Rae Roy's Blog, page 46

Symphonic Saturday – Music to Write To

[image error]I’ve spent most of the day finishing the script for a TV episode.

Music helped me through it.

I’m finding instrumental movie music can be great to listen to while writing. It’s often inspirational and without the words, it’s not overly distracting.

I found a nice long mix on YouTube.

It took all day and part of the evening too. It was like pulling teeth to get the last couple of pages done. Then the system wouldn’t let me log in to hand it in.

So I took a shower and then it was working again.

Anyway, I finally finished and I have a packed day tomorrow, so off to sleep I go.

And that’s how it flows today.

R~

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Filed under: Music Tagged: Discipline, School

Frisky Friday – They Stuck What Where?

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Apparently, last year was filled with people stick things in holes.

I mean, there’s even a huge list!

I’m wondering how many were repeat offenders as opposed to single incidents.

I’m also wondering how the author gathered all the data? Did they interview nurses? Is there a database where medical staff lists all the “stuck weird crap in orifice” cases?

It’s also fun to note that both children and adults do this, which may suggest humans generally have a preoccupation with bodily openings.

Things to ponder as I try to finish my last projects and study for an exam.

And that’s how it flows today,

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Sex

Thoughtful Thursday – A Weight is Lifted

[image error]I didn’t realize how much one of my school assignments was weighing on me.

The term project for video production class has been a huge pain. First, we had scheduling issues. Then we had equipment, location, and power issues. Then we couldn’t get equipment during the Christmas break.

Today,  we were having battery issues and had to stop multiple times to charge the camera.

But we got it done!

Outside of the problems, it wasn’t bad. I learned how to make realistic fresh blood from a classmate and once we figured out all our shots exactly, it only took about 2 hours to film.

There’s only a couple more things to finish and hand in then the semester is over.

I meant to post this on Thursday instead of back dating it. I even thought I had posted it. But I fell asleep instead.

And that’s how it flowed yesterday.

R~

Filed under: Musings Tagged: School

Warrior Wednesday – A Rough Start

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The last couple of days have been rough. I’ve had two in a row that I had to be at school earlier and I got up extra early to ensure I actually caught a bus that would get me to school on time. My options are go really early or be late because the bus that would get me there at a reasonable time seems to always fall into a black hole somewhere along the route…

The weather has been really cold. Today was quite a bit warmer, but it was the kind of cold that makes me achy in places like my ankles, especially the one I injured doing roller derby 4 years ago. The walk to the bus stop was more of a limp.

It’s also the time of year where the heat makes my dry eyes drier, so they feel rather like rubber balls and it’s really uncomfortable. It makes me hate screens.

We haven’t had our first Iaido practice of 2018 yet because people were still on holiday and I wasn’t feeling well anyway. Hopefully Sunday will be better. I always enjoy the first practice of the year as we do some special kata to open the dojo. I don’t remember what they’re called, but we clear the dojo of bad energy and it’s really cool.

I’m tired and grumpy, but I have too much to do instead of napping. There’s an assignment due tomorrow, which I’m done. My video group will hopefully be starting and finishing our term project tomorrow also. It’s not as if we haven’t tried several times to get it done sooner. Between scheduling and equipment malfunctions, we’re learning the hard way why casting calls are the way they are. You better shoot video every day you can. On Saturday, we have to hand in the first 10 pages of our feature films, but that’s after we get group member feedback. We also have to hand in our completed TV episode for a currently running show. I chose South Park for mine and it’s really fun to write.  I would love to work on a show like that.

Next week is our last week of semester one. We have an exam on Canadian film history on Tuesday and everything outstanding has to be handed in before the 12th. Thursday’s final video production class is supposed to be watching the films we made.

And that’s the flow today,

R~

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Filed under: Martial Arts, Musings Tagged: Iaido, School

Theatrical Tuesday – Review of The Last Jedi [SPOILERS AHEAD]

[image error]So I loved the movie.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t see any flaws in it.

Leia’s Space Flying Whatever-The-Fuck

Initially, it bothered me. A lot.

Then I thought about it more.

I thought, Leia is the general of a rebel army. My warrior brain said, if I was in her position with the weight of a colony on my shoulders, basically had magic powers I didn’t know how to use, and my brother was like Gandalf or some shit, I’d totally have my bro teach me some things. I mean, at the very least, the Jedi mind trick would be good if I got captured again. And really, the floating thing is basically like calling a lightsaber to your hand, but instead you’re calling your hand to something stationary.

Basically.

So what’s wrong with it? Well, I can’t say I fully understand the math and such in this article, but I think it’s saying Leia could move in space, just not as fast as she did, thus making it impossible for her to actually make it back to the ship in time to survive.

I think that means that some of the other things that shoot in space are also problematic except lasers as they travel at or passed light speed.

I thought they were going to use the moment to end the Leia’s storyline given the loss of Carrie. Now I’m left wondering what they’re going to do about that.

Rose

I think it’s great that they have an Asian character, but I’m not a fan of the Rose and Finn ship. I mean, Finn clearly had feelings for Rey. Did they think Rey should stick to the rule that Jedi can’t have relationships? I mean, that goes against the whole idea of changing the way Jedi live in the future. And why can’t Rose have saved Finn without being in love with him? We already had a love triangle with Luke, Leia, and Han in the original trilogy.

Finn

Finn was a rather useless character for most of the story. He probably should’ve died. I hope they do better with him in the next one.

Rey’s Parents

I don’t care one way or the other about Rey’s parentage, but it’s entirely possible that Kylo was just being an asshole to her. He’s kind of the bad guy. He wants her to join him. He has an agenda that doesn’t involve her being happy unless she’s with him. Finding her real parents might go against his plans in some way. Yeah, they could be losers. She could even be another immaculate conception force baby for all we know.

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Kylo

Kylo’s character arc has been decently written. It’s almost as if he’s struggling to grow into manhood. Those pants though. Awful. He should fire his fashion designer. Don’t believe me? Check out the proposed LEGO mini figure.

I hope he does actually grow up soon because the whiny teenager attitude is getting to be a bit much.

 

Snokes’s Death

Snokes’s death kind of bothers me, but then I think back to how Vadar killed The Emperor and I realize that a lot of the deaths of the sith masters have been rather pathetic. Darth Maul looked like he was going to be a formidable foe, but he didn’t get far either.

Captain Phasma

Captain Phasma is a crappy character. Look, we all know her purpose is to look cool, but you’ll sell even more toys if she’s not completely useless.

I’d love to see a strong female on the sith side.

The Credits

The memorial message in the credits made me cry. Actually, there was a lot of time I was choking back tears because I fucking miss Carrie Fisher that much.

Plot

I think some of the things that people are complaining about with regards to plot holes will be answered in the third film.

They might not, but that’s the whole point.

I find it exciting having no fucking clue what will happen next. Movies aren’t meant to tell you what you already know. This was the most exciting Star Wars film I’ve seen in a long time. Yeah, some things could have been smoother. One friend’s review covers it as he talks about there perhaps being too many subplots going at once and the transitioning between them being done clumsily.

Here’s another good review.

Here are more memes. Many make fun of Kylo.

The bigger plot problem in the last two Star Wars films is that they keep recycling the story from previous episodes as the below meme borrowed from the Star Wars Sithposting Facebook group shows.

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A list of things about the film that make me love it, but also make me unsure about where things are headed.

Fight Scenes

Yeah, I always love a good lightsaber scene. I know there wasn’t as many in this film as some others, but it’s good to change things up.

I enjoyed watching Rey show her fighting skill on the island. It actually doesn’t take much to translate skill with one weapon to another though lightsabers are rather more dangerous than her staff. I’ve seen seventh degree black belts cut themselves with katana they’ve been training to use for 30 or so years. Realistically, it would be hard for anyone to safely use a lightsaber unless the force helps protect them from cutting themselves with it. Too much realism in a fantasy (yes, space operas are fantasy, not sci-fi) story detracts from it. It might have been nice to see her singe her hair or something though.

Rey’s Force Lifting

I felt like the levitation of the rocks was too easy for her. It would’ve been nice to see her struggle with it a bit and maybe have to remove the rocks in small chunks to clear the path.

Porgs

They’re cute, but I’m not sure they really add much to the story. I wanted Chewie to munch away.

The Milk

It was pretty savage seeing how Luke’s been living on the island. We didn’t see much of that need for survival skills with Obi-Wan or Yoda in their rather isolated places. There are a lot of funky creatures in the Star Wars universe, so the seal like animals don’t bother me.

Final Points

I thought the movie could’ve been a tad bit shorter. I think it sagged a bit. I liked Luke’s storyline, but they almost lost me on the way to the final battle because it seemed like we we  already had a natural climax moment earlier as usually the big bad killing device is destroyed then the baddest dude is killed and everyone celebrates. As the middle film of a trilogy, I think it’s supposed to leave us in the lurch wondering if the rebels will survive or Kylo’s minions will crush the rebels once and for all. It had to continue until Luke had his final battle so Rey could take her place as the last Jedi.

The bottom line is that it’s a divisive, subversive film and I loved it. It might not be your thing. That’s cool. I feel like Star Wars has finally been brought back to life. Despite the recycled content, it looks like we may actually be heading into new territory. At least, I hope so.

R~

 

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Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Movies

Merry Monday – Welcoming 2018

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I’m changing things up a wee bit today.

It’s a new year and I wanted to try something new on the blog.

Just because I’m a writer doesn’t mean everything has to be written on here, so here’s a short video talking about my goals for the year.

I wish all of you the best for the year ahead!

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Discipline

Symphonic Saturday – My Past Life in Songs

[image error]I often think of my life in music. What I mean is, certain periods of my life are pretty closely depicted in the songs I listen to. Some just remind me of the old days, but some say exactly what I was going through at the time.

In elementary school, I wasn’t a popular kid. I was bullied almost daily. Most of the time I felt like a loser. But in grade 7, Ace of Base released The Sign and though my parents couldn’t afford to buy me the CD, the other kids sang it so much on the bus that I learned the words and could sing along. The next song we tormented the bus driver with was off Green Day’s album Dookie and it was Basketcase. Those songs made me able to participate and feel like less of a loser if only for a small part of my day.

High school brought with it so many artists including Marilyn Manson, Tori Amos, Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails, which us theatre kids often played through the auditorium sound system during lunch. I had a lot of anger in me in those days, so Marilyn Manson was particularly helpful. At parties, one of the older guys would bring a guitar and play songs like Don McLean’s American Pie. My guitar class played Green Day’s Good Riddance in front of the school. There’s also a special place in my heart for Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust from a medley we played in music class. Also, a boy who was integral to playing that one made out with me at a party one time. Ah, youthful shenanigans. One of our plays opened with Queen’s Under Pressure and I still get that one stuck in my head fairly regularly. We also loved belting out Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill when it came out. That was pretty much the whole album. Songs from The Lion King also featured often. At graduation, the choir I was part of sang Turn Around. I think our choir director was trying to make everyone cry. If that didn’t work, there was a presentation for all with photos from the year that included Sarah McLachlan’s I Will Remember You to finish the job.

Then I lost myself for a while in whatever my now ex was into. Sometimes it was what was popular at the time like Baha Men’s Who Let the Dogs Out. There was an awkward moment in there where I fell asleep at a Kim Mitchell concert and he was staring at me the whole time. I’m still sorry, Kim!. Other times it was Eric Clapton, Steve Vai, or Joe Satriani. Eventually the songs turned to such delights as Stealers Wheels Stuck in the Middle With You. I discovered Evanescence and still deeply love Amy Lee’s work. By the end, Linkin Park’s Numb encompasses part of how I felt. People have asked me lately about that part of the past and I feel like I’m saying more than enough in this post.

So five years ago I began rebuilding myself and music has been a big part of that. Katy Perry’s Roar came out shortly after I began moving on. From there, I got into Two Door Cinema Club, Daft Punk, The Strokes, Ed Sheeran, and Flyleaf to name a few.

I’m ready to enter a new chapter. Musically, I think blues will feature prominently because whenever I screw around on my guitar without sheet music, something rather bluesy comes out. I think that’s a sign that I should check out the blues scene.

I’m looking forward to the adventures 2018 brings.

Please be safe tomorrow night and Happy New Year!

R~

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Filed under: Music

Frisky Friday – 15 Dating and Relationship Tips

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Relationships are tricky. I’ve noticed people find a lot of things confusing. I put together a list of things that I hope clears some things up, but it’s important to realize that there are a lot of different people in the world and some might like to be chased, for example, while others want to do the chasing.

1. You don’t need to be into all the same stuff.

Variety is the spice of life. My parents don’t have a lot in common with each other yet they’ve been married for over 50 years. My dad is a retired mechanic who can play stringed instruments and draw. My mom is a housewife who cooks and reads. They both like country music and shows like Heartland. Dad’s an introvert and mom isn’t. Mom hoards and dad pitches stuff whenever he can. Dad likes to drink and mom rarely does. A couple of shared things is good. You need something in common. It’s important to keep your uniqueness though and that happens by being into different things. You can also be into similar things at varying levels of intensity. Maybe one is super into superheroes and the other is more casual about it while they love something else the other hardly knows exists. It’s cool. Maybe one likes to watch the odd hockey game and the other hates sports.

2. You don’t need to have all the same friends.

It’s good to have some mutual friends, but you should also each have some of your own. One of the things that drove me crazy about my ex husband was that he wouldn’t hang out with his buddies without me. There were times I just wanted to stay home and watch a TV show he didn’t like, read a book, write stuff, or even clean the house instead of seeing the same band play all the same songs we heard before. Yeah, it’s good to be able to be around each other’s friends now and then, but not all the time. Couples need time apart to fuel the fire. Also, those couple of things you don’t like, they can do with their friends who get that part of them that you might not.

3. Stuff like whether or not you can use chopsticks isn’t important.

Similar values are. If you’re 420 friendly and your partner thinks anyone that smokes weed must be morally corrupt, it’s not going to work. If you want children and the other person doesn’t, it won’t work. If one of you can’t handle the other being more successful, it’s not going to work. If you’re on opposite sides of the political spectrum, it *might* work depending on how you treat each other when disagreeing about contentious topics.

4. Arguments are going to happen.

How you treat each other while disagreeing is important. Timing is also important. Picking a fight before bed when you know they have an important meeting the next day is crappy. Also, There were probably other opportunities to talk about things long before bed time. It’s also bad to decide to bug them about something like getting their drivers license as they writhe about on the floor in pain because they need a root canal and root death is super painful. And I’m way not a fan of leaving crap until you’re at a party where you decide to cause a scene in front of all your friends. You need to work together to solve problems rather than blame the other person.

5. Sex is important. To a degree.

If one of you is a nymphomaniac and the other could go without it for months, there will be problems. I don’t personally feel like it has to be spectacular the first couple of times with a new partner. It takes a little time to get used to what the other person likes and it also takes time to feel comfortable asking for things. That said, if it’s nearing the 10th time and my head could be banging against the headboard for all he cares, he’s not long-term relationship material. There are a variety of positions, so things like height differences or injuries never have to be a barrier either. Lube is important. Very. Swallow your pride on that one.

6. Trust is one of the most important things.

You can’t be freaking out if he or she sits with a buddy instead of you. If you think some other person sitting beside them is cock block, especially in a setting like school or work, you have an unhealthy obsession and this isn’t a loving thing. People don’t belong to you. You have to be able to trust that when they aren’t with you, they’re still committed to you. Unless they have a history of cheating or never make time for you, there’s no reason to think they aren’t committed to you. If you’ve even been dating long enough to have a level of commitment that is. It takes time to want to make someone an important part of your life. If you expect that they should be committed to you when you haven’t given them any, that’s not cool either.

7. It’s supposed to be loving and fun.

Yeah, there will be hard times, but if you always remember the reason is love, you should be able to find the way through the tough times. Occasionally this may mean ending things. Sometimes it’s hard to see that we’re only meant to be friends with someone. Sometimes we wish we figured that out before year 12 rolled around…

8. Everyone gets scared.

We get scared when they’re on a different page than we are. We get scared when we think they’re out of our league. We get scared when something changes. We get scared if they’re more experienced or worldly. Talk about stuff. They might be scared about the same thing you are. Don’t make decisions for the other person or assume you know how they feel about something. Don’t think you know if they would like to do some activity or not. Ask them. If you want to have coffee or a drink with them, ask. One thing that annoys me more than anything is when someone thinks they’re not good enough to date me. How about you let me decide that?

9. Support rarely means money.

It means cheering your partner on even if you don’t understand why they like something. It means not telling them they’ll never be a writer because they can’t write like J. K. Rowling or Stephen King. It means being cool with them doing training weekends away from you. It means giving them the time they need to pursue their goals. You might need to do a little extra around the house for a bit while they do that. Don’t hold it against them, but definitely your turn should come around too. You also support each other by working together. Maybe one cooks dinner and the other cleans up or you do both together.

10. Be yourself.

It sounds cliché and cheesy, but it’s true. If you spend too much time getting into whatever they’re into, you can lose yourself and that’s unhealthy. No one is worth that much no matter how cute or nice they are to you. It’s especially easy for this to happen in marriage. Most people don’t want clones of themselves as partners.

11. There’s no set speed to take anything.

Some people kiss on the first date and some do way more. Some take many dates before a kiss happens. A general recommendation is to hold off on sex until you know they won’t steal your stuff. I learned that one the hard way. Someday I’ll replace my DSLR. There’s no set time on when to introduce them to your friends or family either. Some people like to get an early opinion from friends to hopefully weed out the crazies. Others won’t bother until they want to take a bigger step like moving in together. It’s all what works for both of you. I saw an interesting meme that said you don’t truly know someone until you’ve seen them grieve a lost loved one, seen them face financial distress, and seen them when they’re sick. While memes are dubious sources, those really are vulnerable moments and it will take time for someone to let you see their impression of a snot monster.

12. Breathe.

It’s easy to over think things and get nervous whether you want to ask someone for coffee or discuss something more serious like having a regular date night or moving in together. Most of the time it’s really unnecessary to get so stressed out. There’s always the risk they won’t be on board, but it’s OK if they need more time. And if their answer is no, take your lumps gracefully and move on. I ask people out frequently. I’m always nervous about it. Often, they already have girlfriends. A no isn’t the end of the world. It frees you up to find someone else who is available and into you.

13. Have deal breakers.

These are things that are absolute nos for you. Mine include abusive behaviours and not taking no when I’m not up for sex. And I like sex a lot, but sometimes people just aren’t in the mood and can’t get into the mood. If the only reason you’re sticking around is that, then you don’t know what loving someone else is about.

14. Forget about labels.

Someone might occasionally watch hockey or do something kind of athletic like ice skating or martial arts. That doesn’t mean they’re a “jock”. Maybe they just like doing something to stay healthy or hey, if you live in Canada, lots of non-athletes like hockey. Similarly, lots of people like geeky things and also go to the gym to reduce the effects of sitting all day at computers.

15. Healthy relationships let both people grow and change.

Who you are when we first meet might be vastly different than who you’ll likely become. Things happen that change people. The loss of certain loved ones like a parent can be life-altering. So can some jobs. New hobbies will also change a person to a degree. And as we age, we might face health challenges that force us to make changes.

So as we head towards the new year, I hope you get up the nerve to talk to that person you’ve been crushing on.

For more in depth advice for long term relationships, check out this article.

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Sex

Thoughtful Thursday – Past Ghosts

My life is so wonderful that not even the discovery over Christmas that my ex remarried can dampen my spirits. That part of my life is so far behind me it seems alien. I know people are usually upset about these things, but I’ve done and learned so much in the last five years that it doesn’t bother me. I wish them all the best for the future. 

Speaking of the future, mine is full of uncertainty, but I’ve never felt more alive. Sure, having someone to share it with would be awesome, but I don’t need a partner to feel complete. I know I’ll meet ‘the one’ eventually. Until then, my loves are writing, music, and martial arts. 

I have so many writing projects going on and I feel like I’m finally almost living the life I’ve dreamed about. I have some of the most fantastic people in my life and I’m following my dreams. My heart is so full of love and happiness. 

That doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The bus is a pain in the butt and I want my home to be cleaner. I also can’t play guitar as well as I want to. After conquering car troubles and figuring out my food issues, I don’t have a lot of heavy problems now. I pretty much just have to keep working hard on my craft and practice some self care. 

I’m not the resolution type. I just make goals and accomplish them. Then I make new goals. Currently, what’s important to me is doing well in school, reducing my unnecessary material possessions, and living life as fully as possible. I’m working on all of these things and getting happier by the day.

One of my goals is to be in a position where I can move more easily than the other times I’ve moved. I know it’s likely I’ll have to move to the Toronto area, Vancouver, or possibly even California someday for my career. It’s also possible I’ll just travel a lot. At any rate, I want to be ready for whatever life brings me next. 

That said, right now I’m only interested in long term dating if the right person comes along. He won’t feel threatened by my success, put me down, or be inflexible about my career and interests. More on dating tomorrow. 

The last five years have been a journey of personal growth for me. Yeah, it’s been really challenging at times, but I know who I am and what I want. I’m pretty happy and I think you need to be happy before you can bring someone else into your life. I’ve been spending a lot of time lately letting the past go because it’s not where I am now or where I aim to be in the future.

What are you holding onto that is holding you back from the life you want?

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~ 

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Discipline, Honesty

Warrior Wednesday – Learning Balance

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When I was a child, I was shy and quiet. I barely said anything about myself. Even in high school, I didn’t speak about myself much. I mostly just listened to others and gave advice when they asked for it. I guess that was part of the reason I started my 20s in social work.

I’m an introverted type, so working in computers made sense for a long time after that.

I’m still shy with some things like asking people out on dates. I often do that through social media because it’s a little less scary. Also, sometimes it’s really hard to get people alone to ask them out.

These days, I’ve got enough Gryffindor bravery in me to tackle a lot of things like networking. I think that’s a skill I’ve learned from working as a project manager. Sometimes I come off too strong and say the wrong things.

I’m still learning.

It’s a common thing that happens in the martial arts. When we try to correct a problem, like cutting wrong with our sword, we over correct. Sometimes we do it deliberately because we know that once we get used to the change, we’ll relax a bit and then it will be at the level it should be. In one of our setei kata, the manual tells us to do an almost vertical cut. It’s awkward and most can’t actually do a vertical cut, but we try to in order to get as close as possible to it.

It would be dangerous to get too focused on getting a vertical cut there because it would likely lead to injury. Specifically, rotator cuff injury most likely.

You can go too far in trying to make amends with someone. I’ve learned that one the hard way too. Actually, most of the things I know I’ve learned the hard way. It’s why I offer up suggestions to people when they tell me they’re struggling with something whether that’s focus, eating, writing, or anything else. I like to try to save people some of the pain I’ve been through.

I don’t try to prevent all pain though. It’s one of the best teachers.

Balance is found in the in between.

Sometimes it’s really hard to find balance though. We’re emotional creatures. When the emotional part of the brain is poked, we often become irrational. Sometimes even if we have training that should inoculate us against losing control.

These days I think it’s possible that I sometimes I come off as boastful. I don’t really know if I should do anything about it. I’m just doing my thing. I do know that no matter what I do, some people won’t like me. Speaking of doing my thing, here’s the video of my second level black belt grading for those who are interested.

I’m going to keep searching for balance and part of that is not being so sucked into my work that I don’t have time to spend with loved ones. I firmly believe that the only way to have things worth writing about is by experiencing what life has to offer.

Off to enjoy some time with my family.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Martial Arts