West Wing Wednesday: It's Christmas Eve!

I posted this one before, but it takes place during Christmas so I'm posting it again. Plus, I really like it. (Leo!!!!)

Fashion Portraiture

Sorry to break the movie chain, but I found an interesting New York Times article about street style blogs and their growing popularity. It also talks about two of my favorite blogs: The Sartorialist and Garance Dore'. Both photograph exceptionally stylish people from around the world and Paris (respectively). The photography though is not just your typical point and shoot. Thought is given to composition, lighting, etc. It's all very inspiring and makes me want to gallavant around Europe in awesome clothes. So, if you are interested in fashion or portraiture, I suggest you check them out.

(Article found via Bits and Bobbins)

Milk

Since we're talking about movies, I really want to see Milk. It's based on the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He and San Francisco mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former San Francisco Supervisor Dan White on November 27, 1978.

2009 movies

Coraline. Opening Feb ‘09. first stop motion 3d ..
we need to see it.. yes we do..




legend of zelda





Definately a must see NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU




Ok so i own this video game and i must say I want to see this film.. . The sands of TIme



And the movie for those who like a bit a history in their movies

the movie Good

Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND

So, I'm pretty sure I've been telling everyone I know about this since I first heard about it a year ago. But, in case you aren't yet aware,

TIM BURTON IS DIRECTING AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND MOVIE TO BE RELEASED IN 2010.

Yes, you should be pretty freakin' excited.

I can't find a complete cast list anywhere but IMDB, so I guess we'll assume it's mostly accurate for the moment. As anyone could have predicted, Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter. So that should be good. Helena Bonham Carter (groan, but I can live with it) is also in it. IMDB lists her as the Red Queen (which is a chess piece character in Through the Looking-Glass), but I wonder if she is actually the Queen of Hearts (different character).

I am the most excited, however, about Alan Rickman as the caterpillar! His voice is perfect! Yay!

The rest of the cast list---

	Mia Wasikowska	...	Alice
other cast:
	Johnny Depp	...	The Mad Hatter
	Anne Hathaway	...	The White Queen
	Michael Sheen	...	The Cheshire Cat
	Helena Bonham Carter	...	The Red Queen
	Alan Rickman	...	Caterpillar
	Crispin Glover	...	The Knave of Hearts
	Christopher Lee
	Eleanor Tomlinson	...	Fiona Chataway
	Matt Lucas	...	Tweedledee / Tweedledum
	Frances de la Tour	...	Aunt Imogene
	Jemma Powell	...	Margaret Kingsley
	Tim Pigott-Smith
	Geraldine James	...	Lady Ascot (rumored)

Anne Hathaway? Not sure how I feel about that.
Michael Sheen was Lucian in Underworld. Should be good for the Cheshire cat.

Supposed pic of Depp as the Hatter (looks pretty awesome):


Here's Alice...



She's Australian. I personally think she looks too old for the part (Alice is supposed to be 7), but it could be a good choice if the movie aims to be darker and sexier. I like her clothes.

Some more set pictures and info: http://infdaily.fusebox.com/2008/09/our-first-look-at-tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland.html


So.... continue to be super effing excited about this film!!!_!@#@#W!

--Allison

Neil Patrick Harris is THE SHOE FAIRY!!!!

Procrastinating? Me? Never!

!!!!!!!!!

OMG SNOW!!!!!!!!

*shrugs* Someone had to say it! :P

Joss Whedon + Crafts = Awesome

Take two really awesome things, Joss Whedon and arts/crafts. Combine them and what do you get? This interview with Joss Whedon about crafts and the roles they play in his series.

Some highlights?

"I'm aware of the desperate rivalry between the knitters and the crocheters. And, you know, first of all I have to say: can't there be peace? ... It's an age-old war. Like the werewolves and the vampires. I think Underworld was actually originally about crocheters and knitters but they thought it would be too controversial so they changed it to vampires and werewolves."

"I'm crafty in the sense that I'm duplicitous and evil."

"My whole thought was that Jayne was your classic bad-guy mercenary type, and I thought this is the one guy who does not have a tortured past, who has a decent, hard-working family, who just, you know, this was his career choice and the idea of him getting a letter from mom that he struggles to read, and the knitted hat, was— it just felt so right. It felt very, very him and very human and then of course I saw the hat with its flaps and its pom pom, and I just couldn't have been happier."

"Obviously decoupaging is too racy for Fox. So, I mean, they couldn't allow that."

Click for more. You can listen to it, too.

For Christine:

Found a vintage clothing website in case you wanted some ideas for your next dress. Or for us lazy bums, pretties that we will never actually sew. Here.

Yay Louisiana?

Guess what, guys? We live in the unhealthiest state in the US. Surprising? Not really. Usually this honor is given to Mississippi, but this year we beat them. Keep up the good work everyone!

Mu, Mu Muuuu Mumu.

For all of you who have ever "mu"-ed or "eeeee"-ed, I present to you this webcomic. Enjoy. :P

I've Got A Theory, It's Cheese

While researching my communications paper, I came across this interesting theory of what cheese in Buffy symbolizes. It's really funny to read. 

West Wing Wthursday: Thanksgiving Edition!

Who really has the right?

So since I haven't posted anything in awhile, I decided I would rant to ya'll about a certain event at the school with one of my kids.

Bryan. He is not the ideal kid for a teacher. He swears, makes vulgar body movements, and mentally and physically abuses the other kids around him. Does he do it by accident? No. He goes out of his way to torment someone...he does not care about authority, and has been to the principals office many times.

So what happened? Well, he is in my after school program and we had one particularly bad day, and from then on he has always complained about it. This has lead him to say he will try to be terrible so he can get kicked out of the program... Well, Thursday was a particularly hard day, considering we have another kid in my group who is exactly like him, but female and goes through with her threats more so than Bryan.

It all resulted in my not knowing what to do. He is terrible. Samantha, the other girl is terrible, but at the same time I feel close to them and almost feel that for a child to act that way they have to have lost some sort of hope. These are the kids who get in trouble all the time to the point where they identify as "a bad kid" and when I correct them on it I get yelled at because I won't let them be "bad." Maybe I am thinking way into it, but I personally see that as something that has developed from years of people telling them that. The thing that makes kids evil is that they are bad, but they don't know it. These kids clearly know they are bad and do nothing to change it...and that just bothers me.

So there was talk in my team, all 10 of us, to kick him out. And I was pissed. We had a team meeting on Friday after work and one kid was talking about it, and I blew up... but in a reasonable way. I did not swear or anything. I was very articulate, and I clearly said without saying that if you kick these kids out I will hurt you, and you will regret it you fucking asshole. Again, the words were not said, but they were implied. Yes, I am getting a bit over protective of my kids... just a bit. ,I defend them at every corner or block they have. I don't know why. Bryan is a little shit most of the time, I'll be the first to admit that, but I care about him, and want the best for him. Samantha as well. She isn't even in my class, just my after school program, but I care about her. Yes, she is making kids cry, hurting them...at times, and I know it is wrong, but I can't sacrifice a few for the greater good. I feel like I can't on a moral level... Maybe it is a flaw in my system, but I can't give up on a kid. I feel like I would be reinforcing the idea they have always had... I don't know.

West Wing Wednesday

West Wing Wthursday

Because I can't not post a clip (or several) this week.



Eskimo poetry!!!!

President-Elect Obama!

Made by schmiss and inspired by Zoolander.

VOTE TOMORROW

Regardless of your candidate pick, get off your ass and go vote tomorrow!

Also, for anyone still sitting on the fence, here are some links:

Colin Powell gives a fantastic argument in favor of Obama.

As governor, Palin had women pay for their own rape kits. Those without the money were denied full police investigations of their rapes.

Update On Dollhouse

I don't think Joss has learned his lesson when it comes to making TV deals with Fox. Fox stuck their noses in once again and made Joss change the show a bit. Here is Joss' interview on the update of the show and what has and hasn't changed since production was shut down. 

David Tennant Leaving Dr. Who?!

It's true!! David Tennant is leaving Dr. Who. He's going to do the specials and such, but in 2009 a new Doctor will grace our television screens. For more info, click here. Also, this is the rumored leading candidate. Who played the Marquis de Carabas in Neverwhere! Will he live up to the standards of David Tennant? Unlikely. Will he be awesome in his own way? Very likely.

Another Random Fact

I was just looking at new Joss on my favorite Buffy/Angel/Firefly/etc... site that Alyson Hannigan is pregnant and she is due in the spring. 

Imagine cute little Willow babies! YAY!

Random cool Mad Men fact

Talia Balsam (Mona) and John Slattery (Roger) are married in real life! How cool is that?! Talia Balsam was also married to George Clooney for four years.

Lackadaisy

The other day, a friend sent me to a link to this web-comic Lackadaisy. Essentially, it's about a speakeasy in the 1920's (how could I not love it, right? :P). Except instead of people, it's cats. It's really cute and well done, so you should check it out.

West Wing Wednesday!

Yay alliteration!

The Second Weekly Mad Men Post

Although we skipped a week, but that doesn't matter....

I hate Duck's face. Seriously. I hate his face more than Pete's. He's totally trying to usurp power in the company and rule it himself. Just because he can't handle his inadequacies. If Sterling and Cooper get bought out by the guy from the Nanny, then I will be really disappointed. Mad Men won't be the same! *sigh* Duck...

In other news, I love Peggy's new hair. She needed an update.

The moment where we found out that... the foreign dude (I forget his name) was gay was priceless. Poor Sal! Everyone was shocked and ridiculing homosexuality while he just had to sit there and pretend to agree. And Ken Cosgrove was all disapproving. Oh the tension!

This thing with Don and Joy is kind of weird. That family/group of friends is a little too close for my opinion.

Biggest shocker of the evening: Don calling someone and using his REAL name. Who could it be? He obviously knew the number by heart, so it has to be someone important. Maybe it's who he sent that book to? Do you think he still has family alive? Or maybe another wife? Too many questions. Stupid cliffhangers

No One Gets Married This Year

As of today, I will be attending my fifth wedding of the year. None of you are allowed to get married under the age of 25 as I am sick of giving my speech of disapproval. I say there shall be no more marriage! Even Hamlet agrees that this practice is over practiced and causing serious gaps in Katie's calendar and wallet.

If any of you get married or engaged in the next two years, I will hunt you down and beat you about the head until you regain your senses.

Thank you, this has been a public service announcement by those for the prevention of teenage pregnancy, early divorce, and general idiocy.

Must look at this link, especially if you were involved in our wonderful SJA magazine with our cute little penguin mascot. 

http://www.hommit.com/2008/03/woddles-penguin-waffle-maker.html

Cutest Thing Ever

Sorry to disrupt the Mad Men theme but... aren't these adorable?!
Okay, so maybe not the cutest thing "ever" but at least of the hour. I am seriously coveting those flapper buttons. Found on craft magazine's blog, but originally here.

Random Monday Mad Men Post: Ken and Sal in "The Gold Violin" and Second Wave Feminism

I finally watched episode 7, "The Gold Violin." (It's the one where Ken goes to Sal's house for dinner.) I loved the Ken/Sal interaction. You can tell that they both have this artistic side that's at odds with the mentality of the rest of Sterling-Cooper, who seem only to care about art if it can make them money. I love it when Ken tells Sal that he's "not like everyone else here." Uh yeah, in more ways than one. I think Sal totally has a crush on Ken. It's not just physical, either; they really get along well. Sal tries to stop Ken from leaving after dinner, and he pretty much ignores Kitty the entire evening (which made me kind of sad). Did anyone else notice the look Kitty gave them when Ken lights Sal's cigarette? I think she suspects something about Sal. He keeps Ken's lighter and uses it to light his cigarette near the end of the episode, when he's watching T.V. with Kitty. I didn't even notice that they sat together during the next episode until Christine pointed it out! Squee! Too bad Ken's (seemingly) straight, and Sal's married. :(

On a somewhat different topic, Alex thanked feminism in her post below. Here's a list of reasons to thank Second-Wave feminists. Feminism=love.

Calling All Mad Men fans

Well Blogger is being a butt head and won't let me upload any pictures, so you will have to go to my facebook to see this amazing picture. It is under my RENT folder and I just added it today. 

Yesterday I took a little trip to the French Quarter to see the first non-Broadway performance of RENT. I was so excited to begin with and then the most amazing thing happened, I met Bryan Batt (Salvatore Romano), our favorite gay artist on Mad Men. 

He was so sweet and took several pictures with my mom and I and signed our programs. He told us we had to watch Sunday's episode because "it is going to be a really good episode. Don't miss it". He was so excited to see people our age watching the show and being so moved and dedicated to the show. He wrote in my program: "All my best Alexandra Bryan Batt, your Mad Man". 

My mom and I were like crazy fangirls jumping over velvet ropes to get to him and tell him how much we loved him and his character. Him and his partner of 18 years lives down here and own a furniture shop on Magazine Street. BTW he is a New Orleans native and supporter financial and connection wise of Le Petit Theater. His good friend was the producer of RENT and Bryan asked if he could sell the rights to the theater so that they can be the first community theater to perform it. The actors were phenomenal and it was an amazing experience. 

It was a great day! Check out my photo with him on Facebook. 

The First Weekly Mad Men Post

So, Mad Men was pretty awesome as usual. I found it interesting that for the second straight episode, the men have been asses. Pete & Duck were they're usual icky selves and caused a mess of trouble. Roger is leaving Mona for Don's secretary. (seriously, Roger? If you're going to leave Mona for anyone, it should at least be Joan). Don was all "it's a relief not living at home." I'm not sure how many times Don thinks he can reinvent himself. We get it. It's your life. But you can't just go around persuading people doing whatever you want. Eventually, someone is going to catch on.

In contrast to these slummy men.... Peggy got promoted!!! Even though the circumstances were less than desirable, she deserves it. And wasn't it wonderful when Peggy went into Pete's office and yelled at him?! I love that Betty continues to hold up to the statement she made last episode. That she would never "do this" to Don. Instead of having an affair, she sets up her friend with the horse guy.

I liked how they dealt with Marilyn Monroe's suicide. They certainly showed how beloved she was in the eyes of the public. Also, did anyone else notice that Sal was sitting next to Ken Cosgrove in their meeting?

Some things I have been doing

Hello again fellow people. How is it all going? Besides being involved with City Year (first full time day in the school starts Monday. WOOT!) I have been going to a few events. I will list them bellow with a brief description, then expect you all to sign the petitions...

Service Nation:
This is an organization that was created by the co founder of City Year. The group basically asks for Congress to sign into action a bill that would have national service as a priority in this country. Not just in the military, but through non profit groups like Americorp and also City Year. Letting the world realize that service matters in this country and we have to be ready for it.

Flow
This is a documentary on water conservation issues and the privatization of water. It goes to different areas of the world and shows how companies go into areas and resale the water that is free to the people for huge amounts. It is really interesting. Water is something we all take for granted and don't realize how much it affects us, like issues of bottle water. The petition is for another article to be added to by the UN saying that clean water is a right everyone should have!

Something Related to Dr. Horrible

The Evil League of Evil exists and is taking applications! See!

Mad Men & Park(ing) Day

As Alex has so wonderfully said, we are going to hold weekly (or at least weekly, the impromptu is always welcome) Mad Men discussions. Whoever gets to it first can post, and the rest of us can reply to it. That way people who don't watch Mad Men (and they really, really, really, should) won't be scrolling through a Man Men takeover. There will inevitably be spoilers. So... avoid this blog until you watch it.

On a different note altogether... Park(ing) Day was last Friday. It's a really cool event that started in San Francisco. Basically, people put money in a parking meter and do whatever it is they want in the spot they rented. A lot of people set up mini-parks/gardens but some make crafts or take a nap or whatever. Basically, the concept is that you've rented the space for x about of hours; therefore, it is yours to do whatever in whether or not you park there.

Joss Whedon is not happy!

So Dollhouse has been pushed back to filming until September 25 instead of January because Joss thought the scripts weren't Joss enough, which means they were shit. 

Here is the full article: 

http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b28348_production_stops_whedon_plays_with.html

As much as I was looking forward to seeing more Joss creations out in the public again, I think this is a good idea. I don't want to watch a show that has none of that Joss humor but still has his name connected to it. I think he is making a comeback and one day will be our reigning god again. 

Joss is Boss! 

Thank god we had the feminist movement!

Okay, so I messaged Christine this week with my Mad Men rant and she suggested posting to one place so we can all see these rants. So here is the rant I sent to Christine for the last new episode that aired. 

Can I just say Betty kicks ass because she is actually standing up for herself. Last week was a bad week for the women. Stupid suppressive male ego society! Also, how could they not give the script reading job to Joan. She was so good at it and was finally happy. I feel bad that her fiance wants her to settle down and become like perfect little housewife because lets face it, housewife and Joan just don't go together. Also, YAY! Mad Men for winning best drama. They deserved it!

So from now on lets post our opinions and views on here after Mad Men airs on Sunday. 

So because I know you all want to see it.

I finally got a uniform that 3/4 all fits! So I took one picture and thought I would share with you. They had no pants in my size, so I have men's...much better actually.
Yea, everyone's uniform doesn't fit...it has been like that for 20 years.

Science Project leads to UK SETS

Guess what this is the plans for, well corner of plan.
Hint: It's located in the UK. We know the character well, he's a Dr. of sorts.

This is the corner plans for the 1966 episode Tenth Planet.

This is the quote.

"A corner of a 1966 plan of Dr Who episode - Tenth Planet. The set in the corner of the studio is a Cyberman spaceship. Obviously.

The three symbols above represent the following: 2A is a Mole camera crane, A3 is a sound boom and 3A is a camera ped. These positions were worked out by the director for each set so that the cables did not have to cross each other when moving between sets and get tangled up.

In all BBC studios 'wall 1' is the wall which has the control rooms behind it. The others follow in clockwise direction. Thus the wall at the bottom of the plan is wall 4.

plan thanks to David Harper"

Here is where I got the information. You can find out all about the old BBC Studios on the Lot.
http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/old%20bbc%20studios.htm


Your wondering why i'm looking up studio information. Science project. Comparing something to a plant cell and its parts.

The Great Big Music Exchange

So, Claire and I were just sending videos from youtube back and forth to each other through facebook. We decided to migrate to a blog and here it is: http://thegreatbigmusicexchange.blogspot.com/2008/09/begining.html

Just look around. There is some good stuff on it. I posted the last of the current videos. Have fun looking, it gave me something to do while here in Boston.

On another note. I went to go see The Dandy Warhols in concert on Tuesday (September 16th) and this Saturday I will be working at Farm Aid (http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723595/k.EE67/Family_Farmers_Good_Food_A_Better_America.htm)
I will work for 4 hours then I get to watch the concert. Pretty awesome. So here is a video from the Dandy Warhols and Jakob Dylan.

Maurice Sendak

The New York Times' website has an interview with Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are. You should read it. It's interesting, although rather sad.

the future of wind power!?

flying over denmark, i saw many many windmills strewn about... a few here in the water, a few on the edges of the city, some in a field with some sheep...
anywho, when this crossed my stumblings i was intrigued.

think zeppelin but bigger and making power...

Dr Who

Apparently there is talk of a Dr. Who film. According to Imdb, they haven't had a Dr. Who on screen since 40 years ago. David Tennant will be playing the Dr according to the site. There is no IMBD page for it yet, so it's probably in process of being discussed and such. Hope they go through with it.

Crafty Goodness

Since no one has updated in a while and I'm feeling crafty after sewing all day... I present to you a few craft and design blogs for your perusal.

Craft Magazine: A blog about a variety of mediums, from cooking to sewing to making bookshelves out of wire hangers. It just has a bunch of cool ideas and how-to's, as well as spotlights on interesting artists and events.... and I just wish the actual magazine wasn't $15 a pop.

Design*Sponge: The classic design blog, which covers all matters of designy things. Very inspiring. They're also a fan of SCAD. (:D)

Enjoy! I know I will!

So You think You Can Dance

I will update this tomorrow night if I see another dance I really love. If you love good music and dancing. You'll love these. One of these is the cd version of The Garden by Mirah, which i talked about in my last post. Sorry for Double posting by the way. Just two different topics. You might want to press pause and let them load a bit before playing so yo ucan skip ahead to the dance.




This one above may be hiphop.. but its entertaining. The dancers play conductors trying to fight over the stick.




This is the Jazz routine by Mark and Courtney, which they did to The Garden by Mirah.



These are me and my familys favorite two performer. .both kicked off last time. =(. Mark is so adorable..




argentine dance



Contemporary








Mark dancing to Bohemian Rhapsody one for auditions one for solo on show..
both of which are really short. =(



This is an excellent routine involving a door..






lala .. another hiphop but its slow hiphop.





and this is the last one that i enjoyed... because of mark. Theres another but you can find it if you want to..





Would love to hear what you think about it..

Mirah and Music..

If you saw So You Think You CAN DANCE. Two Episodes ago. Mark and Courtney danced to a song called the Garden, by Mirah.

I love this song, and i decided to get her albums absolutely love them. If you like the lyrics and song style of tori amos, imogen heap, Laura Marling, then you will love Mirah. Weird thing is I was google searching to see what she looks like . Iswear i'll end up looking like that when i get older.. Sigh.. oh well ok anyway here are some youtube links, so you can hear her sing some of the songs live. Though you cna probably here the cd version if you search around and just watch one with lyrics or fan made.








so these above live.. and she obviously gets the audience to help with the background.. because on the cd.. its I guess computer generated or something.. sounds really great on the computer..

In a haze after a movie? Well do tell!

So. I just finished watching a movie called El Maquinista, ala The Machinist staring Christian Bale. I've heard a lot about the movie and decided, Chustzie, get to it and watch it. So yes. I did. It is interesting. It almost reminds me of Fight Club at one point. The only reason being because of the main characters insomniac and his thin body that was more skeletal than Edward Norton. Oh Norton, hwo can I count the ways? So yes. Maybe talk more of movie yes? There are moments when you want to yell what the hell is going on, which I admit I did, but all together good. It gives an idea how some people deal with tragedy and emptiness. Merging reality to fit into our molds and such...Anyways. I liked it. I feel a bit hazed in the head after watching so maybe this is why the text I am typing is a bit out...Anyways, a link to imdb for you peps and a trailer. Rent it, torrent it, whatevs, just watch it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/




Oh, and the music...it is okay. If you dig 1950s sci-fi music.

Neil and Batman!?!

Holy Crap.
Neil Gaiman is writing Batman comics.
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080727-dc-nation-2.html

Neil...Batman...sigh...amazingness.

They say of the Acropolis, where the Parthenon is...

New Batman Film Rumors

DAVID TENNANT... Who we all know as DR. WHO.
is wanting to play the Joker.
could possibly be true because Dr WHO will not be on till 2010.
..links and more info to come.

These Links are of possible villians in next film.
Apparently the director wants to put in villians that haven't had as much film time.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25681350/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25681350/page/2/ -has the joker on it and about david tennant

to save the time this is a quote from the second page.

"Anthony Michael Hall has been rumored to play the role, and “Doctor Who” star David Tennant reportedly would love to do it."

Oh and heres an article
http://www.movieweb.com/news/18/29618.php
It's an interview with Nolan.
Last thing he says, he doesnt know if hes going to recast Heath's part or not.

Apparently one of my friends says the director doesn't want to bring in Robin. Which if true.. I hate.

Oh also. Our lovely Sirius Black didn't want to be in the dark knight, but he had a contract.

Mamma Mia!

I saw Mamma Mia with my mom on Sunday. It was kind of wonderful. It was also pretty cheesy, but I mean that in the best way possible. I left the theater feeling all giddy and optimistic. I bought the soundtrack right away, of course. This is the song that I can't get out of my head:

Yes, that is the girl from Mean Girls. And her fiance is Dakin from The History Boys. I highly recommend the movie if you're in the mood for something light and happy and fun. At the very least, you should see it because Meryl Streep is in it, and she's gorgeous (Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth aren't too bad, either):

Project Runway?!

As I found out today, Project Runway Season 5 has begun! Since I missed the first episode, I had to watch it on Youtube. I have to say it look infinitely better than last season. For starters, it's airing at it's more normal time of the year, and they'll hopefully sync it with NY fashion week. Something they did not do last season (few weeks off). Also, they brought back a challenge from season 1! When they actually had interesting and creative challenges! The grocery store one, in case you were wondering. The designers are a very diverse group and seem like a good mix of quirky, crazy and talented, which will make for interesting tv. Oh, and they painted the sewing room back to it's original blue.

I have hope for this new season.

Wednesday. 9/8 central. Bravo

I'm in the mood for some Sheen

Thanks to the wonderful DVD selection at the library, I'm rediscovering my love for the West Wing. I'm noticing one not so great thing about it that I didn't notice when I first watched the series. Maybe I'll blog about that later. The wonderful things about the show heavily outweigh the bad things, though. So...here are some awesome West Wing clips!





One day I will own a t-shirt that says "paranoid berkley shiksa feminista" on it.



The clips that make me want to have Martin Sheen's babies:



"She was a real dame." John Spencer should have been a 1940's movie star.



What Aaron Sorkin had to say about the scene: "He made his peace with God. Mrs. Landingham's appearance in the penultimate scene wasn't a ghost. He was talking to himself, using her memory to coax himself in the right direction....And when the scene was done, he looked out at the storm that he was sure God had sent just to mess with him, and realized it was God sending him His strength. And he baptized himself in it. And as he passed by the church in the motorcade, a custodian, a child of God, picked the cigarette butt off the ground, and we cut back to Bartlet, who sensed something move inside of him." According to Sorkin, Martin Sheen started crying when he read through the scene.

Some of my favorite scenes with Leo because John Spencer was amazing:



From the end of the same episode (Bartlett for America):







Don't tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing!











I could probably post about 20 more clips, but I think I'll stop here...at least for now.

What Are You Reading?

The other day I finished Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. It is the story of Charles Ryder and his relationships (romantic and otherwise) with the Flyte family and their grand English estate, Brideshead. More serious and less satirical than The Loved One, but still very enjoyable. Being well-schooled in Catholicism, I found the role religion plays in the novel to be very interesting. They're making a movie of it with Emma Thompson to be released sometime this year. Just from the trailer, I can tell they've blown up subtleties into major plot points. So, boo. The BBC also did a mini-series in the early 80's that is supposed to be good... I might check it out from the library.

I've also started The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

What are you reading?

The Dark Knight

Am I the only one really.. truelly crying right now. Just to recall the fact that I don't want to come to grips with that Heath is dead, that he can not enjoy this night. I went to Rave. So many people wanted to tickets, all 15 showings played batman all of which were sold out. For some reason I can't stop crying. Which i half find pathetic because I didn't know the man. But when you hear that voice, just in commercials alone, you have to take a double take to make sure it's really him and he was just so incredibly talented not only in this film, but in any of his films.... I don't know... babbling... writing this pretty late or well early. Well I know fishyand christine have not seen the movie yet, so we can start the discussion on the movie once everyone has seen it. Other wise we can just comment on Heath, talk about our favorite movies by him.

Hunger or Hell?

"Sometimes I wonder about the karmic implications of these actions"
"There's too many people in the world and not enough food." -Motel Hell

Watching Motel Hell (1980), a hilarious dark comedy about using people as farm animals. This is a concept that has existed for centuries; from A Modest Proposal to futuristic dystopias. Why is it that humans and many other animals have a natural taboo against eating their own kind? Even in the dark ages when other races were viewed as inhuman, they were used as slave labor but never for a food source. The Donner party incident and the the practice of cannibalism after death in tribes is viewed as tragic and barbaric. Aborted fetuses are used as art projects but not for stem cell research? Simply musing in a rather bitter theme as I am home with Grandpa Tom today and disgusted by the behavior of previous caretakers. A good number of the women I interviewed for the position had a criminal history of stealing medication from their patients. Argh.

You Tube Frenzy

So this is what i originaly wanted to post.I just didn't see he embedded link at the top. I'll only post four, and if you like what you hear you should add him. Though most people already know about him, I still find his music very interesting.









He also does the flight of the bumblebee and sesemee street, inspector gadget and super mario brothers.. of course has a lot lot more videos. Just thought I'd post him see what yall thought about him, or if yall had ever heard of him before.

Immigration in the USA

Yea, I know I am posting 2 in a day, but I would like everyone's opinion on the topic. I am doing a research paper to get out of an English class and the topic is illegal immigration. I received the documents that will serve for the data, but do not know the question for it yet. So I ranted a bit on my blog. I'll post the link and if you could read it and post any comments would be te awesome.

Link!
http://humnaistblogger.blogspot.com/

You should read it all and then watch the video. *nods head*

Heath Ledger

So I don't know about ya'll, but i cry every time i see a dark night commercial. So much talent, I mean you could tell this was one of his biggest roles. He really got into it, he made his voice change. I thought The Dark Knight was his last film. I was wrong. Again, not sure how many know this, but he is in a film called The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It is in post production at the moment, should come out next year. THe movie site still hasn't been fully developed. They do have a site, but all there is, is a picture at the moment.
http://doctorparnassus.com/


He stars with Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell.

Now according to http://imaginarium-doctor-parnassus-trailer.blogspot.com/


"Heath Ledger died before all shooting was done: the movie is jeopardized, under the threat of being put aside.

But director Terry Gilliam does not want to give up. So the opening of an official website for the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a good sign. Heath Ledger last role will not be lost.

Some rumors claim that by using a plot trick Johnny Depp may replace Heath Ledger for the last scenes of the movie. An other possibility mentioned by Terry Gilliam would be to use CGI (computers) to recreate an avatar in the image of Heath Ledger."

I hope its not terminated... and they are able to fix it. It's seems like something we'd enjoy.\



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"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" - "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all...

We all wait to see what director Terry Gilliam does with the unfinished and final work of Heath Ledger. You'll recall, over a decade and a half ago, after the death of actor Brandon Lee, on the set of "The Crow," filming commenced with a body double, as it had been nearly finished before Lee's untimely death.

STARRING: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits
DIRECTOR: Terry Gilliam
STUDIO: TBD
RATING: R

_above was gathered from http://www.wildaboutmovies.com

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

During the writer's strike, Joss teamed up with his brothers, Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion to create this free, online mini-musical. It is the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to. Today, is the day that the first installment of Joss Whedon's latest project is released. The three installments will be released online on the 15th, the 17th, and the 19th and then go offline midnight on the 20th. After that you can buy it for a small fee.

Right now, however, the website is experiencing technical difficulties. :( Here's the link anyway.

EDIT: It's working now!!! If you haven't tried to get there before, you should have no problem. If you have, try the address with or without the "www."

Also, here's the trailer:

Introduction

In coming here, you may have a basic idea of what this blog is about. Ideally, I want it to be a way for us to keep in touch while we are all separated (boston, savannah, wherever). I want it to be a place where we can share things that amuse and inspire us on a daily basis. We can discuss art, music, upcoming movies or events, politics, etc. We can rant or rave about things that affect us. We can share links to things on the internet or photos of things we see on our journeys. It does sound like we could do all this on facebook or livejournal, but this seems more personal and close-knit. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands?

If you chose to join us, then yay! Great! Awesome! You will be given administrative rights here. Layout and such are all under construction. Feel free to change anything yourself (although beware I may change it back :P) . Besides posting, I really want everyone to contribute to the lists/links on the side. If you have any questions, let me know. I hope to see you around! :)