Checklist before leaving for Thanksgiving Break:
1. Turn in lab report. (Check!)
2. Turn in reading response. (Check!)
3. Clean room. (Check!)
4. Pack. (Check!...sort of)
5. Say good-bye to Mishka and the Hottest Suitemates (Check!)
6. TURN EIGHTEEN! (CHECKCHECKCHECK!)
I had an AMAZING birthday! My parents came up and gave me like a thousand cupcakes to distribute to my friends and MPA classmates. I felt like a cupcake fairy all day! "Here...have one! They're yummy! They make everything better!" My mom makes a MEAN cupcake! ;)
I went to dinner tonight with my roommate and mom, we hung out in a hotel room with my dad and watched Pirates of the Caribbean, then us girls went to the mall and chilled for a while, and THEN I came back and walked around the cold (but very, VERY beautiful) Interlochen campus before coming back and helping clean up the lobby...fun times!
The Present Log for today: iTunes gift card and AmEx gift card (from my parents), colored pencils (from my awesomealistic roommate), Betsey Johnson necklace and matching bracelet (from my mom), Michael Jackson DVD (also from my mom).
Best moments of today: Mr. Nadji (Mr. Physics Teacher) giving me an animal cracker with a candle on top of it so I could make a birthday wish; entire MPA major singing happy birthday to me; dude I have a crush on literally RUNNING to me to give me a hug and wish me happy birthday; talking to Dad about the patheticness of sequels; CUPCAKES; huggles and birthday wishes from my best friends; collecting soooo much stolen dialogue; SEEING MY PARENTS; hanging out in the library with Mishka, Gus, and Ellie.
NANO UPDATE
Well, NaNo is going splendidly crappily. My plot changed (AGAIN), and between lovely college apps and homework it's looking very unlikely I will get 50,000 words by December. That said I will NOT give up on my novel, I love it. I just don't think I am going to win the NaNo this year. Maybe next year, I'll be able to do it since I'll already be IN college and won't have to apply anywhere.
I'll have a better post next time, I swear.
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"I want my boyfriend to look like Hugh Jackman!"
Person one: Shall we count the number of times you used the F-word in that sentence?
Person two: No, Avery, we shall not.
Person one: No one's told you about Holiday Dinner?
Person two: No...
Person one: You are sadly uninformed.
Person one: Can you come over?
Person two: Yeah.
Person one: I'm warning you, I just had a Chem test. I'm going to be annoyed. I'm going to be an asshole.
Person two: I can be there in ten minutes.
Person one (quoting a comedian): Cocker poodle: Half poodle, half cocker spaniel, all bad idea.
Person two: Michael Jackson Fanfiction: Half Michael Jackson, half fanfiction, all bad idea.
Person three: Wait, there's MICHAEL JACKSON fanfiction? Isn't that blasphemy?
"Speaking of gay, are you free tonight? Wait, that came out wrong..."
Person one: One day, you need to politely tell your parents to bugger off.
Person two: I can't even tell YOU to bugger off, how can I tell that to my parents?
Person one: I'm just persuasive.
Person one: I'm going to be blunt...no, I'm not.
Person two: Oh, come on, be blunt, I'm used to it.
Person one: You are not! When am I blunt?
Person two: When are you NOT blunt?
Person one: Give me concrete examples!
Person two: "Direct me to the ass which needs kicking..."
Person one: That wasn't blunt.
Person two: "Tell your parents to bugger off..."
Person one: Okay, that WAS blunt.
Person one: He is as queer as a three-dollar bill.
Person two: I had a dream once that those existed!
Person one: Muchos nachos, muchacha! (Much nachos, woman!)
Person two: I should put you on speaker, so Liz can hear you speaking Spanish.
Person three: Oh, she speaks Spanish?
Person two: In the very loosest sense.
Person one: He was very confused about his sexuality last year.
Person two: That, and he wanted a snog.
Person one: So I was talking to Connor--
Person two: Ooh, he's a hunksicle!
Person one: What? No! He's, like, a cross between a teddy bear and an older brother!
Person two: No, he's a hunksicle!
Person one: No! A hunksicle would indicate that he's very good-looking and very cold!
Person two: He IS good-looking!
Person one: But he's warm! I hugged him earlier!
Person two: Oooooh!
Person one: Are you going to do this with every guy I mention?
Person two: Yes!
Person one: Gustavo! [name of gay dude]
Person two: [shuts up]
"There are more gay dudes here than pencil sharpeners!"
Person one: So I got called down to the desk and the counselor was like, "Your mom called, she said to make sure you work on your college applications today." SHOOT ME NOW.
Person two: Dear God in heaven...your mother needs a freaking house in Jamaica, with a lifetime supply of martinis...and maybe some Valium.
Person one: Agreed! WHYYYYY? Why does she do this to me?
Person two: Because she is in desperate need of either relaxation or a kick in the arse.
Person one. Or both.
Person two: That too.
Person one: I know I'm reasonably smart, but whenever I'm around you guys or Harry I feel exponentially less intelligent.
Person two: Was that a compliment?
Person three: Yeah, she was saying we're smart!
Person one: Uh, you guys ARE smart.
Person three: I don't know...after those auditions today, I feel like those actors think I'm the dumbest motherf**ker that ever lived!
NEXT UP: Thanksgiving Break! There WILL be a series post on this...I SWEAR. I don't know exactly how or what yet, but it WILL happen.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
If you like it then you should've...well...you know
With NaNo at a standstill (CURSE YOU, COLLEGE APPS) and a few people threatening to hang me upside-down by the laces of my saddle shoes in Fine Arts if I do ONE MORE POST concerning he-whom-I-allegedly-worship (I'll give you a hint: it's the dude who sings "Thriller"), I've decided to be happily controversial for one post (no, this has nothing to do with The Godfather, thankyouverymuch).
When I was younger, I attended the annual Daddy-Daughter Dances in my hometown at our local ballroom. Usually these were held on or around Valentine's Day, and were marketed mainly towards girls younger than ten (except being me, I was eleven years old the last time I went to one, but whatever). They played the dorkiest music imaginable--and I'm not talking Britney Spears dorky, I'm talking chicken-dance dorky--served food that, more often than not, I refused to eat, and usually ended with worn-out dads carrying sleepy daughters to the car after three or four hours of dancing, squealing, and playing varied games of hide-and-seek in the massive ballroom (hey, it SEEMED massive to a six-year-old).
I can't even remember how many of these I went to with my dad. I remember this was a HUGE deal to me. Since I was homeschooled until I was fifteen, I didn't have school Valentine's Day parties, exchange cards with friends (not often, anyway), or really do much on V-Day besides eat chocolate and go to these dances with my dad. Added to this I LOVE spending time with my parents (yes, STILL) and this was just a really, extra-special way for me to bond with my dad.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like this was the ONLY time I spent with him. We took Tae Kwon Do classes together, we went to the park, we trick-or-treated--hell, we even played Barbies (against his better judgment, he says) until I went off to boarding school. But there's something magical for a little girl about dressing up and going somewhere special, where she feels like a guest of honor, and that's just how these dances made me feel. I got to wear pretty dresses, have Mom do my hair, dance with my dad--which we did at home, too, but here it was on a proper dance floor so it was even MORE special--and go to a fancy ballroom, and for a little girl, especially a girly-girl like me, this was one hell of a treat.
Just recently I heard about a different kind of daddy-daughter dance that made me roll on the floor laughing, and then stop and do some serious thinking.
Two words: Purity ball.
I'm not kidding, there is actually a thing called the Father-Daughter Purity Ball, and it actually is held, from what I can tell, annually. That means EVERY YEAR, dads take their daughters to a formal dance--daughters ranging in age from preschool to college-age--and sign a pledge swearing to protect their daughters' "purity" (a.k.a., make sure they don't have sex or do anything else "improper") until the daughters are married. But wait, there's more: Often the dads bestow upon their daughters a piece of jewelry, usually a ring or a charm necklace, that symbolizes the daughters' promise not to have premarital sex.
Wow.
I will say, right now, that I have nothing against waiting for marriage. I have nothing against father-daughter bonding (and, if you think I do, I suggest you go back and read the beginning of the post). I have nothing against celebrating your beliefs. I am not saying "Purity balls suck and whoever participates in them deserves to be laughed at, tarred and feathered!"
What I am saying is that if my dad took me to a dance when I was four years old, gave me a ring, and said, "I'm going to protect your virginity until you're married," I would've looked at him and said, "Whaaaat?"
A key point of these dances is that if a girl's dad cares about her and shows her that, she's going to feel more valued and not feel the need to go out and screw anything that walks. Well, great! That's good. I agree with that. Showing your daughter that you value her is a good thing. Encouraging your daughter to wait to have sex is a good thing. Bonding with your daughter is a good thing. I definitely understand that, I definitely agree with all of that.
What I can't get my head around, though, is why these dances don't teach girls to value and protect themselves, instead of relying on their fathers to do everything for them.
One of the most important things my parents taught me was that it's important to know how to think for yourself. Sounds like a big fat DUH, right? Yeah, that's what I thought...until I started meeting kids my age who parroted their parents' beliefs as if they were their own, saying things about politicians, religion, and teachers that I KNEW they hadn't come up with themselves.
When I discussed this with my mom, I brought up the purity balls and we briefly argued about whether they were okay or not. I said that I didn't think they were completely ridiculous, and she disagreed. I said, "Do you think I'm wrong about what I said about it being a good thing to encourage your daughter to value herself, wait for sex, and bond with her parents? Because you know, that's what you guys did for me, and look how well it worked!" (No, that was NOT sucking up, I swear!)
When I told her that, my mom said, "Oh well, now that you put it that way--I think the best thing a parent can do for their child is to help them understand they have worth. I also think it is important for parents to teach their children to be able to think for themselves, but still be able to understand the consequences involved with decisions."
BAM. Score one for Mom.
I was taught to think for myself. I was not taken to a formal dance in kindergarten, given a ring, and made to look on while my dad signed a pledge to keep me a virgin until my wedding night. I was not told that I would only be a good girl if I waited for marriage. Instead of being told, "Regardless of how you feel for someone, you can NEVER have sex until you're married," I was told, "Wait to do this until you are emotionally and mentally ready," and that's exactly what I've done.
Nobody misunderstand me -- I don't think purity rings are ridiculous (well, in some cases they are...but that's more dependent on the person wearing one than on the ring itself). I don't think that purity balls should be against the law (although I know plenty of people who do). I don't think it's wrong for a dad to want to protect his daughter (if I did, I would be in pretty big trouble right about now). And I don't think it's wrong to show that you believe in something (hence my assertion that purity rings and purity balls are NOT the root of all sexism).
I do think that people have the right to choose. Given the right to choose, I think I made the right choice--and no one had to give me a ring, no one had to take me to a ball, no one had to sign a pledge on my behalf. And hey, has anyone else heard the alarming statistics that kids who are talked into virginity pledges are actually MORE likely to get pregnant or get icky STDs, because they're LESS likely to be prepared if (or when) they actually break that pledge? Hmm...anyone else think that's a bad sign?
When it comes to this kind of thing, I always think of something I heard last year at a Unitarian church: "Don't worry, kids...here, there's no preaching, just teaching."
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"I won over your mother by discussing glowing animals?"
Person one: Do you know what Pansexual means?
Person two: Yeah, that's when you do it in the kitchen.
Person one: Why did you just throw a bat down my bra?
Person two: I was playing 'boobsketball!'
Person one: I have to take an online Physics quiz.
Person two: What's the topic?
Person one: Newton's Laws, light, and motion.
Person two: I know all about Newton...two sleeves of Newtons is a serving size. Hmm...what do we know about light? We need it on in the bathroom at night so we don't stub our toes. And let's think about what we know about motion--it causes sickness! There, I just did your homework for you!
Person one: I'm just obsessed with serial killers right now!
Person two: Well NOW I feel safe having you as a roommate...
"I don't know what to do...HE WANTS ME TO SNORT A PIXY STICK!"
Person one: Being in MPA block just gives me access to the weirdest conversations in the world...
Person two: I feel like you haven't polled everyone in the world.
"I don't want to look like Wolverine!"
Person one: I think I just needed to veg out today. Tomorrow I'll actually get something done.
Person two: I would at least get started on something today. Otherwise, you will find a reason not to do anything tomorrow. I know that is how I am. I have to do at least something, anything, when I am overwhelmed with work. Maybe just take a good long look at the assignment.
Person two: I looked at it. I thought about doing it. Then I went and watched Pirates of the Caribbean.
Person one: What do you want for your birthday?
Person two [sees video online]: Ooh...Michael Jackson!
Person one: You want Michael Jackson for your birthday?
Person two [sarcastic]: Yeah, go and find his corpse and bring it back to me.
Person one: Well, I think it's probably at Neverland Ranch...
Person one: Wow...you're good with that waffle-maker! I mean, I already knew you could cook, but...
Person two: Well, last year I had a waffle for breakfast every day.
Person one: Oh, so you've perfected your waffle-making technique.
Person two [British accent]: I've got it down to a bloody science!
Person one: When you get home, we're gonna party!
Person two: Will it involve ecstasy, clowns, and balloon animals?
Person one: Uh, no, I think we'll stay away from those things.
"When I turn eighteen, the first thing I'm going to do will be to rush to a store, buy a package of cigarettes, and yell 'IN YOUR FACE' to the cashier...and then I'm going to throw them in the trash on the way home because I don't smoke and they're not allowed on campus."
DRAMATIC IRONY (sort of): I just looked back at a past post, which discussed ideas for my thesis. In this post I said, "I want to make a period piece or something involving ghosts." The irony is that my film is neither a period piece nor involves ghosts. Epic fail? I hope not...
When I was younger, I attended the annual Daddy-Daughter Dances in my hometown at our local ballroom. Usually these were held on or around Valentine's Day, and were marketed mainly towards girls younger than ten (except being me, I was eleven years old the last time I went to one, but whatever). They played the dorkiest music imaginable--and I'm not talking Britney Spears dorky, I'm talking chicken-dance dorky--served food that, more often than not, I refused to eat, and usually ended with worn-out dads carrying sleepy daughters to the car after three or four hours of dancing, squealing, and playing varied games of hide-and-seek in the massive ballroom (hey, it SEEMED massive to a six-year-old).
I can't even remember how many of these I went to with my dad. I remember this was a HUGE deal to me. Since I was homeschooled until I was fifteen, I didn't have school Valentine's Day parties, exchange cards with friends (not often, anyway), or really do much on V-Day besides eat chocolate and go to these dances with my dad. Added to this I LOVE spending time with my parents (yes, STILL) and this was just a really, extra-special way for me to bond with my dad.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like this was the ONLY time I spent with him. We took Tae Kwon Do classes together, we went to the park, we trick-or-treated--hell, we even played Barbies (against his better judgment, he says) until I went off to boarding school. But there's something magical for a little girl about dressing up and going somewhere special, where she feels like a guest of honor, and that's just how these dances made me feel. I got to wear pretty dresses, have Mom do my hair, dance with my dad--which we did at home, too, but here it was on a proper dance floor so it was even MORE special--and go to a fancy ballroom, and for a little girl, especially a girly-girl like me, this was one hell of a treat.
Just recently I heard about a different kind of daddy-daughter dance that made me roll on the floor laughing, and then stop and do some serious thinking.
Two words: Purity ball.
I'm not kidding, there is actually a thing called the Father-Daughter Purity Ball, and it actually is held, from what I can tell, annually. That means EVERY YEAR, dads take their daughters to a formal dance--daughters ranging in age from preschool to college-age--and sign a pledge swearing to protect their daughters' "purity" (a.k.a., make sure they don't have sex or do anything else "improper") until the daughters are married. But wait, there's more: Often the dads bestow upon their daughters a piece of jewelry, usually a ring or a charm necklace, that symbolizes the daughters' promise not to have premarital sex.
Wow.
I will say, right now, that I have nothing against waiting for marriage. I have nothing against father-daughter bonding (and, if you think I do, I suggest you go back and read the beginning of the post). I have nothing against celebrating your beliefs. I am not saying "Purity balls suck and whoever participates in them deserves to be laughed at, tarred and feathered!"
What I am saying is that if my dad took me to a dance when I was four years old, gave me a ring, and said, "I'm going to protect your virginity until you're married," I would've looked at him and said, "Whaaaat?"
A key point of these dances is that if a girl's dad cares about her and shows her that, she's going to feel more valued and not feel the need to go out and screw anything that walks. Well, great! That's good. I agree with that. Showing your daughter that you value her is a good thing. Encouraging your daughter to wait to have sex is a good thing. Bonding with your daughter is a good thing. I definitely understand that, I definitely agree with all of that.
What I can't get my head around, though, is why these dances don't teach girls to value and protect themselves, instead of relying on their fathers to do everything for them.
One of the most important things my parents taught me was that it's important to know how to think for yourself. Sounds like a big fat DUH, right? Yeah, that's what I thought...until I started meeting kids my age who parroted their parents' beliefs as if they were their own, saying things about politicians, religion, and teachers that I KNEW they hadn't come up with themselves.
When I discussed this with my mom, I brought up the purity balls and we briefly argued about whether they were okay or not. I said that I didn't think they were completely ridiculous, and she disagreed. I said, "Do you think I'm wrong about what I said about it being a good thing to encourage your daughter to value herself, wait for sex, and bond with her parents? Because you know, that's what you guys did for me, and look how well it worked!" (No, that was NOT sucking up, I swear!)
When I told her that, my mom said, "Oh well, now that you put it that way--I think the best thing a parent can do for their child is to help them understand they have worth. I also think it is important for parents to teach their children to be able to think for themselves, but still be able to understand the consequences involved with decisions."
BAM. Score one for Mom.
I was taught to think for myself. I was not taken to a formal dance in kindergarten, given a ring, and made to look on while my dad signed a pledge to keep me a virgin until my wedding night. I was not told that I would only be a good girl if I waited for marriage. Instead of being told, "Regardless of how you feel for someone, you can NEVER have sex until you're married," I was told, "Wait to do this until you are emotionally and mentally ready," and that's exactly what I've done.
Nobody misunderstand me -- I don't think purity rings are ridiculous (well, in some cases they are...but that's more dependent on the person wearing one than on the ring itself). I don't think that purity balls should be against the law (although I know plenty of people who do). I don't think it's wrong for a dad to want to protect his daughter (if I did, I would be in pretty big trouble right about now). And I don't think it's wrong to show that you believe in something (hence my assertion that purity rings and purity balls are NOT the root of all sexism).
I do think that people have the right to choose. Given the right to choose, I think I made the right choice--and no one had to give me a ring, no one had to take me to a ball, no one had to sign a pledge on my behalf. And hey, has anyone else heard the alarming statistics that kids who are talked into virginity pledges are actually MORE likely to get pregnant or get icky STDs, because they're LESS likely to be prepared if (or when) they actually break that pledge? Hmm...anyone else think that's a bad sign?
When it comes to this kind of thing, I always think of something I heard last year at a Unitarian church: "Don't worry, kids...here, there's no preaching, just teaching."
STOLEN DIALOGUE:
"I won over your mother by discussing glowing animals?"
Person one: Do you know what Pansexual means?
Person two: Yeah, that's when you do it in the kitchen.
Person one: Why did you just throw a bat down my bra?
Person two: I was playing 'boobsketball!'
Person one: I have to take an online Physics quiz.
Person two: What's the topic?
Person one: Newton's Laws, light, and motion.
Person two: I know all about Newton...two sleeves of Newtons is a serving size. Hmm...what do we know about light? We need it on in the bathroom at night so we don't stub our toes. And let's think about what we know about motion--it causes sickness! There, I just did your homework for you!
Person one: I'm just obsessed with serial killers right now!
Person two: Well NOW I feel safe having you as a roommate...
"I don't know what to do...HE WANTS ME TO SNORT A PIXY STICK!"
Person one: Being in MPA block just gives me access to the weirdest conversations in the world...
Person two: I feel like you haven't polled everyone in the world.
"I don't want to look like Wolverine!"
Person one: I think I just needed to veg out today. Tomorrow I'll actually get something done.
Person two: I would at least get started on something today. Otherwise, you will find a reason not to do anything tomorrow. I know that is how I am. I have to do at least something, anything, when I am overwhelmed with work. Maybe just take a good long look at the assignment.
Person two: I looked at it. I thought about doing it. Then I went and watched Pirates of the Caribbean.
Person one: What do you want for your birthday?
Person two [sees video online]: Ooh...Michael Jackson!
Person one: You want Michael Jackson for your birthday?
Person two [sarcastic]: Yeah, go and find his corpse and bring it back to me.
Person one: Well, I think it's probably at Neverland Ranch...
Person one: Wow...you're good with that waffle-maker! I mean, I already knew you could cook, but...
Person two: Well, last year I had a waffle for breakfast every day.
Person one: Oh, so you've perfected your waffle-making technique.
Person two [British accent]: I've got it down to a bloody science!
Person one: When you get home, we're gonna party!
Person two: Will it involve ecstasy, clowns, and balloon animals?
Person one: Uh, no, I think we'll stay away from those things.
"When I turn eighteen, the first thing I'm going to do will be to rush to a store, buy a package of cigarettes, and yell 'IN YOUR FACE' to the cashier...and then I'm going to throw them in the trash on the way home because I don't smoke and they're not allowed on campus."
DRAMATIC IRONY (sort of): I just looked back at a past post, which discussed ideas for my thesis. In this post I said, "I want to make a period piece or something involving ghosts." The irony is that my film is neither a period piece nor involves ghosts. Epic fail? I hope not...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Blogging NaNoWriMo: Part One
I'm not even going to comment on my October Fail. I will just say this: It's better than March of last year. And in my defense, I was working on college apps. SO THERE.
That said, there will be a LOT more blogging in November, because 1) I'm almost done with apps, and 2) it is NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH, and it's my first time doing it, so I'm going to have a blast with this.
The "official" rules of NaNoWriMo:
1. Start your novel at the beginning of November (optionally, at midnight on Halloween)
2. Get 50,000 words by the end of November
3. Don't steal any ideas from published authors or your fellow writers
The UNOFFICIAL rules of NaNoWriMo:
1. Drink a Mack truck full of coffee every day.
2. Either eat loads of sugar or drinks tons of energy drinks.
3. Load up on caffeine at every possible opportunity.
4. Neglect everything else in favor of NaNoWriMo.
5. Stay up late into the night (my personal record is 7:00 AM) writing.
6. Be as douche-y and as "starving artist" as you possibly can.
7. Compete with fellow NaNoers to be as ragged and beat-up a possible. (Ex. "I only slept four hours last night!" "Oh yeah? Well I slept THREE!")
8. Alternate your writing playlist between depressing, sappy music and upbeat, fun music for maximum variety in your novel-writing.
So for the entirety of November, I will be working on a 50,000 word novel, in addition to my thesis and my college apps. Is NaNoWriMo silly? Of course it is! But you know what, while it's not an ideal way to write a book - *coughQUANTITYOVERQUALITYcoughcough* - but it's fun, it's rebellious (it IS, damn it) and it's a good way to bond with your fellow writers. Why not have a good time, and practice writing in the process? It's a great way to hone your skills for stuff that REALLY matters.
And, hey, if anyone can't get into NaNo, you can also do Script Frenzy in April...but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
So since I'm discussing NaNoWRiMo, I HAVE to share something I've written for it, right? So tonight I'll just share the summary (I won't upload EVERYTHING I write for NaNo--I'll probably put it on DeviantART at the end of the month, though), and with each post I'll share a bit of the story. Sound good?
So here is the summary and working title:
-----------------
In other news...
How many people are ready to slap me with a wet noodle if I gush about Michael Jackson on this blog ONE MORE FREAKING TIME? *looks into cyberspace* Yeah, well, get your wet noodles ready, because I'm about to gush like a firehose...
Today I saw Ghosts, Michael's short film/music video about, well, ghosts (and idiot mayors) and immediately decided that there was no point in going to film school and that I should just quit now and become a starving artist, because there is no way that ANY film that I make will EVER be this beautiful. You think I'm exaggerating? I'm not.
Well, okay, I am a little, but only about the starving artist part, I swear. (There is no power on this earth that will make me drop out of school, especially before I've even gotten into film school. Come on, guys, you know me better than that.) BUT this movie is absolutely incredible, and no joke, I DID cry when I saw this...I can't explain why. Here's what I can explain: Michael Jackson + Stephen King = UNBEATABLE. It's like The Corpse Bride had a baby with "Thriller" (try getting THAT image out of your head).
"Ghosts" has the honor of being the World's Longest Music Video (I'm not even exaggerating about that - it's in the Guinness Book of World Records), at roughly 40 minutes long, directed by Stan Winston and written by Stephen King, Mick Garris and (of course) Michael Jackson. It's about a man called the Maestro (Michael Jackson) arguing with the mayor of a "normal" town (also played by Michael Jackson - but by looking at the video you wouldn't know it) about whether or not the Maestro is "bad" for doing magic tricks and telling ghost stories to the town's children. Of course music, dancing, and theatrics ensue, along with plenty of scares and a boatload of CGI, and some ghoulish backup dancers. I swear, though, it's not a re-do of "Thriller," it does have some of the same elements, but it has a very Tim Burton feel to it and it's every bit as sweet, sad, innocent and "aww!"-able as Edward Scissorhands.
I could go on about this all night, but here's the heart of the matter: "Ghosts" is amazing. Watch it. End of story.
Part one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2egr4TDjMBM
Part two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0tmEF5vIpE&feature=related
Part three:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RXS9G2J71Q&feature=fvw
Part four:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVHKhxdPeZs
Part five:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwmhvYvGzQ
It looks like an MJ overload, and it is - but it's well worth waiting the 30+ minutes it takes for each YouTube part to download.
----------------
No quotes/stolen dialogue this time because I've been pathetic and haven't written any down...but don't worry, next time there will be PLENTY.
Besides, you don't have time to read stolen dialogue - you have to watch "Ghosts"! DO IT NOW!
...Please? *imagine MJ giving you puppy eyes* *imagine ME giving you puppy eyes*
That said, there will be a LOT more blogging in November, because 1) I'm almost done with apps, and 2) it is NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH, and it's my first time doing it, so I'm going to have a blast with this.
The "official" rules of NaNoWriMo:
1. Start your novel at the beginning of November (optionally, at midnight on Halloween)
2. Get 50,000 words by the end of November
3. Don't steal any ideas from published authors or your fellow writers
The UNOFFICIAL rules of NaNoWriMo:
1. Drink a Mack truck full of coffee every day.
2. Either eat loads of sugar or drinks tons of energy drinks.
3. Load up on caffeine at every possible opportunity.
4. Neglect everything else in favor of NaNoWriMo.
5. Stay up late into the night (my personal record is 7:00 AM) writing.
6. Be as douche-y and as "starving artist" as you possibly can.
7. Compete with fellow NaNoers to be as ragged and beat-up a possible. (Ex. "I only slept four hours last night!" "Oh yeah? Well I slept THREE!")
8. Alternate your writing playlist between depressing, sappy music and upbeat, fun music for maximum variety in your novel-writing.
So for the entirety of November, I will be working on a 50,000 word novel, in addition to my thesis and my college apps. Is NaNoWriMo silly? Of course it is! But you know what, while it's not an ideal way to write a book - *coughQUANTITYOVERQUALITYcoughcough* - but it's fun, it's rebellious (it IS, damn it) and it's a good way to bond with your fellow writers. Why not have a good time, and practice writing in the process? It's a great way to hone your skills for stuff that REALLY matters.
And, hey, if anyone can't get into NaNo, you can also do Script Frenzy in April...but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
So since I'm discussing NaNoWRiMo, I HAVE to share something I've written for it, right? So tonight I'll just share the summary (I won't upload EVERYTHING I write for NaNo--I'll probably put it on DeviantART at the end of the month, though), and with each post I'll share a bit of the story. Sound good?
So here is the summary and working title:
"Spectrum"
Sixteen-year-old aspiring writer Emma Stephenson has always lived in the heart of the famously sheltered Mackinac Island. But when a dangerous combination of politics and newcomers turn the peaceful island into a chaotic near-war zone, Emma is unceremoniously shipped off to a college preparatory boarding school on the mainland and confronted with situations she’s never heard of, let alone expected to face.
At first Emma thinks it can’t be that hard; from her media-driven knowledge of boarding school she expects rules and discipline. To her shock, the rules are minimal and the kids are allowed to do whatever they please, so long as they get their schoolwork done. Lost on the shores of brisk, sunny Torch Lake, stripped of everything she knows or cares for, Emma feels like her life is virtually over.
Until…
The Gay-Straight Alliance meets on a windy October afternoon and a reluctant Emma is dragged along by her new friend, Ramie. There she spots someone she’s never spoken to, or even really seen: A boy with lime-green hair and a serious lack of inhibition. But is it really a boy? Or is the mysterious person something that Emma can’t even begin to understand? Before long the rumors circulate, the game is up, and Emma not only begins to question her friends’ beliefs, but also her own.
It seems more autobiographical than it is, I swear. Emma and I really are nothing alike. If I met her in real life, prior to her character's "transformation," I would probably want to smack her (you'll see why when I start posting bits of the novel).-----------------
In other news...
How many people are ready to slap me with a wet noodle if I gush about Michael Jackson on this blog ONE MORE FREAKING TIME? *looks into cyberspace* Yeah, well, get your wet noodles ready, because I'm about to gush like a firehose...
Today I saw Ghosts, Michael's short film/music video about, well, ghosts (and idiot mayors) and immediately decided that there was no point in going to film school and that I should just quit now and become a starving artist, because there is no way that ANY film that I make will EVER be this beautiful. You think I'm exaggerating? I'm not.
Well, okay, I am a little, but only about the starving artist part, I swear. (There is no power on this earth that will make me drop out of school, especially before I've even gotten into film school. Come on, guys, you know me better than that.) BUT this movie is absolutely incredible, and no joke, I DID cry when I saw this...I can't explain why. Here's what I can explain: Michael Jackson + Stephen King = UNBEATABLE. It's like The Corpse Bride had a baby with "Thriller" (try getting THAT image out of your head).
"Ghosts" has the honor of being the World's Longest Music Video (I'm not even exaggerating about that - it's in the Guinness Book of World Records), at roughly 40 minutes long, directed by Stan Winston and written by Stephen King, Mick Garris and (of course) Michael Jackson. It's about a man called the Maestro (Michael Jackson) arguing with the mayor of a "normal" town (also played by Michael Jackson - but by looking at the video you wouldn't know it) about whether or not the Maestro is "bad" for doing magic tricks and telling ghost stories to the town's children. Of course music, dancing, and theatrics ensue, along with plenty of scares and a boatload of CGI, and some ghoulish backup dancers. I swear, though, it's not a re-do of "Thriller," it does have some of the same elements, but it has a very Tim Burton feel to it and it's every bit as sweet, sad, innocent and "aww!"-able as Edward Scissorhands.
I could go on about this all night, but here's the heart of the matter: "Ghosts" is amazing. Watch it. End of story.
Part one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2egr4TDjMBM
Part two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0tmEF5vIpE&feature=related
Part three:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RXS9G2J71Q&feature=fvw
Part four:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVHKhxdPeZs
Part five:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwmhvYvGzQ
It looks like an MJ overload, and it is - but it's well worth waiting the 30+ minutes it takes for each YouTube part to download.
----------------
No quotes/stolen dialogue this time because I've been pathetic and haven't written any down...but don't worry, next time there will be PLENTY.
Besides, you don't have time to read stolen dialogue - you have to watch "Ghosts"! DO IT NOW!
...Please? *imagine MJ giving you puppy eyes* *imagine ME giving you puppy eyes*
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