Best in 2012: Entertainers

Siobhan's Top Sixteen Entertainers in 2012

	1. Victoria Justice: No surprise there, right? Seriously, between her new music, the recent episodes of VICTORiOUS, and her continued clean-cut image, Victoria continues to delight.  As I always say: Go, Team TORi!
	2. Kerrie Roberts: A Christian singer who is relatively new on the scene, she has some wonderful songs, especially "Outcast," which resembles me more than any CCM track since Scott Krippayne's "I'm Not Cool".  You should definitely check this lady out.
	3. Lori Beth Denberg: Okay, so she may have faded into obscurity by now, but her role on Nickelodeon's All That had me laughing out loud during the brief time it was on Nick at Nite alongside Kenan and Kel.  Seriously, they should put it back on the line-up.  Are you listening, Viacom executives?
	4. Angus T. Jones: I am not a fan of Two and a Half Men; in fact, I've only seen Mr. Jones in the David Arquette comedy See Spot Run.  Still, his public declaration of faith, and outcry against the tawdriness of today's media, is definitely admirable.  One can only hope that other stars follow in his footsteps.
	5. Frank Peretti: A perennial favorite author of mine, he blew me away once again with this year's Illusion.  I'm excited to see what else Mr. Peretti can come up with in the coming years.
	6. Kevin Max: Mr. Max has been among my favorite celebrities since 2000, before anyone even cared about Hilary, Anne, or Victoria.  His boldly different take on everything, including his music, has made me a big fan, and now that he is part of the newly reformed Audio Adrenaline, I'm expecting even greater things from him.
	7. Dan Schneider: You may not recognize him, but you most likely know his works!  Mr. Schneider has created many popular Nickelodeon series, from All That to Drake & Josh to iCarly to, yes, VICTORiOUS.  Though his two most recent creations may be on their way out, I'm sure that he will come up with more hilarious material that will keep audiences all over the planet doubled over in laughter.
	8. V*Enna: Who are they, you ask? Lucy Britten and Sharnessa Shelton, collectively known as V*Enna, were a Christian pop duo who released their sole album, Where I Wanna Be, in 2000.  Though they disbanded years ago and have since faded into obscurity, I haven't been able to get enough of their music.  Their tracks have gotten well over four hundred plays in the past 1.5 years on my iTunes; for such a small catalog, that's remarkable!
	9. Siobhan Magnus: My all-time favorite American Idol contestant, Ms. Magnus was decidedly different than others on the show.  Though she was only in sixth place--unfairly, I might add!--she released her debut album, Moonbaby, on iTunes this year, and, I have to say: It was surprisingly good.  Where she really surprised me was on the track "Escape Goat," which had a country/pop feel, and her cover of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".  I hear she has recently joined a rock band; let's hope for more good stuff from her in 2013.
	10. Ted Dekker: One of Christian fiction's best-known authors, Mr. Dekker continues to blow away readers everywhere with his wonderfully gripping tales.  He recently began a new series; my hopes for it and his other later works are pretty high!
	11. Jude Watson: I've probably read more books by Ms. Watson--also known as Judy Blundell--this year than any other author.  That's because I've read the last two-thirds of her Jedi Apprentice series, as well as the all but the last Jedi Quest, since we rang in 2012.  Though her books may be "kiddie" novels, they have more depth to them than the average Disney Channel novelization; I know, I've read some of them.
	12. Robin Jones Gunn: If Jude Watson is my most-read author of 2012, Mrs. Gunn comes in second.  Between her Sierra Jensen series, which I practically devoured, and her Christy Miller books, her writings simply entertain and inspire.
	13. B*Witched: A secular pop group from years ago? It may sound weird, but their wonderful cover of Toni Basil's "Mickey," and their pop stylings on Awake and Breathe, make them a better alternative to the tawdry garbage that is heaped on audiences from the likes of Britney Spears and Katy Perry.  It's too bad they didn't make it bigger with American audiences.
	14. Miranda Cosgrove: From School of Rock, to Drake & Josh, to iCarly, Ms. Cosgrove may be younger than me, but she is a screen veteran, and she has the acting chops to prove it.  What her post-Carly Shay plans are, I have no idea, but I'm sure we can expect great things from her in the future.
	15. Alexa Vega: Why I used to despise her, I have no idea, but, after watching her in Broken Hill and the first two Spy Kids flicks, I have to give her some credit.  Ms. Vega is a very talented actress, no question.
	16. Emily Osment: I'm not much of a Hannah Montana fan, but, after hearing Ms. Osment's songs "You Are the Only One," "Lovesick," and "All the Way Up," I was ready to say, "Miley who?"  She also is a great actress, as can be seen in the Disney Channel Original Movie Dadnapped.

Best and Worst of 2012: Books

Siobhan's Top Ten Books of 2012

	1. The Word of Promise Audio Bible: Audiobooks are usually considered to be in the literature category, so, that's why this is on the list.  I listen to and read the Bible daily, and this audio version has helped me immensely in my study of God's Word.  Featuring a large cast of well-known actors, movie-quality music and sound effects, and a word for word presentation of the New King James Version, this is easily the best audio Bible I've ever heard.
	2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: Non-fiction isn't really my bag, but my author-friend Sibella Giorello recommended this to me, so, I decided to try it out.  When I did, I was actually quite surprised; it has to be the best non-fiction work I've read--other than the Bible, of course--since the amazing autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., I read in high school.
	3. The Sierra Jensen series by Robin Jones Gunn: Judge me if you want, but I like teen-centric, female-fronted stories, especially when they're clean-cut; why do you think I'm such a fan of iCarly, VICTORiOUS, That's So Raven, and House of Anubis? When I picked this up at the library, I had my doubts, but I liked it so much that I practically blew through the last ten volumes in the twelve-book series in a month's time.
	4. Illusion by Frank Peretti: One of Christian fiction's patriarchs, Frank Peretti's novel This Present Darkness was selling like hotcakes before Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins left anyone behind.  Until the publication of Illusion, Mr. Peretti had taken a bit of a sabbatical from writing, but his latest shows that he is still at the top of his game.  A gripping, convoluted, and fabulous read.
	5. Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury: As someone with mild autism, this story really touched me.  The protagonist, whose was so severely autistic that he couldn't even talk, found a friend who helped him break out of his shell, and that made all the difference.  It made me thankful for all the true friends I've made over the years, some of whom might be reading this.
	6. Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl: I rarely watch cable news, so I had no idea who Ms. Wiehl was before picking up this book.  Still, it proved to be an exhilarating read with plenty of twists and turns.  The sequel though great, wasn't as good, but there are a few more books in the series that I have yet to read.
	7. Star Trek: Nightshade by Laurell K. Hamilton: Those of you reading this who work at or frequent libraries and/or bookstores probably know that Laurell K. Hamilton is best-known for her tales of vampires and other supernatural evil.  When I saw that she had written a Star Trek novel, I was a bit doubtful; yet, not only was the writing spectacular, but it avoided the offensive pitfalls--overuse of profanity and sexual innuendos--that often plague Trek novels.  If only she had written some more!
	8. The Savannah Series by Denise Hildreth (Jones): Savannah Grace Phillips is officially my literary crush.  Seriously, she is a spunky, no-nonsense heroine who has many great qualities, but also her own set of flaws.  She also loves to write--she works for a newspaper--and loves to read, and has an addiction to Coca-Colas from McDonald's.  The final book in the trilogy wasn't as good, but I loved the first two.
	9. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers: I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by this series at first.  Though the story was riveting and the writing was amazing, the violence seemed a bit intense.  Still, as I stuck with it, it ended up getting better and better; I'm glad I took Rebecca St. James' recommendation in a June 2001 issue of CCM Magazine.
	10. The Bowers Files series by Steven James: I randomly bought the first two Bowers novels at a thrift store, knowing only that they were Christian fiction.  Upon opening the first one, The Pawn, I was swept into a web of thrilling mystery and suspense that just would not let me go.  The last book, The Queen, was easily the worst, but it was still halfway decent.  According to Christianbook.com, Mr. James has a new book in the series out; I have yet to get my hands on it, but I'm sure it'll be great.

Siobhan's Six WORST Books of 2012

	1. The Cheetah Girls: No. 1: Wishing on a Star by Deborah Gregory: This series may have been made into a set of Disney Channel Original Movies, but the first book alone was an utter travesty, and that's coming from someone who usually likes "young adult" literature.  The writing and content were altogether terrible.
	2. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving: Supposedly a quasi-Christian novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany had too much offensive content, especially in the language department, to be enjoyable, and its length made it a chore to get through.  Popular opinion on this one is totally off, I feel.
	3. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse by Troy Denning: The last in the Fate of the Jedi series, Apocalypse should have been great.  However, the whole story was far-fetched, even for Lucas' works, and Mr. Denning's usual poor writing simply caused this one to be ruined.  Whatever happened to the days of the Thrawn and X-Wing books?
	4. The Omega Code by Paul Crouch: Between the strange formatting, the terrible story, and sub-par writing, this is nowhere close to being a masterpiece of Christian fiction; in fact, it makes people of my faith look bad.  One wonders why anyone would want to make this--and its sequel!--into a movie.
	5. Where Love Endures by Noreen Riols: Just like Apocalypse, this is the finale in a series; instead of a space opera, it ends the historical saga The House of Annanbrae, but not in a good way.  Plot threads are completely left hanging, to the point where I flipped back to see if any pages were missing in my library copy, and none were.  It was a wonderful series up to that point; why did Ms. Riols have to ruin it?
	6. The Spear of Tyranny by Grant Jeffery and Angela Hunt: Another series finale, this one ends an end-times thriller that started off crackingly good, but Spear of Tyranny made it finish with a whimper.  Between the gratuitous violence, the awkward dialogue--seriously, a woman calling her spouse "husband"? Who does that?--and pretty much everything else, Mr. Jeffery and Mrs. Hunt really "jumped the shark" with this one.

Best and Worst of 2012: Movies

DISCLAIMER: These are the best and worst movies that I saw for the first time in 2012, not necessarily ones released this year.

Siobhan's Ten Best Movies of 2012

	1. October Baby: I stumbled upon this movie on sale for a super-low price at my local MovieStop, and was blown away by how wonderful it was.  The acting, the message, the story, the production values...everything was simply amazing.  Even if you've been turned off by previous Christian movies, you should definitely see this one.
	2. The Avengers (2012): The superhero movie that everyone was talking about this year!  In this case, I believe that popular opinion was right; Joss Whedon's multiple-hero masterpiece is a winner for sure.  Any Marvel comic fan needs to see this, ASAP.
	3. The Witches of Oz: Some may scoff, but this movie drew me in, and kept me up past midnight watching it just to see what happened next.  Sure, the special effects may have been hokey, and the acting failed at times, but good entertainment keeps you glued until the end, and that's what this flick did.
	4. That Thing You Do!: This was a bit of a surprise; I had heard it was great, but I still had my doubts.  However, watching it--on VHS, no less!--made me a huge fan.  The music, acting, story, and everything were quite good.  I did have a slight quibble with the ending and some of the language, but is any film truly perfect?
	5. Spy Kids: I purposefully avoided this and its sequels when they first came out, just because I didn't care for Alexa Vega for reasons that are currently unclear.  Still, to expand my horizons a bit, I tried it out, and I ended up really liking it.  The special effects may have been a bit cheesy, but the action and suspense were spot-on.  Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, which I watched soon after, deserves an "honorable mention" on this list.
	6. John Carter: Okay, so, this movie was a flop, but I liked it anyway.  It had a killer story, and was pretty much an enjoyable, popcorn-munching flick.  If it had been a success, I'm sure there would be news of a sequel by now; unfortunately, movie-watchers completely missed the boat by not giving this a go.
	7. Courageous: The latest from the Kendrick brothers, Courageous is a bit harder-edged than Fireproof and Facing the Giants, but the morality and messages are still spot-on.  I can't recommend this for children due to the themes, but teens and adults will likely love it.
	8. The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster: Luke Skywalker playing a villain? You can laugh if you want, but Mark Hamill gives a killer performance as The Flash's maniacal nemesis The Trickster, who is every bit as creepy and crazy as the infamous Joker.  The first Flash movie had some serious content problems--sex and profanity--and, therefore, can't be recommended, but this sequel blew me away.
	9. In the Beginning...: A well-made, Biblically-inspired, respectful drama, this movie starts with the creation and goes through the highlights of Genesis--Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his coat, etc.--and ends with Israel's Exodus.  Everything about it was quite impressive, and it's easily one of the best Bible movies I've seen; I think only The Gospel of John or The Visual Bible: Matthew even come close.
	10. Captain America: The First Avenger: A prequel to this year's The Avengers, Captain America features an honorable, old-school hero, and the film has an overall retro charm.  Though you don't have to see this to understand The Avengers, it's still enjoyable cinema nonetheless.

Siobhan's Five WORST Movies of 2012

	1. C Me Dance: What was supposed to be an uplifting and thought-provoking Christian flick ended up being a terribly produced, incomprehensible piece of cinema.  With a dumb plot, poor acting, bad special effects, a badly made DVD, and a scene with a preacher uttering a profanity, C Me Dance was something no one would want to "C".
	2. The Black Hole: What a disappointment this one was.  As a kid, I had an easy reader book based on this movie, and I had always believed that it was supposed to be a classic.  Though the sets were elaborate and the plot was decent, sub-par acting, a completely confusing ending, an overly long opening sequence, and the most annoying soundtrack I've ever heard completely ruined this for me.
	3. Girl in Progress: I don't usually watch "PG-13" flicks unless they fall into the genre of science fiction or fantasy, including superhero movies, or are Christian-produced, but this one was approved for ages twelve-plus by the Dove Foundation, so, I checked it out anyway.  Though it had some good points, the content was rather offensive, and I wouldn't recommend it to a preteen or young teen friend, and I doubt most adults would care for it, either.
	4. The Journey of Natty Gann: The name Disney has become synonymous with family-friendliness; when a movie doesn't have any profane language, reviewers call it "Disney clean," whether it was made by the House of Mouse or not.  Unfortunately, The Journey of Natty Gann may be Disney, but it is not "Disney clean".  Profanity throughout, some violence and scary content, and even a scene with a child molester made this simply unenjoyable.  It's no surprise that it's nowhere near as well-known other old-school Mouse flicks, such as Beauty and the Beast and 101 Dalmatians.
	5. The Avengers (1997): It's funny how there would be one movie on both lists with the same title, but these are totally different movies.  While this year's The Avengers may be based on Marvel's comics, the one on this list is based on a classic British television programme.  Though the flick started with some interesting visuals, it became rather terrible as it went on, and proved to be largely a waste of time.  I don't think even big-time Anglophiles would like it.

What Do I Want For Christmas?

Most people know Elmo Shropshire, aka Dr. Elmo or half of Elmo and Patsy, for his mega-successful, counter-culture holiday hit "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer," which continues to get airplay every Christmas season, and even had an animated special based on it that has been shown on both Cartoon Network and Kids' WB.  Shropshire may be quite the "one-hit wonder," but he has some other songs that, though they are little-known, are actually quite humorous.  Not only does his one hit have two sequels, "Grandma's Spending Christmas With the Superstars" and "Grandpa's Gonna Sue the Pants Off of Santa," but, in my opinion, his best song--that I know of, at least--is "Santa Ain't Comin'".  It starts off with Dr. Elmo, as Saint Nick, saying, "Listen up now, kiddies! Yo, it's Santa here, and, no, I won't be coming down your chim-en-ies this year! The elves and Mrs. Claus and I have almost given up! It seems we just can't satisfy your need for all that stuff! No matter what I bring you, it's never quite enough!" Then, a chorus of kids begins saying, "Gimme, gimme, gimme; I want, I want! Mmm-mm, mmm-mm; more expensive! Na, na, na, na; oh, please, Santa?" Throughout the song, the jolly old elf expresses his frustration with the greedy young people of the world, with quips such as, "I've had it up to here!", and "All this wantin' and this wishin's just a big pain in the neck!"
I'm pretty sure Dr. Elmo, who writes his own songs, penned that track to make fun of materialism, especially in young people.  Unfortunately, it seems to be a growing problem, especially around the holidays.  I used to have a big problem with it; almost every time I got my hands on a catalog from pretty much anywhere--the Warner Brothers Studio Store, Humongous Entertainment, even a school supply catalog my mom got just because she was a school nurse--I'd immediately start nagging my mom and others to buy it for me.  Some of the items were ones that I really didn't have any use for; when I was a Cub Scout, I got a Scouting supply catalog with a poster titled "The Merits of Scouting," which had every merit badge you could earn as a Boy Scout, and I wanted it, even though I had no plans to progress past Cub Scouting...so, why would I need it?  Even without a catalog, I still begged and prodded others for what I didn't have; I drove my mom crazy with my repeated requests to have a larger collection of Beanie Babies than my friends had.  She gave me two chances to work for them--one by doing household chores, the other by running laps around our backyard to better my physical fitness--and they never went anywhere, because I was too lazy to stick to them.  I just expected everything to be handed to me; why did I need to earn it?  As you can imagine, I loved this time of year back then, only because that was when I got what I wanted.  My birthday is February 10, only 1.5 months after Christmas, so I got a double whammy of gifts in a short period of time.  Sometimes I got what I asked for; other times, I didn't.  I always had a "Gimme, gimme, gimme; I want, I want" attitude, but, this time of year was when it got even worse.
However, things have changed since then.  Not only have I matured, but I'm an adult with a job, which means that I can--and do--work for what I want.  It's true that most of what I've obtained over the past year has been bought used and/or on the cheap, including at yard sales, thrift stores, and similar places, but I still had to earn the money to purchase it somehow, and I couldn't have done it without being gainfully employed.  I'll admit that I did make a Christmas list this year, but, to be frank, there is nothing on it that I absolutely have to have under the tree by December 25.  If I don't get it, I'll just see if I can find a good deal on it after the holidays, if I even do that.
So, to answer the question in the title: What do I want for Christmas? A date with Victoria Justice.  I'm kidding, people! Seriously, though, I'm content with what I have: a large media library, a slew of technological devices such as Victoria the iMac and Danielle the iPod Touch, and, more importantly, a bunch of friends and a family who are constantly looking out for me and helping me out.  As the Westlife song says, "What I want is what I've got."  Sure, I may be sans relationship and still living with my parents, but sitting there pining for what I want but don't have is very childish.  Despite what the media would have you believe, if you can be content with what and who you already have, then you will have a truly Merry Christmas.
Any comments?

The "Lizzie" to My "Gordo"

A few months back, I composed a blog post discussing a potential relationship being similar to what was shown in the classic television show Mork & Mindy; a guy--well, sort of--who didn't get the ways of this planet found a mate in a loving female friend who could tell him what was really going on.  If you go even further back in the archives of this blog, you can find "How 'Lizzie McGuire' Changed My Life," where I talked about the lasting impact that Hilary Duff's landmark sitcom's continues to have on me, years after the fact.  Back when I was a die-hard Hilary Duff fan, it was next to impossible for me to discuss Lizzie McGuire without beginning to gush about how "hot" Hilary and her co-star Lalaine were.  It was inappropriate for me to talk about any human female, even a celebrity, in such a way in the first place; however, I had a connection to the show that had nothing to do with Lizzie or Miranda's good looks.
What was it? Well, if you are or were a fan of Lizzie McGuire, think about the character of Gordo.  Yes, I know he and Lizzie eventually became "an item"; that's not my point here.  When you really think about it, that David Zephyr Gordon (that was his character's full name; "Gordo" was just a nickname) was quite different than those around him.  Instead of falling prey to the trends and mentality of junior high, he mocked them; he was pretty much who he wanted to be, not what "everyone else" wanted him to be.  In fact, Gordo was so contrary to popular trends that, in the "Come Fly With Me" episode, he started a trend of wearing retro clothing, and was so upset with it that he started flying model airplanes, which he didn't even truly enjoy, just so he could wash his hands of the new fad, only because it was popular.
Despite his nonconformist attitude and lifestyle, Gordo had friends.  Well, okay, just two friends: Elizabeth Brooke "Lizzie" McGuire and Miranda Isabella Sanchez.  (It's an obvious sign of obsession when you can rattle off fictional characters' full names as easily as the days of the week, isn't it?) Yes, Gordo's two best friends were female, but they loved him.  Even though he was "different," Lizzie and Miranda never pushed him to "fit in" or "be like everyone else".  It's no surprise that Gordo started to fall in love with Lizzie; seriously, what guy wouldn't have fallen for a lady who was as sweet to him as Lizzie was?
What's my point here? Well, as someone who has always been considered a bit of an oddball and refused to subscribe to society's rules, I can identify with the character of Gordo.  I was mocking and defying the trends and mentality of my classmates before I even cared one whit about Lizzie McGuire, and I still do the same with my peers now; therefore, does it not make sense that a "Lizzie" is the kind of "life mate" I need? No, I'm not saying I want to marry Hilary Duff; she is already hitched and has a kid, so that wouldn't be possible anyway.  What I mean is: The kind of woman I need is the "best friend" kind, who will accept me for who I am, instead of constantly pressuring me to change my ways as so many people of both genders have always loved to do.
Unfortunately, though I have known plenty of "Lizzies" in recent years, there's almost always been some sort of impasse that keeps me from starting a relationship with them: if they're not taken--that is, engaged or married--then their religious beliefs are completely contrary to mine, they live too far away, or they're just simply uninterested in being more than friends.  So, will this "Gordo" ever find his "Lizzie"? One wonders.