For lack of a shelf...

As much as it pains me to admit, this week was not very productive in the recreational activities department. Yes, my entire week was consumed with crewing Homestead's production of The Diary of Anne Frank and attempting to cram in two hours of homework into thirty minutes of free time three days in a row. So I hope all none of you will forgive me for this lackluster post.

Reading:

A borrowed script of the play, as our venerable director forgot that maybe the stage crew needed to know when we were supposed to be efficiently moving things in the dark. Thankfully, one of the actors took pity (I begged him to lend me his script) and allowed me access to his script for the length of an advisory-shortened study hall. Needless to say, I doubt I gathered anything of importance as I hunted for scene transitions and furiously flipped pages with half frozen fingers (seriously, why is the cafeteria so cold).

Watching:

The tedious process of applying gels to flashlights. This became a necessity when our lights were too 'dang' bright backstage. So our beautiful tech director found some extra gels (for you non-techies gels are what make stage lights pretty colors) and cut them to the size of the flashlights the crew had scavenged from home.

Listening:

The hushed whispers of the costumers, stage crew members and assistant stage manager. As I was seated against the cool, paint-smeared concrete I was struck by how much their whispers resemble water trickling down a wall. Granted, this was the fourth night into a sleep-deprived stress-filled experience, so any artistic thought, however brilliant (And I assure you, I am aware my analogy is far from accurate, brilliant or even slightly bordering on witty) should be taken with a grain of salt.

I was also made increasing aware of how much yelling makes me flinch. Thankfully this round of stage crew did not include screaming directed at my person, but every time the mellifluous tones of our director sweetly declaring the many short comings of the latest scene filtered through backstage, it was hard to suppress a twinge of apprehension.

Eating:

The lovely meals brought it by the parents of the cast. For some reason every meal seemed to consist of sandwiches (almost always including ham), chips and water. Only one mother thought it wise to provide our production with healthy food. Not that I'm complaining, food was arguably the main thing that kept everyone from biting each others heads off.

On the Shelf: 11.5.12

Reading:

I cracked open the old Blue Beetle comics this weekend, and by old I mean they came out in 2006 and by cracked open I mean I opened them in Comic Book Reader. But petty details and logical inconsistencies aside, Blue Beetle is completely worth rereading. 

As I'm sure few (none) of you are familiar with the Blue Beetle legacy, a little backstory seems necessary. For those of you unfamiliar with comic books, titles like Flash, Batman, Green Lantern or Robin are usually given to legacy characters, so when the first one dies, retires or is somehow unable to continue to hold the mantle, the title is passed on to the next generation. 

Thus far only three people have held the Blue Beetle title. The first, Dan Garret was an archaeologist who discovered the scarab (the beetle part of the title) on a dig. So naturally he dug up a suit and became a superhero when he found out 'magic words' make the scarab shoot lightening. The second, Ted Kord worked under Dan Garret and he got the scarab when Garret was forcibly retired. Unfortunately the powers that be decided the second Blue Beetle just wasn't cutting it and the mantle passed on to a third generation: Jaime Reyes.

Now typically superheroes become superheroes for one of two reasons: 1.) they were born with powers and someone recruited them to fight the good fight or 2.) Something tramautic happened (usually a parent or guardian's death) and they devote themselves to crime fighting.

Neither of these things happen to Jaime. Instead he finds a beetle on his way to school and, like any sixteen-year-old with a healthy sense of curiosity, he takes it home. Where it attaches itself to his spine. And thus the third Blue Beetle is born! 

So now you have a kid with a relatively normal life (stable family, supportive, if sarcastic, friends and decent grades) thrown into the world of constant battles, fantastic creatures and alien invasions. And all things considered, Jaime copes pretty well. 

But Blue Beetle is greater than simply Jaime. The side characters - the disgruntled Green Lanterns, the gruff Peacemaker, his worn, but loving family, the quirky tech support and Jaime's close friends make a fully engrossing universe and add well-developed characters that seem increasingly rarer after DC's reboot. 
(Not to mention the art is quite lovely. Not Marcus To-level stunning, but far from an eyesore.)

Watching: 

The Diary of Anne Frank, the play (the musical is only in French) mostly from behind scenes as I'm crewing the show this week. As I wish away my free time for the next week, I can't help but fondly await the sight of harried actors, stressed-out stage managers and aggressive directors. But we all know the final result is worth it, so it almost makes up for the fact that few people will actually appreciate the 100 plus hours spent on the production.

Following:

barackobama's tumblr. Political beliefs aside, the interns running this blog know what they are doing and it is perfectly geared towards the 15 - 25 demographic that populates tumblr. (I have yet to see Romney use the "all of the feels" or the "OTPs" tags on his tumblr. Or get ride of infinite scroll.)

Listening:

To the Indiana's State Marching Band competition. And proud Band Parents triumphantly chanting "Homestead, Homestead, Homestead" as our school was awarded second place for "The Lost Melody". But, hey, we beat Avon I still have no idea what their show was about) and Carmel (Indiana State Champions for Class A) had a pretty awesome show.

Eating:

Pumpkin Pie. Because Birthday cake is overrated I made Birthday Pie for a friend's birthday this Monday. As I am not know for my baking skills (for good reason) my fingers are crossed hoping it turned out okay. 

On the Shelf: 10.29.12

Reading:

I saw Tina Fey first on her SNL depiction of Sarah Palin in the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate. Which I'm sure most of you have at least heard about by now, but for me the experience was, if not very memorable, at least something I can recall with fairly decent accuracy. Not only did it mark my first exposure to political satire and people on television swearing (I was a very isolated twelve-year-old) but it was the first time I saw a female comedian. At the time the experience was hidden under levels of a painfully basic knowledge of politics combined with a precocious interest in dry mockery, but Tina Fey soon became a background character in my life - I was aware she was a very intelligent and very humorous lady, but I wasn't actively seeking out her companionship in my literary and viewing adventures.

As I mentioned last week, I began her book Bossypants, and this week I have it soundly completed. Sexism is still a concept I have yet to fully understand as I only have limited experience with it myself (I typically only talk to my friends and we have a strict matriarchal merticocracy). Yet hearing Fey's tale about her male dominated work force and the constant questions she receives about how she 'handles' being a working mother and managing hundreds of subordinates is an uncomfortable experience. But somehow Fey manages to put a light-hearted comedic twist on even the most disrespectful moments.

However, this isn't why I feel Bossypants is worth picking up. No, this novel is worth a read not because it is simply funny but because it feels real. (And someone will probably google-fu this and reveal Fey did in fact use a ghost writer, but forget them) But Fey's life experience doesn't feel contrived or forced - she has opinions and she isn't afraid to share, after all, it's not her fault you decided to read her book (A fact of which she is quick to remind you of). 

Watching: 

I attempted to enjoy Adventure Time. Really, I did. I forced myself through two episodes before I finally gave up. Randomness for randomness' sake simply doesn't cut it anymore (for those of you who will bring up my Hetalia phase - I was young and foolish and accents are funny.) and I have simply been left longing for something more solid and less quirky.

Following:

fororchestra. Although I guess this would technically count as listening too. Run by a twenty-something trying to make it in the digital music industry, Fororchestra does, as the name might imply, orchestral covers of popular songs. He eeks out about one song a week, and some of my personal favorites are his covers of Adele, Avicii's 'Levels', Psy's 'Gangum Style', and MGMT's 'Kids'.

Eating:

My mother's onion, leek, chicken and potato soup, in place of the default tacos offered at Saturday's stage crew build day.

Nomination for What We're Loving

 Hysteriaslament's WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: I remember the 80s.

On the Shelf 10.22.12

Reading:

Baby steps were made with The Fault in Our Stars this week, but I can proudly declare I began a new novel this weekend. After a round of speed-dating with books that mostly left me uninteresting, my curiosity was piqued with Bossypants by Tina Fey.

Fey's frank and sarcastic approach to life at the top of the entertainment industry offers charming insight on the comedic minds behind shows like Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock and illustrates the 'diversification' of comedy groups like Second City. Bossypants made quite an incredibly boring car ride significantly more interesting and I look forward to finishing it.

Watching:

Dirk Gently, a British program about an eccentric detective and his loyal companion. Inspired by the Douglas Adams novels of the same name, this off-beat, not-quite comedy has a delightful mix of deduction, snark and humanity mixed with just a pinch of the ineffable. Despite the surface similarities it shares with Sherlock Holmes, Dirk Gently sets itself apart with the title character's ambiguous crime-solving strategy (almost reminds me of Victorique from Gosick), the stark reality of a failing detective agency and an appropriately quirky secretary.

Listening:

The faceless person who sits across from me in Study Hall greatly appreciates loud music. The subtle nuance of blasting ones eardrums out with music that can be clearly heard from seven feet away is unfortunately lost on this philistine. It is impressive that he seems to have found the exact volume between loud enough to get the monitor to lecture him and not quiet enough that only he can hear it.

Eating:

I have been brought out of my deep-seated distaste for all things tortilla (I blame a period in my developmental years, probably around second grade, when my mother decided that bread had too many carbohydrates and we should only have tortillas for three months - the experiment lasted two weeks) with the discovery that when one is very hungry and very cold cheese quesadillas taste fantastic.

On the Shelf: 10.15.12

Reading:

I'm about halfway through The Fault in Our Stars and I must admit, I'm impressed. I wasn't expecting awful writing, but the quality of  what I've read has by far exceeded my expectations. It feels too early to cast a final judgement but I can guess what happens (they meet the author, he is disappointing or the answers he offers fail to live up to expectations, or Hazel dies in the middle of the drive to the author's house.) 

Watching:

As anyone who has talked to me for more than thirty minutes will know, I am obsessed with superheroes. More specifically a television program called Young Justice, which is hosted on Cartoon Network. This delightful channel decided that, for their birthday, they would pull the program, in the middle of the season, (the fourth time they've done this) ten hours before it was scheduled to air. Without notifying the creators, publicists or even giving a press release. Understandably the internet backlash was swift but surprisingly polite.

Fans bombarded Cartoon Network's webpage with delicately worded complaints, voiced polite distaste on Cartoon Network's facebook page and sent condolences to the creators. Yet Cartoon Network's unprofessional behavior did have one positive consequence; since no one was properly informed of the delay iTunes released the episode the day after it should have aired. Naturally 'leaked' versions of the episode were already available online, but thanks to fans on tumblr and twitter and  the latest episode became the top selling episode on iTunes for the week.


Following:

****nosexisthalloweencostumes. What started out as a humble comparison between male and female Halloween costumes available (a majority of costumes only have the 'sexy' option available for women), quickly escalated into a full-out discussion on feminism and shamming.

Listening:


A tumblog dedicated to Gravity Falls recently released the soundtrack to several episodes. Although I highly recommend the program itself, it has phenomenal music, if the theme song is anything to go by.


Eating:

This week was one of hastily made dinners and half eaten sandwiches. Nothing noteworthy.

What We're Loving

The Sun eclipsed by Saturn taken from Titan

There is something undeniably compelling about a person who feels so passionately about a subject their entire being practically exudes enthusiasm. Carolyn Porco was born to study astronomy.

In her 2007 talk This is Saturn, Carol delivers a goosebump-raising lecture on two of Saturn's moons.

The first picture of an
outer planet's surface

Despite her dated pop culture references, playful jabs at scientists who removed Pluto from the nine planets, and the uncomfortable pitch of her microphone, Porco delivers a thorough explanation of the leaps and bounds made with the Cassini space probe. She introduces ground breaking discoveries of moons with the potential to support life and delivers stunning photographs of images beyond imagining. Her lecture is a breathtaking snapshot of spectacular planetary discovery and it is definitely worth eighteen minutes of your time.