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How do you feel when an adapted film's story deviates from the original material?

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HATE IT. This answer has very few exceptions because the deviation is using for some crappy reason that most likely equals the director not caring about or understanding the source material. This is explained with 'creative decision' bullshit.

I love fiction. Again.

 So, after a crappy weekend, the best pickup for me is ALWAYS without a fucking doubt a dose of quality fiction. It can come in any form, but right now, I've been low on good book fiction. This saddens me, so I turned to TV for my fix. Long story short: just watched the last two seasons of Avatar.

Loved it. I don't really do the whole 'watch cartoon, read graphic novels' thing as a day-to-day thing. I cherry pick them, and I haven't watched anime in a long time because I find myself very dissatisfied with the genre. Seriously. Even when I like a series, I often find myself really miffed and hating parts of it. However, I have found myself completely sold on Avatar. I guess I can thank the book (this time tv series) to move trend for this discovery. What kept me hooked on this series, though, was two major things: 1)probably some of the strongest TV story telling I have seen in a serial show in a while (like, the writers of LOST should have taken a page from this show on how to wrap up a series) and 2)the series had a definite ending and a pretty strong plot arch that was executed well in the animation.

On point 1: Holy shit, the characters sold me. Every. One. Of. Them. I mean, sometimes the comic throwaways are just that. They eat space. But I found my favorite characters being some of the ones intended to be comic throwaways. The comedic moments always spoke to the larger drama. Okay, not EVERY comedic moment. In the 3rd season in particular, this series NAILED 'meta' comedy. I mean, they hit it out of the park. Basically, in what was one of the most entertaining episodes by far, the characters go and see a play about themselves. It sounds dumb, and it is, but it's quality writing. The only comparable thing I can think of is Supernatural's "The Monster at the End of the Book" from season 4 with Chuck the prophet. (Please don't lie and tell me that's NOT one of your favorite episodes . . . if you watch Supernatural.) 

Point 2: While I can rant on characters FOREVER, I will digress and go into plot. Now, the overall narrative is better/worse at some points. In season 1, the premise is simple, but you see the potential. I mean, it's all over the place because of the strong characters. Thankfully, the series hits some adventuring and some back story quickly. Then, it regretfully devolves into some 'episode/problem of the week' phenomena common in a lot of series. Some of these episodes blow, but even those ones come back to have a better-or-worse effect on the plot. I will say season 2 took the natural progression of season 1 and blew my mind. I mean it. There's some really complex and great story telling happening in the middle chapter (on a side note, I felt this way about the Two Towers (Book). I think I was chewing my nails the entire time going, 'WHO'S GOING TO DIE!?!?!' Ditto this reaction for Avatar.) However, with complex story telling comes some plot holes. Early season 3 was regrettably devoted to over-writing the dialog with angst, and the story lost some steam here because they had to begin to seal up plot holes. However, mid/late season 3 was great. They fixed some of the most glaring plot problems, even if they did it a bit clunkyly, and got the satisfying conclusion that gave me the warm and fuzzies. On another note, though, you can feel the narrative struggle with how to portray its villains. I think the writers made some wise choices to not three dimensionalize the villains, but in the end, you need some of that to drive this sort of epic story. The major female villain (don't ask me to spell these names without IMDB right now!) is a young woman. Hence, on children's TV, you don't want to kill her. Also,  after humanizing her a bit, you can't just ratchet up her evil and let it fly. Thankfully, the narrative starts to provide reasons for villainy and resolves the evil people are humans, too, stuff with its villains during season 3. Props.

Now, what I love about good fiction and watching a series in one short chunk of time (like you would read a book), is that you can more accurately dissect the storytelling behind the narrative. Rewatching Lost season 4/5 allowed me to do this for the series a bit before season 6 began. Anyway, the only cautions I give to anyone not in their tween years and watching Avatar is this: the romance is clunky. I mean it. It's down right bad during some parts. It's a tweenage romance, and you can see the narrative struggling to resolve this romantic tension, and it has to do it in a clumsy way to keep the narrative working in season 3. It makes large chunks of the show painful in early season 3 because you can FEEL the struggle to resolve the romantic plot holes lingering all over the narrative from seasons 1 and 2. On another note, the other relationships don't suffer from this (HUGELY fortunate). Also, some of the tweenage humor goes away, but a lot of the humor is just generally funny. I can't say this about large chunks of anime aimed at tweens, but this one does humor on a multitude of levels. And, bonus, the humor never loses the back story. It's there BECAUSE of the back story, and you rarely lose that. When the show does lose some of it's character momentum and tongue-in-cheek humor, you can feel it, and those episodes are largely the worst.

Bonus: the show is really devoid of a lot of racism, sexism, ageism, disablism, and any freaking ism you can think of. It's also a really powerful message of non-violence. Once again, though, keep in mind the age group this is aimed towards to excuse for it's inability to really use death scenes. Hence, the series gets more mileage out of discussing past deaths and the ever present ambiguous deaths of the various villagers. 

True Blood

New episode! Yay!! I thought it was a good one, too. I hate those cliff-hanger endings because they just leave me saying 'What!?!?!?!?!?!' I really am liking most of the characters. Eggs is still hell-a annyoing, though, and Jason is SO fucked (like usual).

Anyway, no rowing this week. I'm also probably going home at some point. Want to meet up with my ex for lunch at some point. *face palm*  I'm really excited about seeing him again, though. It should be a good time. Or something.

Music Meme!

I really don't get tired of this meme. I also realize I've probably bored everyone to death with my very biased posts about the Pens. One last Pens blurb (for this post): I went to the victory parade. But, beause of my luck, the ONLY CAR that did not stop by me was the one with Sid and the Cup. I saw it though. It is just as big and shiny as it looks on TV.

Now: Music Meme! Guess the songs, please and thank you. :)

1. "I'm gonna make it, bend and break it."
2. "(Yeah. Yeah. Yeahhh. Yeahhh.) Why do you look so familiar? I could swear that I have seen your face before." (Wow . . . this is one I haven't listened to in a while.)
3. "When you feel all alone, and the world has turned its back on you, give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart." (One of the first CDs I owned, and this would be my favorite song from that CD. This is turning into 'Heather Music Trivia.')
4. "Look at this photograph. Every time I do, it makes me laugh." (This is a give away. My sister bought this CD for me, btw, because she broke an older CD of mine and wanted to replace it with something. It wasn't a poor choice, I think, but The Long Road was definitely the best effort by this band.)
5. "I know a thing about contrition because I got a lot to spare. And I'll be granting your permission because you haven't got a prayer."
6. "Did I disappoint you? Or let you down? Should I be feeling guilty, let the judges frown?" (I have this entire CD, too, I am slightly ashamed to say.)
7. "You only hold me up like this 'cause you don't know who I really am."
8. "30th of April, seems like yesterday, in a house above the ocean where our kids could laugh and play."
9. "Save your face, you know you've only got one. Change your ways while you're young." (Come on, I know all of you know this one.)
10. "I wish you would step backk from that ledge, my friend. You could cut ties with all the lies you've been living in." (From my friend's 90's mix.)
11. "Take time to realize that you're warmth is crashing down on me." (Once again, giveaway.)
12. "Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more." (Supernatural: my greatest TV obcession.)
13. "I'm gonna make sure I put this place on the map. If there's one promise I make, it's that."
14. "Good morning day, sorry I'm not there. All my favorite friends vanished in the air."
15. "Love of mine, someday you will die. But I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark." (I <3 this song. A lot.)
16. "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality." (Oh please, I know you know this.)
17. "He's got a really big tongue. Rolls way out."
18. "I'm bringing sexy back. Those other boys don't know how to act." (Wow, this is my MP3 players day to play all the songs with names in the first line.)
19. "I woke up on this side and thought it was a dream."
20. "We are the only ones who feel it. Tonight we drink, tonight we dance." (Probably the only song on the CD I don't really like.)
21. "You see, you searhing for somebody who will take you out and do you right."
22. "Give a little bit. Give a little bit of your love to me."
23. "Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you." (I remember the discussion on this band a while ago. Hahahaha.)
24. "You and me we like the same kind of music. That's why we make a good you and me."
25. "All the windows swear to miss you, and the doors are cell block tight."
26. "I was just about to quote Mark Twain, when I realized that it's all in vain."

There you go. The 26 songs come from the fact that I did 26 songs when I did this on facebook.


Season Finale's Emotionally Scar Me

Omg. The Supernatural Season Finale: Everything I hoped and feared. So emotional. Especially Castiel's decision to help Dean. Finally. And then . . . and then . . . when Ruby closed the door, I was like "AHHH!"

But I have to go because Grey's Anatomy has not finished. And someone's going to die.

Oh, and my  lap top broke, so I haven't written for weeks. More on that later.

Hmmm. I gave up on the confessions meme because I just haven't been able to bring myself to write down anything. At all. Even LJ posts. I think this speaks something of my state of mind right now. I'm in that special, muddled place. I might have a job/a grant now. This means I won't be piss ass broke! Whee!

I'm also in confusion land with rowing and sorority. I have a feeling this issue is not disappearing. On one hand, I am terrified of the day when I wake up and don't want to row or run. I'm afraid of the morning when I wake up and just cannot get out of bed because I am that disfunctional and lazy.  I guess I'm so afraid of that day because -- IF it ever comes -- I would not know the girl that decided to lay in bed and let life pass her by. Anyway, this relates to rowing because I love my house, but I still feel like I really want to row, but I feel my teammates are questioning my dedication right now.

I ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's over the weekend, by myself, for the first time in my life. Did I mention the whole wasted a bunch of thought/time that I can't get back thinking about this guy made me really upset? Now, I'm not sure how to move on, but there is another guy I just kind of want to get with right now, but I'm unsure if I would be doing myself a disservice by trying with him right now or not. I think I will probably try for the hell of it. What. the. hell. more. can. I. lose?

Also, let me pause for some gratuitous supernatural blogging.

The season 4 finale is coming. Here is the plot synopsis from IMDB:

With Lilith on the verge of breaking the final seal, Bobby does the unthinkable and visits the crossroads to make a deal to bring back John Winchester. Armed with Ruby's knife he forces the unwilling deal maker to bring John back. Now, the three Winchester men along with Bobby and Ruby set out to stop the half pint demon once and for all. When Lilith surprises them with a resurrection of her own, Ruby visits the final resting place of Samuel Colt to even the odds. An all out battle ensues, the entire army of demons that was unleashed at the Devil's Gate appears, our little army appears to be defeated until Castiel returns with an army of his own to wage an epic war against evil, but will it be enough to stop Lucifer from joining in?

Uh, the crossroads demon is technically dead, but wev. The real question is WHO IS RUBY BRINGING BACK? I'm guessing the yellow-eyed demon because that just. makes. sense.  Also, will the Colt finally, FINALLY reappear? I never really believed Bella when she said she sold it. I just thought she hid it and didn't want to tell the boys where it was.  Damn.  I am REALLY excited, but I am REALLY upset because this also seems to smack of 'series finale.'  The only way I can think that this season would not end the series is if Sam becomes the anti-Christ and dean has to spend the next season chasing him down. I can also see Dean dying again at the end of this season to save Sam from himself.


People, especially my roommate, have taken digs at my standards in the past. Because of recent life, I realize that I just want to go out and sleep with a cute guy. No, I'm not a slut. Yes, I want to sleep with someone in the most unattached way possible. Why? Because my standards are complicated.

So, to be monogamous with someone, I find I must have three things: 1) I must be interested in them in a way that is non-tangible or that is slightly more than 'I like his personality,' 2) I must not be friends with them, but the potential to be very good 'friends' must be there, and 3) I need to find myself wanting to be touched by them. It's in that order, too.

1 is fairly easy to explain. I need to have that 'chemistry' with someone. Not love at first sight or some shit like that, but a solid connection that has bullocks to do with anything that people typically talk about when they talk about their relationships. It goes beyond likes, dislikes, personality, and appearance.

2 is more difficult to explain. I am friends with people, but I do not date friends. I do not like to date people I consider friends because # 1 is non-existant between us. Yeah, we could probably date and fuck, but that intangible quality that makes a real 'romantic' relationship with someone may not exist between us.  However, I was best friends with my former monogamous exes, BUT our relationship was more than friendship. I can usually tell fairly quickly if I have a more than friends interest in someone or if I do not.

3 is fairly easy to understand, but it's not about traditional beauty standards. I need to have physical as well as emotional attraction to someone to be monogamous with him.



Confession XV


Day 15 (Not really, but I'm going to say it is . . .)

Please, please be honest with me. I get this feeling, and it doesn't happen a lot, but when I have gotten it, it's had one cause: people are not telling me something that I *desperately* need to know. They can or cannot be talking about it with each other behind my back, too, but that's not always a given. Okay, let me explain: your friend gets a bad hair cut. Everyone thinks 'OMG, WTF did SHE DO?!??" you talk about her occassionaly, but it really doesn't affect your overall opinion of her. BUT, she needs to know she fucked up . . . *someone* needs to step up and initiate the conversation with her.  Yeah . . . maybe this is why I find it difficult to get along with people. OR, better example! Your friend starts liking a creep. Everyone is talking about it. What do you do? Or, your friend isn't giving you space. Everyone realizes the problem, but NO ONE does anything.

I'm getting this feeling, but only in certain settings. Not often, but I have a hunch. I wish someone would tell me something. The thing is, no one probably knows what to tell me. *confused* *headdesk*


So, NMR is fun for no one I-IV happened when I worked on a lab two weeks ago and drove myself crazy to write it. Anyway, I got that lab back. Not only was that lab grade worse than my first lab grade, I now have a fucking solid C in lab. FML. I can't get another C in a huge credit class like lab.

FML. For real. My GPA can't take another hit or else I'm going to the carribean for med school.




So . . . I don't even know how to begin this post. Basically, the back story is there is a guy I would like to be with, but that hasn't happened yet. I went out of my way to make sure it didn't happen last night.

I got really drunk last night. As in, I blacked out and don't remember most of the evening. Basically, I've been emotionally all over the place for two weeks, and you shouldn't drink when you're emotional. You should also realize your life might be fucked when you start doing rum shots. Rum causes craziness, by the way, and I'm glad there wasn't any whiskey around because the last time I blacked out I drank a lot of rum and whiskey.

Okay, there was a party. I ate breakfast as a buffet, and had a sandwich for dinner, and SOME HOW those two things made me so bloated it was not even funny. I just felt so gross. I also got a text, while getting ready and figuring out how to make myself look not fat or somewhere around my normal size from the guy I like that said he would be late. So, after last weekend, I read that is 'not coming' and pregamed with some vodka before I even got to the party. Good life decision, I know. I get to the party, and I tear into the rum. I basically drank my face off for two hours.  Then, he did come. Instead of flirting and figuring out if he was interested, I ended up in the bathroom vomitting. I don't remember that, btw. I also don't remember that, after vomitting, I started to freak out and call for help.  My friend went to go get somehow to help deal with me, and apparently, I RAN AWAY while they were gone. They hunted through the entire apartment building for me and found me, passed out on a chair WITH MY PANTS OFF in the lobby. Yeah, take that in. Pants off. 10 story apartment building. Main lobby. They proceeded to put my pants back on for me. I woke up the next morning on a sleeping bag, zipper still undone, on thee floor of my friends apartment. Her/her roommate are sleeping, and I see one person on the couch and another person on the floor. I realize that the person on the floor is the guy I like. G.R.E.A.T. I realize I also remember nothing, and I wake my friend and she tells when what I just wrote above. Beautiful. Instead of flirting and being cute, I acted like a raging moron and complete lunatic.

Now, said guy gets to see me super hungover. I've been fairly hung over all day. Greek sing practice ended early because, apparently, EVERYONE got pretty drunk last night. Had the hangover trip to Wendy's a couple of hours ago, too.  I have to repeatedly appologize to everyone who had to deal with me last night.  I also need to ask said guy if I said something completely insane to him. I hope I at least got out the words 'I like you.' Then, I'll know last night would not have been a total loss.

The background story to this epic shit fest is also rather lengthy and significantly less interesting.  Friday, I made plans for said guy to hang out with me and my friends. The plans changed, so I needed to tell him, but I didn't have his number. I texted his roommate, and his roommate is like 'do you want me to give you his number?' I said 'Give him my number. I'm tired of feeling like a creeper.'  I got a text from him, so I now have his number. Win. We went to see a comedian and hung out in my suite. Then, we had to sit through Bolt because my friend wanted to see it because it was playing on campus. Yeah, I feel super bad for making him sit through that movie because HE FELL ASLEEP. Yeah.

My roommate is also trying to get with this guy, and they baked cookies together on Saturday. He asked her to hang out, and i'm like 'GAH! That's SO EASY! WHY CAN'T MY LIFE BE THAT EASY!?!?!?!?'  Anyway, he's hot, and they were being all flirty and super cute together, and he is obviously into her.  They were at the party together, and everyone was being cute and flirty, and I was already feeling crappy, but that drove me into the open arms of Rum.  I am happy for my roommate, I really am, but it's FRUSTRATING to see things working so well while I'm stuck in this shit hole. Anyway, this morning, when I got back, I told my roommate guy I like was sleeping there. Her response? 'People went over to his place after the party, and he probably didn't want to deal with that.'  Did she have to tell me that? I just wanted to think, even a little bit, that he stayed for me. Damn logical responses. I then find out from another friend that the guy she likes was going to leave the party without telling her, but she caught him on the way out. I haven't heard anything about that, yet, but it sounds like her situation is not as smooth as I originally thought it was.

The bottom line? My friend, who hosted the party, did damage control with the guy I like when I was puking because he, apparently, was going to follow me into the bathroom. Anyway, she was talking to him, and she said he said something about regretting that there would be no drunken hook-ups. She thinks he was being a bit sarcastic about it, but it made me wonder. I kind of wanted more from this guy than a drunken hook-up, but I am not opposed to that plan. I was hoping for something a little less trashy because I obviously have had enough experience with trashy.

Well, off to the sorority house. Hopefully going to get some damage control in tonight, too.