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Tuesday, December 31, 2002 The Top 10 Albums of 2002 You know it's time for all of the cheesy year-end lists. And admit it, you actually like them. So here's one of mine--more will probably follow tomorrow. These are the top 10 albums I acquired in 2002, listed in no particular order: 1. Derrick Harris: I’m Not Leaving 2. Michael Card: Scribbling in the Sand (Live) 3. Over the Rhine: Films for Radio 4. Justin Rosolino: Music (Live) 5. Magdalen Hsu-Li: Fire 6. Matt Wertz: Somedays 7. Norah Jones: Come Away with Me 8. Josh Groban: self-titled 9. Miranda Stone: Seven Deadly Sins 10. Dashboard Confessional: Swiss Army Romance Grab a couple of these and put that Christmas money to good use. :-) ^ Top | 6:58 PM | | | 
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 Merry Christmas! "That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid," he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone. The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord!--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David. And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth." (Luke 2:8-12) It's snowing! We got a white Christmas after all. :-) A fun Christmas link. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th' angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem." Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" Christ, by highest heav'n adored: Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the virgin's womb. Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see; Hail, the incarnate Deity: Pleased, as man, with men t' appear, Jesus, our Emmanuel here! Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" Hail! the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail! the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, Ris'n with healing in his wings; Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die: Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" ^ Top | 11:35 AM | | |
Saturday, December 21, 2002 For Nitpickers Mistakes made in The Two Towers and Star Trek: Nemesis. Have fun, kids. ^ Top | 4:40 AM | | |
Thursday, December 19, 2002 Not Quite Tolkien Midnight, December 18. With a handful of friends I took a break from the madness of finals and papers to watch the latest Lord of the Rings effort, which I'd been eagerly waiting to see for the last year. Half an hour after the film was supposed to start (the theater was understaffed and filled to the brim with other moviegoers), the signature theme music finally filled the air. The verdict? The Two Towers was excellently done, but took a few departures that fans of Tolkien’s novels will find disconcerting. The film opened with Gandalf’s apparent death in Moria and highlighted his role as a Christ-like figure. This is not to say that Tolkien wrote an allegory—he didn’t—but Gandalf’s death and subsequent resurrection certainly point to his affinity with Jesus, a point that the film elucidates. We return to the wizard’s stand against the Balroc—“You shall not pass!”—and watch as the two fall, still fighting. They descend into a kind of hell where Gandalf (Ian McKellen) dies after finally defeating the demon. But he is sent back and returns as the second White Wizard in the film, this time more powerful than Saruman (Christopher Lee). When the members of the Fellowship first begin to recognize him in his new form, they are uncertain as to whether he is indeed the Gandalf they knew; he literally shines, a pure, blazing white. Reminds you of Jesus’ disciples when he first returned, doesn’t it? With his new powers, Gandalf takes on Wormwood (Brad Dourif), who has trapped Theoden King (Bernard Hill); through the sugar-tongued advisor, Saruman has taken control of Rohan. The visuals here were wonderful: Rohan comes to life as a medieval land complete with peasants and buildings lifted from the same era as Braveheart. If the castle and Great Hall were little smaller than I’d imagined, it was quickly forgiven. Howard Shore’s music for Rohan is also worthy of mention; it’s a simple, beautiful theme played on strings, perfect for the rural community. When Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gandalf arrive on the scene, Theoden has clearly been bound by Saruman’s spells for a long time and only has ears for his assistant. In the proceeding showdown, which looks something like an exorcism, Saruman is defeated and Theoden comes back to himself. Years upon years fall from his whitened face and his cloudy eyes fill with new clarity. He is a man who has been freed. Rohan is under attack and the King decides—against the Fellowship’s advice—to retreat to Helm’s Deep, a massive fortress that has protected them in the past. The ensuing battle is one of the visual highlights of the film; scores of orcs and Uruk-Hai throw themselves at the towering stone walls, and action fans will get their fill of battle. Ironically, the fight brings out a great deal of humor, especially with Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), who finally comes into his own as a character. He is too short for the world of men: in the lull before the battle, Gimli stands next to Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in the first row of warriors at the top of the tower, watching the enemy’s approach… unfortunately, he can’t see a thing. All he sees is the stone wall that only reaches half a man’s height. In a reprise of the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where he declares that “No one tosses a dwarf,” he asks Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) to throw him onto the bridge leading to the fortress’s main gate; he is not tall enough to jump himself. Helm’s Deep also provides a major deviation from the novel, one that I personally opposed: the elves, deciding that they cannot leave the men in their hour of need, appear en masse to defend Rohan. This significantly changes one of Tolkien’s themes: the time of the elves is past, and men must finally come into their own. Middle Earth is theirs now, and they have the responsibility to protect it. However, director Peter Jackson felt it necessary to unite the elves and men, reminiscent of the last great battle against Sauron, perhaps bowing to the call for peace and unity in our own times. Another elf plot-line could have been handled with more care: the Arwen-Aragorn love story. While it added a dimension of romance to the film, the frequent dream sequences in which the lovers connect bordered on annoying. I suppose the writers wanted to make it abundantly clear that Aragorn’s heart belongs to Arwen (Liv Tyler) and not Eowyn of Rohan (Miranda Otto), whose longing looks make her feelings clear. The one sequence that I did appreciate was when Elrond warns Arwen that even if all of her hopes come true, even if they win and Aragon returns to her, the son of Arathorn will still die. One day, she will be left alone. This alludes to a passage from the Appendix; after Aragorn’s death as an old, majestic king, Arwen retreats to the woods, where she lives for years. The other major departure from the novel comes from Faramir. In Tolkien’s work, Faramir (David Wenham) is entirely different from his brother; Boromir is a prototypical warrior, brave but brash, liable to rush into trouble without thinking. A learned man, Faramir, who loves poetry and song but is no less of a warrior, recognizes the Ring for the evil it is. He does not repeat the mistakes of his brother; he does not succumb to the lure of the Ring. However, in the film, Faramir is the copy of his kin. He captures Frodo and Sam, forcing them to travel to Gondor with his men. Like Boromir, he intends to use the Ring to save his homeland—he does not release them until they encounter a Nazgul, which forces him to realize the Ring’s destructive power. We already had one Boromir; we don’t need two. However, some characters did make a wonderful appearance—the Ents, for example. Treebeard is rendered in all his tree-like glory, and with Ent Moot, Jackson again demonstrates the uncanny ability he possessed in the first film to deliver the images from your imagination onscreen. Not to mention that they also sound incredible: Treebeard’s voice is deep, resonating, and his breaths maximize the sound system’s capacity for bass. The battle of the Ents is a definite high spot; the tree-herders pick up huge rocks as though they were pebbles and take down Isengard by flooding the surrounding area, including all of the forges and Uruk-Hai breeding grounds. The film is darker than the first effort, but filled with more humor at the same time. Frodo is increasingly seduced by the Ring; he constantly pets it and Sam worries, “You can’t take your eyes off it.” The Ring affects Frodo’s mood and begins to change his personality: he becomes irritable and angry without cause. Fortunately, he still has enough good to realize what is happening to him, but even the hobbit cannot come into close contact with such evil without being tainted. Jackson does a wonderful job of highlighting the affinity between Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Gollum (Andy Serkis); Gollum was once Smeagol, hobbit and Ring-bearer, and he serves as a reminder of what could happen to Frodo himself, given enough time. Yet there is still good in the creature. His frequent battles with himself—some of the most interesting scenes in the film to watch—were the cause of much laughter in the theater. Gollum wants to take back his Precious, but Smeagol, the good half, likes Frodo: “Master will protect us.” In one of the funniest points in the film, Smeagol finally banishes his other self and dances around: “He’s gone! I told him to go and he went!” However, before the film’s end, Gollum returns with plans to take back his Precious. Though the film stops before the book does, Jackson leaves us with the anticipation of She in the next release. Overall, The Two Towers was much better than the first Lord of the Rings effort, but the departures from Tolkien’s original will give diehard fans of the books some reservations. Nonetheless, it is wonderfully captivating and leaves me eager for the last part of the trilogy. ^ Top | 2:12 AM | | |
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 The List of Things to Do Over Christmas Break 1. READ. I haven't read a book for fun in forever... on the list: Midnight's Children (Rushdie) and Nebula Award Winners (a collection of novellas that won one of SF's most prestigous writing awards). I should be able to get through both. 2. Write stories!! Lots of ideas floating around in that head of mine... and a contest to enter. 3. Finish the CD. All of the other musicians will be out of school too, so we should be able to finally get the thing done. First Verse, coming soon! 4. Finish my website, DawnXianaMoon.com. This one has been waiting... and waiting... and waiting.... 5. Do a rough recording of all of my songs so I can copyright them. 6. Play music, especially my flute. Good grief, I haven't touched it since Jen Krause's wedding in August. Not to mention the songs I should write.... 7. Visit friends (Grand Rapids and Lansing are already on the list). 8. Watch some movies in French. 9. Investigate going to France this summer. 10. Investigate getting guitar lessons and either some form of dancing or martial arts. I don't know if I'll have the money to swing it, but I should definitely look into it.... Lol. It's going to be a busy (but fun) two and a half weeks. Btw--I saw the midnight showing of Lord of the Rings tonight. Good stuff, but lots of changes from the book. More on that later. ^ Top | 3:37 AM | | |
Tuesday, December 17, 2002 Where is Christmas? All of a sudden I realized that Christmas is practically here--people online are talking about last minute shopping already. What?! I thought we just got into December.... One of the things I've missed most while being in college is the anticipation leading up to Christmas. It drives me crazy to see Christmas decorations in stores around before Halloween, but it's just as crazy or worse that when you finally get to December all you can think about it the mountain of papers to write and exams to study for. I'm sure every other college student can relate. By the time you're done with finals, Christmas is a couple of days away... and you've missed most the fun stuff, the shopping (ok, I know some people hate this, but it can be really fun), Christmas parties, caroling (I tried to organize a group to go this year but it didn't work out), hot chocolate by the fireplace. Granted, most of these things can happen after Christmas, but I love the feeling of anticipation in the air. Too bad it doesn't last long. The two sweet Christmas events this year so far were a performance by the Boston Pops, playing a Christmas program--though they bowed to the coporate sponsors so much that my friends and I were going crazy... economic nescessity?--and the annual UMS production of Handel's Messiah, which I enjoyed this year more than I ever have. I think it grows on you--this was my third time seeing the work (second in Ann Arbor), and I appreciated it so much more than I did two years ago. Anyway, for everyone with finals and papers, good luck and don't get too stressed out. I can't wait for Christmas break! Only a few days left to go.... And don't forget that Christmas is about more than the fun stuff anyway. More on that later. :-) 
Courtesy of the Red Ferret Journal ^ Top | 5:58 AM | | |
Monday, December 16, 2002 Gripe, Gripe Don't professors ever tire or giving out esoteric writing assignments? "Write a 5-page essay in which you discuss in detail the specific values Shaw and Brecht bring to the construction of modern European drama that might not be predicted from a reading of Ibsen, Chekhov, or Strindberg." In real life, who cares anyway? If I ever get through the deluge of papers and exams I still have left, a review of the new Star Trek movie will be forthcoming. In the meantime, check out Film Force for some great interviews and a review that completely blasts the movie... and the rest of the deteriorating Star Trek franchise. For the record, I did like the latest film, though it had some definite flaws.... ^ Top | 2:04 AM | | |
Sunday, December 15, 2002 When you just can't handle it anymore 
Note: We may host Hash Bash every year, but this was not found on U-M premises. Mind you, I'm not condoning pot.... ^ Top | 12:34 AM | | |
Thursday, December 12, 2002 From the Girl I Just Said was the "Good" English Major "The skill that we are most trained for is absolutely useless. Being able to write and carry a coherent thought all the way through is useful, but as for what we're actually getting trained for... our portfolio is full of literary analysis that no one wants to read anyway!" [cue laughter here] ^ Top | 7:27 AM | | |
English Majors I can't wait to be done with the semester (finally!)--I just hope that I can make it through. Last week I realized that I had around 40 pages of papers to write before the end of the term, and most of them are/were due this week. Yikes! They've been getting finished one by one, but it's a slow process... so far, 22 pages to go, I think. On Tuesday night I didn't go to bed; I took a 3.5 hour nap in the afternoon--and now it's already Thursday morning and I haven't been able to sleep yet either. I have another paper due tomorrow. That's what I get for majoring in English and Theatre. Argh. Don't get me wrong, I love writing--creative writing. But I've been getting incredibly cynical about the whole atmosphere of English departments as I've gotten further along in school; if you want to write, don't major in English. If you want to learn how to create strange interpretations of (literally) any piece of written material (or just about anything, really), then English is where you want to be. We're less interested in what authors think than in making our own assumptions and seeing if we can get the text to justify what we've written. I love reading and analyzing literature in order to see how other people's minds work--I enjoy trying to get inside others' heads---I want to know what novels tell us about the human condition, about where people are coming from, about our hopes, dreams, lives, loves, struggles. It's fascinating to watch a writer at his craft... but not fascinating enough that I could spend entire papers writing about the difference in the styles of Hemingway versus Angelou. So I guess I'm a bad English major--I honestly don't care about those kinds of topics. I'd rather discuss a book with a group of friends than write about it. A good English major--my roommate Elise, for example--can write that so-and-so author obviously meant to discuss the implications of yin and yang because in one part of the novel a white man was the only figure in a group a black men and in another the situation was reversed, thus creating the visual image of yin and yang. You get the picture. Professors eat that stuff up... but more often than not, I simply don't buy it. It's fun to think about, but putting that on paper gives it a certain degree of validity that I'd rather not attach. And my other rant: everything is phallic. Who indoctinated all these poor profs (and students) with Freudian theories? And they are just theories. Not everyone thinks about sex all of the time... and a hot dog doesn't have to be a phallic symbol. It may be a strong urge, but our society places so much emphasis on sex it's ridiculous. We are defined by so much more than our sexual relationships... and not every girl wants to sleep with her father, nor every boy with his mother. Somehow every English professor I've had--exceptions aren't coming readily to mind--has had a love affair with Freud. This even started in high school, when one of my teachers told us that To Kill a Mockingbird is really about sex. Geez.... So I guess it's a good thing that I only have a semester left (barring total failage of all my classes!). I can't handle the grind of paper-writing-crazy-interpretation-making anymore. Christmas break is going to do wonders for me... I can't wait to find time to work on a few short stories and songs and play the instruments I've been neglecting. And maybe finally finish the website and that elusive cd!It'd be nice to spend some time with God too... my relationship with him hasn't been so hot lately, and it's my fault for not putting the time in. I can't wait to be able to relax... only a few more days to go.... ^ Top | 6:38 AM | | |
Wednesday, December 11, 2002 For your viewing pleasure... 
I am Batman. ^ Top | 3:34 AM | | |
Tuesday, December 10, 2002 Disappear! 
A group of guys in Japan are working to create optical camouflage. Cool. ^ Top | 12:19 AM | | |
Saturday, December 07, 2002 A Rant with Honest Questions If the Bible is so powerful, the Word of God, and has more life and brings more conviction than any other text, why can people read it twice through or more and remain or become atheistic? J. Michael Straszcynski, for example, the creator of Babylon 5, frequently uses biblical imagery in the series--even biblical themes at points--and said that he's read the Bible twice straight through... but he's an atheist. Professor Ralph Williams teaches a class here at U-M called the Bible as Literature; he doesn't believe most of what it says either, and many students who come out of his classes think likewise. I went to a performance of Handel's Messiah tonight; the libretto is taken entirely from the King James Version. It's a Christmas tradition for many people, and the vast majority go to performances purely for entertainment or art's sake. Yet Handel himself said, "... I should be sorry if I only entertained them; I wished to make them better." How many have sung, "Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive... But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," and gone away unchanged, simply thinking, "What lovely lyrics!" Does the Bible really have the power that Christians claim it does? Surely not that many people have such "hard hearts" against it. Yet we as Christians are so excited when someone is interested in coming to a Bible study or even reading on their own. We tell each other to study it, to read it daily. If it's so powerful, can't God reach past hearts that only want to read and begin to convict, to change, to renew? Does it truly have the ability to transform? Of course, the Holy Spirit comes into the equation--we like to say that the Spirit is the one that brings this metamorphosis. But then why such reverence for the text? Or if the emphasis on the Bible is correct, then why does the Holy Spirit work through it in some people and not in so many others? Perhaps not all are "elect" as the writing goes, but it seems strange nonetheless that so many people are apparently unaffected by their contact with the Word of God. We get so excited when singing a "Christian" song to an unbeliever or writing verses from Scripture on away messages, email signatures, etc. Yet every Christmas thousands of groups perform Messiah to large crowds. Three straight hours of bibical text is sung. A couple of years ago there was a rash of Jesus Made-for-TV films. One network did a project on Noah’s Ark. The University Musical Society even has a concert series entitled "Divine Expressions," namely choral performances held in a Catholic church with wonderful acoustics, usually with texts on the subject of religion in some form. Audiences listen to the music, sometimes calling it a "spiritual experience," but all seems to end there. But we as a society, non-Christians especially, tend to categorize pop/rock music with Christian themes "Christian music". It's categorized, so if you don't believe you don't have to listen to it. It holds no relevance for you. Yet the same people will go to see Handel's Messiah, a more overtly Christian piece in many ways than many a "Christian" rock band's albums. Are we not bold enough as Christians? Are we so afraid that we will be marginalized? But we are in some ways, and people do sometimes get upset with what they perceive as evangelization or proselytizing. And to be truthful, sometimes it is. So have some works lost the power to affect people? Does the messenger’s belief change the art that significantly? Can a person who reads the Bible be changed purely by that reading? Can a film about Jesus move someone to commit her life to him? Surely art cannot lose its power; surely the Word of God cannot lose its power. So where does this leave us? ^ Top | 3:30 AM | | |
Friday, December 06, 2002 Wierdness, Tech, Stories, etc. Something scary, something silly, something cool. ^ Top | 4:32 AM | | |
Wednesday, December 04, 2002 Like a Chicken with Its Head Cut Off 
Apparently this is a true story, though I'm pretty skeptical. In 1945, Mike the Chicken had his head cut off but still lived lived for 18 months, even gaining 6 pounds. Every May a festival is held to commemorate the crazy chicken. Lol. Welcome to Fruita, Colorado. (Aren't you glad you don't live there?) I listened and heard the farmer say, "We'll have this fowl for lunch today." Thought I, "There won't be nothin' doin' I just can't see myself a stewin'." But he took the axe and chopped off my head Then threw me down and left me for dead. There on the ground for a moment I lay Then I arose and walked away! Said farmer Lloyd to his kindly wife, "That's the strangest thing I've seen in my life." Said the kindly wife to her farmer man, "I can't put him in the frying pan-- A fowl that hates so much to die-- There must be some good reason why, And since he wants so much to live Every living chance to him we'll give." Through my esophagus they feed me corn, They give me drink and keep me warm. I'm well and happy as can be. I stand around for folks to see. Although I haven't got a head-- I'm better off than if I'm dead! --Arba A. Gleen, 1945 ^ Top | 1:05 AM | | |
Monday, December 02, 2002 Relativism Something interesting to read. ^ Top | 12:12 AM | | |
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