Things I learned in 2008:
Health insurance isn't worth having if they refuse to pay for anything and everything.
People like to hide behind your vehicle when you're backing out of parking spaces at Target.
Hulu is awesome! You can watch all sorts of things on there legally. It's wonderful.
Twilight isn't as evil as I thought it would be. However, it is not a literary classic. If you think it is a literary classic, I suggest you visit a library or bookstore more frequently. Also, the movie is quite fun.
Our president-elect inspires hope in many people of various backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, and beliefs.
Dr. Horrible has a Ph.D. in Horribleness. He is truly very horrible and very awesome at the same time.
I can navigate myself through airports and travel on my own! Who knew?
Jason Mraz sounds even better when you travel ten hours to see him perform live.
Having a job can be both a blessing and a giant nuisance.
Living in a house that is in a safe neighborhood is mucho better than living in a duplex in a semi-slightly-scary neighborhood.
Brooklyn is a wonderful place to visit.
I have way too much music and I keep acquiring more music. It's a disease.
Governor Blagojevich is an arrogant fool.
When going to Nashville, it is imperative to pay attention to the highway signage in Little Rock. Otherwise, you'll end up in rice fields. And rice fields can be scary.
I am a very good house finder.
The Olympics are super fun. The summer Olympics are far superior to the winter Olympics. Also, Michael Phelps is fan-freakin'-tastic.
It is quite comical to throw one's shoes at a foe, especially if the foe is the President of the United States.
Jim proposed to Pam! Also, do not cross Phyllis.
Wisdom teeth do not carry wisdom and are extremely painful to have removed, especially when they're yanked from your jaw while you're still awake and can hear the pliers hitting your other teeth.
Natalies are good things to have around.
When regular people are drowning in their debt, they file bankruptcy. When companies and corporations have financial trouble, the government gives them taxpayer money to continue making stupid financial decisions.
There must be something in the water because most people I know either got married, had a baby, or are currently pregnant or engaged. Good thing my water is filtered. ;)
Amy Poehler + Seth Meyers = Pure genius.
ETA: Also, Tina Fey is amazing and freakin' hilarious. Someone awesome reminded me that watching Tina Fey as Sarah Palin was one of the best things to come out of the election. Thanks, Amb!
Wednesday, December 31
Saturday, December 6
Twilighting
The Twilight saga is kind of something you can't ignore at this point. The fan response to the book series and the movie is unbelievably overwhelming. And I try to stay away from things that garner such a huge fan following. It is my experience that those things (books, television series, etc) usually end up hurting the fans, whether intentional or not. Therefore, I had decided not to read the books.
But I became curious as to what the books were like. I mean, I'd heard people declare the books to be literary masterpieces. And while I was sure that they couldn't be masterpieces, I thought it was prudent for me to read the books. When I started the first book, I hoped that I would not like the series. I knew that I wouldn't like the series.
However, I found out that Twilight wasn't bad. I actually liked it. It was not a literary masterpiece by any means, but it wasn't horrible. It was highly entertaining and I really enjoyed some of the characters. The writing bothered me stylistically in places, but it wasn't unbearable. The relationship between Bella and Edward reminded me a lot of the relationship between Max and Liz from the television series Roswell. I found myself very interested in the Cullen family and not a giant fan of Bella. She was okay, but I really found her to be irritating at times. I wanted to know more about the Cullens.
I eagerly tore into New Moon, only to face disappointment. I must clarify that the book wasn't horrible. It just... without going into too much detail, my favorite part of the series wasn't around enough for my liking. This made the book kind of tedious and boring for me. The end of the book was much better.
Eclipse was good from start to finish. It ended well and I was very pleased with the book. I have no complaints with book three.
And then, Breaking Dawn happened. For me, Stephenie Meyer's highly anticipated finale to the saga left much to be desired. Now, to be fair, the book started out okay. But things got pretty ridiculous incredibly fast. It was like reading some kind of crazy fan-fiction that was written by someone in the midst of an acid trip. Every page increased the level of absurdity and I came close to giving up the book altogether. But it killed me to stop reading a book after I'd fought my way through 370 pages. So, I kept reading. The book got a bit better, but it never reached the greatness of Twilight or Eclipse. In my opinion, I really think Meyer dropped the ball with Breaking Dawn. She should have ended the series with book three. The fourth book ruined the series for me.
This snippet from Entertainment Weekly's review of Breaking Dawn really sums up my feelings:
I suppose I'm glad that I read the series because now I understand the appeal. I just really wish that I had stopped reading at the end of Eclipse. The last book was just too much for me.
I realize that many do not share my views on the series and that is okay. These views are just my opinion and are not meant to deter people from reading the books. But I would recommend stopping after Eclipse. Of course, that decision is entirely up to the reader.
I have read the rough draft of Midnight Sun that Stephenie Meyer has posted on her website. It's good. In fact, I think I might like it better than Twilight because I like Edward and the Cullen family in general. They're very interesting. I hope that she decides to continue Midnight Sun soon.
But I became curious as to what the books were like. I mean, I'd heard people declare the books to be literary masterpieces. And while I was sure that they couldn't be masterpieces, I thought it was prudent for me to read the books. When I started the first book, I hoped that I would not like the series. I knew that I wouldn't like the series.
However, I found out that Twilight wasn't bad. I actually liked it. It was not a literary masterpiece by any means, but it wasn't horrible. It was highly entertaining and I really enjoyed some of the characters. The writing bothered me stylistically in places, but it wasn't unbearable. The relationship between Bella and Edward reminded me a lot of the relationship between Max and Liz from the television series Roswell. I found myself very interested in the Cullen family and not a giant fan of Bella. She was okay, but I really found her to be irritating at times. I wanted to know more about the Cullens.
I eagerly tore into New Moon, only to face disappointment. I must clarify that the book wasn't horrible. It just... without going into too much detail, my favorite part of the series wasn't around enough for my liking. This made the book kind of tedious and boring for me. The end of the book was much better.
Eclipse was good from start to finish. It ended well and I was very pleased with the book. I have no complaints with book three.
And then, Breaking Dawn happened. For me, Stephenie Meyer's highly anticipated finale to the saga left much to be desired. Now, to be fair, the book started out okay. But things got pretty ridiculous incredibly fast. It was like reading some kind of crazy fan-fiction that was written by someone in the midst of an acid trip. Every page increased the level of absurdity and I came close to giving up the book altogether. But it killed me to stop reading a book after I'd fought my way through 370 pages. So, I kept reading. The book got a bit better, but it never reached the greatness of Twilight or Eclipse. In my opinion, I really think Meyer dropped the ball with Breaking Dawn. She should have ended the series with book three. The fourth book ruined the series for me.
This snippet from Entertainment Weekly's review of Breaking Dawn really sums up my feelings:
Here's a third possibility: You whip through Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, then abruptly lose all patience with the franchise midway through Breaking Dawn, when Meyer takes her supernatural love story several bizarre steps too far.
I suppose I'm glad that I read the series because now I understand the appeal. I just really wish that I had stopped reading at the end of Eclipse. The last book was just too much for me.
I realize that many do not share my views on the series and that is okay. These views are just my opinion and are not meant to deter people from reading the books. But I would recommend stopping after Eclipse. Of course, that decision is entirely up to the reader.
I have read the rough draft of Midnight Sun that Stephenie Meyer has posted on her website. It's good. In fact, I think I might like it better than Twilight because I like Edward and the Cullen family in general. They're very interesting. I hope that she decides to continue Midnight Sun soon.
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