Book vs. Movie

Okay, so here is my deal today. I am an avid reader. Okay, that’s not an accurate description. I’m a voracious reader. I devour books. I love the written word. I’ll usually read anything….at least once.

Which brings me today’s issue. What the hell is it with people that complain about movies without reading the books they are based on?

Now, I have seen a movie and found out after that there was a book beforehand and if the movie had peaked my interest, then I’ll go find the book and read it. It’s happened. True, the reverse has also happened where I have seen a movie and have NO desire to read the book it came from.

I am currently in a debate with a co-worker about The Hunger Games.

I read the first book at the request of my daughter who, knowing where my tastes run, suggested that I would like it. Okay. It was a simple request, since my daughter and I have a lot of the same tastes in books and movies, suggestions to each other are usually met with interest.

Now, back to my co-worker, he has stated that he does not read unless forced. The last book he read was because it was assigned for a class. Sigh. That is the only way that he has read any of the classics, few as that may have been. I asked him about Shakespeare, Hemingway, Orwell, etc., only read in school. I asked him if he had read Animal Farm, no. Hell, I read that book in 5^th grade.

So, this brings us to The Hunger Games. Now, I haven’t seen the movie yet. I am going tomorrow evening with my kids and their friends. I can’t wait. I have read the complete trilogy and therefore, am looking forward to seeing the interpretation of the director. Always entertaining. LOL

My co-worker has seen it and knowing that I have read the books, has been in my office every day this week asking me questions about it. My main answer now, after trying to explain things to him, is “Read the damn book.” No joke.

Why do they make the kids kill each other in the arena? It’s explained in the book. I then tried to explain the situation of the post-apocalyptic environment and the Capital’s desire to keep everyone under their thumb. Hmmmmm….. Then he comes back with “Why?” again. Ugh. I compare it to the Romans with the Christians and lions. Entertainment value for the citizens of the Capital. “But why?” Grrr… seriously? How old are we? Five? So then I compare the arena fighting to the gladiators. “But they were more evenly matched?” **OMFG** Back to Christians and Lions. He seems to get that part. For now.

Then the whole issue of the uproar of the tributes from District 11, about how people are upset that the characters were of a certain racial background. (Was that politically correct enough? Mind you my co-worker and I are of two different racial backgrounds even different from the D11 Tribs.) Seriously? This is an issue here? Again **OMFG** Read the damn book. It describes in the book how the people from District 11 are all a dark skinned people. There are a ton of different races on this earth all with varying skin colors. (This is a whole other rant for me, but I digress…that one is later.)

Then the questions about how are they picked, why aren’t they the same ages, why does a poor district need a baker, where do they get flour, etc., etc., etc.

I swear I am going to scream. So, to keep me sane, here is a piece of advice….

READ THE DAMN BOOK!!

Weird or Just Right

People say I am weird. Bah. People say I’m nuts. Whatever. I am an individual. I am a “what you see is what you get” type of person. I no longer change my opinion to be liked by others. I've been called a bitch and I guess that is their opinion. I just don't give in to others. 

I have neon green nails with glitter, thank-you-very-much. I have green apple gummi bear ear buds for my iPod that is wrapped in a 1959 Sleeping Beauty-Princess Aurora Skin. I love funky watches and I am a huge geek. Oh, and the funkier and weirder the earrings? I’ll wear them. Hell, I have bloodied zombie skeleton hand earrings…I love them. And yes, I wear these things to work. 

I love to watch my kids play video games. I love to play board games but I love a good amusement park. I am a Disney freak and I love Star Tours.

I listen to weird music. I like all sorts. I list to JPop with my kids, Journey, classical, rock, blues, R&B. I am seriously eclectic. 

I am a Dragon trapped in a Human body. Seriously. Ask my kids. I love dragons. Not the grizzly, morbid, scary ones, but the thoughtful, don’t-touch-my-books-or-treasure types. I have an inner dragon that I call my inner bitch. Be careful if you let her out, because she doesn’t go back into her box easily. However, I am actually fairly even tempered. I don’t sweat the small stuff. I don’t concern myself with the things I cannot change. I do not have a time machine in my pocket. I learn from my mistakes and I move on.

I enjoy reading and crafting. I like to crochet when my hands allow it and I like to sew.

I play Dungeons & Dragons, love watching people play 40K, and like silly video games like Jak & Daxter, Cat in the Hat, and Spyro. I’m not great at them, but I like them.

I watch anime and read webcomics. Currently, I love Diesel Sweeties, Ends N Means, and Girls with Slingshots. (See links.) I am waiting (un)patiently for a Kurtis plushie from Ends N Means but I know that will come eventually. I have a Doom Kitty Glow-in-the-Dark T-shirt and watch Star Trek, Star Wars, and Big Bang Theory.

If this makes me a geek or weird, then I will wear those labels with pride. Because if that also means you have an unconditional friend, a shoulder to weep on, a Human Dragon to fight battles with you, and someone to laugh with? Then, as my daughter says, Hells Yeah I’m a weird geek.

As Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam." LOL

Children - Lovable Midgets or Pawns? And Marriage - Civil Unions for Everyone!!

Okay, my rant for the day. My inner bitch clawed her way out of her box today when I read an article the other day about Gay Marriage and what happens to children of same sex couples when they split up. Grr..she was spitting fire. My scales were flaming because this is dredging up the Federal Law regarding the rights of sperm and egg donors and their rights to child rearing and visitation.

According to the law, sperm and egg donors have no legal rights to the child born using their donations via in-vitro fertilization. Okay, I get that. But when the egg belongs to a woman in a same sex relationship, and is inserted into the partner, with all intentions of raising this child as theirs, together, there are rights here.

This is no different than a woman giving an egg to a surrogate when she can’t carry to term. Is the surrogate given parental rights because she was the “birth” mother? Not usually.

To me, this is fairly cut and dry. If you used any medical procedure to gestate a child to be raised and loved by you and your partner, regardless of sex, then the two partners both have equal rights to the child in visitation, custody, and love. They both have a right to monitor the health and raising of that child just like a hetero couple.

If one partner gives up their rights, then that is different. But if you gave birth using your partners egg? Deal with it, you may be the “birth” mother but you wouldn’t have that child without the egg of your partner. How difficult is this to figure out? Blarg. Race, sex, marital status has nothing to do with this. It is all about parental rights of a partnership of people committed to loving, caring, and raising a child. That child should never be a pawn in your relationship squabbles. If you do not want to be with your partner anymore, respect the child’s right to know both parents. Quit short changing your child for your petty arguments.

Unfortunately, this discussion then deteriorated into a discussion based on faith and the moral wrongness of same sex marriage. This is what lit my inner bitch’s fire. She was ticked.

We, as a general rule, have become lazy. All of us. We use the term “marriage” and “marry” for so many meanings that we forget the basis of the word. I mean, I can get really technical and quote my boyfriend, Webster, and list the meaning of the word but we could argue that to the end of days. I mean we use the word “marry” in construction when “marrying” two joints together in carpentry or welding. Am I the only girl that knows this? I know I am not.

I had this discussion with a friend of mine regarding the differences between Marriage and Civil Union.

There is a difference, but maybe not the one you are thinking of right now. I am not talking about the spousal rights, religious, or governmental rights of an individual in a relationship, per se, but something just a tad different and I want others to really think about it.

There is a difference between "marriage" and a civil union. A "marriage" is religious, whereas, a "civil union" is legal. You notice you have to have a license for both your church and the state in order to get “married”. "Marriage" has become synonymous for both. So, you enter into marriage in a church while at the same time entering into a civil contract under the state. If you got married in a church but not with the state legal union document, it would be recognized in the church only, not the state. Making it impossible for you to claim spousal rights in an employment or governmental situation. And Vice Versa, if you got civilly "married" at the recorder's office, it wouldn't be recognized by most religions because you weren't married in a church. You need both for religious, but one for legal.

Leave them alone. There should never be anything different in a civil union for a hetero couple and a civil union for a gay couple. Period. Churches are for religious relationships with one's higher power, not legal. Keep your religion out of my rights. Your civil union giving you spousal rights to your significant other's employment benefits, or anything else for that matter, should never be different from another couple's EVER - regardless of religious or sexual preference. It's like saying that a Catholic marriage is more "legal" than a Protestant one. Get over it. Keep religion out of it.

Let’s remember that Church and State are separate for a reason. There are too many people trying to blur or erase those lines. Not cool.

Phew - Technical Difficulties - Sigh

Okay, so after a few technical difficulties, I am back. Been a long couple months, but I am back on track. Woot!

Okay, I think I am back on track. Sigh.

So, you will start seeing my posts on a more regular basis. Even if it is just to check in and say hi!! The fact that I needed my daughter to help me figure this page/site out is actually embarrassing. But there it is. I will ask that you forgive any misspellings that spell check doesn’t catch in my posts. My neuro condition has a symptom of making me misspell words that any 3rd grader can spell. Sigh. Sucks, but there it is.

I have been working on my bucket list. My view is this: if I keep working on it, and keep adding to it, then I can’t waste away. I’ll have too much to do and those that know me know that I hate leaving a to do list undone. It drives me nuts. I have managed to chip away a few of my OCD traits over the years and it’s been good for me. Not worrying so much about little crap. Letting stuff roll. I tend to go by the rule of if I can’t fix it, I have to let it go.

I preach that there is always a way. It may not be obvious, but it’s there. You just have to find it. The harder it is to find, the more important the situation.

In another post today, you will get my first formal spewing of opinion. Trust me, you unlock that door, be careful what you let out. My inner bitch is a force to be reckoned with. She’s mighty nasty at times and rather difficult to lock back up in her box. Feisty Wench.

So, I do take suggestions. If someone has one of those 100 questions a day or pictures a day things, send it to me and I’ll try to do it on my blog. Let you guys see some of the eccentricities that run through my head. Wink! I know I am an odd duck, but I’m a cute duck.

Kick me an email, ask me a question, ask me an opinion, and I’ll give it to ya!

Smoochies –

DL

The Trouble with Reality

The trouble with reality is it tends to kick you in the ass especially when you are down. I've decided to take my blog in a couple directions. If you are subscribed to it and start finding what I say or think iffy, unsub. I'm tired of saying everything that everyone expects.

First of all, small update. Gene had his 10th knee surgery yesterday, 5th on his left knee. Had to catch up to the right knee after all. As it was the 10th knee surgery, I somehow felt that I should throw a party but I digress.

As for me and why I'm starting to redirect my blog is that I've gone through about 2 1/2 years now of testing trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. We've managed to rule out Lupus, Thyroid, Lyme Disease, and a multitude of others. So...as a diagnosis of exclusion, we've started with Fibromyalgia. I have always thought that this was a disease/syndrome that was bogus. I've learned differently. While I still believe that it's symptoms can be "faked" by those that just want pain pills or an excuse not to work or get on disability (which with Fibro it's hard as hell), I have found that it's a nasty little thing if you do really have it. We still haven't completely given up the testing for MS but since you can have Fibro and CFS with MS, it's still possible.

I have joined and quit more Fibro support groups than I can count. I am tired of people that just sit around and whine. My doctor said to watch out for depression since the meds I am on and the limits I have on my activities cause a drop in serotonin in the brain thus causing depression. I am at a point where I'm not depressed, I'm pissed off. I'm frustrated, upset, annoyed and pissed off. However, I do have days where I get so frustrated that I do get moody, but it's usually because I don't get the help I need to get things done. I'd probably be frustrated and upset about those items if I didn't have Fibro.

So, the doc's also think I have some type of immune deficiency. It's a long hard process and I'm smack in the middle of it.

I hate it. Period. It has been a really rough day and I have a feeling there are going to be a lot more... Reality bites.

Christmas Pic of the kids

I am hoping that the picture is imbedded in this...:) never really works the way I want it to. But I am putting in the Christmas pic of the kids since a bunch of cards (all mailed at the same place) seem to have not arrived. So, here it is...I have to say that I think this one is one of my favorites. Genuine smiles - no poses....of course, it took Alexa's boyfriend, Jaymes, giving me rabbit ears to get it, but I'll take what I can get.

Sorry, All, been busy....

Okay, Let's see...

Gene has been doing well, the third and fourth days out were bad and the muscles and tissues are hurting still. Incision is healing very well, doc is very pleased.

The pain from before the surgery is going away down his arms and the strength is coming back little by little, it is still early, so we will see what happens. The numbness is still there and the doc says that this is normal and it may go away a bit or it may never go away. I figure numb is one thing, just make him stop hurting.

His neck is still very painful and when we saw the doc yesterday, he asked Gene, "It feels like someone has hit you with a baseball bat, yes?" Yep, that was exactly how Gene was describing it at home. Doc says this is normal due to the things they had to do during surgery to the muscles and such. Please don't ask me to describe it. It makes me shiver and I wasn't the one having it done. When they use words like scrap and ratchet, well, you see my point. Anyway, the doc says that this will last for a couple more weeks while the muscles, tendons, and tissues heal.

He will continue to be in the collar for 3 to 4 months, but the doc is pleased with how he is healing. Said the previous surgical area looked good and healed when he went in and that was a very good thing. Gene is doing well.

Other news, made it through Gene's birthday with the sore throat. He managed a bit, but mashed potatoes are still a hit.

Chi went back to school last week and is going well. Alexa started her second semester of college today so she will be out and about. Good thing is she has a TV course Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoon so she will be in class but at home.

Love you all...I will try to keep everyone posted more as his healing progresses and this will go back to being a regular blog but feel free to come and visit.