A note on the recent law allowing same-sex marriage in New York

   Congratulations, New York. I feel proud of you for taking this step towards acceptance. Slowly but surely we are becoming closer to allowing all citizens of our country the same rights and privileges.

   To those who are opposed to such a law, please see my blog about my thoughts on religion. It explains quite clearly the main reason I don't much care for homophobia. All I can say is that we are all human beings who have to share this planet. Nobody has yet to give me a reason to think legalizing gay marriage is wrong.

   Callie

Movie Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

   This is one of my all time favorite movies. For starters, Gregory Peck is incredible and did a great job as Atticus Finch. The two kids who played Scout and Jim (Mary Badham and Phillip Alford) also did really well. I love Scout dearly and she might be one of my favorite characters from any book/movie.

   The movie tells Scout's memories of growing up during the 30's in Alabama while her father was giving the job of defending a black man accused of raping a white girl. The trial scene is moving, one of my favorite scenes from any movie, and still makes me mad when I think about Bob Ewell, the father of the supposed victim, on the stand. It makes me mad that, despite Atticus's work and brilliant arguments, there really wasn't much of a chance for the defendant, Tom Robinson.

   The movie is one of the best film adaptions of a book I've ever seen. It does justice to Harper Lee's original, often quoting the book exactly. While, naturally, some things are lost from the book, it never seems to me like anything is left out that absolutely should have been in the movie. People who haven't read the book don't really miss anything when they see the film.

   All in all, great performances, a great story and a wonderful film. It may be over 50 years old by now but I think it's stood the test of time quite well.

   Callie

Movie Review: The King's Speech

   I have been wanting to see The King's Speech for a while now, and just got it in the mail from Netflix today. Let me just say it was an incredible movie. I can see why it won best picture.
   While some may have found this movie a bit slow or dull for their taste, I personally thought the pacing was good. I also love that the film, being a biopic, focused on characters. Bertie, while still king, was very human. He was thrust into a lot of difficult situations he wasn't exactly prepared for and dealt with a lot of anger and anxiety. You could really tell how nervous he was every time he got in front of a microphone. Collin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both performed wonderfully as Bertie and Lionel Logue, respectively.
   Speaking of which, I also really liked Lionel. He had a lot of guts. He addressed the king informally, wouldn't make exceptions for him, told him flat out "I will see you every day," sat on a throne and purposefully pissed off the king just to make a point...and it all helped Bertie out a lot in the end, too, in more ways that one.
   There were a lot of great moments in this movie. I loved where, at the end, after the speech where Bertie announces war with Germany for the second time in a generation, Lionel simply told him "You still stammered on the 'w.'" It was just a nice, simple moment.
   I also like the thought of the king cussing and/or singing to himself to get past the pauses in his speech. It's a pretty amusing inner dialogue to imagine.
   While I hesitate to give out a full five stars, I think this is a film that's earned it. The cinematography was beautiful, the acting was great and there were just little things about this film that really seemed to make it work well.
   Callie

Music

   My mom and sister and I were just watching a NOVA program about how music affects the brain. All I can say is that it was incredible. Some people just have a natural instinct for music and I'm completely jealous of those people. I can hear a lot of things about rhythm, melody and whatnot but I'm not able to detect subtle differences, or express the differences I can hear.

   To me music is the most important form of expression available to us. It's so incredibly expressive and readily understood.This is true of just about any form of music from rock to classic to anything in between. Because it doesn't necessarily need words it doesn't have to worry about things being lost in translation the way a book or a play or a movie does. Music's power transcends the lyrics, though the lyrics can be a wonderful part of the song and add to it.

   Even if you're not musically inclined most people enjoy music on some level. Music is irresistible. A lot of times I'll be listening to my iTunes or watching a musical and I'll start singing along without even realizing it. Of course, I'm usually way off-key and probably flat, and my sister stops me very quickly, but I still can't help but sing because I'll want to be part of the music and that's the only way I know how.

   Life would be very dull without music. I only wish I knew how to play an instrument or could sing decently. Maybe one of these days I'll convince somebody to try teaching me but I still just don't have a knack for it. All I know is I'm grateful for the early humans who experimented with trying to make such beautiful sounds. Music is something that I honestly believe people couldn't live without. It comes as close as anything to being able to convey pure, raw emotion or energy or anything else the musician wants it to. Nothing else even comes close.

    Callie

Movie Review: RENT

I've decided that every now and then I'll post a movie review on my blog. If anybody has any movie in particular they want me to review I'd be happy to consider it. I'm starting with RENT for a few reasons. The first reason is that it is my favorite musical as a stage show and the second is that I've come across a lot of negative reviews of it that I, as a true RENThead, feel the need to counter. Yes, this will sound a bit defensive in the beginning but please bare with me.
The first thing to know about RENT is that the content can be offensive to some people. There is some cussing, it shows a gay couple and a lesbian couple, there's a scene where a character moons some people and of course RENT deals with drugs and AIDS. First of all, the movie does not promote drug use. Only one character is using and she's trying to quit. Second of all, if you can be at all open-minded about homosexuality and the thought of people living a different lifestyle than it's really not all that bad. I found a user on Netflix call this movie "a disgusting tribute to all things morally vial." I found this to be a gross overstatement because the movie is, in the end, about love and how there's "no day but today" and making each moment count.
People have said that RENT is a bunch of people whining about not wanting to pay the rent and being too lazy to get a job. That is most definitely not the point of this movie. If that's all a person takes from this movie they haven't watched past the first couple of scenes. The characters are trying to figure out how to live their lives when they have essentially been given a death sentence by being diagnosed as HIV-positive. They struggle to pay the rent because they are trying to stay true to their art, what they're passionate about. And some of them do have regular jobs. Joanne is a lawyer, and Collins teaches at NYU.
Alright, my defensive part is over. I felt that this was a good adaption of the play. Songs were cut but in most cases that makes it work better as a movie. The only song I'm really upset they didn't include is the final half of "Goodbye Love" because it would work on film and is somewhat important in my opinion. The cast, I felt, did an excellent job, but I have to agree that the members of the original Broadway cast who revised their roles, while excellent actors and singers, were probably a bit too old at this point for the parts. Still, I can live with that.
RENT is a beautiful story told with incredible music that completely washes over you. It will fill you with joy and grief and several emotions in between. To those who usually stay away from musicals, be aware that this movie is told more by singing than talking so you will have a lot of musical numbers coming up one right after the other. If an unrealistic, but happier, ending isn't your thing than you might want to consider avoiding this movie. The ending, however, is what fits with the story and its message.
What this movie does is present a group of people living what would probably be considered alternate lifestyles without judging them. It never seems too preachy to me, however. I recommend, if possible, watching both this movie and the stage show if you like the music and the story because they both have their strengths and weaknesses. For age group I'd say...teenagers would probably be the youngest, it's really a judgement call and depends on the maturity of the teen. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

My Thoughts on Religion

I have issues with a lot of extremely religious people. Sometimes it seems that their actions and words contradict their faith and that makes them seem, to me, like they don't have any idea what they're talking about.
First off, on the subject of religious terrorists, it seems to me like most religions frown on this behavior. I know Judaism and Christianity flat out have the commandment "Thou shalt not kill." I can't say the same for Islam because I don't know much about the religion, but it doesn't make sense that a religion which so many people practice peacefully would allow such violence against your fellow man. Also, to the people who commit suicide during these acts, isn't it a sin to kill yourself?
Another thing that doesn't make sense to me are Christians who are so close-minded about homosexuality and other faiths. I know plenty of good people who are gay or Jewish or what have you and I refuse to believe that God, who is supposed to be kind and merciful, would send these people to Hell over something as insignificant as sexual orientation or religious beliefs. If God is kind and forgiving then surely he wouldn't let these people who live good lives be punished for something like that.
Now, before I get comments from Christians quoting a bunch of Bible versus at me, let me say a few more things on this. First of all: does every Christian rest on the Sabbath? Does every Christian not eat pork? There are rules set down in the Bible that religious Christians do not strictly follow. I don't see any reason why the passage in the Bible stating that homosexuality is wrong has any more reason to be strictly adhered to when others aren't. Besides, being gay does not hurt anybody, it doesn't make you a bad person, and anybody who finds love in any way, shape or form is lucky because it is such a rare and beautiful thing.
Also what some people fail to realize is that Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same god. They have different names for him and worship in different ways, but it's the same god, the god of Abraham. We should be allowed to worship in whatever way we see fit.
The Bible is an old book and we can't expect every aspect of it to still be relevant today. All religion is flawed because human beings are flawed and make mistakes. I don't thing there's anything wrong with being religious, I believe in a higher power, but I also believe that we can't accept everything our spiritual leaders or holy books say blindly. We have to think about what we believe to be right. We are all human beings and we all have to share this planet, so respecting one another and accepting our differences is important. People who use religion as an excuse to hate seem to be missing the point.
The last thing I want is to be another person putting their thoughts on the internet when they really don't know anything about the subject. If I have said something incorrect because of my ignorance, please feel free to correct me in a calm and respectful way. I acknowledge that I make mistakes. I have tried to be respectful in writing this post and I don't mean any offence. I am just slightly confused because of the reasons mentioned above. All I meant is to put these thoughts out there for consideration. To me, too much time and energy is wasted fighting over these things and I find it pointless.
Callie

Meme

I got bored, so I stole this from my friend's deviantArt journal. She's had it up for a while, but I only just now felt the need to find something to do so here are my answers.


1. Are you highly attracted to anyone right now?
Nope

2. If someone looked ON your bed, what would they find?
Sheets, pillows, a copy of Crime and Punishment, a folder full of random stuff related to stories I'm working on and things my friends drew for me, and a word search book.

3. Last person to take off your pants?
Me.

4. Have you ever sneaked someone over to your house?
No, my parents like the people I hang out with.

5. How do you feel about your hair right now?
Um...I like it. It's pretty thick, and keeps falling in my face, but in general I like my hair. 

6. Do you hate it when people try to play with your hair?
Yeah, for the most part.

7. Could you go a day without eating?
Hmm...probably not, though I could go a day eating only a little bit.

8. Did you speak to your father today?
Yes. 

9. If someone liked you, would you want them to tell you?
Absolutely, it couldn't hurt anything.

10. Would you be able to name everyone you kissed this year?
Well, I haven't kissed anybody this year, so I'm not sure if that's a yes or a no.

11. Would you rather have your parents catch you having sex or smoking weed?
Hopefully neither, but I'd never smoke weed, so I guess having sex. Still...that'd be very awkward and not like me at all.

12. How many drugs are in your system?
None, thank you very much.

13. Do you fall for people easily?
Not really, no. 

14. When is the next time you will kiss someone of the opposite sex?
Since I currently have no crushes or boyfriend or anything of that sort...probably not for a while.

15. Do you have to sleep with a television on?
No, nothing.

16. Has anyone said they love you in the last week?
Yes, my friends, and I love them all too.

17. Think back to June... Who did you like?
Nobody.

18. Do you have a secret that you've never told ANYONE?
I don't think so...

19. What were you doing before you sat down at the computer?
Eating breakfast.

20. Are you a very opinionated person? Or do you keep mum about things?
In general, pretty opinionated.

21. So I have to know, what are your thoughts on 2012?
Just another year.

22. Have you had a very good day? Or was it bad? Why or why not?
All I've done is gone to breakfast with my dad and sister and chat with my friend on gmail, so pretty good so far, I hope it stays that way. 

23. Is your favorite color stereotypical for your gender?
My favorite color is purple or blue, so not really.

24. If you had to choose someone to sleep next to every night, and wake up to, who would it be?
I don't know, I guess I haven't met that person yet.

25. Do you look decent when you wake up?
Fairly decent, I guess.

26. Are you happy?
Yeah, I guess.

27. Will tomorrow be better than today?
Probably about the same.

28. Were you happy when you woke up today?
I had a bunch of weird dreams, so...not particularly.

29. What mood are you in right now?
A bit bored.

30. When was the last time you held hands with someone?
Not sure...a few days ago?

31. Do you like someone right now?
Why are you so interested in my love life? No, I don't. 

32. Will you regret your next kiss?
How should I know?

33. Who was the last person you gave the finger to?
I'm pretty sure I've never given the finger to anybody...

34. Have you ever liked someone older then you?
No. 

35. Do you like your name?
Yes, I like it a lot. 

36. Have you ever talked to a cop drunk?
The most alcohol I've ever had was a glass of champagne for New Year's, so no. 

37. Do you miss someone right now?
Yes.

38. How would your parents react if you got a tattoo?
Maybe not happy, but they'd be alright. My parents are pretty relaxed. 

39. Was this the best summer of your life?
Well, I'm not even a week into it yet, but I don't think it will be.

40. The past two nights, where did you sleep?
In my room.

41. Who's the person that hurt you most in life?
A few stupid people in elementary school.

42. Do you still talk to them?
No.

43. Hungry?
Nah, I'm good.

44. Do you keep a journal?
Not with much regularity. I'll write in mine occasionally.