Another one finished!

Book 7: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Preface of the book:
The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.
This is a fault.
Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.
They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written.
That is all.
The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.
The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.
The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved.
No artist has ethical sympathies.
An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything.
Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.
Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.
From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician.
From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type.
All art is at once surface and symbol.
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.
Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.
When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.
We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.
All art is quite useless.

The only full-length novel written by Oscar Wilde. It is about a young man named Dorian Grey whose features, year after year, stay the same (he is described as beautiful) while his vices and wickedness become mirrored in the features of a portrait that is done of him in the early stages of the book. The book was kind of hard to read but I plugged along until the end. The reason it is a bit hard to read is because it is written in an older English style. The prose is what throws you a bit because it is quite proper. No it isn't written like Shakespeare, but it can sometimes be confusing to read. I think I had to read a chapter a few times to understand what in the world was really going on. It does tend to jump around so you really need to pay attention to the details.

Oscar Wilde is a great writer but I can see why this was his only novel. It has a lot of homosexual undertones, so if you aren't a fan of that, stay away from this book. Other than that, I would recommend this book to those who like the "classics" and those who want a challenge when it comes to a book.

Attention passengers, we're about to hit some turbulence

Warning: this post may turn out to be very very random and jumpy. Hang on to your hats . . .

I understand the fact that Mother Nature seems to think we need a lot of water this time of the year to build up our storage, but does it have to be in the form of snow? I woke up this morning to about 3 or 4 inches sitting on top of my car and another inch or so sticking to the pavement. Needless to say I'm not a big fan of snow; as I have said so many other times. I like the rain and I can sit outside during a rainstorm and just enjoy it, but snow is different. Luckily enough it was the fluffy stuff that comes off really easy and the sun was peeking it's way over the mountains this morning while I was driving to work, so at least that will help start to melt things. But I don't understand how people can walk around in shorts and flipflops in the snow! (yep, I saw a college student walking in front of my house this morning dressed like that!)

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth! Yep, that o-cursed play. I went to see with with my mom and younger brother on Saturday. The concept I've known about since Jakob was asked to be the fight director and I've seen a few of the rehearsals. I still don't agree with some of the casting but it is in its final week of running, so that'll be good. I'm trying to convince Jakob to keep the tattoo on his back because it is cool. I'll see if I can snag a picture of it when he gets home tomorrow night. I don't think he'll keep it permanently, but I think he'll let me henna it at least. I still remember the last time Jakob did Macbeth at the Castle Theatre and I still like that version more. But I can remember when I played Hecate and I like our version as well. I guess I'm still not convinced about this version. They have set it in Mesoamerica and while some of the costumes and actors fit that time frame, many don't and they stick out like a sore thumb. Also, that rule that Hollywood has of "never work with animals or children" applies here too. They have two kids in the show and neither of them do a good enough job to warrant them being on stage. One is so stiff that it is uncomfortable to watch him while the other doesn't show any emotion or raise his voice, so the character doesn't work well. I'm just happy only 4 more shows and that production is done . . . then it is on to the next one.

The Teacher's Fair was a complete waste of time on my part. Most of the school districts didn't show up, most don't even know what they are looking for so they don't know if they want to take your resume or not, and to top it all off there were a total of 4 districts that took my resume and actually wanted to talk to me. I got the "are you an elementary ed major?" question a lot and since I have to answer "no" they didn't even want to talk to me or take my resume. Yeah, that was productive. I had more luck when my mom took me out to a few schools and spoke with her contacts there. But in April is when things should start looking up since all the people who aren't returning next year have to have their papers turned in. We'll see how that goes.

I've gotten to the point that I need a break. Luckily the district's Spring Break is in 2 weeks and although that is only 5 days, I think it'll be nice to not have to think about what is going on here because right after that is when end of the year testing starts up. Ugg! Not looking forward to navigating that murky water.

Spiderman to the rescue!

How funny is this? click here to find out.

I wish I could think of something witty to say

But nothing comes to mind this morning. Oh, one note of achievement--kind of--this is my 100th post on my blog. Kind of cool. Yeah, I know, I need to write more.

Anywho, this weekend was nice. Friday night I got together with the gang and we played a strange few rounds of Apples-to-Apples. That was only my second time playing the game and I'm still trying to get the hang of it. I guess you really need to know the people you are playing with; you would think I know them considering I went to middle school and high school with all of them except one. But somehow I ended up getting second. I guess I just have a really strange mind. After the Apples-to-Apples round we played Lighsaber Duels on the Wii. That was interesting. That was my first time playing on a Wii and it was really different. I had no idea what I was doing but I won two rounds really quickly. Surprising huh? Yep, it even surprised me. Then a game of bowling and tennis summed up the evening. My arm is still kind of sore from playing tennis; I guess I was swinging harder than I really needed to. :) But it was a nice way to finish off the evening. I actually got to see people instead of just being at home while Jakob was in his show.

Jakob's show is underway and it seems to be doing okay. Opening weekend had its hiccups like always, but most of the people who have seen it have liked it or really didn't know what to think. I've seen just a few snippets of it so I'll reserve my judgment for when I actually sit down and watch the show. I'm hoping that I'll be able to go with my family and a few friends. We'll see how that pans out. But mostly, I get to see Jakob in a very sleepy state. He comes home when I'm already in bed--I've been getting tired really quickly lately--and then he leaves early in the morning. The weekends aren't really all that helpful either considering most saturdays we go our separate ways and then he has a matinee and an evening show to worry about. I'm not complaining or anything. I married an actor so I've got to get used to the idea of being a theatre widow and figuring out exactly what it is I'm going to do while he is doing rehearsals and the show.

This weekend was a great 3-day weekend for me. Monday was a TQ (teacher quality) day so that means I didn't have to go to work. I just lounged around and got some housework done, then I started on my blanket, then worked a bit on the Christine Masquerade gown that I have going, then my mom wanted me to go down to Mapleton with her to see one of her student teachers (I think she just wanted to get me out of the house) so I did that part of the afternoon. Then since the show is at BYU, Jakob didn't have a show in the evening so we went out on a date. It was fun to be able to sit down in a restaurant and actually have my hubby to myself and talk about stuff other than our schedules and the show.

This week isn't looking much better from a work standpoint. It is PTCs tomorrow and that means an early out. So the teachers who normally get the computers in the afternoon are trying to schedule them for another day, but that doesn't always work at the same time frame so I'm having to deal with teachers who are getting huffy with me for not working with them and rearranging my schedule to fit theirs. Eh, I'm trying not to get frustrated with them, but the "count to ten" method doesn't always work.

Oh, I do have a funny story to tell. About a couple weeks ago I had to go pick up the cart from one of the second grade teachers and she usually runs a bit late, so I get in there and that reminds her that I need the cart and it gives the kids a bit of time to actually exit out of the program that they are in and close the lid and put the computer away. Anyway, there were two girls that weren't following her directions so I walked over there to see what they were doing. There is one program on the computers that takes a while to shut down, so I'm okay if they are waiting for that, but these girls weren't. They were playing a game on the internet that they shouldn't be playing (and they knew it because they were supposed to be playing a math game) so I reached over one of them and quit Safari for her. She looked up at me with this really mad look. I told her that she knew she wasn't supposed to be playing that game and told her that the teacher had asked 3 times to go put everything away. She stood up and said "you're mean!" and went to put her computer away. I was trying to to laugh out loud and the teacher was turning red. Yep, I was told that I am mean by a 7 year old.

Ahh, the life of a elementary school worker. GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!
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There may be some news coming on that direction. I'll let you know more later.

Books

I've finished another one (well, actually I finished it a while ago, but I've been pressed for time that I haven't posted about it).


Book 6: Nefertiti a Novel by Michelle Moran
The book novelizes the life and story of Nefertiti. It is really well researched and the writing continues you along in the story.

The author did a lot of research to make sure that the facts in the book were correct, then continued on and created a story line with those facts. The descriptions in the book make you feel as though at times you are there, watching all the story unfold. It also delves into an unknown region of her life--her marriage--and just how she came into the Pharaoh role. You feel for the characters and at times you want to smack Nefertiti because of everything that you know today. It shows her as a power-hungry woman.

The story is written from the eyes of Nefertiti's sister, Mutnodjmet.

Here is the excerpt from the back of the book:
This fictionalized life of the notorious queen is told from the point of view of her younger sister, Mutnodjmet. In 1351 B.C., Prince Amunhotep secretly kills his older brother and becomes next in line to Egypt's throne: he's 17, and the 15-year-old Nefertiti soon becomes his chief wife. He already has a wife, but Kiya's blood is not as royal, nor is she as bewitching as Nefertiti. As Mutnodjmet, two years younger than her sister, looks on (and falls in love), Amunhotep and the equally ambitious Nefertiti worship a different main god, displace the priests who control Egypt's wealth and begin building a city that boasts the royal likenesses chiseled in stone. Things get tense when Kiya has sons and the popular Nefertiti has only daughters, and they come to a boil when the army is used to build temples to the pharaoh and his queen instead of protecting Egypt's borders.

I would recommend this book, I enjoyed reading it and it goes by fast.

RIP Natasha Richardson

Yes, it has been confirmed that Natasha Richardson has passed away from her head trauma. The film and theatre community has lost another sweetheart and light.

My heart goes out to Liam, their boys, and her family and wish them the sincerest apology and comfort.

Here is the article if you'd like to read it.

Update

Jakob is doing better. Luckily the swelling is starting to go down and the gash is healing. The bruising is barely visible but it is an interesting yellowish shade. He isn't limping as much anymore but he tells me that when he puts full weight on it, it twinges a bit. He's starting some stretching exercises and those seem to do something for it, although I can see that he is uncomfortable when he finishes and starts walking around some more.

My mom took a look at it last night and she says that there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage to it, but he needs to stay diligent on the exercises and stretching to make sure that things are healing in the right order. She knows what she's talking about. I love having her around.

But there might be a change to his costume. He might end up wearing some strips of fabric around his knee as a "bandage" of sorts. I suggested the idea since he is supposed to be playing a soldier/warrior character that he should have a "battle wound" and that is plays nicely into things.

He's also changed the choreography a bit to accommodate for the injury and he thinks its going to work out better. The show opens on Wednesday, so we'll have to see how things go. I probably won't go to the show until later in the run.

"Shroud-eaters"

This is cool. A archeologist found this body (and a few more like it) in Italy in a mass grave that seems to be where they would bury Vampires.

Take a look at the article. It's an interesting part of our history.

I blame the set designer

Yes, I do. I blame him for the fact that Jakob is now hobbling around the house with his knee swollen and in a bandage.

I get ahead of myself. Let me back up . . .

Tuesday evening I brought over some food for the hubby at rehearsal and was privileged to see the set. Something looked off to me so I asked the hubby. He said "Remember the Hamlet set?" and I nodded. "Same guy," he said and munched away at his dinner. Ahhhh, that explains it. This set designer goes for "form over function"; meaning, for those of you who do not speak theatre, he likes what looks good not necessarily what is safe and usable for the actors. On the Hamlet set, the stairs were too tall and one of the actors fell and broke his leg. This set is no different. It doesn't look right. It looks . . . off . . . I guess is the best way I can describe it. I just kept thinking to myself "someone is going to get hurt on this ridiculous set" and guess what . . . it happened.

Wednesday night near 11:45pm I get a call from the director and the hubby. First words out of Jakob's mouth are "Don't get nervous, I'm alright". Yeah, like those words aren't going to send up a little warning signal in my brain. So of course I answer back "what did you do?" and he said "I'm getting checked out by some EMTs right now" and that sends the yellow warning signal to a bit darker red. "EMTs? What happened?" is all I can reply. "I slipped/tripped on the set in one of the cauldrons and slammed my knee into the side of it. I stepped where I normally step during the battle scene and I guess my foot didn't take," is what he tells me while I'm hearing a bunch of people moving around in the background. "Is anything broken?" I ask. "No, luckily enough. I've just got a gash on my knee and it is swelling up. We're ending rehearsal right now. I'm on my way home." and we said our goodbyes. Since I was half asleep during the first part of the conversation, I had to sit there for a minute to let everything process. Then I saw him hobble through the door and yep, he was hurt. Jakob doesn't limp unless he has to and he was limping.

Fast-forward to today, Friday. The show opens next Wednesday, the 18th. Jakob has a bit more movement in his knee, but I can see it still bothers him when he's walking or just sitting. To top it all off, he has a developing nasty cold which is lowering and losing his voice. Not good for a stage actor. So busted knee and feeling rotten, he still wants to go into rehearsal and is still planning on doing his fightscenes the way he was doing them before. Oi vey. This could get interesting.

Isn't theatre life delightful?

Lost, it's lost!

There are times that I hate designers. I'll just come right out and say it. Needless to say that I am one of those people at times (costume and set design by the way). But this is just downright mean . . .


They took his goatee away! Yes, I know, it's hair and it'll grow back but I get to see him like this for another month and half while the show that he's in is running. Not happy.











at least they let him keep his long hair.

Jedi workout?

Yep, you'd better believe it. A guy in NY started this, not necessarily as a weight loss or fitness thing but that's what it has turned out to be, and people are beginning to pick up on it.

I've seen Jakob and Steve when they are really going at it and practicing. It is a really good workout. I can see why some people are going toward it. It takes something that they are comfortable with and isn't in a gym setting. It lets you take yourself out of the equation by creating a different character, and you act and perform through them. When I've seen Jakob and Matt go at it on stage or during practice, even though they are using swords, it is the same concept.

It also seems a bit like the Tai Chi form that uses swords. You get the resistance of having some weight along with a purpose behind that resistance.

Check out the article from the Today show and see for yourself.

11 small tricks

I've been trying to lose weight lately. To many of you who have seen me recently, you may not think that I need to, but I'm carrying around an extra 20 lbs and that is beginning to hurt my frame. When I stopped dancing so much every day, that is when the weight began to pile on. I'm trying to get back into dancing, so that should help in the long run.

But I've been--pretty successfully--to stay away from the overly processed foods and I've seen a little bit of weightloss that way and I am exercising everyday, but a friend of mine just sent me this article about 11 small tricks that you can do to save you a bit of weight. I already do most of the tricks--or at least a variation of the trick. Most are really easy to do.

1. Blot
Use a paper napkin to blot a teaspoon of fat off a pizza slice. At a slice a week, that's more than a whole cup of fat you won't eat—or wear—this year.

2. Drink more milk.
Consuming 1,800 milligrams of calcium a day could block the absorption of about 80 calories. Fill your coffee mug with skim or 1 percent milk, drink it down to the level you want in your coffee, then pour in your caffeine fix.

3. Buy cut veggies.
They cost more, but they'll pay dividends later—because you're more likely to snack on them than on some other, less healthy food. (or if you do like I do, when you get home, just chop them up and put them in plastic containers and have them at eye level in your fridge)

4. Get watered down.
A recent German study showed that drinking water burns calories. Drinking about two cups of cold water—no warmer than 72 degrees—used up roughly 25 calories. Drink a liter a day and you're talking five pounds a year. (plain, filtered water is great. You do not need designer water to make a difference. Also, if you drink a glass of really cold water before you go to bed, you are less likely to wake up during the night and want something to snack on.)

5. Go smaller.
Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Studies show that putting your portions on smaller dishes means you'll end up eating less at a meal.

6. Dilute juice.
Add water to your fruit juice to reduce calories. (I am not a big fan of watered down juice considering most of the juice you buy in the store already has a lot more water than juice. Instead I juice or puree the fruit, then add water to it. Much better than store bought.)

7. Make your drinks count.
Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke. (If you aren't a big fan of V8, then try the V8 fusion. It masks the taste of the veggies with fruit. But be careful because there can be a lot of sugar hiding in the drink. I still like to just puree the actual fruit and veggies together, add a little water or 100% orange juice and you've got a great drink. Bolthouse Farms is a great fruit/veggie puree juice. It is already really thick, so if you'd like to water it down, you'll get normal store bought juice.)

8. Have a power snack prepared.
Mix three different kinds of beans and sprinkle in some low-cal Italian dressing. Have it as a snack all week.

9. Think about eating.
Eat without doing anything else—no TV, no reading, no working. (studies have shown that when you really watch what you're eating, you tend to eat less. Also, having conversation and participating in the conversation (by putting down your fork while talking) while you eat, you tend to eat less because your brain can register how much food you've eaten. It takes 15-20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full)

10. Stop mindless snacking.
Chew a strong-flavored sugar-free gum like cinnamon while you're cooking. Sneaking a taste of the food will be less appealing.

11. Tighten your belt.
When you feel a craving and temptation to gorge, tighten your belt a notch—as a reminder of the size you'd like to be. (I'm not a big fan of this one, but you certainly shouldn't loosen your belt when you're eat.)

No, I'm not doing a fad diet. No, I'm not doing this because I have to. I am doing this to please me and because I want to. I think the most important thing is you should be happy with what and where you are. If you aren't, then fix something. I'm happy, but sometimes experience pain because of the extra weight on my frame. 20lbs may not seem like much to many people, but to my frame, it is a lot. Don't worry, I'll still be in the healthy weight range for my height and frame.

Medieval Dress

This is a costume that I finished last August-ish, and I've been searching for the pictures for a while. I finally found them. Sorry they aren't all that great; for some odd reason my camera just didn't want to cooperate with me that day. As soon as I find the pictures with the actress wearing it (and I have her permission) I'll post some of those.

Full body shot. The inside of those bell sleeves are lined with a deep cranberry red and actually fall rather nicely to the side when the inside tight sleeve is lifted.

Back shot. Putting in those eyelets was a pain! But I found (on recommendation of Steve) some fun flower eyelets that matched the gown perfectly.

Detail of the front. All that edging was hand sewn on with the help of my illustrious mother. Love ya mum!

It turned out well, despite the fact that I had to pull the stitches out a few times.

Do you know what you are actually eating?

Okay, now I'm normally the person who sticks to a food that I can pronounce everything or to things that are fresh. Lately, I've been having a bunch of problems with my eating habits, everything from a few bites of food and I'm sick to my stomach (practically instantly) to a few hours later and I'm paying for the food I ate at lunch. So I decided to do some digging and see what exactly is in those "processed" foods that humans love so much. Some of these I don't have much of a problem with, however others. . . well, you might want to think again. Oh, and I figured out why shiny foods bug me (look at #3). Here are 7 tasty tidbits:

1. Carmine
According to the FDA, this red food coloring (also known as cochineal extract) is made from dried, ground bugs . The Dactylopius coccus costa insect is native to Peru and the Canary Islands, where it feeds on red berries. The berries accumulate in the females' stomachs and in their unhatched larvae—which is what gives the extract its red coloring. Carmine is one of the most widely used coloring agents, and food manufacturers routinely use it to turn foods shades of pink, red or purple. Chances are it's what makes the color of your strawberry yogurt or that cranberry drink look so appealing.

But the problem is that at the moment, you have no way of knowing if you're ingesting these little red bugs. Instead, the label will simply read, "artificial color" or "color added." But the Vegetarian Legal Action Network petitioned the FDA to disclose the presence of carmine, and in 2010, that requirement will go into effect. "But it will still be listed only as carmine or cochineal extract, with no mention of the ingredient's source," says Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The onus will be on the consumer to know what carmine is, and that's asking a lot."

2. Carrageenan
This is a fancy way of saying seaweed, and it's used as a thickening agent in foods such as ice cream, pudding and other dairy products. According to Jacobson, it's extracted from red seaweed that's plentiful on the Irish coast. It meets the FDA's GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) criteria and it's vegetarian, unlike some other gelling agents.

3. Shellac
Just in case you haven't eaten your fill of bugs, here's another opportunity for insect consumption. Shellac—which is used to make that shiny coating on jelly beans and to give fresh fruits and vegetables that perfect, glossy finish—is made from the excretions of Kerria lacca insects that are native to Thailand. Again, vegetarian lobbyists have urged the FDA to require that labeling indicate if fruits and vegetables are coated with an insect-derived substance. The FDA wouldn't go that far, but, according to Jacobson, it did require produce packers to disclose whether any coating used is animal- or vegetable-derived. "But it would be on a placard or on the box of produce, not in bold type on the fruit or vegetable itself," says Jacobson, and not necessarily displayed to grocery shoppers. "And I don't know that the regulation is very strongly enforced," he adds.

4. Gelatin
Gelatin is used in many packaged foods as a thickening agent. In addition to gummy candy, gelatin is found in Jell-O, ice cream and yogurt. But those innocent-looking little Gummi Bears are hiding a somewhat distasteful secret. According to the USDA, the gelatin that gives them their kid-pleasing texture is created at the expense of several different animal parts, including ligaments, skin, tendons and bones. Though some non-animal versions of gelatin are available, vegetarians know to avoid packaged foods containing gelatin, unless it's specifically labeled as being derived from a vegetarian source.

5. Bacteriophages
This is a case of an additive that sounds perfectly disgusting, but experts reassure that it's also perfectly safe—and even smart. Cold cuts and cheeses are often sprayed with a mixture of viruses (known collectively as bacteriophages) that work to help prevent listeria—a microorganism that can be lethal when eaten. "The viruses attack the bacteria and prevent bacterial growth on the food," says Jacobson. "It's actually better than harmless; it's a very clever way to prevent illness."

6. Xanthan gum
While we're on the subject of bacteria, here's another one. Xanthan gum is a microbial polysaccharide that's derived from the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris. It's used to thicken liquids, and since it takes very little for it to accomplish that goal (concentrations of 0.5 percent or less), it is generally considered safe for use. You'll find it in most bottled salad dressings to help stabilize keep the oil from separating out. But what you may not know is that Xanthomonas campestris is responsible for the plant disease known as black rot.

7. "Natural" flavors
Natural flavors are the mystery meat of the food-additive world. And while they sound like a good thing—who doesn't want to eat something that's "natural?"—the term can be misleading and confusing. You will find these so-called natural flavors in just about every sort of processed food. They're used to give a "smoked" meat a smoky flavor; give canned peaches back their peachiness; and give an almond-flavored cookie its advertised nuttiness. The mystery is always that when the ingredient isn't specified—and it usually isn't—you don't necessarily know if that "natural flavor" is coming from something you want to eat.

For example, you might assume that if canned peaches list "natural flavoring" in the ingredients list, the flavor would be derived from a peach. But according to Jacobson, it could just as likely be referring to apricot extract. Which is fine, unless perhaps you are allergic to apricots. And according to the current Federal Code of Regulations, a natural flavor could be extracted from meat but does not have to specify that if "the function in the food is flavoring rather than nutritional." Once again, it's a case of consumer beware.




Enjoy your lunch everyone . . .

Should've kept my comment to myself

Okay, so I lied. It snowed. Yep, March 5th and it snowed. Luckily it wasn't as much as some other places in Utah, but we did get enough to stick to the cars and lawns. It didn't stick to the sidewalks and the roads (at least down here it didn't). I think the warm temperatures that we've been having lately made it so the concrete was warm enough to keep it from sticking.

But I can't help but think that this is Mother Nature's way of saying "Hey, I'm in charge of the weather here. . . " in regards to my joyful mood that there wasn't any snow in the valley and the temperature was nice and warm.

Oops. . . . . . .

But the mountains are pretty and the air is cleaned out from the dust and smog that we've had lately.

But me and my wishful thinking.

Just make it stop!

Alright, they just announced that Disney will be going on with HSM4, slated to be released on Disney channel in 2010. The premise of this installment is a new cast of characters and it sounds a bit like Romeo and Juliet: "the plot will follow a love story and the cross-town rivalry between the East High Wildcats and the West High Knights." Sound at all remotely familiar? Yeah, they are just playing around with the whole East/West rivalry that already exists in Salt Lake. Uggg.

Will it every stop?

Now, coming from a film point, I will be happy if they decide to continue to film in Utah. It gives the State some revenue that it needs, not to mention all the fans that flock to the State in the chance of seeing one of the stars (and the money that they spend). It also employs a lot of locals, so creating jobs is a good thing in my eyes.

But do you think they could come up with something a bit more original than a remake (in my opinion) of Romeo and Juliet?

UGG!

More reading

Well, not really considering the slacker that I've been lately. I've just had a few things thrown on my plate and reading has taken a bit of a backseat. But I was able to have a few hours to myself and I finished a book.



Book 5: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
It was a really fun and fast read. It reads like she is just sitting there talking and you've been able to listen in on all the conversation. If you aren't a fan of a little language in books, then this probably isn't a book you'd like to read. But if you'd like to know some little tidbits that only an "insider" can tell you, then this memoir is going to take you there.

It is based off her autobiographical comedy routine which is her attempt to regather her memories after reclaiming her life through electroshock therapy. . . which is actually called electroconvulsive therapy. Although most people don't think it is still around, apparently it is and they still prescribe it for some mental disorders.

Carrie is very open with her life and the fact that she has a mental disorder. She goes into how she self-mediated with drugs and alcohol, all the ups and downs with her "hollywood sweetheart" parents, her marriages, George Lucas, and her daughter.

All in all the memoir pulls you along with all the details. And it is fun to see that she has her bipolar disorder starting to be under control and her teenage daughter is well-adjusted. Also, her mother lives next door to her in LA. How funny is that?!