My Blog on Wheels

Well, I really don’t have much to say in this particular blog except that I’m writing this one in the car (don’t worry I’m not writing while driving). I hate doing things like this a the last minute, but then again doing things at the last minute is what i do best. I am a serial procrastinator; a round of applause to the those of you who share my passion for procrastination. I wonder if they have a PA (Procrastinators Anonymous) for people like me. And wow typing a blog in moving vehicle is not good for the gag reflexes, so at the risk of ruining this good upholstery I am going to end this completely pointless and rambling paragraph. But before I do I have a few words of advice: 1) Don’t procrastinate and 2) DON’T write your blog in a moving vehicle. :-S

Metting Sutton Foster

This week I had the honor of meeting one of the most talented young women on Broadway, Sutton Foster. Before this week I never knew that she had even existed, but now that I have finally received the memo I am very impressed with her. Not only does she have an amazing voice and a Tony Award to go along with it, she has a great personality. When she met with my Aesthetics class she was very down to earth. She came in dressed in a simple pink sweater paired with an orange scarf and jeans, her hair pulled up into a ponytail, and no make-up of any kind. She was so underdressed that I almost mistook her for just another college student. This was a tad shocking to me. I half expected her to be dressed to nines with a face full of make-up, but Ms. Foster was just the opposite. She wasn’t here to put on a show for my class or talk about how talented and famous she has become over the years. She came to answer our questions and give us some very good advice. The moment that really sticks out in my head was when she was asked the question, “What is the biggest mistake an actor can make in this business?” She paused for a moment and then said, and I quote, “Just being an a**hole.” I thought that that was a great answer to a question like that. As the interview continued Sutton had the entire class, teachers included, laughing right out of their seats with her goofy facial expressions and witty answers to our questions. I didn’t get the feeling that I was in the presence of a celebrity but rather a normal down to earth person who knows how to not let all of that fame and fortune go to their head. After meeting Sutton Foster I was left with some important and memorable words of wisdom: be brave and remember where you come from. Thanks Sutton. You are a true hero of mine.

Jammed packed days? Not a fan.

I hate having days that are jammed packed. They are so frustrating and stressful. Once one event ends another begins. Sometimes I long for the days when things were slower and more relaxed. I mean come on what happened to that? What happened to the idea of “a slow ride, take it easy” type of deal? It just seems like time these days keeps flying right on by with no signs of slowing down. What’s wrong with us slowing down? Are we for some strange reason trying to make a fast run to the finish line; our finish line being death? For me personally, I would much prefer to sit on the sidelines and watch everybody else pass me by.

The Pregnancy Pact

I am currently watching The Pregnancy Pact on Lifetime and I am shocked to think that a bunch of high school girls from Gloucester, Massachusetts would make a pact with each other to get pregnant and raise the babies together. Who does this? Honestly? I know that this movie was based on true events, but I’m not sure if the pact was ever proven to be true and I also haven’t seen the end of this film. So far these girls have ruined their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of their “baby daddies.” If this pregnancy pact was true then the only question I have to ask is: Are American high school girls really this stupid? I mean they are in HIGH SCHOOL. You would think that they would have the brain capacity to figure out that a pact like that isn’t such a good idea. But I’ll get off my soap box long enough to say that Thora Birch (you probably know her as Dani from Hocus Pocus or Jane from American Beauty) is doing a fabulous job playing Sidney in this. Kudos Thora! You rock in this made-for-tv movie.

Screw what the critics say! The Lovely Bones is worth seeing.

Yesterday I saw the newly released Peter Jackson film The Lovely Bones and I was personally blown away by the story line. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie or haven’t read the book, The Lovely Bones surrounds the 1973 rape and murder of 14-year old Susie Salmon who, after her murder, watches her tortured family and her murderer from her own personalized heaven. I know to most people this type of story line sounds very cliche, but I can promise you that it is far from it. This movie contains a great deal of symbolism, spectacle, and suspense. It has a little bit of something for everyone, young and old. From my personal stance, I found the film very engaging. It was one of those kinds of movies where you found yourself yelling at the characters onscreen one minute and then crying the next. There were even some scenes where I almost felt like jumping out of my chair and through the movie screen; it was that intense. The film also sheds a great deal of light on the unbreakable bonds within a family, especially between a father and a daughter, and the choices we make in life as well as death. In my opinion, what makes this film truly unique is its ending above all else. The ending is very unexpected and may be a little disappointing to some at first, but trust me that disappointment will slowly fade away once you see what the movie is really trying to get across. And this film leaves its audience with a lasting and very powerful message. The kind of message that will really make you think. So I hope that despite what the critics say people will still go and hear its message. It may not have Oscar potential but hey guys it’s still worth seeing.

My Thoughts on Harrison Bergeron

My initial reaction to Harrison Bergeron was nothing more than “it’s weird.” I couldn’t understand why a college professor would be having us read something that was nothing more than fantasy fiction. Pleasure reading. But after reading the piece a few more times, I realized that this wasn’t fantasy fiction at all. Vonnegut was trying to say something. In the beginning, I believed that he was firing back at our government because in his alternate society everybody is equal due in part to the rules and regulations of the Handicap General. No one is better than anyone else and there is no such thing as competition. This type of extreme equality is ensured by some of the devices that the government has come up with; like ear radios for those with a significantly high intelligence, bags of weights to weigh down those with a great level of strength, and hideous masks for those with blinding physical beauty. Despite all of these precautions there is inequality still inhabiting within this society. These inequalities became much clearer to me after our class discussion. These people were completely stripped of their rights, their individuality, and their ability to grow and prosper in the name of equality and fairness. Equality and fairness...eh I don’t think so. If there was such a thing as equality and fairness in this particular society then the Handicap General herself would also be in handicaps. And from my end, a woman with enough intelligence and strength to control and manipulate an entire society would need A LOT of handicaps. So much for equality and fairness. Upon further discussion, I found out that Vonnegut was actually attacking those who were fighting for equality. At first I was stunned. Why would someone attack and mock those who were fighting for equality among people with such an absurd story? But then when I thought about the story of Harrison Bergeron as a whole I realized that Vonnegut had made a valid point. Can we really create a world were everybody is equal and competition is no longer necessary? And can we achieve this without taking the rights and liberties of others? Also, and most importantly, can we do this without losing our individuality and what truly makes us all special and unique?