This post is going to be the Bump in the Night tag that has been going around on Youtube amongst booktubers. I would have done this as a video, but today is Halloween and I wouldn't be able to get it up today. So, I'm doing it as a blog post instead. I learned about this tag yesterday from Elizziebooks, and you can watch her video here.
1) Which are your favourite supernatural/horror/scary characters to read about? (e.g. vampires, werewolves, witches, monsters, serial killers, murderers etc).
Witches have to win before everything else. The idea of being able to perform magic is awesome to me, and it seems like the funnest. The others all seem painful or something. Witches are fun. My second favorite would be werewolves though. I don't really have a reason for that. I just like them.
2) Which scene from any book would be your ultimate nightmare to have been part of?
I'm scared of everything, so there are plenty of options for me to choose for this. One that came to my mind is the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where Harry and Ron are in the Forbidden Forest and are attacked by Aragog's kids. Giant spiders trying to eat me would be horrific to me. I'm sure I could say something even scarier, but for some reason that's just the first thing I can think of.
3) If you could visit and explore any one scary or evil setting which would you pick and why?
Can I explore Snow's mansion in Hunger Games? The setting itself isn't necessarily scary, but the fact that it's Snow's house would creep me out, especially if I went in the rose room.
4) Which book was so frighteningly terrible that you almost fell asleep for eternity trying to finish it?
One book that I didn't even bother to finish relatively recently was Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse. I did not like that book at all.
5) Name one book you wish you could pull certain pages out of and swap for others to make it better?
This is a hard question because I have no idea. I don't know how you could take pages out of one book and put it in another and things would actually make sense.
6) If you could turn any 'bad or evil' character into a good character, who would you pick and why?
I think the best evil characters would lose what is most intriguing about them if they were a good character. I can't think of any character that I would find as interesting if they suddenly became good instead of being evil.
Quick fire round:
1) Favourite vampire character?
I don't really have a favorite vampire character. One character that comes to mind is Nicholas from the Talisman series by Brenda Pandos. He's actually only a half-vampire, but I enjoy that series. It has some other interesting vampires as well.
2) Favourite werewolf character?
I absolutely without a doubt have to choose Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter series. There is absolutely no other werewolf that I could choose.
3) Favourite witch character?
Considering Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series is my favorite fictional character ever, I'm going to have to go with her.
4) Favourite monster character?
I honestly can't think of any book I've read that deals with monsters that aren't a specific kind of mythical creature or something.
5) Favourite ghost character?
Nearly Headless Nick from the Harry Potter series. (I know there's a lot of Harry Potter on this list already, but I don't really read ghost stories. I can't think of any others.)
6) Favourite serial killer/murderer character?
I don't really have an answer for this either, since I don't read many of those types of books. I can only think of the evil characters that kill but aren't like serial killers.
It's very clear that I don't read many spooky books since I get scared easily. I really do want to change that. For some reason I've gotten a strong urge to read spookier stuff lately.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Halloween and the Boy Who Lived
It's Halloween! I'm not really doing anything special for the holiday, but I still really feel in the Halloween mood. It might help that I don't have class tomorrow, so I'm basically getting an early Friday. That's put me in a good mood, even though I still have to get through today's classes.
It's supposed to rain all day though, and that puts the damper on things just a bit. I'm not looking forward to walking around campus and getting soaked. Still, I'm not letting that bring me down.
I also can't let today go by without mentioning what else today is. I can never forget that today is the day that James and Lily died and Harry became the Boy Who Lived in Harry Potter. I know it's just in a book, but that's such an important anniversary in the Harry Potter series, so I have to acknowledge it somehow each year.
It's supposed to rain all day though, and that puts the damper on things just a bit. I'm not looking forward to walking around campus and getting soaked. Still, I'm not letting that bring me down.
I also can't let today go by without mentioning what else today is. I can never forget that today is the day that James and Lily died and Harry became the Boy Who Lived in Harry Potter. I know it's just in a book, but that's such an important anniversary in the Harry Potter series, so I have to acknowledge it somehow each year.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Book Review: The Accidental Movie Star by Emily Evans
ISBN: 1477582312Published: May 31st, 2012
Publisher: self-published
Read from October 25th to 29th, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads:
How did Ashley spend her summer vacation? Imagine the hottest guy in Hollywood. Do you see the girl next to him, the one handing him a cup of coffee? Yeah. That’s her.Review:
Interning on a major motion picture is not all bad. She gets to watch some of the scenes and even offer her opinion. “That kiss looked lame. Laughably weak. There’s no chance at an MTV award with that kiss.” LOL.
Until the director says, “Hey, Intern. Yeah, you. Ashley. You’re right. So, teach Caspian how to kiss. Oh, and get in front of the camera. We're going to need you in this next shot."
OMG.
I thought this book was really cute. It wasn't the greatest or most entertaining book by any stretch of the imagination, but I did enjoy it in many ways. The only plot the book really has is Caspian and Ashley's relationship, and it's pretty clear how that's going to go from the beginning. While it's not suspenseful and a book that will hook you in and make you incapable of putting it down, it is still fun enough that I enjoyed reading it and enjoyed the story.
I'm not very knowledgeable of the film industry, but from some of the stuff I do know, I'm not really sure a lot of the stuff in the book is realistic. Some of the stuff was, I'm sure, but there were a lot of things that just did not seem like how they would really happen in Hollywood. Still, since this is more of a book that you read because it's cute and fun, that didn't really bother me much.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes cute, fun romance stories. There's not much going on plotwise, but I thought it was an enjoyable book.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
HIMYM Review: Season Nine Episode Seven: "No Questions Asked"
The first comment I can even think to make about last night's episode is that I really want to know what Robin was up to when she asked Marshall to help her out with no questions asked.
Not much really happened in last night's episode. A lot of it was flashbacks, but I found it entertaining. I really loved Marshall coming to the conclusion that he never lies to Lily, and that's what makes him finally tell her the truth. I'm happy she finally knows, and it will be interesting to see how that goes in the coming episodes.
I enjoyed Ted, Robin, and Barney's various ways to get into Lily's room when the door was just unlocked. Although I have no idea why Ted would ever think climbing up a drain pipe is a good idea (although the vents wasn't much better really).
I would have been unbelievably frustrated if I was Lily and the hotel people kept making excuses about the room because of ghost stories. I don't think I could stay in a room that was supposed to be haunted in the first place though. I don't believe in ghosts, but I get scared too easily.
I want to know why Lily was willing to destroy her phone with no questions asked. There is no way I would ever do that. New phones cost way to much for me to just willingly destroy mine with no reason why.
The mother is apparently going to be in next week's episode again, so I look forward to that. I also hope that they continue addressing the Lily/Marshall storyline and don't let it get pushed to the side for a while.
Not much really happened in last night's episode. A lot of it was flashbacks, but I found it entertaining. I really loved Marshall coming to the conclusion that he never lies to Lily, and that's what makes him finally tell her the truth. I'm happy she finally knows, and it will be interesting to see how that goes in the coming episodes.
I enjoyed Ted, Robin, and Barney's various ways to get into Lily's room when the door was just unlocked. Although I have no idea why Ted would ever think climbing up a drain pipe is a good idea (although the vents wasn't much better really).
I would have been unbelievably frustrated if I was Lily and the hotel people kept making excuses about the room because of ghost stories. I don't think I could stay in a room that was supposed to be haunted in the first place though. I don't believe in ghosts, but I get scared too easily.
I want to know why Lily was willing to destroy her phone with no questions asked. There is no way I would ever do that. New phones cost way to much for me to just willingly destroy mine with no reason why.
The mother is apparently going to be in next week's episode again, so I look forward to that. I also hope that they continue addressing the Lily/Marshall storyline and don't let it get pushed to the side for a while.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN: 014131088XPublished: October 22nd, 1999
Publisher: Puffin
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.
Review:
Speak is one of those books that I've been hearing about for years, so I was extremely excited that we were reading it for my adolescent literature class. I saw the movie years ago, but I had more or less forgotten about it. The ending of the movie was what is still clearest in my mind, and it was only when I got toward the ending of the book that things started being familiar to me. Although, I'm not sure how faithful the movie is at all because of how fuzzy my memories of it are.
I think this is a brilliant book. I wish this was assigned reading in high school. It deals with a tough subject and it's hard to read at times, but it's also a very important subject. I don't want to say too much on it, since it's a spoiler for the book, but unfortunately, far too many people will have to struggle with this sort of thing in their life. That's why it is so important that books like Speak exist. I think Andy's character and even Rachel towards the end show why it is that this book is important. Far too many people think like that. Even Melinda questions what happened and whether or not it was "bad." People shouldn't think like that.
I thought Speak was an amazing book, not just for tackling a difficult subject but also because it did it well. Not even just the larger issue in the book, but high school as a whole was portrayed in a relatable way. Melinda is definitely on the pessimistic side (which I hardly blame her for), but I'm pretty sure anyone who's been in high school can relate to her comments on various things happening at school and how the other students interact with each other and her.
I highly recommend Speak to anyone. I especially think it's a great book for high schoolers to read. It's a tough subject, but it's something they need to be educated about.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
ISBN: 1416914285Published: March 27th, 2007
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Read from October 19th to 24th, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.
Review:
I don't even know where to start with this book. I went into it extremely skeptical and not expecting to like it at all. A lot of this came from knowing about the controversy over Clare plagiarising when she was a fanfiction writer. Still, these books are everywhere, and I'm always interested in writers who once wrote fanfiction. I just had to actually check the book out.
Well, by the end of the book I was completely pulled into the world, and I guess I would consider myself a fan now. I'm not saying this book is perfect by any means. It has quite a few problems, and a lot of them are hugely noticeable. I'm not going to go into those though because there are countless negative reviews that go through them. I, honestly, don't understand the amount of hate the books get. I see a lot of people criticizing them for being horribly writing, and it all kind of reminds me of Twilight to be honest. In my opinion, the books aren't the best written, but they're incredibly entertaining and kept me hooked. I enjoyed it, and because of that, I plan to read the rest of the series and the companion series and enjoy all of those books too. Not everything is going to be the greatest literary work of all time, and I don't think that really matters as long as it holds your attention. The most baffling thing to me is that Clare's writing is getting so much hate when I know I've read much worst writing in my time. I just really don't understand the level of hate. Some people hate these books with a passion that I just can't get.
My favorite part of the book is definitely the characters. One book in and I'm already in love with quite a few of them. I've seen quite a lot of criticism of them as well, and while I can get some of it, I really loved the characters. Isabelle was really the only one I didn't really like, but we don't really see much of her, and I can see that changing as I read more. I also wish Alec and been present more.
I do have to say that I'm glad Tumblr has made me aware of a spoiler or two otherwise the romance would have me a bit put off. As it is, I knew more than I should have long before I read the book, so I wasn't surprised there like I could have been. I don't know what my reaction would have been otherwise.
The plot, to me, is entertaining, and I look forward to finding out what happens. Still, it kind of pales in comparison to the characters. It really just comes back to them for me. They were my favorite part of the story, and I want to read more about them. If I hadn't loved the characters so much, I'm not sure I would care as much about the story. I think it's one of those stories where you have to connect with the characters or you just won't enjoy the book as much.
I'm not sure when I'll actually get around to reading the other books, but I'm hoping it's sooner rather than later. I'm dying to read the rest.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Decorating Doors
Today the weather has decided that it's time for winter. It's both wet and freezing outside, and that makes for a pretty miserable day as far as I'm concerned. It definitely doesn't make Wednesday any better considering this is also the day where I have my night class.
I also need to decorate my dorm door today. We have trick-or-treaters coming through the hall tomorrow, and I'd rather get the decorating done today than tomorrow before it happens. Still, I'm not sure if it will happen at this point since it's later than I'd planned to getting around to it. I should still have time before my class, but possibly not.
I'm not good with crafty things, so I just hope it turns out okay. We're all doing the same things to our doors, and it's pretty straight-forward, but I can also see mine turning into a disaster. We'll see.
I also need to decorate my dorm door today. We have trick-or-treaters coming through the hall tomorrow, and I'd rather get the decorating done today than tomorrow before it happens. Still, I'm not sure if it will happen at this point since it's later than I'd planned to getting around to it. I should still have time before my class, but possibly not.
I'm not good with crafty things, so I just hope it turns out okay. We're all doing the same things to our doors, and it's pretty straight-forward, but I can also see mine turning into a disaster. We'll see.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
HIMYM Review: Season 9 Episode 6: "Knight Vision"
This episode focuses a lot on the minister that has agreed to marry Robin and Barney, and it took until after the episode for me to realize that the reason the guy playing the minister looked so familiar was because he was from Gilmore Girls. I can't believe I didn't pick up on that sooner. I kind of enjoyed his character in this episode, although I found it odd that he immediately thought Lily was the one lying about the story as opposed to Robin and Barney.
Anyway, it will be interesting what Robin and Barney do now that their minister has died right before the wedding. That has to be one of the absolute worst things to happen before a wedding. It was kind of odd how he died though. Like, he was perfectly fine and then just died in the middle of talking to them. I was not expecting that to happen.
The girl that Ted's with for most of the episode was pretty annoying. I'm not sure if I liked that storyline all that much to be honest, although I enjoyed the part about how it helped him meet the mother later. That was cute. Also, the girl who played that character looks very familiar to me, but I can't for the life of me remember her from anything. (I looked it up and she was in Pitch Perfect. That's why she was familiar to me.)
I thought Marshall's storyline with Daphne was entertaining. I enjoyed her pretending to be Lily for Marshall to practice telling her the news and yelling at Marshall when he said something wrong. I also thought it was hilarious when he found out she was a lobbyist for a big oil company. I'm sure that will be amusing in coming episodes. I'm also very interested in seeing how Lily reacts now that she's had the news texted to her.
Next week's episode is a Halloween one, so that should be interesting. I'm looking forward to it!
Anyway, it will be interesting what Robin and Barney do now that their minister has died right before the wedding. That has to be one of the absolute worst things to happen before a wedding. It was kind of odd how he died though. Like, he was perfectly fine and then just died in the middle of talking to them. I was not expecting that to happen.
The girl that Ted's with for most of the episode was pretty annoying. I'm not sure if I liked that storyline all that much to be honest, although I enjoyed the part about how it helped him meet the mother later. That was cute. Also, the girl who played that character looks very familiar to me, but I can't for the life of me remember her from anything. (I looked it up and she was in Pitch Perfect. That's why she was familiar to me.)
I thought Marshall's storyline with Daphne was entertaining. I enjoyed her pretending to be Lily for Marshall to practice telling her the news and yelling at Marshall when he said something wrong. I also thought it was hilarious when he found out she was a lobbyist for a big oil company. I'm sure that will be amusing in coming episodes. I'm also very interested in seeing how Lily reacts now that she's had the news texted to her.
Next week's episode is a Halloween one, so that should be interesting. I'm looking forward to it!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Book Review: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
ISBN: 9780142407332Published: April 20th, 2006 (originally published in 1967)
Publisher: Speak
Read from October 17th to 20th, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Ponyboy can count on his brothers and his friends, but not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids who get away with everything, including beating up greasers like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect--until the night someone takes things too far.
Written forty-five years ago, S. E. Hinton's classic story of a boy who finds himself on the outskirts of regular society remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written.
Review:
This was one of the books that I had to read for my adolescent literature class, and while it wasn't one of my absolute favorites that I've read for that class, I did really enjoy it. I also just learned that the author was a teenager when she wrote this book, and that makes it all the more impressive to me. I really had no idea what to expect going into it. I had heard of the book before, but I'd never actually heard what it was about. I definitely hadn't expected things to go the way they did in the book.
I really enjoy how the book takes a very complicated situation and is able to show both sides of it. Even though the book is told from Ponyboy's point-of-view and he's a Greaser, you still get to see the humanity of the Socs. They aren't painted any more negatively than the Greasers. You learn about the good and the bad in each of the groups. I thought that was a very nice touch to the book instead of just treating one side as the villains and not showing any sympathy for them. They're all teenagers after all, and they all have good sides, even if they're following along with the others and it leads to bad things.
At the same time, I did think some of the characters' behavior was a little odd. They didn't act like you would typically think gang members would act. They seemed way too touchy-feely and willing to show affection for it to be entirely believable to me. I'm sure the author wanted to paint them in a positive light, but I have a hard time believing any gang would act like that so openly with each other, even if they really did care for each other. Plus, the book did include murder, and it was a bit hard to be okay with that, even though you see how human the characters are.
Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable book, but it definitely wasn't one of my favorites.
Hectic Mondays
Last week, my days all felt off because of fall break. This week, I can definitely tell it's Monday. In fact, it may be worse than your typically Monday because I have extra things to do today, and I keep almost forgetting about them. I would usually be done by now on a Monday, but I have another "meeting" to go to today. In actuality, it's not a meeting really. It is but it's with my group for a group project and we're meeting professors that we didn't set up a time with. We never heard back from them before, so we're going to see if we can find them and talk to them. Hopefully, we do manage to talk to them since we're running out of time, and they haven't been emailing us back.
Over all though, it hasn't been a bad Monday, even if it has been a tiring one. I think I'm still feeling pretty relaxed after fall break, so as far as Mondays go, this one's been relatively easy even with the hecticness of it. I'm hoping the rest of the week stay's like this. I have a meeting about scheduling later this week though, and I have a feeling that's when things are going to get stressful. I'm hoping for the best though.
Over all though, it hasn't been a bad Monday, even if it has been a tiring one. I think I'm still feeling pretty relaxed after fall break, so as far as Mondays go, this one's been relatively easy even with the hecticness of it. I'm hoping the rest of the week stay's like this. I have a meeting about scheduling later this week though, and I have a feeling that's when things are going to get stressful. I'm hoping for the best though.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Legend of Korra Review: Book 2 Episodes 7 and 8: Beginnings Parts 1 and 2
These two episodes were unbelievably packed with new information, and I know without a doubt that I will forget so many things that I want to talk about it. There's no way I could fit everything in. Part of the reason I'm not doing this as a video review is because I'm slightly worried about how long that would end up being. I'd just ramble on forever.
The animation style of these episodes was awesome. I loved the scenery and how it contrasted to the people and spirits. I thought it was an awesome style, and it was a constant reminder that this was in the past without being too in your face about it.
I loved getting so much of the history of the Avatar world and finally learning how the Avatar came about in the first place. We also saw the origins of bending and how people learned to bend the elements. The lion turtle, which had come out of nowhere in The Last Airbender finale, made a new appearance and had such an important part in the story. It was incredible. I loved it all.
It's crazy how two episodes that were all backstory and set in the past have so much effect on the current story. We saw Korra for a minute or two at the most these entire two episodes. The vast majority of the episodes took place in the past, yet there are countless new theories coming from these episodes. We learned so much about the past, and it's leading to all of these incredible questions about the current Korra storyline. I find this all unbelievably exciting.
I've been seeing a lot of exciting stuff on Tumblr the past 12+ hours, and it's all added to things that I was already thinking during the episode. So, here are some of my thoughts/theories/etc. after these episodes:
I want to know if Wan is being reincarnated as each Avatar and Rava has to find him each time he does or if Rava just chooses a new baby in the next nation once the last Avatar dies. It's interesting because Wan had to go an ask for each element from lion turtles, it wasn't genetic and Rava didn't give him the power of bending the elements. That, to me, makes it seem like it's Wan reincarnating and giving each Avatar the ability, but maybe Rava found a way to give new Avatars the ability to bend. Still, when Wan died, Rava told him, "We'll be together for eternity" or something similar. The "we" part is important to me. It makes it sound like Wan is reincarnating and Rava is finding him. This is interesting to me because I always thought of the Avatar has having two spirits: their own, which is different each life, and the Avatar spirit. which we now know as Rava. This would mean that instead each Avatar is just Wan and Rava meeting again when Wan is reincarnated and each Avatar is the same two spirits as opposed to being their own person. That makes me think about things so differently.
Unalaq is definitely up to something with Vatu. I'm not sure entirely what yet, but I am one hundred percent positive that Vatu is involved with Unalaq. Either Vatu is controlling Unalaq or Unalaq agreed to help him. I don't know exactly, but they are connected. I know that for sure. Someone on Tumblr (wish I still had the post) brought up the idea of an anti-Avatar where Vatu and Unalaq merge together like Wan and Korra. That is such a scary idea, and I can totally see it happening. (Someone else also mentioned Vatu trying to merge with Korra to take Rava's place.) It opens so many possibilities. I'm really excited to see where they take this.
The episodes used 10,000 year cycles as the amount of years it takes before Rava and Vatu have to show down again. Now we know that it's been 10,000 years since their last showdown and 10,000 years since the first Avatar was created. So, not only are they going to show down in the show, but someone on Tumblr pointed out that this is the first showdown since the Avatar was created, and they pointed out the possibility that Korra is the last Avatar. I'm kind of hoping that's not the case. I feel like the only way the Avatar could feasibly stop existing would be if they found a better way to keep balance over the course of the 10,000 years, and I'm not sure if that will happen. Still, I definitely think it's a valid possibility, and I'm excited to see if anything like that does happen.
There's just so much and so many theories going around. Since we don't get an episode next week, I may even go ahead and do either another blog post or even a video about these episodes again after a week or so to just talk about what I'm thinking after I've thought about it awhile. We'll see if it happens, but it is a legitimate possibility at the moment.
Oh, and is Korra still going to the Fire Nation or is she going to go straight back to Republic City. I mean, she did make it to the Fire Nation of course, but if she leaves before the royal family makes even a quick appearance, I'm going to be a tad bit disappointed. I just want to see Zuko's family so badly! Even with all of the excitement of these episodes, when Korra came to at the end, I was just sitting there like, "Can we see the Fire Nation royal family now?" I want it so badly...
The animation style of these episodes was awesome. I loved the scenery and how it contrasted to the people and spirits. I thought it was an awesome style, and it was a constant reminder that this was in the past without being too in your face about it.
I loved getting so much of the history of the Avatar world and finally learning how the Avatar came about in the first place. We also saw the origins of bending and how people learned to bend the elements. The lion turtle, which had come out of nowhere in The Last Airbender finale, made a new appearance and had such an important part in the story. It was incredible. I loved it all.
It's crazy how two episodes that were all backstory and set in the past have so much effect on the current story. We saw Korra for a minute or two at the most these entire two episodes. The vast majority of the episodes took place in the past, yet there are countless new theories coming from these episodes. We learned so much about the past, and it's leading to all of these incredible questions about the current Korra storyline. I find this all unbelievably exciting.
I've been seeing a lot of exciting stuff on Tumblr the past 12+ hours, and it's all added to things that I was already thinking during the episode. So, here are some of my thoughts/theories/etc. after these episodes:
I want to know if Wan is being reincarnated as each Avatar and Rava has to find him each time he does or if Rava just chooses a new baby in the next nation once the last Avatar dies. It's interesting because Wan had to go an ask for each element from lion turtles, it wasn't genetic and Rava didn't give him the power of bending the elements. That, to me, makes it seem like it's Wan reincarnating and giving each Avatar the ability, but maybe Rava found a way to give new Avatars the ability to bend. Still, when Wan died, Rava told him, "We'll be together for eternity" or something similar. The "we" part is important to me. It makes it sound like Wan is reincarnating and Rava is finding him. This is interesting to me because I always thought of the Avatar has having two spirits: their own, which is different each life, and the Avatar spirit. which we now know as Rava. This would mean that instead each Avatar is just Wan and Rava meeting again when Wan is reincarnated and each Avatar is the same two spirits as opposed to being their own person. That makes me think about things so differently.
Unalaq is definitely up to something with Vatu. I'm not sure entirely what yet, but I am one hundred percent positive that Vatu is involved with Unalaq. Either Vatu is controlling Unalaq or Unalaq agreed to help him. I don't know exactly, but they are connected. I know that for sure. Someone on Tumblr (wish I still had the post) brought up the idea of an anti-Avatar where Vatu and Unalaq merge together like Wan and Korra. That is such a scary idea, and I can totally see it happening. (Someone else also mentioned Vatu trying to merge with Korra to take Rava's place.) It opens so many possibilities. I'm really excited to see where they take this.
The episodes used 10,000 year cycles as the amount of years it takes before Rava and Vatu have to show down again. Now we know that it's been 10,000 years since their last showdown and 10,000 years since the first Avatar was created. So, not only are they going to show down in the show, but someone on Tumblr pointed out that this is the first showdown since the Avatar was created, and they pointed out the possibility that Korra is the last Avatar. I'm kind of hoping that's not the case. I feel like the only way the Avatar could feasibly stop existing would be if they found a better way to keep balance over the course of the 10,000 years, and I'm not sure if that will happen. Still, I definitely think it's a valid possibility, and I'm excited to see if anything like that does happen.
There's just so much and so many theories going around. Since we don't get an episode next week, I may even go ahead and do either another blog post or even a video about these episodes again after a week or so to just talk about what I'm thinking after I've thought about it awhile. We'll see if it happens, but it is a legitimate possibility at the moment.
Oh, and is Korra still going to the Fire Nation or is she going to go straight back to Republic City. I mean, she did make it to the Fire Nation of course, but if she leaves before the royal family makes even a quick appearance, I'm going to be a tad bit disappointed. I just want to see Zuko's family so badly! Even with all of the excitement of these episodes, when Korra came to at the end, I was just sitting there like, "Can we see the Fire Nation royal family now?" I want it so badly...
Friday, October 18, 2013
Reign Review: Episode One: "Pilot"
I watched the series premiere of Reign on The CW last night, and it has sufficiently gotten me hooked. I expect to be doing reviews of each episode either here or on my Youtube channel just like I do for Legend of Korra, Twisted, and How I Met Your Mother.
I began seeing commercials for Reign late last week while I was home for fall break, and I was immediately intrigued by it. I love period dramas, and there's not a lot of it on television, at least not that I'm aware of. I really hope Reign doesn't get canceled because people aren't interested. I think you can tell from the pilot that they've tried very hard to make it appealing to all teenagers, not just ones already interested in period dramas.
There is so much drama happening amongst the royals, and while too much drama is typically a turn off for me, it becomes so much more intriguing to me when it's amongst royalty. I know next to nothing about the historical background of the show, so I can't say how accurate everything is so far. After watching, I was tempted to look everything up, but I've refrained so far. I'm betting they took a lot of creative license with the show, but I still don't want to see anything that will ruin the show for me.
The only thing that's really getting me at this point is all of the English accents. The characters are all Scottish and French, yet they all have English accents. (Modern English accents at that, but I won't get into that.) The actors aren't even English (well some are but not all), so they're purposefully having them speak in fake English accents. It gets to me. That's something that's going to bother be for the entire course of the show.
As for the actual story, I've become really intrigued. I've already gotten that a good deal of the character have almost no strong morals, so who knows what we'll be seeing happen over the course of the show. Having Nostradamus as a character was interesting. I'm very intrigued by him and his goals. It will be fun to see if they go with the route of him believing he's legitimately seeing the future or if he's manipulating everyone by making things up. Whichever way it is, the queen definitely seems to believe his visions are legitimate, even if that doesn't excuse her actions in my eyes.
The romance in the show looks like it's going to be a mess. I'm sure it will be all over the place. Mary and Francis would be cute together I think, but I also like her chemistry with Sebastian. Of course, if we believe Nostradamus, then Mary and Francis are going to end tragically. This is one of the things I'm really tempted to look up, and we'll see if I manage to hold off on that.
Oh, I have to make a quick mention of Anna Popplewell (Susan from the Narnia movies) is one of Mary's handmaidens. That was a nice surprise. She was the only actor that I recognized from something else.
I'm going to go wait impatiently for the next episode. Fingers crossed that I don't look something up and ruin it for myself. The urge is hard to resist at the moment.
I began seeing commercials for Reign late last week while I was home for fall break, and I was immediately intrigued by it. I love period dramas, and there's not a lot of it on television, at least not that I'm aware of. I really hope Reign doesn't get canceled because people aren't interested. I think you can tell from the pilot that they've tried very hard to make it appealing to all teenagers, not just ones already interested in period dramas.
There is so much drama happening amongst the royals, and while too much drama is typically a turn off for me, it becomes so much more intriguing to me when it's amongst royalty. I know next to nothing about the historical background of the show, so I can't say how accurate everything is so far. After watching, I was tempted to look everything up, but I've refrained so far. I'm betting they took a lot of creative license with the show, but I still don't want to see anything that will ruin the show for me.
The only thing that's really getting me at this point is all of the English accents. The characters are all Scottish and French, yet they all have English accents. (Modern English accents at that, but I won't get into that.) The actors aren't even English (well some are but not all), so they're purposefully having them speak in fake English accents. It gets to me. That's something that's going to bother be for the entire course of the show.
As for the actual story, I've become really intrigued. I've already gotten that a good deal of the character have almost no strong morals, so who knows what we'll be seeing happen over the course of the show. Having Nostradamus as a character was interesting. I'm very intrigued by him and his goals. It will be fun to see if they go with the route of him believing he's legitimately seeing the future or if he's manipulating everyone by making things up. Whichever way it is, the queen definitely seems to believe his visions are legitimate, even if that doesn't excuse her actions in my eyes.
The romance in the show looks like it's going to be a mess. I'm sure it will be all over the place. Mary and Francis would be cute together I think, but I also like her chemistry with Sebastian. Of course, if we believe Nostradamus, then Mary and Francis are going to end tragically. This is one of the things I'm really tempted to look up, and we'll see if I manage to hold off on that.
Oh, I have to make a quick mention of Anna Popplewell (Susan from the Narnia movies) is one of Mary's handmaidens. That was a nice surprise. She was the only actor that I recognized from something else.
I'm going to go wait impatiently for the next episode. Fingers crossed that I don't look something up and ruin it for myself. The urge is hard to resist at the moment.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Naruto Shippuden Review: Episodes 101-112
By the end of this set of episodes, I was getting somewhat bored with the storyline. I grew to care for Yuukimaru and Guren, but while I wanted them to be okay and everything, I was tired of the storyline. I know everything in Naruto is really drawn out, but it was just incredibly obvious to me with this particular storyline. It took forever, and even though I enjoyed the story, it lasted too long for me to enjoy it as much as I could have.
That being said, I really grew to enjoy Guren and Yuukimaru as characters, and I'm somewhat sad that they won't be in the story anymore. However, I also liked how their storyline was resolved.
I want to know how Deidara got the Three-Tails so easily after everyone else struggled to control it for episodes upon episodes. That was extremely anticlimactic. I did not like how that was handled at all. It will be interesting to see what the Akatsuki do with the Three-Tails though.
Apparently Sasuke and Orochimaru are going to have a showdown or something in the next episode, and I am unbelievably excited for that. I'm ready to move on to a new storyline, and that is one that I am looking forward to.
(Also, I think I'm going to start doing reviews every five episodes. That sounds like a manageable amount. It'll let me make reviews more often and talk about things more, but it won't be so often that it will be overwhelming with all of the shows I'm reviewing while they air each week.)
That being said, I really grew to enjoy Guren and Yuukimaru as characters, and I'm somewhat sad that they won't be in the story anymore. However, I also liked how their storyline was resolved.
I want to know how Deidara got the Three-Tails so easily after everyone else struggled to control it for episodes upon episodes. That was extremely anticlimactic. I did not like how that was handled at all. It will be interesting to see what the Akatsuki do with the Three-Tails though.
Apparently Sasuke and Orochimaru are going to have a showdown or something in the next episode, and I am unbelievably excited for that. I'm ready to move on to a new storyline, and that is one that I am looking forward to.
(Also, I think I'm going to start doing reviews every five episodes. That sounds like a manageable amount. It'll let me make reviews more often and talk about things more, but it won't be so often that it will be overwhelming with all of the shows I'm reviewing while they air each week.)
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
First Day Back
The first day of classes after fall break is going well, but I feel so off. It doesn't feel like a Wednesday, and going to all of my Wednesday classes feels weird and wrong. I have a feeling the rest of the week will be like this, but hopefully things will feel normal again next week.
I'm done for the day except for my night class later today. Classes have already worn me out after fall break, so I have no idea how I'm going to last up to three hours in my night class. I'm really hoping we get out at least somewhat early. Having a night class the first day back from a break is extremely difficult. Luckily, I have some time to rest until then because I don't have all that much homework at the moment, which is a welcome change from midterm week right before break.
I'm done for the day except for my night class later today. Classes have already worn me out after fall break, so I have no idea how I'm going to last up to three hours in my night class. I'm really hoping we get out at least somewhat early. Having a night class the first day back from a break is extremely difficult. Luckily, I have some time to rest until then because I don't have all that much homework at the moment, which is a welcome change from midterm week right before break.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Top Ten Favorite Heroines
This topic came from Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I'm going through and doing all of the old themes whenever I get a chance here and on my Youtube channel.
1. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. She will always be my number one favorite heroine. Nothing will ever change that. She was one of my biggest role models growing up, and she helped show me that loving books and being smart aren't traits that you should be ashamed of.
2. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I know Katniss frustrates a lot of readers, but I love her. She goes through so, so much, and yes, she's frustrating at times, but most people would be if they had to deal with what she does. Her life is completely torn apart, yet *SPOILER* she still manages to make it through everything and put her life back together as best as she can.
3. Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Hazel is another character that goes through much more than she should have to, yet she does it admirably. Not only does she herself have cancer, but she falls in love with a boy who has cancer. Through all of that, she manages to stay an amazing person and an amazing character.
4. Eden from the Star-Crossed series by Rachel Higginson. Okay. Eden frustrates me a lot because of her obliviousness to what is going on around her, but I also love her. She's an incredibly strong character, and I really admire how she never puts up with Kiran's crap when everyone else does because he's the crowned prince. (I almost went into a rant about the amazingness of their relationship, but I'll refrain.)
5. Kit from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I've gotten the impression from what I've read over the years that Puritan colonial America was not an easy society to grow up in. I always loved Kit because she's much more independent and willing to speak her mind than the other women around her. Plus, she gets accused of being a witch, and she doesn't put up with it or accept what society labels her as at all.
6. Haruhi from the Ouran High School Host Club series by Bisco Hatori. Haruhi is definitely a character who could care less what other people think of her. She doesn't care that everyone at school thinks she's a boy because she doesn't think what someone looks like on the outside is important, and that's really admirable to me. Plus, she puts up with the rest of the Host Club on a regular basis, and I don't think many people could do that.
7. Laura Ingalls from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I almost didn't add Laura to this list because it's always at the back of my mind that she was a real person and these were based on real stories. Sometimes that makes me feel odd about adding the Little House characters to a list of fictional characters. I feel like Laura definitely deserves a place here though. Being a part of a pioneer family and later writing such a beloved series definitely make her an amazing person. Plus, what kid read these books and didn't want to live like that (at least until you realized what you'd be giving up).
8. Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I have to admire Liesel for her love of reading, even when it is made difficult by the circumstances around her. Plus, her friendship with Max is heart-warming, even if she has no control over the fact that he's living with them.
9. Stargirl from Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I remember reading Stargirl in middle school, and being blown away by Stargirl as a character. That someone could really be so themselves and eccentric even when they are being ostracized for it was a huge shock to me, and I was so awed by Stargirl that I was honestly somewhat scared of the books. That book really changed how I think, and most of that was due to Stargirl's character.
10. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To be completely honest, I was kind of running out of ideas, so I looked through lists others had written and saw Scout several times. While I probably wouldn't have come up with her on my own, I'm happy that I was reminded of her. Like Liesel, she's young and not entirely sure of what is going on around her. Still, her innocence is a great part of the book and her character.
1. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. She will always be my number one favorite heroine. Nothing will ever change that. She was one of my biggest role models growing up, and she helped show me that loving books and being smart aren't traits that you should be ashamed of.
2. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I know Katniss frustrates a lot of readers, but I love her. She goes through so, so much, and yes, she's frustrating at times, but most people would be if they had to deal with what she does. Her life is completely torn apart, yet *SPOILER* she still manages to make it through everything and put her life back together as best as she can.
3. Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Hazel is another character that goes through much more than she should have to, yet she does it admirably. Not only does she herself have cancer, but she falls in love with a boy who has cancer. Through all of that, she manages to stay an amazing person and an amazing character.
4. Eden from the Star-Crossed series by Rachel Higginson. Okay. Eden frustrates me a lot because of her obliviousness to what is going on around her, but I also love her. She's an incredibly strong character, and I really admire how she never puts up with Kiran's crap when everyone else does because he's the crowned prince. (I almost went into a rant about the amazingness of their relationship, but I'll refrain.)
5. Kit from The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I've gotten the impression from what I've read over the years that Puritan colonial America was not an easy society to grow up in. I always loved Kit because she's much more independent and willing to speak her mind than the other women around her. Plus, she gets accused of being a witch, and she doesn't put up with it or accept what society labels her as at all.
6. Haruhi from the Ouran High School Host Club series by Bisco Hatori. Haruhi is definitely a character who could care less what other people think of her. She doesn't care that everyone at school thinks she's a boy because she doesn't think what someone looks like on the outside is important, and that's really admirable to me. Plus, she puts up with the rest of the Host Club on a regular basis, and I don't think many people could do that.
7. Laura Ingalls from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I almost didn't add Laura to this list because it's always at the back of my mind that she was a real person and these were based on real stories. Sometimes that makes me feel odd about adding the Little House characters to a list of fictional characters. I feel like Laura definitely deserves a place here though. Being a part of a pioneer family and later writing such a beloved series definitely make her an amazing person. Plus, what kid read these books and didn't want to live like that (at least until you realized what you'd be giving up).
8. Liesel from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I have to admire Liesel for her love of reading, even when it is made difficult by the circumstances around her. Plus, her friendship with Max is heart-warming, even if she has no control over the fact that he's living with them.
9. Stargirl from Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I remember reading Stargirl in middle school, and being blown away by Stargirl as a character. That someone could really be so themselves and eccentric even when they are being ostracized for it was a huge shock to me, and I was so awed by Stargirl that I was honestly somewhat scared of the books. That book really changed how I think, and most of that was due to Stargirl's character.
10. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To be completely honest, I was kind of running out of ideas, so I looked through lists others had written and saw Scout several times. While I probably wouldn't have come up with her on my own, I'm happy that I was reminded of her. Like Liesel, she's young and not entirely sure of what is going on around her. Still, her innocence is a great part of the book and her character.
The End of Fall Break
I got back to school less than an hour ago, and I've just finished unpacking and all of that. It's weird that I have Wednesday classes tomorrow. Let's hope I don't screw things up and go to my Monday classes.
My fall break ended a lot less eventful than the rest of it. On Monday, I stayed at home all day except to go to the dermatologist, and today all I did was drive back to school with my mom. Other than some One Direction fandom drama, not much has happened the past couple of days.
I had a nice break though, and I'm ready to get back to classes. (Although I'm still really excited for Thanksgiving...)
My fall break ended a lot less eventful than the rest of it. On Monday, I stayed at home all day except to go to the dermatologist, and today all I did was drive back to school with my mom. Other than some One Direction fandom drama, not much has happened the past couple of days.
I had a nice break though, and I'm ready to get back to classes. (Although I'm still really excited for Thanksgiving...)
Sunday, October 13, 2013
The Weekend of Trying New Foods
It's been an extremely busy weekend. I was excited for fall break as a chance to relax, but its turned into running around doing everything.
Yesterday I went to get my hair re-dyed. It took longer than expected because they were a bit busy, so it felt like I was there forever. I got more red in my hair than I had before though, and I'm excited about it.
After that, I went to the fall fest with my sister Regina, Jenny (the Swedish exchange student my family is hosting this year), and two of my sister's friends. It was a lot of fun, and we ate quite a bit of junk food. I had this "haystack" thing that was Fritos, chili, and stuff as well as a corndog, and we all tried fried Snickers, which was interesting. The fried Snickers were one of those things that were good, but not good enough to justify eating it again really. After we ate them, we walked past another booth that had fried Milky Ways, and I wish I'd tried that instead. Milky Ways are my favorite candy bar, so I probably would have enjoyed that more. Still, it was fun. Pretty much every single game booth had stuffed minions to win, and we walked around to a ton of them to try to win one, but no one did.
Today I had to go back to where I'd gotten my hair done so that my sister could get her hair cut. Afterwards, my sister made me get Starbucks for the first time. It was good, but not good enough that I'd ever bother to go again unless I was just there or something. I just don't really like coffee (and what I got didn't actually have much coffee).
I also got to eat lunch with my friend Ji today. I hadn't seen her in absolutely forever, so it was awesome to finally see her again. We ate sushi, which I've been wanting to try more of for a while. (This was apparently the weekend of trying new food.) It was awesome to just get to talk to her and everything.
Even though I'm not really getting to relax much for fall break, I'm having an awesome time.
Yesterday I went to get my hair re-dyed. It took longer than expected because they were a bit busy, so it felt like I was there forever. I got more red in my hair than I had before though, and I'm excited about it.
After that, I went to the fall fest with my sister Regina, Jenny (the Swedish exchange student my family is hosting this year), and two of my sister's friends. It was a lot of fun, and we ate quite a bit of junk food. I had this "haystack" thing that was Fritos, chili, and stuff as well as a corndog, and we all tried fried Snickers, which was interesting. The fried Snickers were one of those things that were good, but not good enough to justify eating it again really. After we ate them, we walked past another booth that had fried Milky Ways, and I wish I'd tried that instead. Milky Ways are my favorite candy bar, so I probably would have enjoyed that more. Still, it was fun. Pretty much every single game booth had stuffed minions to win, and we walked around to a ton of them to try to win one, but no one did.
Today I had to go back to where I'd gotten my hair done so that my sister could get her hair cut. Afterwards, my sister made me get Starbucks for the first time. It was good, but not good enough that I'd ever bother to go again unless I was just there or something. I just don't really like coffee (and what I got didn't actually have much coffee).
I also got to eat lunch with my friend Ji today. I hadn't seen her in absolutely forever, so it was awesome to finally see her again. We ate sushi, which I've been wanting to try more of for a while. (This was apparently the weekend of trying new food.) It was awesome to just get to talk to her and everything.
Even though I'm not really getting to relax much for fall break, I'm having an awesome time.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Legend of Korra Review: Book 2 Episode 6: "The Sting"
I think this is the first time during Book 2 of Korra that I've done a review of an episode here on the blog instead of as a video. I'm back home for fall break, and I had a really busy day. I still haven't uploaded and edited my review for Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother, so this week, Korra is getting a quick review here on the blog. I wish I had time to write more though because this episode was crazy!
For the whole first half or so of the episode, I was just kind of like, "Okay." It was good, but it wasn't as "edge of your seat" as the past episodes of this season had been. Then, everything happened in the last few minutes, and it quickly caught up with the other episodes.
First of all, I want to talk about Bolin. He doesn't seem to be doing anything important lately. He's just starring in those stupid propaganda films. I really hope he does something awesome soon. I'm assuming with the end of the episode that the propaganda films won't last much longer though, so hopefully that means Bolin will be doing something better than comic relief.
I love Mako, and I am extremely glad that he's not giving up getting to the bottom of who is responsible even though he's continuously being laughed at. It really, really frustrates me that he isn't being taken seriously by anyone.
I don't even know what to say about the Mako/Asami kiss at this point. I saw it coming from the beginning of the episode, but before that, it was not something that I expected to happen. I'm still pretty sure that Mako and Korra will be getting back together, but I'm not as sure that it will happen as quickly as I had originally thought. I really hate love triangles, and I wasn't a huge fan of this one in the first season. I was glad it was finished, so I'm extremely disappointed that they brought it back. I'm hoping this will blow over and not become a huge thing, although then I'd be frustrated that they threw in such a pointless drama starter. There's just really no way to win at this point. I had that they had Asami kiss Mako.
I wasn't expecting Varrick to be behind everything, but I also wasn't surprised. I wasn't entirely trusting of him because he's a businessperson, and it was clear that that was what was most important to him. However, I hadn't gotten any sense that he was behind the attacks and whatnot. Once it was revealed though, it all made sense. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. I'm kind of expecting Varrick to try and hurt Mako somehow. We'll see.
We didn't even see Korra until the very end of the episode, and that was quite a plot twist. I definitely was not expecting that. I'm not sure if I like it as a plot twist or not. It's so out of nowhere, but if they handle it correctly, I could see how it would work. I just don't understand why they would make her forget everything. I don't see the point plot-wise, but hopefully it will make sense and work well. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes!
For the whole first half or so of the episode, I was just kind of like, "Okay." It was good, but it wasn't as "edge of your seat" as the past episodes of this season had been. Then, everything happened in the last few minutes, and it quickly caught up with the other episodes.
First of all, I want to talk about Bolin. He doesn't seem to be doing anything important lately. He's just starring in those stupid propaganda films. I really hope he does something awesome soon. I'm assuming with the end of the episode that the propaganda films won't last much longer though, so hopefully that means Bolin will be doing something better than comic relief.
I love Mako, and I am extremely glad that he's not giving up getting to the bottom of who is responsible even though he's continuously being laughed at. It really, really frustrates me that he isn't being taken seriously by anyone.
I don't even know what to say about the Mako/Asami kiss at this point. I saw it coming from the beginning of the episode, but before that, it was not something that I expected to happen. I'm still pretty sure that Mako and Korra will be getting back together, but I'm not as sure that it will happen as quickly as I had originally thought. I really hate love triangles, and I wasn't a huge fan of this one in the first season. I was glad it was finished, so I'm extremely disappointed that they brought it back. I'm hoping this will blow over and not become a huge thing, although then I'd be frustrated that they threw in such a pointless drama starter. There's just really no way to win at this point. I had that they had Asami kiss Mako.
I wasn't expecting Varrick to be behind everything, but I also wasn't surprised. I wasn't entirely trusting of him because he's a businessperson, and it was clear that that was what was most important to him. However, I hadn't gotten any sense that he was behind the attacks and whatnot. Once it was revealed though, it all made sense. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. I'm kind of expecting Varrick to try and hurt Mako somehow. We'll see.
We didn't even see Korra until the very end of the episode, and that was quite a plot twist. I definitely was not expecting that. I'm not sure if I like it as a plot twist or not. It's so out of nowhere, but if they handle it correctly, I could see how it would work. I just don't understand why they would make her forget everything. I don't see the point plot-wise, but hopefully it will make sense and work well. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Only an Hour Left
I'm going home today! I have class in half an hour, and then afterwards I get to make the long drive home with my mom. I only have a few minutes to write this before I have to leave for class, but I wanted to try and get something down really quickly.
I'm finished with midterms, but I have one lecture today. It feels odd since the tests are all done. Still, it shouldn't be to hard to just take notes for fifty minutes.
I'm hoping my mom gets here soon after my class though. This class ends at noon, so it's right when I'm wanting lunch. Typically my mom takes a little while to get there, and then she wants to get out of Indy before we stop to eat. It could be two in the afternoon before I actually get food. Plus, based on when she left home this morning, I can tell I'm going to be waiting on her for a while.
Anyway, I need to go get ready for class. Then I can enjoy fall break afterwards!
I'm finished with midterms, but I have one lecture today. It feels odd since the tests are all done. Still, it shouldn't be to hard to just take notes for fifty minutes.
I'm hoping my mom gets here soon after my class though. This class ends at noon, so it's right when I'm wanting lunch. Typically my mom takes a little while to get there, and then she wants to get out of Indy before we stop to eat. It could be two in the afternoon before I actually get food. Plus, based on when she left home this morning, I can tell I'm going to be waiting on her for a while.
Anyway, I need to go get ready for class. Then I can enjoy fall break afterwards!
Book Review: 31 Days to Happiness by David Jeremiah
ISBN: 0849921937Published: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Read from September 22nd to October 8th, 2013
Synopsis from publisher:
Don’t you deserve a little happiness?
Ever wonder . . .
Why is life so frustrating?
Is happiness within my reach?
Is it too late for me?
Dr. David Jeremiah takes a look at history’s wisest and most successful man, King Solomon, and challenges readers to find what really matters in life. Solomon tested life’s haunting questions head-on. Tasted the fullness of life’s riches. But found his answers in the last place he thought to look.
If you thought happiness was only an empty hope, maybe you’ve simply been looking in all the wrong places. In this book Dr. Jeremiah reveals the way to the happiness you have longed for, the never-dimming light of your fondest dreams.
Review:
This book is meant to be read over a course of 31 days. Each day you read another bit of the book. Each chapter/day focuses on one or more things that Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes. The hope is that you'll reflect over what you read each day, and it will help you feel happier in life.
I wasn't a huge fan of the book. I just didn't really feel inspired or anything while reading. I didn't take the full 31 days to read the book either. I went a bit faster because I didn't really feel like the book was giving me anything to reflect on. It was all stuff I had heard before, and it didn't make me feel any different after hearing it. The vast majority of it was stuff I already thought anyway. However, that isn't to say that what it said wasn't good stuff. It was; I just had heard it all before.
I have no doubt that this book is exactly what some people are looking for. If you're in a really bad place and want to turn around how you look at life, this book is worth a shot. If you're already happy, you still might enjoy the book, but you may also find that it is all stuff that you already know.
Overall, I found it to be a book full of good information, and it was written in an engaging style. I just didn't feel like I was getting anything new out of it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Done with Midterms and On to Scheduling
My midterms are finished. It is so great to be able to say that. It's not fall break for me yet, as I still have a class tomorrow, but the tests are over with. It is great to have that stress over with.
Now I'm going to have to focus on scheduling for next semester though. Registration begins about a week and a half after break ends, and one of my advisors has already emailed us telling us to sign up for a meeting. I went by there the other day, but she didn't have the sign up sheet up yet, so now I think I'm going to wait until after break to sign up. I don't leave campus until noon tomorrow, but her office is on the other side of campus and I don't go over there for tomorrow's class. I just hope that the slots aren't all full by the time I sign up. I think I'll be fine though. My other advisor hasn't said anything yet, but I assume she's just waiting until after fall break before she starts scheduling appointments.
I don't know what class scheduling is like for other majors, but it is a nightmare for me. It's bad enough being a double major with two advisors I have to check with, but one of those majors being secondary education makes it even worse. Every single semester something (from the way our school does our program to the state laws and requirements) has changed that means my entire four year plan gets moved around a lot. I don't know how I'm going to graduate in four years. I already know I have to take summer classes at least one summer if I expect to be finished in 2016.
Anyway, I'm not messing with all of that until after break. For now I'm just focusing on class tomorrow and then a break for four days. I'll have time for scheduling afterwards.
Now I'm going to have to focus on scheduling for next semester though. Registration begins about a week and a half after break ends, and one of my advisors has already emailed us telling us to sign up for a meeting. I went by there the other day, but she didn't have the sign up sheet up yet, so now I think I'm going to wait until after break to sign up. I don't leave campus until noon tomorrow, but her office is on the other side of campus and I don't go over there for tomorrow's class. I just hope that the slots aren't all full by the time I sign up. I think I'll be fine though. My other advisor hasn't said anything yet, but I assume she's just waiting until after fall break before she starts scheduling appointments.
I don't know what class scheduling is like for other majors, but it is a nightmare for me. It's bad enough being a double major with two advisors I have to check with, but one of those majors being secondary education makes it even worse. Every single semester something (from the way our school does our program to the state laws and requirements) has changed that means my entire four year plan gets moved around a lot. I don't know how I'm going to graduate in four years. I already know I have to take summer classes at least one summer if I expect to be finished in 2016.
Anyway, I'm not messing with all of that until after break. For now I'm just focusing on class tomorrow and then a break for four days. I'll have time for scheduling afterwards.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Hectic Week
This week is proving to be a bit more hectic than I had hoped it would be. Yesterday was insane, and I was not expecting that. I knew I would be busier than normal, but I was not expecting to be so exhausted by the end of it.
Today probably won't be much better. I've been awake for less than an hour, and I've already been doing a ton of homework. I have some more to do in between classes and a meeting today. I also need to schedule some meetings if I can because I didn't realize how close it was getting to the time when we sign up for next semester's classes.
Plus, I have to present in one of my classes today, and that's never an incredibly easy thing for me.
I'm just ready for this week to be over and for it to be break. Break cannot come soon enough. I just have today and tomorrow and then an hour on Friday, and I will be going home for a few days (with a paper to work on but still). I need a break.
Today probably won't be much better. I've been awake for less than an hour, and I've already been doing a ton of homework. I have some more to do in between classes and a meeting today. I also need to schedule some meetings if I can because I didn't realize how close it was getting to the time when we sign up for next semester's classes.
Plus, I have to present in one of my classes today, and that's never an incredibly easy thing for me.
I'm just ready for this week to be over and for it to be break. Break cannot come soon enough. I just have today and tomorrow and then an hour on Friday, and I will be going home for a few days (with a paper to work on but still). I need a break.
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Beginning of Midterm Week
It's midterm week at my school, which means everyone is feeling pretty stressed. I've paced myself pretty well, so I know I'm nowhere near as stressed as I could be. I've gotten several of my essays that are due already done, which is awesome. Still, I will be beyond relieved when this week is over.
In my lab today, my professor could tell that me and the other student were really stressed, and she gave us a pep talk. She even let us leave early, and when she email us what she wanted us to do for homework, she included "do something nice for yourself" three times on the list. Believe me, I plan to do that over fall break.
I don't think this week will be too bad though. There's a lot to do of course, and I have to do a presentation on Wednesday that I'm a bit nervous about, but none of my classes are overwhelming at the moment. Let's hope it stays that way.
In my lab today, my professor could tell that me and the other student were really stressed, and she gave us a pep talk. She even let us leave early, and when she email us what she wanted us to do for homework, she included "do something nice for yourself" three times on the list. Believe me, I plan to do that over fall break.
I don't think this week will be too bad though. There's a lot to do of course, and I have to do a presentation on Wednesday that I'm a bit nervous about, but none of my classes are overwhelming at the moment. Let's hope it stays that way.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Nervousness and a Recital
It's just as rainy and dreary as yesterday. Actually, it may even be more so. Still, I am extremely close to being done with my homework for the day, and it's not even noon yet. I consider that a huge accomplishment.
I actually have to go to this recital thing later, and I'm a bit nervous about it. It's for one of my classes, and I have no idea what to really expect, which always makes me nervous. I like having a clear idea of what is going to happen at things like this. All I know is that it is a faculty recital thing. I don't know how long it will be or anything else. Also, I'm going to have to write a paper on it, and I'm not sure how to do that about a music recital. I just hope everything goes well.
I know everything will go fine at the recital, but that doesn't mean I won't be nervous about it until I actually get there, and quite possibly a little after I get there. Hopefully, it is interesting though. I'm not a huge classical (I'm just going to assume that it will be classical) music person, but I do enjoy it to an extent. Plus, I used to be in band, which helps with enjoying these things I think.
I actually have to go to this recital thing later, and I'm a bit nervous about it. It's for one of my classes, and I have no idea what to really expect, which always makes me nervous. I like having a clear idea of what is going to happen at things like this. All I know is that it is a faculty recital thing. I don't know how long it will be or anything else. Also, I'm going to have to write a paper on it, and I'm not sure how to do that about a music recital. I just hope everything goes well.
I know everything will go fine at the recital, but that doesn't mean I won't be nervous about it until I actually get there, and quite possibly a little after I get there. Hopefully, it is interesting though. I'm not a huge classical (I'm just going to assume that it will be classical) music person, but I do enjoy it to an extent. Plus, I used to be in band, which helps with enjoying these things I think.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Things That Make Me Happy
This is going to be a quick, pointless post that I just randomly decided to do. It's an overcast, depressing day today, and so I decided to make a list of ten things that make me happy, in no particular order.
1. Harry Potter
2. One Direction
3. Books
4. Writing
5. Friends
6. Family
7. Studying history
8. Cultures
9. Animals
10. Nerdfighteria
1. Harry Potter
2. One Direction
3. Books
4. Writing
5. Friends
6. Family
7. Studying history
8. Cultures
9. Animals
10. Nerdfighteria
A Dreary Saturday
It's a busy weekend for me as far as homework is considered. Next week is midterms, and I have quite a few papers due before then. It's not too much since I've been working on most of them for a while, but it is getting slightly stressful. I just keep reminding myself that fall break is next week.
It's a pretty dreary day. We had some severe weather warnings earlier, but I'm not really sure if we still do. At any rate, it's really cloudy and dark outside, which doesn't really help with my mood. I'm not sad or anything, but the weather is making feel a bit more tired than usual and stuff like that. I think it's supposed to be like this again tomorrow, but hopefully it's all gone by Monday.
I still have a bit of homework to get done today, but I think I'm going to edit my video review of last night's Korra episode before I get back to it. What I have left shouldn't take me too long to get through anyway.
It's a pretty dreary day. We had some severe weather warnings earlier, but I'm not really sure if we still do. At any rate, it's really cloudy and dark outside, which doesn't really help with my mood. I'm not sad or anything, but the weather is making feel a bit more tired than usual and stuff like that. I think it's supposed to be like this again tomorrow, but hopefully it's all gone by Monday.
I still have a bit of homework to get done today, but I think I'm going to edit my video review of last night's Korra episode before I get back to it. What I have left shouldn't take me too long to get through anyway.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
It's Kind of Almost the Weekend
This week was actually going rather quickly until I woke up today and thought it was Friday for a moment. Now I'm sure the next two days will feel like they drag on forever.
Today is a bit different in comparison to my usual Thursdays. I still have to go to both of my classes, but one of those classes is in the computer lab. Instead of "class" per se we're just working on our group projects and doing some research on our own for our long report. Then, after classes today, I have to meet with my partner for another project (who funnily enough happens to be one of the group members in the other project as well) to work on that too.
Hopefully today will go by quickly, and then I'll only have to get through my one Friday class before the weekend. It's also supposed to storm today though, which never makes days easy to get through. For some reason I'm just one of those people where the weather can really affect their mood, so I'm hoping that the storms stay away today.
Today is a bit different in comparison to my usual Thursdays. I still have to go to both of my classes, but one of those classes is in the computer lab. Instead of "class" per se we're just working on our group projects and doing some research on our own for our long report. Then, after classes today, I have to meet with my partner for another project (who funnily enough happens to be one of the group members in the other project as well) to work on that too.
Hopefully today will go by quickly, and then I'll only have to get through my one Friday class before the weekend. It's also supposed to storm today though, which never makes days easy to get through. For some reason I'm just one of those people where the weather can really affect their mood, so I'm hoping that the storms stay away today.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Book Review: 50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age by Steve Weisman
ISBN: 0133089460Published: October 19th, 2012
Publisher: FT Press
Read from September 26th to October 1st, 2013
Synopsis from Goodreads:
It is better to stop identity theft from happening in the first place than have to fix or repair the situation afterwards. Steve Weisman reveals the threats of new identity theft attacks based on use of Facebook, iPad, iPhone, Android, cloud apps, iPod, and other new technologies -- and shows you how to protect yourself, or how to fix the damage if you've already been attacked! Discover why ID theft is more dangerous than ever, and discover today's most dangerous new threats -- including attacks targeting medical records, personal finance and online banking sites, the elderly, and military service members. Meet the hackers and organized crime groups who want to steal your identity and money -- and learn how to protect your data and your life! Step by step, Weisman shows how to avoid risks, minimize risks you can't completely avoid, and immediately take the right steps if you're ever victimized. He objectively reviews new products and services that promise to fight identity theft, and previews emerging dangers, such as RFID credit cards. If you use a computer, the Internet, a smartphone, cell phone, tablet, or any other communications device, 50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age isn't just an indispensable wake-up call: it's the world's best resource for protecting yourself!
Review:
This books is excellent! The author is a lawyer and clearly knows exactly what he's talking about. Most people never give much thought to identity theft unless they become a victim. This book tells you exactly what you need to do in order to not become a victim as well as what to do if you do become a victim. It's a great book, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Absolutely anyone can become a victim of identity theft, so it's important to know what to do to prevent it.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
How I Met Your Mother Review: Season Nine Episode Three: Last Time in New York
I apologize if my thoughts are really disjointed or distracted in this post. In case you aren't aware, the U.S. government kind of shutdown at midnight last night, and I'm a bit distracted with all that's going on with that. I couldn't even focus on homework just a bit ago. (P.S. If you're American and interested at all in being a good citizen, it would be really awesome if you contacted your congressperson or senator about this and told them what you want done. This is really important, and they need to know what their constituents think.)
Now, How I Met Your Mother last night: I loved this episode quite a lot.
I loved the cute little scene between Ted and Lily when part of Ted's list was "one last life lecture from Lily." That was so cute. I also liked Lily's little speech to Ted, although it was a bit sad. And everything she said about Ted regretting if he wasn't there for Barney was really sad for me, but I'm glad Ted came through and went to talk to Barney.
Marshall in all of the Packers gear in Wisconsin was hilarious. I still really love the character of Daphne. I think she's great.
I thought Robin and Barney were really cute in this episode. Then again, they always are. I loved when they ran into James in the ice room. Him "sacrificing" himself the the elderly relatives may have been my favorite part of the entire episode.
I'm going to have to start taking notes or something in order to be more detailed. It seems like everything just leaves my head after I sleep, although maybe that's because it's still morning. Maybe I should just wait until later in the day to write these. (To be fair, I'd probably rant more if this was a video review as well.) Oh, well. Those are all of the main things I wanted to say. I'm really looking forward to next week's episode!
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