tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33895974178613707112024-03-13T00:40:56.949-04:00Born For GeekdomIf you were Born For Geekdom, embrace it.Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-56842417570392023372023-02-04T14:17:00.005-05:002023-02-04T18:56:30.851-05:00Hi.<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJgg1J3FyDr111iYzy81i9NT7O_dkJ3k3WYhO1bAfWd16Huy8UPXjk6yBrrBzQ0YUg_xkSAZEahe-G6WCsXGoDSK9eE3Y9uAuhWLAgBkQQMeWIS93wdpdU_xb1rf6WvEJsSE4n4gOpHd1q5jw43gvMiFfHZHjPrFylxkywFrQw3eyPx5_VOjQMYQG/s853/IMG_8099%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJgg1J3FyDr111iYzy81i9NT7O_dkJ3k3WYhO1bAfWd16Huy8UPXjk6yBrrBzQ0YUg_xkSAZEahe-G6WCsXGoDSK9eE3Y9uAuhWLAgBkQQMeWIS93wdpdU_xb1rf6WvEJsSE4n4gOpHd1q5jw43gvMiFfHZHjPrFylxkywFrQw3eyPx5_VOjQMYQG/s320/IMG_8099%20(1).jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">If you're coming here via my new portfolio at <a href="http://AudreyBridgeman.com">AudreyBridgeman.com</a>, welcome! I got my start as a writer in 2007. During my tenure in freelance, I kept this blog as a place for random posts, reviews, links to some of my published articles, and thoughts that didn't get published elsewhere. Feel free to browse. </div>Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-63962810581289962592023-02-04T14:16:00.002-05:002023-02-04T14:16:20.582-05:00Interview with Voice Actor Corey Burton<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrItr6BNNpAAKA2oGgoiqzrRWmAeUC6CcQ0x2PrQBGSU4Sw31g2krd5oVciWXysqCVI6VYONAPxnmdVfwckReKTQBL9ZmzOWJb7tVlIsFKjdVviFiLfYzM4MQaQ6kf4JlKDsVokjGJk-jyXnZ3i8JBTnB-D5XMaaDHYphLdG0sI2tOVtltMvcAOwL/s320/3628-04desowitz05goofy-withwires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrItr6BNNpAAKA2oGgoiqzrRWmAeUC6CcQ0x2PrQBGSU4Sw31g2krd5oVciWXysqCVI6VYONAPxnmdVfwckReKTQBL9ZmzOWJb7tVlIsFKjdVviFiLfYzM4MQaQ6kf4JlKDsVokjGJk-jyXnZ3i8JBTnB-D5XMaaDHYphLdG0sI2tOVtltMvcAOwL/s1600/3628-04desowitz05goofy-withwires.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">You can read my interview with voice actor Corey Burton<a href="https://www.awn.com/animationworld/corey-burton-man-thousand-voices" target="_blank"> HERE</a>.</p>Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-75086393183688768502020-03-29T23:55:00.004-04:002023-01-31T09:52:56.685-05:003 Classic Films That Influenced Disney's Haunted Mansion <div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Felt a little bit like this while I was filming...</b></div>
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-22397968910384017102019-12-19T12:58:00.008-05:002023-01-31T10:18:30.531-05:00Holidays in Space at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex - Happening Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi, everyone. Merry Happy! Last Friday night, I attended the media preview of Holidays in Space at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. I'm going to review the experience here and include a link where you can buy tickets.<br />
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But first, a disclaimer.<br />
<br />I worked on this event as a contractor, writing some entertainment material. I'm also a fangirl for the space center. I love <i>everything </i>about it and have covered events there since 2011 as a correspondent. Am I biased? Yes. That being said...<br /><br />I've lived in Florida for almost a decade now. I've seen every light show and fireworks display at every tourist attraction you can imagine. Holiday shows are typically themed to a vague, non-offensive idea about being unselfish or treasuring your family. And that's <i>great</i>. <br /><br />Holidays in Space is a ceremony centered around massive, measurable human progress. It's easy to be jaded about history. But we sent people to the moon, you guys. THE MOON. We have robots on Mars. These quests have led us to discover medical treatments, everyday conveniences and everything in between. Every astronaut who's ever taken up residence on the space station talks about how differently they see the world when they've seen it from above, how it makes them feel familial about every human on the planet.<br /><br />This is real science with real results and it matters. That's worth celebrating, right alongside the ideals of generosity and family.<br />
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Holidays in Space is a delight. Let me tell you why in three parts.<br />
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<b>Part 1 - Pretty lights good.</b><br />
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Holidays in space is a pretty little set-up right next to the building that houses the Shuttle Atlantis. It feels like a party. (If you're reading this from the far reaches of the world, Atlantis alone is worth a trip to Florida. Especially if you're a NASA nerd.) There's festive lighting, delightful photo-ops, and best of all, a bright video wall.<div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br />
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Every fifteen minutes, it plays a mini documentary that teaches you just how far we've come technologically. It's happy, nostalgic, and the video had an interesting effect on the audience. Each time it played; strangers became friends. Before the video, people were sticking to their groups. Afterward, they'd literally turn to the people next to them and ask things like, "Do you remember when...?"<br />
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<b>Part 2 - Nostalgia? Good.</b><br />
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Guests of all ages will love a day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. If you're of a certain pop cultural ilk, you'll find extra joy ambling amidst reminders of <i>Space Camp</i>, <i>Apollo 13</i>, and the countless other space movies you've enjoyed since childhood.<br />
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<b>Part 3 - The reality connection.</b><br />
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In a couple days, we're all gonna trek to the multiplex and see a Star War. Half of us will love it and half of us will hate it. The world is getting weird that way. Maybe it's always been weird and I just grew up in a bubble because I was born in 1982 and lived 18 blissful years without the internet.<br />
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Whatever the reason for the division, one thing's for sure, sci-fi fans love the idea of space. We love progress and adventure. Or at least, we used to? The photos from Hubble still make me misty-eyed with awe and wonder. I never met <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/" target="_blank">an episode of Nova</a> I didn't like. The research done during NASA's shuttle era changed the world.<br />
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Whether you're a Trekkie, a Star Wars nerd, or both, there's something indescribably moving about being at Kennedy. It's hallowed ground. For all the emotional investment we put into our fandoms, here's a place that's making our sci-fi dreams come true every day. Rockets are launching. Landing systems are testing. KSC even sits amidst a gigantic wildlife preserve. The surrounding area is pristine. Bald eagles thrive there. It's a cartoon landscape of an idealistic patriotism.<br />
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The Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex represents the best of what we have to offer as people and as a country when we put our minds to work. Technological advancement? Check. A clean environment? Check. A safe haven for animals? CHECK. Sci-fi fans want to believe in a better future. We want to believe humanity will stop its petty squabbling and clean up the planet. KSC is a test environment that proves we can do it.<br /><br />
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Honestly? I wish they'd transform Holidays in Space it into a pop-up and take the show on the road with a few dancers in retro sixties costumes with some living historical characters that could mill around and educate the audience. Or they could set it up like a party in school gymnasiums. A SPACE PARTY. Just try and stop me.<br />
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In the meantime, go to Holidays in Space. It's a happy place with warm feelings. See the movie at night, when the lights are at their most vibrant and the many photo ops are most effective.<br />
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<a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2019/december/holidays-in-space" target="_blank">Tickets are available for purchase here </a>and the event runs until December 31st. Please do yourself a favor and go.<br />
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<b>Here are some other things I've made about The KSC Visitors Center:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.bornforgeekdom.net/2013/03/america-i-made-you-mix-tape-for-when.html" target="_blank">A Playlist for Visiting KSC</a><br />
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</div>Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-58518957150384069592019-05-14T15:21:00.000-04:002019-05-14T15:21:05.829-04:00"She does her own stunts."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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"The studio doesn't like it. It makes them nervous, but when you can get that kind of action on camera actually performed by your leading lady, it's priceless."<br />
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Movies geeks know these beats well. We hear them in behind-the-scenes special features and documentaries allllllll the time, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtcUsnsMzY" target="_blank">Angelina Jolie in <i>Tomb Raider</i></a> to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzm2hH349A" target="_blank">Scarlett Johannson as <i>B</i>lack Widow</a><i> </i>and most recently, the astounding <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFIVnEuVFNQ" target="_blank">Maisie Williams as Arya Stark</a>.<br />
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Special features never cease to thrill me or remind me to throw some weights into my workouts. I <i>love</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH_Kh04FB7M" target="_blank">stunt actors </a>and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ch42EpVLa3grF4d1Jo0vw" target="_blank">stunt performers </a>and the actors who are willing to train for their roles. But this was happening <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0A6a09C7hM" target="_blank">much, much earlier</a> than most of us realize.<br />
<br />
Enter Lillian Gish, silent film star extraordinaire. Admittedly, I know more about Louise Brooks and Mary Pickford. But when I heard the movie <i>Way Down East</i> mentioned in an episode of <i>Downton Abbey</i>, I got curious. <a href="https://silentlondon.co.uk/2016/08/19/way-down-east-how-lillian-gish-suffered-for-her-art/" target="_blank">Silent London</a> did a fantastic story about the film and the lengths Gish went to create a convincing finale. Very worth a read.<br />
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Here's Scarlett Johansson's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heidimoneymaker/?hl=en" target="_blank">Heidi Moneymaker</a></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-58976354204217953262019-04-29T09:44:00.004-04:002023-01-31T12:41:01.405-05:00Meet Chitan<div style="text-align: center;">
I am emotionally WIPED OUT, in a good way, after Endgame and GOT this weekend and I just...I really needed this. Thanks, <i>Last Week Tonight</i>.</div>
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-29272193074832902182019-04-12T10:05:00.008-04:002023-01-31T12:40:29.198-05:00Sore Thumb<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->This was a Patreon early release months ago. I hope that even in its unfinished state, it makes you laugh.<br />
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<b>SORE THUMB</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; font-size: 12pt;">When
I was a kid, I was self-conscious. Not a great revelation, I realize. We were
all kids, and to some extent, we were all self-conscious. But my
sensitivity was different. How?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Let
me tell you a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">One
frigid February morning, the ground was slick with crunchy ice in our tiny Indiana town. Kids everywhere were reluctantly pushed out their front doors encased in layers of mismatched nineties knitwear. Any scene from a horror movie where zombies emerge from tombs comes to mind. In this case, picture the zombies as tiny, grumpy, and inconvenienced instead of starving for human flesh. Cartoon puffs of winter breath dotted the still, snowless air. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I was a "walker". I lived six blocks away from school and normally I braved the cold. <br /><br />Our kind fireman neighbor emerged from his front door across the street, his two youngest daughters in tow. He was tough. Like the Brawny paper towel man. He had a blonde moustache. Also like the Brawny paper towel man. He saw me ambling in the general direction of the school, a slow-moving pile of barely animated scarves, and wordlessly gestured to me that I should come catch a ride in his pickup truck. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I Stay-Puft Marshmallowed my was across the street. It was too cold for words. Cowboy head nods would have to do. <br /><br />He got into the driver's side. His two youngest
daughters climbed into the middle of the front seat. </span><span style="font-family: applesystemuifont;">These girls were
everything I wanted to be. They were stylish, pretty, and popular. They were
good at sports and they smelled like Jean Nate, the fanciest childhood perfume of the nineties. Their family was comprised of
five beautiful sisters with blonde, silky hair, a perfect collection of living Barbies. Whether I
was wrong or right to think this, I felt like Igor anytime they were around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Because
I was this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Not a Klingon. A nerd. Professional grade. All-star. <br /><br />I
hopped, as much as one could hop in a spacesuit, into the truck last. Then, I closed the passenger door behind me—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on</i> my right thumb. </span><span style="font-family: applesystemuifont;">That’s not the weird part.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: applesystemuifont;">What’s
weird is that I looked at it and decided not to say anything. </span><i style="font-family: applesystemuifont; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s only a few blocks to school. It won’t
be that bad.</i><span style="font-family: applesystemuifont;"> I turned to face front and when I did, in my peripheral
vision, I saw our neighbor and his daughters staring at me, open-mouthed and horrified.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">“Is
that your thumb in the door?” the middle daughter asked, her side ponytail
jostled just a bit as she talked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I
tried to play it cool, “Huh? Look at that. Whoops!” I opened the door, calmly
removed my thumb, which was happily housed in a thick knitted mitten, and shut
the door again. I looked back at them and laughed a little, shrugged my shoulders
and rolled my eyes like, <i>what are you gonna do? The old body part slammed
shut in a car door problem, </i>as though this were a common pitfall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">When I got to school and removed my mitten, my
thumb was red and bleeding. I still didn’t say anything. </span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">That
is the kind of self-consciousness I mean. </span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">You’re
probably wondering why I so desperately needed to fly under the radar. That’s a
question I still ask myself, but it’s at least partially because I faced a
rising tide of social anxiety. I don’t mean run-of-the-mill
self-awareness, like, “Oh, do I have something in my teeth?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">My
social anxiety back then certainly didn’t fit the current definition of geek or nerd. Words that now make you imagine Tina Fey, Rivers Cuomo, or the latest Silicon Valley
billionaire.</span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I want to tell you what it was like to be a nerd before it was cool. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="294" src="https://giphy.com/embed/2FazhgoHjmNfgG4Vi" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Picture
it, small-town Indiana, 1992ish. I’m ten. It’s fourth grade. I’m so
painfully uncool, that each day at school, I do my very best to implode into
nothingness. Each day, I pray that a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrinkle-In-Time</i>-esque
dimension will open up and whisk me away. In fact, I am so devoted to this idea
that <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">I watch movies about
alternate dimensions on a regular basis, like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labyrinth</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> and</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Alice in Wonderland </i>and then<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Labyrinth </i>again<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic"; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3fjmN-_6jA/XLCb5bW90wI/AAAAAAAAIiA/vgsY-i0eIV8Wsd2w1jkJCq7p4skM2McqQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B10.08.12%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3fjmN-_6jA/XLCb5bW90wI/AAAAAAAAIiA/vgsY-i0eIV8Wsd2w1jkJCq7p4skM2McqQCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B10.08.12%2BAM.png" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I
was the kind of nerd who was so out of touch, I didn’t know how to use a
curling iron. The situation was Jan Brady invents a boyfriend bad. I was so out
of step with 95% of my classmates, that when a new boy moved to town, the rest
of the boys hazed him by convincing him I was the coolest girl in school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">But
as you now know, I was not.</span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">His
name was Brad. (His name was not Brad. Names have been changed to protect the guilty. But his name was Brad-ish.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">In my memory, Brad arrived at our school wearing brand new Air Jordans, looking like an extra
from the Disney channel. He had the requisite butt cut, which was THE LOOK at the
time. Brad acted self-assured, but he also arrived asking everyone questions about what
was cool at this school. <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">I
overheard them telling him about me as I was picking persimmons off the ground
near the basketball court at recess. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Yes. That’s how I spent my recess. Why? Because
I heard they made good jam, that’s why. Okay, <i>fine</i>. Back then I hated jam, but any excuse to mill around in less populous areas was fine by me. <i>Try to look very busy and distracted</i> is the premiere technique of We, the "Please God, don't bother me." Children. I can't fully explain myself, but I somehow blame Laura Dern's character from <i>Jurassic Park.</i> She was always busy looking at leaves and poop and who bothered her? Nobody. That's who. Not people anyhow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="425" src="https://giphy.com/embed/JdX1h1OPfcQoM" width="480"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">By
this time, I was accustomed to the old hazing gag in one form or another. The
new guy never believed it, but the laugh they all shared about how absurd the
notion was that I was cool bonded them as a group, you see. The first time it happened was in third grade after I got my first pair of glasses. A boy named Carl (his name wasn't Carl) moved to town. That time it happened sitting in class. </span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> <br /><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">“She’s
the coolest girl here?” he asked. I didn’t know if anyone was pointing at me
because I was too annoyed to turn around, but I assumed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">In
fact, I frequently pretended I didn’t hear what people said. Another handy trick. Bullies are also desperately impatient, so it's relatively easy to wait them out. Mean kids are like dogs in
that they smell fear. And sadness. <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">And off-brand body spray. They do not, however, have gifted attention spans. Thank God. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Anyway, forget "Carl". Let's get back to Brad. Brad believed the story. He was the only kid to ever actually believe it. I still don’t
understand how that happened. We didn't even had the word Himbo back then, but by God, there he was. The more he believed it, the more the other guys egged him on to try to become
my boyfriend. A prospect that sent adrenaline pumping through my body.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">As
luck would have it, the teacher sat him at my desk clump. So, every day, for
about a week, Brad drew doodles in my art box. He talked to me. We laughed. We
got along great. He even tried to braid my hair once<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">. It was the first time a boy I wasn’t related to ever
touched my hair. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">Every
day when I came home from school and watched reruns of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full House</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Family Matters</i>, (after a two-hour block of cartoons called the Disney Afternoon and
before <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entertainment Tonight</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Court)</i> the shows felt different to me. Because now I could imagine myself in the place of DJ or, God
help me, even Stephanie instead of always relating to Kimmy or Urkel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">I began to allow myself to enjoy Heavy D songs on the radio instead of listening to my "Best of Fred Astaire" cassette. I was actually talking to people at the bus
stop. My whole life felt different.</span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NNEgUPKxk7A" width="560"></iframe> <span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">One
day, smack in the middle of class, Brad asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes. I overheard him go to
the basketball boys to report his victory and get this, I was thrilled. Nay,
excited. I was ecstatic to hear him stand up to them when they revealed it had all
been a joke. </span><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">It was gonna be
just like the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can’t Buy Me Love</i>,
only I was the Patrick Dempsey and he was the whoever that girl was</span>. Just
like all the best movies, what started as a cruel joke became real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "ms gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">When they told him, everyone laughed and he said things
like, “Are you guys serious?” and poured out all the reasons he suspected
maybe it had been a joke all along and, you guessed it, they bonded. They
pointed out the actual cool girl, one of the many beautiful and outstanding Michelles in my class. He
looked visibly relieved. Michelle had long, straight, blonde hair and straight
teeth, and new clothes, and she was nice to me so I couldn’t even be mad at
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "applesystemuifont"; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;">He asked the teacher to move desk clumps. She let him. We
didn’t talk again. Ever. Not in junior high, not in high school…like not ever, ever, ever again. <br /><br />---<br /><br /><i>Aaaaaand </i>I'm saving the ending for a book someday. Because it's kind of dark, but also kind of victorious, and ALSO I am afraid people I know will find this. Until then, enjoy the mystery. </span></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-92076173665233885702019-04-12T09:00:00.001-04:002019-04-12T09:00:39.917-04:00File this under "late to the party"I couldn't sleep last night and I just kept thinking about that Rambo meme where he's giving the thumbs up. You know, this one?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbZ88Qehrsc/XLCKt3e2JMI/AAAAAAAAIhA/H2VHXubY1MclueGY5zRnJtw-pa7gYlG3wCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.55.04%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1182" height="234" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbZ88Qehrsc/XLCKt3e2JMI/AAAAAAAAIhA/H2VHXubY1MclueGY5zRnJtw-pa7gYlG3wCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.55.04%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I got curious about where it started and found <a href="http://thumbsandammo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Thumbs and Ammo</a>, an entire website/subculture where people replace guns from iconic movie scenes with the thumbs up gesture. The juxtaposition is always hilarious. Always. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nE3ALG4-rME/XLCLyYJPCaI/AAAAAAAAIhI/73u0ZUomtvEWXN1eFlJrNBtv--Vj2H_UACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.59.34%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nE3ALG4-rME/XLCLyYJPCaI/AAAAAAAAIhI/73u0ZUomtvEWXN1eFlJrNBtv--Vj2H_UACLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.59.34%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Go. Peruse. Enjoy.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-43879567219120996912019-04-12T08:26:00.003-04:002019-04-12T08:26:49.371-04:00It Was A Good Week To Be A Space Nerd<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-krGa2YKWeXY/XLCC42xVHxI/AAAAAAAAIgg/BAicU004-_AG9ujce9cTZJ6cQFqI5q49QCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.21.40%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1182" height="322" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-krGa2YKWeXY/XLCC42xVHxI/AAAAAAAAIgg/BAicU004-_AG9ujce9cTZJ6cQFqI5q49QCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.21.40%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Here's coverage from: </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.space.com/1st-black-hole-photo-x-ray-neighborhood-views.html" target="_blank">Space.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/science/katie-bouman-black-hole.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDhHDBHkQY" target="_blank">Wired</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Reminds me of this:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lau1hUvevQg/XLCDlYOYq-I/AAAAAAAAIgo/LQxyQW35tR8Fk7OQskgfa9PLB7U-M1sdwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.24.32%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="1210" height="162" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lau1hUvevQg/XLCDlYOYq-I/AAAAAAAAIgo/LQxyQW35tR8Fk7OQskgfa9PLB7U-M1sdwCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-12%2Bat%2B8.24.32%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And this:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3mbBbFH9fAg" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That video scared the bajeepers off me when I was a kid. How about you?</div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-72654780756435207042019-04-08T16:32:00.000-04:002019-04-08T16:41:07.411-04:00Time to Revisit That Viral High School Production of "Alien"<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/theater/high-school-alien-play.html" target="_blank">It's only a few weeks old, but I can't stop thinking about it. </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/srDVrEwPdg4" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Makes me want to revisit <i>Be Kind, Rewind</i>, Michel Gondry's excellent treatise on how movie geekdom has the potential to unite the community. There's power in masses of people gathering to share an experience. We mostly think of film-going as an isolated occasion. Funny, isn't it? With so many of us sharing the same theater. The same mythos and emotional arcs. </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7C8nHAAs70" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's another video that explores the subject of deeper meanings in familiar stories. The segment on <i>Neverending Story</i>, in particular, really makes you think.</div>
<br /></div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dBsoRKNIOIM" width="560"></iframe></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-88710086942851033342019-04-08T16:19:00.000-04:002019-04-08T16:27:04.787-04:00The History of Myst...it's a Myst-Ory (I'm sorry. I had to.)Back in high school, my friend Sara and I spent many a weekend crowded around her PC exploring the intrigue of Myst. We also spent a lot of time reenacting Tom Baker episodes of Dr. Who. Needless to say...we were <i>pretty</i> cool.<br />
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When I stumbled across this video yesterday, it made for an excellent, engaging Sunday watch. Definitely a time capsule worth opening.<br />
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Did you play? Do you miss it? What do you hope <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CyanGames/" target="_blank">Cyan</a> tackles next?Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-80579093223857006712019-04-05T18:40:00.002-04:002023-01-30T11:42:04.945-05:00Kicking Around The Norway Pavilion at Epcot...in 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It starts with trolls and it ends with trolls, you guys. Prepare yourselves.<br />
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Hey, guess who was cleaning their Gmail account and found a million pictures from random travels? It was me. (You're a bad guesser if you didn't get that.) Enjoy a little tour of Epcot's Norway pavilion, by way of low res phone photos, from February 2017. That's right. It's your dream come true. I bet you feel like princess of the internet.<br />
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Let's begin with Exteriors, Exteriors, Exteriors: Live from Carnegie Hall!<br />
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This church and other churches like it have become a bit of a Pinterest fixation for me. Norway is definitely on my list of places to go. I knew a girl from Finland once. She was super nice and she brought us weird candy that had rum in it. Thanks, student exchange program.</div>
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Someday I want a grass covered-roof. </div>
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Hard cuts to a post-apocalyptic future wherein my roof is covered with grass due to rampant overgrowth and the world is overrun by zombies or warlords or zombie warlords and Jake points out that I said this and we remember and laugh and it freeze-frames. </div>
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And then the zombies come.</div>
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Hey, let's look at the church again!</div>
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And now, a beer. We deserve it for all that scary zombie talk.</div>
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch... </div>
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...blissfully empty. As ranches tend to be. Barring the odd tumbleweed. Stray horse. Roving sasquatch? I don't know what happens on ranches.</div>
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Those pretty little details though.</div>
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The Fjording. A new movie starring Tilda Swinton as an enchanted horse mother who discovers a magical white colt she must nurse back to health. </div>
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(I just made up the term "horse mother", I don't think it's a thing. I was picturing some kind of human guardian to a herd of wild horses. A flock of horses? A...a pack. Sure, guardian to a pack of wild horses.) </div>
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Even the windows are pretty.</div>
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Let's be creeps and look closer in the window.</div>
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And that's why we shouldn't be creeps. And now, for the never sleep again portion of our show.</div>
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Let's zoom back out again, shall we? Let's enjoy an empty Epcot. Because how often does that happen?</div>
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RIP Waterfall</div>
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But seriously. I'm a giant baby. I blame the childhood trauma that was <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7rg8C8w5ZY" target="_blank">Troll</a></i>, a 1986 movie featuring a character named Harry Potter. And Sonny Bono being turned into a plant. Yes. A plant. </div>
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Pleeeeeease watch it.</div>
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But I can't leave you with the trolls. It's too cruel. Let's look at some ride queue stuff.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mosabbh1Iec/XKfZu9mOvGI/AAAAAAAAIfg/CkEUfh99zfYj3U5E52OGOORHgotDahBCQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mosabbh1Iec/XKfZu9mOvGI/AAAAAAAAIfg/CkEUfh99zfYj3U5E52OGOORHgotDahBCQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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All dumb jokes aside, the Norway pavilion holds some of my most vivid childhood memories. I remember cool air, sweet candy, and roaring waves. I only went twice as a kid. Imagine that. Two days probably, but that's where the memories are concentrated. Strong enough to pull me back from time to time as an adult. Funny how that works, isn't it? </div>
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Is there anywhere specific that calls to you from childhood? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BornForGeekdom/" target="_blank">Come tell me about it.</a></div>
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Night, night!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iulRjhr3zcc/XKfai1AwllI/AAAAAAAAIf4/rGjy343st-oXyDHN_Y52KCWRo6LDFgICQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B6.44.59%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="356" height="366" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iulRjhr3zcc/XKfai1AwllI/AAAAAAAAIf4/rGjy343st-oXyDHN_Y52KCWRo6LDFgICQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B6.44.59%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-37703349392052978792019-04-05T14:47:00.001-04:002023-01-30T11:44:39.986-05:003 Radio Dramas to Listen To After Indiana Jones and the Bridge to Yesterday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcCAEQL7e0w/XKeecKL6wqI/AAAAAAAAIcA/S16x4fBa8oYVDOmr1TolHQRl2UEa-J7UQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.28.25%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1440" height="337" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcCAEQL7e0w/XKeecKL6wqI/AAAAAAAAIcA/S16x4fBa8oYVDOmr1TolHQRl2UEa-J7UQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.28.25%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and it's this fantastic live-action radio drama from <a href="http://theindycast.com/" target="_blank">IndyCast</a>. I originally saw the news <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheIndyCast/" target="_blank">via IndyCast on facebook</a>, but<a href="https://movieweb.com/indiana-jones-radio-drama-bridge-to-yesterday/?fbclid=IwAR253ZSLqL8CdnaCb9kxt627OryRCW10WpgaWBr7qmy_34-S0F3qjoQ73cc" target="_blank"> this post from MovieWeb</a> covers the news pretty well.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SNf80sFi63E" width="560"></iframe>
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Are you psyched? Will you listen? I may be listening right now. Are you a fan of radio dramas expanding on recognized properties? If so, scroll on my friends, scroll on.<br />
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1. As a very weird, but relevant bonus, I happened upon a Haunted Mansion radio drama via YouTube the other day. I was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-rxcYDGAw" target="_blank">listening to this</a> (it soothes my grumpy soul) and this auto-played afterward.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LBg0df_099A" width="560"></iframe></div>
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There's a long history of Haunted Mansion audio, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqFfQjXMWk" target="_blank">this record came out in 1969</a>, but I used to listen to it on the Haunted Mansion Live365 channel back in the day, you guys. Back. In. The. <i>Day.</i></div>
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2. Here's my favorite Sherlock Holmes to listen to as I go to sleep.</div>
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3. There's a particularly fantastic radio broadcast of <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> from 1981 that I really love. You may notice that's a young Ian Holm on the right. Nifty, eh? HIghly recommend you track this down.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-trEl_Jnnw3Y/XKehliMp7sI/AAAAAAAAIcQ/KXBioZ9T0GUWQZPcVLn7w2wu5OU-SUtcACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.40.23%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1174" height="291" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-trEl_Jnnw3Y/XKehliMp7sI/AAAAAAAAIcQ/KXBioZ9T0GUWQZPcVLn7w2wu5OU-SUtcACLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.40.23%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44B1LPJAGvU/XKehle5oRbI/AAAAAAAAIcM/PwGBZ5FR89QQUdUnhkyY8-NlBs8sZ0HMwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.40.55%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1156" height="293" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-44B1LPJAGvU/XKehle5oRbI/AAAAAAAAIcM/PwGBZ5FR89QQUdUnhkyY8-NlBs8sZ0HMwCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-04-05%2Bat%2B2.40.55%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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3.1 Oh, and I also recommend you track down the original BBC Hobbit recordings. </div></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-1530262940495422062019-03-29T13:53:00.000-04:002019-03-29T13:53:39.646-04:00Have you listened to Jonathan Coulton's album of soft rock covers yet?I have. So soothing, you guys. So soothing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.jonathancoulton.com/2019/01/09/new-album-some-guys/" target="_blank">G</a><a href="https://www.jonathancoulton.com/2019/01/09/new-album-some-guys/" target="_blank">ET IT HERE</a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wrjxm6bonuA/XJ5bRi27NOI/AAAAAAAAIbk/ZVyFE6NiNsgLhxiCIIeFSfOTzexHndC_wCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-29%2Bat%2B1.51.39%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="784" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wrjxm6bonuA/XJ5bRi27NOI/AAAAAAAAIbk/ZVyFE6NiNsgLhxiCIIeFSfOTzexHndC_wCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-29%2Bat%2B1.51.39%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-48238215507613608032019-03-27T01:53:00.000-04:002019-03-27T01:53:08.558-04:00This Private Italian Island For Sale Went ViralYes, <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/news/buy-your-own-italian-paradise-island-from-1-1-million" target="_blank">your own private Italian island</a>. If you'll excuse me...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFUkemWhfB4/XJsOsAoMuBI/AAAAAAAAIbE/psEQKRpIU4k0RMLfyrdYkXHMaZmIW7QaQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-27%2Bat%2B12.46.42%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="1250" height="270" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFUkemWhfB4/XJsOsAoMuBI/AAAAAAAAIbE/psEQKRpIU4k0RMLfyrdYkXHMaZmIW7QaQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-27%2Bat%2B12.46.42%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perpetually exhausted Eleanor Zissou is eminently relatable.</td></tr>
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I'd settle for my own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5F3PHvnQAQ" target="_blank">private Idaho</a>. I'd settle very much, thank you. Also, look at this gorgeous poster by <a href="https://jaygordondraws.com/" target="_blank">Jay Gordon</a> for <i>The Life Aquatic</i>. I found it by accident while unsuccessfully searching for a still of Eleanor arriving to save the day in her rescue boat. (Why don't more of you internet people want to see that image?!)<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NJOW5JyMEq8/XJsPQz-G--I/AAAAAAAAIbM/NTHgp63PV8QXQljl7CsfhJ6Rv4oia321wCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-27%2Bat%2B12.47.50%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="558" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NJOW5JyMEq8/XJsPQz-G--I/AAAAAAAAIbM/NTHgp63PV8QXQljl7CsfhJ6Rv4oia321wCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-27%2Bat%2B12.47.50%2BAM.png" width="422" /></a></div>
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You should get a poster. Go on, you deserve it.Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-41921517976908765752019-03-21T11:35:00.001-04:002019-03-21T12:19:30.773-04:00Bill and Ted 3 is Officially Official. For REAL this time. (also, come take a stroll down production company logo lane)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bornforgeekdom.net/2010/09/bill-and-ted-ride-again.html" target="_blank">I've been waiting for this since 2010.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BillAndTed3/" target="_blank">Follow all the latest updates on the film's official Facebook page.</a><br />
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P.S. Isn't it a lovely thrill to see the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdRxnZPNFa8" target="_blank">Orion logo</a>? I associate it with the movie <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqXoi878M4" target="_blank">Dirty Rotten Scoundrels</a></i>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wMLPzTvA9A" target="_blank">Columbia Pictures</a> is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vntAEVjPBzQ" target="_blank">Ghostbusters</a></i> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWNwxaxyDYM" target="_blank">TriStar Pictures</a> is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1SV7I2lw2g" target="_blank">The Muppets Take Manhattan</a></i>.</div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-49786020634778039682019-03-17T22:45:00.001-04:002019-03-18T22:45:11.300-04:00Happy St. Patrick's Day<div style="text-align: center;">
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-36478610764127546192019-03-17T18:21:00.005-04:002023-02-04T19:25:20.173-05:00The Bollywood Detective Musical You've Been Missing - Jagga Jassoos<div class="p1">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84bvIjx0rAo/XI6-5cECH5I/AAAAAAAAIV0/t-b8zmv4bgohHeI6Ra6lu1fJtrlM8zLFwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B5.40.35%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1458" height="352" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84bvIjx0rAo/XI6-5cECH5I/AAAAAAAAIV0/t-b8zmv4bgohHeI6Ra6lu1fJtrlM8zLFwCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B5.40.35%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love foreign film. Or as it's called in the originating country of each movie...film. I've waxed quixotic about the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4yXBIigZbg" target="_blank">unsettling Swedish genius of Ingmar Bergman</a> and the vulnerable, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89oN8v7RdY" target="_blank">gut-wrenching glory of Francois Truffaut</a>. Movies from Norway like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM" target="_blank"><i>Troll Hunter</i></a> and New Zealand's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji8Tsuj3u0c&t=3s" target="_blank"><i>Housebound</i></a> blew my mind. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HRTy26s4hw" target="_blank"><i>The Host</i> </a>has one of the greatest scenes in modern movie history.<br />
<br />I grew up watching all the old Godzilla movies with my oldest sister...without subtitles. I just love movies. Where they come from is irrelevant to me.<br />
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But the Indian cinema affectionately dubbed "Bollywood" is what I return to most frequently. Anything lost in translation because of cultural differences only adds to the anesthetic effect of the world's most beautiful films. They remove you from your life so thoroughly, <i>so</i> pleasantly.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="p1"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T9qsbd_r0VA/XI7FLW6WkzI/AAAAAAAAIWA/HSljg1Wi9Vgz7tnmFp2cd9MVBOmAZODFgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B6.07.23%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1422" height="175" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T9qsbd_r0VA/XI7FLW6WkzI/AAAAAAAAIWA/HSljg1Wi9Vgz7tnmFp2cd9MVBOmAZODFgCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B6.07.23%2BPM.png" width="320" /></i></a><br /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We meet Jagga the day his father adopts him. Their bond is immediate and touching.</i></td></tr>
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That said, I want to recommend <i>Jagga Jassoos</i> on Netflix, a Disney-backed musical mystery (Yep. A musical MYSTERY.) situated around a clever conceit. The lead character, Jagga, lives with a stutter but can sing freely. Hence the musical format.<br />
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It's a film that's quirky, at times inscrutable, visually stunning, and highly rewarding.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If you like <i>Amelie</i> or any of Wes Anderson's films, this movie is for you. Please know that you'll need one or two rewatches. So many people go into international movies expecting ultimate clarity. But it's okay to be confused sometimes. Bewildered, even. Rewatches help.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> They're good for your brain. Says who? Me. A brain scientist.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WC-qieSH_m8/XI7IPgxoEYI/AAAAAAAAIWM/I_VNWUdCd4YdIrqOHpxbA0ert1YJh6rjwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B6.20.32%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1390" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WC-qieSH_m8/XI7IPgxoEYI/AAAAAAAAIWM/I_VNWUdCd4YdIrqOHpxbA0ert1YJh6rjwCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-17%2Bat%2B6.20.32%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brain science!</td></tr>
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Just watch <i>Jagga Jassoos</i> with an open mind and an open heart. Please?</div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space">Anyway, about the lead character, Jagga. Anyone who lives with a quality or four that makes them different knows that uniqueness tends to push you toward the fringe and the fringe is where you develop expertise. In Jagga's case, he's become an observational mastermind. A detective, albeit an unofficial one.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span> <span class="Apple-converted-space">I want to zoom in on two musical numbers and discuss how they demonstrate the film's refreshing sincerity. Here's the first.</span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nt_vxUwAbKA" width="560"></iframe> </div>
<span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span><span class="Apple-converted-space">This song takes place halfway through the movie. Jagga has already been on a major adventure with our heroine, a journalist named Shruti. Shruti was following leads and trying to solve the murder of a murdered colleague, which led her to Jagga's hometown. Jagga helped Shruti escape safely after she got a little too close to danger.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span> <span class="Apple-converted-space">After this, he tries to get back to his regular life. But he can't get the tenacious, clumsy writer off his mind. So, he leaves town to go and find her. </span>Upon arriving at Shruti's apartment, he discovers a party.<br />
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During the celebration (and this song) he's glancing around and gathering clues. He realizes the slain journalist was Shruti's boyfriend and this party is a celebration of his birthday, making it something of a funeral. The main chorus, <a href="http://www.bollynook.com/en/lyrics/20522/khaana-khaake/" target="_blank">in English, translates to</a>:<br />
<span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span><i> They left</i><br />
<i>They all ate food, drank alcohol, and left</i><br />
<i>They left, they left</i><br />
<br />The song is filled with slightly inebriated party guests that works on a literal level. But it's also about a group of people trying to deal with the overall concept of grief and loss on a grand scale. It lends a lot of extra significance to the line, "They left, they left," if you read it that way.<br />
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Even the small bit of choreography showcases intentional awkwardness-the goofiness of being human. The dancers form a conga line, symbolizing how everyone goes the same way in life. Some of the funnier facial expressions played for comedic effect could be seen as looks of fear if you press pause.<br />
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The performance of lead actor Ranbir Kapoor communicates intense compassion and sensitivity as he realizes what's unfolding around him. The bridge of the song leaves no doubt as to the intention. <a href="http://www.bollynook.com/en/lyrics/20522/khaana-khaake/" target="_blank">Translated into English, it means</a>:<br />
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<span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ke Life Ki Simple Si Philosophy Yeh Jaan Lo</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />This is the simple philosophy of life</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hum Yahaan Do Din Ke Mehmaan Hai Yeh Maan Lo</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />We are just guests here(in this world) for a couple of days</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Non-Stop Ek Party Hai</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />It’s a non-stop party</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jahaan Sabko Aana Hai</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />Everyone has to come here</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px;">I Agree!</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Aur Khaana Khaake Daru Peeke Chale Jana Hai</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />And one has to leave after eating food and drinking alcohol</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Khaana Khaake Daru Peeke Chale Jana Hai</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />One has to leave after eating food and drinking alcohol</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeena Toh Unhi Ka Jeena Kehlaya</span><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px;"> (x2)</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />The correct way of living is indicated by those people</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jo Bhi Bina Chu-Cha Karke</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />Who didn’t argue/hesitate at all</strong><span face=""ubuntu" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: red; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Khaake Peeke Chale Gaye, Chale Gaye</span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />Just ate and drank and left</strong></div>
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It helps to have context, to know just how different this movie is from the standard big-budget musical, which never lost momentum in India like it did here in America. For the record, I'm a fan of the gigantic, glossy productions that regularly release there.<br />
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Here's a good example of the massive scale of some of these movies. This is the grand finale of 2014's <i>Happy New Year:</i><br />
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Just like any other country, India has movies of every genre. Another favorite of mine was 2015's independent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIdxxvph-Vw" target="_blank"><i>Angry Indian Goddesses</i></a>. It takes, "I am Spartacus," to beautiful new levels of relevancy. Highly recommend, but back to the matter at hand.<br />
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In <i>Jagga Jassoos,</i> each musical number advances the plot. Average-looking people from every age group are featured throughout the movie and given places of significance in musical numbers. The actors aren't wearing elaborate costumes. The dances aren't always slick or perfect.<br />
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In fact, some of the moves reflect Bob Fosse in their intentionally awkward configurations. The entire movie is a celebration of connections and bonds. The musical numbers reflect that intimacy in both scale and symbolism.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a famous Fosse number, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcrZIK3gqbU" target="_blank">Rich Man's Frug </a>from <i>Sweet Charity</i>. Here's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIiZuAVZH4w" target="_blank">another one</a> from <i>Damn Yankees</i>. True story, I attempted the second one for my sixth-grade talent show and my best friend Shannon actually did it with me. We...did not win. </td></tr>
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What do I mean by awkward? Well, I mean it in a good way, a modern contemporary dance way. Check out a couple samples in the caption above before you watch the next number below, <i>Ullu Ka Pattha, </i>for an example. Here, our main characters are searching for Jagga's long-lost father across Africa while also dealing with their growing, confusing feelings for each other.<br />
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The dance is joyful but jarring, just like falling in love.<br />
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I'm sorry to tell you this movie didn't do well in India. But I love it. Truly, madly, deeply. I tend to absolutely cherish the movies audiences in India are currently rejecting. I can't explain it. <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h--itzp_dVo" target="_blank">Thugs of Hindostan</a></i>? Adored its extensive treatise on colonialism. <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSAcPWuXBOY" target="_blank">Jab Harry Met Sejal</a></i>? I thought it was a feminist masterpiece making a sincere effort at a progressive plot and a modern love story. </div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space">The thing about art that reaches into your heart and squeezes is, it reminds you of who you really are. It holds up a mirror. Great film teaches us about its subjects. But humans are innately self-centered, so they also teach us about ourselves. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space"><i>Jagga Jassoos</i> is a movie about a well-meaning weirdo who lives just to the left of society. He finds a way to retain his unique sense of self while helping others with his gifts and talents. He sings and dances his feelings. </span>But maybe that's just what I want to see. Maybe he's who I wish I could be. And that's okay because great art should also push us to reach our potential and follow our feelings.<br />
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Watch it and tell me what you see. Two of the best musical numbers can't even be found on YouTube right now, so the movie still holds plenty of surprises. But how about one more for the road?<br />
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Here's <i>Galti Se Mistake</i>, a number ostensibly about puberty and the exuberance, self-consciousness, and the inevitable failure of first love. It's weird. You'll love it.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Kinda...Chaplinesque in its movement, don't you think?</span></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-65565789581082392222019-03-17T17:09:00.001-04:002023-01-31T12:44:37.044-05:00What We Do in the Shadows is coming to TV<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're a fan <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn__CFBgLEk" target="_blank">of the movie</a>, if you like magnificent weirdos, or if you're a human person of any kind, I sincerely think you're going to love this. It's <i>Spinal Tap </i>for the horror genre. I love it already. I pre-love it.<br />
<br />Check out the trailer below:<br /><br /></div>
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I'd also like to encourage you to check out the New Zealand film and television scene in general.<br />
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Why?</div>
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<b>Because of this: </b>a quirky tv show with a heart of gold and Rhys Darby at the center.<br />
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<b>And this: </b>a horror comedy with a truly unpredictable twist and plenty of cringeworthy gore.<br />
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<b>And this:</b> an adventure comedy full of sincerity and Sam Neill. AND WHO DOESN'T NEED MORE SAM NEILL IN THEIR LIFE?<br />
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That's just the tip of the iceberg folks. There are the magnificent documentaries of David Farrier, the beautiful travel shows that go in-depth about the North and South islands, and so much more. </div>
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New Zealand is forever my number one dream destination. How about you?</div>
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Related Post: <a href="http://www.bornforgeekdom.net/2017/01/this-happened-aragorn-legolas-frodo.html?m=1" target="_blank"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Lord of the Rings Links: Plus, Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, Merry </span>and<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> Pippin Reunited and Why You Should Become a New Zealand Fangirl</span></a></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-41124426281943887102019-03-11T04:17:00.003-04:002023-01-30T12:22:45.719-05:00And now presenting...your GIF of the Week (3/11/18)Happy Monday, everyone.<br />
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plus, some relevant bonus material</div>
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-31401449474423106932019-02-28T11:10:00.002-05:002023-01-30T12:24:36.063-05:00When Captain Picard Met Sherlock Holmes (and Spock)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNVWoT_AJHKVjUzPB2pufNGU3WJ_63yQdwFddc5uxCogvMrqIg6_FHHbJoBoYIpaLGqkexlFIQoO2rDhJr9n3undqRz2mhKECKr8cQKtO1XXIpGcbVyLN261NuYWovCd6tPZkbjGrXidDfAFIkRxxo5u5TNUGdtyIf7cfupP3q9otOLUsUOrbddoe/s1458/elementary_dear_data_hd_190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1458" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNVWoT_AJHKVjUzPB2pufNGU3WJ_63yQdwFddc5uxCogvMrqIg6_FHHbJoBoYIpaLGqkexlFIQoO2rDhJr9n3undqRz2mhKECKr8cQKtO1XXIpGcbVyLN261NuYWovCd6tPZkbjGrXidDfAFIkRxxo5u5TNUGdtyIf7cfupP3q9otOLUsUOrbddoe/s320/elementary_dear_data_hd_190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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If you don't know Next Gen or Sherlock Holmes (from the books) this might feel like reading in a foreign language. Ancient Nerd, perhaps. It's wordy and old-timey. If you're not into that kind of thing, it's best you mosey along. We all know that Dr Moriarty met the crew of the NCC-1701-D. I always thought it was a shame that Holmes never got the chance. So I fixed it.<br />
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Actually, the first two parts of this can feel a bit claustrophobic. Internal monologues, <i>amirite</i>? Skip ahead to part 3 to get straight to some of those juxtapositional shenanigans only fanfic can provide. If you like nineties sci-fi, the original Sherlock Holmes, or gathering intel with which to mock me, by all means, continue...</div>
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<b>The Game's Afoot</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It took Holmes a mere matter of minutes to realize he was not at all in London. A feeling of too much familiarity had sprung that trap upon waking. Yes, it was 221 B Baker Street, indeed. The view from his window showed the old familiar sites. He heard the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. A delicate frost formed around the windowpanes, like always. It wasn’t that anything was wrong. It was that everything felt...too right.</span><br />
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To most people, the doldrums of existence are formed by the never-ceasing ebb and flow of daily routine. It was repetition that wore down their observational capabilities. For Holmes, whose microscopic insight constantly took note of the world around him, sameness did not exist. There was too much constant variation for that to be possible. He may drink the same type of tea every day, but that didn't mean it was the same cup. Each day the portion was slightly altered, the amount of water it steeped in differed, the condition of the china itself changed by wash or wear.<br />
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Every moment of every day differed from the next. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Only those dreaded days without a problem to solve gave him an experience remotely like routine. That’s what he was, a problem-solver, <i>n</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ot</i> a mystery man. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">How he longed for life before notoriety. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">He dreaded, no, loathed the very word “mystery”. That trumped-up frippery, that linguistic sleight of hand done by newspapermen to lull the masses into behaving themselves. As long as the headlines shouted mystery, they went about their day, satisfied not to mention the many personal injustices they faced that very hour. Entertained into submission. </span><br />
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Holmes shut his eyes and searched his mind. He found dark and unfamiliar thoughts. Too emotional. It was almost as if…perhaps he spent too much time studying the mental health (or lack thereof) of the bothersome Dr. Moriarty. Bothersome. Another theatrical word. Not like him at all.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Holmes’ mind was musical. Each day created a new rhythm. The familiar melody of London was always there. But the melody this morning was identical to yesterday, and the day before. The same shouts and echoes, the same wheels on cobblestone. All in the same order. Just as a needle skipped a record, the patterns all around him repeated despite the interruption of him noticing. And if they were always the same, why did he notice today?<o:p></o:p><br />
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He heard the bell ring downstairs. Moments later, Mrs. Hudson knocked on his door. Sherlock simply replied, “Not now.” He heard her shuffle the good doctor away, mumbling some muffled self-conscious explanation. He knew instantly that it was his new lodger come to inspect the rooms. Dr. Watson was his name.<br />
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<i>That’s</i> why this day was familiar. He’d lived it before. All of it. How was it possible to lament his newfound fame when he had not yet achieved it? How did he know Watson would make him a public figure if it hadn’t happened yet? Holmes stood by the door, unmoving, for minutes.<o:p></o:p><br />
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He hypothesized aloud, “What if life is indeed cyclical, performed in some manner of routine? Shakespeare himself said, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.’ How do the players know they play?”<o:p></o:p><br />
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He lit a pipe and paced for an hour. He thought of a zoetrope. He pondered Descartes. He remembered a trifle he once ate. His mind was tacitly gathering the gossamer threads of a conclusion. He only needed to wait. To think. To smoke. They would come together.<br />
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<b><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Maybe H.G. Wells Was Onto Something</b></b></div>
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Hours later, several experiments later, he discovered an invisible doorway. It was three a.m. London time when he walked through with no thought for his personal safety. It lead to a mysterious corridor, brightly lit and sparsely furnished. He perceived the hum of some great and distant engine. It sounded like an electronic ocean. The thrum pulsed through the soles of his shoes. He found it strangely soothing.<br />
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He concluded that this was some type of giant military machine. He felt he was in the belly of a seemingly docile beast. A ship sailing a smooth sea, perhaps.<o:p></o:p><br />
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He encountered two of her officers in the corridor. They asked some questions, escorted him away, and told him to wait. Before they left the room, the officers touched a bit of shiny metal affixed their left pectoral muscle and spoke to the air, which then spoke back. It was a sophisticated communication system, indeed.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Holmes now stood in what appeared to be a war room. There was a long table and many chairs. The décor was Spartan, beige carpeted floors and walls. But then, there was the view from the long thin window that spanned the length of the room. It was the night sky, but not as Holmes had ever seen it before. There was depth and dimension as if he were suspended in the very ether of existence.<br />
<br />
“All a stage indeed,” he mused aloud. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
At the word stage, Holmes was reminded of a cheap cabaret. He once chased a thief into the small, dark theater. On the creaking wooden stage, there sat an ample songstress, perched atop a wooden cutout of a waning moon. At the time, he thought it a tacky and preposterous display. He almost cracked a smile, seeing his own hawk-like expression reflected in the glass window. No frost gathered there. He tapped it lightly.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-indent: 0.5in;">3</b></div>
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The General</b></b></div>
<b> </b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Just then, a whooshing sound, the same one he heard the first time he cracked the code of the invisible doorway. It was a motor, no doubt about it, used to propel the doors open and closed. He was meant to panic upon this discovery. That was evident in the faces of the crew he surprised. In place of panic, all he felt instead was a wash of satisfaction. The warmth of knowing it would be a long time before he faced his dreaded enemy again. Yes, boredom was now a distant foe. Holmes spun on his heels to greet the strangers.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“Mr. Holmes,” said a bald man in the Queen’s English as he walked around the table and extended a hand, “I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance.” Holmes glanced at the man’s hand and extended his own for a firm shake.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“I trust I am not too far from the Queen’s country after all.” Holmes kept his signature cool, but his mind was working a mile a minute. Faster than anyone could discern, beneath his icy pallor and steely gray eyes, his mind churned over possibilities and probabilities.<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apparently, our colonies extend further than I realized, </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he thought.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Before me stands the distinguished head of a militaristic regime. Most definitely ours. Perhaps he's a general. </i><br />
<br />
Holmes deduced this by the small pips on the collar of his burgundy uniform, signifiers of rank for sure. The general was accompanied by two people in different uniforms. They stood behind him, in a mute state of respect.<o:p></o:p><br />
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One was a woman in purple with long dark hair, who seemed to be returning Holmes’ thorough and silent assessment. The general glanced at her quickly; she nodded at him, then smiled gently. The general took a deep breath and nodded back. Their familiarity and comfort were unmistakable.<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ah, then he is a good leader.</i><o:p></o:p><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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The other had deformed ears. They drew into a sharp point. He had a strange way of wearing his dark straight hair, short with a blunt fringe across the forehead. Holmes instinctively looked to his right to impart an observation to Watson. Oh, but they hadn’t met. Yet. That’s right. He glanced at the empty space where Watson should be; confounded once again by memories of a future companion. The intellectual noise was enough to drive him to distraction. Almost.<o:p></o:p><br />
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“Indeed, you are very far from London Mr. Holmes. I am Captain Picard. This is Ambassador Spock and Counselor Deanna Troi. I’ll be happy to explain everything to you. Please, have a seat.” The Captain gestured toward a chair with strength and reason. He seemed to be perfectly calm, even at the physiological level. Holmes, however, was not.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain. Not general.</i><br />
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Holmes' eyes were beginning to light, the way they did anytime he was presented with a pleasant quandary. He knew that whatever details were about to follow would surely be fascinating. Everyone took a seat.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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Holmes didn’t waste a moment. He settled into his chair, “I’m grateful for the hospitality Captain, but your explanations won’t be necessary.” The Captain looked puzzled. Counselor Troi looked amused. Mr. Spock did not display any feeling at all. “I’ve worked up quite a hypothesis, and the events leading up until this moment have told me all that I need to know. Would you like me to explain?”<o:p></o:p><br />
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Before the Captain could speak, the man with the pointy ears interrupted, “Mr. Holmes, your reputation precedes you. Your intellect is well-known to all of us, in particular to me. Because you lack context, what you may not have discerned for yourself is that I am, in effect, your descendant.”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This is not possible,” Holmes said as he leaned in eager to make the correction. “I am a player. Shakespeare was more correct than I'd ever imagined. If, in fact, he is not just one of the many Matryoshka dolls that lie within my own stage. If you take my meaning.” Holmes tapped a finger on his left temple.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Picard also leaned forward, “I’m happy to report that William Shakespeare was real. As are you, now." He emphasized on the now. "We’ve had some glitches in our holodeck…our stage, as of late. You may be here because the presence of Ambassador Spock has led another, formerly dormant player…”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Moriarty.” Holmes settled back in his chair, determined to pay attention without interrupting this time. He had never met a single person who could match his intellect, now he was surrounded by a roomful of like minds. He needed to exercise restraint, both for the sake of dignity and gathering information.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Spock began again, “It is possible, in a way you have not considered Mr. Holmes. I am a descendant of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” Spock detected the shift in Holmes’ focus, directly to the tips of his ears. “On my mother’s side.”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ah,” Holmes nodded with excited approval.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Spock continued, “Perhaps this phrase will seem familiar to you, ‘If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains however improbable, must be the truth.’”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
For only the second time in his life, Holmes was completely bewildered. Not since he stood before the empty safe of Irene Adler, had he felt so utterly and pleasantly confounded. Holmes mustered two questions, “Please tell me how you know my very personal philosophy?” and “Who is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?”</div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-10232995061366214972019-02-28T09:44:00.004-05:002019-03-11T04:57:06.668-04:00Spaceship LibrarianHere's a five-page preview of a comic it's only taken me four years to make. I'm...you guys...I'm slow.<br />
<br />
<b>Story: </b>Yours Truly<br />
<b>Art:</b> Jen Hersey<br />
<b>Lettering: </b>Justin Birch<br />
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<span id="goog_1812226981"></span><span id="goog_1812226982"></span>P.S. Jen has a really great webcomic of her own titled <a href="https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_Sideshow/5575400/" target="_blank">The Sideshow</a>. Definitely check it out!</div>
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Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-57161191984982610262019-02-27T21:54:00.003-05:002019-03-11T03:20:48.455-04:001414<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;">Story: </b><span style="text-align: start;">Yours Truly</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><b style="text-align: start;">Art:</b><span style="text-align: start;"> Javi Laparra</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><b style="text-align: start;">Lettering: </b><span style="text-align: start;">Justin Birch</span></div>
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<br />Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-37476565248240789182018-12-31T18:24:00.004-05:002023-01-30T12:26:07.777-05:003 Movies to Watch When You're Done with Black Mirror's Bandersnatch.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So. Bandsersnatch. Here are two weird things that immediately preceded our viewing:<br />
<br />
1. In an attempt to reach sixty blogs for 2018, I combed through old, unfinished drafts. One was about fan theories, specifically, <a href="http://www.bornforgeekdom.net/2018/12/3-things-i-still-love-fan-theories.html" target="_blank">about LOST being a psychological experiment</a>.<br />
<br />
2. My sister showed my best friend her favorite episode of <i>Black Mirror</i> titled <i>Play Test</i>. Which is thematically relevant, to say the least. I also talked to them about how true to the simulations industry and scenario design the episode really is. If I were insane, this would be a bad time to be...well...insane.<br />
<br />
Luckily, I'm not. First, I'll share my favorite ending. Then, I'll give you three movies to cleanse your palate of the Black Mirrory-ness of it all.<br />
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We enjoyed several endings, none of which I will ruin for you here. After trying several variations of choices, I chose to end my experience with the "Do you want more action?" ending. Not only is it true to the era of the story, but it's also funny and self-aware. Two of my very most favorite things, especially when they're thrown together. If you need a palate-cleanser...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Here are 3 Movies to Watch When You're Done with Black Mirror's Bandersnatch</b><br />
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They'll take you back to the real 80's and put you in a great mood.</div>
<b><br /></b> <b>1. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zet7g8AifJs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>2. Atari: Game Over</b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4wjMn6yjOjQ" width="560"></iframe><b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>3. Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made</b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bZvtyqwHhoQ" width="560"></iframe><b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">Remember when the world was simple? When the Thompson Twins were new? When Indiana Jones was young? When you could go to Jennifer and Kimberly's house and play Donkey Kong and Pong? When you were connected to the world around you and the summer smell of freshly mowed lawns left you to adventure in your imaginations instead of the internet on a tiny box phone? </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">Okay, Audrey. Oddly specific. I guess Bandersnatch messed with my</span><span style="text-align: center;"> head, shifted me firmly into Nostalgia mode. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Anyway. Music played an integral part in Bandersnatch, yes? Here's another movie moment for you that made excellent use of an 80's song. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qsyfGwlf_l0" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Where's your head after Bandersnatch? Are you feeling any better yet? </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">P.S. Happy New Year!</span></div>
Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3389597417861370711.post-16325848681331521292018-12-31T16:47:00.001-05:002023-01-30T12:27:06.333-05:003 Things I Still Love: Fan Theories1. <b>Toby is the Scranton Strangler</b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_BO5dIAgmEo" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Related:</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YId_6G-YLpQ" target="_blank">Michael Scott is the all-time greatest.</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
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2. <b>The Whedon-verse is all connected</b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GzGTOizEkW8" width="560"></iframe><b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<b>Related: </b>There was almost an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bnbxP6HHMY" target="_blank">animated Buffy series this famous fan opening by the talented Stephen Byrne</a> gave us a taste. And there's a<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=unified+pixar+theory" target="_blank"> unified Pixar theory </a>too.<br /><br />
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3. <b>LOST was a psychological experiment. A simulation designed to see how humans would perform and behave outside of their normal environments. How susceptible would they be to the power of suggestion? And so on and so forth.</b><br />
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Of course, the video explaining the theory is gone. So I'll explain. Briefly. This excellent theory claimed origination from cast and crew who worked on season one. No proof was offered. But all the dots connected story-wise. That is, until the series was so successful, it needed to be extended and milked for all it was worth. Along with J.J. Abrams famous "mystery box" philosophy at the heart of the series.<div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br />
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<b>Among other ideas, the psychological experiment theory claimed:</b><br />
<br />
<b>1. </b>the plane crash was a simulation<br />
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<b>2. </b>actors were planted within the group of survivors (John Locke was one.)<br />
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<b>3.</b> this is why there were animals on the island beforehand, specifically animals anachronistic to the physical environment, hence the polar bear<br />
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<b>4.</b> the time travel wasn't real, the controllers just wanted to see if they could get people to accept extremely unlikely circumstances as part of the experiment<br />
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There have been countless fan theories, but this is my favorite. The simplicity of it makes sense. It explains the plot holes, the numbers, the significantly named characters, and why things went off the rails story-wise in such non-specific and confusing ways as TV networks knew they had a gold mine to keep...well, mining.<br />
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I personally thought God (Jacob) and the Devil (the man in black) had been fighting over mankind's right to exist. In my mind, they were going seven rounds and this was the seventh and final, which is why it was so important.<br />
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But back to my theory. Because what kind of writer would I be if I didn't arrogantly assert my own theory?<br />
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Each time humanity failed to prove their goodness, God restarted the world. Hence the four-toed statue, as evidence of one of the failed past civilizations. I thought many of the selfless acts of sacrifice, and the many ways people changed for the better, would help Jacob win the final round, allowing the Earth and humanity to continue existing.<br />
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<b>Related:</b> My embarrassing TV rants have gotten some of my highest hit counts ever. Here's the tantrum I threw the day after LOST ended, my Medium finale reaction, and my Magnum P.I. rant.</div>Audrey Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14742630062459491436noreply@blogger.com