I think.
Name: Becky
Age: 23
House: Griffyndor
Family Line: Muggleborn
Dated Some insignificant lower life form
You are well known for Managing to shag Snape.
Percentage of student body you shagged - 19%
How do the staff and students feel about you They think you're ok
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
:(
Where are my keys????????????????
They are not on my desk. Nor is the present I was promised. I am tired and I don't know what to do about this.
Dear Sts. Zita and Anthony,
Help please.
They are not on my desk. Nor is the present I was promised. I am tired and I don't know what to do about this.
Dear Sts. Zita and Anthony,
Help please.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Once a King or Queen in Narnia...
There are about 500 million things I want to post about, so I think I'm going to take them one at a time, and give them as rewards to myself when I finish work. So, I will start with what will probably be a fairly in depth discussion (now that I've almost finished, I'd like to amend that to read: the longest thing EVER, read only if you love my brain) of my opinions and impressions of the new Narnia movie. If you don't know the story at all, there will definitely be tons of spoilers. If you don't want to know stuff they changed, or details about the movie... spoilers of that kind too. Remember... you're not supposed to talk about Narnia unless you find others that have been there too. ;) On that note, if anybody loves Narnia even sort of as much as I do, please share your thoughts! A brief aside: I don't get font options anymore and I don't know why.
Anyway...
I think it hit me Wednesday or Thursday night as I was walking home from the bus stop. It was cold and quiet, and suddenly I thought, "I'm going to see Narnia on Friday!" It filled my heart with excitement and I literally started running for about a block. (I had taken the 21 and gotten off a bit farther away than usual, for those who are familiar with the bus routes near our apartment.) I was full of delight! The thing is, I guess, that it's mine. It's my story, that I've loved forever, that's a part of my blood... other people have had movies made of their stories, and I've been into them. But this one was like a big present from the movies just to me. The very fact that it was made, I mean. Though it sure has been strange seeing all the sudden fuss about it! I saw Narnia chapstick in the drug store! And I didn't buy it... but I sorta wanted to. But it's like, suddenly these so familiar images and names are all over the place, in everyone's displays. I certainly don't mind! It's just... surprising. Also gratifying, in some way.
But on to the movie itself. I went with Rachel and Katie, after a long evening of cleaning up in preparation for our Saturday holiday bash. (What the hell kind of name is bash for a party, anyway?) There's a state of confusion and negativity that often comes over me when I clean (why I don't do it often, I guess), and I was sort of rising out of that as we actually arrived at the theater.
I think overall I vacillated between excitement/awe at seeing it and a sort of minutely analytical/critical mindset that came from knowing it so well. So I definitely think I need to see it again to really be sure about what I think, and maybe also to enjoy it fully.
I was sort of excited to hear the music they would pick, but I have to say the old music ended up being much more striking in my head. The music from the BBC/Wonderworks version. (Editor's note: from now on, the "old version" does in fact refer to the BBC/Wonderworks production.) But it's also, of course, more familiar to me, and that's a big deal with music and the liking of it, I think.
The opening scenes were really fascinating. It started with basically the whole screen being a sea of mist, and I was entranced, especially because it related to the old version, which starts also with mist, and the mist parts to reveal the map of Narnia. But this mist opened to reveal fighter planes, and set us very firmly in context, showing us the WWII setting very clearly, and then focusing in on the Pevensies with their mother, fleeing the bombs. Now that I'm thinking about it in retrospect, there are a lot of aspects of that scene that are recalled later in the images of Narnia... like the children and their mother huddled in a shelter outside of their home, and then the children and the beavers later huddled in a little hole, that was definitely much smaller and more haphazard than in the book or the old version of the movie. The "hiding place for beavers in bad times" was definitely more of a little makeshift hollowed out bit of dirt, and I wonder if that wasn't done on purpose to harken back to the war imagery. Other people caught things like the bombs falling from the planes as compared to the birds of prey in Aslan's army later dropping big rocks on the Witch's forces. Out of all of this I was most preoccupied with the huge point they make about Edmund running back or staying too long in the house to rescue his father's picture, and Peter having to go get him out of there, and yelling at him for it afterwards. I mean, obviously it sets up tension between Edmund and Peter, but it's interesting because it seems to me that this happens in a very "no fault" way. Edmund's decision to take the picture is not out of any "bad" motivation, and Peter yelling at him is perhaps not desirable, but rather understandable in those circumstances, because he (Peter) is frightened and worked up. And it all centers around their father. Is this meant to imply that the problems Edmund is having are basically rooted in the fact that he needs a father figure, and suddenly the only older male in his life is Peter, so he both resents Peter's attempts to take authority and needs him to do so? I mean, certainly the emphasis placed on the relationship between the two boys would imply that. And also that Peter feels the need to take on a fathering position to the other children, but doesn't really know how to do that, and therefore, especially with Edmund but occasionally with Susan as well, ends up being excessively authoritative. It's an interesting dynamic, and it's developed in ways that make me question things I never questioned at all in the books. At the same time, does this tend to set up Edmund as having an "excuse" for his behavior? Maybe it's just that I felt we were supposed to be more sympathetic toward Edmund, saving the broken picture, then toward Peter, yelling at him for being stupid for saving the picture. The thing with the picture also sets Edmund up for a parallel moment when Edmund sees the paiting of Mr. Tumnus' father in Mr. Tumnus' ransacked cave. So, I wasn't sure if the picture thing was mostly to create sympathy for Edmund, or to explain Edmund's eventual sympathy for Mr. Tumnus. I think that the idea of being sort of "temporary orphans" can be applied to Susan's behavior as well, in a way I didn't quite notice before, although for some reason I had the most trouble understanding Susan's behavior/personality, out of all the children.
Anyway (this is turning out to be the most rambly review ever, but that's ok), I was really fascinated by the grounding of the whole story in its WWII context, something I hadn't thought terribly deeply about before. I think when I first read that books, I was too young to have much of my own context for WWII, if any, so I just took it for granted as part of the story, and did not think at all about the historical meaning. But this whole opening with planes and bombs made me think about it a lot, especially since I've been obsessed lately with the way that WWII has shaped our consciousness as both a small (American) and larger (world) society, and how key it is to everything, in a lot of ways. I wonder if C.S. Lewis set it then to frame it in a time of crisis, or just as a convenience? I mean, he could have had the children going off to the countryside at any time, I suppose... but probably not to strangers, and probably not without their parents, unless he orphaned them completely. So, is there a parallel between the events in/redemption of Narnia, and the events in Europe? I don't quite know what to think about it, since I never thought about Narnia in it's national/real world context really before now, except in the religious themes, of course. And then there's the fact that he was writing in the fairly immediate aftermath of the war, still, not from a perspective when it has been soaked into the culture in the way it has now, with less immediate awareness but perhaps more subtle influence. I'm really not sure what to make of it. So I guess I'll let that one sit for a bit and think about it more later.
So, the first things that struck me about the children is that they were all very dark-haired except Peter. I had assumed from the first quick previews that I saw that they were trying to make them all look very much like siblings, and Susan and Edmund and Lucy all very much did, especially Susan and Lucy, but Peter looked different. I always am interested in why in the films I've seen, Lucy rarely has blond hair, like she does in the books... but I've never pictured her with blond hair, and I like her with brown hair like me. But Susan I can see either way, I think because I did picture her clearly in the books with black hair, and then in the old version of the movies she had blond hair. Their faces in the old version are so clear to me, all of them, really, though especially Lucy with her funny buck teeth. I think I had some trouble with Peter's appearance because he looked so grown up. Susan also looked more grown up than I expected, but just generally there seemed to be such a huge gap between Susan and Edmund, and then another (but smaller) gap between Edmund and Lucy. Sometimes I thought Peter must be about 16, and that was weird. And Susan had little breasts, though I suppose it's possible she was around 12 or so. I have this little chart in a book somewhere that calculates all of their ages during each book, but I don't precisely remember now. Although I think Lucy was supposed to be 6 or 7, and I thought they were mostly a year or two apart in increments. But I don't know that for sure. And... apparently Edmund must always and forever have freckles. ;) I think I'm probably ok with that. I loved this version of Edmund, really. And Lucy definitely grew on me. But probably I should give them each their own paragraph, since this is already obscenely long.
Ok: general thoughts on Peter. He confused me by being so old, but I really liked the way his character was so developed throughout the story, especially in his relationship with Edmund. In fact, I think I might have been somewhat more personally invested in Peter here than in the book, at least the first time around. But I just wish he'd lookedlike more of a child, just a little. I also got a little tired of the many times he had to display his heroism, but maybe that's just me... and since when did Peter ride a unicorn into battle? I was like, um, hello Jewel! I mean, I guess it was fine, I didn't hate it... it just startled me. I liked that he wasn't too perfect, and I liked the way he grew into his authority. I was pretty fascinated with his relationship with Edmund, especially because he seemed to be much more beastly to him in this version than in the book. Like, I saw much more of Peter's unreasonableness, as opposed to just Edmund being sullen, or whatever. Peter seemed like he was poised on the edge of being a good leader, but before he got there he was in fact a very bad one. Maybe that's part of the reason they made him older? I missed some of his talk with Aslan... but there'll defintely be a dialogue section later.
Susan: Definitely the most confusing. I felt like they changed her character a lot because they were trying to make her less "girly" or something, and I guess that's ok in some ways, but I often feel like movies go about that the wrong way. Or, that suddenly girls have to be all snappy and make smart remarks, like that's the only way to be strong... but on the other hand, I was interested in her as a character, she seemed conflicted in a way that was never quite resolved. I wonder if this was foreshadowing, or merely if I was interpreting little things in her behavior that way, in a way I never really have in the books. I mean, I guess I've interpreted the major things that way, like the stuff in Prince Caspian about seeing Aslan, but I never really thought about the rest of her behavior in this context. And what does that mean, given that Susan is the most cautious, and the most willing to uphold the status quo? I don't mean it to sound like I hate Susan. I don't, I like Susan, but I never identified strongly with her. Maybe what they were trying to do in this version, as with Peter, is clearly show the anxiety it created in Susan to be more "in charge" and somewhat more aware of the danger involved in the war. I was interested in how this Susan seemed to go from being very reassuring that things would be all right, to being more nervous and snapping at people, particularly Peter. And even making sort of snappy remarks to Father Christmas... which was cute, actually, but it confused me then when she was suddenly "Queen Susan the Gentle." But I guess most of their King and Queen names are things they grew into over time, anyway. The one thing I absolutely loved that they did with Susan was when she and Lucy were talking by the river, and Susan said she had gotten too serious and how they used to have fun and they start playing and splashing... that seemed very... appropriate, somehow, to their characters as they are portrayed in the books, and the tension combined with closeness that works in Susan and Lucy's relationship as well as with the boys, though more subtly. The scene was just fantastic, I thought, and then ripping down the towel or whatever to reveal Fenris Ulf (or Maugrim, he was Maugrim in this version, right? One is the British text and one the American and I've never been clear about that. I think I read about Fenris Ulf first, though. Anyway) was very exciting and seemed very right, even though it had nothing to do with the original version. Also, Susan was appropriately beautiful, I think.
Edmund: I really loved this Edmund. I liked some things that they changed about what happened to him, and didn't like others, but I really loved him. I mean, Edmund has always been one of my favorite characters, and more so with time, I think, but I also very much enjoyed the way he was played. He certainly held my attention. And, as I think he is very well developed in the book, they didn't have to depart wildly from the book to try and round him out, or anything like that. He had a striking appearance, freckles and all... and I could see the internal journey that he went through, as well as the physical one. Which is really a compliment to him, because I was disappointed that they took out some of the sort of "time with Edmund" scenes... like when he's journeying to the Witch's castle and when the Witch is about to kill him. On the other hand, I approved surprisingly strongly of the added scene in the jail when Edmund meets Mr. Tumnus, and the scene later with the fabulous Fox that they added for this movie. These scenes gave Edmund a chance to make connections with people who were not the Witch, with Mr. Tumnus obviously in a poignant/personal way, since he knows it's his fault Mr. Tumnus got caught... and the Fox was an interesting substitute for the party of happy animals. More hard-core, I guess, more clear that we were in a war, or something... it definitely highlighted the Witch's cruelty in a stark way... I did miss the squirrel banging his spoon on the table, though, I must say. But all of this made Edmund's transformation very believable. I am caught by the fact that Edmund carefully doesn't tell the Witch about the others' plans to go to the Stone Table until he uses it as a bargaining chip for the Fox's life. I'm not sure what to make of it, or if I like it. I definitely didn't like that the Witch didn't say "kill whatever you find there," to Fenris/Maugrim in front of Edmund... but that has to do with the Witch's characterization, not Edmund's. I guess the only thing I would have done differently with Edmund is to make him just a tiny, tiny, half inch bit more culpable before he has his change of heart. But everything else was splendid, and I LOVED his showdown with the Witch. I always do. I had this fantasy that they were going to give that to Peter, because of the general focus on him in the battle, and I honestly think that might have ruined the movie for me. And his talk with Aslan was quite good too. Yay Edmund the Just. Oh, and this is random, but the Turkish Delight looked just the same as in the old version. Not that it would look different. And I kind of missed the part in the old version when it floats up to Edmund through the air and undoes its own bow for him. But anyway, on to
Lucy: My favorite of all the Pevensies, and the one I have always identified with the most. Which I guess makes it both hard and easy for me to be critical of her, in a way. She was so small... which is totally appropriate, it's just that I've grown a lot since my first reading, when I was about her age. So that was somehow a little surprising. And she was a lovely child, which of course was captivating, but also kind of disappointing, given the issues that come up later with Susan's beauty. Or maybe I'm just a little in love with buck-toothed chubby Lucy with the odd voice from the old version. ;) But really, this Lucy was mostly really good. She was cute, which I think is fine but sometimes distracts from the character, and there was this odd thing where she smiled every time she was trying to cry, but she got the most important thing right, I think... she had Lucy's inherent cognisance. I loved watching her when she got quiet, from time to time, and see what she was realizing, or noticing, or thinking about. And I loved the way her bond with Aslan was made so apparent... that seemed really important to me. Probably because that is one of the reasons I always loved Lucy and wanted to be like her. And her relationship with Mr. Tumnus was quite stellar. I think I'm most looking forward to seeing her as she gets a little older and grows into herself a bit.
I figured I should just keep going with comments on some of the characters. I absolutely adored Mr. Tumnus; he was perfectly wonderful. I really have no complaints on that score. The Witch's Dwarf was so creepy with his creepy voice, and I liked that a lot. The Beavers were ok, and had some really nice moments, but I had problems with some of the things they changed with them, mostly dialogue issues. Fenris Ulf (Maugrim?) sounded too American to me. Oh... and I just loved the brave, dapper little Fox they added. Loved him!
The Witch herself... I just don't know. It took me awhile to get used to the very cold, very detached way she was playing everything-- a far cry from the completely overdone (but splendid) portrayal of her in the old version, and even from the more choleric Witch of the book. There were moments where the coldness worked very well, and I started to get really into it during her killing of Aslan scene. But other times, especially at the beginning, she just wasn't scary enough.
And I guess last on my character list... the great lion Aslan! Wow, I had this complete... rush of anticipation when Aslan was about to come on the screen. He was so majestic and so beautiful. I almost felt like crying, and I was definitely leaning forward with a big smile on my face. Aslan looked just right, and, though I was worried about the voice, since I loved the purring-rumbly Aslan voice of the old movie, I liked it a lot. I love Aslan... I always have. I did have some problems with what they did with his character, making him a little less intimate than I would have liked, but I think those mostly fall into the category of dialogue problems.
Wow, there's still so much to talk about... perhaps I'll just jumble it all up together. Or make a list!
Visually: Beautiful! Really beautiful. So many lovely and interesting visuals. Except... the Witch's costumes! That one with the crazy shoulders? NOOOO. SO distracting and WEIRD. I sorta liked the outfit she had on for killing Aslan, though.
Oh, I guess maybe now I should talk about the dialogue. This was my biggest complaint, and it is a big one. They weakened the dialogue. A lot. A lot a lot a lot. And that isn't just because I'm a purist-- in fact, I liked a lot of the things that they changed, in terms of scenes, and even some dialogic moments, like the interplay with Mr. Tumnus and Lucy about who needed the handkerchief. But not really important, beautiful (or just more interesting and genuine) dialogue, please. It was seriously distracting. I kept sort of gasping or making little disappointed sounds to myself when lines didn't come that really should have come. Or when there was suddenly some sappy line that just didn't say things as deeply or as well. Like in the beginning, when Lucy said, "I thought you were my friend," to dissuade Mr. Tumnus from kidnapping her. What? It seemed so jarringly sentimental. And why didn't Aslan say, "Let the prince win his spurs," to indicate that Peter should fight the wolf, instead of this insipid, "It's Peter's fight," thing? Because young children don't know what that means? I didn't know when I read it, but it has a beauty to it, it flows... and I figured it out. In fact, I remember it because I learned it in this context, I remember the beauty of it. I missed the Professor examining the children in the beginning... I think it was a nice little glimpse into their characters. And I really thought the discussion about whether Lucy was mad or whatever had all its bewildering tightness removed when the litany about what they teach them in these schools was lessened, and the "either she is lying, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth" thing changed. I mean, some of them were just my pet lines that were cut away, but some were seriously weakened. Especially at the Beavers' house... I kept being annoyed by the additional lines/sparring of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and I couldn't quite figure out why... I think in this case I was less annoyed by what was there as by what was missing. Most notably: "Wrong will be right when Aslan comes into sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we will have Spring again." I mean, come on, why would you cut that? That's really important! And beauiful! But lots of the discussion of Aslan was cut, actually, and I thought that was really bad. They never talked about the fact that he was a lion and not a man. They never talked about his nature, and the good but not safe thing... or, they did, actually, but not till the end. They never talked about how scary he could be. I missed that. There were so many instances of this dialogue disappointment, and now I can't remember them all... oh, but this was a big deal... the whole part when Susan and Lucy are walking with Aslan was weakened a lot because Aslan just kind of kept going along, and didn't ever seem that upset, and didn't say (I think) "Children, why are you following me?" or (more importantly) "Put your hands in my mane, that I may feel that you are there." That might not be an exact quote... but I think it's very important both that they are invited to do that, instead of just doing it, because it marks a transition and new intimacy in their relationship with Aslan, and that the statement shows Aslan's loneliness and vulnerability at that moment, which makes the entire thing much more intimate and personal and meaningful. And then the lines he had at the end seemed so stiff... In the lines themselves, not in the delivery, which I highly approved. I know there were lots more, in fact, and even more of Aslan's lines... or, like when Aslan is preparing Peter for battle, and Peter says, "But you'll be there yourself, Aslan," and Aslan replies, "I can give you no promise of that." I missed that. Oh, and when the Witch had him on the table and was like, "I'm very disappointed in you," or whatever, I was displeased. That whole scene is very big, very mythic and resonant, and I like the ritualistic feeling of the Witch's words as they are written. So basically... screenwriters, you have some lovely, lovely ideas. I do like your sense of the story arc. But let Lewis keep most of the dialogue. It's good. It's mythic. It's lovely. And whatever you do, DON'T try to simplify it or modernize it. PLEASE. PLEASE! One last example: When Aslan came back, and was explaining, and was like, "The Witch didn't know the power of sacrifice," I wanted to groan. No Deeper Magic From Before the Dawn of Time? People are coming back from the dead. That's mythic and huge! It deserves mythic language. And that also eliminated the whole thing where Lucy sort of accuses him of putting them through hell for nothing, and he says it had never been tested... God, I love that.
Which I think, though it's not really dialogue related, brings me to the one thing I truly missed about Lucy: her moments of impetuousness that are too much, her moments of defiance toward Aslan, even though she loves him so deeply, maybe the most deeply. While I LOVED the special relationship they built between Peter and Edmund, and the way Peter finally embraced him when Edmund was healed by the fireflower juice, I HATED the fact that they then cut Lucy hovering over Edmund, Aslan trying to get her to move on, her snapping at him, and Aslan finally saying "Must more people die for Edmund?" It's such a great part... it's such a significant part. It establishes a lot about Lucy and Aslan in just a moment.
Oh... another interesting omission that I don't know how I feel about: The little debate between Susan and Lucy about whether Edmund knew what Aslan had done for him, and whether he ought to know. I always thought that part was sort of... puzzling, maybe because I couldn't decide whether I agreed with Susan that it would be too awful for him to know, or with Lucy that he ought to be told. I think I mostly agreed with Lucy, but it seemed to be left at the idea that it would be a horrible thing that he should be spared. However, I always assumed that he did know, in later years and whatnot. Anyway, maybe they found that bit puzzling too, and therefore left it out?
And one more thing that I liked... I was interested in how they were going to deal with Father Christmas' assertion that "battles are ugly when women fight." And changing it to "battles are ugly affairs" was neat, true, and non-sexist. :)
And the end, where they are crowned, and Aslan's departure, and the going back to England part... all very, very good.
All right, this has gone on long enough. Suffice it to say that I can't wait to see this again, despite the somewhat mixed review I have given. And I also want to see the old version again and give the books another go.
Because, at the end of the day, Narnia is Narnia, and almost anyone who's ever been there always wants to get back.
How can you tell?
Something about the eyes, I think. :) Long live the true King.
Anyway...
I think it hit me Wednesday or Thursday night as I was walking home from the bus stop. It was cold and quiet, and suddenly I thought, "I'm going to see Narnia on Friday!" It filled my heart with excitement and I literally started running for about a block. (I had taken the 21 and gotten off a bit farther away than usual, for those who are familiar with the bus routes near our apartment.) I was full of delight! The thing is, I guess, that it's mine. It's my story, that I've loved forever, that's a part of my blood... other people have had movies made of their stories, and I've been into them. But this one was like a big present from the movies just to me. The very fact that it was made, I mean. Though it sure has been strange seeing all the sudden fuss about it! I saw Narnia chapstick in the drug store! And I didn't buy it... but I sorta wanted to. But it's like, suddenly these so familiar images and names are all over the place, in everyone's displays. I certainly don't mind! It's just... surprising. Also gratifying, in some way.
But on to the movie itself. I went with Rachel and Katie, after a long evening of cleaning up in preparation for our Saturday holiday bash. (What the hell kind of name is bash for a party, anyway?) There's a state of confusion and negativity that often comes over me when I clean (why I don't do it often, I guess), and I was sort of rising out of that as we actually arrived at the theater.
I think overall I vacillated between excitement/awe at seeing it and a sort of minutely analytical/critical mindset that came from knowing it so well. So I definitely think I need to see it again to really be sure about what I think, and maybe also to enjoy it fully.
I was sort of excited to hear the music they would pick, but I have to say the old music ended up being much more striking in my head. The music from the BBC/Wonderworks version. (Editor's note: from now on, the "old version" does in fact refer to the BBC/Wonderworks production.) But it's also, of course, more familiar to me, and that's a big deal with music and the liking of it, I think.
The opening scenes were really fascinating. It started with basically the whole screen being a sea of mist, and I was entranced, especially because it related to the old version, which starts also with mist, and the mist parts to reveal the map of Narnia. But this mist opened to reveal fighter planes, and set us very firmly in context, showing us the WWII setting very clearly, and then focusing in on the Pevensies with their mother, fleeing the bombs. Now that I'm thinking about it in retrospect, there are a lot of aspects of that scene that are recalled later in the images of Narnia... like the children and their mother huddled in a shelter outside of their home, and then the children and the beavers later huddled in a little hole, that was definitely much smaller and more haphazard than in the book or the old version of the movie. The "hiding place for beavers in bad times" was definitely more of a little makeshift hollowed out bit of dirt, and I wonder if that wasn't done on purpose to harken back to the war imagery. Other people caught things like the bombs falling from the planes as compared to the birds of prey in Aslan's army later dropping big rocks on the Witch's forces. Out of all of this I was most preoccupied with the huge point they make about Edmund running back or staying too long in the house to rescue his father's picture, and Peter having to go get him out of there, and yelling at him for it afterwards. I mean, obviously it sets up tension between Edmund and Peter, but it's interesting because it seems to me that this happens in a very "no fault" way. Edmund's decision to take the picture is not out of any "bad" motivation, and Peter yelling at him is perhaps not desirable, but rather understandable in those circumstances, because he (Peter) is frightened and worked up. And it all centers around their father. Is this meant to imply that the problems Edmund is having are basically rooted in the fact that he needs a father figure, and suddenly the only older male in his life is Peter, so he both resents Peter's attempts to take authority and needs him to do so? I mean, certainly the emphasis placed on the relationship between the two boys would imply that. And also that Peter feels the need to take on a fathering position to the other children, but doesn't really know how to do that, and therefore, especially with Edmund but occasionally with Susan as well, ends up being excessively authoritative. It's an interesting dynamic, and it's developed in ways that make me question things I never questioned at all in the books. At the same time, does this tend to set up Edmund as having an "excuse" for his behavior? Maybe it's just that I felt we were supposed to be more sympathetic toward Edmund, saving the broken picture, then toward Peter, yelling at him for being stupid for saving the picture. The thing with the picture also sets Edmund up for a parallel moment when Edmund sees the paiting of Mr. Tumnus' father in Mr. Tumnus' ransacked cave. So, I wasn't sure if the picture thing was mostly to create sympathy for Edmund, or to explain Edmund's eventual sympathy for Mr. Tumnus. I think that the idea of being sort of "temporary orphans" can be applied to Susan's behavior as well, in a way I didn't quite notice before, although for some reason I had the most trouble understanding Susan's behavior/personality, out of all the children.
Anyway (this is turning out to be the most rambly review ever, but that's ok), I was really fascinated by the grounding of the whole story in its WWII context, something I hadn't thought terribly deeply about before. I think when I first read that books, I was too young to have much of my own context for WWII, if any, so I just took it for granted as part of the story, and did not think at all about the historical meaning. But this whole opening with planes and bombs made me think about it a lot, especially since I've been obsessed lately with the way that WWII has shaped our consciousness as both a small (American) and larger (world) society, and how key it is to everything, in a lot of ways. I wonder if C.S. Lewis set it then to frame it in a time of crisis, or just as a convenience? I mean, he could have had the children going off to the countryside at any time, I suppose... but probably not to strangers, and probably not without their parents, unless he orphaned them completely. So, is there a parallel between the events in/redemption of Narnia, and the events in Europe? I don't quite know what to think about it, since I never thought about Narnia in it's national/real world context really before now, except in the religious themes, of course. And then there's the fact that he was writing in the fairly immediate aftermath of the war, still, not from a perspective when it has been soaked into the culture in the way it has now, with less immediate awareness but perhaps more subtle influence. I'm really not sure what to make of it. So I guess I'll let that one sit for a bit and think about it more later.
So, the first things that struck me about the children is that they were all very dark-haired except Peter. I had assumed from the first quick previews that I saw that they were trying to make them all look very much like siblings, and Susan and Edmund and Lucy all very much did, especially Susan and Lucy, but Peter looked different. I always am interested in why in the films I've seen, Lucy rarely has blond hair, like she does in the books... but I've never pictured her with blond hair, and I like her with brown hair like me. But Susan I can see either way, I think because I did picture her clearly in the books with black hair, and then in the old version of the movies she had blond hair. Their faces in the old version are so clear to me, all of them, really, though especially Lucy with her funny buck teeth. I think I had some trouble with Peter's appearance because he looked so grown up. Susan also looked more grown up than I expected, but just generally there seemed to be such a huge gap between Susan and Edmund, and then another (but smaller) gap between Edmund and Lucy. Sometimes I thought Peter must be about 16, and that was weird. And Susan had little breasts, though I suppose it's possible she was around 12 or so. I have this little chart in a book somewhere that calculates all of their ages during each book, but I don't precisely remember now. Although I think Lucy was supposed to be 6 or 7, and I thought they were mostly a year or two apart in increments. But I don't know that for sure. And... apparently Edmund must always and forever have freckles. ;) I think I'm probably ok with that. I loved this version of Edmund, really. And Lucy definitely grew on me. But probably I should give them each their own paragraph, since this is already obscenely long.
Ok: general thoughts on Peter. He confused me by being so old, but I really liked the way his character was so developed throughout the story, especially in his relationship with Edmund. In fact, I think I might have been somewhat more personally invested in Peter here than in the book, at least the first time around. But I just wish he'd lookedlike more of a child, just a little. I also got a little tired of the many times he had to display his heroism, but maybe that's just me... and since when did Peter ride a unicorn into battle? I was like, um, hello Jewel! I mean, I guess it was fine, I didn't hate it... it just startled me. I liked that he wasn't too perfect, and I liked the way he grew into his authority. I was pretty fascinated with his relationship with Edmund, especially because he seemed to be much more beastly to him in this version than in the book. Like, I saw much more of Peter's unreasonableness, as opposed to just Edmund being sullen, or whatever. Peter seemed like he was poised on the edge of being a good leader, but before he got there he was in fact a very bad one. Maybe that's part of the reason they made him older? I missed some of his talk with Aslan... but there'll defintely be a dialogue section later.
Susan: Definitely the most confusing. I felt like they changed her character a lot because they were trying to make her less "girly" or something, and I guess that's ok in some ways, but I often feel like movies go about that the wrong way. Or, that suddenly girls have to be all snappy and make smart remarks, like that's the only way to be strong... but on the other hand, I was interested in her as a character, she seemed conflicted in a way that was never quite resolved. I wonder if this was foreshadowing, or merely if I was interpreting little things in her behavior that way, in a way I never really have in the books. I mean, I guess I've interpreted the major things that way, like the stuff in Prince Caspian about seeing Aslan, but I never really thought about the rest of her behavior in this context. And what does that mean, given that Susan is the most cautious, and the most willing to uphold the status quo? I don't mean it to sound like I hate Susan. I don't, I like Susan, but I never identified strongly with her. Maybe what they were trying to do in this version, as with Peter, is clearly show the anxiety it created in Susan to be more "in charge" and somewhat more aware of the danger involved in the war. I was interested in how this Susan seemed to go from being very reassuring that things would be all right, to being more nervous and snapping at people, particularly Peter. And even making sort of snappy remarks to Father Christmas... which was cute, actually, but it confused me then when she was suddenly "Queen Susan the Gentle." But I guess most of their King and Queen names are things they grew into over time, anyway. The one thing I absolutely loved that they did with Susan was when she and Lucy were talking by the river, and Susan said she had gotten too serious and how they used to have fun and they start playing and splashing... that seemed very... appropriate, somehow, to their characters as they are portrayed in the books, and the tension combined with closeness that works in Susan and Lucy's relationship as well as with the boys, though more subtly. The scene was just fantastic, I thought, and then ripping down the towel or whatever to reveal Fenris Ulf (or Maugrim, he was Maugrim in this version, right? One is the British text and one the American and I've never been clear about that. I think I read about Fenris Ulf first, though. Anyway) was very exciting and seemed very right, even though it had nothing to do with the original version. Also, Susan was appropriately beautiful, I think.
Edmund: I really loved this Edmund. I liked some things that they changed about what happened to him, and didn't like others, but I really loved him. I mean, Edmund has always been one of my favorite characters, and more so with time, I think, but I also very much enjoyed the way he was played. He certainly held my attention. And, as I think he is very well developed in the book, they didn't have to depart wildly from the book to try and round him out, or anything like that. He had a striking appearance, freckles and all... and I could see the internal journey that he went through, as well as the physical one. Which is really a compliment to him, because I was disappointed that they took out some of the sort of "time with Edmund" scenes... like when he's journeying to the Witch's castle and when the Witch is about to kill him. On the other hand, I approved surprisingly strongly of the added scene in the jail when Edmund meets Mr. Tumnus, and the scene later with the fabulous Fox that they added for this movie. These scenes gave Edmund a chance to make connections with people who were not the Witch, with Mr. Tumnus obviously in a poignant/personal way, since he knows it's his fault Mr. Tumnus got caught... and the Fox was an interesting substitute for the party of happy animals. More hard-core, I guess, more clear that we were in a war, or something... it definitely highlighted the Witch's cruelty in a stark way... I did miss the squirrel banging his spoon on the table, though, I must say. But all of this made Edmund's transformation very believable. I am caught by the fact that Edmund carefully doesn't tell the Witch about the others' plans to go to the Stone Table until he uses it as a bargaining chip for the Fox's life. I'm not sure what to make of it, or if I like it. I definitely didn't like that the Witch didn't say "kill whatever you find there," to Fenris/Maugrim in front of Edmund... but that has to do with the Witch's characterization, not Edmund's. I guess the only thing I would have done differently with Edmund is to make him just a tiny, tiny, half inch bit more culpable before he has his change of heart. But everything else was splendid, and I LOVED his showdown with the Witch. I always do. I had this fantasy that they were going to give that to Peter, because of the general focus on him in the battle, and I honestly think that might have ruined the movie for me. And his talk with Aslan was quite good too. Yay Edmund the Just. Oh, and this is random, but the Turkish Delight looked just the same as in the old version. Not that it would look different. And I kind of missed the part in the old version when it floats up to Edmund through the air and undoes its own bow for him. But anyway, on to
Lucy: My favorite of all the Pevensies, and the one I have always identified with the most. Which I guess makes it both hard and easy for me to be critical of her, in a way. She was so small... which is totally appropriate, it's just that I've grown a lot since my first reading, when I was about her age. So that was somehow a little surprising. And she was a lovely child, which of course was captivating, but also kind of disappointing, given the issues that come up later with Susan's beauty. Or maybe I'm just a little in love with buck-toothed chubby Lucy with the odd voice from the old version. ;) But really, this Lucy was mostly really good. She was cute, which I think is fine but sometimes distracts from the character, and there was this odd thing where she smiled every time she was trying to cry, but she got the most important thing right, I think... she had Lucy's inherent cognisance. I loved watching her when she got quiet, from time to time, and see what she was realizing, or noticing, or thinking about. And I loved the way her bond with Aslan was made so apparent... that seemed really important to me. Probably because that is one of the reasons I always loved Lucy and wanted to be like her. And her relationship with Mr. Tumnus was quite stellar. I think I'm most looking forward to seeing her as she gets a little older and grows into herself a bit.
I figured I should just keep going with comments on some of the characters. I absolutely adored Mr. Tumnus; he was perfectly wonderful. I really have no complaints on that score. The Witch's Dwarf was so creepy with his creepy voice, and I liked that a lot. The Beavers were ok, and had some really nice moments, but I had problems with some of the things they changed with them, mostly dialogue issues. Fenris Ulf (Maugrim?) sounded too American to me. Oh... and I just loved the brave, dapper little Fox they added. Loved him!
The Witch herself... I just don't know. It took me awhile to get used to the very cold, very detached way she was playing everything-- a far cry from the completely overdone (but splendid) portrayal of her in the old version, and even from the more choleric Witch of the book. There were moments where the coldness worked very well, and I started to get really into it during her killing of Aslan scene. But other times, especially at the beginning, she just wasn't scary enough.
And I guess last on my character list... the great lion Aslan! Wow, I had this complete... rush of anticipation when Aslan was about to come on the screen. He was so majestic and so beautiful. I almost felt like crying, and I was definitely leaning forward with a big smile on my face. Aslan looked just right, and, though I was worried about the voice, since I loved the purring-rumbly Aslan voice of the old movie, I liked it a lot. I love Aslan... I always have. I did have some problems with what they did with his character, making him a little less intimate than I would have liked, but I think those mostly fall into the category of dialogue problems.
Wow, there's still so much to talk about... perhaps I'll just jumble it all up together. Or make a list!
Visually: Beautiful! Really beautiful. So many lovely and interesting visuals. Except... the Witch's costumes! That one with the crazy shoulders? NOOOO. SO distracting and WEIRD. I sorta liked the outfit she had on for killing Aslan, though.
Oh, I guess maybe now I should talk about the dialogue. This was my biggest complaint, and it is a big one. They weakened the dialogue. A lot. A lot a lot a lot. And that isn't just because I'm a purist-- in fact, I liked a lot of the things that they changed, in terms of scenes, and even some dialogic moments, like the interplay with Mr. Tumnus and Lucy about who needed the handkerchief. But not really important, beautiful (or just more interesting and genuine) dialogue, please. It was seriously distracting. I kept sort of gasping or making little disappointed sounds to myself when lines didn't come that really should have come. Or when there was suddenly some sappy line that just didn't say things as deeply or as well. Like in the beginning, when Lucy said, "I thought you were my friend," to dissuade Mr. Tumnus from kidnapping her. What? It seemed so jarringly sentimental. And why didn't Aslan say, "Let the prince win his spurs," to indicate that Peter should fight the wolf, instead of this insipid, "It's Peter's fight," thing? Because young children don't know what that means? I didn't know when I read it, but it has a beauty to it, it flows... and I figured it out. In fact, I remember it because I learned it in this context, I remember the beauty of it. I missed the Professor examining the children in the beginning... I think it was a nice little glimpse into their characters. And I really thought the discussion about whether Lucy was mad or whatever had all its bewildering tightness removed when the litany about what they teach them in these schools was lessened, and the "either she is lying, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth" thing changed. I mean, some of them were just my pet lines that were cut away, but some were seriously weakened. Especially at the Beavers' house... I kept being annoyed by the additional lines/sparring of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and I couldn't quite figure out why... I think in this case I was less annoyed by what was there as by what was missing. Most notably: "Wrong will be right when Aslan comes into sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we will have Spring again." I mean, come on, why would you cut that? That's really important! And beauiful! But lots of the discussion of Aslan was cut, actually, and I thought that was really bad. They never talked about the fact that he was a lion and not a man. They never talked about his nature, and the good but not safe thing... or, they did, actually, but not till the end. They never talked about how scary he could be. I missed that. There were so many instances of this dialogue disappointment, and now I can't remember them all... oh, but this was a big deal... the whole part when Susan and Lucy are walking with Aslan was weakened a lot because Aslan just kind of kept going along, and didn't ever seem that upset, and didn't say (I think) "Children, why are you following me?" or (more importantly) "Put your hands in my mane, that I may feel that you are there." That might not be an exact quote... but I think it's very important both that they are invited to do that, instead of just doing it, because it marks a transition and new intimacy in their relationship with Aslan, and that the statement shows Aslan's loneliness and vulnerability at that moment, which makes the entire thing much more intimate and personal and meaningful. And then the lines he had at the end seemed so stiff... In the lines themselves, not in the delivery, which I highly approved. I know there were lots more, in fact, and even more of Aslan's lines... or, like when Aslan is preparing Peter for battle, and Peter says, "But you'll be there yourself, Aslan," and Aslan replies, "I can give you no promise of that." I missed that. Oh, and when the Witch had him on the table and was like, "I'm very disappointed in you," or whatever, I was displeased. That whole scene is very big, very mythic and resonant, and I like the ritualistic feeling of the Witch's words as they are written. So basically... screenwriters, you have some lovely, lovely ideas. I do like your sense of the story arc. But let Lewis keep most of the dialogue. It's good. It's mythic. It's lovely. And whatever you do, DON'T try to simplify it or modernize it. PLEASE. PLEASE! One last example: When Aslan came back, and was explaining, and was like, "The Witch didn't know the power of sacrifice," I wanted to groan. No Deeper Magic From Before the Dawn of Time? People are coming back from the dead. That's mythic and huge! It deserves mythic language. And that also eliminated the whole thing where Lucy sort of accuses him of putting them through hell for nothing, and he says it had never been tested... God, I love that.
Which I think, though it's not really dialogue related, brings me to the one thing I truly missed about Lucy: her moments of impetuousness that are too much, her moments of defiance toward Aslan, even though she loves him so deeply, maybe the most deeply. While I LOVED the special relationship they built between Peter and Edmund, and the way Peter finally embraced him when Edmund was healed by the fireflower juice, I HATED the fact that they then cut Lucy hovering over Edmund, Aslan trying to get her to move on, her snapping at him, and Aslan finally saying "Must more people die for Edmund?" It's such a great part... it's such a significant part. It establishes a lot about Lucy and Aslan in just a moment.
Oh... another interesting omission that I don't know how I feel about: The little debate between Susan and Lucy about whether Edmund knew what Aslan had done for him, and whether he ought to know. I always thought that part was sort of... puzzling, maybe because I couldn't decide whether I agreed with Susan that it would be too awful for him to know, or with Lucy that he ought to be told. I think I mostly agreed with Lucy, but it seemed to be left at the idea that it would be a horrible thing that he should be spared. However, I always assumed that he did know, in later years and whatnot. Anyway, maybe they found that bit puzzling too, and therefore left it out?
And one more thing that I liked... I was interested in how they were going to deal with Father Christmas' assertion that "battles are ugly when women fight." And changing it to "battles are ugly affairs" was neat, true, and non-sexist. :)
And the end, where they are crowned, and Aslan's departure, and the going back to England part... all very, very good.
All right, this has gone on long enough. Suffice it to say that I can't wait to see this again, despite the somewhat mixed review I have given. And I also want to see the old version again and give the books another go.
Because, at the end of the day, Narnia is Narnia, and almost anyone who's ever been there always wants to get back.
How can you tell?
Something about the eyes, I think. :) Long live the true King.
Look! April, not March!
| Your Birth Month is April |
 You are trustworthy and highly ethical in all facets of life. Helpful and steady, you are able to solve any problem. Your soul reflects: Bliss, playfulness, and curiosity Your gemstone: Diamond Your flower: Sweet Pea Your colors: Yellow and red |
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
THREE DOWN!
Goodbye, Cornell application.
Goodbye, University of Pennsylvania application.
Goodbye, University of Chicago application.
Have fun out in the world. I hope I have prepared you well for it, and that you will come back with big fat acceptance packages for me.
Goodbye, University of Pennsylvania application.
Goodbye, University of Chicago application.
Have fun out in the world. I hope I have prepared you well for it, and that you will come back with big fat acceptance packages for me.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Since I Haven't Lived at Bryn Mawr in Two Years...
It's definitely time to figure this out.
What Bryn Mawr College house are you in? (The BMC Sorting Hat)
brought to you by Quizilla
Very good. :)
What Bryn Mawr College house are you in? (The BMC Sorting Hat)
brought to you by Quizilla
Very good. :)
This is Your Year...
Figured I'd have a go at this year in review thing, though I haven't actually been doing this for a year. It sometimes bears some relationship to the month as a whole, I suppose. :)
April 2005
Dear Heaven, that was complicated
But I can't tell you about it now, because I've spent so much time attempting to set this up that I am about to be late getting back from lunch.
May 2005
Mayday, I'm on the fringes...
Wow... what a strange couple of days it has been.
June 2005
Standing Out!
So, I definitely want to follow up on the morality comments I got, from my two faithful readers.
July 2005
Past Perfect Tense
Lately the past has been oddly present to me, but in strange, fretful, half-forgotten ways.
August 2005
One Show Left, or The Post About Everything Ever
So much... so much... SO MUCH has happened, is happening.
September 2005
(Didn't post, apparently)
October 2005
On Graduate School and the Research Process Thereof
It's been such a long time since I said anything here.
November 2005
Ghosties and Ghoulies and Long-Legged Beasties
And things that go bump in the night.
This post could be so many things. I'm waiting to see what is actually going to come out of me.
December 2005
I Think I Overshot the Mark
Alex, I'm mad at you for getting Snape. But maybe this is actually accurate.
April 2005
Dear Heaven, that was complicated
But I can't tell you about it now, because I've spent so much time attempting to set this up that I am about to be late getting back from lunch.
May 2005
Mayday, I'm on the fringes...
Wow... what a strange couple of days it has been.
June 2005
Standing Out!
So, I definitely want to follow up on the morality comments I got, from my two faithful readers.
July 2005
Past Perfect Tense
Lately the past has been oddly present to me, but in strange, fretful, half-forgotten ways.
August 2005
One Show Left, or The Post About Everything Ever
So much... so much... SO MUCH has happened, is happening.
September 2005
(Didn't post, apparently)
October 2005
On Graduate School and the Research Process Thereof
It's been such a long time since I said anything here.
November 2005
Ghosties and Ghoulies and Long-Legged Beasties
And things that go bump in the night.
This post could be so many things. I'm waiting to see what is actually going to come out of me.
December 2005
I Think I Overshot the Mark
Alex, I'm mad at you for getting Snape. But maybe this is actually accurate.
A Few BlogThings to Start the Day...
| Your Inner Child Is Surprised |
 You see many things through the eyes of a child. Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded. You cherish all of the details in life. Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things. |
| Your Element is Fire |
 Your power color: red Your energy: hot Your season: spring Like a fire, you are full of power and light. A born leader, you easily draw people toward you. You are full of courage and usually up for anything dangerous. You have a huge ego and love to be the center of attention. |
| You Are An Iris |
 You are a unique woman who needs a lot of novelty in her life. An inspiration seeker, you often have to change scenery to recharge. You don't deal well with structure or rules. You need to do it your own way. Your ideal relationships are free and flowing. No one can tie you down. |
Monday, December 05, 2005
Five Questions (Each) for Julia and Katie
Ok, since at this point you would have to go into the archives to find the original post upon which these questions were supposed to be left as comments, I decided to make things a bit easier for you.
Five Questions for Julia:
1. Pet camel or pet mongoose? Why?
2. If you could have a year of romance (in the relational sense or not) and adventure, with absolutely no financial considerations, no responsibilities, and no worries about the rest of your life, what would you do during that year?
3. King Moonracer has summoned you to the Island of Misfit Toys, to help find homes for all the misfits. Your first assignment includes a ferocious stuffed lamb and a pogo stick that burrows into the ground instead of bouncing. They have requested to be placed togethter. Describe the ideal home environment you would find for these two, and the child or children who would love them.
4. You never really liked your friend's significant other, and at some point you find out that s/he is cheating on your friend. Do you tell your friend? Does it change if you were friends with both of them, and in fact like them both? What if the significant other has since died? What if you know your friend has been unfaithful in the past?
5. Is there anything you have firmly believed for as long as you can remember for which there is no tangible proof? Anything you used to believe but now don't? How about a belief that came rather late, but which you hold to firmly now? (The questions sound basically religious, and they can be if you want... but it could also be something completely secular which still cannot be absolutely proven.)
Ok, good. And now... Five Questions for Katie:
1. What is one dream/goal/vision of the future that you have almost always had, no matter how much it has been altered? Anything, no matter how big or small, that you feel most certain about as a desire for your life? If you want, you can describe the ways it has changed, as well as what has stayed the same about it. Also, is there anything you once wanted that now seems rather alien to you? Or at least unlikely? If you could suddenly have that old thing, would you still want it? Wow, that's like 10 questions in one. More bang for your buck!
2. If you could have one mythical creature as a pet/companion, what would you choose, and why? What do you imagine doing with it? Where did you first hear about said class of creatures?
3. If you could choose to remember everything about being born, would you? What do you think it would be like? Is there some other very early experience that you would prefer to remember?
4. If you were given one year to study anything in the world, with all the resources necessary to do so, what would you pick and why? It doesn't have to be anything you have previous training in, though of course it can be.
5. So, in the next month or so, you meet a wonderful, interesting, handsome, and intelligent man, and start to date him. The relationship develops very quickly, and your connection is stronger than you would have thought possible for such a short time. As you make your plans for next year, he reveals to you that he is about to embark on a journey to... Africa, maybe, for humanitarian work, or Antarctica to study the environment, or maybe Siberia to do some work on the railroad. In any case, it is pertinent to a long-standing dream of his, for motives that you respect, but it is not something you personally have any desire to do, although it does sound like an interesting adventure. (Disregard the examples if you have a desire to do them.) And it is very far away, in a completely foreign situation. You see a strong possibility for a long term future with this man, but in other circumstances, you would probably continue dating him for a bit longer before making a firm commitment. But... he asks you to go with him. Would you? Why or why not? What if he asked you to marry him, and go as his wife? Would that make you more or less likely to go? What would keep you here, if you wouldn't go? What if you were pregnant with his child? Are there any places you absolutely would not ever go with him, no matter what the circumstances were?
Five Questions for Julia:
1. Pet camel or pet mongoose? Why?
2. If you could have a year of romance (in the relational sense or not) and adventure, with absolutely no financial considerations, no responsibilities, and no worries about the rest of your life, what would you do during that year?
3. King Moonracer has summoned you to the Island of Misfit Toys, to help find homes for all the misfits. Your first assignment includes a ferocious stuffed lamb and a pogo stick that burrows into the ground instead of bouncing. They have requested to be placed togethter. Describe the ideal home environment you would find for these two, and the child or children who would love them.
4. You never really liked your friend's significant other, and at some point you find out that s/he is cheating on your friend. Do you tell your friend? Does it change if you were friends with both of them, and in fact like them both? What if the significant other has since died? What if you know your friend has been unfaithful in the past?
5. Is there anything you have firmly believed for as long as you can remember for which there is no tangible proof? Anything you used to believe but now don't? How about a belief that came rather late, but which you hold to firmly now? (The questions sound basically religious, and they can be if you want... but it could also be something completely secular which still cannot be absolutely proven.)
Ok, good. And now... Five Questions for Katie:
1. What is one dream/goal/vision of the future that you have almost always had, no matter how much it has been altered? Anything, no matter how big or small, that you feel most certain about as a desire for your life? If you want, you can describe the ways it has changed, as well as what has stayed the same about it. Also, is there anything you once wanted that now seems rather alien to you? Or at least unlikely? If you could suddenly have that old thing, would you still want it? Wow, that's like 10 questions in one. More bang for your buck!
2. If you could have one mythical creature as a pet/companion, what would you choose, and why? What do you imagine doing with it? Where did you first hear about said class of creatures?
3. If you could choose to remember everything about being born, would you? What do you think it would be like? Is there some other very early experience that you would prefer to remember?
4. If you were given one year to study anything in the world, with all the resources necessary to do so, what would you pick and why? It doesn't have to be anything you have previous training in, though of course it can be.
5. So, in the next month or so, you meet a wonderful, interesting, handsome, and intelligent man, and start to date him. The relationship develops very quickly, and your connection is stronger than you would have thought possible for such a short time. As you make your plans for next year, he reveals to you that he is about to embark on a journey to... Africa, maybe, for humanitarian work, or Antarctica to study the environment, or maybe Siberia to do some work on the railroad. In any case, it is pertinent to a long-standing dream of his, for motives that you respect, but it is not something you personally have any desire to do, although it does sound like an interesting adventure. (Disregard the examples if you have a desire to do them.) And it is very far away, in a completely foreign situation. You see a strong possibility for a long term future with this man, but in other circumstances, you would probably continue dating him for a bit longer before making a firm commitment. But... he asks you to go with him. Would you? Why or why not? What if he asked you to marry him, and go as his wife? Would that make you more or less likely to go? What would keep you here, if you wouldn't go? What if you were pregnant with his child? Are there any places you absolutely would not ever go with him, no matter what the circumstances were?
Friday, December 02, 2005
I Think I Overshot the Mark
Alex, I'm mad at you for getting Snape. But maybe this is actually accurate.
Tom Riddle
My, my. Talk about the bad boys. You want an
intellectual match, and someone who will shake
the world (and you!). Surrender to your inner
darkness, and one thing is for certain: it
won't be boring.
Who is your Harry Potter love match? (for girls)
brought to you by Quizilla
Tom Riddle
My, my. Talk about the bad boys. You want an
intellectual match, and someone who will shake
the world (and you!). Surrender to your inner
darkness, and one thing is for certain: it
won't be boring.
Who is your Harry Potter love match? (for girls)
brought to you by Quizilla
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Five Questions From Maddie
1) Those governmental schmucks! They have decided that all books that should be writtern are written. They only way to write anything new is to rewrite old books with new twist. The characters must stay in character and you can't really change genres. That being said, what classic book would you rewrite?
Do you have any idea how hard this was for me? First, I thought of classic novels that I love too much to fuck around with... for example, what am I going to do? Have Gene and Phinny hooking up in a Separate Peace? Get Hester Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale back together? Perish the thought! Most masterpieces should be left the hell alone, thank you very much. But then I started thinking about books I didn't like... for example, the Mayor of Casterbridge. I disliked it so much, in fact, that I remember hardly anything about it... except some crap about a birdcage that I think I wrote an essay on. So obviously rewriting works I don't like will only cause frustration and mediocre investment. What is this hapless, governmentally hampered authoress to do? Other than publish original works on the literary black market, which I assume you anticipated. But then, I started thinking outside the box. And I realized I would quite like to rewrite something like Ovid's Metamorphoses, with all those weird and tantalizing tales that could be done really nicely in a modern or at least slightly altered context... and of course I would like to rewrite the Morte D'Arthur, as people do all the time... and now I have realized what my calling must be in this new writerly environment. Clearly, I will rewrite the Bible! It will stay an epic, and I'll even keep each of the books in their genres: poetry, history, epistles, etc. As for the character development, you'll have to trust me on this one. Also, expect lots of exciting and wonderful twists. This should be ready for reading... hmmm... maybe around your 43rd birthday.
2) It was decided, although new books cannot be written, new plays can be, except you can only use character traits from specifically assigned characters. In your case, it's all the characters you have ever played. How would you combine their traits to make a new exciting character? You don't have to use all of them but you need at least 3. Bonus points for more than 3.
First, I am trying to make a list of every character I have ever played, though I'm sure I am missing some.
Bunny (via a puppet, in a fable about the cheese-stealing fox, Kindergarten, primary trait: desired cheese)
Solo Caroler (in A Christmas Carol at Onondaga Central High School, 1st grade, primary trait: liked to sing about Christmas)
Really Rosie (in Really Rosie at Rockwell Elementary School, 2nd grade, primary traits: showy, charasmatic, an excellent story teller)
A Box or Bowl of Oatmeal (in Really Rosie at Rockwell Elementary School, 2nd grade, primary traits: warm and thick)
Dolly (in Onions in the Stew at Onondaga Central High School, 3rd grade, primary traits: fought with her brother, loved her doll, was quite loud. I remember that the first Gulf War started during this play, while we were getting ready in the Home Ec. room. Also how old the high schoolers seemed)
Cinderella (in Cinderella, 4th or 5th grade, primary trait: knew how to waltz)
Bunny (via a mask, in The Magic Flute,sometime in elementary school... this was just for a little scene or rehearsal or something, but it's one of the only times I missed my cue to go on. I was sad. But the mask was beautiful. Primary trait: concern that Papageno see Papagena.)
Leslie something-or-other (in a play written by my acting teacher, Val, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: loved chamomile tea. Also had a "communicating conscience" which spoke to her.)
Danielle the Dandelion Fairy (in a play about Wanderlust Wonderful Forest, also by Val, also sometime in elementary school, primary trait: struggled with an addiction to the soporific juice or dust or something found in the dandelion)
Mary (in a monologue done in the same acting class, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: was irritated by her perpetually following lamb. I had this stuffed lamb that I dressed up in a little sweater and cap and gave it a lunch box and everything... it was kind of fantastic)
Evilena (or something like that... one of three witches in another play about the Wanderlust Wonderful Forest, a musical actually. By Val and this other woman Muriel, who wrote the songs. I found out later that Muriel wrote this "head witch" part for me, and was mad when Val switched it around on her. Primary traits: evil and witchy)
Dentist on Vacation (at Pyramid Lake, a camp families from my church went to, as part of our first skit, which I wrote... sometime in elementary school. Primary trait: obsessed with fixing teeth.)
Jan (in selections from Grease at Onondaga Community College's Broadway in Syracuse class, part of their College for Kids program, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: loved to eat)
Billy (in selections from Anything Goes at Onondaga Community College's Broadway in Syracuse class, part of their College for Kids program, feminized just for me, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: thought that friendship was the perfect blendship)
Princess (in The King and I at Salt City Playhouse, 5th grade, primary traits: sweet, liked to give surprises, fun)
Molly (in Annie at Henniger High School, 6th grade, primary traits: orphaned, small, a bit mischievious, said "Oh my goodness" constantly)
Marcie (in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Onondaga Hill Middle School, 6th grade, primary traits: smart, bookish, loyal, odd, confused about the gender of others)
Red Bus Driver (in The Red Bus at Pyramid Lake, sometime in middle school I think, primary trait: frustrated with her passengers)
Princess (in The King and I at Henniger High School, 7th grade (I think), primary traits: a more generic princess than the last; I don't really recall...)
Sharon (in Let's Rock at Onondaga Hill Middle School, 8th grade, officially the Stupidest Play Ever, primary trait: angry that her boyfriend would not wear socks to the sock-hop.)
Anne Frank (in a monologue, for our Off-Broadway Showcase after the Beginnings Acting Workshop... I still remember the room we waited in to go on. I was so nervous. Primary trait: Hope and faith in human beings despite very bad circumstances.)
Cookie Cusack (in Rumors at Westhill High School, 9th grade, primary trait: Crazy Old Lady, of course. The first of many)
Reporter #3/Adult (in Bye Bye Birdie at Westhill High School, 9th grade, primary traits: nosy, and worried about the state of modern youth).
Random Disciple (in Godspell at Westhill High School, 10th grade, primary trait: sincerity, as I recall Spado saying that he needed someone sincere to do such and such a line, and then he picked me. Doesn't make him any less of a sleazy favoritist, though.)
Coriolanus (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 10th grade, primary trait: pissed off and aristocratic. My first foray into the world of male Shakespearean roles... I mistakenly assumed it would be my one chance to play the boys. And I won 2nd place.)
Belinda Cratchit (in A Christmas Carol at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary trait: Got picked up and carried offstage by the most desired boy in the school. I didn't especially desire him, but how I loved the idea of making all those girls jealous. Also, speaking of sleazy favoritism...)
The Yellow Brick Road (in The Wiz at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary trait: Encouraged people in song to ease on down me.)
Richard III (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary traits: terrified and haunted. And I won 2nd place.)
Bernice Roth (in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: drunk, nervous, inspired... another Crazy Old Lady.)
Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt (in Anything Goes at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: Social climber, wants MONEY, loves her dog, her jewels, and her daughter... probably in that order, irritating squeaky voice. Crazy Old Lady.)
Cleopatra (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: loved Antony. I memorized it immediately before doing it... and I did not win at all. Clearly I should stick with the boys. And actually memorize my parts.)
Jack's Mom (in Into the Woods at Bryn Mawr College, freshman year, primary traits: Worried about money, loves her son, practical, brave. Crazy Old Lady... the end of an era.)
The Voice (in Sonnets at Bryn Mawr College, freshman year, primary traits: Sang. And did not get laid.)
Lynnette ( in Anything for You at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary traits: desperate to have an affair. With her best friend, Gail. Who is secretly in love with her.)
Bill, maybe? (in All in the Timing at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary trait: his timing was off.)
Feste (in Twelfth Night at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary traits: clever and cunning and perceptive and funny and liked to sing and destroy plantlife with his friends)
Antipholus of Syracuse (in Comedy of Errors at Bryn Mawr College, junior year, primary traits: confused and generally honorable and desirous to avoid Satan.)
Wife and Cain (in Love's Fire at Bryn Mawr College, senior year, primary traits (of Wife): furious and heartbroken and wanting to undo things, including her blouse... (of Cain): yelling and killing.
Borachio (in Much Ado About Nothing at Bryn Mawr College, senior year, primary traits: crafty and coarse and lusty... but not really a bad guy for all that)
V (in Production Values with Uncut Pages, summer after senior year, primary traits: wonders what the fuck you are doing on her stage!)
Professor Dilexi (in Professor Dilexi Presents Dramatis Personae of the Apocryphal Menagerie, last summer, primary traits: sees the map, the pattern, the choices, incredibly sadistic, lonely and creepy, eschews physical contact)
Phew! I'm sure I missed something, but there they are. Now, to make a new character...
Brenda Susan Carl Richard Rodney Brian Beryl Orville Devon Caroline Britney Louise David Dominick Franchesca Melvin Edgar Daniel Veronica Jackie Bertram Pollyanna Mork Martin Rivka Bobby Delores Petra Sally Algernon Florence Carter Connie Rasputin Albert Rosalie Dirk Calvin Bonnie Cedric Yusef Brigid Reba Ronald Betsy Roman Evelyn Hector Collin Jim Moses Veronica Libby Beatrice Fabian Allison Oscar Severus Walter Cristina Bertha Victor Patsy Digglesworth: A lonely hermaphroditic orphan who becomes addicted to sleeping pills after his/her brother dies tragically (this tragic death occuring after they have fought over a doll, which young Brenda Susan Carl etc. had been examining in order to figure out the mystery of her/his own genitalia. S/he naturally feels confused about the doll, and also the gender of other people in general, but has become convinced that if she can figure out the doll, this confusion will be relieved, and therefore is willing to fight her brother for it. Unfortunately, the brother falls down the stairs while tugging on the doll, and breaks his neck). S/he screams "Undo this!" when she finds that nothing can be done to save him and tears off her shirt. In a mad fit of guilt and confusion, the heartbroken Brenda Susan Carl etc. takes to running around with a bad crowd (when s/he isn't sleeping) and this group of people encourages her/him to destroy plantlife. S/he becomes known as "The Cornfield Monster," but the police are not able to discover his/her identity for some time. During this interval s/he begins to hallucinate as a result of overdoing the sleeping pills, and for awhile is convinced that a lamb is following her everywhere she goes. As yet another side effect of her/his addiction, Brenda Sue Carl etc. begins to crave cheese excessively, eventually yelling at people to give up their cheese. S/he jumps up on the stage at his/her high school and is carried off by the most popular, desired boy in school, making him even more popular and desired. Because s/he has become so loud and ostentatious, s/he is captured by the police. Because they cannot classify his/her gender, they do not know which prison to send him/her to, and therefore opt for house arrest. It is worth noting that her/his growth has been stunted by all the sleeping pills (called "Essence of Dandelion" in genteel circles), and therefore s/he is quite small. In severe withdrawal from Essence of Dandelion, Brenda Sue Carl etc. develops a fixation on chamomile tea, and refuses to drink anything else. During this withdrawal stage, s/he begins to experience visions of her/his brother, which leave her shaken and terrified. In a desperate attempt to connect with somebody, s/he signs up for a prisoner letter exchange program with a woman named Gail, who quickly becomes Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s best and only friend. Brenda Sue Carl etc. is quite sincere with Gail, experiencing a genuine love for another human being for the first time since her brother's death. S/he begins to fantasize about sleeping with Gail, and is overjoyed with Gail confesses her love for Brenda Sue Carl etc. However, when s/he reveals that s/he is a hermphrodite, the letters abruptly stop. While still hoping that Gail will write back, Brenda Sue Carl etc. distracts herself by watching a video version of The Magic Flute, and channels his/her romantic and sexual frustrations into an obsessive, nervous concern over whether Papageno will in fact see Papagena. After some time, Brenda Sue Carl etc. writes another, more plaintive letter to Gail, and Gail replies that she is not comfortable ever communicating with Brenda Sue Carl again. Brenda Sue Carl etc. is completely devastated, and also decides that s/he will never get laid. Around this time, Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s sentence is up, and s/he is released into the world. Overwhelmed, s/he goes to a bar and gets drunk. While under the influence, s/he is inspired to sing, and the other patrons of the bar notice that her/his voice is quite mellifluous, the perfect blend of male and female sound. Thus, Brenda Sue Carl etc. embarks on a singing career. At first, s/he sings mostly Christmas carols and selections from The Magic Flute, but eventually s/he realizes that her/his voice can be used as a tool of seduction, and begins to encourage people to "ease on down his/her road," and see what they find. S/he develops a charasmatic and showy stage persona, telling wonderful stories in song. To Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s delight, s/he realizes there are some circles in which what she considered a sexual deformity is actually an exciting advantage! S/he embarks on a new life full of music and lust, though she is plagued by financial problems, and worries about money a good deal. At last, s/he finds a sugar daddy named Antony, a middle-aged, social-climbing playboy who thinks he has seen all the world has to offer. Antony is enamored of Brenda Sue Carl etc. because in his/her very flesh s/he proves this maxim false. He takes care of Brenda Sue Carl, showering her/him with jewels and gifts in exchange for sexual pleasure and experimentation. At first, Brenda Sue Carl etc. remains very practical in this relationship, liking the money and the relative luxury, and living the life of an aristocrat. S/he buys a little dog and lavishes her/his affections on the animal, carefully avoiding any human entanglements beyond the merely physical. Antony decides to teach him/her to waltz, and when Brenda Sue Carl etc. says s/he doesn't know whether to lead or follow, Antony whispers, "I don't care as long as you are in my arms." It is in that moment that Brenda Sue Carl etc. realizes s/he is in love with Antony, even more deeply than s/he was with Gail, since this of course is a much more real and reciprocal relationship. Brenda Sue Carl etc. begins to blossom in this relationship. She starts to enjoy eating, and finds that she is gaining a bit of weight and growing warm and perceptive and funny and clever and sweet, at least in her private interactions with Antony. Antony and Brenda Sue Carl etc. build a life together full of music and sex and dancing, and their most serious quarrel occurs when the fastidious Antony insists on wearing his shoes to a sock hop they attend together. Other than that, life is finally good for the hapless Brenda Sue Carl etc. S/he is faithful to Antony for almost ten years, and eventually they adopt two children together, a boy, Carl Antony, and a girl, Sue Brenda, and they both love them very much.. One day, Carl Antony brings home a friend, who happens to catch a glimpse of Brenda Sue Carl in the nude. The friend finds her/him creepy, and spreads rumors about her all over the upper class community they live in. Antony is humiliated, and finds the social and business prestige he is accustomed to enjoying trickling away from him. Bravely, Brenda Sue Carl etc. volunteers to come out as a generally honorable hermaphrodite in front of the entire community, and proclaim her deep love and loyalty to Antony and her family, but Antony is horrified and begs her not to do that. Though his embarrassment hurts her, Brenda Sue Carl etc. develops a crafty, cunning plan to discredit the gossipy child. She finds an old contact and procures some Essence of Dandelion, and, when Carl Antony has several friends over for his birthday party, takes the opportunity to plant it rather conspicuously in the boy's belongings. The boy is caught and discredited, but the police investigation leads back to Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s shady past. When interviewed by the police, Antony panics and claims that Brenda Sue Carl etc. seduced him without first revealing that s/he was a hermaphrodite, and has been blackmailing him with this secret for years. When Brenda Sue Carl etc. asks him why he has betrayed her/him in this way, Antony only says, "You have the most horrible timing to be outed as a hermaphrodite, muffin. I'm up for membership in the Amazing Antelope Club this year." While the police do not believe Antony's story, and in fact give Brenda Sue Carl etc. only a minor fine for dealing with the Essence of Dandelion again, Brenda Sue Carl etc. is furious and completely destroyed by this allegation, and turns to witchcraft and black magic to regain some sense of personal power, dabbling in the forces of evil. S/he stays with Antony, but becomes embroiled in a series of increasingly risky and sadistic affairs, toturing his/her lovers physically and emotionally to punish by proxy the man s/he still adores. One night, drunk on evil power and wine and the aftermath of heavily sadistic sex, Brenda Sue Carl etc. accidentally conjures up a demon, who possesses her, and prompts her to kill and eat her little dog. This is the wake up call that Brenda Sue Carl etc. so desperately needs. Traumatized, s/he begins to avoid Satan and, terrified that she will spiral back into sadism, eschews all physical contact for some time. S/he leaves Antony and starts driving a bus for a living, putting up with the annoying customers and eventually moving into a small house and, discovering a long latent skill at academics, trains to become a dentist. For awhile, Brenda Sue Carl etc. channels her/his anxieties, guilt, and memories into a constant obsession with fixing teeth, and this, combined with his/her natural intelligence, enables him/her to graduate quickly, at the head of his/her class. S/he opens a dental practice and begins to work. Though s/he becomes adept at normal, nosy gossip, and wonders with the best of them about "kids today," etc., s/he still never touches anyone unless s/he is fixing their teeth, even in a casual, friendly way. Every day s/he strives to be more generic and forgettable than s/he was the day before. Also, in an effort to pass for female and avoid further humiliation, s/he begins to speak in an irritating, squeaky voice. S/he is extremely reticent with her/his language, and never says anything stronger than "Oh my goodness," because she truly does not wish to attract Satan's attention anymore. This causes people to think that s/he is in fact a Crazy Old Lady, and not a hermaphrodite, but neither of these traits helps to create a comfortable social environment for Brenda Sue Carl etc., and s/he grows slowly more and more depressed. One night, after watching The Magic Flute six times and crying her/himself to sleep, Brenda Sue Carl etc. wakes with a sudden, strong craving for chamomile tea. S/he goes to the kitchen to find some, and is immediately confronted by a vision of her brother! "Brenda Sue Carl etc.," the vision says, "I am your communicating conscience. I have taken the form of your dead brother because you loved him so much, and he would want you to be happy. You are not to blame for the terrible things that have happened in your life. Please touch people again. Please have lots of good, mutually loving sex. You should also join an acting troupe." Puzzled but full of joy at this message, Brenda Sue Carl etc. joins a community theater group, and finds that her/his old love of performing returns almost at once. S/he tentatively begins to make friends, confessing her/his identity almost as a challenge to them, and, after her/his first show, is even inspired to hug some of them. Suddenly, Brenda Sue Carl etc. realizes that friendship really is the perfect blendship, and invests her/himself more fully in these new relationships. Her/his personality is recovered, and s/he gains a reputation for being fun, mischeivious and full of surprises both at work in the dental office and on the stage. One night, during a performace of "The Littlest Christmas Angel," Brenda Sue Carl etc. catches a glimpse of Carl Antony and Sue Brenda in the audience, and for a moment is paralyzed with shock and joy, then tries to perform her/his best for them. After curtain call, s/he hopes that they will come up to speak with her, but instead Antony himself jumps out from a shadowy corner where he has been hiding and leaps onto the stage. "My darling Brenda Sue Carl etc.!" he exclaims. "I have been so wrong! Please, come back to me." Brenda Sue Carl etc. promptly screams, "What the fuck are you doing on my stage?" breaking the last of her mental enslavement to Antony, and eventually s/he is given visitation rights with the children. Finally, in a dream come true, Brenda Sue Carl etc. is cast in The Magic Flute, as Papageno. The identity of Papagena remains mysterious, however, until the final week of rehearsals. The director will only say that a very special singer is preparing the role out of town, and will come and join them at the last minute. When Brenda Sue Carl etc. finally meets Papagena, she is introduced as Gail Williamson, and Brenda Sue Carl etc. nearly faints. It is, in fact, her/his penpal from so long ago! In that moment, the map, the patterns, and the choices that have shaped Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s life come into perfect clarity. Gail explains that she realized her mistake several months after rejecting Brenda Sue Carl etc., and wanted to tell him/her that s/he was not such a bad guy after all, but because of restrictions on giving out the addresses of former prisoners, she had been unable to find him/her for all these years. They end up singing in perfect harmony, both on and off the stage, and Brenda Sue Carl etc. becomes an inspirational speaker, telling groups of students and office workers how her faith in humanity was restored after a life of trial.
There. I better get a hell of a lot of points for that! May I just point out in my favor that I did not write any of the second part until I had made my entire list, with whatever traits came to mind?
3) If you could only say one word during a conversation, what would it be?
Well, if it was a conversation where I wanted to keep things non-commital, it would be "interesting."
If I wanted to make things actually interesting, but didn't mind if it ended abruptly, it would be "no."
But if I really could just pick one without any qualifiers... "Why?"
4) You have been chosen to be on a Billboard but only one of your features will be shown. Luckily you get to pick it. What is it?
What I have learned from considering this question is that many, many perfectly attractive features become somewhat creepy or lifeless when displayed all on their own. Therefore, I think I would have to pick my eyes. Because eyes may be disconcerting all on their own, but at least they are eyes. To clarify, for example: I think my smile is very nice. But when I put it on a billboard all by itself, I think it's a little weird. I keep looking for the eyes, to see how it all fits together. If you can see my eyes, it may be odd because they will seem to be enormous and staring, but you will have a sense of life that is direct and real and certainly more pleasant than an enormous hand or pair of boobs. (To give you a hint about what I consider attractive on myself when taken more in context.) For some reason, though, when I first though about this question I imagined my nose, which is ok but not my favorite feature. I don't really know why. To close, I think my eyes are very expressive and interesting and a lovely dark color, although I confess they are not as fascinating to waitresses as the eyes of some other people I could name...
5) You have to eat one food at least once a day for the rest of your life. Which one will it be?
Ice cream. If I must be more specific, Breyer's mint chocolate chip. But ice cream is the obvious choice. I think only once in my life ever have I felt that I had too much ice cream. I was really full, I guess, and it was a big bowl. Ooh, I want ice cream from Spain right now. Avellana Americana (hazelnut). Wow, I am having a yummy flashback. We used to have ice cream almost every day. I would get it at the Cafe de Indias when I went to use the internet, or we would meet at any one of a number of little ice cream shops. It was so good! I remember when some people set up an "ice cream budget" of how much money they were allowed to spend on ice cream. I didn't bother to do such a thrifty thing. Ice cream is necessary in a foreign, hot land. Also, if one walks for several hours everyday, one does not gain weight, even if one is eating ice cream all the time! I had the most wonderful lifestyle ever in Spain. And I love ice cream a lot. The end.
Do you have any idea how hard this was for me? First, I thought of classic novels that I love too much to fuck around with... for example, what am I going to do? Have Gene and Phinny hooking up in a Separate Peace? Get Hester Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale back together? Perish the thought! Most masterpieces should be left the hell alone, thank you very much. But then I started thinking about books I didn't like... for example, the Mayor of Casterbridge. I disliked it so much, in fact, that I remember hardly anything about it... except some crap about a birdcage that I think I wrote an essay on. So obviously rewriting works I don't like will only cause frustration and mediocre investment. What is this hapless, governmentally hampered authoress to do? Other than publish original works on the literary black market, which I assume you anticipated. But then, I started thinking outside the box. And I realized I would quite like to rewrite something like Ovid's Metamorphoses, with all those weird and tantalizing tales that could be done really nicely in a modern or at least slightly altered context... and of course I would like to rewrite the Morte D'Arthur, as people do all the time... and now I have realized what my calling must be in this new writerly environment. Clearly, I will rewrite the Bible! It will stay an epic, and I'll even keep each of the books in their genres: poetry, history, epistles, etc. As for the character development, you'll have to trust me on this one. Also, expect lots of exciting and wonderful twists. This should be ready for reading... hmmm... maybe around your 43rd birthday.
2) It was decided, although new books cannot be written, new plays can be, except you can only use character traits from specifically assigned characters. In your case, it's all the characters you have ever played. How would you combine their traits to make a new exciting character? You don't have to use all of them but you need at least 3. Bonus points for more than 3.
First, I am trying to make a list of every character I have ever played, though I'm sure I am missing some.
Bunny (via a puppet, in a fable about the cheese-stealing fox, Kindergarten, primary trait: desired cheese)
Solo Caroler (in A Christmas Carol at Onondaga Central High School, 1st grade, primary trait: liked to sing about Christmas)
Really Rosie (in Really Rosie at Rockwell Elementary School, 2nd grade, primary traits: showy, charasmatic, an excellent story teller)
A Box or Bowl of Oatmeal (in Really Rosie at Rockwell Elementary School, 2nd grade, primary traits: warm and thick)
Dolly (in Onions in the Stew at Onondaga Central High School, 3rd grade, primary traits: fought with her brother, loved her doll, was quite loud. I remember that the first Gulf War started during this play, while we were getting ready in the Home Ec. room. Also how old the high schoolers seemed)
Cinderella (in Cinderella, 4th or 5th grade, primary trait: knew how to waltz)
Bunny (via a mask, in The Magic Flute,sometime in elementary school... this was just for a little scene or rehearsal or something, but it's one of the only times I missed my cue to go on. I was sad. But the mask was beautiful. Primary trait: concern that Papageno see Papagena.)
Leslie something-or-other (in a play written by my acting teacher, Val, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: loved chamomile tea. Also had a "communicating conscience" which spoke to her.)
Danielle the Dandelion Fairy (in a play about Wanderlust Wonderful Forest, also by Val, also sometime in elementary school, primary trait: struggled with an addiction to the soporific juice or dust or something found in the dandelion)
Mary (in a monologue done in the same acting class, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: was irritated by her perpetually following lamb. I had this stuffed lamb that I dressed up in a little sweater and cap and gave it a lunch box and everything... it was kind of fantastic)
Evilena (or something like that... one of three witches in another play about the Wanderlust Wonderful Forest, a musical actually. By Val and this other woman Muriel, who wrote the songs. I found out later that Muriel wrote this "head witch" part for me, and was mad when Val switched it around on her. Primary traits: evil and witchy)
Dentist on Vacation (at Pyramid Lake, a camp families from my church went to, as part of our first skit, which I wrote... sometime in elementary school. Primary trait: obsessed with fixing teeth.)
Jan (in selections from Grease at Onondaga Community College's Broadway in Syracuse class, part of their College for Kids program, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: loved to eat)
Billy (in selections from Anything Goes at Onondaga Community College's Broadway in Syracuse class, part of their College for Kids program, feminized just for me, sometime in elementary school, primary trait: thought that friendship was the perfect blendship)
Princess (in The King and I at Salt City Playhouse, 5th grade, primary traits: sweet, liked to give surprises, fun)
Molly (in Annie at Henniger High School, 6th grade, primary traits: orphaned, small, a bit mischievious, said "Oh my goodness" constantly)
Marcie (in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Onondaga Hill Middle School, 6th grade, primary traits: smart, bookish, loyal, odd, confused about the gender of others)
Red Bus Driver (in The Red Bus at Pyramid Lake, sometime in middle school I think, primary trait: frustrated with her passengers)
Princess (in The King and I at Henniger High School, 7th grade (I think), primary traits: a more generic princess than the last; I don't really recall...)
Sharon (in Let's Rock at Onondaga Hill Middle School, 8th grade, officially the Stupidest Play Ever, primary trait: angry that her boyfriend would not wear socks to the sock-hop.)
Anne Frank (in a monologue, for our Off-Broadway Showcase after the Beginnings Acting Workshop... I still remember the room we waited in to go on. I was so nervous. Primary trait: Hope and faith in human beings despite very bad circumstances.)
Cookie Cusack (in Rumors at Westhill High School, 9th grade, primary trait: Crazy Old Lady, of course. The first of many)
Reporter #3/Adult (in Bye Bye Birdie at Westhill High School, 9th grade, primary traits: nosy, and worried about the state of modern youth).
Random Disciple (in Godspell at Westhill High School, 10th grade, primary trait: sincerity, as I recall Spado saying that he needed someone sincere to do such and such a line, and then he picked me. Doesn't make him any less of a sleazy favoritist, though.)
Coriolanus (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 10th grade, primary trait: pissed off and aristocratic. My first foray into the world of male Shakespearean roles... I mistakenly assumed it would be my one chance to play the boys. And I won 2nd place.)
Belinda Cratchit (in A Christmas Carol at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary trait: Got picked up and carried offstage by the most desired boy in the school. I didn't especially desire him, but how I loved the idea of making all those girls jealous. Also, speaking of sleazy favoritism...)
The Yellow Brick Road (in The Wiz at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary trait: Encouraged people in song to ease on down me.)
Richard III (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 11th grade, primary traits: terrified and haunted. And I won 2nd place.)
Bernice Roth (in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: drunk, nervous, inspired... another Crazy Old Lady.)
Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt (in Anything Goes at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: Social climber, wants MONEY, loves her dog, her jewels, and her daughter... probably in that order, irritating squeaky voice. Crazy Old Lady.)
Cleopatra (for the Shakespeare Competition at Westhill High School, 12th grade, primary traits: loved Antony. I memorized it immediately before doing it... and I did not win at all. Clearly I should stick with the boys. And actually memorize my parts.)
Jack's Mom (in Into the Woods at Bryn Mawr College, freshman year, primary traits: Worried about money, loves her son, practical, brave. Crazy Old Lady... the end of an era.)
The Voice (in Sonnets at Bryn Mawr College, freshman year, primary traits: Sang. And did not get laid.)
Lynnette ( in Anything for You at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary traits: desperate to have an affair. With her best friend, Gail. Who is secretly in love with her.)
Bill, maybe? (in All in the Timing at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary trait: his timing was off.)
Feste (in Twelfth Night at Bryn Mawr College, sophomore year, primary traits: clever and cunning and perceptive and funny and liked to sing and destroy plantlife with his friends)
Antipholus of Syracuse (in Comedy of Errors at Bryn Mawr College, junior year, primary traits: confused and generally honorable and desirous to avoid Satan.)
Wife and Cain (in Love's Fire at Bryn Mawr College, senior year, primary traits (of Wife): furious and heartbroken and wanting to undo things, including her blouse... (of Cain): yelling and killing.
Borachio (in Much Ado About Nothing at Bryn Mawr College, senior year, primary traits: crafty and coarse and lusty... but not really a bad guy for all that)
V (in Production Values with Uncut Pages, summer after senior year, primary traits: wonders what the fuck you are doing on her stage!)
Professor Dilexi (in Professor Dilexi Presents Dramatis Personae of the Apocryphal Menagerie, last summer, primary traits: sees the map, the pattern, the choices, incredibly sadistic, lonely and creepy, eschews physical contact)
Phew! I'm sure I missed something, but there they are. Now, to make a new character...
Brenda Susan Carl Richard Rodney Brian Beryl Orville Devon Caroline Britney Louise David Dominick Franchesca Melvin Edgar Daniel Veronica Jackie Bertram Pollyanna Mork Martin Rivka Bobby Delores Petra Sally Algernon Florence Carter Connie Rasputin Albert Rosalie Dirk Calvin Bonnie Cedric Yusef Brigid Reba Ronald Betsy Roman Evelyn Hector Collin Jim Moses Veronica Libby Beatrice Fabian Allison Oscar Severus Walter Cristina Bertha Victor Patsy Digglesworth: A lonely hermaphroditic orphan who becomes addicted to sleeping pills after his/her brother dies tragically (this tragic death occuring after they have fought over a doll, which young Brenda Susan Carl etc. had been examining in order to figure out the mystery of her/his own genitalia. S/he naturally feels confused about the doll, and also the gender of other people in general, but has become convinced that if she can figure out the doll, this confusion will be relieved, and therefore is willing to fight her brother for it. Unfortunately, the brother falls down the stairs while tugging on the doll, and breaks his neck). S/he screams "Undo this!" when she finds that nothing can be done to save him and tears off her shirt. In a mad fit of guilt and confusion, the heartbroken Brenda Susan Carl etc. takes to running around with a bad crowd (when s/he isn't sleeping) and this group of people encourages her/him to destroy plantlife. S/he becomes known as "The Cornfield Monster," but the police are not able to discover his/her identity for some time. During this interval s/he begins to hallucinate as a result of overdoing the sleeping pills, and for awhile is convinced that a lamb is following her everywhere she goes. As yet another side effect of her/his addiction, Brenda Sue Carl etc. begins to crave cheese excessively, eventually yelling at people to give up their cheese. S/he jumps up on the stage at his/her high school and is carried off by the most popular, desired boy in school, making him even more popular and desired. Because s/he has become so loud and ostentatious, s/he is captured by the police. Because they cannot classify his/her gender, they do not know which prison to send him/her to, and therefore opt for house arrest. It is worth noting that her/his growth has been stunted by all the sleeping pills (called "Essence of Dandelion" in genteel circles), and therefore s/he is quite small. In severe withdrawal from Essence of Dandelion, Brenda Sue Carl etc. develops a fixation on chamomile tea, and refuses to drink anything else. During this withdrawal stage, s/he begins to experience visions of her/his brother, which leave her shaken and terrified. In a desperate attempt to connect with somebody, s/he signs up for a prisoner letter exchange program with a woman named Gail, who quickly becomes Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s best and only friend. Brenda Sue Carl etc. is quite sincere with Gail, experiencing a genuine love for another human being for the first time since her brother's death. S/he begins to fantasize about sleeping with Gail, and is overjoyed with Gail confesses her love for Brenda Sue Carl etc. However, when s/he reveals that s/he is a hermphrodite, the letters abruptly stop. While still hoping that Gail will write back, Brenda Sue Carl etc. distracts herself by watching a video version of The Magic Flute, and channels his/her romantic and sexual frustrations into an obsessive, nervous concern over whether Papageno will in fact see Papagena. After some time, Brenda Sue Carl etc. writes another, more plaintive letter to Gail, and Gail replies that she is not comfortable ever communicating with Brenda Sue Carl again. Brenda Sue Carl etc. is completely devastated, and also decides that s/he will never get laid. Around this time, Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s sentence is up, and s/he is released into the world. Overwhelmed, s/he goes to a bar and gets drunk. While under the influence, s/he is inspired to sing, and the other patrons of the bar notice that her/his voice is quite mellifluous, the perfect blend of male and female sound. Thus, Brenda Sue Carl etc. embarks on a singing career. At first, s/he sings mostly Christmas carols and selections from The Magic Flute, but eventually s/he realizes that her/his voice can be used as a tool of seduction, and begins to encourage people to "ease on down his/her road," and see what they find. S/he develops a charasmatic and showy stage persona, telling wonderful stories in song. To Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s delight, s/he realizes there are some circles in which what she considered a sexual deformity is actually an exciting advantage! S/he embarks on a new life full of music and lust, though she is plagued by financial problems, and worries about money a good deal. At last, s/he finds a sugar daddy named Antony, a middle-aged, social-climbing playboy who thinks he has seen all the world has to offer. Antony is enamored of Brenda Sue Carl etc. because in his/her very flesh s/he proves this maxim false. He takes care of Brenda Sue Carl, showering her/him with jewels and gifts in exchange for sexual pleasure and experimentation. At first, Brenda Sue Carl etc. remains very practical in this relationship, liking the money and the relative luxury, and living the life of an aristocrat. S/he buys a little dog and lavishes her/his affections on the animal, carefully avoiding any human entanglements beyond the merely physical. Antony decides to teach him/her to waltz, and when Brenda Sue Carl etc. says s/he doesn't know whether to lead or follow, Antony whispers, "I don't care as long as you are in my arms." It is in that moment that Brenda Sue Carl etc. realizes s/he is in love with Antony, even more deeply than s/he was with Gail, since this of course is a much more real and reciprocal relationship. Brenda Sue Carl etc. begins to blossom in this relationship. She starts to enjoy eating, and finds that she is gaining a bit of weight and growing warm and perceptive and funny and clever and sweet, at least in her private interactions with Antony. Antony and Brenda Sue Carl etc. build a life together full of music and sex and dancing, and their most serious quarrel occurs when the fastidious Antony insists on wearing his shoes to a sock hop they attend together. Other than that, life is finally good for the hapless Brenda Sue Carl etc. S/he is faithful to Antony for almost ten years, and eventually they adopt two children together, a boy, Carl Antony, and a girl, Sue Brenda, and they both love them very much.. One day, Carl Antony brings home a friend, who happens to catch a glimpse of Brenda Sue Carl in the nude. The friend finds her/him creepy, and spreads rumors about her all over the upper class community they live in. Antony is humiliated, and finds the social and business prestige he is accustomed to enjoying trickling away from him. Bravely, Brenda Sue Carl etc. volunteers to come out as a generally honorable hermaphrodite in front of the entire community, and proclaim her deep love and loyalty to Antony and her family, but Antony is horrified and begs her not to do that. Though his embarrassment hurts her, Brenda Sue Carl etc. develops a crafty, cunning plan to discredit the gossipy child. She finds an old contact and procures some Essence of Dandelion, and, when Carl Antony has several friends over for his birthday party, takes the opportunity to plant it rather conspicuously in the boy's belongings. The boy is caught and discredited, but the police investigation leads back to Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s shady past. When interviewed by the police, Antony panics and claims that Brenda Sue Carl etc. seduced him without first revealing that s/he was a hermaphrodite, and has been blackmailing him with this secret for years. When Brenda Sue Carl etc. asks him why he has betrayed her/him in this way, Antony only says, "You have the most horrible timing to be outed as a hermaphrodite, muffin. I'm up for membership in the Amazing Antelope Club this year." While the police do not believe Antony's story, and in fact give Brenda Sue Carl etc. only a minor fine for dealing with the Essence of Dandelion again, Brenda Sue Carl etc. is furious and completely destroyed by this allegation, and turns to witchcraft and black magic to regain some sense of personal power, dabbling in the forces of evil. S/he stays with Antony, but becomes embroiled in a series of increasingly risky and sadistic affairs, toturing his/her lovers physically and emotionally to punish by proxy the man s/he still adores. One night, drunk on evil power and wine and the aftermath of heavily sadistic sex, Brenda Sue Carl etc. accidentally conjures up a demon, who possesses her, and prompts her to kill and eat her little dog. This is the wake up call that Brenda Sue Carl etc. so desperately needs. Traumatized, s/he begins to avoid Satan and, terrified that she will spiral back into sadism, eschews all physical contact for some time. S/he leaves Antony and starts driving a bus for a living, putting up with the annoying customers and eventually moving into a small house and, discovering a long latent skill at academics, trains to become a dentist. For awhile, Brenda Sue Carl etc. channels her/his anxieties, guilt, and memories into a constant obsession with fixing teeth, and this, combined with his/her natural intelligence, enables him/her to graduate quickly, at the head of his/her class. S/he opens a dental practice and begins to work. Though s/he becomes adept at normal, nosy gossip, and wonders with the best of them about "kids today," etc., s/he still never touches anyone unless s/he is fixing their teeth, even in a casual, friendly way. Every day s/he strives to be more generic and forgettable than s/he was the day before. Also, in an effort to pass for female and avoid further humiliation, s/he begins to speak in an irritating, squeaky voice. S/he is extremely reticent with her/his language, and never says anything stronger than "Oh my goodness," because she truly does not wish to attract Satan's attention anymore. This causes people to think that s/he is in fact a Crazy Old Lady, and not a hermaphrodite, but neither of these traits helps to create a comfortable social environment for Brenda Sue Carl etc., and s/he grows slowly more and more depressed. One night, after watching The Magic Flute six times and crying her/himself to sleep, Brenda Sue Carl etc. wakes with a sudden, strong craving for chamomile tea. S/he goes to the kitchen to find some, and is immediately confronted by a vision of her brother! "Brenda Sue Carl etc.," the vision says, "I am your communicating conscience. I have taken the form of your dead brother because you loved him so much, and he would want you to be happy. You are not to blame for the terrible things that have happened in your life. Please touch people again. Please have lots of good, mutually loving sex. You should also join an acting troupe." Puzzled but full of joy at this message, Brenda Sue Carl etc. joins a community theater group, and finds that her/his old love of performing returns almost at once. S/he tentatively begins to make friends, confessing her/his identity almost as a challenge to them, and, after her/his first show, is even inspired to hug some of them. Suddenly, Brenda Sue Carl etc. realizes that friendship really is the perfect blendship, and invests her/himself more fully in these new relationships. Her/his personality is recovered, and s/he gains a reputation for being fun, mischeivious and full of surprises both at work in the dental office and on the stage. One night, during a performace of "The Littlest Christmas Angel," Brenda Sue Carl etc. catches a glimpse of Carl Antony and Sue Brenda in the audience, and for a moment is paralyzed with shock and joy, then tries to perform her/his best for them. After curtain call, s/he hopes that they will come up to speak with her, but instead Antony himself jumps out from a shadowy corner where he has been hiding and leaps onto the stage. "My darling Brenda Sue Carl etc.!" he exclaims. "I have been so wrong! Please, come back to me." Brenda Sue Carl etc. promptly screams, "What the fuck are you doing on my stage?" breaking the last of her mental enslavement to Antony, and eventually s/he is given visitation rights with the children. Finally, in a dream come true, Brenda Sue Carl etc. is cast in The Magic Flute, as Papageno. The identity of Papagena remains mysterious, however, until the final week of rehearsals. The director will only say that a very special singer is preparing the role out of town, and will come and join them at the last minute. When Brenda Sue Carl etc. finally meets Papagena, she is introduced as Gail Williamson, and Brenda Sue Carl etc. nearly faints. It is, in fact, her/his penpal from so long ago! In that moment, the map, the patterns, and the choices that have shaped Brenda Sue Carl etc.'s life come into perfect clarity. Gail explains that she realized her mistake several months after rejecting Brenda Sue Carl etc., and wanted to tell him/her that s/he was not such a bad guy after all, but because of restrictions on giving out the addresses of former prisoners, she had been unable to find him/her for all these years. They end up singing in perfect harmony, both on and off the stage, and Brenda Sue Carl etc. becomes an inspirational speaker, telling groups of students and office workers how her faith in humanity was restored after a life of trial.
There. I better get a hell of a lot of points for that! May I just point out in my favor that I did not write any of the second part until I had made my entire list, with whatever traits came to mind?
3) If you could only say one word during a conversation, what would it be?
Well, if it was a conversation where I wanted to keep things non-commital, it would be "interesting."
If I wanted to make things actually interesting, but didn't mind if it ended abruptly, it would be "no."
But if I really could just pick one without any qualifiers... "Why?"
4) You have been chosen to be on a Billboard but only one of your features will be shown. Luckily you get to pick it. What is it?
What I have learned from considering this question is that many, many perfectly attractive features become somewhat creepy or lifeless when displayed all on their own. Therefore, I think I would have to pick my eyes. Because eyes may be disconcerting all on their own, but at least they are eyes. To clarify, for example: I think my smile is very nice. But when I put it on a billboard all by itself, I think it's a little weird. I keep looking for the eyes, to see how it all fits together. If you can see my eyes, it may be odd because they will seem to be enormous and staring, but you will have a sense of life that is direct and real and certainly more pleasant than an enormous hand or pair of boobs. (To give you a hint about what I consider attractive on myself when taken more in context.) For some reason, though, when I first though about this question I imagined my nose, which is ok but not my favorite feature. I don't really know why. To close, I think my eyes are very expressive and interesting and a lovely dark color, although I confess they are not as fascinating to waitresses as the eyes of some other people I could name...
5) You have to eat one food at least once a day for the rest of your life. Which one will it be?
Ice cream. If I must be more specific, Breyer's mint chocolate chip. But ice cream is the obvious choice. I think only once in my life ever have I felt that I had too much ice cream. I was really full, I guess, and it was a big bowl. Ooh, I want ice cream from Spain right now. Avellana Americana (hazelnut). Wow, I am having a yummy flashback. We used to have ice cream almost every day. I would get it at the Cafe de Indias when I went to use the internet, or we would meet at any one of a number of little ice cream shops. It was so good! I remember when some people set up an "ice cream budget" of how much money they were allowed to spend on ice cream. I didn't bother to do such a thrifty thing. Ice cream is necessary in a foreign, hot land. Also, if one walks for several hours everyday, one does not gain weight, even if one is eating ice cream all the time! I had the most wonderful lifestyle ever in Spain. And I love ice cream a lot. The end.
Numerology Strikes Again
This is for my full name:
Expression: 11
The Expression number shows us who we truly are, what we came into this life already knowing. This is where we feel most comfortable and how we automatically act. We attract people and situations to us that require our Expression so that they can further evolve. In this way we play the role of teacher. Naturally we are attracted to occupations that we resonate to, so the Expression number can be a strong factor in our choice of a career as well. Our Expression is the vehicle, with all its virtues and vices, that drives us along the path of our Destiny. It is the essence of our identity.
You are endowed with a high vibrational energy that may be expressed through inspirational, teaching, preaching, acting, art or invention. You have access to prophetic wisdom and your positive attitude is a transformational force in other people's lives. Fame and notoriety is very likely at some point in your life, as your kind of energy gets noticed! Much will be required of you in life when you have a master number vibration, because much will be given.
Soul Urge: 9
The Soul Urge number has also been called Heart's Desire and Spiritual Urge. It is our secret, innermost longing. Our dream, our motivation, the fuel that energizes our journey. The Soul Urge number reveals what we secretly strive to be or accomplish. Some have said that this number tells us what we have been in previous lifetimes, the accumulated growth of our soul.
Like the number 6 soul urge, your life revolves around giving and receiving love. Your desire, however, includes the whole of humanity and a few races besides. Compassion, passion and forgiveness make up your essence and you are very generous and impressionable. The fine arts call out to you and you may in fact have a master artist living inside of you.
Persona: 2
The Persona number describes the way we appear to the outside world, the first impression people have of us. We may not even be aware of how we are perceived by others because we are so often focused on our inner world, and many times the inner does not match the outer. Persona gives us a peek at some hidden talents we have. The talents that we use to get along in the world and in some instances, protect us from it. It is likened to a bag of tools (jewels) that we carry with us along the way.
You have a very neat, composed appearance to the outside world. Peaceful and unobtrusive, you are the one people go to for companionship and harmony. You seem to have a quiet, non-judgmental wisdom which attracts those needing advise and an objective point of view. Your ability to see both sides of a situation makes you appear indecisive.
Natal Analysis: April 20, 1982
Personal Year: 4
Organization, practicality, analysis, and productivity, are the words that describe this time. Now is when the creative drive of the passing 3 vibration needs to be harnessed and directed. Systematic efforts and honest, hard work are sure to pay off if you use this vibration wisely. The number 4 symbolizes Earth and the four directions. It is time to focus on Earthly matters, save for the future, and build a foundation for what is to come. Health of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit is another practical and important undertaking during this time.
Personal Month: 6
This is the month for harmony. Give loving advise when it's asked for. Re-decorate the family room. Go house shopping. Volunteer to help the needy. Feed a stray animal.
Personal Day: 9
Clean house. Go on a one day juice fast. Take someone dear to the zoo and have eye contact with the gorillas. See the interconnectedness of all things. Be grateful. Wear any color that makes you feel good.
Destiny: 8
The Destiny number describes the life lessons that we have come here to learn. It reveals to us the path we must take, and the role we must play to fulfill our mission. Often our choice of career is based on this vibration, and if not, then it will manifest through avocational pursuits. We may attract people and experiences into our lives that mirror the traits of this number for us, so that we may develop into our highest potential. We don't always welcome our life lessons, so it is a possibility that we may even feel an aversion to the characteristics of our Destiny number in other people, and we may ourselves act the opposite. In spite of the many ways we may choose to react to this force within us, we have been gifted with all of the talents and energy needed to fulfill our Destiny.
You will be given many opportunities in life to learn how to wisely use power, authority and money. Whether you're the head of a great corporation a great family or a great team, your discipline, persistence, courage and strength is sure to bring you success. You have a philanthropic nature and you will learn in life that true power is in sharing this success. Sports is an area requiring the kind of strength, determination and endurance that an 8 destiny gives you, as is the business world.
Cycles
The destiny is divided into 3 great cycles, each governing us for specific durations throughout our life. The Seed cycle begins at birth and colors our experiences through childhood and adolescence. During the year nearest our 28th birthday, we move into the Fruit cycle which remains throughout the middle part of our life until the year nearest our 56th birthday, and the Harvest cycle carries on from there. Taken all together, the cycles show us our particular path that will lead to the fulfillment of our destiny.
Seed: 4
When the 4 is the seed cycle, there may be some sort of learning difficulty, dyslexia or lack of application. Sometimes there is a stubbornness that sets in because of the 4 energy pressuring the child into routine, order and responsibility. Fours are usually required to begin working for a living at an early age, even if only to earn their allowance.
Fruit: 2
Cooperation, adaptability and diplomacy shape the experience during the 2 cycle. It is a time to collect knowledge and to be of service to others, becoming sensitive to their feelings and learning patience. It is a waiting period, gestation. Psychic development is likely.
Harvest: 2
"Togetherness" is the theme of this cycle. They are rarely alone, and social invitations abound. Two harvest people are usually collectors of something; stamps, dishes, cars, figurines, postcards from their travels...
Pinnacles
The four pinnacles reveal the high spots or heights of attainment that we are likely to encounter as we move along the path of our life. The 1st pinnacle lasts from birth to around age 28. The 2nd pinnacle lasts for 9 years after that. the 3rd pinnacle lasts 9 more years, and the 4th pinnacle carries on through the rest of our life. The peak of the pinnacle is reached during the next 1 personal year. Pinnacles are like sudden inheritances from a benevolent aunt, they can transform the prevailing energies completely and suddenly. It is useful to look ahead and prepare for our pinnacles so that we can maximize their gifts to us and shape them into the most positive manifestation.
First Pinnacle: 6
A time for giving, nurturing and taking responsibility for others. The 6 pinnacle brings in domestic vibrations and a marriage may begin or improve during this time.
Second Pinnacle: 4
Literal building of a home is a possibility as is the building of a family, a business or even a solid spiritual connection, if the creative energies are focused in that direction.
Third Pinnacle: 1
A new phase of life is emerging and it is the time to lay down the foundation. To shape and mold a new vision, the ideal vision of your creation, your life.
Fourth Pinnacle: 6
Children and animals flock to your nurturing energy now. Surround yourself with beauty and harmony and loving companions. Your wise advise is a benefit to all.
Challenges
The three challenges show us the major influences demanding our attention during specific sections of our lifetime. The 1st challenge influences the years from birth to age 28. The 2nd challenge takes over from age 28 to 52, and the third affects us our whole life. Challenges shape our attitudes and can affect our health. These vibrations that challenge us, cause either an exaggeration of the associated qualities or a lack of them, both of which are extremes which need to be brought into balance.
First Challenge: 2
A child with this challenge is very sensitive. There are many tears shed and extreme shyness is likely. They develop an intricate system by which they ensure the appropriate amount of attention from others. Through giving and intuiting other people's needs and filling them, but also by "nit-picking" and pursuing endless cycles of discussion about petty annoyances and imperfections. Two's are very intuitive and empathic, and when they are confidant and expressive they can be powerful healers.
Second Challenge: 0
0 challenge holders are either the one's who give every last bit of all they are given to those who "need it more" i.e. anybody, or they feel so deprived of their essential needs that they refuse to give at all. They sometimes feel an inner panic at the thought of growing older which leads them to do whatever it takes to feel young. This may lead them to marry a much older person or a much younger one, or it may manifest in a child-like "fairy tale" outlook and behavior. Inside, they know that they are very wise and when they are fearless, they can bring powerful messages of hope to the world.
Third Challenge: 2
The challenge of the "thin-skinned". These challenge holders take everything personally and can easily turn tiny little mole-hills into you know whats. They can seem to become translucent, absorbing each new idea and each new person into themselves, becoming them in the process. The 2 is the number of the psychic, however, the challenge is to maintain one's own identity while accepting the powerful, empathic abilities of the 2. The main focus of the 2 challenge holder is themselves, their feelings, their wants, their lack of satisfaction. Their outer behavior is geared to keeping the peace and taking care of others while secretly hoping they will be taken care of in return. The remedy for this challenge is to become an equal partner in relationships. To realize that their ideas and opinions are valid and to stop flattering love out of people.
Color Me...
Your Life Colors
You scored mainly in the Sky-Fire quadrant. This 'yellow' quadrant highlights the fire sign of your personality and your tendency to blaze across the sky like a comet, taking new ideas and concepts and trying to push them into action. You may well have a vivid imagination and enjoy constantly dreaming up new things to do. Because of your fire sign, you will probably push some of these ideas into action before you and others are ready. You may well be a persuasive person when discussing issues you passionately believe in. In these situations, many people may well be influenced by your apparent confidence.
People who map into this quadrant like to connect the future to the present. Your mind may constantly be exploring possibilities concerning where you are going and what you might do with your life. However, there are times when you could become over-enthusiastic and make decisions before you have fully thought about the ramifications. If anything, your mind might be focused on too many ideas at once. This may result in fewer successes, mainly because of your desire to get into action before you have completely done your homework.
For you there are unlikely to be too many problems. Of all the signs, yours describes someone who can turn a problem into an opportunity. Failure is unlikely to disturb you too much as you have a knack of being able to rebound from adversity.
Monday, November 28, 2005
30 Fictional (or semi-fictional) Folks.
Apparently I've become obsessed. But these are all from stories, books, or other not so flesh and blood sources, so maybe it will be fun to think about?
| Name 25 random people you know (NO ORDER!) | |
| what is an inside joke with #7?: | Doublemint gum? Not exactly a joke, but inside. |
| what about #22?: | I don't really know her all that well. |
| would you go out with #12?: | HA HA! I wanted to in high school. Lots. Even though it's temporally impossible and he's a murderous sex fiend. Or maybe that was why I wanted to. |
| whats one word that describes #5: | Amnesiac. |
| would #4 look good with #25?: | Maybe, but #4 is real uptight and #25 is married, and on second thought... they probably wouldn't look that good together anyway. |
| would u go out with #19?: | Not really, but we are kindred spirits. |
| when is #11's birthday?: | I don't know. Perhaps in the spring. Or the fall. |
| would you make out with #28?: | No, I don't think that would work out well at all. |
| are #3 and #29 BEST friends?: | Not in the slightest. #3 has enough to deal with without bringing in #29, and it would only confirm #3's conviction that maybe he is going to hell. Guilt by association, #29 |
| have you ever liked #21?: | No, but I wrote about him in a sexually aware manner, lord help me. |
| have you ever liked #13: | And how! High school again. Again impossible. Again murderous. Again sex fiend. And very beautiful. |
| have you ever liked #6?: | No, in any case there could be even less result of it if I did than with any of the others... literally any of them... but nonetheless he currently fascinates me. |
| can you tell #17 anything?: | I think I could. He has a history that enables him to be understanding. |
| how mucuh do you love #4?: | Not a whole lot... maybe that's why he never got very nuanced when I wrote about him. |
| how do you know #20?: | John Irving wrote this book... |
| would you make out with #30?: | It's not on the top of my list, nor do I think his, but neither is it a totally repellent idea. |
| how'd you meet #18?: | Through Kirstin. |
| what word comes to your mind when you hear #23's name?: | Bravery! And a tail. |
| have you ever had a crush on #27?: | No, not really the right age group. |
| what about #2?: | No, and anyway she's married. |
| do you think #10 is hot?: | Yes, especially with #11. |
| whats one word that describes #15?: | Gentle, officially. Also... let's say a bit flighty. |
| what do you think #9 will be when he/she grows up?: | A priest. |
| give me one random fact about #16.: | He killed a wolf. |
| and #8.: | He was in love with a rock star once. |
| and what about #1?: | He was never in love with a rock star. And doesn't like personal questions. |
| ...and #26?: | He's locked in the basement without Peter Smith-Kingsley. |
| what song does #14 relate to?: | Hard to say! Maybe "Into the Woods." :) Or "All in All." |
| what movie could #24 be in?: | Dragonheart. Only not really. |
| what famous person does/should #7 meet?: | Maybe Tim O'Brien. Or any one of a number of poets. |
| what do you think of #10?: | I think he's incredibly fun and spontaneous, and must come from the one part of me that doesn't overthink everything. |
| would you make out with #1?: | I don't think that would accomplish anything, or that he would let me. |
| what about #17?: | Ok, this is probably totally wrong, but yeah, assuming we were in the same age range and it was an ok situation. |
| whats an inside joke with #11?: | Sort of the whole car accident when he met #10 thing. |
| what about #12?: | We don't really have inside jokes... but I did finally get "Turn Around, Bright Eyes" because of him. Also, I used to imagine that he was in my time and I had to explain cars |
| and #13?: | Despite his attractiveness, I'm not 100% sure he'd like my jokes. Maybe something about his flamboyant and numerous love affairs at the hands of his creator(ess) |
| have you ever liked #8?: | I like him a lot, but not that way. He has other vows and desires. |
| what about #20?: | I sort of love him. But that's how it is with him, I think. |
| would #29 make a good couple with #16?: | Certainly NOT. #16 would probably put him to the sword, or something. |
| what about #23 and #5?: | No, but it's really funny because #5 had the nickname Mouse (it's not from Tales of the City, btw), and #23, well, is a mouse. |
| whats a random fact about #6?: | He's been castrated. |
| what about #21: | He's been scarred. Famously. |
| and...#18?: | She's been killed. But not in a permanent way. |
| how'd you meet #28?: | Through Rachel. |
| have you ever gone out with #9?: | No, he's faithful to his promises. |
| what about #30?: | No, he's unable and uninterested in the likes of me. |
| ever had a crush on #5?: | No, in fact she baffles me a little. |
| or #25?: | Not really, I leave that to #7. |
| has #4 ever liked you?: | I don't think he would, no, he's still obsessed with #5, at least a little. |
| what about #19?: | I would be proud if she liked me, at least as a friend. I always imagined we'd be such good friends. |
| one word about #27.: | Sprightly. |
| do you knwo anyone who likes #24?: | Maybe Jill Pole? |
| is #3 your friend? why?: | He might be my friend, but I think at the moment he's awfully preoccupied with his own worries. And dancing takes up a lot of his time. |
| where do you see #26 in 20 years?: | SUCH a question. I wish I could say, with a good lover. But instead... in prison, dead, or else fabulously weathy and successful. |
| what about #22?: | I really don't know. Hopefully a little more stable... and not lonely. |
| would you make out with #2?: | I doubt it highly. |
| have you ever made out with #14?: | No, certainly not. |
| what # can you most see youself with?: | Um, for real? Maybe #17 or #24. |
| What # should #11 go out with next?: | #10. Certainly. |
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