The Year I Decided to Not Shave My Legs (This one has pictures)

Octiber 2012, I decided I didn't want to shave my legs for a year. Mostly it was just for kicks, I'd been thinking about doing it for a while. There were a lot of factors in my life's experiences that contributed to this experiment, but mostly I wanted to see what it was like. I found out that most of the time I'm more self-consious about my legs themselves then the hairs on them. They're not even as impressive as I'd hoped they'd be.

This is what my lower legs look like after 14 months of not being shaved:

Not that impressive. I want more leg hairs! :( 

Oh, and I didn't shave my armpits either, but I haven't taken pictures of them ): 

I don't let a lot of people who look at my legs (even before I stopped shaving them). My mom said, "Well. It could have been a tattoo." I don't think dad noticed at all. I have a brother who noticed I was wearing leggings in summer (this was normal for me to do anyways). My sister rolled her eyes a few times, but that didn't bother me much. To me, unshaved legs are comfortable, and for the most part my family doesn't care either way. But if I go out into public, I will always cover up (the same way I did when I was very unhappy about my weight) because I don't want to deal with criticism of others. On Christmas Eve last year I shaved them.This is what it looked like afterward:

My niece (who was spending the night) noticed:

My niece: "What happened????"

Me: "Oh, I just shaved my legs and accidentally cut myself."

She went to the kitchen and soaked a tissue in water, and used it to clean the wound.

Me: "Oh, thank you!"

My niece: "Now you can ask my dad."

Me: "Um...your dad's not here right now."

My niece: "Well, when he comes tomorrow, he can help you. He's really good at shaving."

Later, she saw the front of my leg, and repeated the cleansing of my wounds.

My niece: "Now, if you keep on shaving, it will give you more boo boos."

That is the reaction I couldn't have dared to hope for! No more shaving for me!

Patriarchy and Misogyny

I and my sisters got into a discussion regarding "The Patriarchy" in organized religion, particularly that found within the Mormon faith.

It was a pretty deep discussion and we discussed a whole lot of issues that I couldn't hope to go over here but I did want to bring up one thing:

We observed that men in the church are often dismissive of women and women's opinions and observations. In the Mormon faith, the revelation a woman receives is not nearly as significant as that which a man receives.

Similarly, in church culture, discussions on things like doctrinal interpretation of scripture are often dominated by the male perspective. In general, women are "wrong" and need to be corrected whilst men are "not wrong".

(Note: I realize that discrimination and inequality do not have a gender, or color, or sexuality for that matter. There are many examples of men, of people of any color, or any sexual preference who have been unfairly treated, belittled, and silenced simply because another person didn't like their gender/color/sexuality etc OR thought they knew better.

However, I do believe that the patriarchy's domination in the faith culture is a form of misogyny. I have seen it manifested in the attitudes of men and women of all faiths and I think it is something we should be ashamed of.)

I believe it is ungodly, and I believe it persists within the 'Faith Culture', in part, because both men and women let it.

I also don't think it's an issue that's going to be resolved any time soon. How can it? When day after day women and men of faith don't have courage and do the right thing?

• When we argue amongst ourselves that objectification of females and female bodies is a good thing?
• When we say that women need to be week, that God wants them to be weak? Or that strength in women is somehow a threat to men?
• When we emphasize to our daughters the importance of purity and chastity, but not our sons???

We were in the middle of this conversation, and we were talking loudly. And then our dad came in...

A male, entering a group entirely composed of females... and illustrated perfectly the phenomena we'd been discussing...

And told us (among other things) that we couldn't talk about it anymore.

It was actually pretty funny, because we'd just been talking about how women get shut down by men...then he walked in and provided us with an excellent example of the phenomena!!

Because we couldn't talk about it anymore, my sister handed me a letter with her feelings, I thought it was significant, so I wanted to post it here.

 It's really why I made this whole post....

"I just think that it's a very worthy issue to attempt to discuss. As women, this is something that really and truely bothers us. We want to know our roles in life and understand the roles others play in our lives. And it's easy for dad to dismiss it as easily as he does because it doesn't bother him the same way it does us.

"I think we should really attempt to come up with a valid conclusion to that discussion about the roles of women and the patriarchy organization. And if we can't come to a conclusion then we know it's part of the mysteries of God that will be revealed to us "Line upon line" according to our faith.

"All I know is that God loves us and the Eternity He has planned for us will be completely fair and just, because He loves us enough to never let us ever be in any form of minority, because we are his beloved children.

God DOES NOT do that "Power over another" crap."

Another thing that was shared was that the only example we can really look to in faith or how we should treat one another is Jesus.

I really believe that to be true. I think about the way He listened to people and the ways He helped people (men and women) work thought their salvation. (I particularly like His example with the Canaanite woman). He helped us have faith...and he taught us to live that faith did not discriminate based on demographic factors.

He was not a bigot and there was no hate, or resentment, in his heart. He was teaching us a different way to live...a way in which we...as Christians...TWO-THOUSAND YEARS LATER...have not even grasped yet.

The Hobbit Stinks! (Part 2)

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but you know...things come up at christmastime. I signed up for an ACLS class (that was a lot of fun, I should tell you about some stuff I learned there later...)

Anyway...I've been really, really wanting to share with my friends how badly the second movie in 'The Hobbit' franchise 'stinks'.

This is Part 2 of a post I wrote last year on 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', which you can read here.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I was happy with a lot of the additions that seemed to upset a lot of other fans of the book. I think the storytellers adapting the book for film have a lot of freedom in this part of the story. The book is told through Bilbo's perspective, and Bilbo is a bit of an outsider experiencing an entirely new environment.

He wouldn't know, for example, what the King of the Wood-Elves' name was, he wouldn't know much about his back-story or why he is such a jerkface.

 He wouldn't have paid a whole lot of attention to the Captain of the Wood-Elf guard, or her opinion on Wood-Elf foreign policy.

And while it is likely that he did befriend Bard the Bowman/Boatman/Bargeman and he did care about the people of Laketown, he was not as privy to the political climate of Laketown as The Narrator was.

(Even if they didn't show how the Humans and Wood-Elves were real chums and not just business partners)

These were augmentations to the story line I welcomed because they were extensions of the plot in the book, not outright changes.

Now...
The Things That Stink About "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug"

• Beorn

In this scene, we missed a wonderful opportunity to see Gandalf perform the best magic trick ever.

It's called:

"Transforming a complete stranger into a friend."

Bear in mind (pun intended!) Beorn has no clue who Gandalf is. And the only reason Gandalf knows who Beorn is, is because Radagast mentioned him.

(So to Bilbo, he's a friend of a friend...of a friend...you might say)

We would see the TACT and COMMUNICATION strategies that would have been invaluable to the Dwarves in their later adventures, after Gandalf abandon's the company.

Because it would be a bit to much to show that adventure is more then just running, and fighting, and breaking into complete stranger's houses (...you actually have to be nice to people)!

• Music

It is not a surprise that this part of the tale is short on musical numbers (PJ's elves don't sing, and everyone else doesn't get occasion to). I did enjoy Laketown's theme.

The song that plays during the credits has cheesy lyrics.

• Azog and Bolg, The Albino Goblins Who Magically Transformed Into Orcs...

This year, I had the opportunity to sit in on a panel with Manu Bennet (the motion capture and voice actor for Azog) (You can read about it here)

It was a very interesting experience, and Manu is a really cool guy. In the interview he revealed that Bolg would be a part of the story and gave a bit of the history of the father and son pair.

Afterwards I thought, "Oh, cool! They'll finally be developing these guys as corrupted sentient creatures and not soulless villains. They'll have a bit more personality this time around...."

No. They didn't.

It wasn't even mentioned that these two "Albino Goblins Who Magically Transformed Into Orcs" are related to each other. They hardly get any interaction, and they're pretty much interchangeable characters ('scept one has scars...

so you can tell the "difference").

BOOOOO!!!!

• Mirkwood 

Mirkwood of the book is 1100x better then Mirkwood in the movie in EVERY respect. This includes the moment when Bilbo rises above the depressive woodland, his mind clears, And he sees the beauty of the world around him.

(And that was a pretty good moment...even though they got the color of the butterflies wrong, and missed the fact that it was overcast that day so Bilbo COULDN'T see the Lonely Mountain or the Lake of Esgaroth. So basically, it was horrible...)

 Mirkwood in the book is vast, dark and mysterious

 and dangerous...

and not just because spiders live there

 (don't drink the water!)

(If you see light, don't go towards it!)

But it's also a place of wonder and indescribable beauty, even if The Company isn't in a position to appreciate it.

Movie-Mirkwood is reminiscent the Captain Jack Sparrow Afterlife Scene in Pirates of the Carribean: More silly then scary.

• Bilbo

Many of my fellow "Hobbit" fans have said that, in this movie, Martin Freeman "is" Bilbo...That he owns the role.

 No, he didn't.

And it's sad because I really think he could have. Mr Freeman is a decent actor (If you haven't seen him as John Watson in the new Sherlock series, I suggest you watch it)

But Bilbo is a more complex individual then he lets on. And Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo simplifies Bilbo's character arc to such an extent that it's like hitting a single note when you could have heard the whole symphony. 

This is inexcusable. Esspecially when so much detail is given to characters, situations and events that have much less to do with "The Hobbit" story! 

Plus, it's NOT like this arc would have been difficult to convey in a the film medium!! In the book, BILBO'S CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION IS DEMONSTRATED IN HIS'S ACTIONS!!!

One example:

How Bilbo (in the book) Saves the Dwarves, a Step-by-Step Guide to Making Giant Spiders Angry

1. Put on ring, becoming invisible

2. Throw some stones at the spiders to get their attention

3. When spiders leave their nest, move (invisibly) to a different location

4. Sing song about how fat and stupid the spiders are

5. Throw more stones

6. Move to a new location

7. Sing taunting song

8. Repeat until all the spiders have left the nest

9. Run back to nest (silent and invisible)

10. Take off ring, cut down dwarves

(From http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/2012/09/tolkien-re-read-part-1-the-hobbit-chapters-8-10.html)

Now, PJ Would that have been so hard???? Would it??? WOULD IT???? WOULD IT?!?!??!?!

Instead we have Bilbo soullessly stabbing one spider, then killing this spider-crab thingy and vomiting in his mouth afterwards.

Really? COMON!!

No glee on his face?? No cackling laughter????? No mysterious smiles???  No taunting the spiders??????

Book-Bilbo is the type of guy who would lie to his friends...not because he's afraid, but because he's proud. He likes being impressive, and he enjoys being the "Burglar" of the Company...And "stinging" the spiders, outsmarting the Wood Elves, and taunting the dragon...

...Because he has this secret ring that makes him more powerful then any of them.

If you don't first show that Bilbo relishes his power, and that he CAN be a bit of a junkie...and he CAN be corrupted...it means a whole lot less when he rejects that power to do the RIGHT thing!!!!

In 100 years when they remake The Hobbit in ONE film (AS IT SHOULD BE!!!) Plz give Bilbo a PERSONALITY as he's gutting those spiders!

Movie-Bilbo didn't start out as pathetic as Book-Bilbo, but he doesn't grow to become as cool Book-Bilbo, either.

And Now...For Some Book-Movie Changes That Didn't Stink (as bad)

• The Arkenstone

Previous adaptions of The Hobbit into film have downplayed the significance of The Arkenstone to the plot. I was afraid that it's thematic similarities to the one ring would prevent it from becoming a part of this story; however, in this movie, it's significance is actually accentuated to an even greater degree then it was in the book.

This was helpful to the plot. Because it's clear that The Arkenstone is not just a novelty for Thorin, it's a symbol of his authority. If he gets it, people will take him seriously and support him, even if it means taking on a dragon. To me, this change makes perfect sense.

• Smaug Confrontation

The narrative of The Hobbit has a fantastic build up to the moment that Bilbo enters the Lonely Mountain alone. Everything you've read up to that point would suggest that the Bilbo/Smaug confrontation is going to be the climax of the book.

It's the most perfect buildup to the best psudo-climax in literary history, leading to the best climax in literary history (OK so that's just my opinion...)

The movie cannot have that same novelty, because if you are watching 'The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug', you've probably watched the LOTR. You already know that  Bilbo is going to survive the encounter.

But you don't know if the rest of The Company will.

For all the praise Ben Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are receiving for their on screen chemistry during their face-off as Smaug and Bilbo, it's the Dwarves that really steal the show here.

Thorin and Co. are finally fighting an adversary in their native habitat. They're using strategies that ONLY Dwarves would think about because they know the environment and they understand the heart of the dragon.

AND THEY COULD DIE AT ANY MINUTE!!

It made the experience every bit the pseudo-climax I wished it could be.

• Elf/Dwarf antagonism-

In the book, the antagonism between Elves and Dwarves exists in a very mild degree, and doesn't cause much conflict in the story until the destitute Dwarves seek the help of the Wood Elves. The Elves misunderstand their intentions and are immediately suspicious of them, and lock them up. When Thorin and Co insist on maintaining the secrecy of their quest, the Elf King takes offense and locks them up indefinitely.

The whole conflict arose from a lack of trust, pride, and misunderstanding.

(What we got here is a failure to communicate)

I felt the movie did a pretty good job of demonstrating those concepts. Mostly due to the excellent acting on the part of Richard Armitage and whatever the guy's name is who plays Thranduil.

When Thorin and Thranduil first meet. The Elvenking is completely collected, he coolly suggests a deal that will benefit both of their people and fully expects Thorin to accept it.

Then Thorin gives the Wood Elf king a piece of his mind, Thranduil appears shocked. As if he genuinely had no idea that his actions in the first movie were perceived as a betrayal.

 But instead of softening, swallowing pride and apologizing, he becomes defensive about the issue.

It's not what happened in the book. It is, however, extremely true to the spirit of the book. And I loved it!

(As a footnote: Thorin later has the opportunity to let an orc kill Thranduil's son. Instead, he saves Legolas' life by killing the orc before he can strike. Again, this did not happen in the books, but still loved it.)

Elves and Dwarves are never really enemies, it just takes them a while to figure that out.

• Romantic Subplot

When fans of the book heard of the possibility of a romantic subplot added to the hobbit film...a romance that was probably between a Wood Elf and a Dwarf...most of us were outraged. I, however, was very, very happy about it (and not just because I'm a fangirl). 

I think it can help point out how petty the differences between the two races are, and how destructive it is to focus on the things that divide us rather then the things that unite us. 

(Starlight and Firemoon...If you watch the movie you'll get it.)

There is a particular quote from the third act of The Hobbit that I thought of, but I won't share it because it gives away the ending too much.

In conclusion: 

The movie was pretty good, but the things that made it good were not the things that made the book good. So, (as an adaption) it was bad. 

Thor: The Dark World (Movie Review with thematic spoilers)

I saw Thor: The Dark World yesterday with my little sisters. 

This review may contain spoilers, so be forewarned. 

It was very, very good. I'm not sure if I liked it more then the first Thor, but that's only because I really, REALLY liked the first Thor.

This sequel didn't try to be darker or more intense then the first (even though the stakes are higher), it was funny. All the things that I thought were endearing about the fist film are in this one too (So...if for example you were annoyed with the Odin-family drama or culture-clash aspect of the first film...I'm sorry but it's still there).

One thing this film did do, that the first didn't, was make me cry (but that might be because I'm a wuss).

Thor: 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the first movie was Thor's character development from a cocky warrior-prince to a hero. I felt they continued that character arc well in this movie.  I enjoyed what Thor says about the mentality of those who rule. That made his decision not to take the throne feel like a natural result of Thor gaining an understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, instead of a plot contrivance to keep him doing superhero stuff. He really has changed from the boisterous, heroic warrior eager to be king into a humble protector. 

Loki:

Loki has detoxed from whatever cosmic hallucinogen he was on in "The Avengers" and is back in his true form as mischief-maker. Odin is still the 'god of bad parenting'. Their scenes together crackle with angst and drama and are still a highlight of the film for me. Loki's explanation for his villainous actions in "The Avengers" was a bit surprising for me. It doesn't excuse what he did, but it did make him seem less crazy.

 Also it places at least part of the blame on a racist parent and the faulty expectations he was given as a child.

(Loki and Odin: Getting the Answers)

(I made this video after watching the first Thor film it's only a minute long, give it a watch:)

Jane:

 I hear a lot of hate going around for Jane's character: She's not actiony-enough, she's just a love-interest, she's too pretty, she's not pretty enough, she's too smart, she's dumb, she's too spunky and uptight, she's too laid-back, and (this one is my personal favorite) she's too much of a "regular" person compared to the otherwordly Thor and his cohorts

...in other words: "She's not good enough for him."

All this because a female character has more then one defining characteristic? Wowers! I applaud Marvel and Natalie Portman for the depiction of this character!

For myself, I am of the opinion that Jane (along with her own "Warrior's Three") could carry their own movie. And in the first half of this movie, that's pretty much what they do...(The second half, not so much ):

Supporting Characters:

 As a sequel, I was expecting this movie to explore more of the side characters like Lady Sif, The Warriorsx3, and Heimdall. And we do get to see them a bit, but actually it's probably less then we saw them in the first film. I did enjoy seeing Volstagg with his kids and the "asian asguardian" on his home planet. (We also do get to see Heimdall without his helmet on, which is every bit as rewarding as seeing Thor without his shirt on).

We did, however, get to see more Thor's parent's Odin and Frigga. It was cool to see how Frigga's cunning, fighting style, and use of magic was reminiscent of Loki.

I've always seen Odin and Thor as very much alike, and this film shows us some of the flaws in Odin that we saw in Thor throughout the first film. 

Shipping:

OTP: I've heard a lot of people complain about the "forced love triangle" between Thor, Jane and Sif. I didn't see it. Sif likes Thor, but she is first and foremost a friend and comrade. So no catfights here...It almost seems like Jane and Sif are grown women who can see Thor as more then a potential trophy husband and respect his decision to not go out with them because he does not love them romantically (Sif) or because he has to honor commitments as a Prince of Asgard (Jane).

Who would have thought?

Jane and Thor are a very different type of person physically, intellectually and culturally. But they seem to enjoy these differences about each other; their relationship is sweet, and sincere, and rewarding. Jane never gives up on Thor, and Thor never gives Jane up, despite the fallout he gets from his father and fellow Asguardians for doing so. So no, Thor did NOT choose the wrong woman.

BOTP: Loki and Thor

There is a movie-still that's circulating the internet that looks like this:

(Sadly, this exact frame did not make it into the finished film):

Loki is in a well furnished prison-apartment and goes all Wreck-it-Ralph on it. Before I saw the movie, I assumed the wreckage was done in a fit of psychotic rage, but in the film it actually played out a lot more interesting-ly.

It kind of mirrors a scene from the first Thor film:

Thor and Loki have suffered a devastating loss. Thor goes to visit Loki in prison and  arrives to find his brother sitting in his cell reading a book.

Loki is meticulously composed; he is well groomed and his furniture is in order.

 Thor instantly recognizes it as a farce and calls him out on it.


Loki unveils the illusion to show himself in a wrecked prison-apartment, disheveled (and apparently he has kicked something sharp without his shoes on).

Thor and Loki aren't a whole lot alike, but they have this fundamental understanding each other that is really intriguing to me.

It highlights something I love about the relationship between these two. No matter how much these two hate each other, they will always love each other. It can't be any other way when you know someone that well. 

Malekith: 

Before watching the movie, I read several reviews that the Villian's motivation wasn't explained very well. While I would love to have more screen time explaining what my extremely handsome Christopher Eccleston is doing trying to destroy my universe. I think they made it clear that he's not from this universe and that in his mind, he is displacing "the world tree" to restore his own realm/homeland. 

Other: 

After I watched the first film, my little sister and I went to the Library (because that's what we do for fun!) and read up on Norse mythology. What we found there was hilarious and insightful... and deserves it's own blog post so I won't go into detail here...except that I've enjoyed the nods the filmmakers add towards source material. Not just the comic-book source, but the original myths.

Etc...

Recognizing these kind of things gives me a good feeling. Like...

Concusion:

The ending before the credits felt like a cliff-hanger and I wondered if they were going to be making another movie (The credits do note: "Thor Will Return" but do not specify when) But after I got to discuss it a bit with my sisters I got the impression that a certain plot point was left in limbo because "This is the new normal" There is going to be mystery and mayhem in the life of Thor Odinson and Jane Foster.

If you understood this review: congratulations!

Thanks for sharing my thoughts, feel free to share your own. :D

Favorite Things of Fall: Halloween, Pumpkin Flavored Everything, Nano November, and oh yeah my birthday!

K guys you gotta do me a big favor... before reading the rest of this blog, follow the instructions on the tweet below.

Back?

COOL! LOOOKAT me I'm....

Still in scrub pants :(

Oh, well!

In case you couldn't tell I LOVE fall. I want to name my second daughter Autumn (which will be really weird if she's borne in summer) But annnyyway!

I'm here to tell you my favorite things about this season! There is so much to appreciate...the weather becoming cooler and people getting to wear modest clothes. Less sunburn, heatstroke, and offensive body odors...and people getting ready for the Holiday Season.

I live in America, so the Holiday Season generally consists of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas (unless you celebrate the Jewish Festival of Light or that trendy African Holiday one no one talks about anymore...)

• Halloween 

I don't go out trick or treating to neighborhoods a lot. I've never thought it was very safe, and I always hear the horror stories of people putting poison or drugs into candy.

That is no way to spend a Holiday for me. A couple of years ago, I made a haunted house at my parent's house. Not a graphicly-violent, people-pop-out-and-scare-you one, but a spooky haunted house...kind of like the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.

On the driveway, I put up signs that said "Turn back now" and
"I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do I do I do I do!"

I really enjoyed putting it together. I was really proud of the lighting, and music, and the fact that my mom was scared... a little bit ;-)

This year on August 27th, I went with some of my brothers and sisters to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disneyland.

This event allows you entry into Disneyland during the late afternoon and into the night (even after the normal park hours have ended). I can't speak for everyone, but I had a great time.

 I hadn't been to Disneyland in a while, and I got to go on all of my favorite rides.

There are a lot of really cool decorations, music, and the lighting on the castle was spectacular.

I love watching the people (even whole families!) dressed up on costumes.

Disney isn't stingy on the candy, but they also serve healthy alternatives. Which made me happy.

Even though the event was sold out weeks in advance, the park itself wasn't packed. It felt safe, and everyone was there to have a good time like we were. That's not really something I get from most other Halloween celebrations I've been to.

• Pumpkin Flavored Everything

Last Thursday, I went to my local supermarket and bought these little beauties.

When I checked out, both the cashier and they guy in line behind me had their eyes light up and we had a short but lively discussion on our favorite seasonal "pumpkin" foods.

What is it about this season that makes us want to grab the nearest starchy-carotene infested vegetable and infuse it with spices and put it in every recipe known to man?

I'm not sure. But I still enjoy it at this time of year. The rest of the year, pumpkin flavored everything would not be so appealing but in the fall it's the best thing on the planet.

Here are some of the pumpkin foods I've had so far this year:

I made these little babies from scratch. Pumpkin from the garden and everything! (of course, I couldn't have done it without the help of a crockpot and a waffle-iron so perhaps I'm not so self-sufficient after all) I added some pumpkin spices, and these were delicious! Afterward having them for breakfast, my little sister Becken said, "Hey, you know we should make pumpkin pie waffles!"

*FACEPALM!


Mcdonald's Pumpkin Pie

When I was really little, Mcdonald's was a real treat. I loved the Apple Pie (hate the cherry!). Last week when I got off work and was hungry for dinner, I went to the nearest McDonalds and found THEY HAVE A PUMPKIN PIEEE!!! I got it and it was really, very good. I recommend it if you're going to Mcdonald's soon.

I don't think I've ever had the store-bought versions, but I made these at home and they were fantastic! Added some pumpkin pie spices and it really hit the spot. Next time though, I think I make them with more of the pumpkin/peanutbutter filling and less of the chocolate (which is a big commitment for me, cuz chocolate is my favorite food)

Special thanks to Becken for helping me figure these out, they are DELICIOUS!!! We made a low-sugar version so our sister and mom could have some too. They're the only one on the list that doesn't have pumpkin, but Apple is also a seasonal food, keeps long into the winter, plus there were nuts and cinnamon in this...so I think it qulifies.

Really, this one is just a component of the pumkin-reeses above, but it was sooo good I made some by itself and it's fantastic!

Even though I'm really bad at drawing, I still tried to make these pumpkin things. They're healthy and colorful and I likem. I tried the juicebox ghosts too, but people got confused and started drawing ghosts on the surface as if it were a blank canvas.

"NO ti's a MUMMY!"

GAh!


If you want to see more cool recipies for halloween, take a look at my Pinterest Board here: http://www.pinterest.com/mormonhippie/2013-halloween/

• Nanowrimo

I'm getting excited for nano this year! When I'm done with this book, the series will be "done" and I can work on editing them into something I would actually like to read!

This is my annual invitation to anyone who wants to (or wants to try to) write a book: Join me and a whole bunch of other people on a literary adventure spanning the whole month of November.


http://nanowrimo.org

• My Birthday

It isn't as fun as it used to be, mostly because I've worked on my last two birthdays; which means I was under the influence of melatonin and diphenhydramine when I was blowing out my candles. But still, it's nice to remember that I exist and that people love me (who'd have thought!).  So that's another thing I'm looking forward to this Fall.

In Defense of Bilbo Baggins

For almost a year now I've been following a post on thorinoakenshield.net called, In Defense of Thorin Oakenshield. It's a wonderful, thorough, and thought provoking character analysis of the Dwarf Prince- Turned King in The Hobbit.

To many fans, Thorin is seen as the villian in the third act of The Hobbit. This article notes that Thorin's demands and requests are not unreasonable, and that it is difficult  not to find sympathy with his viewpoint.

"The same traits Thorin exhibited as a prisoner in the dungeons of the Elvenking, such as stubbornness and distrust, are now in conflict with the wishes of the chief protagonist, and he is no longer seen as the victim, but as a miser. In this way, he becomes the antagonist by opposing the goal of the hero, even though his own goals never change; he never makes a secret of his desires, nor a promise that he will be generous with the treasure. As it is, the original contract between the dwarves and Bilbo is very specific on the matter of shares. By being protective of the treasure, Thorin is safeguarding all of the Company’s interests. Looking at it from the standpoint of the dwarves, one could say Thorin remains true to his nature, and everyone else becomes antagonistic toward him."

The the site for this article has evolved into a conversation among fans about the character, primarily thanks to the comments section.

I haven't been a big contributor to the conversation, but reading other people's viewpoints has definitely been interesting for me. At a few points, I can tell people mixed up the events in the book with the event's in the movie (Events that haven't actually happened yet, because the movie has not yet been released!!).



(Note: Spoilers are to follow for the concluding chapters of "The Hobbit")

There seem to be two strains of thought regarding Thorin's actions preceding the battle and his subsequent death.

1) That his actions and demands were justified given his complex social and cultural history of the Dwarves, Elves, and Humans.

2) That his misdeeds contributed to the misery and death of thousands of people and that his own subsequent death was required for him to "redeem himself".

So, who's fault is the battle of five armies???

• Thorin, for not surrendering a portion of the gold to the former inhabitants of Dale in their time of need?
• Thrandull, for his unwarranted intervention and lack of respect of the Dwarve's authority?
• Bard, for refusing due process and insisting on access to gold that technically wasn't his?
• Gandalf-for not seeking out Thorin and Co. in confidence instead of immediately siding with their enemies?
• Or Bilbo for betraying his friends and giving the Elves and Humans a powerful bargaining chip that ultimately ignited the battle itself?

At first glance, it seems that everyone on this list was 'doing the right thing' and was completely justified in making a stand for which ever side he thought was right.

• Thorin agrees the Humans will get financial help in due process. But on his terms, because it is his mountain and his gold.
• Thranduill helped the Human's in the aftermath of the dragon attack, so he has a right to be there.
• Bard and the Laketowners need the money, like, now.
• Gandalf was so busy fighting the Necromancer he forgot that Thorin and Co. still existed. 
• And poor Bilbo just wanted the whole thing to be over without any more hurt or trouble to anyone.

Who was justified in their offence of the other parties?  Whose motives were "right" and whose were "wrong"? Who was "the enemy", and who "started it"?

Sometimes people are so concerned with finding the right side that they miss the most beautiful, the most poetic, the most hear-breaking truth that Tolkien communicated in any of his bodies of writing.

This message is not found in The Lord of The Rings, not in The Silmarillion, or in any of Tolkien's other writing projects: It is that good people can disagree, good people can do bad things, and good people can die at the hands of other good people.

(Although it never really comes to that...they get invaded by a fourth fifth party and the armies of Dwarves, Humans, and Elves join forces to defeat a common enemies. However, the powerful prelude to this battle has been a source of fascination for me ever since I first heard the story...These good people could have just have easily been killing each other instead of their true enemies.)

Sometimes the right thing won't in our best interests, sometimes even if we do act selflessly we can't avoid the negative consequences. I believe Bilbo illustrates this point best when he gives "The Heart of The Mountain" to the Elf king and still returns to Thorin's side. He's willing to take the fall-out for his actions.

One commenter to the thread observed that Bilbo's role and his choices in the battle were "maddening" and said, "he seems so undecided and wavers in his loyalties" as he (Bilbo) initially chooses to stay with the Dwarves, but then goes to fight with the Elf King. I pointed out in another comment that he did no leave Thorin and Co. of his own accord, he was dis-fellowshiped from them...and nearly thrown off a cliff!


Because I've been re-visiting this ongoing discussion for a while, I've come to another conclusion about Bilbo that I'd like to share: I do not think for one second that Bilbo was "undecided" in terms of knowing what the right thing to do was. He was the only member of the Company, and perhaps within the whole realm of Erador, with the clarity to see the destructive course that the pride and greed of both sides would bare.

Bilbo isn't pointing fingers, he knows that the answer to "Whose fault is it" is "It doesn't matter, I still have to do the right thing." He knows that there is no "bad" side, there is simply a "right" thing to do and a "wrong" thing to do. And because no one else is doing those things, he does it himself.



Since there are a ton of parallels between "The Battle of Five Armies and  World War I: I wanted to share this website I really like that helped me learn about the First World War.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/

It's really fascinating how the whole situation just got completely out of control because people over-reacted to a problem and started getting their friends involved in drama.

Salt Lake Comic Con: Day 3

When I saw the HUGE crowd surrounding the Salt Palace on Saturday morning, I felt completely overwhelmed.

We had tried to leave the motel early and we were still behind this whole horde of people! The sight was so discouraging, all I could think to myself was, “There is no way I'm going to get inside, let alone see anything today.”

I left my group for the solitude of Ensign Bookstore. It was nice, even though they didn't have anything really interesting for sale.

A while later I walked back. The line was still super-long, but I was able to get inside pretty quickly with the help of my sister.

We didn't feel like cramming ourselves into the workshops, so we went to the Center Stage.

• The Power Rangers were going to be there!

Unfortunately they were not the Power Rangers of my childhood, but the “Power Rangers Samurai”.

(WHICH ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!!)

Fortunately, these Power Rangers were still really cool! And the experience definitely had nostalgia value for me. I watched the original series as a kid, when you're small they are your Superheroes...the kind of person you want to be when you “grow up” and become a teenager.

The kids in the audience absolutely adored their Power Rangers. Multiple times, a little kid would come up to the microphone to talk to his/her heroes and say:

“I LOVE POWER RANGERS!!!” (Too loud!! But I guess you can't control the volume on a child.)

Without fail, the actors would say, “And we love you too.” Then one of them would run and give the kid a hug.

It was very touching, I could tell it meant a lot to the little kids to see their heroes.

(An added bonus: Steven Skylar looks very much like Alejandro Sanchez.)

• I went to the Vendor area and picked up my comic book

(I'm quite pleased with the way it came out, Edward even got one of his fangs knocked out!)

I got to briefly meet the mormonmovieguy and got an autographed copy of his book.

(Which is really good, btw. Gives a content overview, summary, discussion guide and applicable scripture for each of the 250 entries.)

• Manu Bennett
  
  
  
  
  

Going into the Q and A session all I knew about this actor was that he plays the White Orc (who should have been a Goblin), Azog (who should have been Blog) in The Hobbit Trilogy.

Almost soon as he sat down someone (I believe it was the announcer) said:

“I just want to address the elephant in the room. When are you going to take off your shirt?”

Mr Bennet obliged, removing his black, long-sleeved shirt and posing momentarily, displaying his ripped upper-body, before retreating behind a table/curtain set to put his shirt back on.

It was a surprisingly modest gesture and he explained, 'I did that because I'm a performer and it was for you. I'm not trying to be Magic Mike.'

OK...so that was the first surprise, a really hot guy who also demonstrates modesty (to some extent, at least). He's also really thoughtful and expressed his belief in the importance of cultural heritage. He gave a shout-out to the native peoples of Utah (the Utes) and the Mormon settlers of the area.

“I'm a Maori boy.” He explained, “Of course, I'm also Scottish and Irish..”

He even shared the traditional Maori greeting.

Mr Bennett discussed some of his roles. The most interesting sounding one is Crixius in Spartacus I hope that one isn't too violent, a lot of the people in the audience were very impressed by his performance in that role and I'd really like to check it out.

(He did a few character impressions of Crixius on stage, it was pretty funny.)

He also discussed his role in The Hobbit.

 "Azog has a son, and he's a really tough on him. And his son makes a lot of mistakes, so he's not a very good father."

I for one am very pleased at his confirmation that they have at least filmed this aspect of the story; it not only shows a side to the orcs/goblins that we haven't explored before, but it is also a concept that is original to Tolkien's work.

He also says he named the White Warg that Azog rides “Daisy”. ;)

“I wanted Azog to have a relationship with him; 'When I get those hobbits, I'm feeding them to My Warg!!'”

Then he started talking about his personal life, and why he became a performer.

I personally met a lot of people who have a “defining moment” in life, or an event that set them on course in life. For Manu Bennett it was the death of his mother, and subsequently his brother, in car accidents.

The interview got really intimate (in a psychological way!) it was evident that he felt that the performing arts were a way to connect to his mother and brother.

Afterward our whole group got together and sat on the floor and ate lunch.

Then waited in line....... ...................................................................................................................

(For a long time)

And then sat down in Center Stage. And waited some more....

• And then William Shatner came on stage!!

The whole performance was extremely awesome. Mr Shatner as a reputation for being conceited (He does sound like he was the practical joker on the Star Trek set...The Lenard Nimoy Bike Prank was pretty cruel XD.), but he was hilarious! And a lot of his insights on geek culture and humanity in general were really thoughtful. It really seems like he was puzzled with the geek culture and went to lengths to come to an understanding of it (even trying to go incognito to interact with geeks).

 He was able to articulate his growing understanding of the “geek movement and culture” in the most cohesive way I've ever heard. (I will never hear the phrase "Get A Life" in quite the same way again.)

If you want to watch what we saw, check out these youtube videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3J2iIddMcw (There are two of them.)

After the performance, we were about to leave the stage when the announcer told us to “Stay in your seats if you want to see Stan Lee” so of course I totally didn't need to use the bathroom any more!!

We waited for an hour, and Stan Lee was only on stage for twenty minutes. He didn't give a lot of insight or anything, it was just mostly sass. But it was electrifying to be in that packed room with so many enthusiastic people and Stan Lee being his sarcastic self.

Also, we got the most awesome picture:

(Me and Stan Lee!)

I also got to see Stan Lee up close; when he went to sign autographs, his go-cart stopped in front of me and walked behind the black curtain to his booth.

Later on, we got back together for a last hurrah!

Went out to eat and started a plot to invade the next comic con!

Conclusions on Comicon:

I had a lot of fun. I liked spending time with my brother, sisters and friends. I enjoyed meeting the Comicon attendees and looking at the cosplayers. A big part of the experience was the last day, and being able to see Will Shatner and Stan Lee.

You kind of have to got into the experience expecting that you will miss a lot of what you want to see, because you probably will. If I ever go to a Comic Con again, I will probably :binge" and buy the VIP tickets.

(His sign says it all)