Mar19

Entertainment Weekly Article: Behind Every Superhero, There’s a Woman Without Much to Do

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It’s not a long,  in-depth expose’ but it’s an article that strikes a chord because it’s true. Entertainment Weekly writers Adam Carlson, Samantha Highfill, and Grady Smith hit the nail square on the head. “… most actresses in comic-book movies are still stuck with flimsy parts while the dudes save the world.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that thought myself.EW2

The article goes on to examine eight leading ladies. They report what their roles are, how much time they clock in for each film, whether they fall in love with the hero, whether they need  saving by the hero, and asks the question “do they scream and cry a lot”? (I loved that one! Course I think Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale in “Batman”, 1989 holds the record for most number of minutes screamed by a damsel in distress….) The average screen time for these eight actresses is paltry 25 minutes, all eight of them fall for the hero, five out of the eight screamed and cried a lot, and they ALL were saved by the hero.

We need a HEROINE!

Where’s Buffy? Apparently that project’s  on permanent hold and rightly so without Joss Whedon there to lead it!

What about Batwoman? Now that might be interesting! Is the world ready for an openly gay superhero on the Big Screen? Hm.

Here’s an idea… How about Catwoman? Anne Hathaway‘s version of the slinky feline was pretty darn cool! I didn’t hear any screaming and crying, and she even had time for some thrilling heroics! According to this Huffington Post article Ms Hathaway would be more than willing to return in the role. Maybe if we said “pretty please” Christopher Nolan would change his mind.

It seems that if we want strong female characters we have to turn to the small screen. Since they’ve done away with Laurie, The Walking Dead  ROCKS with great writing for female characters! Michonne played by  Danai Gurira kicks some serious zombie butt, Maggie played by Lauren Cohan is one of the strongest women on T.V right now, and Andrea, played by Laurie Holden just might end up saving the whole Grimey Gang from the evil Governor! (I DO hope that the writers choose to have her save HERSELF from her current situation. After everything Andrea has been through I’d be VERY upset if they chose to have her “rescued” by a male character, especially …. Milton?!)

Pixar‘s “Brave”, a story of  firey haired Celtic Heroine, Merica, earned worldwide total of $535,383,207, and was thirteenth highest grossing film in 2012! It was pretty evenly matched between both male and female movie goers too.

Even though she’s been called a “Smurfette” (ie token female), Scarlett Johansson was pretty awesome as Black Widow in “The Avengers” . For a female character WITHOUT superpowers she was pretty damn dangerous with that … tiny…little… … ….gun…. (really, I know I blogged about this before, but taking out those HUGE aliens with that miniscule gun was just a  bit ridiculous, Joss! ) Anyway, Black Widow was SMOKIN and The Avengers is THE THIRD HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE OF ALL TIME! Not ALL  of that  $1,511,757,910 came from a guy’s “Green Lantern” wallet you know! I can’t find any actual statistics, but I’m willing to bet that pretty darn close to half that revenue came from Tardis shaped purses!   Geeky women like myself  love action movies and love even more to see leading women represented in the movie as being just as awesome as leading men! Not only that, but anyone who watches “Big Bang Theory” knows that geeky men like watching strong female characters too. A whole lot.

So, HEEEELLLLOOOOOOOO HOLLYWOOD! WAKEY, WAKEY! Women heros are COOL! AND we want more of them!

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Mar13

So “King of the Nerds” Crowns a Queen!

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King-of-the-Nerds-contestants

 

Really TBS?

Granted I didn’t watch all of this first season of “King of the Nerds”, but when my daughter saw that yes, girls can play too, (which of course is a PLUS for the show)… she did ask me why the show is called KING of the Nerds.  When a girl actually WON the show, she again asked me why they didn’t call  her QUEEN. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a QUEEN crowned KING since the Egyptians crowned Hatshepsut  Pharaoh somewhere around 1479 BC.

 

As far as “reality” shows go, this one’s not TOO bad. The TBS show hosted  by Revenge of the Nerd  celebs Robert Carradine

 

Toronto ComiCon 2012 - Robert Carradine

Toronto ComiCon 2012 – Robert Carradine (Photo credit: TonyFelgueiras)

 

and Curtis Armstrong and the competitors varied from NASA employees to comic book experts and video game fanatics. What I liked about the show is that I thought  these contestants are genuine, real, likable PEOPLE. I’m more than a little tired of seeing plumped up lips, inflated boobs and small dogs being carried in designer purses. I also liked the fact that it was pretty evenly matched between men and women. I’m not sure about the ending though. It seemed to come down ultimately to a “prom queen” popularity contest which seems somewhat ironic. Granted I DID think Celeste was a kinder person and if she is serious about  getting out there and being a spokesperson with kids then she may be a better choice. HOWEVER Genevieve DID work her butt off and she pulled through in many a challenge. A really bright girl, but just not as personable. (At least that is how the situation is painted for us viewers. Who knows the “reality” behind the “reality” show.

 

Toronto ComiCon 2012 - Curtis Armstrong

Toronto ComiCon 2012 – Curtis Armstrong (Photo credit: TonyFelgueiras)

 

So anyway, it’s a cute enough show that actually seems to celebrate nerdom I don’t mind tuning into for the fun of it and I think with a second season in the works it’ll really take off.  I just think if the competition involves both men and women they should have called it something else. Maybe next year they’ll turn the tables and call the show “Queen of the Nerds” and it’ll be won by a guy?

 

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Feb28

Second Annual Northwoods UU “Firefly” Shindig!

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And so in preparation for our second annual Northwoods UU “Firefly” Shindig / fundraiser I’m  posting the video of the service that Rev Ellen Cooper Davis prepared last year.

Just a quick explanation. Every year Northwoods UU holds a Service Auction raising money for the church. As part of the auction, Rev Ellen puts a “service of your topic of choice” up for bid. In 2012 Northwoods Browncoats unified to purchase this service. Also at the service auction a Firefly Shindig is offered with each Browncoats offering benefiting our wonderful community. This year we are asking that new books be also brought to the Shindig in support of Captn Mal’s own charity “Kids Need to Read” program benefitting kids all over the US.

The service is over an hour long. Shepard Ellen gives the best sermon in the ‘verse so grab yourself a mug of Mudder‘s milk and enjoy.

(unfortunately it appears Word Press doesn’t support imbeded videos from Google drive… but here’s the link.)


https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzAlR5OrM00AVXdwRHVWZnVmV2s/edit

 

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Nov21

Watch for this “Put Christ back into Christmas” email … This one isn’t just absurd, it’s Intolerant and Prejudiced

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Life gets busy, and work, kids, kid’s activities, projects, and volunteer jobs all have a tendency to pile up on one another, so lately I have found that unless something REALLY catches my attention, blog posting goes to the bottom of the very long “to do” list. Today however, I received an email that you know must be something special because I’ve decided to take time out to actually sit down and write about it.

Over the last few Christmas seasons, I have observed increasing complaint about the “Christ” being taken out of Christmas. This is the first of those emails I have received this year and I expect I will receive more. While I do not consider myself a Christian, I do have many friends who are. Most of the time I rant a bit about these messages, then I  move on with my life. This one however, I found  most offensive. The “poem” you will see is in the same rhythm and meter as “The Night Before Christmas.” I will post my rebuttal comments to each line in a different color.

Here it is:

YOUR FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD

Cleverly done!!!

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

(Really? ‘Cause Christianity would NOT be at the top of my list of quiet religions. Where were you during the 2012 presidential election?)

Why the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas – no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ‘ Holiday ‘.

(Religion has NO place in PUBLIC education. The PUBLIC is a diverse amalgamation of people from MANY cultures and religions. Migration, Immigration, and the internet are making this a smaller world all the time. If you want your children to have a religious education, choose the appropriate private school, homeschool, take them to church.)

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

(How DARE they commercialize OTHER religious holidays besides Christian holidays?)

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

(Is this kind of like hanging crosses upside down? I suppose as a tree hugging Pagan, this should really bother me….)

At Lowe’s the word Christmas – was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears

You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.

(“It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”)

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

(I think the person who wrote this is so afraid to move over a little bit to allow the beliefs of others to have a place that he / she feels genuinely threatened. This line speaks volumes, it smacks of fear and hate mongering. Tolerance for this person is a bad thing and that’s what’s so frightening.)

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

(Five words… SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE… have to admit however, that the way the author worked in all those names is quite clever.)

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

(The great thing about freedom of religion is that no one is forbidden to worship the way they want, and freedom of speech allows you to talk about it as much as you want. It’s when your rights infringe upon the rights of others that it becomes a problem. This is why we have… SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.)

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

(“The reason for the season.”  This particular phrase, gets my hackles up every year. What we know as “Christmas” is a combination of Christianity’s birth of Jesus and the more ancient pagan celebration of Yule. Jesus was thought to have been born in April, the celebration of his birth was moved to December 25 by the council of Nicaea to coincide with the already preëxisting celebrations of Saturnalia and Yule. Trees, Santa, wreaths, gifts, mistletoe, feasting… the whole shebang is… PAGAN!)

So as you celebrate ‘Winter Break’ under your ‘Dream Tree’

(Christmas trees… Pagan! (and do that in a singsong voice) )

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday!

(Most of the world’s many religions have celebrations of light during this dark time of year. Even Christianity and the birth of Jesus is a metaphorical expression of the victory of light over darkness. This is part of the reason that the Council of Nicaea chose December 25.)

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(and happy Hannukah, and happy Yule, and happy Diwali, and happy Ramadan and happy Kwanzaa… The spirit of the greeting is what matters! You can rest assured that at least I won’t take out my AK 47 and gun you down for saying any of them to me!)

If you agree please forward, if not, simply delete.

Yes, this actually was the last line.

 Most of the time I DO just press delete however, not this time. This particular “Put  Christ back into Christmas” jargonny, wargonny email actively promotes bigotry and intolerance. This time, it needs more than a simple tap of the delete button, it needs an answer, and my answer is this;

how about we just get back to Good ‘ol fashioned “Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men”.

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Sep5

Who Would Like to See a Modern Version of “The Muppet Show”? I Know I Would!

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The Muppets

The Muppet Show

The Muppet Show (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last weekend my family sat down for some good ‘ol fashioned wholesome entertainment, we watched “The Muppets”. “The Muppets” was released in 2011 and was the first Muppet release in 12 years. As a huge fan of the Muppets and growing up waiting weekly for the “The Muppet Show” I loved this film! Not only did it bring back a lot of warm memories, but the humor and music was updated very successfully by Bret McKenzie with his very distinctive “Flight of the Conchords” sound. (My husband recognized his style immediately!) Mr. McKenzie won an academy award for his song “Man or Muppet”, which is a first for any Muppet film.

The story, written by and starring Jason Segal, centers around reuniting the gang for a telethon in order to save the old Muppet Theatre from oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who wants to tear it down to drill for oil underneath. The most engaging part of the story for me however, is the idea that no matter how different things are today, Jim Henson’s wonderful creations still have a place in our hearts and COULD still have a very relevant place in the modern entertainment industry. This got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be great if Disney ACTUALLY DID bring back the Muppet Show in weekly installment? What would it look like? I actually started compiling a list of modern celebrities who would be engaging guests in a modern version of the classic. These are my 10 top favorites.

 

10. Mary Murphy (Telling Sam the Eagle that he’s a “Hot Tomale”?

 

9.  Lady Gaga (Singing with Wayne and Wanda?)

 

8.  Bret and Jermaine (Flight of the Conchords) (Jamming with Dr. Teeth )

Flight of the Conchords

Flight of the Conchords (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Jane Lynch (insulting Miss Piggy?)

 

6. Julia Louis Dreyfus(Doing an “Elaine” dance in the ballroom?)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5.  Jerry Seinfeld (Heckled by Waldorf and Statler?)

 

4.  Neil Patrick Harris (Giving Kermit a run for his money as host?)

 

3. Simon Cowell (Heckling from the Balcony?)

 

2.  Steve Tyler

Tyler,_Steven

(…..do I really NEED to say more?)

 

Come on Disney! You’d have celebrities lining up outside Muppet Theatre doors waiting to get their turn! In a disenchanted, cynical world like we have today, maybe we NEED more Muppets!

 

… And I bet there isn’t a Browncoat alive who wouldn’t LOVE to see:

 

1. Nathan Fillion as “Captain Tight Pants” in “Pigs in Space”!

 

An example of the Wild West influenced clothin...

An example of the Wild West influenced clothing and weaponry in Firefly and Serenity. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now I am curious…. Any more celebrity suggestions out there?

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Aug8

Browncoats Rule, Prevent Bullying in School

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Reblogged from Bohemian Geeky Girl:

When my daughter was three she could sing the entire "Red Dwarf" theme song. She quotes "Monty Python" skits on a regular basis, she dressed as "Firefly's" Kaylee at our "Firefly Fundraiser" party and she thinks Abed on "Community" is the coolest guy on TV. When she was six, she didn't want to dress as a princess for Halloween, she went as…

Read more… 1,126 more words

I will be volunteering on Saturday at the Kids Need to Read booth at Space City Con in Houston. I'm reblogging this post to confirm how much I beleive in the importance of the work this organization does! See you at the Con!
Jul13

My Top Ten Tear Jerkers: I Always Cry When…

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… Boromir dies. Yes, yes, I admit it. There are just some movie scenes that never fail to move me. Watching Lord of the Rings again for the umpteenth time was a perfect choice for hunkering down on a rainy day.

People (and by “people” I mean my family) tease me for crying at movies. I’m sure there are many others out there who know what it’s like when they have to take tissues to a movie that they KNOW in advance will make the waters fall.

“Whatever happens… I must… not… cry!”

So what do we do? We don’t like being made fun of, we feel silly that a fictional story will affect us so we practically break our necks trying to hold it in. Then what happens? We choke, our chests hurt, we turn purple and then we screw up our faces and make new wrinkles in our foreheads.

I was reading somewhere recently that people who cry at sad stories aren’t just sympathetic, they are empathic.  Sympathy is a cognitive understanding of why someone might be feeling the way they feel, empathy is the ability to actually feel what others feel.  Why should we be made to feel embarrassed about this? If more people were empathic the world would be a better place. Better yet, if ALL people were empathic there would be utopia! There would be no question over public health care, there would be no animal abuse, there would be no sexual assault, there would be no bullying , there would be no war… the list is endless. So movie cryers unite!

Here you go, my top ten teary scenes for a rainy day, watch and cry unabashedly! :

10. Star Trek: Generations (when the Enterprise crashes)

9.  Spiderman 2 (when he stops the train and is carried and unmasked by the people)

8. Bridge to Tarabithia

7. Titanic (the scene where the mother is telling her children stories in bed)

sorry, couldn’t find clips of this but I’m sure you know the one!

6. Harry Potter (when Hedwig is killed)

5.Lord of the Rings (Boromir defends the Hobbits to the death and says he would have followed Aragorn to the end)

4. Up

3. Star Trek The Wrath of Khan (Death of Spock)

2. Dumbo (baby of mine)

And my number one heart wrenching story is :

  1. The Iron Giant

(ok, just watching this for the POST made me cry…)

I also have to give honorable mention to “Marly and Me” which I have only watched once because it’s just too damn sad, and “Ol Yeller” which I will NEVER watch because I know it would probably kill me.

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Jun22

He’s Baaaaaack! JR Ewing; He’s Back and He’s Bad!

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1980. Where were you when JR was shot? Oh ya! Glued to the TV and waiting all through the summer to find out the answer to TV’s first trendsetting cliff hanger!

English: Larry Hagman attending the "Nigh...

English: Larry Hagman attending the “Night of 100 Stars” for the 82nd Academy Awards viewing party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA on March 7, 2010 – Photo by Glenn Francis of http://www.PacificProDigital.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was sitting at the theatre one hot day in Houston, patiently watching the ads that I pay for, when the music hit me. “I KNOW that music! OH MY GOD! It’s DALLAS!” I nearly jumped out of my seat with a standing ovation at the end of the ad. I don’t THINK I was the only person applauding, but I have to admit I was so damn excited that I really didn’t pay any attention to what other patrons were doing. Maybe what they were ACTUALLY doing was looking at me like I’d just tipped out of my rocker….

I’ll admit it. I was in Jr. High (1980) the year JR was shot by an unknown assailant.  My entire family had to be home to tune in every week to watch JR and Bobby in their eternal struggle of good vs evil. My dad found a cartoon in the newspaper: The unmasking of “Darth Vader”, guess who was the face under the black mask of evil? JR Ewing of course! HA! We stuck that one on our fridge.  I wore my “I Shot JR” button every day that summer, and even the Queen of England waited with bated breath for the season opener that would answer that question.  90 million American viewers tuned in along with her to have the answer. This record was beaten only by the last episode of M.A.S.H in 1983. Internationally, DALLAS still holds the record for most watched episode with 360 MILLION viewers tuned in. That’s TV history, baby! So was I excited to learn that it was coming back on the air? YOU BET I WAS!

Initially, It worried me that the old characters, JR (Larry Hagman), Bobby (Patrick Duffy), and Sue Ellen (Linda Grey) would only be used as a bridge to the next generation then would fade out quickly as the show progressed. I mean really and truly, DALLAS just wouldn’t be DALLAS without JR and Larry Hagman’s BRILLIANT portrayal of evil incarnate. (I just love how the older he gets, the crazier his eyebrows get. It’s hard to believe he’s the same guy who played the lovable astronaut in “I Dream of Jeanie” so many years ago.) It seems after three episodes however, that my fears were (hopefully) unfounded. It seems the story line is evolveing in such a way that the Ewing first generation will be sticking around for a while. They are integral to the plot… which is of course, battling royally over the rights to Southfork, and oil. (I mean what else would it be about? It is Texas after all!)

The original cast of Dallas. Clockwise from to...

The original cast of Dallas. Clockwise from top right are: Larry Hagman (in cowboy hat), Linda Gray, Jim Davis, Charlene Tilton, Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy, and Barbara Bel Geddes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was also worried that this new generation wouldn’t be able to measure up. Well, it seems those fears are unfounded as well. John Ross (Josh Henderson of “Desperate Housewives” and a real Dallas(ian) ) is just as devious as a chip off the old block. He soon finds out though, that he still needs more lessons in deviousness and taking on dear old dad in a battle concerning oil just may be a fatal mistake. I can’t help but feel that JR is rather proud of his son’s attempt to cut him out of billions of barrels of oil, though so watch and learn John Ross, watch and learn! Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe… Desperate Housewives… again) is just as soft and left-wing as old Bobby, even if he isn’t “of the blood”, a fact his cousin so loves to keep reminding him. Different than Bobby though, his need to prove himself as Ewing, gives him a sharper edge that Bobby never had.

Bobby’s new wife, Ann (Brenda Strong… Desperate Housewives… Wisteria Lane moves to Southfork) , is an interesting addition to the family. Texan to the core I wouldn’t be surprised to bump into Ann in Wal-Mart purchasing pink rifles as Christmas presents. (As a Canuck now living in Texas, I have a culturally more informed perspective than I used to….) It’s wide open for the return of Pamela (Victoria Principal) however, as all we know about her character is that she abandoned Bobby and young Christopher for who knows where… just anywhere JR wasn’t I’m sure.  Pamela’s brother, Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), however makes an appearance and the scene between himself, JR and Bobby is priceless.  Three old buggers who swear they will be dancing on each other’s graves. They’ll be fighting in hell when the time comes, probably arguing over who has the rights to the brimstone.

Now I look forward to Wednesdays. Never thought I’d say that….

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Jun12

The Rose Labyrinth Book Review

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The Rose Labyrinth

Cover of "Rose Labyrinth"

Cover of Rose Labyrinth

So, looking for a good summer read I came across The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie at my local “Friends of the Library” bookstore.

It LOOKS really cool, comes in an extra cover slip with the book on one side and a booklet of clues on the other side. It starts off really well with a “DaVinci Code” feel to it, with a focus on symbology and historical figures as part of the mystery, not to mention the Christianity vs Paganism vs Science overtones.

Pulling a George R.R. Martin, she kills off “the main character” after the reader becomes invested in him. The downfall to this technique occurs however when it also happens to be the strongest character, which it is in the case of “The Rose Labyrinth”. While his death is a catalyst for the story, it becomes a fluffy Harlequin Romancy thing after that. The two main characters are sickeningly “gorgeous”, there  is a whole “princess who needs to be rescued by the prince” aspect to it, when the “new” beautiful and  frail, main character, Lucy, has a heart transplant and falls in love with her handsome, seriously sensitive, and knight in shining armor, doctor. (Professional ethics be damned!) The extra characters such as their friends and family are just plain cardboard. The father has a depth of 0 and I kind of cringed every time he came on the scene. He didn’t seem to serve any purpose at all except to maybe add more protective testosterone to the cheesy mix.

I was hoping that the mystery part of it and the clue booklet would help make up for the syrupy romance but was sadly disappointed. I actually attempted to work at the clues but I really don’t think there is any way an average reader could figure any of them out even with access to the internet. I couldn’t do it and I’ve got an armchair interest in symbols, symbology, anthropology and the like. I eventually tired of even trying and just decided to discover the answers along with the characters and sometimes even that was a pretty far stretch. They seemed to have a general knowledge of stuff they really shouldn’t know unless they were anthropologists or something of that nature. Lucy is some kind of documentary film maker, so maybe that is supposed to explain it…

The author makes an attempt at some type of spiritual / mystical depth as Lucy has some connection to the mystery through her new heart, there are a couple of incidences of visions into previous time periods but these are so glossed over that it just makes the whole thing confusing.

In short, the book is a great concept and it could have been epic as a “DaVinci Code / Mists of Avalon” mix.  Hardie should have just done away with the extra pretty packaging and the unsolvable booklet of clues and concentrated on writing the story with depth.

May29

Indiana Jones Doesn’t Like Snakes Either, reclaiming the term “girly”

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It’s fairly easy to deal with bears. They don’t hide under your lawn chair and they’re big (especially Grizzlies) so most of the time you see them coming. You blow your bear whistle, or your air siren, or you bang your pots and pans together and you can be mostly sure that they will lumber away.

Some years ago I ran a ten-mile leg of the Jasper /Banff relay race through the Rocky Mountains at 3 am in the in the morning. There were bears in the ditch on the side of the road. I didn’t see them that time, because it was dark, but I knew they were there. There is nothing that will help you shave minutes off your time like bears in the dark.

Hiking in Banff or Waterton National Park is a blast. I sure miss it.

This is one of my favorite hiking photos… skinny dipping in a glacial fed mountain lake at the top of Smuts Pass. (See the snow?)

One of the funnest things about hiking in the Rockies is glaciating. Glaciating is when you slide down the side of the mountain on a glacier in your hiking boots.

(This is my husband. National Geographic documentaries… the photographer does it too and carries the camera equipment at the same time…)

The first time I did this I was wearing sneakers, that was a little more scary because you don’t get the ankle support you should have and you feel every little rock on the bottom of your feet. It also increases the fear factor if you are watching an avalanche occurring on the mountain across the valley on your way down.

Probably the coolest thing I ever did was hike the West Coast Trail. The West Coast Trail is a fifty mile back packing trail on the west side of Vancouver Island. It’s roughly a week-long survival trek through rain forest,

climbing through knee reaching mud and over waste high roots in old growth rainforest,

going up and down mile high cliffs on slightly rotting step ladders,

(this is an example of one ladder, most often there is a series of five or six or ten or twenty of these ladders in a row… it’s possible to spend two days just climbing ladders…)

crossing ravines on slippery logs,

pulling yourself and others across deep chasms and inlets in little suspension cable cars,

skirting deathly surge channels on itty bitty ledges, (This photo was taken on the other side. I think I’d never been so scared in my life.)

and the bonus, is that you do it with 50-60 pounds of extra weight on your back!

One day I had an encounter with a cougar. Now THAT was scary.  You DON’T see cougars because they hide really well in the trees. You can hear them though… snarling at you as you run away.

A few years ago I was proud to earn a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. (Sorry, not sure where that photo is.) I love to beat the shit out of a punching bag, and sparring with a partner is not only great exercise, it’s loads of fun! Thank goodness I’ve never had to use those skills in a REAL fight. That would certainly be scary, but it’s a little bit reassuring  to know that if I was ever attacked in the Wal Mart parking lot, that I might be an inconvenient enough victim that  said “bad guy” might reconsider his actions.

After having done all of these scary / possibly crazy things in my younger days, I have to admit there are two things that really give me the creeps. One is stepping on squishy mud at the bottom of a lake. Who knows what icky, yucky things might be lurking in that muck? The other is Water Moccasin snakes. Unlike bears, they are sneaky and hide in places, like maybe that yucky mud in the lake. Water Moccasins are not your usual “ignore it and they will ignore you” type of snake. They are highly aggressive, they will chase you down the pathway until they get you. They might even curl up at the bottom of the slide in your swimming pool during a drought year. That’s what happened to my friend’s daughter before she realized it was there and couldn’t stop her descent down the slippery slide. She eventually stopped struggling and resigned  herself to being bitten, which she was and nearly lost her leg.

Nope, I don’t much like snakes,  then again, neither does Indiana Jones… but I’ll bet HE was never called “girly”.

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