The last blog entry of the year

Dear 2011,
You seemed bright and promising when you came into my life but occasionally, I felt lonely, depressed, and frustrated.  My only hope is that 2012 would be better than you.  Still, we had our bright moments but there were times that I wanted to slap you with a wet noodle.

From,

Me

A Christmas reflection

Christmas...my favorite day out of all the 365 days of the year.  My only problem is that it goes by rather quickly.  As a kid, it took forever to get "here," so to speak.  This Christmas was a bit minimalist as we didn't have enough money for presents, but then again, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, not about getting the latest LCD flatscreen.  Here is how my Christmas season began.

Although my shopping for Christmas presents began well before November, the shopping season "kicked off" on Thanksgiving night about 11:30 or so when my mom dragged me to Kohl's but then we gave up as we noticed that the line to get in had wrapped around the entire building so we hopped in the car and drove to the local mall.  It felt surreal being at the mall at a time when normally everyone would be asleep, but places like Orange Julius, McDonald's, Starbucks, Wal-Mart (yes, there's a Wally World at the local mall), and Macy's, the store my mom and I originally wanted to go to, were all open for business.  The line to get into the teeny bopper store, Tilly's, was understandably long but there was only a small crowd at Macy's.  As the clock chimed midnight Friday morning, people clapped, took pictures, and cheered as the employees opened Macy's for business.  Long story short, Mom and I grabbed a few things and I originally wanted a new pair of work pants but settled on a cute top that was on sale as I couldn't find anything that qualified for the coupon we had (the newspaper coupon wasn't good for "super buys," which included all the black jeans and slacks).  We stood in line for about 30 minutes before leaving with our stuff.  We spent about $40 that was originally $90 total (a savings of $50 for all you math majors).  The next day, I went to Penney's and picked up the pants that I wanted and met my mom to go to Kohl's where we spent the next hour standing in line to buy our stuff (we made small talk with a nice old lady and an expectant mom while standing in line).

While Christmas has been happy for me, my parents, on the other hand, weren't in a Christmas mood due to finances and such but my dad was able to get us tickets to see Mannheim Steamroller in concert as part of an early Christmas present.  From time to time, I was able to contribute to Christmas gifts little by little so I can still pay my own bills.  Unfortunately, I still have trouble controlling my spending so my New Year's resolution is to take care of that.

I also limited my "musical diet" to that of Christmas music by cramming my smart phone with hours of carols, Celtic instrumentals, and Andrea Bocelli.  There was one station that would play Christmas music nonstop up until midnight Dec. 26th.  It seemed that every time I turned on this station, I would hear either the Beatles singing "A Wonderful Christmastime" or Rebecca St. James singing a "jazzy" version of "Hark the Harold Angels Sing."  My new favorite song is "Christmas Canon" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with "O Holy Night" and "Little Drummer Boy."  I still love listening to Relient K's version of "Angels We Have Heard on High."  As far as Christmas movies were concerned, I watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and found it to be cute and funny.  Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" was a little difficult because my family has similar problems to that of what George Bailey was experiencing.

Normally on Christmas Eve, we would attend a party at my aunt's house and then head on over to Midnight Mass.  Denominationally speaking, I'm Baptist but my mom is Catholic so we do this every Sunday.  Unfortunately, all of us were too tired to attend Midnight Mass after the party and my mom's sinus headache wasn't making anything better so we all opted to stay home instead.  Christmas morning, I woke up about 7:30 am and came downstairs to the smell of sausage links being cooked.  My parents then decided to go to Sunday morning Christmas Mass instead.  At first, I was too tired to even lift an eyelid but opted to go anyway.  The service was wonderful despite a few doctrinal stuff that I didn't agree with. 

We came home and unwrapped our gifts.  Unfortunately, some of the clothes I gave my parents were too snug but at least I have the receipts so I can exchange them.  Then my mom opened her gift and discovered that Dad had bought her a Kindle that could be powered by either a 3G network or Wi-Fi.  My mom was so overcome with emotion that she broke down crying; the two of them cried together which was the first time I saw my mom cry in about 25 years, which made me uncomfortable because I hate seeing my parents cry.  My big presents were a set of TV headphones that allowed me to watch TV and not annoy my parents with the volume.  The headphones could also be plugged in to MP3 players and smartphones....AND.....my mom bought us two sets of opera tickets so we could go see Moby Dick and The Barber of Seville at the San Diego Opera.  My dad almost bought me the same Kindle he bought my mom but he had ran out of money.  I was disappointed because I had been expecting a Kindle but my dad told me I could share Mom's Kindle until he would get one for me.  I am trying to stop being disappointed about this because it makes me feel ungrateful.  My dad's heart was in the right place so it's no big deal.

All in all, I got cool stuff, including new jammies, a Disneyland ticket, giftcards, candy, makeup, a big coupon savings book, a BRITA water bottle with a filter, and of course, time with my family, so I'm not going to complain :)

During the Christmas season, I took time to reflect on the holiday's rampant commercialism.  I noticed that Hannukah was not commercialized in any way and I feel that Christmas should be the same.  Christmas is about Christ, not about maxing out credit cards.  Commercialism takes all the joy and specialness in Christmas.  Sure, we could still sing carols, make cookies, exchange gifts, and stuff, but still keep the real meaning of Christmas at heart. 

There's one gift that I am truly thankful for and that is my salvation in Jesus Christ, who is the reason for the season. 

God bless you all and have a Merry Christmas!  I'm off to watch "A Christmas Story" and the Doctor Who Christmas special.

Shannon's Top Ten "O Holy Night" renditions

Forgive me for not blogging in like, forever.  Kthx.

O Holy Night.  This is my favorite Christmas song.  It's moving, romantic at times, and just beautiful.  It describes the night Christ was born, thus giving hope to everyone all around the world.  Based on a French poem/Christmas carol, the melody puts one in some sort of musical trance.  Needless to say, it's a beautiful song and I am deciding to document my Top Ten renditions of the song, courtesy of YouTube.  This is not going to be an easy task as I have a list of over ten artists that are incredibly good vocalists.  This idea came to me while I was riding the trolley home from work and I was listening to the song by an artist that shall remain anonymous because he/she/them may or may not make the list.  Also, feel free to comment with your own thoughts and suggestions of your own.  Drumroll please!

10. Mariah Carey

I like the R&B flavor that Carey adds to the song and gives it a bit of a twist.  Enjoy.

9. Rhema Marvanne

I haven't heard of her until now.  I stumbled randomly onto her singing in this video.  She does start off a little slow but brings it full swing into the song.  If she gets the vocal kinks fixed up, she should have an amazing sining career.

8. Susan Boyle

While she starts off slow as well, she goes into the song, giving O Holy Night that "kick" to it.  She has a marvelous singing voice.

7. Jennifer Hudson

I originally left her on my laundry list of people who sang and recorded O Holy Night but I decided to give her a shot and her R&B version is better than Mariah's, which is why she's higher on the list.  Despite not winning American Idol, Jennifer is quite successful.

6. Weezer

I was pleasantly surprised by Weezer recording O Holy Night.  For fans of Weezer and alternative rock, this is a great tune.  Their version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing is better, though.

5. Celine Dion

The way Celine Dion sings this song, I can totally forgive her for My Heart Will Go On from the Titanic movie soundtrack.

4. Jackie Evancho

This kid has the voice of an angel.  Period. 

3. Placido Domingo

I've listened to this version for years and years.  I love how he starts out singing it in the original French version and then switches to the English one.

2. Third Day

I love how rich the sound is from Third Day.  They give this song some good ol' rock n' roll flavor.

And number one is........::drumroll::


1. Andrea Bocelli

Although he's singing completely in French, his voice is powerful, commanding, yet gentle.  His take on O Come All Ye Faithful is better.

Now you've seen, in my opinion, the Top Ten renditions of O Holy Night.  If you agree or diagree, drop me a line or a comment or whatever.  Here's a list of honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
*Martina McBride
*Josh Groban (although not as good as the rest, I still enjoy listening to his version)
*Faith Hill
*Mormon Tabernacle Choir
*Luciano Pavarotti (yes, hard to believe he didn't make the top ten)
*Mario Lanza
*Arethra Franklin (If this were a Top Eleven list, she'd make #11)

That's it for now.  Enjoy this little blog entry!

Cardboard Testimonies, a John Ford western, and a Greek yogurt commercial

Hello everyone out there in Blogger Land!

Last Sunday, I went to my usual church service and this one was pretty special.  Instead of having a typical sermon, the pastor had people come up front and share their testimonies with Christ - using cardboard.  It was a great way to see how people came to know Jesus.  There were people who did drugs, abused alcohol, were atheists, were abused or raped, or had severe emotional issues.  And their lives were turned around by Christ. 

I couldn't help but see myself in some of the cardboard testimonies.  I never abused drugs or anything of that sort but for me, I saw pride, spiritual atrophy, worry, etc.  I realize that I need to get back on my walk with God.  Here's something funny that transpired from this; one woman's cardboard read that she was a drug addict, attended the Woodstock concert, etc. and she flipped her board over to reveal that she had been saved by Christ.  When my dad saw that she attended Woodstock, he gave her the "thumbs up," because he never went to Woodstock (he was too young to attend).  At least he didn't stand up and sing "Freebird" by Lynard Skynard. 

Getting to the point, Jesus loves us and can turn anyone around if we just came to Him and acknowledges Him as Savior.  Just watching the service again on the website gets me a little weepy as these people share their testimonies and backgrounds.  God is good!  Here's a link to the service if you want to watch it.  Let me know if it doesn't work.

Where was I? Well...

I know this is a few days after the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks but I wanted to paint a picture of where I was and how I felt.

I remember waking up and getting ready for my morning classes at the local community college.  I was 20 years old and a sophomore, hoping to transfer to San Diego State University in the spring of 2002.  I packed my books and my dad gave me a lift to school.  We turn on the radio and listen to our favorite morning radio show; nothing out of our ordinary schedule or routine.  The moment we turn on the radio was when we heard the news.  The one thing I remember the DJ saying was that Manhattan Island was covered in smoke and that two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City.

I couldn't believe my ears.  For one commercial jet to fly into a building would've been interpreted as a horrible accident either by the plane itself, the pilot, or both.  For two planes to fly into both buildings was an act of war.  Dad then dropped me off at school and I made my way into the school's cafeteria and student center to get breakfast.  The televisions in the student center were never turned on even though they graced the area with their presence.  On that fateful day, the televisions were turned on to almost every news network; CNN, Fox, MSNBC, CBS, etc.  That's when I learned that there were two other planes that crashed.  One plane crashed into the Pentagon and another crashed in Pennsylvania.  As my eyes fixated on the blurry images of two smoking buildings, a woman standing next to me told me that her uncle worked at the Pentagon and she hoped that he would be all right.  I secretly prayed for that woman's uncle in my head.

The incident certainly had an affect on the day's lessons.  My physical anthropology instructor observed a moment of silence before class began.  After classes, the news of this heinous attack was the talk of the community.  All I wanted was to put my head in the sand and pretend that it didn't happen but I knew I couldn't do such a thing.  At the time, I was struggling with my faith in God and this event didn't help anything.  My heart was aching, not just for myself but for this great nation that had been hit by a sucker punch from terrorists.  I remember the Sunday after the attacks.  I went to church as usual to see how I could absolve my doubts and it was the very first and only time (so far) I had to sit in a plastic picnic chair in church as every seat was taken.  There were no sermon programs available as they were all distributed to the throngs of church goers that attended services.  I participated in the altar call and I could not recall the advice that the lady who prayed with me gave.

A few weeks later, I had strengthened and retained my faith in God and in Christ but I still felt angry for what had happened.  Still, I felt that God would deal with those responsible and comfort those who have lost loved ones in the attack. 

That was how I felt in a nutshell; a decade really blurred what went on but that's all that I can remember.  Now I can tell you what went on during the Great Power Outage of September 8th, 2011 as San Diego County was without power for 8-15 hours during one of the hottest days of the year.

I was on the bus ride home from doing a little clothes shopping. I had bought a cute blouse on sale at JC Penney's and I had turned on my phone to check my Facebook status and sure enough, there were people posting on FB about a power outage in my area.  I sighed and rolled my eyes, figuring this was the result of a screw up at San Diego Gas and Electric (or SDG&E for short).  I get off at my stop and as I was about to cross the intersection near my neighborhood, I noticed that the stoplights were off.  I get home and discovered that the air conditioner was no longer "whirring" and that the cable box, oven, microwave, and fridge were missing electricity to keep them running.  I then decide to go to the store to pick up an issue of The San Diego Reader and all the fast food eateries and the Albertsons grocery store were all closed.  I went home, did the crossword puzzle in the Reader as I am wont to do and went for a dip in the neighborhood pool (I live in a condo complex that has a rather nice pool).  Well, the water was certainly warm and my neighbors gathered around, lamenting about their lack of electricity.  One guy, who was playing with his kids in the pool, wondered how he would call his work the next day if there was no power.  At this time, we didn't know when the power would be on.  It could be either that evening or even the next evening.

I got out of the pool, showered, and sat in the living room where it was the coolest and finished reading Not Less than Gods by sci-fi writer Kage Baker (really cool Victorian steampunk stuff; check it out).  In fact, I spent the ENTIRE evening finishing up the last 220 pages of that book.  For dinner, we had leftover steak that was about medium rare.  I had the gall to tell my parents that "this steak is kinda rare" during a power outage.  They told me that this was not the time to complain about food; either I consume the meat or I don't.  I decided to eat a little bit, accompanied by some potato chips. 

About 9:25 in the evening, I finish my book and decided that, since there was nothing else to do, I should call it a day.  I then took my alarm clock, glasses, and a bottle of water and headed downstairs to sleep on the couch in the living room where it was much cooler than the heat trap in my bedroom.  I then laid down to rest, looking at the pitch darkness of the living room through my blurry, myopic eyes.  I can't remember when I fell asleep but I do remember waking up and occasionally falling asleep until about 12:40 when I heard the whirring sound of the air conditioner come on simultaneously with the cable box, the oven, the microwave, and the downstairs night light in the dining room.  The power finally came back on.   I couldn't go back to sleep for another hour as I was just too wide awake from the "excitement" of getting electricity.  This kind of stuff makes me thankful that I wasn't born two hundred years ago. 

One of the causes of the blackout was a line running from Yuma, AZ got tripped as well as a line running from Northern California.  Another cause was a screw up from a power technician in Yuma, AZ.  As a result of the blackout, schools were closed Friday, which didn't effect me as I no longer attend school.  You can google the whole thing for more info.

Today, I decided to finally watch the first four parts of the 1979 BBC miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy based on John LeCarre's spy novel of the same name after the DVDs from Blockbuster were collecting dust on my desk.  I read the book and the film seems to reflect it very well.  Alec Guinness shines as retired secret agent George Smiley and Michael Jayson shines as his fellow agent, Peter Guillam (he also looks quite handsome).  Since my subscription plan allows me to keep two DVDs at a time, I have to turn in the first two DVDs of the series so that the third DVD (parts five and six) can be mailed to me.  I am totally looking forward to the 2011 film version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (featuring Gary Oldman as George Smiley and Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam) which seems to get pushed back from month to month.  Now, I have to wait until December to see it.  Here's a clip from the 1979 miniseries featuring Peter Guillam (Michael Jayston) and George Smiley (Alec Guinness):

And here's the trailer for the 2011 film which is NOW slated to come out in December instead of September, which makes me sigh in frustration.



As of August 31st, I am one year older.  I am now the big three-oh, "dirty thirty," etc.  Yes, I am 30 years old but I feel like I'm 21 (I know people twice my age who feel 21).  Here are some pictures from my birthday dinner at Hooley's, an Irish themed restaurant in La Mesa, CA (there's also one in Rancho San Diego).

I'm modeling a bracelet I got from my cousin as my mom hands me a bag of stuff she got me (left).

I smile for the camera before reading a card.

Cute shirt alert!  It didn't fit but I'm keeping it so I can lose weight to fit into it.

A picture of me reading my birthday card.

God bless and Godspeed.  Fin.

P.S. Take a look at a cheesy fanfiction series written by me featuring the characters of Jane Eyre and monsters and stuff.  Go here.

R.I.P little buddy

On August 20th, 2011, at approximately 10 a.m., Alvin, our beloved family pet (a cockatiel), flew to the big aviary in the sky.  He was about 26-27 years old and I've had him since I was four; in cockatiel years, that's probably 70-80 something (according to Wikipedia, they can live up to 20 years but it's not uncommon for them to live past 20).  It's been so long since I've been petless and I can't remember NOT having a pet.  All the pets I've had either died or have been given away to better homes.  Alvin outlived and outstayed them all.

Alvin talks to the "other bird" in his mirror.

Not a good picture of him but a picture nonetheless.

"Hey little buddy!"

Alvin being....himself.

Alvin has fun with his toy bell.

Again, Alvin finds joy in sticking his head inside his birdy bell.

A picture of Alvin as part of a makeshift memorial (where his cage used to be).

Memorial where Alvin's cage used to be.

It's been a week since Alvin has passed away.  It's painful for me to write this very blog post as is; I feel like crying but I just can't get out the tears.  A week ago Sunday, I spent the night crying myself to sleep, muttering to God through my tears that I wanted my pet bird back, which is impossible but when one is grieving the loss of a pet, one gets caught up in a whole array of emotions. 

I've lost pets before - goldfish, two hamsters, a box turtle, and a lizard - but Alvin has lived with me most of my life and he was a part of our family.  I guess one could say that he was the family "mascot."  I was closer to him than all of the pets that I've had, which makes his death a hurdle for me to get over.  I'm not ready to get another pet just yet.  In fact, I don't know if our family will get another one any time soon.  I don't know if I want another cockatiel.  Just looking at them reminds me of Alvin. 

My late grandpa found Alvin and took him home, perched on a carrot.  Grandpa gave him to me on said carrot stick and me, being the scaredy cat four-year-old that I was, I threw Alvin, carrot and all, against my grandparents' backyard screen door.  That was my first "meeting" with Alvin.  Since my grandmother didn't want any pets after the death of her beloved dog, Penny, my parents and I took him to our home and Dad started calling around to see if anyone had lost a pet bird since he clearly escaped from someone's home.  After not finding any takers, we adopted Alvin into our family.  He initially would whistle the theme from the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" but eventually would sing songs in his own little way.  Alvin was found of saying "pretty bird" a lot and enjoyed bobbing his head up and down while simultaneously moving his feet up and down as if he were dancing.  He would make clicking sounds and tap his perch with his beak if he wanted someone to talk to him.  While he didn't like people touching him, Alvin enjoyed it when people paid attention to him and he would whistle back in response to such attention and would often chirp when he heard Mom or Dad pull in the driveway after work (like a dog would bark when someone would come in the door). 

Aside from bird food, Alvin would occasionally get his favorite treat; Rice Krispies or any other plain, unsweetened cereal (e.g. Cheerios, Chex, etc).  Sometimes I would call home on my lunch break and leave a message on our answering machine for Alvin and when I got home from work, I would play it back for him and he would respond to the message with joyful chirping; my dad would also do this, too (in fact, Alvin's chirping can be heard in the background on my Dad's voicemail and on our answering machine message). 

Sometimes when I'm in a depressed mood, Alvin would be the one to cheer me up.  When I went through a time in my life when I had a bad depression spell while dealing with a full load of college coursework, I would sit next to Alvin's cage and he would chirp in  such a way that it seemed as if he knew I was sad and wanted to cheer me up (my face would be completely red from crying). 

The day after Alvin had passed away, Mom, Dad, and myself all had a "wake" for him.  We had barbecued beef ribs and reminisced about his life. 

Rest in peace, Alvin.  I miss you, little buddy.

Comic-Con 2011

I've had a rather eventful week last week.  I attended all four days of San Diego, CA's biggest thing ever: Comic-Con 2011.  Now, I don't have my pictures ready just yet but I will divulge in some of the things that I've experienced there.  I've met friends, old and new, seen some pretty weird stuff, and came home tired each day.

On Preview Night on Wednesday, there were several people browsing the exhibit hall.  Not a whole lot, but some.  After going to my first Preview Night, I have concluded that it is a mere 3 hour extension of what would be available the next four days.

On Thursday, I got there early to snag my tickets for next year's Con; the prices rose significantly and I planned to pick up Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for next year.  The Con was going to sell pre-registration tickets Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and raise the prices in order to ration everything; the remaining registration tickets would be sold to the general public at a later date.  I got there about 7ish and ended up spending THREE HOURS in line to get my tickets.  I barely got in by the skin of my teeth when they closed the doors to the remaining attendees in line at 9 a.m.  One person standing behind me suggested that all registration tickets should be sold online only and that Comic-Con should get better servers to handle all the online registrants.  I spent my morning meandering through the exhibit hall, surrounded by hundreds of people, at least 10 times the amount of folks at preview night.  I managed to sneek autographs from the guys behind MST3K and Rifftrax as well as the guy who played Michelangelo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action movies from the 90s.  In the early evening, I managed to get in to the star-studded Hall H to see film directors Jon Favreau (Cowboys and Aliens, Iron Man) and Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy II, Pan's Labyrinth) and listened to them discuss the mechanics of their friendship and their craft of movie-making but I got bored and left early. 

On Friday and Saturday, I attended some panels and wandered aimlessly around the Con for some exercise and souvenir shopping.  A college buddy of mine who was working at the Con as a security guard offered to take me home Saturday after trying to meet up with him in the various halls on the second floor.  I even made a new friend who likes Doctor Who. 

On Sunday, I ended up nearly nodding off during a panel that I attended with my new friend, went to a panel about Christian comics, and took myself out to dinner at Old Town to celebrate the last day of the Con.

In general, the Con fed my "muse" for writing and I hope to find someone to help me with my idea for a graphic novel.  It's currently a fanfiction series that I put up on Fanfiction.net but I hope to find an artist who could illustrate Jane and Edward: Creature Killers of Thornfield.  I am undecided on whether or not to add the Victorian steam punk element to it.  I would like to get into reading steam punk literature but I'm not sure where to start (other than reading stuff from Jules Verne).  I also had a lot of fun, learned a few things about myself, and totally looking forward to next year.  Right now, I'm trying to "get back to normal" after four days of sensory overload.

I do remember one thing that I saw when standing in line for the pre-registration tickets on Thursday.  Some lady was dragging her kid into the line for pre-registration and the kid didn't feel like standing in line.  I remember the mom saying something to the effect of "Comic-Con happens once a year" while continually dragging her uninterested child to the end of the never-ending line. 

Oh, what the heck, here's a sampler of some Con pictures for your viewing pleasure:

This was Preview Night and it's the only picture I have of Preview Night.

These two photos are pictures of the extremely long line for the 2012 pre-registration tickets.  As I mentioned before, I stood in this line for THREE HOURS!



The guys behind MST3K and Rifftrax



Me with Phineas and Ferb



Hello Kitty dressed as slave Leia

An advertisement for Doctor Who

Hope you enjoyed these pictures.  More will come soon!

Waiting for...Comic Con!

In less than a month, San Diego Comic-Con will be here and I will be there all four days!  Got my pass, whichi includes preview night and come July 21st, I will descend upon the San Diego Convention Center among all my fellow geeks (and non-geeks too). 

Friends and co-workers have asked if I'm going to dress up (and some have suggested that I do).  Unfortunately, I will not dress up but I have bought a Batman screen t-shirt from Target for the occasion.  I also have two other comic-con shirts that I have bought from previous years so those will make up for my lack of a costume.  As I am typing this blog entry, I am constantly scanning the website to see the "guest" list for Thursday when all the movie stars come to the Con.  Apparently, that's not up yet but I'm still super excited.  I am looking forward to meeting the Nicholle brothers, the guys behind the webcomic, Axe Cop.

Baby, it's hot outside!

In my neck of the woods, it's starting to get a little warm; about 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  For the first time in about a year or so, we turned on our A/C.  While I do live 30 minutes away from San Diego, CA and its wonderful weather, I live in the inland area where it can climb up to the triple digits in the middle of July and August.  Fortunately, I live 30 minutes from the beach and there's a pool in our complex.

The first chapter of my Jane and Edward zombie series is up.  I decided to change the premise from zombies to include monsters like banshees, liches, dragons, vampires, etc.  The first chapter isn't very good but it's a start.  Check it out here.  I will be working on Chapter 2 very soon.  I secretly hope that I can find an illustrator and turn it into a graphic novel series someday.

After I got tired of the popular smart phone app, Angry Birds, I am now hooked on the gaming app, "Words with Friends," which is basically Scrabble in app format.  If you got a phone and the app, my username is Writer4god.  Just let me know that you found me from The Shannifesto blog.

That's all for now.  I'm off to work on Chapter 2 of Jane and Edward: Zombie and Monster Hunters.  Fin.

Playing catch up

I'm falling behind on my Jane Eyre-zombie fanfiction series (as well as my novel outlining) as I was busy the last two weeks.  Hopefully, I'll finish the first chapter/episode this week.

About a week and a half ago, Dad and I headed to the annual Wings over Gillespie air show at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA.  To know more about this little airport, go to the Wikipedia article here.  Basically, they had some really cool flyovers with WWII and Vietnam era military aircraft.  One of my favorites was the B-17 flying fortress.  I even got to "tour" one.  The guy ahead of us in the tour used to be an actual WWII B-17 pilot who wanted to sit in the cockpit for old times' sake.  According to his wife, he was in college at the time and didn't want to join the army for that reason so after he graduated, he joined the Air Force and flew the B-17.  After they helped him out of the plane, I thanked him for his service to this great nation of ours.  These are a few of the pictures that I took of the B-17.

A couple of days ago, I made my annual pilgrimage to the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, CA.  I had a blast and I'm going back on the 14th for the "Taste of the Fair."  As long as I don't eat too much, I should be okay.  However, I could not pass up taking a picture of a fast food kiosk (one of many) at this year's fair.  And it's there EVERY YEAR.

I'm trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the name of the kiosk.  It also gives everyone the impression that most Americans are fat (and that is true, unfortunately).  You do have to admit that the "Stuffie Pocket" sounds good.  There's also tons of deep fried delicacies such as fried oreos, frogs' legs, ice cream, bacon, Kool-Aid, butter, etc.  It's a heart attack just waiting to happen.  I tried the frogs' legs one year and they tasted really weird.  I also sampled the oreos and the ice cream last year and they were quite good but too sweet.  One year, the fair offered, and I kid you not, FRIED RATTLESNAKE.  Yes, you heard me, FRIED RATTLESNAKE.  More specifically, it was fried Western Diamondback.  Dad and I had some that year and it tasted like shrimp without the seafood flavor.  I liked it but my dad thought it wasn't that big of a deal. 

I went for a 4-5 mile walk this afternoon and on the way home, I spotted this little critter crawling on a wooden fence.

It's amazing how God creates animals.  It pays to stop and see the beauty in God's creation, especially to take a picture of this caterpillar crawling along a wooden fence.  It's as if someone painted this little guy in those patterns.  Sooner or later, it will blossom into a beautiful butterfly.

I am now reading George Eliot's Middlemarch.  I'm up to the point where Fred Vincy is trying to get himself out of debt and Dorothea's conversation with Will Ladislaw, Mr. Casaubon's cousin.  It's a great read and I'm looking forward to reading further into it.

It's time to brush my teeth and head to bed.  Fin.

So much to talk about...and my Top Ten literary bad guys/gals

...and so little time.  I have a good idea for a blog entry.  Prior to that, I've watched a couple of movies (including The Hangover Part II, which I found kinda funny and mostly gross), accidentally bumped my knee on a seat on a city bus (I have the bruise to prove it), and saved my town from a horde of elephants armed with BB guns.  Okay, okay...I made up the last part but I'm also working on Chapter 1 of my Jane and Edward: Zombie Hunters fanfiction series that will debut on Fanfiction.net sometime in the near future.  Thanks to my new Blockbuster online rental account, I now have two "new" movies to watch: The Mechanic with Jason Statham and the original True Grit with John Wayne and Glen Campbell.

As I mentioned earlier, I came up with an idea for a blog entry.  I'm doing a Top Ten list of literary characters in "some" particular order that I loathe and/or perceive to be truly evil; in other words, it's a Top Ten literary bad guys list.  And they all come from books that I have read.  If you'd like to add your own choices in response to this blog, that's cool.  Just so you know that my choices come from books that I've read so if I miss someone, then I probably haven't read the book or didn't factor in their evilness welll enough...lol. 


10. Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare's Macbeth - A power-hungry woman convinces her husband, Lord Macbeth, to bump off the current king of Scotland.  She's going to need to do a lot more than just wring her hands of blood.

9. King Claudius from William Shakespeare's Hamlet - We all know the story.  Hamlet's dad dies under mysterious circumstances and just like that (snaps fingers), his brother Claudius, marries Hamlet's mom.  Yes, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark and it's wearing a king's crown.

8. Iago from William Shakespeare's Othello - One way to gain a position of power is to frame an innocent woman for adultery.  Iago has it all; he's a lying manipulator.

7. Jack Merridew from William Golding's The Lord of the Flies - He represents the worst in humanity; an appetite, nay, a lust for blood and killing.  He and his "tribe" of fellow choir boys nearly killed Ralph, the elected leader of the island they were stranded on. 

6. Simon Legree from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin - A ruthless, abusive slave owner, he has no sympathy or grief for the death of one of his slaves.

5. Cathy Ames from John Steinbeck's East of Eden - She burns down her parents' home, killing both her mom and dad and sleeps with her brother-in-law.  Oh, and she also leaves her husband after "their" twins are born.  Not necessarily mother material, methinks.

4. Jack Torrance from Stephen King's The Shining - Someone who slowly goes insane and then turns on his family to help quell the "voices" from the Overlook Hotel.

3. The White Witch from C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Dictatorial tyrant of Narnia who has covered said land in enormous amounts of snow. 

2. Saruman from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series - Y'know, that One Ring is lookin' pretty sweet right now...

1. Lord Voldemort from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series - With Harry Potter's geneology (and everyone else's family tree) aside, he is one bad dude.  Several people have been left dead in his "wake," if you will, including some much loved HP characters.

Honorable mentions (mostly characters I just didn't like very much):

*Scarlett O'Hara from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind.
*Becky Sharp from William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair.
*Mrs. Medlock from Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden.
*Lady Catherine de Bough from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
*Mrs. Reed from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.
*Tybalt from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
*Cynthia from Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters.
*Etc.

That's it for now.  Fin.

Some brief thoughts

First of all, I believe that every one of us should take some time to pray for the families of the natural disasters that have hit the Midwest, especially the tornados that have hit Joplin, MO.  I had spoken with a couple of individuals a few days ago who were from St. Louis but had relatives and friends living in Joplin.  Pray that those affected find hope, healing, and love during their time of hardship.  Through Christ Jesus, we will always be resilient.

"Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." - Proverbs 3:23-26

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." - Isaiah 54:10. 



Well, I've got some good news and some bad news.  The bad news is that I've lost interest in writing the Jane Eyre fanfic, titled Velociraptor in the Closet, for Fanfiction.net.  The good news is that I am thinking about a better fanfiction series, perhaps a weekly serial of sorts.  The premise is that Jane and Edward Rochester, now married, start a zombie/monster killing business.  It's got love, gore, humor, and everything in between.  I was inspired by the whole mashup subgenre of classic literature as well as my own geekified imagination.  I am considering writing an "episode" where Jane and Edward travel to Transylvania to encounter spooky stuff in the castle of Vlad the Impaler.

This evening after work, I encountered a furry little creature crawling along the ground.  It was a caterpillar that was trying to get up over the curb near a bus stop so I helped the little guy and he wandered around a trash can before going back into the direction of the bus parking zone.  For some reason, I felt compelled to watch him and make sure he didn't get run over as he inched across the "street" to the other side.  I got him to crawl on my shoe a couple of times (and he ended up on my leg; see pic below) and placed him in a nearby bush with a tree so he didn't get squished by incoming buses.  He had all sorts of fun crawling on the vegetation and that's when we parted ways.  Somehow, this incident reminded me of God watching over us as I was watching that little hairy caterpillar.

Cute little fella, isn't he?

Anyhoo, I'm off to bed.  Fin.



Opera, BBC movies, and other misc.

Well, I did watch the 1973 BBC version of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it.  It's quite dated and lacks some production values, but it's a great watch overall.  I'd suggest renting it through Blockbuster or Netflix.  A friend of mine suggested the 2006 TV version which I will rent in the near future.  I saw the clips of Toby Stephens as Edward Rochester and he looks fantabulous :)  I just need to watch a few films on my list this week before I get to renting the movie: Crazy Heart, The Hangover II, True Grit (the version with John Wayne), and The Mechanic. 

I haven't gotten around to it but I will eventually read George Eliot's Middlemarch.  It sounds like a terrific read, despite the fact that it's 800 pages long.  I'm not a big fan of such books as it takes forever to read, depending on how it's paced.  I usually read 100-200 pages a day, which takes longer but the book is eventually read.

I love writing fanfiction and I have an account over at Fanfiction.net.  This helps me to improve my writing style and such.  I gave thought to writing a mashup of Jane Eyre with a dinosaur (more specifically, a velociraptor) in Rochester's attic rather than a mad wife.  Then, I gave thought to writing a sequel series featuring the married Rochesters, Jane and Edward, as zombie hunters.  I might pursue both since they sound interesting and something I would read.  And yes, I've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters; I am a firm believer that both books should be required reading in all American high schools.  Not sure if I want to read the mashup novel,  Jane Slayre. 

For those who know me really well, I enjoy doing crossword puzzles (from reading this far, you now know that I'm a geek of sorts, but that's a different story).  I managed to finish yesterday's New York Times puzzle in about 10 minutes.  It took me about the same time to do today's puzzle but I didn't finish it.  The New York Times crossword puzzle increases in difficulty each day with Monday being the easiest and Saturday being the most difficult; Sunday doesn't count as the answers to Sunday's puzzle are printed with the puzzle itself.  Sometimes I am able to solve Wednesday's puzzle completely, but not in 10 minutes.  I was thinking about doing the annual crossword contest put on by the NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, but unfortunately, it's in New York City and I'm in San Diego.  Too bad they can't do satellite contests in other cities. 

Last Sunday after church, Mom and I saw the last opera on the last day of the 2011 season at the San Diego Opera.  Both of us saw a production of George Bizet's Carmen, an opera about a seductive gypsy woman who, apparently, likes to change boyfriends a lot.  It has to do with love, lust, bullfighting, and men who can't get the hint that their exes don't want them around any more.  I had trouble staying awake in the first act because I didn't have my daily dose of caffeine, but I enjoyed the rest of the opera.  This opera was Mom's first and it was my twelfth (I've seen eight live performances and four performances on DVD).  However, this was my first time seeing Carmen.  I've heard the infamous La Habanera aria sung by Carmen herself many times, as depicted in this commercial for Doritos:

For those who can understand the dynamics behind the aria can understand how it connects with the commercial.  Next season, Mom and I have decided to see Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville and I am hoping to score a ticket to see opera soprano Renee Fleming in concert at the San Diego Opera on March 24, 2012 once they go on sale. 

That is all for now.  I must get ready for bed.  Fin.

CHOCOLATE. COVERED. BACON.

It's official: I'm spoiled.  Not just because I'm an only child with no siblings (well, yeah, I guess I am spoiled), but I signed up with a $17 a month plan to rent DVDs and Wii games from Blockbuster.  I can rent 2 DVDs or games (or a combination of both) at a time and I can just drop them off at Blockbuster instead of mailing them in.  It feels weird and awesome at the same time.  According to Blockbuster, I'd be getting the latest movies 28 days before Netflix and all those other guys.  The first movie I rented is a two parter from the kind folks at the BBC.  There was a 1973 TV film version of Jane Eyre that I had wanted to see and none of the nearby libraries had it in circulation.  I saw some clips of it on YouTube and it sounds like a cool movie.  Here's a clip of the infamous proposal scene:

Looking forward to seeing it after watching the 1944 version with Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine and the recent 2011 one with Michael Fassbender (sigh, he's so dreamy) and Mia Wasikowska.

I had just started on the short story version of my novel.  For some reason, it's painful to write as my ideas and thoughts come out stiff and sloppy.  Maybe I should do some writing exercises to keep my abilities in check so they don't atrophy. 

About a week ago, I got my San Diego County Fair "best pass ever" in the mail.  Basically, I get in free for all 22 days of the fair and the pass cost me $22 (literally, a buck a day).  I can go see the concerts, visit the exhibits, eat the artery-clogging food, and watch 4H livestock shows.  If you live in San Diego or San Diego County, you can buy it on the fair's website.  I've bought my pass two years in a row and I love it!  I can't get enough of the Mackinac Island Fudge they sell in the exhibition halls or the Australian Battered Potatoes or the chocolate covered bacon - yes, you heard me.  CHOCOLATE. COVERED. BACON.

Right now, all I can hear in my head is the "Habanera" song from Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen.  I will be seeing the opera on Sunday.  It will be the second time I will be seeing tenor Richard Leech on stage (he will be playing the part of Don Jose); the first time I saw him was four years ago when he played Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana.  Although I will be equipped with binoculars in the nosebleeds, I am still looking forward to enjoying myself.  My mom will accompany me as this is her first opera.  Next year, we will be seeing The Barber of Seville together.  I hope to get a chance to hear soprano Renee Fleming in concert in March of 2012 at the San Diego Opera. 

That's all for now.  Fin.

My apologies for not updating my blog in a week; I've been busy and tired for the past seven days.  Every now and then, us bloggers do need a break or so.

This evening after work, I went to a birthday dinner for my aunt with my cousin, grandmother, and mom.  All was well and fun was to be had until just before we left, I could hear the constant faint screaming of a child from across the area in the Mexican restaurant where we were eating.  We all agreed that something should've been done but, unfortunately, the restaurant hostesses couldn't do anything about it (we were just leaving the restaurant after our dinner anyway).  This reminds me of a similar incident at the Spaghetti Factory years ago.  Dad and I went out to dinner and we were just browsing our menus when we heard a constant screaming from a table near us; apparently, a woman was trying to do her best to calm down a child who was clearly upset.  My dad couldn't tolerate the noise level any longer and requested to our waitress that we be moved elsewhere so that we could eat in peace and quiet (we were granted that request and enjoyed dinner without any further interruptions). 

Now, young children get upset from time to time; whether it's fatigue, hunger, or just wanting to be held by someone, there's a reason for their discontent.  However, when in a public place such as a restaurant, a retail store, library (especially a library), et. al., the best thing to do would be to take the kid outside to let him/her blow off some steam.  At my church, there are seats outside in the lobby where mothers can sit and calm down their upset kids and the minute a youngster starts crying, the parent would IMMEDIATELY head to the lobby to calm down the child.  Thankfully, parents are really good at managing their kids during services.  I wish that some parents would do the same in a restaurant.

Now that I've finished ranting, I have finished reading not one but two books.  I have finished Vanity Fair by W.M. Thackeray.  It's a sad novel but it's a great piece of work about superficiality at its finest.  It broke my heart to read certain parts of the book.  The second book I read was Villette by Charlotte Bronte.  It's not as good as Jane Eyre but it has that Victorian-Gothic touch to it, especially near the end of the novel.  Again, it does have a sad part or two but it's a good read and one can easily read all 657 pages of it in a day.  After work, I went to the library to pick up The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas so I can read it before the film version comes out in the summer, but it wasn't there so I will have to go to another library branch to see if it's available there (ditto for Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls).  Still, I didn't leave the library empty-handed; I checked out George Eliot's Middlemarch.  So far, I'm sustaining myself on a steady diet of Regency/Victorian literature so I can get a good idea of how to write my novel.  I've pictured almost every scene that I want in my book so much that I think I'll just draft a condensed short story version so that I can have something to work with when I create an outline.  I considered doing it this evening but it's getting late so I think I will do it either tomorrow or Wednesday evening.  However, I'd like to break from Brit Lit by reading Hemingway, something I haven't done since I was a teenager (did a report on him for my AP junior English class).

That is all for now.  Fin.

The Mother's Day edition and a letter to my grandma

I have been delving deeper and deeper into the literary abyss that is Vanity Fair.  I am now down to the last 200something pages and it's getting more interesting (and sad) by each page.  The more I read, the more I am disgusted with Becky Sharp's behavior.  I won't reveal too much for those who haven't read the novel.

Anyhoo, Mother's Day went well for my mom.  She was treated to a $40 per person buffet at the Bahia Hotel in Mission Beach by my dad.  They went there previously for Easter and although Dad didn't think it was worth the money, he took Mom there anyway and both of them had prime rib for breakfast (I would totally eat prime rib for breakfast any day of the week).  After work, I came home and presented my mom with a cookie I got from work but forgot to give her earlier, a glazed clay coaster, two rolls of Necco Wafers, and a pair of Carnelian disk earrings.  Although I'm not as close to my mom as I am with my dad, I love her to death.  She is my friend, my guardian, and everything in between.  She carried me for nine long, grueling months before giving birth to me on August 31st, 1981.  To quote the comment I put on Facebook a few hours ago: "Any woman can give birth but it takes a special woman to devote her time and energy to raise children in love and faith."  I feel that my mom matches that statement.  To me, she was Supermom.  The woman who kissed my boo boos, stayed home with me when I was sick, encouraged me in any future endeavors, put a card in my backpack on my first day of junior college and on my first day at the university, comforted me when I was laid off, and praised me for rebounding with another job.  Mom, I love you.

Also, I want to write a letter in this blog and dedicate it to my late grandma, Ruth.  My grandma was very special.  Although she wanted me to be more feminine and play with Barbies instead of  ninja turtles as I did, she was truly a good person.  She died the day after Christmas in 1995 of non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.  I was 14 years old at the time and I didn't think my grandma would die at her age (62).  Although I never cried when she died, I still miss her and I dedicate this Mother's Day blog entry to her and my mom.  Here is my letter to my grandma.

Dear Grandma,

It's been 15 and a half years since you have passed on.  Although you lived to see me graduate from the eighth grade, you never saw me graduate high school or college.  You weren't at my 16th birthday party.  But I know you are with God and that's all that matters.  You helped me with my math homework, kissed my boo boos, and gave me advice on boys when I was in junior high.  Although I may have frustrated you at times, you still loved me and doted on your favorite (and only granddaughter). 

I'm almost 30 years old now and you are definitely on my mind, especially today.  You would've been beaming with pride as you saw me graduating from high school with honors.  You would've bear-hugged me as I turned my tassel from right to left when I received my college degree.  Had I been married with children at this point, you would be the doting great-grandma like my mom's mom.  However, even though you aren't here physically, I know you're looking down from Heaven, watching everything I do - all the mistakes and the successes that I've made so far.  You would be and still are proud of me. 

You were the Supermom to my dad and my aunt and you were definitely Supergrandma to me and my cousin Tony.  I miss those days hanging out with you, Tony, Aunt Carol, and Grandpa on the weekends.  Tony and I would ride up and down the street on our bikes with the neighborhood kids and sometimes you would come out and make sure that we were within your eyesight.  You made the best macaroni and cheese.  You were a terrific seamstress.  If only you could've taught me how to play the old, 100something year old piano that was sitting in the living room behind your recliner.  You cringed when Tony and I would play on Grandpa's old rusted truck or in the thorn-infested space between the next door neighbor.  And while I do admit that making me wear that hideous black and white kitty cat dress you bought for me was a dumb idea, I still love you anyway. 

Love,

Shannon

Writing this letter is totally pulling on my heartstrings; I feel like crying but I can't cry (I think most of you know that feeling).  The picture above is my grandma with me as a baby.  I'm going to take a guess that I was a newborn in that picture. 



That's all for now.  Fin.

This video goes out to all you moms out there.

My most uncomfortable moments in cinema.

After recently discovering Michael Fassbender in Inglourious Basterds and Jane Eyre, I became a fan (and developed a crush, but that's another story) so I rented Hunger where Michael plays the Irish rebel Bobby Sands.  Needless to say, I was impressed with the filmmaking - but I didn't like the movie.  I guess it wasn't my cup of tea as it is filled with hard-to-watch scenes of prisoners getting beat up and other parts that I don't feel are appropriate for this blog.  Here are 30 movies with scenes that made me feel generally uncomfortable watching, in no particular order.  I'm not listing every single movie that made me squirm or cringe in my seat because it's an ever-growing list (and chances are, I'd think of a movie the next day to add to the list).

1. Hunger (2008) - Yes, I just mentioned it but I would like to say that the whole movie made me feel uncomfortable.

2. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The first 15-20 minutes of this film was incredibly hard to watch.  Other than that, the rest of the film was fine.

3. The Passion of the Christ (2004) - The scenes where Jesus is being whipped and beaten by Roman soldiers. 

4. The Blue Lagoon (1980) - A beachside love scene made me blush as a 13-year-old kid.  Only saw about 2% of this film, though.  This very scene made me avoid movies with overt sexual scenes.  Every time I see Brooke Shields, I will forever associate her with this film.

5. The Shining (1980) - The frozen maze chase and the last few minutes of the film as well as the film's ending compared to the book.

6. Psycho (1960) - The infamous shower scene.  It didn't make me blush; it just freaked me out.  In fact, it's the only scene I saw in the movie.

7. The Land Before Time (1988) -  When Littlefoot's mom dies and he has to continue to the Great Valley by himself.  Even as an adult, it breaks my heart.

8. Toy Story 3 (2010) - The incinerator scene. 

9. Anne of Green Gables (1985) - The part where Diana Barry pukes after accidentally getting drunk on currant wine. 

10. Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000) - The whole movie made me cringe.  None of it was based on the books.

11. The Green Hornet (2011) - Christoph Waltz's performance.

12. Titanic (1997) - The love scene in the car.

13. Pulp Fiction (1994) - While I like how Quentin Tarantino makes stories into films, this movie was one, big uncomfortable moment.

14. Good (2008) - The theme of adultery in the movie as well as Viggo Mortensen's performance.

15. The Star Wars saga - The dialogue.  I loved the story and the series but George Lucas needs a better screenwriter.

16. Gone with the Wind (1939) - The leg amputation scene.  Still one of my favorite movies.

17. 301, 302 (1995) - The entire movie.

18. Almost anything mocked on Mystery Science Theater.

19. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - Near the beginning, a toon is doused in "dip" and hearing its screams made me cringe.

20. Coraline (2009) - Most of the movie freaked me out...and this is supposed to be a kiddie flick.

21. The Virgin Spring (1960) - The whole premise of the film.

22. Romeo and Juliet (1968) - The after-the-wedding-night scene.  Still one of my favorite films, though.

23. Water for Elephants (2011) - When August uses a bull hook to train and punish an elephant.

24. Hamlet (1996) - Jack Lemmon's performance.

25. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - When the huntsman tells Snow White about the evil queen's intentions and tells her to run away.

26. Cinderella (1950) - When Cinderella's stepmother locks her in a room to avoid her meeting Prince Charming.

27. Animal House (1978) - The overt sexuality.

28. Amadeus (1984) - Factual inaccuracy.

29. The Sandlot (1993) - When the kids puke on the rides at the county fair.

30. The 400 Blows (1959) - The way Antoine is treated by his teacher and his parents.

Happy Monday!

Well, I went to the doctor this afternoon and ended up waiting an hour past my scheduled appointment time because everyone was so busy.  The on/off pain in my big right toe brought me in to see my primary care physician.  Well, good news.  I don't need cortisone shots nor do I have to wear the infamous blue shoe with the velcro straps.  Apparently, I've been wearing a pair of a knock-off brand of toning shoes for several months and that has caused my toe to strain itself, along with my pancake-flat feet.  So, Doc recommends two types of insoles for my flat feet: Spenco and Superfeet.  According to all the podiatrists that he's spoken with, the best kind of walking shoe would be New Balance because of its ability to help with arch support.  It's perfect since I need a new pair of walking shoes.

I also picked up a flyer for a variety of nutritional programs available through my healthcare provider.  Considering that I gained 17 lbs. of the 32 lbs. I lost 5 years ago, I could use a little help.  Unfortunately, they cost hundreds of dollars, totalling up to about $500, including counseling, EKG testing, blood testing, etc.  All I want to do is get back on track with my dieting and exercise.  What I really need is just a diet to adhere to.  If I have everything planned out, I'd stick to it.

After reading the book Jane Eyre and seeing two movie versions, these 80s rock ballads remind me of Edward Rochester's love life when meeting Jane: I Want to Know What Love Is and Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner.

And yes, part of this was meant to be funny. 

I have added a few character sketches to my list of characters for my novel and I am now on to watch Pawn Stars on the History Channel.  Fin.

Some brief thoughts on the royal wedding

After learning about the death of Osama Bin Laden, I want to thank the brave men and women serving in the United States armed forces as well as those serving in the armed forces of America's allies protecting us from tyranny.  Thank you for your dedication, sacrifice, and hard work.  May God bless you.

This has been on my mind a few days now and I guess it's too late to post it, but, what the heck.  After watching the royal wedding between Prince William Windsor and his wife Kate Middleton and hearing how much it cost to put on the whole shindig, here's what should've happened:

Will and Kate fly discreetly to Las Vegas, NV (their wedding details deliberately made unknown to the public) and become the first royal couple to be married by an Elvis impersonator.  They spend their wedding night at Caesar's Palace and fly back to the UK soon afterward to avoid the papparazzi.  That would've saved the British taxpayers a HECK of a lot of money. 

Okay, I thought the whole thing was a little overdone but it was fun watching it.  I hate to say this, but I now think I have a crush on Prince William; he definitely looks much more handsome than he did when he was younger.  The hairpieces of Prince Andrew's daughters look as if they were taken from someone else's wedding cake; those things were hideous!  Still, I think Diana would've loved the way the whole ceremony turned out for her son; she was probably looking down from Heaven and smiling.

That's all I can think about for now.  Fin.

Opera and The Gospel....and a quick blurb about a smart phone app

First of all, I'd like to talk about a smart phone app that I really find to be underrated.  It's kinda like Foursquare, the "places" feature on Facebook mobile, and Yelp.  I am hopelessly addicted to this app called GetGlue that I have on my Android.  It's really cool.  Unlike Foursquare and FB mobile, you don't check into places but you check into stuff you're doing at the moment; e.g. reading a book or watching a cool movie.  It's free and you earn stickers while checking into things, like Foursquare.

Now that I've got that off my chest, here's a topic I've wanted to share for awhile now.  For those who know me really, really well, I'm into opera.  No, not the software, the OTHER opera, y'know, the art form where singing is the only form of dialogue?  I saw my first opera as a senior in high school but truly didn't get into it until about 4 years ago.  Anyhoo, the specific opera I want to talk about is Richard Wagner's Tannhaüser  (pronounced TANN-HOIZHER).  I have a DVD of a 1980s performance of it.  I even had a ticket to see the closing performance of it at my local opera house but I decided not to go because it was on Super Bowl Sunday (God forbid I miss the Super Bowl; I didn't even know about DVR at the time).

The opera itself takes place in 13th century Germany (well, in a principality, since Germany was not united at the time) and based upon the legend of a minnesänger (kind of like a roving troubador, if you will) named Tannhaüser who is torn between lust and Godly purity.  He lusts after the goddess Venus and loves his on-again-off-again virginal (and seemingly perfect) girlfriend Elisabeth.  The story deals with how Tannhaüser deals with his sins and desires and in one part of the opera, he goes off with a group of pilgrims to Rome to see the pope for absolution of his sins.  Unfortunately the pope says his chances of salvation are slim because of his blasphemous actions (worship of Venus rather than God) and that leaves will sprout from his papal staff before Tannhaüser gets admitted into Heaven.  Eventually, his sins are absolved, but only after the death of someone he loves.

The reason why I bring this up is because I see parallels with this opera and the Gospel.  In my opinion (and this is how I "interpret" art, if you will), Tannhaüser represents every man and woman's struggle to remain pure, sinless, etc. etc.  He tries to fight off his desires but they keep coming back.  He tries to atone for his sins by hanging out with pilgrims going to Rome probably wearing sackcloth and/or rags and doing the self-flaegellation thing.  Once Tannhaüser goes to Rome, the pope tells him that he cannot obtain salvation because of the sins he committed.  First of all, no man, not even the pope, has ANY say in who gets to go to Heaven with God.  That's God's judgement call, but the pope is right in that our sins keep us apart from God. 

Unfortunately, someone Tannhaüser loves has passed away and he prays for that person to pray for his salvation and he is finally forgiven of his sins.  Some people might dismiss this as Medieval Catholic doctrine and it is, in a way.  However, I see it in another way: the person who died represents a Christ figure, someone who is perfect and pure to carry on the transgressions of a sinner in death.  In a way, the opera represents mankind's struggle against sin toward perfection and that we, as a sinful human species, cannot obtain perfection and that salvation is through Jesus Christ, God's only Son, Who is perfect.  I don't think that this was Richard Wagner's interpretation but, then again, art is objective and people can see different sides to it.

If this is confusing, I can totally understand.

Off to bed.  Gotta get up early for work.  Fin.