Reading...Or Something Along Those Lines

Alright, so I have a little ranty-rant that I've gone over about 20 times with people in real life, so here I am to bring it to the internet.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I'm usually not a reader, but..." since the horror that is Twilight was unleashed on the unsuspecting masses.

I was standing in a checkout line in Target a few years ago and this woman behind me had a copy of New Moon in her hands. It was the only item she was purchasing. I told her to go put it back before she regretted it.

Her response: "Well, I'm usually not a reader, but these books are really good! It only took me three days to finish the last one."

I imagine this is the mindset of most of the people who really enjoyed the Twilight books, and most of the popular crap out there today. They don't actually read often enough to recognize when bad things are published.

I, less than politely, told her that the first book had tricked her into thinking it was good because it was easy to read. They are actually at a 4th grade reading level- which probably says more about reading habits than anything.

It took me four hours to read each of the Twilight books- that's 16 hours total and I sorely wish that I had that time back.

Don't get me wrong- props to Smeyer for writing four books.My problem is that people are so enthralled with something that's just...not good.

I admit, part of me is probably just really upset that people keep comparing it to Harry Potter. I mean... that's like comparing an apple to a fire-breathing dragon (haha, ironically the cover of the first Twilight book has an apple on it and the first Harry Potter book has a fire-breathing dragon- comparison win!)

The thing about Twilight that's truly tragic is that there's really nothing good that can come from it. There are no good morals or characters to strive to live up to. I mean, really, the protagonist is a blah girl who moves and falls in love with a creepy stalker. She spends most of her time worrying about the fact that she's growing older and won't be attractive to him anymore.

Then she gets married. And has a baby. The end.

For example, Beauty and the Beast has sometimes been mocked as a story about Stockholm Syndrome and all the main character does is fall in love and get married.

Except that at least there's a deeper level in that Belle has to overcome society norms regarding what one should find attractive.

What does Bella do? Falls in love with a "Greek god" figure.

There's also nothing truly original about it. I guess it's kind of interesting that becoming a vampire enhances ones psychic ability- even if it's completely latent when a human. But there's massive potential to recreate well-known mythology and make it something different.

Again- Harry Potter. Rowling managed to create an entire fantasy world that has redefined what we think of wizards and magic.

Even the Percy Jackson series- which I admit I thoroughly enjoyed- managed to revamp the classics and build a new perspective for younger audiences.

Vegetarian vampires are not a new concept. Vampires having psychic abilities isn't new. Vampires being able to go out in sunlight isn't new.

The sparkling is new, but almost not even worth mentioning.

Alright, enough ragging on Twilight. I just needed to get all of that out to get to the main point- Parents really need to start reading books before they let their kids read them.



I'm not saying kids can't think for themselves and choose what they want to read. But seriously- what kids read affects the way they think and act. Do you want your sons to grow up to be stalkers because Edward did it? Do you want your daughter to name-smash your name with her mother-in-law's (okay, worse things could happen, but I think it's stupid so it belongs here)?

Traveling Woes

I love the internet, it's a nice way to see and learn things in a convenient way (particularly at 3 am the day a big research paper is due). Unfortunately, it has a HUGE downside- photos of places across the globe.

I'm kind of a travel junkie- I've known this for a long time. But when I'm bored at work and the internet draws me in, I inevitably add another location I want to see before I die. I'm basically to the point where I'll have to be a hitchhiking hobo to see everything I want to.

 But, as much of a desire as I have to see all the countries and all the things everywhere, I feel like I need to appreciate the US as well.

I've been to 25 of the 50 states- I'm super determined to make all 50 happen. I have a list of places that I think people need to experience here.

I saw a picture of Zion National Park- I MUST SEE IT! Garden of the Gods too! Gonna take a nice long geology field trip! :D

And now for something completely different

Actually, this is pretty much like the crap I was posting on here last year. I would say last post was something completely different and I felt super squicky after I realized I actually posted it.

Boo Past Self! Boo!

Anyway, I was standing around doing nothing at work as usual- trying desperately not to fall asleep after a random bout of insomnia that caused me to get about three hours of sleep (it was closer to three and a half, but who's counting that extra half hour? Certainly not my REM cycles!)- when I began thinking about Disney.

Disney is a beautiful, horrible, thing.

I grew up on Disney movies, my friends grew up on Disney movies, and any children that I'm involved in the upbringing up will damn well grow up on Disney movies.

The primary difference between my generation and the next will be this: media.

When I was a kid, I had to learn how to fast forward through crappy previews (okay, I used to watch them!) and remember to rewind or be pissed at myself the next time I wanted to watch that same movie.

That being said, my Disney collection- and that of many of my friends- is beginning to deteriorate.

Years of loving these movies has caused the tapes to become worn and sad, colors muted and sound just a teensy bit off. One of my roommates VHS cases is literally falling apart, damn plastic covering.

This realization was horrible- what if the next time I put in Tarzan was the time the VCR decided it was snack time?!

Thus, I have been slowly upgrading my Disney collection to DVD. But, honestly, it makes me feel kinda dirty- like I'm betraying the person I was and my entire childhood.

I don't have many, but I have Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, which are really all about anyone needs. But I'm thinking I kind of need Mulan and Tarzan.

I dunno...just a thought.

When crappy metaphors become your life

Sometimes I feel like we're two pages in a book- one an odd page and the other even. There are times when we're back to back- can hardly comprehend that the other page is just there on the other side contributing to the story. Other times we're face to face, understanding perfectly where one is coming from and the other is going.

I guess both situations are necessary for a book to work, there'd be no real story otherwise. I suppose it's also important that there be times that pages just need to be turned, otherwise there'd be no sense of anticipation and it wouldn't be a very good book at all.

Brainwaves- A Study on Friendship

Have you ever had one of those moments where you and a friend or family member of yours have said the exact same thing at the same time? I've had several of these myself, and they have influenced my thinking on how humans make friends.

See, you know about brainwaves, they're just a natural rhythm that is formed by the electric current running around in your head.

I like to think of them as radio frequencies.

I imagine that relatives are simply born within a close range of frequencies, like a mother is set at 97.4FM and her child is like a 97.6FM- close but not quite the same. Depending on the location, one frequency can get a blip of another nearby "station."

This is how we make friends. Statistically, someone is bound to have the same/a very similar frequency as you- regardless of how complete unrelated you might be. Someone who broadcasts on the same frequency has similar thought processes and interests because everything pings at the same speed.

And that's why I think we're all basically just radios picking up on other radio stations.

"Roughing It"

So, when I was younger my brother played hockey. This was kind of a big deal where I come from- like 80% of males play hockey until high school (okay, I made that number up but it's probably fairly accurate).

Anyway, once they hit traveling hockey age (like...9) it gets to be a huge commitment. There are only a few weekends out of three and a half months where you won't be on the road at least partially.

Not having any family immediately by, and being a good big sister, I was along for most of these trips. (I got perfect attendance a lot before this- then I just started laughing at the concept of a full week of school.)

My brother and I are about three and a half years apart in age, the only thing we really had in common was a mutual love of our parents and cousins.

Until traveling hockey.

He was now old enough to share my love of Pokemon and DragonBall Z; we would sometimes swap games for our Gameboy.

Then we got the most amazing thing ever- A PS2.

No, it doesn't sound good anymore what with modern gaming consoles- BUT IT WAS GLORIOUS THEN! Because it not only played DBZ Budokai or Backyard Baseball (which I was pretty terrible at), but it played DVDs.

My parents got a little converter that plugged into the cigarette lighter and could generate enough power from that to power a little television we had placed between the driver and front passenger's seats AND the PS2.

(As a side-story, I sort of resent that television- it ended up eating my Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring VHS.)

It was amazing. Five hour drive to frickin' Virginia, MN? NO PROBLEM!!! We would just plug in some headphones and watch a movie or try and destroy each other with some Super Saiyan skillz.

Of course we also tried to do our homework >_> (Mostly we slept...that's probably why neither of us graduated with honors.)

Sometimes I wonder what kids did before this kind of technology existed...I imagine some of them ended up throwing their siblings out of the car door (obviously child safety locks didn't exist).

AS IF I NEEDED MORE REASONS TO WANT TO CRY!!!!

So, Supernatural is definitely the most heartbreaking piece of crap show ever. (By this I mean that I love it and I hate its ability to break my heart and it's wonderfulness and goddamn attractive and endearing cast/character list.)

The most recent episode, "The Mentalist," literally made me curl around a pillow in a fetal position with every intent to cry epic tears of ugly crying.

Seriously. Two frickin' lines. That's all it took.

WHY DO THEY KEEP TEASING US ABOUT ELLEN?! HAVEN'T WE THE FANS, let alone Sam and Dean, SUFFERED HER LOSS ENOUGH?

How dare they have her mom-ing from the grave! It's painful to think that even in death she's watching out for the boys and trying to help Dean because she can tell he's in a butt-ton of pain.

**Side note: My roommates and I watched this episode in my parents' basement while my mom was home. I mentioned that my mom might watch with us if she was bored enough and my roommate was concerned considering how often we squeal and generally make grabby hands at the TV during these episodes.

I told my roommate not to worry about it- I think my mom will understand that if there's anything even hinting at gay or Cas or gay and Cas we're dead to the world.

End side note***

Anyway! So I love that they're bringing back that whole "let's all mistake Sam and Dean for a gay couple" thing. They even threw in some Campbells that were "brothers" as a cover up- LOL!

But, long story short, we're all missing Cas. A lot. Especially Dean.

GAH! MORE CAPSLOCK IS NECESSARY FOR THIS!

EVER SINCE CAS BETRAYED HIM, DEAN HAS HAD A HARD TIME TRUSTING PEOPLE.

(In the interest of full disclosure- this had me in a fetal position so fast it's almost embarrassing.) Dean misses his angel and felt so betrayed that he can't even really trust is own brother T_T

I WEEP!

I'm convinced that Cas is coming back as a human. Nothing short of it happening differently will convince me otherwise.

(Also- the horrible part of me is glad this Amy bullshit is done. Seriously. I was tired of it the second episode they mentioned it.)