9/29/10

Midnight with the Stars and you...

Once upon a time, there was a little website called Myspace. Oh, how I loved it. Then I got stalked there and deleted my account. Fun story, right?

Before that, I enjoyed making themed playlists there. Halloween and Haunted Mansion playlists, old-timey playlists, Indiana Jones playlists, just...too many playlists. This song was almost always present, no matter the theme. Always. Even though it's best known for ending The Shining. Does that make me creepy? (Don't answer.)

I definitely have some kind of romantic attachment to this song, despite never having a romantic experience with it. Maybe it's that Haunted Mansion/Tower of Terror/Indiana Jones era of music that just clicks with me.

Join me in my creepiness, won't you?

!

Here's To New Bloggers

I try to read as many blogs as I possibly can. That's difficult sometimes with teaching and finishing a thesis and freelance work. But still, I like to stay up to date on what's happening with other people's blogs.

A new blogger emailed me a couple of months ago and told me that a conversation we had this summer made her want to start blogging. She kept a Live Journal account for years, but she realized after our conversation about art and home life that she was ready to pursue something different. So, she started THIS BLOG. HowdyHoosier.com

It's one thing to surf around and discover blogs that have been around for years. I read Wil Wheaton's, BoingBoing, PinkRayGun, SmithBites, and I visit a lot of websites on a regular basis. AintitCool, Mousetalgia, Doombuggies, etc. I have my rounds. I bet you do too. But it's something else entirely to have the chance to witness a new blogger just getting started.

After blogging for a few years now, there's always something exhilarating to me about seeing people just beginning their journey pursuing their life's dreams and creative inclinations. So let's break a bottle of champagne on the hull of the Howdy Hoosier. Bon Voyage! (and you can do it...)

9/27/10

You Know You're a Geek When...

A girlfriend asks you how she can return a favor and you think to yourself that you can't really come up with anything at the moment.

 So you then tell her that you will consider her your "giant eagle" friend. When you need her for something, you will call upon her the way Gandalf calls upon one of his giant Eagle buddies.

 Like, oh, say you're trapped by an evil wizard on top of a giant tower, you could send her a message via tiny little moth, and she can help you out by showing up in a really cool dramatic fashion and saving the day. Or, she could buy you a sandwich sometime. Either way.

True story. It's where my mind went.

Also, this morning, when I looked at my cell phone on my nightstand to see what time it was, it was precisely this bright...

Cell Phone the White.

9/25/10

Bill and Ted Ride AGAIN!

I loved the Bill and Ted movies when I was a kid. I love them now. But I must confess, the ending of Bogus Journey struck a chord with my young, Star Trek influenced, utopian-dreaming heart.

A world of peace and harmony brought on by rock and roll? I liked it. Plus, even back then I knew they filmed in some locations where Star Trek: TOS was filmed.

I always obsessed over movies where the losers became the heroes. Imagine that. Plus... I kind of thought the Reaper was cute. I KNOW! I know.

Maybe it was an early jones for the artsy films of Ingmar Bergman? A sick fascination with the concept of my own mortality? A pre-Conan O'Brien love of pale-skinned men?

Maybe it's a question best left unanswered. The point is, I think about this movie too often for a grown-up.

Exhibit A:


So you can bet I got pretty excited when I stumbled upon the news today that there will be ANOTHER Bill and Ted sequel. Or so they say. I have my doubts. And fears. But I choose cautious optimism for the time being.

Check the article on DEATH AND TAXES here.

So let's prepare. Let's revisit the joy that was the idealistic early nineties and remember where we left our daring heroes...


Where do you think Bill and Ted will go next? Oh, and good luck getting the KISS song out of your head. *maniacal laughter*

9/22/10

Ain't It Cool Does Something Cool (Imagine That...)

The movie news and review website AICN (Ain't It Cool News) has been doing something very cool indeed lately. They've been posting some old behind-the-scenes photos from productions that were shot when we didn't have such a thing as a special features section on a DVD. If you visit THIS LINK, you can see the original post that shows the pic I shared in this blog today. But if you scroll down, you can also see a whole mess of behind-the-scenes pictures from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and a lot more. These are shots that you haven't seen before, and they're just very very inspiring. (If you're new to AICN, beware, there are plenty of what Spock would call, "colorful metaphors" on the site. Lots of bad language, in other words, and totally not safe for kids.)

If you're like me, you take in as much behind-the-scenes info from movies as you possibly can! Especially anything from the classics. I just showed, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to my husband for the first time a year and a half ago and he loved it. This movie terrified me as a kid and it was the first in a series of terrifying encounters with monsters of the deep on film. (JAWS being the primary monster, of course.) So enjoy the pictures! I know I do!

9/21/10

Wreck the Halls! It's never too early for Halloween...

I'm already in the mood for Halloween. We've purchased our Creamy Pumpkin hand soap from Bath and Bodyworks, installed the Spiced Cider air freshener, and plugged in the light up pumpkins. We've strung the purple lights and we're already listening to our Halloween iTunes collection while sipping on a Pumpkin Spice latte.

It's the time of year to watch Harry Potter movies and bake pies and don cozy sweaters and rake leaves...I don't care if it is ninety degrees outside! (And it is.)

Dig into some links below if you're ready for fall fun and enjoy this video of the Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland which goes up every year at about this time. It's the perfect blend of Haunted Mansion goodness and holiday cheer!




David Letterman at Ball State

This is my coverage of Biz Stone and David Letterman's visit to Ball State for Indiana Public Radio last Friday.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE STORY.