Breaking Dawn. No Thank You.

First, before I start any true ranting, I know Kaylee Locke is going to not like this post, as she is one of my blogging partners as well as a huge fan of Twilight. So I should get ready for her comments.
But, yes, Twilight is not good. The books weren't good, and the movies aren't good. Sure, I did read the Twilight books in the seventh grade and was somehow brainwashed with all of the other girls that Twilight was fantastic. I quickly snapped out of that, thank god. I am now fully devoted to Harry Potter. For some reason, my sister was watching the second Twilight film today, and because I was painting something for school in the kitchen, I had no choice but to watch it. And I must say, it made me very angry. The characters, the story, the actors, all of it. It made me mad how shallow of a series this is.
But back to the article. This particular article bashes the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn. Part 1 of an unfortunate 2. I have yet to see the film, not that I even wanted to, but this guy's opinion and review of it doesn't make me want to see it even more. I guess the movie just drags on. There's the wedding and honeymoon of Bella and her lovely vampire, and then they find out that they're expecting some sort of creature as a result of that honeymoon. And then I guess it just ends. That's it.
The author obviously wants to stir up some drama, knowing that there are some die-hard twilight fans out there. He said the movie is just slow and boring. And it tries to be funny, but only generates one true laugh. That's it. And I agree with him while he talks about how pointless the whole series is in general. There was also a video review with these two guys talking about the film and how they didn't like it at all. The author uses tactics like clever little sayings  that just downgrade the movie. He says things like, "But, really, when you’ve spent your entire relationship trying to have sex with a nonhuman who won’t because the sex might kill you, it seems that pregnancy is perhaps the evening’s least shocking outcome." and "Otherwise, “Breaking Dawn’’ is just talking computer-generated werewolves, deplorable special effects, late-hour horror schlock, and a character cursed to be named “Renesmee.’’". Yep, no thank you, Breaking Dawn.

Article: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" by Wesley Morris

Adam Sandler: Tradegy

I love Adam Sandler. Well, at least, his earlier hilariously funny movies like "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore". I must say that his more recent movies like "Grown Ups" have been disappointing and they just seem forced. Like he's trying too hard to be funny now. I doesn't work. In this article, it's talking about how Adam Sandler is slowly declining, especially from his new movie, "Jack and Jill" where he plays both a man and a woman. I have not seen the movie, but I think the movie looks stupid just from the trailer. The article then compares Adam Sandler to Bill Murray; they both had their famous heyday where they were both well-known and funny. Then, Murray had a decline where he made several mistakes taking part in different movies. After, he had a very good roles in a few movies, then was well-respected again. He made a good choice and transitioned from really funny movies to more serious ones. And because Sandler is similar to Murray, everyone is hoping Sandler will make the same transition. I, too, am hoping he makes this transition because I am such a huge fan of Sandler.
The author of the article makes it clear what he (I'm pretty sure it's a he, his name is Toph so I'm just going to refer to him as a he) wants his audience to know: Adam Sandler is falling down this ladder he climbed so high in the late 80s and early 90s with his filmmaking career. I think it is very well done with his tactic of comparing Adam Sandler to Bill Murray while convincing his audience that Sandler needs to make a change with the films he is acting in. The way he starts out his article with bringing up Sandler's new film, "Jack and Jill", and the general reaction to it really helps draw his audience in. He brings up a very good point when comparing Sandler to Eddie Murphy and comedians similar to himself. He says, "Don’t go down the same path as Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence. Don’t spend another 25 years in fat suits, female wigs and baby costumes. Sandler still has a choice. I hope that before he selects his path, he remembers that it takes the makeup department five hours every morning to turn an actor into a Klump or a Big Momma." I find this to be very true. And, prior to reading this article, these thoughts have never really come up in my head this way. But because of Toph, I have now joined his side in thinking Adam Sandler needs to change things up.


Article: "The tragedy of Adam Sandler" by Toph Eggers

The Tomorrow Code (Outside Reading)

   I actually never thought I would actually pick up The Tomorrow Code in a book store and purchase it just based on how it looked. As you can see, the book looks like a very science-fiction type of book, which it is. I've never been one to read science-fiction. However, my aunt, who teaches high school Honors English and AP English, bought me this book and said her students recommended it. I started reading it. It was interesting. Then, as the story developed, I found that I could not put the book down because the tenseness of the situations and the anticipation was great. Sure it is science fiction, but it kind of feels like it could be possible. Maybe the slightest bit, but it could be possible.
     Behind all of the science fiction-ness, there is something with a relationship between two 14-year-olds who happen to be the best of friends, Tane and Rebecca. They're both quite smart and are the masterminds behind the apocalypse that could be destroying all of man kind. I enjoyed how Brian Falkner told the story. He made it seem like everything seemed normal, but underneath it all it actually wasn't. In reality, this dynamic duo was sending code messages through gamma ray bursts using NASA technology telling the present version of themselves winning numbers to a random lottery, and also that a mist consisting of giant antibodies were out to rid the world of humans altogether. Seems legit. Not really. But it's the way he tells the story that makes it seem like a possibility. How they both have nothing to lose and they should just trust their gut and go for it.
    I thought the ending was really well done. During the epic battle of humans vs. mist, the author switches point of view several times in a chapter, to show the thoughts of different people going through different stages of severity of the mist. The way he wrote allowed the audience to sense the tension of the moment and the suspense of the situation at hand. Then, when everything was over, he had one very last chapter. It was identical to the first, but instead of starting it off as "the end of the world", he started it off as, "the saving of the world". It showed how they were going to go through the same thing yet again, but now they had the ability to do it differently and perhaps come up with a different outcome.
    I really enjoyed this book. Even though I'm not really a science-fiction type of person, I liked this book. It offered action, drama, and just a hint of romance. It showed me that you can never really judge a book by it's cover, as extremely cliche that is.

The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

1/6

Growing up in a family of six definitely has an impact on who I am today. I am the middle child. Well, technically a middle child; I have an older sister and a younger sister, and my older brother is just kinda there. I was always the good little child, or at least I tried to be. I try to be the least of a hassle when I can. My parents always had their attention on the oldest child who was incredibly smart and writing her own stories at the age of 7, or on the youngest who always needed the attention. My parents always had their hands full so I just tried to be easy for them. According to them, I never cried. When I woke up in the morning I would just lay in my crib and wait for one of them to get me instead of crying.
Being in a family of six, everyone has their own personality. We grow up with so many personalities, so we each have our own style. My brother has always been the hilarious one, my younger sister has always been the dramatic one, and my older sister has always been the role model. Me, I just kind of blended into the background. But because I grew up with so many people, I learned how to have fun. Slowly but surely, I have been coming out of my shell, and have been learning to take charge. Today, I am quite enthusiastic and happy, but I still know when I need to be quiet. I still take things I used to do from my childhood, like try an make my parents' lives easier, and continue to do them today.

Finally... A Flute!

If you know me, you know that I just adore the flute. And that is why this article caught my attention! It's basically about this 103 year old composer, Elliot Carter, who out of all 14 of his works, never wrote one for the flute. He said that he felt "that the flute could not produce the sharp attacks [he] use[s] so frequently". Now, as a flute player, I must say that the flute definitely can produce sharp attacks. Especially when double tonguing. I listened to some of this piece on youtube and found it to be very interesting. And you must be a beast flute player to pull this off. I wish I could play with someone of that ability. I really like this concerto. And personally,  I can't believe that a man over 100 years old has still got it.

Anthony Tommasini must be some sort of music critic or expert because the way he describes this concerto is fantastic. I like how he first started off with a little about Elliot Carter and how old he was, then went back to the actual performance in New York. I am in love with his description. Lines like, "It opens with startling, crisp orchestral chords that prod the flute into scurrying figures, quickly taken up by other instruments" and "takes off and builds to a final flourish of every-which-way spiraling figures" are definitely well thought out. It lets the audience know exactly what was going on without having them hear it. I feel like this article was geared toward, but definitely not limited to, an audience with more of a musical background because they might better understand the description and terminology used.

Article: Very Late in His Career, a Composer Tries a Flute by Anthony Tommasini

DERELICTE

For all of those Zoolander fans out there. This is the movie my family constantly quotes.

Picking a fight with the Cheeseheads on what they know best.

I must say, Wisconsin in one of my favorite places in the world. I go there to visit family every few years, and I always look forward to the cheese curds. They are so good. Even when my grandparents come to visit from Wisconsin, they always bring cheese curds which happen to disappear in a matter of days, maybe hours. I found it interesting that a group of doctors is picking a fight with the dairy state about how bad cheese is for you. Yes, it is bad for you. But it doesn't mean they should just hop on a plane to Wisconsin and start blaming them for everything. It's just not done. I really liked how the first retort came not from the citizens of Wisconsin, but the makers of the cheesehead hats, Foamation Inc. Wisconsin is the dairy state. Of course they are going to produce cheese. There are cheese factories everywhere. (I even went on an extremely boring tour of one a few years ago.) Just because they produce cheese doesn't mean they are controlling the amount of cheese people eat.
This author seems to be on the cheesehead's side for this article. Mary Elizabeth Williams does present facts against cheese, but then argues them with even stronger points for cheese. She uses good sources, quoting them throughout the article. I really liked how she used the analogy of, "Cheese, of course, is to Wisconsin what suicide-inducing rain is to Seattle: a way of life." She also does a good job defending Wisconsin, pointing out that the French are known for their cheese as well, but aren't getting reprimanded or punished for it. Wisconsin knows that a lot of cheese isn't good for you. Mary also points out, " Taking aim at "cheese" is like dissing "bread." It doesn't recognize the distinctions of varieties; it doesn't allow for the different ways in which it can be created and consumed." She also thinks fried cheese curds sound quite amazing. And they are. I'm sorry, it's almost lunch and I'm quite hungry, which may have influenced my selection of this article. I really like the punniness of Williams' last memorable sentence, "And maybe next time the PCRM [The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine] wants to get people to cut the cheese, they can start with a campaign that doesn't stink."

I'm just gonna leave this here for your enjoyment. These are fried cheese curds, kinda like mozzarella sticks, but waaaaay better.

Article: Is the Grim Reaper Gunning for Wisconsin's cheeseheads? by Mary Elizabeth Williams