Moulin Rouge

I'm watching Moulin Rouge for the first time in like 5 years. I love this movie! Ewan McGregor is so cute in it. And while I don't normally love Nicole Kidman, I love her in this!

Review: Revolutionary Road

I left this movie with the overwhelming sensation that it was more than a movie. It was a statement. It was not where you go for entertainment. It was not "enjoyable." It was somber, it was gutwrenching and it was painful. But it accomplished what it was meant to. The book was written in 1961 for a generation that hid its pain behind the smiles at the dinner table. It cut to the heart of every lie and it opened wide the door to conversation and examination of the lies in your own life. Now here is the movie almost 50 years later, and it still applies. It still speaks to a generation that continues to hide its pain behind the facade.

Don't go see this if you're looking for a chick flick with a happy ending. Go see this if you are willing to examine what parts of your life or the lives of those around you mimic different pieces of the film. Maybe you're the wife who can't stifle the dream and desire for something more. Maybe you're the husband who is trying to provide, but fades into mediocrity. Maybe you're the man who is institutionalized because of your inability to censor the truth. Maybe you're the woman who puts on a smile and a dress and sweeps the secrets under the rug. Maybe you don't identify with any character, but you see a vivid reflection of pieces of American society.

No matter where you may be, there are aspects of this movie that you will find hit home. My friend Brooke thought that the fact that there are so many real people like the characters made the movie common and overrated. I respectfully disagree. I believe that the fact that there are so many people like April and Frank Wheeler is what made the movie relevant and heartbreaking. It spurs conversation. It forces an opinion. I heard strong opinions for and against it and I think they're both right. Because it's more than a movie. It's a statement. It's a conversation.

In terms of acting, directing, cinematography and atmosphere, I thought it was award-worthy, especially Kate Winslet. I think that Peter Travers at Rolling Stone captured the movie perfectly in his review.

Theater Releases 1/30/2009

I'm actually not excited about any of these, but here they are:

The Uninvited
Taken
New in Town
The Class (limited)

Choosing Vegetarianism as a Future Parent

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Lewis and I haven't eaten red meat since July. It's surprising how much I don't miss it. I thought that it would be really difficult for me to go without a cheeseburger or a steak or some Hamburger Helper every once in a while, but it's really not. I've replaced the meat in my chili with some extra beans and the meat in my spaghetti with spinach. It's much easier than it sounds, especially considering I really love vegetables. In terms of white meat, we try to eat organic as much as possible. We usually just don't eat white meat, but if there is no other option, we'll eat regular white meat.

Because my best friend has 2 little girls, I think about kids all the time. I am always thinking about what kind of mother I want to be and the ways I want to parent. Lewis and I have decided already that we don't want to give our kids red meat at all. If they choose to eat it on their own as they get older, that's their decision, but we won't serve it at home. We also want to do the organic white meat with them, but I've been reading about vegetarianism in terms of your children and it's definitely safe and healthy and it would be an option. I don't think we will ever make the switch to absolute vegetarianism, but we will be limiting our meat intake as much as possible.

If you are a parent or are just interested in general, Treehugger has a great post about Children and Vegetarianism. It even has a recipe!

Quotes for the Day

“A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations."
-Patricia Neal

"We read to know that we are not alone."
-CS Lewis

DVD Releases 1/27/2009

Most excited about:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Also released:
Fireproof
Open Season 2
Pride and Glory
Lakeview Terrace
RocknRolla

Quote for the Day

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."
-Martin Luther King Jr

Quote for the Day

“We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness."
-David Weatherford

Quotes for the Day

“Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits. The rebels.
The troublemakers. The round
pegs in the square holes - the
ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules and
they have no respect for
the status quo. You can praise
them, disagree with them,
quote them, disbelieve them,
glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing that you
can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things."
-Jack Kerouac

A Little Behind...

Since I blogged the SAG Awards all last night, I didn't get to do my posts for the week like I normally do. I always schedule ahead. So I'll have to post tonight!! Sorry!!

SAG Awards 2009: Final Post

So overall I was happy with those awards as well! I'm excited about the Oscars! I wonder whether they will follow the SAG winners or the Golden Globe winners!! Either way, get ready for my Oscar posts on February 22!! Those will not be behind, they will be liveblogged actually as they occur! Yay!!

Goodnight!

SAG Awards 2009: Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture

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Slumdog Millionaire

I absolutely love it that they won!! This movie was so good and if you haven't seen it, you really need to! Yay for all of them!!

SAG Awards 2009: Actor in a Leading Role

Sean Penn for Milk

That was also different than the Golden Globes. Now I'm really interested to see who wins at the Oscars!

SAG Awards 2009: Female Actor in a Leading Role

Meryl Streep for Doubt

That was fairly surprising! I'm glad she won! I think she's great!

SAG Awards 2009: Actor in a Supporting Role

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Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

I miss him.

SAG Awards so far...

I've been bored with the awards given out so far. I love the movies, I don't care quite as much about the tv, but here you go...

Male Actor in a Drama Series - Hugh Laurie for "House"
Female Actor in a Drama Series - Sally Field for "Brothers & Sisters"
Male Actor in a Comedy Series - Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock"
Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Tina Fey for "30 Rock"
Ensemble in a Drama Series - Mad Men
Ensemble in a Comedy Series - 30 Rock
Lifetime Achievement Award - James Earl Jones

SAG Awards 2009: Couples

Michael C. Hall & Jennifer Carpenter

Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick

Claire Danes & Hugh Dancy

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

Amy Poehler & Will Arnett

All images from accesshollywood.com

SAG Awards 2009: Actress in a Supporting Role

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Kate Winslet for The Reader

Of course, she won for this in the Golden Globes, too. She's fabulous.

SAG Awards 2009: 30 Rock

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Tina Fey won for Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin won for Best Actor in a Comedy Series
30 Rock won for Ensemble in a Comedy Series

I REALLY need to start watching this show!!

SAG Awards 2009: Mickey Rourke

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I swear he just tries to look bad. It's like he's trying to make a statement and that statment is, "look at how stupid I can look."

SAG Awards 2009: Kyra Sedgwick

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Kyra Sedgwick just presented an award to Alec Baldwin. I forgot to say that I think she looks fabulous all over tonight - dress, hair, all of it. She looks classy.

Finally watching...

Okay I've finally started the show and I'm like an hour and a half behind. I probably won't catch up, but I'll still enjoy it!

I love this beginning thing where they all go, "I'm an actor."

SAG Awards 2009: Freida Pinto

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I just think she's always beautiful, no matter what.

SAG Awards 2009: Angelina Jolie

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Okay, so the interview between Giuliana and Angelina Jolie was SO awkward. Giuliana jokes around with everyone else and Angelina acts like she's so above it all. Which she really is because she obviously cares more about interviews that speak about overseas issues rather than about movies. More celebrities could probably benefit from that sort of attitude.

SAG Awards 2009: Claire Danes

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I love Claire Danes' hair!! It's so pretty! I'm not quite as big a fan of the dress.

SAG Awards 2009: Jennifer Morrison

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I don't like Jennifer Morrison's dress. I don't think it's very flattering and I don't understand why people seem to be wearing dresses like this lately. Maybe it's just over my head.

SAG Awards 2009: America Ferrera

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I, again, am not obsessed with America Ferrera's dress. I didn't like the Golden Globes one and I don't really like this one either.

Red Carpet not so hot yet...

I'm 30 minutes into E!'s coverage of the Red Carpet and they haven't interviewed anyone I care about yet and I haven't seen any dresses that just floor me.

Just in case you're wondering who the SAG Award nominees are, click here!

SAG Awards 2009

So I'm liveblogging again, but I'm behind. It's 9:00 and I'm just now starting my DVR with the red carpet. Sorry! Oh well....here we go...

Movie Review: The Wrestler

Let me just say to begin that I had no interest in seeing this movie. I don't really like Mickey Rourke or wrestling, but as it continued to gain award nominations and then a win for Rourke at the Golden Globes, I just couldn't resist anymore. The final outcome: I was very pleasantly surprised. While I went into it expecting it to just be about an old, washed up wrestler, I quickly realized it was about so much more than that. It is actually, surprisingly, a beautifully crafted examination of three people searching for significance. Mickey Rourke plays a pro wrestler whose body is not really allowing him to do what it used to and whose soul finds no home or comfort outside of the ring. His family is the audience and his friends are the fans. Marisa Tomei plays a stripper who is also finding herself in a profession dominated by a younger generation. And Evan Rachel Wood plays Rourke's daughter who is broken by his absence in her life. While none of those things may sound particularly appealing to you, I would just say that they didn't to me either, but I found myself drawn to all of them. I cared about what was happening to them and I fought back tears in the end. It's strangely affecting and I definitely recommend it.

Subsidized Story Time 1/23/2009

One Supervisor: "I think that tenant you are evicting for non-payment is a drug dealer."

The other Supervisor: "Well, they're apparently not a very good drug dealer or they'd be able to pay their rent!"

Theater Releases 1/23/2009

Most excited about:

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Also being released:
The Dark Knight (re-release)
Inkheart
Killshot

Movie Blog Awards!

TotalFilm.com has started an annual Movie Blog Award with different categories ranging from major to horror to indie and more! I did go and vote on my favorites - and you should too! - but more than that, you should check out all the nominees!!

Major:
/Film
The Movie Blog
Screen Rant
First Showing
Twitch
Fan:
Jim Hill Media
The Hobbit Movie
Transformers Live
Twilight Movie News

Horror:
Hammer and Beyond
Fatally Yours
The Vault of Horror

Cult:
Cult Trailers
Cult Sirens
House of Self-Indulgence
Criterion Contraption
Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies

Hollywood:
Deadline Hollywood
Women and Hollywood
Perez Hilton

World/Indie:
LoveAsianCinema
European Films
Like Anna Karina's Sweater
Movie City Indie

Quote for the Day

"The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn."

-David Russell

Academy Award Nominees 2009!!!

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Now, while I realize that not everyone is quite as excited as I am, it's definitely cause for some excitement that they announced the nominees today!! Knowing what movies are nominated for Oscars each year lets you know some great suggestions of movies to go see! I've seen a lot of them already, I still have a small list that I need to see and that I plan on seeing before the Oscars air on February 22.

Here is the list of the nominees that I think most of you will be interested in. For the full list, click here.

Actor in a Leading Role:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actor in a Supporting Role:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Actress in a Leading Role:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - The Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Animated Feature Film:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-e

Directing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Music (Score):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-e

Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Writing (Original Screenplay):
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-e

Buffy Fan Video!

I love that Buffyfest does Fanvid Sundays! If you are a Buffy fan, you should definitely check it out!! This one is about Buffy specifically.

Movie News!

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The Arrested Development movie is on its way, but Michael Cera has yet to sign on! I hope he does! I wasn't obsessed with that show like a lot of people were, but I liked Michael Cera the best. Supposedly all the other main actors have signed on except for Cera.


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Ridley Scott is working on his new movie, Nottingham, a new take on the Robin Hood story. Sienna Miller was supposed to be playing Maid Marian, but now they're saying that she is not going to be playing the part anymore as Russell Crowe (Robin Hood) has not lost any of the weight he was supposed to lose, so she would make him look even bigger? I think that it's all silly. Either one of them would be fine in those parts and Ridley Scott is amazing anyway, so I'll be seeing it no matter what!

Trailer: The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria stars Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada). I always think she's really cute in movies and I think this looks okay! What do you think?

It's got a UK release date, but doesn't have a US deal yet.

Quotes for the Day

“When you look back on your life, it looks as though it were a plot, but when you are into it, it’s a mess: just one surprise after another. Then, later, you see it was perfect."
-Schopenhauer

"Years from now I won’t remember every day or the things that made us laugh so hard until our stomaches hurt, but I’ll always remember that you were the one that was there, always."
-Source

Bronchitis

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I'm home sick with Bronchitis.

Stupid cold weather sicknesses.

Eco T-Shirt Designs

TreeHugger posted a slideshow of 10 T-Shirt Designs That Do the Talking for You. I like some of them a lot! My favorite is above. I like the idea of cute t-shirts that say something about what you care about. I've posted about Ephraim clothing before and I even bought one of their t-shirts! Now check these out! The different brands from the slideshow are listed below with links.

Ban T-Shirts
Humanitaire
Cafe Press
Contempl8

Trailer: Fast & Furious

This looks much better than the first trailer I saw!! I'm WAY more excited than I was before!!

Quotes for the Day

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter."
-Lewis Carroll

President Barack Obama

I am excited about today and I am excited about Obama! It will not be easy - I don't think being the President has ever been expected to be easy - and it would have been incredibly difficult at this time no matter who was elected. I will be in prayer for Obama and for America just as I was for Bush and for America already.

Happy Inauguration Day!

Random Link

Just a random link for you while you are waiting for the inauguration to begin...

100 Terrific Mindhacks to Make the Most of Your Brain

(I found this here.)

The Open Table

I love this idea! Donald Miller started this project called The Open Table where different people are asked about their perspective on different aspects of Christianity or the church or God and are given the freedom to speak candidly about their thoughts. There will be a full DVD available soon and the full site will launch in Spring 2009, but right now there is a video and some more information on Donald Miller's blog.

It centers around 5 questions:
1. What did you think of God/Christians before you became a Christian?

2. When did you realize there was a dark or hard side to life?

3. When did you realize there was a dark or hard side to yourself?

4. What did it look like when God broke into your world?

5. What does your life look like now?

The first video is embedded below and you can check out the website by clicking this link: Join the Open Table.

Trailer: Crank 2: High Voltage

I actually really liked the first movie, so I'll be interested in seeing this one!

I always like Jason Statham! Do you want to see it??

Quote for the Day

“Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great."
-Orison Scott Marden

On Bush's last day in office...

Top 25 Bushisms of all Time

Bless his heart, he was not the best public speaker.

My favorites are:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."—Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."—Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000

"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."—U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 3, 2000

"Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness."—CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000

"They misunderestimated me."—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000


There's also a video at the link above.

DVD Releases 1/20/2009

Most excited about:

Repo! The Genetic Opera
I know it's weird, but they're showing it at midnight at theaters like they do Rocky Horror! So it's got to be fun!


Also being released:
Max Payne
I saw this in the theater - not the greatest, but not too bad! I always tend to like Mark Wahlberg things!

Moonlight: The Complete Series
My friend Tarla really wants me to watch this! I'll have to check it out.

City of Ember
Not super interested.

The Express
It's a football movie with Dennis Quaid. I'll probably rent it.

Saw V
I don't watch scary movies. Although Repo looks scary, but oh well.

Countdown to the SAG Awards!!

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The Screen Actor's Guild awards will be airing on Sunday, January 25! I'm very excited! I will be live-blogging the awards again! It actually paid off to live-blog the Golden Globes!

Click here for a complete list of the SAG Award Nominees!

The SAG awards are also going green this year!

And in other awards news...the Oscar presenters are being kept secret this year! That's strange because usually the list of presenters could attract more viewers! I guess we'll just have to wait and see how exciting it will be! We do know that Hugh Jackman is hosting!

Quotes for the Day

"To know you have enough is to be rich."

-Tao Te Ching

PostSecret 1/18/2008

PostSecret

From Wednesday's American Idol...Von Smith

I remember Fred showing me this video a couple of years ago and we totally loved this guy on YouTube! And then he auditioned for American Idol on Wednesday in Kansas City!!

Did anybody else see him on The View? Fred do you remember this???

I didn't like the song he sang in the American Idol audition, but this one is good!!

New in Theaters 1/16/2009

Most excited about: Defiance

I've been waiting for this!! Daniel Craig & Liev Shreiber! It looks great!


Also releasing this week:
My Bloody Valentine 3-D
This looks absolutely stupid plus it's a horror movie and I don't see them.

Notorious
It looks interesting because it's about Notorious B.I.G., but I'm still not really excited about it.

Hotel for Dogs
No way, never. Won't be seeing this.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I'll probably rent this one if people like it. I always tend to like Kevin James no matter what!

My American Idol Recap

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First off, I love the new judge!!

This is from Tuesday's episode because I'm behind. I promise that as the semester continues, I'll get into the flow and be able to post a little closer to the day it occurs. Either way, these were my faves and least faves:

I loved Stevie, Scott and the really nerdy guy!

I hated the bikini girl.

And my favorite awful one was the guy named Michael Grrrr or something like that! haha that's probably not really his last name, but it's how they pronounced it.

Favorite Movies

Stuff Christians Like asked their readers about their favorite movies!! You know I'm always all about questions like that. If you've met me in person, probably within the first few times we talked I asked you for your top 5 favorite movies off the top of your head. It's my favorite question to ask new people!

I looked at Jon's favorite movies in the post and then I've read all the comments (126 so far) and I've picked my favorites from the list (in order of their appearance on the page):

Good Will Hunting
Boondock Saints
Gladiator
300
The Notebook
Dirty Dancing
Almost Famous
Sweet Home Alabama
Newsies
Elizabethtown
Empire Records


Okay now...name your top 5 favorite movies off the top of your head!

Quotes for the Day

“When we become aware of our disease or of our hidden motives, we have already begun to get the better of them. What matters is the way in which we accept our motives and live through the ensuing crisis. This is the only chance we have of becoming different from the way we are — that is, the only way of starting to invent a new way of being."
-Italo Calvino

"Sometimes there’s nothing to say. Sometimes silence expresses more than words. Picking up the phone, dialing a number.. it can do more damage than good. But humans are afflicted with this obsessive desire to talk things to death. So we make things worse, just by trying to make it better."
-Source

Food for thought...

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Burnside Writer's Blog posted this and titled it "On the Eve of a New Presidency."

The idea of the current crop of "conservatives" - that government can cater to greed and leave charity to volunteers - is vicious and it can't work. The "liberal" idea - that the failures of a greedy and wasteful economy can be effectively patched by government services and regulations - is also hopeless. There is no way to get a good result from an economy that institutionalizes greed as an honorable motive and excuses waste and destruction as "acceptable costs."

- Wendell Berry in a 2005 interview with Preservation Magazine

Amber Benson to appear on Private Practice

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Amber Benson will be appearing in an episode of Private Practice in mid-March. She will be playing a woman who was brutally attacked and is seeking medical care.

I love to see Buffy people in other things!! Even if it is Private Practice...

Organic Beauty Magazine

A new organic beauty magazine has launched, creatively titled Organic Beauty. The magazine will feature natural and organic alternatives for all your beauty needs! The first issue has Olivia Wilde, of the tv show House, on the cover.

Subscribe here!

Quotes for the Day

“The happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
-Hugh Downs

"Why didn’t I learn to treat everything like it was the last time? My greatest regret was how much I believed in the future."
-Jonathan Safran Foer

22nd Annual Kids Choice Awards

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Dwayne Johnson will be hosting the 22nd Annual Kid's Choice Awards! They will be airing Sunday, March 28!

10 People to Watch in 2009

10 People to Watch in 2009 (Film School Rejects)

My favorites are:

Mia Wasikowska who is playing Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland


Anna Kendrick who played Jessica in Twilight


Ben Barnes who played Prince Caspian in...you know...Prince Caspian.

Back to School!!

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I start back to school today!!!

Yay!!!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is my mom's birthday!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!!!!!

Quotes for the Day

-Source

"I’m a stranger wherever I go because I’m strange to myself. My mind just goes off doing it’s own thing, never consulting me at all about whether it’s all right to feel this way or that. I am constantly standing several feet away from myself, watching as I do or say or feel something that I don’t want or don’t like at all, and I still can’t stop it."
-Elizabeth Wurtzel

17th Wizard Awards

I just cast my vote in the 17th Annual Wizard Fan Awards! I voted for Buffy and Angel!!!

If you read comics, you should go vote, too!!