Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Parker's LiveJournal:

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Friday, January 18th, 2008
11:00 am	Hola, part deux! So I totally forgot how fun LJ can be. I feel really popular. Needed right now as I'm nursing a massive tummy-hurt hangover. I went out with the girls last night for five dollar long islands. These aren't just any long islands, though. They come in a 32 ounce mason jar. And they're delicious. I had a raspberry flavored one, split a Strawberry one with Lauren, and then a blue flavored one (it tasted like mountains, much like blue Gatorade) with Janna. We felt the copious amounts of alcohol were necessary to fuel our hatred of everyone we didn't know that was at the bar... which was everyone but us. Ugh... I can start driving again anywhere I want to at midnight oh one. Where should I go? What should I do? Part of me just wants to get some dirty Zyrs at Bice, hang out with my friends from work, admire the hot bartenders, and then go see Cloverfield. Of course, this requires someone else to be the DD. Hmmm... Perhaps I'll just go be a bum and hang with Stacia after work and eat pizza... of course, I'll be eating a Lean Cuisine pizza or something as they eat the real thing... Or maybe I should just go for a long drive... though the last one I went on didn't turn out so well. The Key West adventure is a story for another day, though, my pets. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: Meatloaf: "It's All Coming Back To Me Now." I shit you not; he did a cover. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 17th, 2008
1:44 pm	The last two years... I haven't updated my LJ in two years. So the last time was right after I moved to Florida... Well, the last two years have been more trying than they should have been, but you live and learn. Highlights: *Made some cool friends down here *Had some fun adventures--Suncoast (lol, don't know why I'd consider that a highlight, JUSTIN), Sarah's Wedding trip, Elizabeth's Wedding trip, Gia Night 2 (and subsequent Gia nights!)... *Ummm... I tried to save money? Is that a highlight? Lowlights: *Some bad decisions I made *Getting the license suspended *Having to deal with Florida EVERY DAY Currently, I'm filling out applications to grad school... I'm planning to start in the fall somewhere and get my Master's in Creative Writing. Well... that's me in a nutshell. Saw some good movies recently: Sunshine, Atonement, 27 Dresses (not "good" but cute), The Orphanage. Reading some good good books: The Pillars of the Earth, Boomsday... that's about it recently. Comment me back if you saw or read any of these. Yeah, I'm lame. It's just hard to be fun and witty when you haven't LJ'd in two years. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
9:57 pm	Hi! Maybe I'll start posting on here again soon... hmm... thoughts? Comments? lol. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 17th, 2006
12:42 pm	Cleutus sucks. Who is Cleutus and why does he suck? Cleutus is a larger-than-golfball sized cyst in my sinus, responsible for making my left eye bulge out and twitch constantly, horrible migraines, a prolonged staph infection (he didn't cause it, just made it hard to irradicate), and constant sinus-infection-like symptoms. He keeps me feeling unenergetic and plain miserable on certain days. My ENT in GA is so popular and busy that he can't give me surgery for a while. So, my dad told Kathy, our office-aid and all around hoot (right, Eric?), who is also a registered nurse, works afternoons for a doctor, and is getting her masters in nursing, about my illness. She set me up an appointment with her neighbor, a very good (knock on wood since I don't know his track record but have only been told) ENT. My mom faxed my old CAT scans down, so Kathy was excited to see them. She told me that the mass looks like it is still growing because there looks like there is activity in it and that it is attaching to or growing into the skull (wasn't really sure exactly what she said because it honestly freaked me out... are they going to have to cut my skull open????) She told me it would probably require immediate surgery... JOY. I mean, I want this thing out right now, but she kind of freaked me out. I have heard--so this might not be true because it was a friend that said this--that cysts can turn cancerous. No good. So, I don't know if I'm freaking out over nothing or if this really is quasi to fully serious. I'll find out in about half an hour at the doc, but I don't like not knowing things. So, I felt compelled to write about Cleutus again and get it off my brain (haha... punny). So... yay. Current Mood: listless Current Music: Christmas Bells--Rent (yeah, I listen to music at work) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 12th, 2006
6:05 pm	Meme: Name 10 things that bring you JOY and tag 5 people to do the same. (these are in no particular order) 1. Great books 2. Hanging out with my dear friends 3. Hiking 4. Jamming along to music in my car 5. The feeling of exhaustion after a satisfying workout. 6. Comic Books. Any of them. 7. Watching a favorite movie/tv show with someone else for their first time and seeing the joy come out of them (or sharing a piece of art with them and watching them react... I just love when people appreciate and notice greatness in wrote and not wanting to change a million things (aka, being mostly happy with something I wrote) 9. Playing with Blackie, my cat 10. Getting great news ERIC MASK, DAN STEWART, JON WATERS, EVAN LEVINE, and AMY PEARCE (Comment on this)
Friday, February 10th, 2006
10:59 am	2005 survey... I would put it behind a cut if I know how to!!!!!!!! Okay, I know I haven't updated in awhile, but with the move to Florida and settling into a 9-5 routine (or an 8:30am-11:30pm routine, if you count Wednesday) is a bit tedious and... stressful. Honestly I've been hella busy down here in Florida, but now I have some downtime. Well, I came across this survey, so I thought that I'd fill it out; I love surveys. It's a bit late in the year, but it offers some good reflections. The 2005 Survey: 1) What was the best thing you did in 2005? I would have to say the best thing I did was... Eurotrashed and Frat party. I love parties and I love throwing them, and Evan, Nathan, Ben and I had a BLAST throwing these. Eurotrashed even became infamous as people we'd never met knew about it and stories about that magical night spread throughout the land of Athens. 2) What was the worst thing you did in 2005? I could say graduate, but it wasn't a bad thing. The time after graduation was a lot of fun as I thought I had a job, but we all know that story... The trip to California was genuinely fun and the Grand Canyon was fun, but boy those few days after I learned I had no job were not fun. So, the worst thing I did in 2005 was probably leave California--not that I regret that decision, but that isn't exactly what I wanted to do. I felt that I needed to and I still back that decision up, but I think that was the worst thing I did because it made me really sad, depressed, upset, etc. 3) What were your ten favorite movies of 2005 (or if you don't go to the movies often, any number will do): In order from least to most favorite on my top ten list are: The Chronic-what-cles of Narnia Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire The Family Stone Jarhead King Kong Batman Begins Red Eye Serenity Munich Brokeback Mountain Me and You and Everyone We Know (okay, that's eleven, but I loved all of those movies!) 4) What were your ten least favorite movies of 2005?: I don't know if I have a LEAST favorite ten, but here were some bad ones (though I really enjoyed a few of these)... Just Friends Elektra (was that last year? I know the giant, 60-foot tall Jennifer Garner poster cardboard poster was...) Fantastic Four... Not a GOOD movie, but a damn FUN one. Elizabethtown. Could have been so good. Instead, it suffered from not knowing what type of film it was. *sigh* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. HORRIBLE thing of NIGHTMARES. ummm... I think I tried to distance myself from the other load of Crap. 5) What were your favorite TV Shows of 2005?: Oh wow... Can I give reasons? Because I'm going to. Least favorite of my favorites to most favorite... *24--Non-stop season, indeed. However, I think the show in its entire fourth season in 2005 suffered at first from the absence of characters we had come to know and love. The only person in the first few episodes that we knew was Jack! But, then they brought back most of our favorites at different points in the season. GOOD JOB, 24! The final few episodes were nailbiting. This doesn't go further down on my list becuase THIS was the season that DIDN'T know what was going on in the long run. In one hour, there was an EMP pulse and, because of it, a turf war that Jack got caught up in and the politically correct of-Middle-Eastern-descent characters that make sacrafices for America because the rest of the season only used people of their descent for evil... though that woman that was Beehrooz's mom was PHENOMENAL in her role. *The 4400--Great second season. This show sucks you in, but becuase of its short seasons, doesn't make you tired trying to follow it. Its sci-fi premise can only be topped by... *Invasion--(keep in mind I STILL haven't tried Battlestar Gallactica, despite my honest interest in it and also the wonderful things the critics say about it... apparently all the critics think that it's the best show on TV!) This show stars Eddie Cibbrian, who I think has star potential, as well as the young woman that plays his wife. They are both intellegent actors but they both know how to use their looks on camera to allign viewers with their characters. The story is creepy, confusing, muddled, and intriguing, but it still is relatively easy to follow if you watch a few episodes at a time on TiVo or DVR. *Grey's Anatomy--This show started out with a good pilot, but the following episodes lost me. I only saw the first three and the last two of season one (meaning I didn't watch the middle four), but as soon as season two started, this show really hit its stride. Who can forget the train wreck episode? And the quints storyline? Or the Christmas episode, when that little boy that needs the heart says "I don't believe in God. She's been praying that someone else would die so I can get his heart. Santa doesn't just bring you a new one; someone has to die to give it to you. Isn't that right?" That moment really got to me. Oh, and it's hilarious while tearing your soul apart at times. But I DO agree with Entertainment Weekly that Meredith Grey is the worst character of 2005. It's every OTHER character that makes the show worth watching (and Meredith has been semi-redeemed these last few episodes since January, but that doesn't count for this list). *Wonderfalls--I'm including this because the DVD came out last year and I was finally able to see the entire series... about five times total. I can't get enough of this show and I have not found one person that didn't like it when I made them watch it. It is witty, intellegent, touching, hilarious, and brilliant and provides one of the best story arcs in only 13 episodes. BEST SHOW EVER and I still get sad thinking that we were robbed seasons two and three because Fox wouldn't even air the entire first season (especially since I read what seasons two and three would be about!) *Veronica Mars--The second half of season one did not disappoint and the way the first season's mystery ended left nothing to be desired, except for a second season premiere. The culprit made sense, all the major plot points were respectfully tied up, and it paved a way for a second season. Also, the cliffhanger was simple yet left me wondering more than the cliffhanger on Lost. The acting on this show is top bar, as is the writing. The second season mystery was even larger and more intriguing than the first season's, and the last episode in December whet my appetite for the hiatus. I highly recommend this show on DVD if you haven't seen it--I made my dad watch the first episode last weekend and HE made ME watch nine more in the following days (we've been working late hours since Wednesday, though, so we haven't seen anything since!) (And I think I found my calling in life! TV CRITIC!) 6) Least favorite show of 2005? *Alias--Seasons one and two, next to Wonderfalls, are my all-time favorite TV seasons of any show in history. Season three was okay, but all of season four was in 2005 with no breaks in between for repeats, and the reason they scheduled it this was so the long storylines could play out. But the producers told the writers to write self-contained stories, so all the loose ends from season 1-3 were thrown out the window until mid-season 4. The show picked some steam back up, but a few storylines were resolved without any thought (Vaughn's major storyline that season), but the last three episodes were amazing, aside from the finale being Alias' version of Resident Evil... Then we had Season Five part one, where they had to write in J.Ga's pregnancy... and that worked for me. Most of this season did. However, knowing this is the last season, I have to think there is so much MORE that could be done... this season so far is better than seasons 3 and 4, but I really want the last few episodes to be back to the first two season's brilliance. *Lost--The beginning of 2005 was good for the show, but after the drug plane crash (I don't want to give away too many spoilers for the people that haven't seen it but want to), this show became SO BORING... I feel the producers realized they had a hit and are trying to stretch a three or four season show (as the creaters intended it to be) into a six or seven season show... especially the first three episodes of season two in September/October when we kept getting the same story from three perspectives... the exact same shots, usually. Also, instead of each episode being about a day or two, each episode is part of a day, like three episodes make up a day. However, the last two or three of the year were really good, paving a way for 2006 to get back on track. That's why this wasn't the worst show of the year. *Desperate Housewives--Did anyone else figure out the mystery about five weeks earlier? Because my Housewives group did. We are so smart! And it was such a let down of a reveal--instead of being a reveal, Mary Alice finally told us what happened in her voice over. It was almost like a deus ex machina ending . And the beginning of season two? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Some GREAT moments mixed in with piles of CRAP. And they keep dropping storylines and bringing them back up only when convenient. I'm just glad it's been back on (semi) track since January. This show really hit the sophomore slumps. *Nip/Tuck--How do you top a stellar second season? Have a third season that is months late and choppy. And then, the storyline you've been building for two years? Resolve with the easiest solution. I called most of the big reveal coming from the beginning and instead hoped it would be someone else. I was in fact insisting on it by stretching logic to make it someone else. No, it had to end shittily. I don't even know if I want to watch it next season... 7) Favorite book(s): I don't knwo if these were written this year, but they were read this year. It's Superman! and The Amateur Marriage are my top two. 8) Least favorite book(s): The DaVinci Code. PIECE OF SHIT. 9) Favorite friend of 2005: Favorite friend that I made or just like, favorite person? Well, I met Anya in 2004, but we became HELLA close in 2005. Also, at the end of the year, Katie O'Dell and I got back in contact and we are pretty good friends again. I can't choose a favorite person, though, I love ALL my friends, except for Eric. 10) Least favorite friend of 2005: Wow, that's kind of a weird one. I'm going to go with... Kim, because I never get to see her enough and I hold her personally accountable. No, I LOVE KIM! I can't pick someone that was my least favorite. If I had made an anti-friend... 11) What is your favorite memory of the year?: Road Trip to Helen. That was spontaneous and I didn't think I wanted to do it because I was in a mood, but it was extremely fun. Good memories were made. And it was the first thing that came to my mind. 12) Biggest accomplishment of the 2005?: I finished my first novel, EVER. Thanks Amy for convincing me to NaNoWriMo! 13) Most embarassing moment of 2005: Farting in Chris, my trainer's, face 14) Biggest crush of 2005: Hmm... I'm going to have to go with my trainer. Nice, charming, funny, and built. Really built. And kind of Southern. Scruffy at times, but always in that "I shaved to make it look this way but no one will know..." Great teeth. AMAZING arms. So, my ideal. And I farted in his face. 15) Biggest celebrity crush of 2005: Hmm, there were three Jake Gyllenhal movies... 16) Favorite haunt of 2005: I'm going with K-Bob as a dining haunt (Tuesdays and Thursdays were MADE for Evan, me, and Achim's wonderful food) and Molly's as the bar haunt. And I think I Krushed a fair amount in 2005. That IS how I ended the year. 17) Weirdest thing you did in 2005: Um... talked to myself on a tape recorder for a few hours? I can't think of anything weirder. 18) Saddest moment of the year: When I found out Midnight had died. I miss my little buddy. 19) Happiest moment of the year: Probably when Eric and I dropped off Rachel's friend and listened to Sigur Ros, blaring, with the windows down, driving down 85, only to shout out to Dashboard as we neared Steak n Shake where we proceeded to laugh nonstop for over an hour. That was just a very happy few hours. 20) Finally, did 2005 live up to your expectations?: Sure. I had a blast. I learned a lot about the year and myself and what not. It was fun. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006
2:30 am	My week keeps getting better and better (despite the drama of the day of the car I took to get my mom at the airport almost exploding)... I really will post tomorrow. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 2nd, 2006
5:41 pm	It's been a while since I've updated and I've had an awesome time... I will try to remember to post later, but here is my main post... My cell phone is retarded. I'm getting a new one in March, so I'm trying to hold onto this for it's last leg. It is dying. It only sends out my texts half the time I send them and it only gets about half of my messages. So, if you are texting me or calling me and need me for some reason or I haven't called you back for prearranged plans or something, just try me a few times and eventually I'll get the call or message. Because people keep missing me/I keep missing them (no one knew about my party a few weeks ago that was going to be pretty big but ended up small--but still a blast--and I keep missing random fun things, which makes me sad). Also, I am leaving the state for a few months on Saturday, so if anyone wants to do anything before I go, please let me know. I work on Tuesday and Wednesday 2-7, so I can do things before and after. I have a dinner party on Friday night and a big night planned in Athens on Wednesday (if you are in Athens then give me a call and I'll let you know plans), but that's it... so I'm free Tuesday morning and night, Wednesday morning, Thursday, and Friday day. Also, if you have any books, DVDs, or CDs of mine, I would like them back before I move to Florida for a few months. Okay, cool! (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 19th, 2005
11:05 pm	Dear God, Thank you for letting me not have a brain tumor. Love, Parker. _________________________ I went to the ENT today and they told me what the culture and the MRI's revealed. I do not have a brain tumor, as I was scared I might since no one would tell me what was going on with the culture and MRI over the phone and said they had to tell me in person but that it was important. So after fighting horrible traffic (why would you pave (un)Pleasant Hill Road the WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS?) and being almost an hour late and after idly chatting with a total hottie that was also in the waiting room, my doctor told me what was up. The culture: Okay kids, I have a massive staph (staff? SP?) infection. It's called a methresistant staph infection (or something like that) and apparently only old people in nursing homes and people that work in hospitals get them (I really don't know exactly what it is but it is apparently pretty serious... if anyone starts to feel sick and sinus infectedy, please get this checked out because I think it is contagious and we did play spin the bottle last night...). I have to take this nose stuff for the next month until I get recultured... The MRI: The thing that looked like a giant brain tumor? Oh, just a giant, larger-than-golf-ball-sized cyst. Apparently, I have serious allergies because that's how they usually form. Also, I have about 20 other small little things (cysts and some other word that begins with a 'p,' polyps or something?) and my doctor was like "what the fuck are you doing to your nose?" I don't know! Why would I know what goes on? Stupid doctors thinking I am a doctor or something... Anyway, I have to take medicine for this and if I still feel bad and sick next month, I get to have surgery. Joy! So, yes, sorry for gross details, but yeah... that's what has been going on. ___________________ More movie reviews: *Chronicles of Narnia: A. I loved this movie. A bit cheesy, but I thought the book was a bit cheesy when I read it, too. The children provided phenomenal performances and the religious symbolism was not overt. There were some interesting transition choices and the sets were just amazing. I really like this movie. *King Kong: A+. One word: Brilliant. The characters were flushed out and were not one dimensional. You understand Kong and his whole purpose, whereas (I feel) in the original he is just a monster and has no other purpose but to terrorize. The mise-en-scene is astounding in this film--the colors, the recreated 30's feel of 3-point lighting and adding a hazed light behind an actress to fetishize her. It really is a film geeks dream of a movie while also being a great Hollywood blockbuster. It is NOT too long as a lot of people that haven't seen it think. When you see it, I think you'll like it. I can't wait for his adaption of The Lovely Bones, one of my favorite books ever. *Brokeback Mountain: A+. This is what classic European filmmaking looked like. This is what Ang Lee does best--make fantastic movies. He moved from more domestic dramas like The Wedding Banquet (awesome film and very soapy) and Eat Drink Man Woman to his epic action films Crouching Tiger and The Hulk (which I LOVED) and toned it back down for Brokeback. I will be interested to see what he does next. The acting in this film is phenomenal and the adaptation is astounding--I read the short story a few years back in a class (we also read The Shipping News by the same author--read the book and skip the Kevin Spacey movie) and, though I don't remember much about the story, the movie is incredible and probably better (Larry McMurtry co-wrote the script). I think this or Kong will (deservedly) win the best picture, though I still need to see Munich, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Family Stone (it has some Oscar buzz to it...) Rentals: *Havoc: C. It was okay. I got to see Anne Hathaway's boobs. Very exciting! Freddy Rodriguez was pretty creepy in this one. He should stick to Six Feet Under (even though that show is over). *Pretty Persuasion: I sadly fell asleep and didn't get to finish it before I returned it. It was really good for a bit, though. *Happy Endings: A-. This was a fun, quirky comedy with some stellar performances by Lisa Kudrow and David Sutcliffe (Rory's dad on Gilmore Girls and the guy from that failed show I'm With Her). Also, John Ritter's son is pretty damn good. Oh, and it's funny to see the move Secretary on the TiVo in the film because Maggie Gyllenhall is in the movie. I recommend renting this one. Okay, enough of me being a nerd about movies. I just love movies so much though. Anyone seen or rented anything good? Let me know! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 13th, 2005
12:32 am	AFI selections of 2005 These are the selections that the American Film Institute, where artists, scholars, and filmmakers judge and select their favorites... my comments are in the non-caps. AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR -- OFFICIAL SELECTIONS BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN I want to see this... CAPOTE I want to see this... CRASH It was good, but after 30 minutes I wanted to scream "I GET THE POINT!" I bet I'll like it much more if I watch it again. THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN Strange selection, honestly. Great movie, though. GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. um.... I WANT TO SEE IT! A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE Don't really care to see it until it's on DVD KING KONG I'm seeing it in 24 hours! At midnight! MUNICH This is my Christmas day movie... I can't wait. THE SQUID AND THE WHALE I have read amazing things about this. Where can I see it? Is it on DVD? SYRIANA I think I am going to go on a date with myself to see this one because no one else wants to see it. AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR -- OFFICIAL SELECTIONS 24 Most addictive show EVER BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Still want to see it. Anyone own the DVDs? Interesting that it is getting great critical buzz... See, people, sometimes Sci-Fi IS good! (Though I've never been the biggest fan, I like me some GOOD sci-fi... and Roswell). DEADWOOD I don't have HBO :-( GREY'S ANATOMY This show moved from mediocrity to the best show on television in no time. The first season wasn't great, but it was only 8 episodes long and the show found its ground with the season premiere.. GREAT! HOUSE This show just looks so ridiculously bad to me, but EVERYONE seems to love it. Anyone have the DVDs? I want to give it a shot. LOST Love the first 85% of the first season. Loved the last few episodes. The ones in between? Could the people behind the show find someone to tell them when their pacing is totally off? That'd be great. RESCUE ME Never seen. SLEEPER CELL This, with Weeds, are the reason I want Showtime SOMETIMES IN APRIL Was this a miniseries on HBO? VERONICA MARS My favorite show of last season. And this season is even better. I can't wait to show people my DVDs when I get them for Christmas. And I just realized I spend entirely too much time watching movies/tv and reading about them, but I think it's okay because I'm a clinical insomniac and my body doesn't need as much sleep as everyone else! (Tough I would gladly give up bad movies and bad TV to sleep longer!) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, December 12th, 2005
9:36 am	Why are you helping me? Because it's what Jesus would freakin' do! (you know she wanted to use explicatives) Speaking of explicatives, I want to watch Bad Santa. Does anyone own it? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
12:44 am	Wow... ... this is appropriate. Your 2005 Song Is Beverly Hills by Weezer "My automobile is a piece of crap My fashion sense is a little whack And my friends are just as screwy as me" You breezed through 2005 in your own funky style! What Hit Song of 2005 Are You? (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 11th, 2005
1:34 pm	So I've had a sinus infection on and off since the beginning of October. I went to the Reagan medical center twice, then finally my ENT could see me (I have one cuz I used to have a deveated septum). They gave me medicine and took a culture, so they said I'd be okay in ten days unless the culture showed anything. My culture was positive, so I had to have an MRI done. Well, apparently my doctor is more popular than a free hooker so he can't see me until the 19th. Well, my infection came back, so I'm dying of illness... this sucks! I HATE this crap! I was feeling awesome, but now my throat is killing me, there is horrible pressure in my head, and my ears feel like they are about to pop out, not to mention I am tired from no sleep due to inability to breathe in my sleep. Oh, and my nose constantly needs a good blowing. Aside from that, I had a great weekend. Friday brought me a haircut (much needed, but I am growing my hair out some so it was really just a trim. However, I hate when Kristen fixes my hair because it looks awesome and I can never get mine to look that awesome afterwards), a gym membership (finally! I've missed working out :-(), new comics (Spider-Man is dead? WHAT?) and Athens. Aeon Flux was Aeon Sux, dinner at Mexicali's was good and margaritas were better, and the party I went to was awesome. However, I really didn't sleep :-( Saturday was breakfast/lunch with the Bens, Evan, B.Reyes, and Beasty. Yum. Then I drove home, found out I didn't have to work, ran errands for my family and watched the Dukes of Hazzard with them (it's a fun movie... not a great movie, but a fun one) and then Eric, Kelly and I went to see Just Friends (don't waste your money till it gets to the dollar theatre). And now, I'm just chillin'. Woohoo! Oh, I have to catsit my cat from the 16th to the 21st, so if anyone wants to come hang out in the L'ville or meet me here and we can go to Atlanta or something, I'm totally game. I might even make some good Christmas food and have a holiday potluck (oh, and latkes since I like them a lot! I'll be fake Jewish!) (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 9th, 2005
3:21 am	Oh, another thing about books... here's the ones that I have read since I graduated (minust the embarassing ones that I don't want to admit to reading): -Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell A Witty, Microscopically epic, and almost real. The magic that the novel talks about feels real, as it is set in the early ninetenth century England and characters like Napoleon appear. Finely crafted and expertly written, though I feel like it could have been a little shorter. The fact that I gave a fantasy novel (that isn't Harry Potter) a great score means something (I'm not a huge fantasy fan, though I do like SOME fantasy). -The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time B+ A quick and fun read, but still moving and deeply convincing. The author gets into the mind of an autistic child and, while the mystery draws you in, the piece becomes more a character study than anything else. -The DaVinci Code D- I really wanted to like this book. I liked Angels and Demons (a C+ of a book and a solid B for its genre), but this book was absolute shit in my opinion. Brown clearly had this book imagined as a film, but his descriptions blatantly suck and his mysteries were like the ones you could have read in an Encyclopedia Brown novel. If you haven't read it, I won't ruin it, but damn was this mystery easy to figure out. Oh, and of course the characters that seem like they will betray the heroes do. At least with Angels and Demons there were some surprises. This was just typical to the point of being a waste of time. Also, the author's attempts at humor fall flat to the point that I wanted to rip out my eyes and pour alcohol in the sockets so that I might feel real pain as opposed to mental pain. But I really wanted to like it, and I even had the illustrated copy. I don't get why this is so popular and I REALLY don't get how people love it so much to claim it as their favorite book, ever. -Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A The best of the series? Maybe. Definitely different. That's what I like about the last three Potter books--each one is very different in tone and have very different focuses. Parts of the ending were surprising though this was the first of the books where the ending wasn't mostly surprise and a few things I figured out. However, that's not the point of this book and those plot points are probably because they further the story of the whole series. J.K.'s style shines through in this book. I loved it. -Everything is Illuminated A+ Quite possibly one of my favorite books ever. It took me about 20 pages to get into it, but once I did I could not put it down. I read it in three incriments of 100 pages at a time (roughly). Foer's style is vastly different in the three main voices of the novel and the parts that are told through the tour guide dude (I forget his name) are hilarious. The author captures the awkwardness of the language divide and the broken English in the character's letters is clever. -Light Before Day C A fun beach book but highly forgetable. That's really all I can say about it, but definitely better than DaVinci Code. -The Rule of Four C+ This trumps DaVinci, any day. It is not great but it is intriguing enough to keep reading on. I enjoyed the mystery and the authors' (it was co-written) attempt at character development. -The Amateur Marriage A+ Great piece of fiction. The other book I read this year that I will swear by. The chapters read like short stories and each one is a vignette in the life of two characters and how they are defined by their marriage that never should have happened. It spans over half a century and the characters are so human, so flawed, and so rich. Run out and grab this book. I listened to much of it on CD because I picked it up at Cracker Barrell (they rent Audio books out) on my way back from California (I owned the book but never read it till then) and the reading is fantastic. In fact, it is such a great reading of the book that I would recommend that over reading the book yourself (I went on to reading it, which was a good experience also, but I went back to listening to it because it is just that great of a reading). -The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle B+ Finally, the book Chris and I read to each other out loud as we drove to California. I finished it on my own and it's very interesting. It falls into that category of post-modernism where the book itself knows it is post-modern, so of course I loved that about it (I love that shit!--and no, the book doesn't reference that it is a book, but clearly the author is aware of what it is and includes that in the book). I don't know how to explain it, but give this book a try. In progress: -It's Superman! Love it so far. Read my last post. -The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana Honestly? I'm disappointed. And I love all the other Eco I've read (The Name of the Rose, bits of Literature [or On Literature? I read a few sections one day in the two hours I had between classes]), but this just seems like it could be better. I should try to get past page 60, though. It was very easy to put down. -Hairstyles of the Damned A not-as-good version of Perks of Being a Wallflower, but so far, enjoyable. -The Keybearer by Jackson Pearce A friend's manuscript. The only reason I put it down was for NaNoWriMo (and because when I read books that are printed from a computer I get ADD--I'm that way with reading friends' papers and short stories... I don't know why but it really is the way they're printed, not the material) and so far I really enjoy it. The style is subtle at times but mostly is clearly present and the characters are very well fleshed out. I'm excited to finish it (though I do know the plot and the ending--another reason for my ADD). I will most likely finish this by the end of next week. -Watership Down Great book so far. I also put this on the backburner for NaNo and then I got caught up in Superman... But thanks, Nathan. Good choice :-D -The Truth About Diamonds Um... I read the first chapter. Doesn't that count as reading the book? (yes, I do tend to read a few books at a time... I usually can't get through one without picking another up). Next Up: -The Corrections -100 Years of Solitude I hope to finish all these by Jan. 1. Why? My goal for next year is to read all of Proust's In Search of Lost Time, or, Rememberances of Things Past. (I don't know what it officially goes by--I've heard both about equal and I've seen both printed on copies). I want to read the new translations, though. They have been getting rave reviews (and look really pretty by their covers!) I AM SUCH A NERD. But, if I inspire someone to read or debate with me, I have done my job :-D Current Mood: artistic Current Music: Ryan Adams' "Wonderwall" (7 Comments |Comment on this)
3:07 am	It's Superman! This is a lame entry, so feel free not to read after this point... For those of you that continued, has anyone noticed how you always see those "novelazations" and "original novels" out based on previously existing media works? Such as, the novels based on Star Trek, CSI, 24, Buffy, Star Wars, etc? And also, they have like X-Men and Batman books? They are all original and they comprise a niche but pretty well-selling market (not "best-selling," but definitely able to pull in the money). Anyway, usually these books, while maybe fun in a sense that they apply to fans of the show/movie/comic franchise, are never what most people would consider "literature." So, this book came out recently that looked interesting to me. It's called "It's Superman!" by Tom DeHaven, a novelist that has dabbled in graphic novels (and apparently is excellent). I read the flap when I first saw it after it had just been released, but I was skeptical on if it would be good or if it just sounded good. It's the story of Superman retold to take place solely in the 1930's, during the Great Depression, the Hollywood golden age era, and in New York (not Metropolis!). It supposedly grounds the story of Superman and makes it period fiction, not just science fiction. After glancing at it a few times at the book store, I read some reviews online about it, and they ranged from good to glowing. I decided to buy it and, boy, am I glad. Not only would I consider it literature (I haven't finished it, mind you), but I also consider de Haven to be a very interesting stylist. The story is told mainly through secondary characters--we haven't seen much of Clark in the first 200 pages, just Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and a character named Willi Berg. The author jumps around from character to character and the "chapters" resemble chapter breaks from the pulpier magazines of the time. They aren't nummerated but they give brief descriptions of the segments within the "chapter," kind of like in Huck Finn (that's the first book that does that that comes to my mind). Anyway, the writing is very dry, very matter of fact, and very conversational. The cover art is really fantastic and... well, I can't put the book down. I don't know why I felt the need to write about it in my live journal; I guess I feel the need to defend works of art that I really like and get passionate about that most people would just brush off without even bothering to look at them. I think the thing is that I consider popular culture items art and many people don't and their lack of giving the piece any piece of their mind really upsets me. I don't like pretentions made about works that people haven't given a chance--You can hate "Walden" if you read selections from it and hated it; you can think that Fiona Apple is a talentless hack if you have listened to a few of her songs and can talk about how her lyrics are trite. However, you can also love these and discuss these. I know I'm guilty of saying "I hate that" to things that I really don't like, but I feel like I have reasons to back them up, such as when Nathan told me he loved Pale Fire and I told him I hated it--I read the entire thing cover to cover, and so has he. We can have different opinions. Now, I can't say I hate Nabokov based solely on one book (and I don't--Lolita is very interesting and good), but I get mad when people say that they hate an author based on one work or that they hate something without giving it a chance. Wow, that was a random rant that probably makes absolutely no sense (but it does to my brain at 3am!) but I just wanted to put the word out there on that book. (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 3rd, 2005
1:40 am	Fred or George Weasley The practical joke was invented for people like you. You love to be surprised, and revel with a guy who has a wicked sense of humour, is always optimistic, and has the same merry disregard for rules as you. Who is your Harry Potter love match? (for girls) brought to you by Quizilla eww... why do i get the scary ones? (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 1st, 2005
2:15 am	That's right, bitches. I am now an official novelist as I have finished a novel! (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005
11:47 pm	RENT About eight years ago, Elizabeth Hartman called me while I was at work at the library and asked if I would like to go see Rent at the Fox with her and her family. This was right after freshman year. During that time, I was obsessed with theatre--I simply could not get enough of it. Since I had been in seventh grade, I had wanted to be an actor, but after seeing this play that I barely knew anything about, I fell in love. This was the reason that I wanted to be an actor. This experience singlehandedly colored the next few years of my life in terms of what I wanted to do. The day after I saw the play, I went to Blockbuster Music to buy the soundtrack. I couldn't find it so I went to look for it in the used section. They had the two-disc set (I simply could not miss out on any of the music with the one-disc highlights) but it did not include the liner notes. That simply would not do. After scouring the store, I found the one copy of the 2-disc set, brand new, that their computers showed was available in the store. I didn't care that it was near forty bucks and that it was about eight hours of work--it was Rent, the music that would score much of the soundtrack of my life from that day forward. I listened to that CD non-stop, while I did chores around the house, while I did math homework, and even while I napped. I learned all of the words. I listen to it every year around Christmas (usually Christmas Eve) all the way through because I did that on the car ride to St. Louis in those first few months of my Rent addiction. Adam Spaugh bought me a Rent shirt when he went to New York because he knew my love for it. Katie Nolan (I think it was you) and I sang (with Stephen and Chris, maybe?) the entire first act, pretty much, while waiting outside at Chili's one night for a table. Then, senior year, the most amazing thing happened--Not only was it going to play in Atlanta, but it was first going to play in Athens. My sister had heard only rave things about the play, so she really wanted to see it. We went and I snuck in because she bought me a student ticket illegally and I had to sneak past the people scanning student ID's (Justin Chernivec, who also came, was not so lucky... he had to pay the extra ten dollars). Anyway, it was still amazing, but that time I really understood the character of Marc. He used to be my least favorite because the first time I saw it, that actor was not especially great (he was good, don't get me wrong). The first time I saw it, it was Roger who stood out. The second time I saw it, the understudy played Roger's role and the real actor played Marc. I realized that Marc Cohen and I are very similar... Anyway, two weeks later, a huge group of us drama kids and Eric Mask went to see the play at the Fox... This time, the Marc and Roger were both good, but the Mimi was weak and the Maureen and Joanne were almost inaudible at times. Still loving the play more than life itself at times, the summer before my last year in college presented me with a unique opportunity. I was going to see it with my friend Karrie Gawron at the Fox, but we both decided we didn't have enough money for good tickets and we didn't want to sit in the nosebleed seats. We decided to hang out anyway, and I'm glad we did... About two hours before the show started, we were sitting in her room and she said "You know what? I want to see Rent." So did I. So she showered and got ready, and me being a skank without a change of clothes, went to see Rent in my t-shirt, shorts, and Von Dutch hat (Trashy, I know). So, we get there and go to the box office and this dude is standing there. He has a free ticket because his boyfriend couldn't make it. Want to know where they were? THE ORCHESTRA level, DEAD CENTER, REALLY CLOSE to the stage. Holy shit! But we couldn't take just one. We finally decided to buy him a ticket in the Orchestra as well and split the cost between the two of us and take his two tickets. We paid less than the price of nosebleed seats and got to sit in the fucking ORCHESTRA. And, this was the magical time. All the actors were on their game and fantastic. It was the best performance I have seen of it (so far... I still want to see it a few times on Broadway). When the movie was announced, I was nervous. They kept most of the original cast, but I was scared about Rosario Dawson. Her singing is not particularly strong to me in the soundtrack that Amy had ripped for me, so I was kind of like... ehhh. Plus, Chris Columbus, the man who made Adventures in Babysitting, wrote Home Alone, and directed the first two Harry Potters (which are pretty bad compared to the phenomenal third and fourth ones, IN MY OPINION [I still love the first and second movies, but come on people, look at them in comparission to the other two. I know they were setting up the franchise, but.... still.]) was making Rent. Well... Kudos, Chris Columbus. Of course there are things I could nitpick, but I feel like the original cast sounded even better than they did in the soundtrack from the Broadway show because their voices have matured. Also, the CHEMISTRY. This is a cast that loves each other and went through a bunch of shit together, including Jonathon Larson's death to an aneurism the night of their preview show. Well, they were great, but Tracie Thoms, an actress new to performing Rent, stole the film. She was incredible. Plus she is Mahandra in Wonderfalls, but still... Fantastic. And Mimi... I understand why they had to tone down some of her music; the original actress and a few subsequent actresses in that role have blown their voices out because of it. It makes sense to tone the music down (I don't know if I'm using correct music terms, but then again I don't now anything about music). Anyway, she was actually really good. I don't like the way her voice harmonizes with Adam Pascal's (Roger), but aside from that, I think she was not a bad choice for Mimi. Anyway, despite the fact that I thought I was going to hate the film (and there are things I disagree with, such as some cuts and the way they moved some stuff around), but I absolutely loved it. One of the best films this year by FAR. Jesse Martin and Angel dude (can never remember his name... Wilson something something, it's a three word name) totally deserve the Oscar buzz they are already generating. Oh, and know who wrote the screenplay? (aka, basically adapted some of the songs into dialogue and pieced everything together into a script?) STEPHEN. CHBOSKY. That's correct, the author of "The Perks Of Being a Wallflower." WHAT is there NOT to love about this movie? Except the 12 annoying 15 year olds that thought they were Rent afficiandos, even though I over heard them talking and they had NEVER SEEN THE PLAY. And they are all gigly an squealing for the half hour before the movie started AND during the previews--they sung the song clips in The Producers' clip! I bet they haven't seen that one, either!!!! But see this movie. NOW. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 15th, 2005
8:16 pm	Great, so I think I need happy pills. I am now lashing out at my family for no good reason. Well, for good reasons, but none that are their fault. I know it's a combination of: 1) hardly any good postings on Monster, Craig's List, and ajcjobs.com since I've started looking in September, 2) the fact that I am pretty sure I'm going to move to Ft. Myers in January because they have slightly better job opportunities for me, believe it or not, 3) I'm taking my medicine three times a day now, and most people on accutain only take it once a day, so my mood swings as a result are so fucking ridiculous, 4) the tiniest thing is enough to set me off (case in point, my ridiculous anger at Brandon Friday night/Saturday morning). Plus, I was a complete jerk and idiot on Saturday when under the influence, so that's gnawing at me, and I hate myself for some really jerky things that happened then. So... I think I need happy pills. I think that I am purposely doing things to fuck things up in my life right now, be it some friendships, some opportunities for work and other things, and just... everything. Why do I constantly screw up? (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, November 13th, 2005
7:12 am	Bah.... 7 am, coming down from drunkeness, etc, and at home... i need to sleep, but i am afraid that i can't (Comment on this)