Random Thoughts

It's been a while since I've really said anything of substance on this blog, so I figured I'd update it. I'll talk about some random topics, since I can't really elaborate on just one.
Most of my friends already know this, but, for those who don't, I have been volunteering at my local library. I had a job working at a convenience store, but I was let go from that quite suddenly. It's not likely the library will hire me anytime soon, but it's got nothing to do with anything I did. The library is just under a "hiring freeze" right now, so, even though I submitted an application months ago, there's little chance they'll call me. It's okay, though; volunteering keeps me busy, plus, I really didn't feel comfortable working at that convenience store anyway, since it was also a liquor store, and, right before I was let go, I turned 21.
While volunteering at the library, I've been checking out a lot of stuff. I realize now that a series I used to like (Clue, based on the board game) was full of conniving, hateful characters, which makes me not want to read another one of those books again. I've also reserved/checked out some movies, including Bride Wars and Hotel for Dogs shortly after their DVD releases. While the former was funny at times, the latter was just plain boring.
Also, thanks to the library, I have learned how great book sales are. Another library in a neighboring city always had books for sale in a special room. That's not the one I'm volunteering at, but the one I am volunteering at has something similar. In fact, today and yesterday, I bought a bunch of Star Trek books. I'm starting to get into Trek because of not only the recent movie, but also some of the "classic" ones, like Nemesis. I'm in the process of reading Star Trek: Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and it's really good. Any of them that I don't like or don't want to read again will go into our family's yard sale this fall.
Speaking of which, we did have a yard sale at my sister's house in May. We had it two Saturdays in a row, and we sold quite a bit of stuff. I sold a bunch of DVDs, including Star Wars: A New Hope (which I had two copies of,) and my Perfect Strangers season set. In fact, only two DVDs didn't sell, and I wasn't really expecting them to, either.
I have started using my laptop more, as well. I was using my Mac, but it's over five years old, and it's definitely showing. It can't even run the latest version of Flash. So, I switched to my laptop, which is where I am typing this from. I've only turned my Mac on twice in the past month. My dad set it up so that all our computers are online now, including his Dell, which he's had at our house for a while. I sometimes use his because it starts up faster, although doesn't like me doing that.
In a previous post, I talked about how I'd given up on ApologetiX. Well, I tried to sell my collection of their CDs in the aforementioned yard sale, and not one of them sold. Even our local used music store wouldn't accept them, nor any of the rest of my CCM CDs. I'll try to sell them again in our yard sale this fall, but, if they don't sell, I may just donate them to someone or somewhere. Who knows? Maybe I'll find someone who wants them all, and I'll let him/her have them! (Please, no offers to buy them unless you personally know me.)
It also seems like I've been meeting up with a lot of people from my past lately. In the past week, I have seen my sixth grade homeroom teacher, my fourth grade math teacher, and one of the teachers from my high school, all of which it'd been months if not years since I had last seen.
So, that's what's been going on lately. Any comments?

My Current Celebrity Crushes (The Remix)

So, most of you know that I have celebrity crushes. In fact, I posted pictures of mine months ago. However, I think it's time you knew all of them. I've added more since last summer, so, I'll do like I did last time and include pictures, their birthdate, what they're famous for, and why I like them. Remember that these are in no order, except for No. 1. Anyway, here we go:
1. Anne Hathaway

Born: November 12, 1982
Famous For: Princess Diaries duology, Get Smart, and many other movies
Why I Like Her: She's great-looking, and a wonderful actress. Watch one of her comedies, and see if you don't laugh.
2. Ashley Tisdale

Born: July 2, 1985
Famous For: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, High School Musical, Picture This
Why I Like Her: She is hilarious on Suite Life. Her comedic timing was perfect. Plus, I would date her character, seriously.
3. Scarlett Pomers

Born: November 28, 1988
Famous For: Reba, and, well, Reba.
Why I Like Her: Why would any guy not like her?
4. Amy Adams

Born: August 20. 1974
Famous For: Enchanted, Night at the Museum 2
Why I Like Her: Her portrayals of Princess Gisele and Amelia Earhart were classic.
5. Carly Smithson

Born: September 12, 1983
Famous For: Being one of the top contestants on Season 7 of American Idol
Why I Like Her: The woman can sing like nobody's business!
6. Alyson Michalka

Born: March 25, 1989
Famous For: Phil of the Future, being half of Aly & AJ, the upcoming Bandslam
Why I Like Her: She's darn cute, plus "Potential Breakup Song" is off the chain!
7. Allison Scagliotti-Smith

Born: September 21, 1990
Famous For: Read It and Weep, Drake and Josh
Why I Like Her: She's so funny as Mindy Crenshaw, she cracks me up every time.
8. Anneliese van der Pol

Born: September 23, 1984
Famous For: That's So Raven, and, well, That's So Raven.
Why I Like Her: She was hilarious as Chelsea Daniels, who was by far my favorite Raven character.
9. Anna Paquin

Born: July 24, 1982
Famous For: X-Men trilogy, The Piano
Why I Like Her: She was awesome as Rogue. How could anyone not like her?
10. Clemence Poesy

Born: November 30, 1982
Famous For: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, some French films
Why I Like Her: She was hot as Fleur Delacour. Enough said.
11. Danielle Panabaker

Born: September 19. 1987
Famous For: Sky High, Yours, Mine and Ours, Read it and Weep
Why I Like Her: She is a wonderful actress.
12. Demi Lovato

Born: August 20, 1992
Famous For: Camp Rock, Sonny With a Chance
Why I Like Her: She's amazingly attractive.
13. Emma Roberts

Born: February 10, 1991
Famous For: Unfabulous, Nancy Drew, Hotel for Dogs
Why I Like Her: Not only is she cute and talented, but we have the same birthday!
14. Emily Osment

Born: March 20, 1992
Famous For: Hannah Montana, Dadnapped
Why I Like Her: She's just plain cute!
15. Emma Watson

Born: April 15, 1990
Famous For: Harry Potter, and, well, Harry Potter.
Why I Like Her: Who doesn't like Hermione?
16. Katija Pevec

Born: March 1, 1988
Famous For: Yours, Mine, and Ours, Just for Kicks
Why I Like Her: She's cute!
17. Krystal Meyers

Born: July 31, 1988
Famous For: her Anticonformity message
Why I Like Her: She's got a great message, and she's attractive, too.
18. Rebecca St. James

Born: July 26, 1977
Famous For: her "Wait For Me" song, being a top-selling CCM artist
Why I Like Her: Why wouldn't I? I've liked her since I was a freshman in high school, before I even gave a flying wallenda about Miss Duff.
19. Zooey Deschanel

Born: January 17, 1980
Famous For: Elf, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, being half of She & Him
Why I Like Her: Those eyes make me melt. I'm sure you guys agree...right?

Christians and the Movie Industry

Most people I know enjoy a good movie. What makes a movie "good," though, is subjective. I think Spider-Man 2 is an awesome film, but there are some reviewers out there who think the film is a piece of schlock. Conversely, I thought Fellowship of the Ring and Napoleon Dynamite were garbage, but there were a lot of people out there who loved them. It's like the old saying: One man's trash is another man's treasure.
When it comes to Christians and movies, though, it gets dicey. Some Christians would argue that there are certain films that they shouldn't watch, while others will watch any flick, no matter what ratings or content advisories it has. Still others will refuse to watch a flick, no matter what the rating, just because of one or more of the actors, like those people who refuse to watch Finding Nemo because Ellen DeGeneres does the voice of Dory.
What do I think about it? Well, as those of you who know me very well know, I have never willingly watched an R-rated movie in my life, and I have no plans of doing so. I don't say that with disdain or shame; I say that with pride. Why are movies rated R, anyway? Nudity, sexual content, graphic violence, strong language, and/or drug material, all of which I hate. I would say it was probably because of how sheltered I was growing up. I mean, I didn't even know the f-word until I was 11.
However, am I going to say that no Christian should watch anything rated R? No way! Some Christians were probably not so sheltered growing up, especially those whose parents were not believers. I could say that sites such as Plugged In Online argue that no Christian should watch an R-rated film, but they also said that no Christian should watch X-Men or the first Scooby-Doo live-action movie, and those weren't even that bad. Some Christian critics say that movies (as well as games, books, TV shows and music) that depict graphic violence or sex encourage people, especially young people, to do as they see in the movie. However, I'm sure most of my guy friends have played first-person shooters, and they have no intention of going on a mass shooting spree. Yes, sure, some people (i.e., Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) supposedly got "inspired" to do as they saw in the game. However, I think their problem was that they didn't realize the difference between fantasy and reality, and now they're eternally paying the price for it. It took me a long time to realize what was real and what wasn't; I thought completely fictional things like The Magic School Bus were real…at the age of nine. (It's an autistic thing.) Besides which, it's not just M-rated games that are the problem. One of the teachers at my college told me that a kid somewhere in the US got in legal trouble for jumping on turtles, like Mario and Luigi do in Super Mario Bros. That kid obviously didn't realize that Mario games are fantasy, and not to be imitated. There are movies, games and TV shows of all ratings that could get you in trouble if you tried to imitate them. You have to realize something: they're not REAL! If you're over the age of 7, you should be able to realize that. If you're well past that age and can't, you're asking for it. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Any comments?

Read Like There's No Tomorrow

NOTE: If you have not heard the song I'm parodying, but would like to, check out this link: http://searchbeta.playlist.com/tracks#Dance%20Like%20There's%20No%20Tomorrow. Anyway, enjoy!
READ LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW
Parody of "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" by Paula Abdul

CHORUS:
All I wanna do is sit right here on this chair
Get lost in a book and read like there's no tomorrow
Don't care if it's late at night
Mom, please, don't turn out the light
All I wanna do is read like there's no tomorrow

Today just wasn't my day
Bullies trying to beat me up
I gotta find a way
To make my own self feel better
Reading books is the best
It's the coolest thing ever
I go to the library
And check out books by the dozen
I'm reading all the books I can find
Forgetting about my problems
I'll get involved
In the book's plot
H-here I go

REPEAT CHORUS

I'm loving this story here, this book is so well-written
The characters are so real, it really feels like non-fiction
Wonder if Hollywood will take this story and ruin it
They've done it so many times; let's hope not with this one
I'm reading all the books I can find
Gets my mind off my problems
I get so involved in each book's plot
H-here I go

REPEAT CHORUS

Please, Daddy, don't go turn the light out
'Cause I know what it means
And I don't want to put this book down
I'm still wondering if the hero will be all right
If I have to, I'll stay up all night

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE

Walden Media

If you've been watching a lot of recent films, you most likely have heard of Walden Media. They are a somewhat new company that produces family-friendly movies. Most of their productions are based on beloved children's books, such as Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Narnia series. I have seen quite a few of their films, and they have been decent at worst. Some of their films I wouldn't pay to watch, but would check out from the library.
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I pretty much watch nothing but family films. In fact, probably the most morally egregious film I've willingly watched from beginning to end was The Devil Wears Prada, and despite the fact that it has a very good point, I will never watch that movie again because of all the unnecessary content. So, as you might expect, I commend what Walden Media is doing. I realize they've made some box office flops, but the only movie studio that has never had a single flop is Pixar, and how many movies do they currently have to their name? Plus, some movies that flop at the box office are actually pretty good in my opinion. People hated The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising because it wasn't like the book. Well, guess what? I tried reading the book, and found it boring and uninteresting, so much so that I gave up on it. Yet, the movie was actually not half-bad. I'll wait to see what Walden Media comes up with next, but I'm pretty sure that I'll like it, no matter what the critics say.
Any comments?

Am I a nerd?

For years, I have thought of myself as a nerd. I've gotten various replies to saying that I am one, including concurrences, dissension, and people who thought I shouldn't label myself. There are various characteristics that make up being a nerd, some of which I've noticed myself and others that others have said about me.
One of the biggest reasons I say I'm a nerd is because of how smart everyone thinks I am. While I was never anywhere near the top of my class in high school, people have repeatedly said that I'm a smart person. While I disagree with them, it's apparent that popular opinion says that I'm brilliant. Why do they think so? Well, it's several things: my ability to recognize spelling errors almost every time I see them; my ability to use advanced words without even thinking about it, leaving others wondering what the heck I'm talking about; all the random trivia I'm able to spout about pretty much any popular topic aside from sports; and the fact that I've gotten high scores on most standardized tests, including the highest possible score on a writing one in both middle and high school.
Another reason is because of my interests. Most of the time, what I was into was not popular with my peers. (The only exception I remember was when I was into Pokémon like every other kid my age back in 1999.) In high school, most of my friends watched MTV and network prime time shows. However, I spent most of my time praising Disney Channel's sitcoms. I also read some books that I wasn't required to read in high school, and a lot of people my age hate reading, even now, and especially the guys. My interest in sci-fi/fantasy and superhero films/books/etc., how much time I spend in front of a computer (read: on Facebook,) and the fact that I have no interest in going out and partying all night proves my point even further.
Now, despite the fact that I'm a nerd, I would not say that all or even most of my friends are the same way. Most of my friends play or have played sports in some form other than in a video game; they go out and do things with people at least sometimes; they don't spend too much time in front of a computer except for when required; and they don't obsess over anything, much less television shows or celebrities. Some of my friends do have somewhat nerdy tendencies (such as Jake's obsession with the military, Matthew's addiction to video games, Kate's fascination with weather, Bob's love for programming, Robert's craziness for anime, and Emily having read a lot of the Star Wars books); however, I still don't think any of them are anywhere near as nerdy as I am.
Of course, this is up to you to discuss, so I will ask you: Do you think I am a nerd? Why or why not? Do you know any other nerds? If I mentioned you in that list of friends, do you consider yourself a nerd, or no? Why or why not? Let me know the answers!

Parody Ideas: Which do YOU want to see?

So, I've been in the parody "business" for quite a while. Normally, it's just a way to get my feelings out, and they usually don't mean anything to anyone who doesn't know me. So, I want to ask you all, my friends, about which song you would rather see parodied. Here are some choices:
• "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly and AJ (I was thinking of turning it into "The 'Why Don't You Shut Up?' Song")
• "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" by Paula Abdul (I was considering making it about something online, i.e., "Blog Like There's No Tomorrow")
• "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi (One option for that is "You Give God a Bad Name")
• "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" by Gym Class Heroes (?)
• Any other suggestions you may have are appreciated.