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Pictures that move. (Grades are mine, then Josh's) [updated: 9.8.05] |
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Wednesday, April 30, 2003 "After the Nazis we were baited by the Russian bear, our 'liberators' wanted Poland for a thoroughfare." So there is apparently a rumor about town that Steve Taylor makes a cameo in Sixpence's "Breathe Your Name" video. I set out to confirm this, and after much yelling at Yahoo Launch for their "technical difficulties," I was finally able to watch the video at rollingstone.com (much as I despise them for their supposed "review" of Divine Discontent). I cannot conclusively say whether Mr. Taylor appears in the video, but there are a couple of moments where a mysterious figure appears to have the possibility of being he (albeit with somewhat odd hair that I would certainly hope would be a wig). Now. For the best shot at determining said person's identity, anyone who has the internet capabilities to watch the video probably should to see it in motion. But for those who don't, I have taken a couple of stills to at least give you an idea. The first has a small version, and one I have blown up. The other also has a small and a blown up. Opinions? (Even if they are that the pictures are total crap and no one would ever be able to tell and Beth you are just so stupid for doing this.) Like I said, you have a much better chance if you can actually watch the video. 11:58 AM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Note to self: Do not smack dead a mosquito against your new ivory-colored drapes. 12:40 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Monday, April 28, 2003 "I've got joy like some tuna." I played 54 holes of disc golf in two days this weekend after not having played since Christmas. I hurt. Now I just need to continue making myself hurt until it doesn't hurt anymore. Wish me luck. --- We heard Five Iron Frenzy's "A Flowery Song" on the radio on the way home from Ames last night. I hadn't heard that song since... I can't even remember when. I forgot just how cool it is. :) And I say that just because I know how much Josh hates it. ;) --- From the "Oh, Dear, Please Somebody Help Me" file, there's this Stacie Orrico song out there right now, and I dig it. Yeah. I know. --- Oh heck, more music. I am convinced that Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head is the greatest thing since pre-shredded cheese. It honestly kind of bums me out that it's so popular. It's far too good for such things. 2:15 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Friday, April 25, 2003 TOP TEN PFR SONGS 10. Gone (Disappear) 9. Satisfied (Goldie's Last Day) 8. Them (Them) 7. Walk Away from Love (Goldie's Last Day) 6. Line of Love (Them) 5. Wonder Why (Great Lengths) 4. Closer (Disappear) 3. By Myself (Goldie's Last Day) 2. Grace of God (Great Lengths) 1. Last Breath (Great Lengths) I don't really feel like giving descriptions of why I like each song, but each one has an audio sample, so that should be good enough. By request I shall try to explain why a certain song is at a certain place on the list if anyone should find themselves perplexed, and could also give songs that were close to making it but didn't. If anyone cares. 8:07 AM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Thursday, April 24, 2003 I can have a religiously-inclined debate, too, you know. Okay, so maybe it's not quite to the level of the Catholicism/Anti-Catholicism debate going on elsewhere, and maybe not as many people read my blog as that one, and maybe I won't even get a single response so that there won't actually be any debate, but it is something I feel somewhat strongly about, so I'm going to mention it anyway. The subject at hand: applauding during a church service. Now, this may not seem like that big a deal, but I think it could warrant a discussion. In the church in which I grew up, the only time I remember the congregation clapping was twice a year at the very end of the service (after the benediction) to recognize all the college students graduating that semester (the church was just off the Iowa State campus). We may have also clapped a couple times a year to welcome new members who were just received into the congregation. That was it. But things are a little different at our current church. These people clap for most musical offerings. During the service. I have a bit of a problem with this (and thus refrain from joining in on it myself). I am of the opinion that when we are in a service of worship, it isn't appropriate to congratulate ourselves in such a way. If people applaud performances, then it becomes about us instead of about God. Not to mention it can sometimes just break the worshipful mood. I'm pretty sure at least one of our pastors is of the same opinion, as he has on a couple of occasions (usually at the beginning of a more solemn service) remarked that the congregation should refrain from clapping as it is a time of worship. But those comments have never really had any effect beyond that particular service. Bummer. It just kind of gets under my skin. So, in the words of Linda Richman, "Discuss." 3:03 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Wednesday, April 23, 2003 Roger Ebert I am not. But I am going to give you my opinion on a few movies anyway. 1) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: It was fine. Don't get me wrong, with both Harry Potter movies I have been very impressed with the production quality, effects, etc. But not being a reader of the books and not being in the target age group I just don't feel enough affection to give it a "+." It's close, though. I obviously enjoyed the first movie enough to go see this one, and I know I will go see the next as well. I liked watching it, I just didn't really get into it. 2) A Mighty Wind: You will see that I give this movie a positive rating. That is because it is far better than most drek at the movies these days. But I also must add that this movie as a whole didn't quite do it for me the way Guffman, Best in Show, or Spinal Tap did. It is funny at times, but does not have nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments as the three previously mentioned films. Other than those occasional moments, one really must buy the premise as a whole as one big joke in order for the movie to work 100%. Unfortunately, I don't think I quite got there. It seems a bit gentler in its satire, and I felt there were too many characters to keep track of--I would have preferred more of a focus on fewer characters, and think that getting to know their personalities and quirks better could have lent itself to more laughs. Sometimes the humor was so subtle it felt almost non-existent. Not so much what I was looking for. 3) Daredevil: What an awful movie. Well, okay, I suppose that may be a bit too harsh, but compared to what I was expecting, well, yuck. It was dark, it was violent, I didn't feel any real affection for any of the characters (I can very rarely like a movie if I don't feel like rooting for anyone), and it actually came close to boring me. I just had a tough time keeping my head in the story and caring about what was happening. I suppose that could have had something to do with the packed house at the showing and the literal constant chattering going on throughout the entire film--even during a very quiet, heartfelt funeral scene. It was a bit distracting. But, then, Josh said he found the movie itself distracting from the movie. So there you go. 2:12 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Tuesday, April 22, 2003 You know, while we're on the whole "7th Heaven" subject, someone please explain to me this quote from Beverley Mitchell, who plays new bride Lucy, when she was asked (also inexplicably) if Lucy would finally lose her virginity now that she was getting married: "We don't know yet! We haven't gotten that far in the script. I know she wants to be a minister and always holds very true to her values, so we'll see." Huh? 2:02 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Never expect too much from Hollywood. Okay, so there I was last night, watching the (incomprehensibly) 150th episode of "7th Heaven" where Lucy gets married. It is the middle of the night before the wedding, and all kinds of family are supposed to be flying in, but they don't know if anyone will be able to get there. Why? Oh, well, you see, there's a thunderstorm. Apparently one that's closed the airport for over 24 hours. And caused tons of car accidents all over town because "the roads are terrible!" Uh huh. Yeah. Okay... where to start? I realize they don't really get thunderstorms in L.A. all that often, but, really. This is not what thunderstorms do. A tornado, maybe, but only if it caused extremely widespread and extensive damage--and tornadoes don't tend to go on for 24 hours. Besides, a tornado is not what happened here. The only word we ever heard was "storm," and the only evidence we saw were wet streets (uber-dangerous, as we all know), and flashes of lightning out the windows. Not even any downed tree limbs or whipping winds. Let me tell you, if storms like that closed down airports for 24 hours, travel to and from the midwest and the south would sure be difficult during the spring and summer. Is it really so much to expect just a little less ignorance from Hollywood? Apparently. After all, these are the same kind of people who actually produced an episode of some-show-I-can't-even-remember several years ago where the characters spent an entire day or so running around getting ready because a tornado was coming. There's just really not much you can say to that. 12:37 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Monday, April 21, 2003 I want a pinball machine. After having to be at church at 5:45am and singing and playing bells, bells, and more bells for three services in a row, we spent a lovely afternoon celebrating Easter with some friends from church and their family. We had a wonderful meal, topped off with the most to-die-for cheesecake I've ever had in my life, hunted for Easter eggs, played darts and pinball, and watched some seriously amazing slides from a trip to Antarctica. After hanging out a bit with the our-age daughter and son-in-law of a couple of our friends, though, as much as I love them, it makes me wish we had some friends around here who are actually around our age. Sometimes I think you just need that... something, that common bond of having grown up in the same decades, being at roughly the same point in life (those two specifically are actually scarily similar to us, as they got married a couple years ago, just bought their first house, etc.). I don't know. Most of the people we know here we know from church (not a particularly small one, either), and the people we've seen around who appear to be our age don't seem to be particularly involved in church activities. Those we've actually spent any sort of time with tend to be either in high school and going off somewhere to college soon or already in college and just coming back on occasion. Not really a lot of opportunity for lasting relationships. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I don't think I'm really all that good at making friends. Oh, I can easily hang out, chat, have fun, etc. with people I know and like within the situations where we see each other (i.e. bell choir, regular choir, in the stands at church softball games), but it's another thing entirely to make some sort of jump to doing anything out of the social situation of [fill-in-the-blank activity]. Know what I mean? It's like the difference between the "friend" you always sit with and gab in a class in college and the friend you go to a coffeehouse with and sit and gab just for the heck of it, not because you are required to be at the same place at the same time. It would be nice to have that here, not just when we go home. 3:40 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Friday, April 18, 2003 Curling Rocks. Don't forget now, the World Curling Championships are being shown on NBC this Sunday from 2-3pm Eastern. I know, I know, it's Easter, but that's what VCRs were made for (or, in our case, ReplayTV :)). Watch and I promise you won't be disappointed. Unless you bore extremely easily. Which would be a darn tootin' shame. 6:32 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Wednesday, April 16, 2003 We need a vote. Inspired by the much-debated Beth-Annie-after-her-haircut pic, we are in need of another democratic decision regarding a photo. How fun. Please view this photo of my friend Alex, and then cast your vote for either "scary/creepy/weird" or "cute/endearing" or "other," if you must. This debate must be settled. It is on your shoulders. Do you feel the pressure? DO YOU?? 11:09 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! The wind, it is a blowing. And I hear it is rather mighty. Well, today's the day, folkies [ba-dum-ba--ching!]. We have our next installment of comedy from our friend Mr. Guest. I suggest you all go see it, uh, well, I guess as soon as it comes near you. Living near the big bad city as we do, we will likely get to see it this weekend. Fun times for us! (Inside joke--thanks Mancy!) ;) 10:47 AM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Tuesday, April 15, 2003 Seriously. Chalk. I feel strongly about this. I am addicted to Froot Loops. Not like in a bowl with milk, just munching on them straight out of the box. Someone please help me. --- All of my new houseplants are still alive (three medium-to-large tropicals and one herb). I can't believe it. A month and they're all still alive. And healthy-looking, even. What is up with the universe? --- Speaking of plants, this past weekend I bought some. Well, they're not so much plants yet, more like starter shoots, seeds, bulbs, that kind of thing. 12 Lily of the Valley, 1 tall Phlox, 1 raspberry, 6 rhubarb, and some spearmint and chive seeds. What I of course forgot to buy was a trowel. But it's so nice outside I may just have to go buy one and plant some stuff. Once we decide where we want each respective thing, that is. This is fun. :) --- We have splurged on a piece of art we both fell in love with. It's really quite ridiculous that we bought it, but we just couldn't help ourselves. The good news is that it is inspiring us to actually put things on the walls in our living room, which menas I should be able to post before and after pictures soon. Unless of course I decide I don't want to show you until it's actually 100% done (meaning, until I've repainted our entertainment center whatever color I decide to paint it which I'm not even sure yet). So, tell me... do you want to wait until it's finished finished, or do you just want to see it now? 12:25 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Monday, April 14, 2003 Chalk is definitely the worst writing utensil. The SEASON finale of "Ed" was last Friday night, and I cried. The combination of the emotional storyline and the knowledge that these COULD have been the last 46 minutes of this show we would ever see was just too much for me.The last ten minutes were as beautiful and heartwrenching as I've seen on a television show in a long time, and I promise I will cry again come mid-May if NBC is stupid enough to not let the story continue. (I have literally cried over the "C"-word before--once. I'll leave it up to your imagination what show that was over, but if you need a hint it involved the same stupid network). On an up note, though, the episode did get the highest rating for the show since November, gained a whopping 20% from its lead-in audience, pretty well creamed its competition, and came in a solid #2 for the night, behind only one of those ridiculously popular "Law & Order" shows. "Ed's" ratings have been up each successive week its been in its new time slot. As my buddy Brian Ford Sullivan says, "So what's the hold up here NBC? Renew it already." --- Just one more television note and then I'll stop, I promise. "Gilmore Girls" is finally back with new episodes tomorrow. After, you know, only about 6 straight weeks of reruns. Now, seriously, whose idea was that? That's like a full third of the summer hiatus. I'm surprised they didn't take advantage of the upcoming lull and give us all a cliffhanger to nosh on. Geez. 1:32 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Wednesday, April 09, 2003 Blah, blah, blah... So yeah, so I updated my links to the right to reflect more where I actually go (they're really more for me than for you people anyway, at least I assume), and I updated our movies, too, and bolded the ones seen in the theater to make those more current stand out. Because why not. Antwone Fisher was quite good, a little slow-moving at times, but that didn't really bother me. Well-done (and sometimes unpleasant) dramatic moments with a good sprinkling of comic relief. Not a brilliant movie, but a good one. 5:41 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Tuesday, April 08, 2003 Avant et Après, Installment One.   There. 3:54 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Monday, April 07, 2003 We are not thieves. Really. For the second time in only a few months we have to go back to a store and have them remove an anti-theft tag that they failed to remove from an item of clothing when we bought it. What is the deal, people? And how have we been able to walk out of the stores without the alarm going off? --- I lied. Spring it is not. I very seriously considered changing back to my winter blog today, as we have four or five inches of snow on the ground and it is sleeting. This is so wrong. --- Yadhtrib yppah. Yrasrevinna yppah. Yadhtrib yppah. Era uoy ohw wonk uoy. 2:58 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Friday, April 04, 2003 So, how would YOU respond to this? So we get this phone call the other evening from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel trying to sell us a subscription. I answer the phone, and the woman on the other end tells me where she is calling from and asks me how I am doing today. I say fine. Then she asks me if either one of my parents can come to the phone. Um. I stand there for a second rather dumbfounded and then say, as calmly and nonchalantly as I can, "just a minute." And I hand the phone to Josh and double over with laughter while he looks at me completely perplexed. Hey, in the matter of only a couple of seconds I had to decide how the heck to respond to something like that, that was just the easiest and least embarrassing thing I could think of. Maybe I should be a little insulted, but it's just so dang funny. :) 3:02 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Thursday, April 03, 2003 Oh, you silley peoples. Did y'all really think I was serious about that horrid new blog design? Did you not realize the day on which I launched it? And how come y'all complained about "all them thar brite cullers!" and not about the hideousness of the color combinations, including the uggo drab colors and awful clashing (red and hot pink?) and total lack of any sort of theme? Did anyone suspect? Please, give me a show of hands if you thought it was a joke (honesty, please). I am very curious. And, incidentally, just in case anyone DID think it was just an April Fools thing, I decided to leave it up a couple extra days to make you doubt yourself. So did I fool any of you twice? Or just once (and not the "once" I was originally planning on)? Do tell. 2:41 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Wednesday, April 02, 2003 So how come nobody told me April 18 was Good Friday? Even if I were willing to skip Good Friday service AND get someone to sub for me for bells (which, let's face it, I wouldn't be), Kaly's going home that weekend anyway. So now my only real option for seing the Crows and the Pence together would be to drive to Indianapolis the night before with Josh, which isn't really all that much farther than Charleston but would require us to miss the Maundy Thursday service and drive quite late into the night/morning to get home. Hmmm. Apparently, life really IS unfair. (Sidenote no one probably cares about: Annika's going to be on Jay Leno tonight.) 3:35 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Tuesday, April 01, 2003 Does your hair hang low, does it wobble to and fro, can you tie it in a knot, can you tie it in a bow...? NOT ANYMORE! [insert evil laugh here] My hair it be cutted! Oh yes. Months of complaining about the nothing I can do with it and the pain in many places that my long hair it was, why, they be gone and over! Hair now fun! And light! And breezy! And funky! And short! And summeryery. Oui oui. Oh very good. 3:20 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! They're trying to kill me. I'm sure of it now. Okay, so Sixpence is opening for Counting Crows. And I need to talk to Kalanini about the two of us taking a little road trip to Charleston, IL on Friday, April 18. IM me, girl. Why, oh why do they keep forcing these concerts on me that they know I can't resist? Life is so unfair. 12:49 PM || I want to be a comment. Post me! Spring has sprung! In honor of my lovely what-I-believe-are-tulips (my favorite flower, thank you very much) springing up around our house, I hereby christen my blog's fresh new spring design. Winter is for goonies. 12:28 AM || I want to be a comment. Post me! |
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Disc-shaped music. [updated: 9.8.05] |