do what they had to get me through it if I really wanted it, but I couldn't do it. I can't put my parents in debt for a 15k-per-semester english degree. I can't force myself to go to a school that I feel such apathy for--sometimes even dislike. It's not worth it.

So, I'm going to a junior college this next semester. I'm already a student--complete with ID number. All I have to do is send my transcripts over and register. Which is more than half the problem, really, but whatever.

In time I may return to Biola--I may have a change of heart or mind, decide that the Bible minor is worth it after all, but at least for this semester I need a break. It may be a permanent change, it may not be.
I will forever be grateful to Biola for the friendships I've made there. There are some beautiful hearts and minds at that school, and I'll never forget them. And hopefully visit often. Complete with Disneyland excursions. ^_^

Europe

2007-12-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

Today I leave for europe.

Tomorrow I get there.

A nine hour flight over the atlantic.
But I get to go to europe.
Wish me luck.

Resolutions and Expectations

2007-12-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today doesn't feel much like Christmas. So, instead of reflecting needlessly on Christmas, I'll begin my discourse on the upcoming year.

Resolutions:

1. Lose 20 pounds. Of course.
2. Redeem my GPA.
3. Find God.
4. Do fewer things that I'm ashamed of.
5. Find beauty where I don't expect it.
6. Create.
7. At least begin my journey to financial independence.
8. Take pictures of everything.
9. Develop better eating habits.
10. Make it clear--not with words, but with actions--how much I love my friends and family.
11. Give more than I receive.
12. Escape depression.
13. Be real.
14. Read more than I watch tv. (yeah--like that's going to happen).
15. Pursue truth ceaselessly.

As for expectations...I don't have many. I'm in an odd place right now. Nothing is solid. Yes, my friends will be my friends--or at least most of them. The real ones. ...And my family will be my family. If I don't do anything too stupid. But my education is in question, my financial situation, my mindset, my relationships--all subject to change. I know that I enter the new year with a completely different understanding of reality than I did a year ago. This year has been a year of firsts, and in part they have changed me. I don't know what's to come in the next year. Self discovery, spiritual fullness or emptiness, perhaps a stroke of genius? Perhaps a decline into nothingness. I am so unsure of myself at this point. The new year, in part represents so much to me--so many new things. I'm terrified and excited to see what awaits.

Top 11 Guilty Pleasures

2007-12-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

1. Harry Potter. It's like chocolate pie for my soul. Only not.
2. Jason Mraz and Damien Rice. I don't know what it is about those two, but it's like I found two of my best friends through music.
3. Piercings and tattoos.
4. Reading PostSecret every week. No matter what. Usually at 12:30 in the morning on sunday.
5. Complaining about stereotypical christians. I know that I shouldn't...but I still do.
6. Nachos Supreme at Taco Bell--with beans instead of meat, no tomatoes, with a side of onions.
7. A white mocha from Starbucks.
8. Chuck Palahniuk books.
9. Staying up until 4 in the morning and then sleeping till 12.
10. Watching people at Disneyland and imagining fantastic and bizarre lives for them.
11. Picking out blank journals.

Jingle Bells...

2007-12-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

HandBell Hero

By far the most amusing thing I found on the web this week.

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

2007-12-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

You Should Definitely Vote for Ron Paul

You agree with Ron Paul on all the major issues. If you haven't learned about him yet, you definitely should. How you agree with Ron Paul: You and Ron Paul agree that it's time to bring the troops home from Iraq. You and Ron Paul agree that it's time to end the War on Drugs. You and Ron Paul agree that it's time to repeal the Patriot Act. You and Ron Paul agree that the IRS should be abolished. You and Ron Paul agree that the US Constitution has no business defining marriage as "between one man and one woman." You and Ron Paul agree that the government is too big. It's time to give taxpayers their money back.

Should You Vote for Ron Paul?

Last day, last day...

2007-12-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

I've got my last final at 6:00 tonight.
I've got to finish answering reflection questions for it (I've got... like.. three questions left.)
And I have to write a paper on theology in Christian life.

The problem is that I am SO INCREDIBLY DONE with school, with being at Biola, with everything.
Let's hope I get everything done.

Finals Week Almost Over.

2007-12-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

I have to write a ten page paper by 4:30 tomorrow.
I have to write a paper on theology and the Christian life by 6:00 on Thursday.
I have to write about two pages of spiritual journals by 6:00 on Thursday.
And I have to write out the reflection part of my final by 6:00 on Thursday.

2007-12-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Have I been deluding myself?

I pursue truth.

I is a fat ragamuffin, still.

2007-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving December 29th for London England. From there I will visit Scotland, and perhaps France or some other countries on the mainland.

I want to weight 136.8 lbs by the time we leave.
As of today I weight 142.8 (before the huge dinner I ate at the Cheesecake Factory).

Wish me luck.

Weight: 142.8
Goal: 136.8
6 lbs to go.

Let that be Enough.

2007-12-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

I heard this song for the first time on Monday.
Now it has become my theme.

I wish I had what I needed
To be on my own
'Cause I feel so defeated
And I'm feeling alone

And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I'm a plane in the sunset
With nowhere to land

And all I see
It could never make me happy
And all my sand castles
Spend their time collapsing

Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough

It's my birthday tomorrow
No one here could know
I was born this Thursday
22 years ago
And I feel stuck
Watching history repeating
Yeah, who am I?
Just a kid who knows he's needy

Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough

2007-12-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

If I explained to you just how badly this week sucked, you might understand why I choose to watch The Office instead of do homework.

So, I'm in a good mood...

2007-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

I'm completely and utterly stressed.
And I'm tired.
But that's ok. I'm still in a good mood.
Even though I should be freaking out about the oral report I have to do tonight.
I HATE oral reports. You don't understand. I would rather bathe in a bathtub full of spiders than stand up in front of a class and have to talk. Or worse--think. I can't think in that situation.

And what makes this even worse is that I got the short end of the stick when it came to my topic. All of my group members got the good ideas, and I'm stuck with the topic that sounds ok in theory, but fails miserably because there's absolutely nothing I can do with it. So, I'm utterly unprepared, doomed from the beginning, and I have to speak in front of a class for a minimum of 10 minutes. AND THINK.

I'm freaking out a little.
But I'm still in a good mood.

2007-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm breaking.

Stress Management

2007-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

* Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
* Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
* Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
* Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
* Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

-This Site

Flippin Awesome.

2007-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not entirely sure I understand, but I do know that it's a stroke of adorable genius.
This video makes me smile.

This or That?

2007-11-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

Biola or California State University Blah Blah Blah?

English Writing Major or Film Screen Writing Major?

Financial Independence or debt and a Christian Education?

Should I even bother with continuing Greek when I don't have the time to put my heart into it now?

I hate having questions.

mmm, turkey.

2007-11-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone experiences at least one moment today of total, sincere and unselfish thankfulness.

I hope that for myself as well. I live in a world of luxury and I take everything for granted.

God bless.

Contract?

2007-11-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Biola is famous for it's contract. In case you aren't familiar with it, I'll fill you in:

While registered for my classes at Biola, or living on campus, I am not allowed to:
-Smoke tobacco products
-Drink alcoholic beverages
-Engage in sexual immorality
-Do illegal drugs
-Dance at campus events

Now, I have no qualms with the illegal drugs bit (after all, it is illegal)and the sexual immorality (as it's more than obvious in the bible that God hates sexual immorality) but tobacco, alcohol, and dancing seem a bit like pushing it.

To address alcohol and tobacco (because there are so many problems wrong with the no dancing rule that I'm not even going to go there), the problem with these substances is not use, but addiction. But there are those of us who can have a glass of wine at dinner (just like Jesus did) and be fine. No lure of addiction. There are those of us who smoke as a social recreation--who are not addicted in the least, but enjoy it for it's stress relief and relaxation aspects.

I enjoy smoking cigars. I don't even dip into the cigarettes because it weirds me out that you're inhaling the nicotine, but every few months I'll smoke a cigar and relax and enjoy it. There is no addiction, the health risks are so incredibly minimal that they aren't even worth mentioning, and it's inexpensive. But I'm not allowed to do this. Because I go to Biola. I am almost legalistically bound to refuse this behavior that I see as perfectly fine. Not sinful at all. But, I'm allowed to indulge in my addiction, in fact, almost encouraged considering that they sell the stuff on campus--coffee. I am severely addicted to coffee (probably a mental addiction, but the physical aspect is there too). I drink it in excess, and I waste money on it and simply cannot function without it.

But nobody cares that I'm addicted to coffee. It's coffee. It's a mundane, everyday substance that everyone loves. Why would it matter? It's not as if it were alcohol or tobacco. But I'm still addicted, and so it is still sinful.

How backwards is it that Biola coddles my addiction and denies me a sinless hobby?
How backwards is it that I cannot use something like alcohol--grabbing a drink with a bunch of unbelieving friends--as a ministry opportunity?

Just food for thought.

I hate Biola Internet.

2007-11-13T19:38:00.001-08:00

So, my internet hasn't worked for two weeks. TWO WEEKS.

I've kidnapped my roommate, Liz's computer for the moment. It's the only way I can get on the internet.

This whole 'no-internet' thing could not have come at a worse time in the semester. It's suddenly impossible to check my calendar on first class (my dad was right--I should have used outlook), it came at a time where I had papers to do, and sparknotes to read... It seems like I can't get anything done without the internet. And--to make it worse, I don't have a printer on my computer. SO, if I want to write a paper, I need to use Liz's computer or be lucky enough to get one of the few computers in the library. Can't use mine because I can't print stuff from it. Can't use mine because I can't even email my papers to another computer.

Suddenly my computer's only purpose is freecell.

Oh, and Spider Solitaire. Can't forget that!

I don't know how long it will be out of commission, but I'm hoping that my dad will fix it this weekend. He's good with computers like that. If he doesn't fix it, then I'm basically screwed for these last few weeks of class.

Yeah, I'm stressed.

2007-10-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

What I have learned today from the entertainment industry:

Fish heads don't play drums.

With a little help from my friends

2007-10-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

Opportunity Cost

2007-10-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

...Greek always wins. ;__;

Ew.

2007-10-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

"Why do we even need a republican club?! We're all republicans at Biola!"

I beg to differ.

And I hate how everyone just assumes that because I'm a Christian, I'm part of the religious-right and a Bush-lover.

Why can't I just be a Christian? A Christ-follower?

When the Biolan Democrats Club shows up on campus, I shall rejoice.

Instead of Reading for Theology...

2007-10-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

I drew this on Leah's facebook wall. I had to share it though. =P

Aristotilian Logic?

2007-10-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

If Alyssa is reading Aristotle, she is bored.
Alyssa is reading Arisotle.

Therefore, Alyssa is bored.

XD I'm such a nerd.

I can't sleep in my room.

2007-10-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid.
I'm very very afraid.

I suppose last semester I had a bad experience. I suppose it's all just paranoia. But I'm still afraid.
Very very afraid.

My air conditioner doesn't work. In fact, I'm prone to think that instead of spouting cold air (as it should) it's spouting rather warm air. My only basis for this assumption is the fact that I've had the AC on high for the past 5 days straight, and the room is still at least 20 degrees hotter than the air outside.
Let me remind you that I live in Southern California.
So, I kinda feel like I'm sitting in a microwave oven.

This, of course, does not compare at all to The Great Francis Incident of last semester. But when the words 'malfunctioning' and 'air conditioner' happen to be in the same sentence, I automatically wonder what my room will smell like a week from now. Oh gosh.

Well, aside from paranoia, I also got a new phone last weekend. And by 'new' I mean 'the exact same phone as I had before only this time it works'. No more losing signal randomly while in the middle of conversations. Hopefully.

The downside is that I don't have all of the numbers I had before. I have to manually reenter them. Oh, and the other down side is that I lost almost 400 pictures. Most of them from Disneyland. It makes me sad. I tried to rescue as many as possible, but I could only email myself so many in the small time I had while the lady was setting up my new phone. And those did not include Disneyland. Sigh.

Does anybody want to donate the newer Damien Rice cd to me? I'm totally addicted to it via youtube. Please? =P Just kidding. Kinda.

Traffic and Movies?

2007-10-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

I blog when I'm stuck in traffic.

I also blog when I'm falling asleep at night.

At least mentally.
The problem is that I can never remember exactly what I wanted to write about so badly. What social commentary or hilarious anecdote I had to share.

I am a product of my environment. I live and breathe action, adventure, romance and drama. Not personally, of course. Any bit of personal drama weirds me out to the extreme. But I live vicariously through the lives of fictitious characters in books, movies and even my own imagination.

Top ten movies for the moment:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Amadeus
3. Fight Club
4. The Painted Veil
5. Resevoir Dogs
6. Waitress
7. Lord of War
8. Pride and Prejudice
9. Memento
10. Shaun of the Dead

hmm.

2007-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing loosens the tongue like a little anonymity...

and

"...nothing can cure the senses but the soul." -Oscar Wilde.

I think I've woken up and smelled the coffee. Finally.

Thus it Begins. Again.

2007-10-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

At this moment, I'm eating my daily "This-is-as-healthy-as-it's-going-to-get-breakfast."

One cup of coffee, two sugar packets and about 1/4th cup half and half: 144 calories.
One bowl of Cream of Rice and two tablespoons of brown sugar: 240 calories.

Losing 11 pounds in 4 weeks minus one day: Priceless.

This is why I'm stressed.

2007-09-27T16:34:00.001-07:00

If the plane goes down...

2007-09-27T14:10:00.002-07:00

I'm kinda freaking out.

This seems to happen a lot lately.

Lord, please give me strength.

The Longer I Lay Here

2007-09-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

You're up with the sunrise
and down when the work's been done
with excellence, industry,
diligence-- naturally.

I would like to be you
just for a few habit forming years;
laziness cuts me like fine cutlery.

I need a miracle; someone to help me help myself.

Sweet Jesus I need you
forgive me this sin;
not hookers or heroin, gambling or gin.
It sounds so ridiculous but I just can't lick this;

I need a miracle. Someone to help me help myself.

Ewe is not fat. Ewe is fluffy.

2007-09-20T17:04:00.001-07:00

I figure I might as well cement this whole 'fat ragamuffin challenge' thing with this:

My goal: 133 by Halloween. Can Alyssa do it?

Let it Rain!

2007-09-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my world every Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 7:45 AM. After I drag my lazy butt out of bed, I get coffee (on which, I swear I will go broke soon. 1.25 dollars a day adds up. O_O)And then study profusely for my class at 8:30. Typically this makes my Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays horrible. But today was awesome...

Oh Gosh! It's overcast! And Chilly! Praise the Lord!
Nothing quite puts me in a good mood like random raindrops hitting my face as I walk to class. Especially when I have hot coffee and a reasonable dose of confidence.

Ink! But not seriously.

2007-09-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Now you know what I do while I'm in class.

It's amazing how people react when they find out that I've gotten a tattoo. The most common reaction is, 'is that real?!' Some people even go so far as to clarify that it's permanent. "Yes, It's a real tattoo. Yes, it's permanent. No, it's not coming off -__-". Everyone so far has thought it's pretty cool. Aside from someone misreading it that one time, no one has reacted negatively (not including, of course, my mother).

The reason this is on my mind is that I've been fighting the impulse to get another one. If I had the money, I'd be inked even more. Even without it, it's taking a lot of self-control to not apply for a credit card just to get one. >_<

I'm procrastinating. I wanted to do this really deep blog today, but I fail. I just don't want to do any reading.

It's Greek to me...

2007-09-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, lame title, I know.

This semester I'm taking what appears to be the hardest class of my entire life. Not because the information is hard, not because I have to belong in the 200 club to understand the content at all--no, it's because my brain does not retain the information the way it is presented.

According to my professor, the easiest way to learn greek is through song.
' According to me, the easiest way to at all remember the information that I'm going to be quizzed on is by diligent memorization without song. Why? Because as soon as I sit down to take the quiz, the song flies out of my head, and I have nothing but my visual memory to help me.
Thusly, I've done horribly in this class so far because I've trusted what the professor has said.

In addition to this, I find that most of my work this semester is not tangible. It's all about reading, reading, reading.... I find it hard to read. Why read when I could be doing some actual work for a different class? So, I've decided to set up a schedule (HA, I wonder if this is going to work at all...). Every night before bed, when I'm typically on the computer/phone/ or watching tv, I shall instead be reading. So there.

Wish me luck.

Oh Disneyland!

2007-09-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an interesting day. I spent the majority of the first half of the day stressed over homework, letters I have to write, scholarships, and the possibility, no--the reality that I may not be returning to Biola next semester. Needless to say, it seemed like a bad day.

On top of all of this, I had to deal with the added stress of dealing with my family visiting for dinner, which was very fun, admittedly, but reinforced everything that I was already stressed about. After I got back, I valiantly attempted to do the work that I needed to do, and..failed.

So, around 8 or so, life started looking up. Liz and I were on our way to Disneyland to watch the fireworks, when Liz got a call from our previous suite mate, Chelsea. She had fabulous news. A very good friend of ours, Renee, might be returning to Biola after taking a year off, and on top of that, she's trying to talk her mother into buying a house in La Mirada so that we can all live together less expensively. This was amazing news.

Amazing!

So, with high hopes for the following year, we got to Disneyland and discovered that the fireworks don't happen on Sundays. But this didn't dampen our spirits. So, we went on Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. And we watched at least half of Fantasmic (which I have never seen). All of this happened in no more than two hours. TWO HOURS!

Yesterday was a good day.

On the other hand, as an update on my fat ragamuffin challenge whateverness, I've consistently been gaining weight for a week or two now, so I need to get back on my game. My previous weight loss of 15 lbs has turned into 10, and since I'm aiming for like.. 30, this is obviously not good.
oh well, I'll keep you posted.

The End.

2007-09-05T14:39:00.001-07:00

The End.

What? Where am I?

…I can’t remember.

How long have I been here?

I’m not sure. It feels like I just woke up. But I might have been here for hours. Days. I can’t tell.

What? Where am I?

I still don’t know. But that moment is gone, it never happened.

How long have I been here?

Not long. I just woke up. I think…maybe I’ve been here for longer than that…

What? Where am I?

I’ve asked this question before. I know I have. But I haven’t. This is my first time asking it.

Time isn’t moving.

I’m living in a single moment. It repeats. That’s why I have to ask again—

What? Where am I?

But as soon as the words leave my lips, the moment is starting over again. There isn’t enough time for someone to answer.

How long have I been here?

Not long; but longer than I think. Something is happening. My mind is working outside of time.

I feel trapped. I’m stuck to the floor, on my side. I might be drooling. I hope not. Saliva is disgusting. I can’t move, even though I try. All I can see is reality failing me.

Time is repeating.

What? Where am I?

I was here before. Before this happened. I did something. I can remember that. I hit something, touched something, decided something.

In a flash, I realize exactly what’s happening to me.

What? Where am I?

It ended—my life ended. I’m dead, and in my last moment on Earth, I failed.

I failed.

What? Where am I?

God doesn’t love me anymore.

How long have I been here?

It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been here. I will always be here. Outside of God’s love.

What? Are you serious?

Perfectly serious. I failed. I pushed the limits of God’s grace. I made the final mistake. I died. I’m in hell. There is no fire, no brimstone. Just the absence of His love. I couldn’t imagine a worse hell if I tried.

What? Where am I?

I need to stop asking that. I know where I am. I know why I’m here. But I’m hoping I’m wrong. There just isn’t enough time to know. As soon as I ask, the moment begins again, and I have to ask again. But no one is answering.

This feels like a nightmare, but I know it’s not. It’s worse than a nightmare. I can feel time repeating, I know my life has ended. Game over. You fail.

I didn’t do anything with my life.

What? Where am I?

It can’t be over. My life was pointless. I was supposed to do something.

God stopped loving me.

What?

I was supposed to do something for Him. I can’t remember…

Where am I?

I’m in hell.

What? Where am I?

Are you serious?

My life can’t be over. I still love you, God. Lord. I’m sorry.

Didn’t they always teach me that Your love is unconditional?

What? Where am I?

How long have I been here?

A long time. I’ve been here a long time. It feels like just a moment has passed, but that’s because I’m stuck. I’ve only lived one moment, and I will always live that moment.

I did something wrong.

I sinned.

Game over.

The End.

Goodbye, life.

I was supposed to do something.

What? Where am I?

I didn’t do anything.

Nothing good.

Are you serious?

No. I remember. I didn’t touch anything. It’s not game over.

It can’t be.

Right?

It’s not. God still loves me.

What? Where am I? How long have I been here? Who are you?

I’m not in hell.

The moment is getting longer. I can feel it. God is giving me a second chance.

It’s letting me go. This place. God loves me again. I made a mistake. It’s ok.

He still loves me.

What?

Where am I?

How long have I been here?

…

Now what do I do?

We need to get out.

2007-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Let me clear it up for any moron with lingering doubts: It’s worse. It’s over. You lost. You lost the day your tanks rolled into Baghdad to the cheers of your imported, American-trained monkeys. You lost every single family whose home your soldiers violated. You lost every sane, red-blooded Iraqi when the Abu Ghraib pictures came out and verified your atrocities behind prison walls as well as the ones we see in our streets. You lost when you brought murderers, looters, gangsters and militia heads to power and hailed them as Iraq’s first democratic government. You lost when a gruesome execution was dubbed your biggest accomplishment. You lost the respect and reputation you once had. You lost more than 3000 troops. That is what you lost America. I hope the oil, at least, made it worthwhile.

-Riverbend (A woman, Iraqi blogger.)

I've finally made up my mind concerning the war.

LAWL

2007-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Scariest moment of my entire life:

Jewish kid: Ooh, lemme see your tattoo!I wanna see if I can read it.
Me: Ok...
Jewish Kid: Is it a name? I can't really....
Me: *slightly worried* It's emeth!
Jewish kid: It's supposed to be 'emeth'?! Truth?
Me: Yes!
Jewish kid: Well, It's not...
Me: WHAT?!

I was still shaking ten minutes later. In the end, he misread it, but that was a horrible feeling.

Most awkward moment of the evening:

Jewish kid: So, Alyssa. Do you get a lot of attention from the boys?
Me: ....No.
Jewish kid: Really?!
Me: .......-___-

Pet Peeve

2007-08-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

"You should enjoy being single!"

"That's why I go on dates."

It hurt SO bad. Kinda.

2007-08-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is the hebrew word, 'emeth'. It means "truth" to the extent of strength and solidity. It's what Jesus referred to when he said he was the 'way, the truth, the light'. It's like the Truth (notice the capital) and reality in one. Never changing--like God.

You'll be glad to know it doesn't hurt at all any more. WOO

Inked.

2007-08-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2007. 6:40 PM. I walk into Santa Clarita tattoo with my father.
August 6, 2007. 7:16 PM, and 100$ later, I walk back out of the tattoo shop with a brand new tattoo.

I'd post a picture, but it's covered with plastic right now. It will be until tomorrow morning. I can't swim for two weeks, and I have to care for it with antibacterial soap and lotion. I absolutely adore it. I'll explain it tomorrow, when I post a picture.

As of this moment, I can no longer donate blood. I'll have to answer 'yes' to the tattoo question on the questionnaire sheet the doctor's office has. My faith is branded on my skin. I love it.

My mother doesn't.

My mother hasn't said two words to me since I got home. This is the only thing that worries me (aside from the lingering pain). I compromised with her, set restrictions, dates, and ideas, and let her push me around concerning this '18th birthday present'. She agreed to it once, and ever since she has been cold. When I had finally decided around 6 months into my 18th year. She said to wait. We agreed to 6 months. It's been almost a year. I love her, and I feel as if I've disappointed her, but this is something I've thought and prayed about. I'm sure she'll come around.

It hurt. A lot. Much more than I expected. The tattoo feeling has been described as 'annoying'. It actually felt like the guy was cutting my skin. But I didn't object. I didn't make a single sound. I'm kinda proud of myself. The foot is supposed to be the most painful place to get a tattoo. Tons of nerves. But I did it.

And I love it.

I'm Home

2007-08-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Mmmm. My bed. My bankets. My own room. A real shower. Electricity--the internet!. Aim, a chance to rant about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (finally) and yet, the laziness to put it off for another day.

It's good to be home. After nearly two weeks of living out of the same ten foot by ten foot space as the rest of the family, without electricity to even justify bringing a rig camping, I am home. My entire summer I looked foreword to July 21st--the day Harry Potter was released, because it signified many things. The end of Taco Bell, the beginning of the end of Harry Potter, and the beginning of my two week long vacation where I would finally indulge in all the books I've been meaning to read, where I would sleep all day, and sit by the fire at night. Well, now I am glad it is over. I read...way too much to be healthy, I ate way too much junk food (which was oftentimes the only thing available) and I didn't get to sleep in because of the screaming monkeys next door.

I did, however, finally get to see San Francisco, which was beautiful and awesome. I decided to someday live there, despite the less than perfect experience there with my slightly tedious family. Plus, the traffic sucked. I decided that one day, I would Open up a coffee shop, and live on a vespa. In addition to some sort of ministry to the less perfect parts of town.

Well, now I'm home, and I'm broke, of course. One of the pains of having money, is that I feel less inclined to ask my parents for help, and I spend money on things I shouldn't. Like the family clue game and alka seltzer. And later, when I get my 200$ credit card bill, I don't quite have the money to pay it off, and I can't ask for help. Or something.

I'm rambling because I've spent far too many minutes in semi-consciousness today. Goodnight.

Today was my last day

2007-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

What I have learned from working in fast food.

1. Never ever eat off of those plastic trays. Ever.
2. Never ever eat off the tables either.
3. Have pity on the drive-thru person. It's harder than it looks.
4. Nice comments make the employee's day.
5. The reality of sexual harrassment is closer than you think.
6. Minimum wage sucks.
7. So do taxes.
8. People who order huge, very specialized orders and then zone-out when the cashier repeats it often complain later when their order is slightly wrong.
9. There is no refund system, so don't ask for your money back; the only person who gets penalized is the one person who usually isn't responsible--the cashier.
10. English speaking people often complain when the cashier's english is less than perfect. Spanish speaking people have to deal with the same problem.
11. Never eat at fast food, ever.
12. In theory the idea of sanitation is uplifted, but in practice it is often more convenient to forget.
13. If your boss happens to be the manager of a fast food restaurant, and he happens to be 45 (and this is the farthest up the corporate latter he has reached), then in all likeliness he is incompetent, and don't expect him to help you out like a real manager should.
14. Spanglish is over-rated.
15. Never eat off of those plastic trays. Ever.
16. People often take advantage of the cashier's paid kindness, and end up with more than they payed for (for instance, two drinks, instead of the single drink they payed for).

This Made My Day

2007-07-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Goodbye iPhone with all its superfluous and frivolous costs and joys.

My Opinion Before Deathly Hallows (Spoiler Alert)

2007-07-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

In order to refresh myself before the much awaited and upcoming release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I reread Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Now before I go into my suspicions and predictions concerning the seventh and final Harry Potter book, I must delve into Dumbledore's fallibility as presented by the previous books.

Dumbledore said in the fifth book that as a great man, his mistakes are consequently greater than the average man. This is true, but I still have a general faith in Dumbledore's choices. After my immediate read-through of HBP, I believe Harry's opinion on where Dumbledore's faith in Snape originated is very misconstrued. The simple idea that Dumbledore would base his faith completely on Snape's regret is idiotic, and I would hope Rowling would write Dumbledore to be a slightly more sensible man than that. He was sensible and savvy about Tom Riddle, and all his true loyalty, so proclaiming that Snape truly and successfully fooled Dumbledore is almost claiming him to be a greater wizard than Voldemort himself. If Snape is truely evil (and I have my doubts), my thoughts are that the only way he could have ended up in the position that he did is that he must have truly meant his apology to Dumbledore and must have offered proof of his loyalty, and then chickened out later.

And then there's the idea that Snape is actually and truly ambiguous. That he was riding the fence the whole time, helping out both sides, and then waiting for a moment in which he had to choose one side or the other. This makes as much sense as pure good/evil because it was in his own interest to murder dumbledore--He had already given the unbreakable vow, and so his life depended on Dumbledore's demise by either himself or Draco.

My personal opinion is that Snape is quite good. In reading the book and looking specifically for signs of Snape's loyalty and Dumbledore's omniscience, I found that of everything that Harry told him, all of the suspicions about Snape and Draco, Dumbledore knew all but these two: 1. That Draco was fixing something in the Room of Requirement and 2. That Snape had taken an unbreakable vow.

As for number 1, There is not much evidence that Dumbledore didn't believe this at all, other than his curiosity about how Draco was getting the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. Of course, he wouldn't know, if Snape was his source of information regarding Draco, because Draco admitted to keeping Snape in the dark. It would have been easy to dismiss Harry's claims about the room of requirement because, if my mind serves me correctly, he never actually heard about that particular suspicion until the moment they were leaving to find the horcrux. In such a moment, such a silly suspicion would have been overlooked. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore knew about this anyway, but didn't expect Draco to succeed in anything at all. Draco was notoriously bad at his plotting throughout the book, so it would not have been out of order for him to fail miserably.

As for number 2, the only evidence that Dumbledore didn't know about the Vow is his comment to Draco when Draco informed him of it. Draco was trying to convince Dumbledore of Snape's guilt at the time, and Dumbledore said something to the extent of: "Of course he would have told you that, but he was really working for me the whole time". After much thought, I've decided that this was Dumbledore being very wise. Draco is an enigma. Not in that we don't understand him at all, but in that, at that very moment, it was possible that he could have chosen either side. It would have been horrible foolish for Dumbledore to inform Draco that he already known everything about that Vow, for that vow would have been the key to Snape's loyalty. Dumbledore would have only known about that vow if Snape was 100% loyal to the Order. Letting Draco know this would have been folly. This doesn't even take into account the fact that Snape was much more valuable to the Order than Dumbledore was, especially if Snape waited until the last moment to show his true colors. In the final moments of Dumbledore's life, he was pleading with Snape. But there is no mention of 'surprise in dumbledore's once twinkling eyes' or some bullocks like that. The book only mentions Dumbledore's plead. "Severus, please...." A surprising lack of detail for such a crucial moment, don't you agree?

As for the next book, I can only forsee Harry's success as a surprising amount of luck and friends more talented than he is, because no one but Hermione will be able to help navigate the fortresses of doom that surround the remaining two horcruxes (nagini aside because she is probably near to her master. I honestly can't think of a very good use for Ron other than Human Shield or Distraction, but you never know.

My prediction about the deaths is this: Harry has rapidly run out of father figures in his life--first his father, then sirius, then Dumbledore. It would be folly for Rowling to kill off Lupin, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Moody, or Mr. Weasly gone. My thoughts are that the love affairs must stay intact: Tonks/Lupin, Hermione/Ron, and Harry/Ginny, even though we all want Harry to die, and we all know that Ron and Hermione will end up killing each other in the long run. McGonagal will probably live because it would be stupid to kill two headmasters in one series (even though Buffy did it). Hagrid is an either way. He's loved enough to be missed, but it's unlikely he will offend anyone particularly with his death. Moody might very well die, and it would be a fitting death. And it would be poetically depressing for one, or even both of the Weasly Twins to die, but I dearly hope not, because they're my favorites of all the brothers. I hope Percy dies, but it seems like it would be too good to be true. I doubt Rufus Scrimgeour will die. Same with the other unsavory ministry characters such as Umbridge. Draco will undoubtedly live and probably choose the right side.

For the moment, I'm done with predictions. I'll be sure to follow this up eventually with an "My Opinion After Deathly Hallows" post, where I will probably rant and rave about the book series being too much a childrens book for what it was evolving into, or how they killed my favorite character or something of the sort. Sigh.

My favorite character is Snape, by the way. he'll probably die. I hope it's in a way worthy of him.

I believe in dating.

2007-07-13T22:38:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that everyone has realized that today--at least in southern california, the custom of 'dating' has ceased to exist. People jump from friends to significant others at the drop of a dime. I detest this. I think the act of dating should be continued--it allows for a non-emotional, get-to-know-each-other-in-a-romantic-situation, sort of experience. No attachment, no commitment, no angst.

I've never been so bothered by this as I am now, simply because I go to a school where dating is not only common, but it's almost taboo. People want to marry their first boyfriends, and the act of going on a date is seen as something almost slutty. What the crap!?

The other problem with this state of mind being so prevalent is that it affects even the way I think. And the way other people thing--people I wouldn't mind dating, if they shared my opinion.

I guess that's the end of my rant for today.

2007-07-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

I am not an eloquent speaker. It seems like my brain goes too fast for my mouth, and the result is not that I am a fast speaker, but that my words smash together like a ten car pile-up on the freeway. Usually this happens rather infrequently: mostly when I'm nervous or have something I'm particularly passionate about on my mind. But I find that the more that I speak, the more often this happens.

It is therefore a misfortune that I am a cashier and that I am, in fact, payed to speak to people constantly. A conversation that should go like this:
Mbr> Me: Hi, how are you today? (pause)What can I get for you?
Customer: A taco, a side of rice, three bean burritos and a number three.
Me: alright I have a taco, a side of rice, three bean burritos and a number three, for here or to go?

Often ends up something like this:

Me: HI! How'reyou today? (pause) What can I get for you?
Customer: (blah blah blah)
Me: Kay, I have a tacosiderice, three bean burritororos, I mean burritos and a numbahthree, forhereorgo?
Customer: what?

Sigh. I would typically not mind, except that it makes me seem less intelligent than I am, I think, and flustered...which I'm not really. Just.. a weird speaker. Grr.

This 'speech impediment' as I refer to it in my head is 20% of the reason I don't ever give witty comebacks--because when I think of them, I know that I will mess them up. The other 80% us just me being slow witted. XD

I feel crappy today because:

2007-07-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

1) I have a headache 2) I got a letter last night from school saying I lost my scholarship (I already knew I lost it, but now I KNOW) 3) My parents refuse to finish the taxes to send them to school, and they're way past deadline, so I'm going to have to pay for the entire semester out-of-pocket 4) I have to go to work in less than an hour and deal with people who bark at me, and customers who lean over the counter and smell 5) I just got the bill that I had been waiting for to pay off, and it's too high, I have to wait till my next pay-day to pay it off 6) The money that I earn over the summer will all be going to college, but it seems like I make very little money at all That's me being finished whining. Talk to you all later when I'm in a better mood. v_v

Why I haven't blogged

2007-06-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been insanely busy this last week or two. I've painted my room, moved everything around, gone linen shopping, spent my much needed check on gas and curtains, and all that crap. I still haven't found sheets, a bed-spread, my second pair of curtains, or a place to put my desk, so I'm not going to post before and after pictures yet. In addition to that, I work 6 days a week (5 starting next week, if I get it my way) read half of a book, and started a 'eat-right-diet' that begins today. Which is the real reason why I'm posting. Yesterday I sat around at a good friend of mine's house with her best friend and we watched anime for 5 hours. It was fun. It was all part of a project of theirs to get me into anime for once and for all. Unfortunately, they failed for the same reason Amanda (my friend) failed last time--something like anime is way too expensive to get into. I've always liked the difference in culture, animation styles, etc. but it's much too expensive, and not particularly my style. Sigh. Well, I have to get ready for work. Bye!

I blog in my sleep.

2007-06-08T23:55:00.000-07:00

No, really I do. Well.. no. Ok--so while I'm falling asleep I compose perfect and creative and witty blogs for my huge imaginary audience. These imaginary blogs are so good the ideas actually keep me awake, and I sit there writing and rewriting (to the point of perfection) these blogs that never get put to paper (or keyboard). It's.. annoying. And, the most annoying part of this habit is that once I actually get up to write everything down, it's gone. Like trying to hold water in my hands. It all just... drips away. I stare at my blank computer screen and think, "I know it was good, but this is just bad writing." Sometimes I actually say it out loud and then remind myself eerily of Secret Window. Shudder.

Today I worked from 11-3:30. Tomorrow I work starting at 11 and probably until 3 or 4. Yayness. I'm getting better at it, at least. It's not daunting anymore (except drive-thru, and apparently drive-thru is the worst part. People have nightmares about it until they've mastered it. Unfortunately my nightmares still revolve around French class. What I would give for a change of pace.)

Now for your viewing entertainment:

Oh Gosh.

I figured out why the Grey's Anatomy Finale sucked!

2007-06-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Quickly, before I head off to fast-food hell, I have to disclose what I have discovered. The much anticipated, and very disappointing Grey's Anatomy finale sucked because Isaiah Washington (Dr. Burke) made some ill-appreciated gay comments which, of course, caused everyone to rise against him.

"The May finale of "Grey's Anatomy" opened the door for the departure of his character. Burke was on the verge of marrying Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), but her doubts at first delayed and then derailed their splashy wedding.

Later, Yang found that Burke cleared out his favorite possessions from their apartment."

Now, I was one of those people rooting for Christina and Burke and this really annoys me. I don't understand how one comment could lose someone a job. I mean, yeah, I wouldn't be friends with the guy, blah blah blah, I would shun him privately, but someone losing their job over an offhand comment? Wow. I could understand actually harassing someone, or doing something like that, but a comment?

Check out the whole story here.

Why I'm rich despite being broke

2007-06-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

My father just handed me a necklace made of fingers. Literally.

Well, finger bones. My grandfather was a crazy guy. Really cool. He used to travel around and visit Native American Tribes and trade with them. He collected what he got. My grandmother has so much stuff from my grandfather's travels that she was able to give away half of it (to a museum) and sell a great deal of it, and still have enough left over to fill a three story house. Seriously. The few things that she's given to my father and my family is all in a display case in the living room, and worth more than my rather large house, twice over. What's amazing is that a lot of the things are things that can't legally be sold--ivory necklaces, eagle claws, eagle feathers, etc. It's amazing.

That's why it makes sense that my dad just gave me a finger-bone necklace. I actually asked for it. I also got a Chinaman's queue (Which is very weird, but I thought it was intensely interesting, and my father assured me that the man himself wasn't killed in the process. But a queue isn't half as weird as a shrunken head, and there are people who collect those as well), a tiny little necklace with eagle claws on it, possible a turquoise ring or two and a bunch of real arrowheads. It's awesome.

Work today was much less horrible than yesterday, even though I messed up like.. two orders and felt horrible. But that was after 5 hours of working and my brain was pretty fried. Francis still won't give me a schedule (which has been an issue the last three days) and just tells me what time to come in the next day. I think he just believes that I don't have a social life (saddly a true assumption at the moment, what with none of my friends living nearby anymore) but with the couple of friends I'd like to hang out with, I can't make plans. That's annoying. Blah.

I want to defy gravity

2007-06-02T20:33:00.001-07:00

To be honest, I should have posted last night to convey the huge-ish joy I had last night at seeing the musical Wicked. I can only really say that it was so good I couldn't go to sleep and I woke up singing the songs in my head.

Then, in a royal adjustment of my good fortune, this morning I had my first day of work. Training. Frustrating, infuriating, I get everything wrong and forget to give my customers their drinks, bad. Never ever work for fast food. Ever.

I'm annoyed to admit that I'm disappointed in getting this summer job. Admittedly I only turned in one application, and because they interviewed me and hired me on the spot, I didn't bother looking for more (summer jobs and I have a horrible past), but in my own little arrogance, I almost think this job is below me. I had sworn ages ago never to work in fast food, and here I am. But after catering for 6.75 an hour and almost spilling scalding hot coffee on some of the most important Christians alive today (and I'm not even kidding about that one), I find fast food disappointing (despite the mandatory raise in pay, thank the Governator), and I find myself wishing for the quietly dignified part time job of retail at the mall, or a bookstore, or even the movie theater.

Some of you know about my past with the name 'Francis.' I've only realized this recently, actually (within the last ten minutes), but I have a horrible time with anybody or anything named Francis. My French teacher for four years in high school was named Francois (variation on Francis) and to this day, if I have a nightmare it's about him and that class. The smell that nearly kicked my suite-mates and I out of our suite (and actually kicked my suite-mates into my room for a week) was named Francis, and to top it all of, the man that I now work for--a man I can hardly understand, so 80% of the time I smile and nod) is named... Francisco. Oh, gosh.

Of course, the Francis thing is completely frivolous and not at all serious, but the summer is turning out to look very, very long. I already want to be back at school, going to chapel every other day (even through the occasional complaints) and sitting in New Testament class, and worrying about papers again.

The thing that makes it tough is that my mother shares my opinion on this new job, but, voices her opinions while I stay silent (except in blogs, of course). I would rather my parents be forcing me to take a job, and be a martyr, than to take a job by choice and find it less than tasteful by not only myself but my parents. Ugh.

It also annoys me that I have this arrogant, superior-even-though-I-get-the-orders-wrong, attitude. Yuck. Talk about annoying, somebody slap me.
Renovation of my room starts as soon as I figure out where I'm going to move all my stuff while it's being destroyed and put back together. Yay. And I need to buy paint. Color suggestions, anyone?

I wish I had those skillz

2007-05-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Max Tyrie, Jonah Austin, and Tiffany Tetrault entered the above animation into the Modest Mouse video competition being run by Epic and Apple. Max writes, "Using green screen footage provided by the band we cut a simple music video. We then degraded the images and printed out each frame sequentially (all 4133 of them). We then nailed each "shot" of 50-100 posters to various structures and posts. Then using a digital SLR camera with a long exposure we frame by frame shot each poster. Oh, and theres a little video projection (again, frame by frame on the SLR) just to mix it up. There is no compositing, no shortcuts, just lots of blood, sweat and tears, and a huge Kinkos bill!" -Juxtapoz

Harry Potter get's his own theme park?!

2007-05-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

Is this, perhaps, going a little overboard?

According to Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, it's not going overboard--it will be a huge success. Now I'm as big a Harry Potter fan as anyone else--only a fan of the books, but there are Harry Potter fans out there who have never read the books, so who's going to be picky? (Don't even get me started on those people who refuse to open the books but go to every single movie). Anyway, even I, the big Harry Potter fan, don't really see the upside to a theme park like that. I mean, yeah, I'll visit it once when I get really bored, just to do so, but only to be able to criticize it and how it ruined my own picture of Hogwarts, or whatever. That's why I don't watch the movies.

The more I think about it, a hotel really makes the most sense...in Vegas! That's exactly like something they would put in Vegas. A Hogwarts Hotel with secret passageways and all sorts of things like that. It would be awesome. But a theme park? No thank you.

Imagine This....

2007-05-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Remember Sleeping Beauty? The old Disney classic?

Well, picture that movie, but with a twist: there's another princess and another prince involved. So, in addition to Aurora (or Briar Rose) and Prince Philip, there's another couple whom I will name Prince #2 and Princess #2 (for obvious reasons).

Imagine that, after Aurora pricks her finger and goes to sleep, and after Philip escapes Maleficent's castle, but before Philip hacks through the thorns to get to King Stephan's castle, Prince #2 tells Princess #2 something dreadful about Philip. Philip, according to Prince #2 (who looks remarkably like a character from The Tudors), is responsible for someone's death, some evil--something intensely personal for both of the Princesses.

Suddenly, Philip gallops in on his horse, and begins to hack at the thorns. In a flash, Prince #2 attacks him, and an epic sword fight takes place, but they are equally matched--no man to be the winner but for a stroke of luck. The little red fairy (Fauna? Flora?) turns to Princess #2 and screams, "You should kill him for this!" (Him meaning Philip). But in an instant Princess #2 knows that if she does not let Philip hack through the thorns and battle the dragon, and finally kiss Aurora, then the kingdom will be doomed. In that instant, her mind was made up and she yells to prince #2 to let Philip go. Philip will save the day--he's the only one who can.

That was the dream I had last night, from the second Princess' point of view. It was intense.

I think I'll go to Boston...

2007-05-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

With summer comes a feeling of change--at least for me. A feeling very similar to that which comes around the New Year, or even that which comes in fall with the falling of the leaves (ok, I'm not going to kid anybody. I live in Southern California--there's not such thing as 'fall'). But summer presents new opportunities; a summer job to make some cash, three months until next term--three months to burn off some of that extra baggage you've been carrying around all school year. Three months to get a tan, visit new places, go on a missions trip, not go to Disneyland (it's summer and I no longer live ten minutes away--thank goodness for the break). Three months to redo your bedroom, replant the flowerbed, clean out the garage, finally get that 'sophisticated' short skirt, long jacket sort of look down. Three months to finally get that tattoo. Three months to fall in love, three months to read all those books you haven't had time to read, three months to sleep in and relax before the new school year. Three months. This summer is exactly that for me; I have so much to do, so much to accomplish, so much to blog about. Hopefully this will keep me reasonably accountable. Keeping a blog, that is. Here's my list of what I want to get done this summer, but in paragraph form. As I finish things, I'll come back and mark them off.

Get a job: X
Rearrange and paint my room:X
Become Master and Commander of the flower garden:
Get a tan:
Read at least 5 books (not including HP and the Deathly Hallows):X
Become a carpenter (like Jesus!):
Travel to a big city for a few days without my parents:
*Develop a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle:

*Inspired by Carlos Whittaker's "Fat Ragamuffin Challenge," I am using this blog to keep me accountable on the path to overcoming the 'lazy fat american' stereotype that I so very well contribute to. I have 40 pounds to lose to get to my target weight and I'll keep you posted in the process. The makeover begins tomorrow. It would have begun three days ago but for the fact that I switched diets today (I've decided Atkins to be the poor man's way to lose weight. There can be absolutely nothing healthy about eating pure fat in the form of sausage, eggs, bacon, and red meat.) And so I leave you, Aly

"It's all happening!"

2007-05-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

Correction: Nothing is happening. Welcome to the first post of my new and improved blog! Sometime this morning between the hours of 2 and 3 am, I realized something: I am way behind on everything when it comes to the world wide web, trends, and really useful tools. So, after setting up my blogger account (out with the xanga, in with the blogger--much more convenient, really), and testing about 4 or 5 different RSS readers (and deciding on Google--naturally), I have decided to make my entire life known to fellow blog-enthusiasts, my family, and my friends (though, admittedly, very few of either of the last two categories are at all blog savvy, so my hopes are minimal at best). There you have it; the dreadful first post of a new blog. Now, let's party.