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Kymela
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Jul 26, 2012 10:56AM
I can't stand low-fat/no-fat dairy. It's disgusting. I like Greek Gods Greek yoghurt.
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Here, too. Mostly we have Christian churches, though there are some heathens who go to an Episcopal church.
M wrote: "Here, too. Mostly we have Christian churches, though there are some heathens who go to an Episcopal church."Ha ha. We have all types here; Mormon, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Episopalian, Methodist, Unitarian Universalist, Free Mason, Muslum, Jewish, and, of course, Catholic. Now that I think about it, there are an extraordinary number of churches around here.
Edward wrote: "M wrote: "Here, too. Mostly we have Christian churches, though there are some heathens who go to an Episcopal church."Ha ha. We have all types here; Mormon, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Episo..."
We are the largest American Navy base in the world. Not to mention all the other bases in the area.
Reading discussions about The Dark Knight Rises and recalling a lot of the reaction after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the book), I've realized that a majority of people seem to hate endings or mysteriously lack some appriciation for them. Both these works seems (to me) to be exactly the sort of ending the series was building up to, but a lot of people who liked the series hated the ending for some reason.Any thoughts?
No idea. I just hate when a really good story ends. XD
My interest is in getting to know the characters and the ambiance of the settings, the interior landscape. I don’t read much for the external characteristics of plot, so what happens in a story action-wise doesn’t usually matter very much to me. Adventure stories, detective stories, society stories that are all about intricacy of plot do very little for me, though now and then I can enjoy something like that, if it’s done well enough. I enjoyed Jurassic Park, but I didn’t think it was worth reading twice. It rarely spoils a story for me to know what the ending is. I don’t usually read a story or watch a movie to find out how it comes out.
Nolan's Batman is all about ambience and relies heavily on philosophical/psychological questions to drive the plot. Batman Begins explains the fairly ridiculous premise of vigilante dressing as a bat by explaining that Bruce Wayne was actually afraid of bats himself and that he wanted to make Batman "more than a man [...] a symbol [...] incorruptable."The first movie establishes Batman as undefeatable - he beats his mentor, takes down the leader of the mob, and stops the fear-inducing drug of an insane psychiatrist. My favorite part of the movie is when Dr. Krane, who at first just seems like some guy bought off by the mob to make all their men declared legally crazy when caught, suddenly turns into something more sinister when he says, "Would you like to see my mask?" Followed by one of the most hilarious lines: "When did the nut take over the nut house?"
The second movie pits Batman against an enemy that isn't stronger or better trained than him, but simply someone he doesn't understand. The Joker nearly destroys Gotham because his motives at first aren't understood, and even when they are they consist of not having a real plan. The movie emphasizes this by Joker asking people, "Do you know how I got these scars?" and giving a different story each time.
The last movie uses several points sets up in the previous movie for when Bruce Wayne is finally beaten in a straight fight - and outsmarted. The whole point of this movie is, for one, to destroy Bruce Wayne, and then to elevate the Dark Knight - to make Batman "more a man, a symbol." Using Bane, the villian famous for breaking Bruce Wayne's back, was perfect for the first part and the true villian was perfect for the second part.
And people who liked the first two hate this movie for some reason.
Couldn't agree more, Edward. I've been a huge fan of the franchise, and I felt that the ending couldn't have been better or bigger. I was lucky enough to catch the movie on the first day of its theatrical release. I got super excited and attempted to write a short review of the trilogy, which goes like this:
Christopher Nolan has done what no one has ever done before. When Mr. Nolan picked up the flailing franchise, he must have had a vision, I suppose. And boy oh boy, did he have a good one. Quite simply, his creation is the most ambitious bare-it-all knuckle on chin super-hero trilogy to grace the annals of cinematic history. And how well, it completes a full circle.
Batman Begins (2005): The most difficult step in the process of a reboot: To set a tone, and how well it does.
It chronicles the origins of the caped crusader. Effortlessly captures on how Bruce Wayne battles his fear, embraces it and makes it a part of his self. It is what it is, a brilliant study on the metamorphosis of the human self. Christian Bale’s training sequences alongside Liam Neeson and the League of Shadows will stay with me for ages to come. Strike One.
The Dark Knight (2008): Need I say more? The blood curdling sequel that ripped through conventions and expectations alike. It is what it is, a dissertation on character evolution and complexity. Heath Ledger was a revelation as The Joker, and he simply stole the show. No frills attached. This movie will remain as the blue print for raising the bar. Err sorry, I meant pulverizing the bar. Strike Two.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012): The movie had a tag to it, as the most awaited movie of the year. Well, at least in my book, ahead of Prometheus and The Avengers. And it delivers, with a smirk.
Mr. Nolan had to dig deep this time. He was under the scrutiny of countless hearts and minds. So when I witnessed the event that the movie is, here is what I figured as to how he must have gone about his job, when he planned the movie. He must have trekked atop an ice-capped mountain top and must have engaged himself with a pensive brain-storming session. And when he was done with that, he rolled a chunk of ice and let it slide down the hill. That’s the exact way the plot unfolds. A small ball of ice picks up multiple plot lines which are strewn about and builds momentum. Slowly but surely, it gains and becomes ominous. And when it hits rock bottom, it goes boom! The Dark Knight Rises. It is what it is, a movie which touches base with the importance of digging deep when the chips are down. Strike Three.
I know that this one is definitely flawed, at many levels :) But I couldn't help myself, I was so excited after the movie.
So ... I'm finally watching Smallville. I just finished season two.The finale had a lot of good parts - Clarke's biological father's electronic ghost being revealed as evil, something weird with Lex's new wife (I'm thinking she really did skip town, leaving an opening for a shapeshifter or something), and a continuing squandering of the Chloe character.
Okay, I honestly don't know how this show made it past this point. There is nothing covered in these two seasons that couldn't be covered in a couple of movies which wast.es the potential of the television series format. The show wavers on the same issues for too many episodes; the love triangle should be the emotional plot line for one season, not two.
I've noticed that enjoyable television shows shift tones every season. Usually season one is primarily a bunch of short stories strung together with the same main characters and the occassional glance at the main plot; it establishes the "normal" of the show. Season two should alter the focus slightly, throw a wrench in "normal." If it is the type of show to have an extensive overall plot (not cop shows), then the main plot usually becomes a more center stage this season.
Season one of Lost is about surviving, season two is about exploring, season three is about escaping, season four is about ... you know, that season still confuses me, season five is about time travel (that one I understand perfectly), and season six is all-out warfare.
Season one of Supernatural is about two brothers driving around the country fighting monsters and occassionally looking for their father. Season two is about the same thing, but with a specific focus on Sam's unnatural abilities and his connection the yellow-eyed demon. Then (view spoiler), starting the real war in season three - which also focuses on Dean's impending death. Season four introduces a new faction to the war. I haven't seen past that ... it got too weird ... but it was good to that point.
Point is, Smallville is a show with a progressing storyline, but there is no shift between season one and two; it's just a really long season with the same intense relationships that steadily become more annoying. Even Lex Luthor, who was always the best part of the show, has started to become stale. "I'm conflicted, I like Clarke, I hate my father" has been his entire character until he got married, but even that was just a way to emphasis the previous ideas.
But my biggest complaint is the wasted potential in the Chloe character. She starts off as this awesome get-to-the-truth journalist who actually reacts well in dangerous situations, but as the show wears on her only motivation is her crush on Clarke. I've heard people complain about weak female characters, and usually they're actually ignoring the strong parts of the character simply because she happens to be in love (oh ... horror?), but in this case it's actually accurate. Even the season two finale, which has her accepting an offer from the probably evil Lional Luthor, explains all her actions from her infatuation with Clarke. Why not have her do a lot more snooping and end up in a lot more dangerous situations - even have her end up being essential to saving some situations? She is supposed to be an investigative journalist. For that matter, why does the normal friend find out Clarke's secret, but the investigative friend not? That would even make the love triangle rather more interesting, since Chloe would know more about Clarke than Lana.
It's not often that I can find the missing parts of a story so easily (usually I just find errors), but the gaping holes in this show are exasparating.
... Wow, that was much lengthier than it probably should've been.
Season four finale of Leverage: The Last Dam Job.This episode was something else, way beyond anything else I've seen on television. This was geek art at its finest; although no superheroes, magic, or ultra-advanced technology was involved, it had this biggest tangle of repeat characters to ever cross in a single episode. Even Doctor Who's the Second Big Bang was less impressive than this collage.
First of all, the oldest enemy on the show returns, having apparantly set up a game for them over the course of the three years he was in prison. (A fact well foreshadowed earlier and throughout the season.) Then, to counter the one man who knew their crew as well as the crew knew themselves, they called upon the weirdest collection of side characters to pick up the slack: Mr. Quinn, who nearly defeated the undefeatable Eliot Spencer at the end of season one, Parker's surrogate father, who appeared at the start of season three and explained how he fashioned her to be the greatest thief in history, "Chaos," the drunken master hacker to Hardison's kung-fu hacking who showed up in season two to prove himself the least trustworthy person in the show, and Maggie, Nate's ex-wife to play the role of grifter usually held by Nate's current girlfriend.
All these people, friends and enemies, gathered together to avenge the death of Nate's father. The episode culminates at the top of a dam, where Nate has their oldest enemy and their newest enemy at gunpoint. One actively tried to destroy his team, the other greedily profited from the team's never-ending quest against greed, and both were responsible for the death of Nate's father.
Who does he shoot and who does he let go?
Anyway, I call that a perfect episode.
"You didn't kill the man who let your son die.""My son would've been ashamed of me if I became a murderer ... but my father would've bought me an ice cream."
I still haven't seen The Dark Night Rises. BUT I WANT TO SO BADLY! We just don't have the money to go to movies regularly XP
I don't go to the movies regularly, but I had just gotten some extra cash, and this movie was worth it.So ... are my television show reviews (read: rants) annoying anyone? I can stop if they do.
Nope. I enjoy reading them XD hahaha
Okay, I have some thoughts on how the Star Wars prequels were actually kind of awesome and why they appeared to suck. If I get started, however, I probably won't stop for hours.
Haha. You should probably ask Al first XD
Michelle wrote: "Cheyenne wrote: "Oh jeez I would never let you guys hear my voice!! (I'm doing last minute laundry to pack...yes I'm stupid.) I HATE it. I sound like a ten year old boy. Seriously. Not attractive."..."My voice makes me sad.
Sarcasm . . . . one of my favorite things in the world. I think it's hilarious when people don't notice I'm being sarcastic, but I do find it irritating when people overdo the sarcasm.
Sarcasm is a native language in our family. XD
Ahh, sarcasm. I love it. Since I'm not funny, sarcasm is all I have.
“Since I’m not funny, sarcasm is all I have.” If that weren’t so funny, I’d be more likely to believe you.
*hides laughter in a public place*M's right - and was funny himself, I might add.
(laughing hysterically) Is it even possible for us not to be funny here? I mean, every two comments someone's cracking another joke.
Uh huh. Suuuuuuure. You'd NEVER do that.
M wrote: "Guy’s the featured author in Houseboat, a blogzine!http://houseboathouse.blogspot.com/20..."
GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just skimmed through the article... I'm going back and reading the whole thing in a bit. Guy, that's amazing!!!!!!!!!
I'll read that blog-thing later, but congratulations, Guy.I did pop in to talk to you, however. I took your advice on chapter ten of After Dark (the not-s** scene) and incorporated Terry's rib injury as a comedy bit - but I did so in chapter sixteen. In chapter ten, I changed "fractured" to "damaged" rib, and in chapter sixteen she first brushes her nose against the spot Dante punched him and then places her hand right on the rib that probably really is fractured now.
Actually, it help really emphasis just how much a beating Terry is taking, moves the sub-plot with Evelyn along a little further, and provides much needed comedic relief after two intense chapters. All-in-all, your advice made this chapter fantastic.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, M, Al et al! It took a long and gentle persistence from the Blog's host, Rose, to get me to actually submit some of my writing.Today has been totally disorganized and chaotic, so I haven't been dipping into WSS at all since early today.
Al, you have brought to my face a huge smile. To have written a favourite is, well, it brings a smile to my face.
But thanks to you and the WSS, because I would not have written these things without you. Seriously. I have written more since becoming involved in the WSS than ever before. So, thank you Al and her WSS crew of pirates.
And, a special nod to M, whose Haiku prowess has stretched my writing in diverse and creative ways.
Edward, you are very welcome. Helping others makes me even happier than writing — I have a perverse teaching nature that jumps out at inappropriate times. LoL!
Many congratulations, Guy! I missed this thread somehow, but I am glad I found it now. What a wonderful article! It was such a refreshing read and I enjoyed every little detail in it.
Thank you, Guy! If I’ve been an influence, I can’t but think it must have been a bad one. It’s better to have been a bad influence, however, than none at all.
M, you have most certainly been an influence, and if 'bad' is the new 'good' then indeed you have been a bad influence. You seriously stretch my creativity and imagination, but, equally importantly, your point precise observations and queries have helped me to think, understand, and change.Ajay, thank you for reading Death by Freezing. I have had from various people very strong praise for it. But it has been, to date, unpublishable. I have sent it to a dozen or so journals or papers (on and off the web) that I thought might be interested in publishing it. But I haven't had even the courtesy of a rejection letter from any of them. Except for the 'underground' local magazine, Ad Busters . I had a long discussion with its founder, Kalle Lasn.
And, if you feel up to it, Ajay, I would be curious what you think of a philosophical one act play I wrote on the nature of lying. I had submitted it to Houseboat, but Rose didn't publish it because she was concerned about overwhelming our short attention span readers with too many words. Here's the link to Why are You False? A Play in One Act.
Hi Guy. Death by Freezing moved me. The image of the drowning child and the deaths caused to freezing is something that will haunt me in the days ahead. The arguments were well rounded, excellently researched and leaves no stone unturned. According to me, this article is a must-read! I am shocked as to how this wasn't published. And thanks a lot for directing me to your play on the nature of lying! It opened up certain areas of my mind, which were dormant until now. To put it in a nutshell, it swept me off my feet. It is that sort of an article, which is a perfectly fun exercise but one which is equally adept at educating the reader. I enjoyed both plays and liked your's better. It had your trademark humor and I am amazed at the kind of thought that must gone into making each character distinctive and authentic! It was so vivid, that when I finished reading it, I felt as if I had witnessed a live play. Wonderful writing, Guy! And what an ending, when SOL says: I lied! :) Loved it.
Wow, Ajay! You have, with your reactions, brought a huge smile to my face. Peoples' reactions to that essay are quite interesting. Very few people have actually read it, and even fewer have reacted to it. It is old enough now that I have re-submitted to a couple of places. Still no reaction. I have no idea what to make of that. Curious. But that it moved you is, really, enough!And I am so glad that you enjoyed Why are you False?! That was so much fun to write, and it took me four years to get that ending! I don't know why, on hind sight, it took so long, but it was a struggle. I have thought of staging it at our local fringe festival. I may once I've got more time.
It was my pleasure, Guy! I would love to watch it on stage. Please record it on video and share it with us, whenever it is being staged. I still remember the first play I acted in, at the age of 15. That's when I experienced the dynamics of stage fear! Lol. I was literally sweating like a beaver! From then on, I've never ventured onto the stage. But I did assist with the scripts though, which was fun.
LoL! I'd love to Ajay. Now with all this inexpensive digital recording equipment, it actually isn't all that hard to imagine myself doing it. Hmmmm. Yet another project.I've been in about five plays, I guess. My biggest role was that of Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, where I got to talk to an invisible rabbit. I think that I was quite awful, but later I learned that I loved the directing part far more than the acting anyway.
Okay, M, spill the beans! Now, you have made it sound so mysterious that my thoughts have run ahead of me and concluded that you have some kind of first hand knowledge of the accident/incident?And the great thing about the Wikipedia is that you have the ability to correct the 'not quite the way it happened' entries. I've done it a several times on different things. And it's easy: create an account, click on edit and make the correction.
Not long after I had posted that, I deleted it, thinking it was too idiosyncratic to be appropriate. I got no notification that anyone had seen it. Since you asked . . . it’s likely to be a long post, and probably doesn’t belong in the Chat thread. I’ll start another thread in this folder, and name it “Where do we get our story ideas?”
Hey! Hello Al! I just finished reading it and commenting.Yes, the Goodreads' notifications have been seriously hit and miss the last few weeks.
I am looking forward to your play, Guy! And I've always had the greatest respect towards direction. I guess it's the toughest job in the field. I just scanned through the summary of Harvey. Seems interesting, I guess I'l have to place an online order since I couldn't find it in the book stores here.
Ajay, you may be able to find the movie version of Harvey that was done in the 1950s with James Stewart. It holds up very well.I'm LMHO right now, thinking back on my actually being cast and doing that play! I kind of feel sorry for the exasperated but ever patience Fred Howell who was stuck directing me. Yikes, what a funny remembrance.
Thanks, Guy. I will try to watch the movie.I understand that feeling completely! I will never forget my role in that play, the embarrassment is still so very fresh.
Just curious, have you directed any plays? It would be great if you could suggest some titles, for me to read/watch.
Yes, but nothing professional. It was part of a writing and directing class as a senior in high school. The most notable of the plays I directed there was The Madwoman of Chaillot. (The movie isn't very good - okay at best.)The funnest one was something called, I think, Gabriel's Horn, but I couldn't find it with Google, so maybe that wasn't the title. But that is what was about - people getting called by it.
I have, many times, staged plays, especially Shakespeare, but never got as far as casting. When I retire from my 'real' work, maybe.
As to watching plays, this is a tough thing to recommend, because it takes real skill to transcribe a play from the stage to the screen. But I would recommend Twelfth Night with Ben Kingsely and Helena Bonham-Carter; Hamlet with Kenneth Branagh and Kate Winslet; and Otherllo with Laurence Fishburne and Irene Jacob.
Plays I've seen, but not movies but which are very interesting, are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Waiting for Godot.
Finally, a very young Kenneth Branagh was in The Lady's Not for Burning. At the time I thought it was good — and I guess it is. But the theatre production I saw was pure magic, and left Branagh's flat. This was one of the most magical plays I've been blessed with having seen. And the film is well worth seeing. LoL. Yikes, I do tend to get carried away.
Yes, Al! Elwood P. Dowd. At your service! LoL.
Hamlet with David Tennant and Patrick Stewart!! I still want to see the rest from that particular series. I want to see James MacAvoy as Macbeth. :DWell, this semester is going to be interesting. I've been warned about my Mythology teacher, I'm starting to hate my French teacher and my English class is on-line. At least my Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism class will be really cool. XD
Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company!
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