You-Know-Who I'm Talking About!

(*Note: None of the pictures belong to me. They were found while surfing the internet and their original sites are no longer known)

Mean Wizards

Apparently it's pretty popular to take scenes from the Harry Potter movies and insert 'Mean Girls' quotes on them. If you haven't seen 'Mean Girls,' what's wrong with you?! Tina Fey wrote the screenplay; how can you argue with Tina Fey? That's right, you can't. Go watch it. But first, enjoy some 'Mean Wizards.'

(*Note: None of the pictures belong to me. They were found while surfing the internet and their original sites are no longer known)

Sweet Freedom

Well, I am now no longer a Facebook user! You have no idea how freeing this actually is!...unless you've done it, of course. At first, I found it surprisingly difficult to delete my account but, as time went on, it became almost fun. If you read my previous post you know I went about it by deleting friend by friend and sending them a message. By the third day, I was like 'whose gonna make it to the next round?! Not you, Mr. guy in my psychology class!" Once I got it down to eight people, I tagged them all in a goodbye status and once they replied I clicked on that deactivate key faster than this little girl can run!

AHHHHH!!!!!!!

Okay, perhaps that's not very fast. I'm pretty sure a snail with a body cramp could outdo her. *sigh* I don't think she even realizes she's running in direct line of the bear.

Alright, it was a bad example! But the picture was way funnier than the one running away from her boyfriend and it will get me way less phone calls from a worried DHF.

The scary part about deleting my profile though was the really creepy thing Facebook decided to do. When I clicked on the deactivate link, it sent me to a page where my remaining friend's random pictures (Facebook chose to show me the ones where I was in the pic with them) were enlarged and then put "So-and-so will miss you..." (it even had the "...") "Send them a message."

I was like.. 'uh, no Facebook. But how about you go chill with my Mom? You both can bond over guilt tripping me.'

In the end though, my Facebook is gone-which makes me happy- and I inspired people to do similar acts-which makes me happier. Several of my friends also deleted their accounts because they agreed with DHF and I's viewpoint and our doing something about it encouraged them to do the same and one friend is giving up those little clicky games. Whoot!

It's a good day ^_^

Alright, I'm heading off so I can hunt down my fingernail polish remover. I need to redo my Slytherin nail polish :P

"Sooo, Ron....got a date to the Yule Ball?"

I freakin' love Ron's expression in this picture. Before y'all go watch the movie in slow-mo, from everything I've read this pic is totally photo-shoped. Still funny as hell though. Thought I'd share :P

WTF, Mate?

I had a big plan as to how to go about deleting my Facebook account. Recognizing myself as having an addiction, I thought I would go about it slowly. I would take a month to get all my pictures off and statuses I wanted to remember, as well as get some friend's contact info so we could all still keep in touch. My plan was to delete a friend or two a day as I got their info so I could have my account gone by September 1st.

I got as far as deleting two people before panic set in. My heart started racing and all kinds of thoughts went through me head about not wanting to do this. I kept telling myself that I wouldn't be able to update my statuses on how I was feeling and what about when I moved? How would I be able to keep in touch and show pictures and connect with the people I had left? Yeah, I could call people and stuff but that's just not the same. How did people even survive without Facebook? How were they able to communicate?!

Then I came to my senses. I was being crazy. No, I was thinking like an addict. My amount of time spent on Facebook had dramatically decreased and I was still panicked over the thought of losing it. This shouldn't be a big deal. This should be something simple and should be accomplished without much stress. Sadly, that's not the case. Even now I'm trying to calm down. WTF, mate? I mean, I was doing the deleting a friend or two at a time thing cuz I figured I might have some reaction to it but I never imagined this much of a reaction.

I don't think I even have much else to add on this post. I'm still surprised it affected me the way it did.

If June Cleaver could see us now

Last night DHF and I were talking about what it's like to live in America now and neither of us liked it. It seems the American dream is now all but obtainable.

This idea of a little house with a white picket fence has now become the dread of foreclosure. The hope of self sufficiency has been replaced by major credit cards, microwave dinners, and a lack of knowledge of anything that may be useful to living while having an increase in trivial bullshit concerning the media. Family time has been destroyed as we replace knowledge about our relatives likes and dislikes with that of celebrities, and this insane desire for safety and trust has become just that, insane.

When I walk into wal-mart now, I am screamed at by televisions telling me to buy, buy, buy and what aisle I can find this product on. I never really liked wal- mart to begin with but, as they take over our souls, mom and pop stores become harder to find and, when you do, they have been forced to raise their prices so high it becomes too hard on your wallet to support their version of the American dream.

People have become so involved in social media that they have forgotten what it means to be social. It seems we must always have our phones in our hands and Facebook blaring in our face. Even moments when we are out with friends or at the dinner table with our family, people feel the need to plug in and loose themselves in a computer screen that promises false love and comfort. Our self worth is now dependent on the amount of 'likes' to our status updates... It's pathetic.

I also raised the issue of my blog to DHF, asking both him and myself if having it was also part of a technological leash. He basically replied only if I let it. I'm only on my blog once a day if that and only long enough to connect to the world and purge my mind of its busyness. Yes, perhaps the same could be said of Facebook- that using it in small doses is not a problem but I must clarify. My fault is not with Facebook. My fault is how people act on it. My fault is in how I can find the same people on it sun up from sun down constantly updating their statuses and filling their photo albums with pictures of themselves and the insides of their homes because they never leave it anymore. My fault is that I used to be the same way and thinking back on the hours I wasted scrolling up and down statuses irritates me. I could have been doing so much more with my time.

If you still use Facebook, whatever. It's not my place to tell anyone how to live their lives and if it makes you happy then more power to you. However, I find no happiness from it and so I'm quitting it. In my attempt to find my American dream, I am stopping the wasted hours on that site and actually get off my couch and speak to friends of whom now I only see pictures. I will make a better effort to be friends with those I don't hang out with much anymore and become a person not tied down by the constant call of the electronic.

Gandhi asked us to be the change we want to see in the world. I'm starting with Facebook. I'll let you know where else I'm heading as it comes to me. Peace y'all.

Floating along in salt water

I am beginning to think it would be super wonderful to have more hours in a day. Well, that and unlimited work hours in my lab. It just feels like I don't have enough time to see my family, DHF, gather research for my thesis, work, tutor, see friends, and enter data.

For my data entry I'm pretty limited on the hours as they are assigned to me and I have to get as much done as I possibly can in that time slot. Summer lab hours end August 12 to give everyone a short vacation before next semester starts. Since next semester I will be writing my thesis, my personal goal is to have all the data entered so the next four months will just be analysis. You have no idea how awesome that would be...well, unless you work in a research field. Yesterday I stayed late to enter a few more things so I'm hoping tomorrow I can do the same. If I can finish entering information for two more classes, I will be super psyched!!

Work also isn't something I have a lot of control over. I work with specific clients at specific times which I'm fine with except I would really like to be making more money. DHF says not to worry, that I should focus on school and he will help with the rest but I don't feel that's fair to him. I would love to be making at least forty dollars more a week but since I have school and such, I have no idea when I can fit in the extra hours. I'm already strapped for time as it is.

Tutoring may have to fall to the side, as much as I hate to admit it. I can't charge for this service due to who it is and their needs. I love teaching it and the guy I tutor is wonderful but I think I would have more room for flexibility in other aspects of my life if I didn't have to worry about making sure I meet with him twice a week. I feel like an ass saying that since it's only an hour but it becomes an issue when anything else in my life has to be moved to a different time. I think I have cancelled on him more times than we've met. I dunno, I guess I'll let him know today that I'll have to stop by September. That should give him time to find someone else.

Family is almost an impossible goal. We all work so much and have completely conflicting schedules that we just assume everyone is still alive and go about our merry way. Seeing them might be easier if I didn't work on Saturdays but until I can pay off my credit cards, I don't see me being able to have that day free. As for DHF, well, I may have to just bring my laptop on days he and I hang out and just do my work at his place until I get caught up. Next semester is gonna be a world of only slightly fun as I have so much research to do. (I say slightly fun as I love the research part but the writing everything up part is a bit poopy.)

Well, I guess there isn't much else to say about things. I gotta cowboy up and kick this pig. It's only gonna get more stressful the longer I wait. I'm sure things will fall into their proper place though. If not, they won't and I'll be screwed. Eh, it's sink or swim when it comes to life; hopefully though, it's in salt water.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 review

(WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

Can I tack on another star and give it five?

I'm not even sure where to begin this review besides saying the movie was absolutely stunning. It begins with a bang and goes out the same way and, for us Harry Potter fans, it's possibly the most satisfying ending you can imagine....well, I still miss Snape but I will overcome with fan-fiction and cookies.

That aside, I think the movie gets it's power by staying as true to the book as much as a PG-13 rating would allow. The movie took it's own creative liberties; most noticeably with the final fight scene, but when it did so, it was just as believable and enjoyable as if they had followed the actual book.

The special effects were done so flawlessly that it was almost difficult to tell the difference between graphics and actuality; the same for the makeup. I have read about some people hating the narrative and dialogue between the characters but I didn't notice any problems with it and, if there is anything I notice, it's language. Believe me- I'm a libra.

The movie lasts about two hours and ten minutes in it's duration but the pace is set so wonderfully that it seems to have all been over much too soon. However, I do feel that this may be partly due to it's lack of in-depth explanation on many things. Many events such as the eyes in the glass or Dumbledore's history with his sister is quickly glossed over in order to get to more important scenes. Someone who had never read the book would still be able to understand everything going on but people who were more familiar with the story would have a deeper knowledge of what these happenings meant. Of course, those events allowed for A to connect to B but they weren't really necessary to dive into for a movie perspective. The only issue I had was the lack of explanation of Luna suddenly showing up at Hogwarts. Out of everything, that's the only problem I have....I think that's saying a lot.

I'm sure I'll be asked about the crying factor and, for that, I have to say not to go to the movie without a tissue. I forgot one and had to settle with DHF's sleeve. Some may have issues with certain characters not getting enough attention when they died but, keep in mind that many of them were minor characters and there isn't enough time to give a Shakespearen death to please every fan. Snape, however, was wonderful. I sobbed as he spoke his last line in life and, a few moments later, sobbed harder at the one sentence answer "Always." Snape had always been my favorite character since book one and, if he had to go, he went flawlessly....and with enough tears from me to drown small children in his honor.

All-in-all, it was epic and you are an absolute idiot if you don't see it in theatres. 3-D is optional but I skipped that option and was still just as satisfied. I just say the theatre thing because, if you are a large a fan as I am and grew up on the books as I had, the final chapter deserves a trip to the big screen. It's how it should be viewed: the big screen, tissues, and your friends or family. You'll need them to hand you more tissues.

Showing a Little House Pride

Technological Leashes and Learning to STFU

Social media is beginning to irritate me. I feel constantly tied to 'social' that it is beginning to feel like too tight a collar made tighter by a technological leash that keeps tugging. Facebook is swarmed with status updates every ten or so minutes, twitter lets everyone know when you breathe or take a shit, and text message is constantly going off as people find it more convenient to text than actually be personal and speak to one another. Why is it necessary to let every person in the world know our every thought?

Yes, I do get the irony of that statement being on a blog but you should also recognize there are many things which I think and feel that I do not feel the need to share. Not that they are unfavorable, but that I-as an individual- deserve something that isn't broadcasted; something that is mine and only mine. If it can't be my thoughts, what can it be?

I know I'm getting irritated when I contemplate deleting some of my Facebook friends because they never seem to STFU. My news feed is constantly swarmed with what causes they are joining, what they are doing, and how they are feeling. It's all fine and dandy to let people know what you are doing with your day but please recognize that not everyone cares you made eggs and bacon for breakfast. At least I don't.

To solve this problem, I think I am going to pull away from social media for a bit. If people want to text me, they can expect a phone call and a planned visit to continue the conversation. As for Facebook, I'm changing it from my homepage and allowing only two visits per day until I get it down to far less than that. The internet is much harder to stray from as my college and research demands it but I will do what I can.

I'm sick of this. Social media seems to be doing little more than making people unsociable.

Wednesday

Hogwarts 'Yo Mama' Jokes

This entry is dedicated to DHF for his love of 'Yo Mama' jokes.

Yo momma so fat the Sorting Hat put her in all four houses

Yo mama so fat she tried to eat Cornelius Fudge

Yo mama's so ugly the Dementor's Kiss was swapped out for a hearty handshake and a promise to give her a call sometime

Yo mama so nasty, Dobby wouldn’t take her sock

Yo mom is so fat if she confronted a boggart it would morph into a treadmill

Yo momma’s so fat her wand is a Slim Jim

Yo’ Momma so fat she joined the Death Eaters ’cause she was hungry

Yo Momma’s so fugly that even Voldemort won’t speak her name

Yo momma so fat, she looked in the mirror of Erised and saw a ham

Yo mamma so fat, she splinched herself an' nobody noticed.

(and my personal favorite)

Yo momma so fat her patronus is a cake

My Thoughts on March 29, 2008

(The following is a post from my old blog. It was written March 29, 2008.)

Things That Need To Happen

*Everyone needs to stop worrying about what they are going to be and start considering who they are going to be.

*There needs to be a designated rest hour Monday-Thursday in which all stored close and people can take a breather.

*Everyone needs to have at least one cookie everyday

*People need to stop worrying about pleasing their parents and be concerned with what pleases themselves.

*People need to stop obsessing over the movie stars favorite whatever-the-hells and actually find out what their brothers, sisters, parents enjoy

*When you are home alone, you need to randomly walk around your house naked. You suddenly become aware of everything and it's a feeling you only get when walking around naked.

*People need to stop caring about what someone is wearing. It's stupid.

*People need to give direction to perfection

*There needs to be a little less debate and a little more acceptance

*You should occasionally wonder what bugs are thinking

*The drinking age needs to be lowered to 18

*Everyone needs to be in a relationship with someone who is absolutely horrible for them so that they recognize when someone is absolutely perfect

*People need to talk to strangers

*Everyone needs to have a pet of some sort

*People need to stop believing in coincidences. Its more interesting to think that, for whatever reason, you were meant to meet someone or experience something

*People need to hurt someone with the truth rather than make them happy with a lie

*Everyone needs to get a buzz at least once.

*People need to stop asking for advice when they know they aren't going to take it

*People need to stop sending their friends forwards

*People need to volunteer first, dance the craziest, and laugh the loudest

*The government needs to pay for health care for everyone- including the homeless-instead of just making it illegal if we don't have it.

*People need to stop defining themselves by the relationship they are in

*People need to stop broadcasting their problems and understand that some things should only be told to close friends

*People need to stop trying to break people up for their own personal gain

*People need to realize that they are not the best at anything

*People need to have at least one person that they strive to be better than

*People need to keep their government in check.

Changing Names and Switching Thought Patterns

I have kept a blog since 2007. Over the years, it has changed names and purposes but always has it been the kept records of my optimistic lunatic ramblings and evidence of my atrocious spelling and punctuation. I never promise perfection but offer my thoughts the way they come to me-like an M.C. Esher painting- confused and bordering between the real and the fanciful. I cannot promise that this blog will continue for another four years nor will I be able to tell you what it will cover. I am not one to do a 'themed' anything. I am more than one subject as I am more than my hobbies, my relationship, and my religion. The layers of my inner-self are countless and many are bruised from a history that may appear in this blog's texts. I cannot promise the PG and some entries may be painful to read. I make no apologies. If ever you discover my entries have become awkward for you, you may rest assured knowing you don't have to read them. My self-confidence and worth is not reliant on the number of 'followers' or 'friends' who appear on my page. The only goal I have in this work is that, perhaps, I may be able to organize my thoughts from a mind too busy to deal with them and share some joy I encounter along my way. If we share tears, that is also fine. As I have said in my first book, not everyone can relate to someone's good fortune but everyone understands the pain related to the bad.

Philomythus to Misomythus

To one [C.S. Lewis] who said that myths were lies and therefore worthless, even though 'breathed through silver'.

Philomythus to Misomythus

You look at trees and label them just so,
(for trees are 'trees', and growing is 'to grow');
you walk the earth and tread with solemn pace
one of the many minor globes of Space:
a star's a star, some matter in a ball
compelled to courses mathematical
amid the regimented, cold, inane,
where destined atoms are each moment slain.

At bidding of a Will, to which we bend
(and must), but only dimly apprehend,
great processes march on, as Time unrolls
from dark beginnings to uncertain goals;
and as on page o'er-written without clue,
with script and limning packed of various hue,
an endless multitude of forms appear,
some grim, some frail, some beautiful, some queer,
each alien, except as kin from one
remote Origo, gnat, man, stone, and sun.
God made the petreous rocks, the arboreal trees,
tellurian earth, and stellar stars, and these
homuncular men, who walk upon the ground
with nerves that tingle touched by light and sound.
The movements of the sea, the wind in boughs,
green grass, the large slow oddity of cows,
thunder and lightning, birds that wheel and cry,
slime crawling up from mud to live and die,
these each are duly registered and print
the brain's contortions with a separate dint.
Yet trees are not 'trees', until so named and seen
and never were so named, tifi those had been
who speech's involuted breath unfurled,
faint echo and dim picture of the world,
but neither record nor a photograph,
being divination, judgement, and a laugh
response of those that felt astir within
by deep monition movements that were kin
to life and death of trees, of beasts, of stars:
free captives undermining shadowy bars,
digging the foreknown from experience
and panning the vein of spirit out of sense.
Great powers they slowly brought out of themselves
and looking backward they beheld the elves
that wrought on cunning forges in the mind,
and light and dark on secret looms entwined.

He sees no stars who does not see them first
of living silver made that sudden burst
to flame like flowers bencath an ancient song,
whose very echo after-music long
has since pursued. There is no firmament,
only a void, unless a jewelled tent
myth-woven and elf-pattemed; and no earth,
unless the mother's womb whence all have birth.
The heart of Man is not compound of lies,
but draws some wisdom from the only Wise,
and still recalls him. Though now long estranged,
Man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed.
Dis-graced he may be, yet is not dethroned,
and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned,
his world-dominion by creative act:
not his to worship the great Artefact,
Man, Sub-creator, the refracted light
through whom is splintered from a single White
to many hues, and endlessly combined
in living shapes that move from mind to mind.
Though all the crannies of the world we filled
with Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build
Gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sowed the seed of dragons, 'twas our right
(used or misused). The right has not decayed.
We make still by the law in which we're made.

Yes! 'wish-fulfilment dreams' we spin to cheat
our timid hearts and ugly Fact defeat!
Whence came the wish, and whence the power to dream,
or some things fair and others ugly deem?
All wishes are not idle, nor in vain
fulfilment we devise -- for pain is pain,
not for itself to be desired, but ill;
or else to strive or to subdue the will
alike were graceless; and of Evil this
alone is deadly certain: Evil is.

Blessed are the timid hearts that evil hate
that quail in its shadow, and yet shut the gate;
that seek no parley, and in guarded room,
though small and bate, upon a clumsy loom
weave tissues gilded by the far-off day
hoped and believed in under Shadow's sway.

Blessed are the men of Noah's race that build
their little arks, though frail and poorly filled,
and steer through winds contrary towards a wraith,
a rumour of a harbour guessed by faith.

Blessed are the legend-makers with their rhyme
of things not found within recorded time.
It is not they that have forgot the Night,
or bid us flee to organized delight,
in lotus-isles of economic bliss
forswearing souls to gain a Circe-kiss
(and counterfeit at that, machine-produced,
bogus seduction of the twice-seduced).
Such isles they saw afar, and ones more fair,
and those that hear them yet may yet beware.
They have seen Death and ultimate defeat,
and yet they would not in despair retreat,
but oft to victory have tuned the lyre
and kindled hearts with legendary fire,
illuminating Now and dark Hath-been
with light of suns as yet by no man seen.

I would that I might with the minstrels sing
and stir the unseen with a throbbing string.
I would be with the mariners of the deep
that cut their slender planks on mountains steep
and voyage upon a vague and wandering quest,
for some have passed beyond the fabled West.
I would with the beleaguered fools be told,
that keep an inner fastness where their gold,
impure and scanty, yet they loyally bring
to mint in image blurred of distant king,
or in fantastic banners weave the sheen
heraldic emblems of a lord unseen.

I will not walk with your progressive apes,
erect and sapient. Before them gapes
the dark abyss to which their progress tends
if by God's mercy progress ever ends,
and does not ceaselessly revolve the same
unfruitful course with changing of a name.
I will not treat your dusty path and flat,
denoting this and that by this and that,
your world immutable wherein no part
the little maker has with maker's art.
I bow not yet before the Iron Crown,
nor cast my own small golden sceptre down.

In Paradise perchance the eye may stray
from gazing upon everlasting Day
to see the day illumined, and renew
from mirrored truth the likeness of the True.
Then looking on the Blessed Land 'twill see
that all is as it is, and yet made free:
Salvation changes not, nor yet destroys,
garden nor gardener, children nor their toys.
Evil it will not see, for evil lies
not in God's picture but in crooked eyes,
not in the source but in malicious choice,
and not in sound but in the tuneless voice.
In Paradise they look no more awry;
and though they make anew, they make no lie.
Be sure they still will make, not being dead,
and poets shall have flames upon their head,
and harps whereon their faultless fingers fall:
there each shall choose for ever from the All.