tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332159372935879912024-03-13T12:31:56.896-05:00A Mad Girl with a BlogMy random thoughts on anything and everything!Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-33907290027676905802016-02-14T21:00:00.002-06:002016-02-14T21:01:09.087-06:00The Butterfly Effect and My Family History<br />
<br />
Backstory: In 1929, my great-grandmother was shot and killed by my
great-grandfather. It could be called a crime of
passion or even an accident due to his intoxicated state and the fact that he unsuccessfully
tried to kill himself immediately afterward. Even with their big
family, my young teenage grandmother was the only one home at the time and witnessed the event.
Her brother, David Wade, whom she ended up raising, went on to become a
well-known television chef.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Today, my mother sent
me a link to an article about my granduncle David that explored the
impact my great-grandmother’s death had on him. I’ve grown up hearing
the story,
the personal version about my grandmother's experience, and it was
jarring to see a version laid out,
second-hand, in black and white on my internet screen. It was all facts,
nothing about how it changed the life of my grandmother, who I consider
just as important as my famous granduncle. In the
article, there was a link to an interview my great-grandfather did from
jail only a few months later. My grandmother had to testify against
her own father, and according to the article, had told him she forgave
him. Obviously, in this day and age, I find her forgiveness a bit
skeptical. Especially since I’ve heard they rarely saw each other after
he was pardoned and released. However, I never knew my grandmother, who
died before I was born, so this is all speculation on my part from what
I’ve heard of her. <br />
<br />
As I wrote before, it changed my
grandmother’s life. First and foremost, she ended up moving to the town
in which she met my grandfather. It is crazy to think that if it weren’t
for this horrible crime, they might never have met, my mother might
never have been born, I might not exist.<br />
<br />
Reading the article
and the interview has given me much to think about. Not just about what
happened, but how its ripples have continued for 87 years and will
continue on through time. We all learn about the big historic events,
like wars and political movements, and how they have changed the world.
But think about how the death of one small-town woman has brought about
so much. I can’t help but think about my sister, who is another
ripple from this event. She works for the the State Department in
foreign affairs. Who knows what sort of
impact she’s had, or will have, on the world.<br />
<br />
All in all, I have a lot to think about.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's the link to the <a href="http://flashbackdallas.com/2014/11/30/david-wade-childhood-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a> and <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/94590237/Eugene%20Wade%2C%20Jailhouse%20Interview%20-%20Cameron%20Herald%2C%20Dec.%2019%2C%201929.pdf" target="_blank">interview</a>. Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-37190365645912324662013-11-09T16:34:00.001-06:002013-11-09T16:37:34.009-06:00Thoughts on Loki in Thor: The Dark World (SPOILERS!)There has been a lot of speculation about Loki in Thor 2 and some
people saying that there wasn’t the real “character redemption” that
they had hoped for. <br />
So here is my response and a few things I’m curious about.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J-Tq_RvcrHk/Un63B_NQnAI/AAAAAAAAAjA/IsxLHOAIbiY/s1600/loki1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J-Tq_RvcrHk/Un63B_NQnAI/AAAAAAAAAjA/IsxLHOAIbiY/s1600/loki1.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Marvel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>On character redemption:</b><br />
To me, Loki’s role in the film was just like the character,
complicated. That’s what makes him so unique and draws you in. While others may disagree, I believe
that he showed a lot of growth within this film.<br />
<br />
During the beginning of the film, Loki rejects Frigga as his mother
since he learned he was adopted. Yet, when hearing about her death, he becomes
upset (more on his reaction later). He even speaks of her during his
time with Thor, showing that he deeply cared for her.<br />
<br />
During Loki and Thor’s fight with Malekith, Loki is ultimately on
Thor’s side. And when Thor is being beaten by Kursed, Loki comes to his
rescue. He faces his own death (still trying to figure out how he
survived) to save Thor. He could easily have watched Thor die, but
instead he comes to his brother’s rescue. Whereas in Thor and The
Avengers, he was all about killing Thor.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCTap72gTXA/Un61FuaX6nI/AAAAAAAAAis/8LWvw_84-TA/s1600/tom_hiddleston_39630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCTap72gTXA/Un61FuaX6nI/AAAAAAAAAis/8LWvw_84-TA/s1600/tom_hiddleston_39630.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Marvel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
It’s Loki’s last scene that is angering people, but to me, it also
shows character development/redemption.<br />
<br />
Pretending to be Odin, he gives
Thor his blessing to leave Asgard and be with Jane. Loki knows that Thor
always seeks his father’s approval and that it would mean a great deal
to have Odin’s blessing in this decision. To me, this adds to Loki’s
renewed brotherly feelings.<br />
<br />
Yes, Loki seems to have found a way to take
the throne of Asgard away from Odin, but his problems with his adopted
father are much more complicated and deeply seeded than those with Frigga
or Thor. Therefore, I can’t really begrudge him for this. Also, being
mischievous is part of Loki’s character/charm.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UZmZ-P3wRi0/Un65H7JrNwI/AAAAAAAAAjU/t3t2cVDYxR0/s1600/tumblr_inline_mvz5hnOsZw1rrmv2h.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UZmZ-P3wRi0/Un65H7JrNwI/AAAAAAAAAjU/t3t2cVDYxR0/s1600/tumblr_inline_mvz5hnOsZw1rrmv2h.gif" height="129" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Marvel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>On Loki’s imprisonment:</b><br />
We are to believe that Loki is still put together after a year and a
half of imprisonment. He taunts and acts indifferent in many cases until
Thor arrives to seek his help. It is at this moment that Loki shows
what he has become. On first glance, you believe that his ragged
appearance and trashed furniture are from his mourning of Frigga, but if
he had the power to alter the appearance of his cell, could he have
been doing it the entire time? Could this be how he was really handling his imprisonment? His hurt and anger are clearly shown
within this moment and I find it easy to believe that this is what truly
became of him during the year and a half he spent in the cell.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FatfiMvvqZc/Un61gJFn00I/AAAAAAAAAi0/Sfr0K0d0GtQ/s1600/lokirockbottom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FatfiMvvqZc/Un61gJFn00I/AAAAAAAAAi0/Sfr0K0d0GtQ/s1600/lokirockbottom.png" height="175" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Marvel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
What are your thoughts?Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-40982434291377248692013-08-29T14:51:00.000-05:002013-10-17T16:47:56.786-05:00A Strong Woman is a Real Woman It's not a new idea that the media doesn't portray women in a strong light. But recently, I've been reading a lot of flack on the internet in regards to how Aaron Sorkin has written the female characters on The Newsroom.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Some of the main issues brought up on main character MacKenzie McHale (played by Emily Mortimer) are that Mac has to subtract using her fingers and she doesn't know anything about the economy.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_RBF7ZZp1c/Uh-kcultQzI/AAAAAAAAAZg/RJOKDF2fnps/s1600/sloansabbith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m_RBF7ZZp1c/Uh-kcultQzI/AAAAAAAAAZg/RJOKDF2fnps/s1600/sloansabbith.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn) is horrible at relationships and people skills in general. And in one episode, it was revealed she had taken compromising photos that are leaked to the press.<br />
<br />
Besides just these two, there have been other issues on the show where women could be considered "crazy".<br />
<br />
But remember this. Mac is known as the best Executive Producer in broadcasting who not only spent years in the Middle East covering stories at her own risk, but she also wants to bring integrity back to the news. Sloan has two PhDs in economics and speaks several languages. <br />
<br />
Think back about other "strong" women on television.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2dv04JqOIQw/Uh-kph-wO_I/AAAAAAAAAZo/2d0mW4NlvPk/s1600/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_Sarah_Michelle_Gellar_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2dv04JqOIQw/Uh-kph-wO_I/AAAAAAAAAZo/2d0mW4NlvPk/s1600/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_Sarah_Michelle_Gellar_01.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)- Buffy kicks ass, you can't deny that. But Buffy has her faults. She's horrible at picking the right men, she doesn't do well in school (even drops out of college) and has her fair share of mental demons throughout the series' run. <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)- The Khaleesi herself is bold, loyal to her people, and will stop at nothing to take over the Iron Throne with the help of her dragons. But while she frees the enslaved and conquers land, she's ruthless in her quest. She kills anyone who is in her way and is blind to the affections of those around her. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/---3IdJdyN-U/Uh-lTkx5S7I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/xExrVyaYTNM/s1600/leslie-knope-photograph_320x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/---3IdJdyN-U/Uh-lTkx5S7I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/xExrVyaYTNM/s1600/leslie-knope-photograph_320x480.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)- Council Woman Knope is loveable, loyal to her town and country, and works hard for what she believes in. But she's not without her faults. Some of the most memorable character moments include her jealousy, prejudice towards the neighboring town Eagleton, and sometimes her resolve is a bit too much.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zOZ0ZaAtNbE/Uh-lyMXOedI/AAAAAAAAAaA/KYbKLHc1vFo/s1600/catherinetate_1905845i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zOZ0ZaAtNbE/Uh-lyMXOedI/AAAAAAAAAaA/KYbKLHc1vFo/s1600/catherinetate_1905845i.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Donna Noble (Doctor Who)- While there are plenty of strong women on this TV show, Donna is the one who comes to mind. She's kind-hearted, wanting to save everyone even when she knows it's against the laws of the universe (Pompeii). And she faces her fear by traveling with The Doctor and getting in dangerous situations. But Donna is also known for her quirks. She's quick to mouth off, not the brightest of women at the beginning of her storyline, and isn't the most tactful at times.<br />
<br />
<br />
So why am I bringing all this up? Because these are not only STRONG women, they are REAL women. A woman without faults is not a woman, but a projection of one. Without their drawbacks, a woman is not truly strong because she has nothing to truly overcome. Sure an apocalypse, the end of the universe, a town hall race, a siege on Westeros and taking on the current culture of mainstream media are all immense situations to be a part of. But these women still face them head on. Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-46372824024562001542013-08-25T14:01:00.003-05:002013-08-25T14:02:16.987-05:00Feeling Nostalgic<div class="post_content clearfix">
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I remember being in first grade, in the library after
school. My mom was finishing up work so we could go home, so I was just
looking through the shelves. Scooting along on my hands and knees.
School libraries always had the shortest shelves.<br />
<br />
I remember coming to a book that I recognized and thinking that this
was the book my mom and my sister kept talking about. Going on about
smelting sticks and a game with brooms. My mom had purposely ordered it
for the library so she could read it once it was available. I turned it
around in my hands, interested in knowing more.<br />
<br />
Not long afterward my mom and I were sitting in the car, waiting for
my sister to finish dance class, while I read it aloud with her. She
helped me with names I was mispronouncing. I thought one name was like
Harmony.<br />
<br />
I remember being curled up in my parents’ bed as we read about
snitches, bludgers, and quaffles. My dad hearing us and asking, “What
are you reading?” He’d be the next to get his hands on it.<br />
<br />
I remember my mom finding a British copy of the second book at a used
bookstore. Weeks before it was available in the US. We were so excited.<br />
<br />
I remember going to a midnight release party for the third book, dressed as my favorite character, holding a homemade wand.<br />
<br />
I remember being so excited to see a sneak peak on TV at a scene of the first movie when it was shown on the WB network.<br />
<br />
I remember sitting in a movie theater, anxiously waiting for the first film and hearing that distinctive theme as it started.<br />
<br />
I remember crying at the first character death, in complete shock at the quickness of it.<br />
<br />
I remember seeing the third film over five times in theaters.<br />
<br />
I remember that the tears continued with each new book, yet there was
a sense of happiness that came with being with those familiar
characters.<br />
<br />
I remember more midnight releases of the films and books, more excited than tired.<br />
<br />
I remember staying up all night to finish the last book. Never putting it down even when some of the deaths were too painful.<br />
<br />
I remember going to a Yule Ball hosted by a local movie theater before the second to last film.<br />
<br />
I remember camping out overnight for the last film’s premiere in NY.<br />
<br />
I remember clutching my best friend’s hand and crying as the WB logo
appeared on the screen for the last time in the film series. <br />
<br />
I remember these moments because they mean so much to me.<br />
<br />
It’s been close to 14 years since I was in that school library, sitting on the floor, looking at that first book. <br />
The memory will stay with me forever.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>
</b><b>I remember Harry Potter.</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
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Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-63051484684397090512013-05-30T01:02:00.000-05:002013-05-30T01:02:11.671-05:00Beijing: There and Back Again (Trip to China Part 3)
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And we’re back. I’m killing time before my flight back to
the US to write about the rest of my time in China. Again, I’ll go day-by-day
and then put some random tidbit information at the end. </div>
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SATURDAY, MAY 25</div>
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Dori and I woke up super early for our flight to Beijing.
Our plane touched down around 10 am, so we had the whole day to play tourists.
One of the biggest perks of the being in the Foreign Service is that Dori has
friends stationed all over. Her friend Luke, who works in Beijing, was spending
the weekend in Malaysia and graciously let us stay at his place while he was
gone. </div>
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We dropped off our luggage and went off to the Forbidden
City/Tiananmen Square. There were so many people! The two of us decided to go
through the Forbidden City first. Later, this would prove to be a bad idea. </div>
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For those of you who don’t know, there are a bajillion gates
to get to the main part of the Forbidden City. Cause the emperor needed to be far away
from all the gross commoners. Nowadays, the first gate has a huge picture of
Chairman Mao’s face on it. Lovely. </div>
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Once inside, you’re stunned by the architecture and detail
of the buildings. The many colors, carvings, and tiles are all beautiful. We took a
lot of pictures, and since we were in a major touristy area, a lot of pictures
were taken of us. I never got used to it. Oh well, white people in China
problems. </div>
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We exited through the back gate and realized that we were
forever away from Tiananmen Square (I told you we learned our lesson), but we decided
to walk back instead of cab it. The walk was horrible. Not only were the
sidewalk stones making our feet ache, we were constantly being accosted by
rickshaw drivers asking for business. I was getting furious at them. </div>
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*Side note: Men in Beijing like to say “hello” to white
girls when they see them. It wouldn’t be so frustrating, but it’s definitely
not in a harmless way. I really wanted to yell back, “Je ne parle anglais!” since
not every white person is American/British/Australian. (Pretty sure I spelled
some of that French wrong). </div>
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Finally, we found our way back to Tiananmen Square. You see
it, all the flowers and nice buildings, and can’t believe that something so
horrible had happened there not too long ago. Supposedly, the Chinese don’t
talk about the massacre that much since it didn’t change anything politically.
Most don’t feel anything about it one way or another. </div>
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Besides the National Museum of China and several monuments,
there is the mausoleum of Mao. It’s a large structure with several statues
outside depicting the people of China carrying a banner with his image. It’s
interesting. </div>
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Next was a trip around Qianmen walking street. It’s a newly
made area that looks old school but carries a bunch of new school stores like
H&M and Zara. There were a few back alleyways. Hutongs. </div>
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Before dinner, we decided to go to this small bar in the
Nanluoguxiang area that Dori’s friend told us about. On the way there we walked
through an amazing park and more hutongs that felt more like “real” China. The bar
was called Drum and Bell since it’s located between a very old drum tower and a
very old bell tower. We went up on the roof, which had an amazing view of the
area. It was noticeable that most of the patrons were expats speaking languages
from English to Portuguese. </div>
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We were feeling good after we left and though to take a
rickshaw to dinner. We made sure to hire a guy that HADN’T accosted us. He was
super sweet and drove us to KFC. Cause we’re classy. </div>
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Jeez, this post is so long and I’m only done with Saturday. </div>
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SUNDAY, MAY 26</div>
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OUR GREAT WALL DAY!</div>
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A car drove us about an hour and a half out of the city to a
small area of the wall called <span class="st">Mutianyu.</span> The village was very small and the area
wasn’t as touristy as other parts of the wall. We took a cable car (it was a
porch swing with a handlebar) to the Wall and started our trek up and down one
of the greatest achievements of mankind. </div>
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I can’t describe the experience very well. It’s one of those
things that you have to do for yourself. The view, the architecture,
the…everything. It was amazing. You could see it stretching on for miles,
twisting and turning. </div>
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It was a good day for it since it was cool and cloudy. We
didn’t start to feel sweaty or tired until our way back to where the cable car
had dropped us off. But we weren’t going to take it back down. Oh no, we were
going to TOBOGGAN! </div>
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Yes, you read that right. They had toboggans that took you
down a large slide, snaking downhill. It was SO MUCH FUN! Dori and I loved it! </div>
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We grabbed some lunch before deciding to explore the village
and the surrounding areas. It was very much rural China. Although, pretty sure
the vast majority of the town’s income came from tourism. We hung out at a café
for a bit before a car took us back. Dang, were we exhausted. We called it an
early night and watched some Downton Abbey before going to bed. </div>
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MONDAY, MAY 27</div>
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It was our last day in Beijing and most of it was played by
ear. It ended up being a day full of temples. </div>
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First, the Llama Temple. Another problem with touristy
places in Beijing is the beggars. Living in NYC, I’ve seen a fair share of
homeless people, but when it comes to amputees, our homeless people don’t feel
the need to actually showcase the missing limbs. I had to avert my eyes a lot.</div>
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The temple was more Tibetan in style, with more people there
to worship. Beautiful. There were a few prayer wheels and I couldn’t help
spinning one. Although, I didn't pray. I quoted Eddie Murphy in “The Golden
Child”. </div>
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There was a Confucian temple across the street so we went
over to hit that up. To our liking, very few people were there. There was a
statue of Confucius, so of course we had to take pictures with the dude. Again,
it was another beautiful temple. </div>
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When touring with Gu Qin in Shanghai, she had told me about
the Panjiayuan Antique Market it Beijing, so Dori and I went to check it out.
It was huge! So any merchants selling so many different things. Lots of beads,
(fake) jade carvings, teapots, vases, and calligraphy. </div>
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We still had a little bit of time before we needed to be at
the airport, so Dori suggested we head over to the Temple of Heaven. I know
I’ve called all these temples beautiful, but they all were! This one was much
different to the others though. The main temples were mostly circular and there
was an offering mound. Intense. It’s also a public park if you’re a retiree or
Beijing resident, so all the greenery was nice after so much time in the foul
air. </div>
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Finally we were ready to leave Shanghai. The Beijing Airport
is horrible. Security was super paranoid (Our umbrellas? Really?) and the
terminals had no good food. I had to have ice cream for dinner. As I sit in the
Pudong International Airport, I agree with Dori’s statement that Chinese
airports are the worst. </div>
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TUESDAY, MAY 28</div>
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My last day in China and I took it very easy. Slept in and
took my time packing before meeting Dori for lunch. I spent the afternoon
getting a much needed foot massage. Finally, Dori came back to her apartment to
see me off. I have to say that I got a bit choked up saying goodbye. I had such
a good time staying with her. I miss her a lot when she’s so far away.</div>
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A few tidbits:</div>
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- I found out what an “Asian air-conditioner” is, and I
don’t like it.</div>
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- I won’t ever complain about La Guardia’s food options ever
again. </div>
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- I still don’t know how to use chopsticks, but Dori bought be a starter pair that are connected with a plastic panda. </div>
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So that’s it. That was my trip. My plane is about to board.
I can’t believe it went by so fast. I can’t believe I actually went to China!
It’s wet my appetite for travel and I can’t wait until I have the time and
money to go somewhere else. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-39237937871445826322013-05-27T09:50:00.000-05:002013-05-27T09:50:35.767-05:00From Shanghai to Nanjing - Trip to China Part 2
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Hey y’all, so I’m sitting in the Beijing airport as I write
this (this airport sucks!), waiting to fly back to Shanghai. However, my
weekend in BJ will have to be covered at a different time. </div>
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So, let’s pick up where we last left off, shall we?</div>
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TUESDAY, MAY 21</div>
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My sister had to work, so she asked her language teacher, Gu
Qin, to take me around some of the lesser know areas. Gu was so nice and told
me so much about Shanghai, its history, culture, everything. For example, women
in Shanghai have more power over men do to their history working with silk.
Silk trade brings in more money than hard labor. It's the MAN’S family who has
to pay for the wedding and used to do dowries. Ha! </div>
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We took the metro to the antique market that was full of
interesting things wither made to look like antiques, or were just little
knick-knacks. According to Gu, the Chinese don’t consider something less than
300-years-old an antique. </div>
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The tea market she took me to was a very non-touristy
building full of artists’ shops. Calligraphy and different teapots were sold,
and of course, tea. I tried some Jasmine and light brown tea which were nice,
but not my thing. </div>
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I was surprised when Gu took me to Guilin Park, an amazingly
beautiful garden and former home of a gangster. Gu told me a lot about his
life, relationship with the government, his concubine, and the architecture of
the park. </div>
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Met up with Dori afterwards and we went to Yu Gardens, a
shopping area that’s architecture brings to mind “traditional China.” We took A
LOT of pictures! We had dinner at a rather new, swanky area, which was nice. </div>
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 22</div>
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I had the day to myself so I took the metro to see the
Shanghai Museum. Wow! There were so many great artifacts and pieces of art.
Some of which dated thousands of years ago. It really reminded me how “new”
America is. </div>
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I went back to the TV Tower in the Pudong side to go all the
way to the top. I was stuck in line behind a large tour group of men, which
wasn’t fun. Some kept trying to take pictures of “the white girl”. But it was
worth it once I got to the top. The view…oh my god! Fantastic. There was a
glass floor on which I laid down to take pictures. However, the selfie angle
was super awkward.</div>
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Dori got off work so we went to pick up our custom skirts. I
love mine so much. I wore one out of the fabric market. Dori had coerced her
friend Peter into meeting us at The Bund to do a photo shoot of us. All the
pictures are on her camera, so I can’t post them yet. The Peace Hotel was a few
blocks away, so we went up to the very top to have drinks. I can’t begin to
tell you how great the view was of the skyline after the sun went down. I made
sure to use the panorama app on my phone. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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THURSDAY, MAY 23</div>
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Another day mostly to myself. After a tour of the US consulate, I
took a nap since all the running around in Shanghai had started to wear me out.
My sister and I took the high speed train that night to Nanjing so she could
pass me off to her friends Natalie, Ildiko, and Laura, who go to school there.
Met for dinner at Element Fresh before Dori had to go back to SH. </div>
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It was down to the four of us and they thought they’d take
me up to the top of the Continental Hotel before going back to their dorms.
Once we got back to their housing complex, we saw there was a party on the
patio. I met a ton of their fellow graduate students, who all seemed nice for
the most part. BTW, Nanjing dorms are just like American dorms.</div>
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FRIDAY, MAY 24</div>
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We all slept late and then Natalie, Ildiko and I went back
to E Fresh for lunch. We definitely had the same waiter. </div>
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Since I wasn’t interested in seeing a touristy stuff on the
Nanjing massacre (when the Japanese took over the city and raped and killed
everyone), they took me to a super non-touristy underground shopping area
called “Fashion Lady”. It was an experience. The stuff being sold was
ridiculous. Natalie took a bunch of pictures of me with some of the crazy
items. </div>
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My last stop in Nanjing before heading to the train station
was to get a massage. Cheap, but quality. Unfortunately, we had underestimated
time, which meant Natalie and I had to rush to get me to the train on time. Our
cab driver pulled some Fast & Furious, Grand Theft Auto moves. We both
dashed out of the cab, cut in the security line, ran up the escalators, and
sprinted to the gate. I’m 85% sure I was the last person they let in the gate.
But as winded I was, I’d made the train on time. </div>
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Alrighty, that’s all for this post. One more to go where
I’ll dish about all the cool stuff Dori and I did during our three days in
Beijing. Spoiler alert! There was a lot of walking with a little tobogganing. </div>
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Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-38602608298543868582013-05-24T07:11:00.000-05:002013-05-24T09:07:50.641-05:00Shanghai (The New York of Asia) - China Trip Part 1<style>
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Wow! I can’t believe that my trip has been going by so fast.
I’ve already done so much and am excited for everything else to come before I
fly back on Tuesday. </div>
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This will end up being a rather long blog post about the
first part of time in Shanghai. I’ll break it up by day and then put some
general stuff at the bottom help move things along. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, ignore typos. </div>
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THURSDAY, MAY 16 -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>FRIDAY, MAY 17</div>
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My flight from Chicago to Shanghai took FOURTEEN HOURS! It
was really cramped, but thank to sleeping pills and OZ: The Great and Powerful,
it wasn’t too bad. When I arrived, I met Dori and we went back to her
apartment. It’s super nice, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve had my own bathroom
WITH A TUB! </div>
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After a bath, we left to meet up with some of her friends
here in Shanghai. Most work in with the State Department, and all were really
cool. Our first stop was at a bar they frequent, which had this lovely Texas
flag, and then we had dinner at Hunan, a Chinese restaurant. We stayed up super
late, which helped me sleep through the night. </div>
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SATURDAY, MAY 18</div>
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Unfortunately, the weather really sucked on Saturday. But
after lunch, we went to see the TV Tower on the Pudong side of SH. The first
floor had a museum depicting the history of Shanghai through wax figures. The
bad Chinglish and noticeable dislike of Westerners was a hilarious bonus to the
museum. </div>
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Outside the tower, I had my first interesting experience
with being a white person in China. A Chinese tourist (from the country I’d
guess) came over with his iPhone, obviously wanting a picture. I thought he
wanted me to take a picture of him and his friend so I agreed. All of a sudden
it turned into a selfie of the two of us. This was not the last time that
tourists asked to take pictures with Dori and I. We only agreed to one girl who
was nice enough to take a picture for us. There were other times when people
were blatantly taking pictures of us. Awkward. </div>
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In case you didn’t know, pollution here sucks majorly. I was
having difficulty breathing so we had to head to a pharmacy to buy me some gas
masks. Let me tell you, they are the height of fashion </sarcasm>.</div>
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Dinner followed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(pizza) with some more of Dori’s friends before we went back and all
played an awesome game called CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY. It’s basically a version
of Apples to Apples, but for horrible people. It’s extremely offensive and
dirty, but the fun doesn’t stop. No judging allowed.</div>
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SUNDAY, MAY 19</div>
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It was actually a nice day out! For lunch we went to this
AMAZINGLY themed restaurant called Abbey Road. C’mon, of course Dori would take
me there. My sister knows me so well. </div>
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There’s this really great market called Tian ZiFang that we went
to that sells a lot of different things. Think of New York’s Chinatown only
cheaper. I bought a fake Longchamp bag that roughly came to $7. Of course
different stalls tried to cheat us since we were tourists, but thankfully I had
my sister with me. </div>
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We got done shopping and headed over to The Bund. It’s this
great area on the river that looks over to Pudong’s skyline. The actually Bund
is a set of colonial style buildings which are also very beautiful. Again,
people tried to take pictures with us. Again, it was awkward. </div>
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We checked out the Peace Hotel, which was very fancy, and
did some shopping at a 4-story Forever 21 before going to play LASERTAG! One of
Dori’s co-workers is moving on to a different post and chose lastertag as her
last hurrah! Let me tell you, the Enderle girls are not that great at this
game. Although a few times we seemed to have faulty equipment. Blurg. </div>
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We had dinner with Dori’s friends Peter and Neil at her
favorite Chinese restaurant (delicious!) and then gelato (also delicious!). </div>
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MONDAY, MAY 20</div>
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Dori took the day off of work and we started off with a trip
to a Buddhist Temple in the middle of the city. It’s known locally as rather
touristy, but I didn’t care. It was beautiful and we took A LOT of pictures! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite part was seeing a monk on a
cellphone. Classic. </div>
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Next on our list was the South Bund Fabric Market where a
lot of people go to get clothes custom made. Of course, I took advantage of the
prices and got two skirts made for about $80. Not bad, right? I saw one girl
getting fitted for an evening gown. I would have gone with a fancy dress, but
where would I wear it? </div>
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Shanghai has a lot of trade in pearls, so Dori took me to
one of the Pearl markets. We took the Metro on the way there and it was SO
CLEAN! While we were riding I wasn’t paying attention to the TV screen, but as
I was walking out, I glanced up and who should I see but DARREN FREAKIN’ CRISS.
I was like “whaa?” but they were showing previews to his new movie with Kristen
Wiig. Bit surreal..</div>
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The Pearl market was really cool. I got a pair of earrings,
a necklace and a ring for really cheap. There was a store in the building
called LENNY that leads me to believe that my dad has been holding out on us
with this hidden business. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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So we finished up shopping and went to look at Nanjing Road,
the Times Square of China. It was all lit up and very commercial, like TS. But
get this, they have FANCY Pizza Huts here. It’s a legit restaurant where people
go on dates. Weird. </div>
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It got dark and we went back to The Bund for night pictures.
I got some great ones, if I do say so myself. </div>
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So this is where I will leave off for now. But here a few
things that I didn’t find a way to include:</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Squatties are the bane of my existence. I won’t
take Western restrooms for granted again.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The fashion and shoes here are cray-cray. Don’t
know how some of these girls are able to walk.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I’ve been using a burner phone and had to
relearn how to use T9 texting. </div>
Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-65839511801365319962013-04-01T13:07:00.002-05:002013-04-08T12:47:20.895-05:00My Good Morning (America)<style>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Okay everyone, I’m sure you’re all tired of me talking about yakking on FB and Twitter, but bare
with me one more time, cause this was amazing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's been one year since <i>Newsies</i> opened and they have been doing a lot to celebrate. Last weekend they had free lotto tickets, which of course my friends and I tried to win. We didn't. But we did get a flier saying that the first 60 people to e-mail their names would win tickets to see the boys perform on <i>Good Morning America</i>. AND WE WON!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I woke my butt up super freakin’ early on April 1st (this morning) to
meet my friends (who also got in) at the stage door. We didn’t wait too long
before they let us in, through security and up to the performance room. Once
inside, they passed out free <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Newsies</i>
caps (retail price $26). We watched the boys rehearse, then the stagehand
lined us up so we could cheer them on when they ran in. While we were waiting, Marie Osmond and Stana Katic (Castle) came through the studio from their interviews. It was really unexpected. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/newsies-cast-perform-carrying-banner-gma-18853966">performance</a> was fantastic. They had filmed the first
part of the song last week, so we were only there for the last 30 seconds of it. But it was still freaking amazing! When it was time for them to wave to
the camera, I was moving around, on my tip-toes trying to get a good
picture. All of a sudden, the cameraman took my phone and snapped one for me,
followed by a photo of his monitor. ALWAYS MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE CAMERAMAN! He
also gave me his breakdown sheet as a souvenir. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Afterward, the cast hung around to mingle with their
fans. Yup, they are that awesome. We got pictures with them in their costumes and talked to them about the show. They were all extremely nice. I may or may not
have been trying to flirt with the actor who plays Specs. (We all know how
horrible I am at flirting.) Anyway, we
got our photos and as we walked out - bonus! - we were handed a flier for A FREE
TICKET TO THE SHOW! You can bet I’m using that. Especially since they’ve
changed up the choreography and have new cast members. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That’s all for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My cast pictures are below! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Corey Cott (Jack Kelly)</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iR2cBS6IErM/UVnAVkpjkaI/AAAAAAAAAPo/iMypQ-6fi5A/s1600/37038_10151532031634609_50549747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iR2cBS6IErM/UVnAVkpjkaI/AAAAAAAAAPo/iMypQ-6fi5A/s1600/37038_10151532031634609_50549747_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tommy Bracco (Spot Conlon)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Garrett Hawe</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andy Richardson (Crutchie)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWU1toqUgoQ/UVnAbtqqqFI/AAAAAAAAAQk/W5d_VTd4ZO0/s1600/IMG_2361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWU1toqUgoQ/UVnAbtqqqFI/AAAAAAAAAQk/W5d_VTd4ZO0/s1600/IMG_2361.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="teamBioName" itemprop="name">Michael Fatica</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="teamBioName" itemprop="name">Adam Kaplan (Delancey Brother)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="teamBioName" itemprop="name">John Michael Fiumara (Specs)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan Breslin (Race)</span></td></tr>
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Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-9240123205682075602013-02-25T19:38:00.000-06:002013-02-25T19:38:20.111-06:00"What If?" Harry Potter & Free Will<style>
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It’s about time that I write a blog post based off <i>Harry
Potter</i>. It’s a wonder why it took so long. The other day, I was just sitting and thinking about HP (Not uncommon),
when I started listing the different choices the characters have made.
There are so many instances in the novels where a
character’s free will majorly influences the outcome of the
book/series. There are so many "what if" questions surrounding these points.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.colindsmith.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/harry+potter+books1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.colindsmith.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/harry+potter+books1.jpg" height="320" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of JK Rowling & Scholastic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="st">"It is our <i>choices</i>, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."</span> </i>- Albus Dumbledore</span></b></span></div>
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So I busted out my notebook and wrote out the various times that a character made a crucial choice. I’ve taken the list and narrowed the choices down to 6 major points in
the series that lead up to its epic conclusion. These are somewhat in order, but some of
these tie in importance. </div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>6. “NOT SLYTHERIN.” –</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxIDWgcLNYE/TyKyXTxbB3I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/KpzTv1xPsSc/s1600/sorting+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxIDWgcLNYE/TyKyXTxbB3I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/KpzTv1xPsSc/s1600/sorting+hat.jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Context:</b> In <i>Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone</i>, Harry begs The
Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin. While the hat tells Harry that
Slytherin house could help him achieve greatness, Potter is insistent and
therefore, his choice is taken into account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Importance: </b>What would Harry have done if he’d donned the
green and silver tie? Would he have embraced the idea of thinking he was the
heir of Slytherin? Would he have become friends with Draco? He wouldn’t have
been able to wield the sword of Godric Gryffindor for one thing. And what would
he have done without Ron & Hermione by his side?</div>
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<b>5.
SECRET KEEPER –</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hplex.info/images/godrics-hollow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hplex.info/images/godrics-hollow.gif" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Context:</b>
The reader learns in <i>Prisoner of Azkaban</i> that Sirius Black had declined the
Potters’ offer to be their secret keeper, the only person who could tell others
where the Potters were. Peter Pettigrew was chosen.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Importance:</b>
Pettigrew was an asshat. Unknown to his friends, he had became a Death Eater
and told Lord Voldemort where to find the Potters. Like I said, asshat. If Sirius had accepted the role of Secret Keeper, Voldemort might have tortured him, but I bet he wouldn't have given up their location.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>4.
“ALWAYS.” –</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120403170503/harrypotter/images/a/a3/Severus_Snape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120403170503/harrypotter/images/a/a3/Severus_Snape.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> (Property of Warner Brothers)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Context:</b>
Severus Snape was in love with Harry’s mother, Lily. After her death, Snap switched
sides and worked as a double agent for The Order of the Phoenix. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Importance:</b>
His work aided the group in their quest to defeat He Who Must Not Be Named.
This included sending help to Harry and his friends in the Department of
Mysteries, leaving the sword of Godric Gryffindor for Harry (and Ron) to find,
and more. His choice to become a good guy is a major plot point in the novels.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3.
“DEAD.”</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111126161645/harrypotter/images/e/ee/Narcissa_Malfoy_dh_part2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111126161645/harrypotter/images/e/ee/Narcissa_Malfoy_dh_part2.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Context:</b>
As Harry lay in the forest, having returned to life, Voldemort asks Narcissa
Malfoy to check if Potter is dead. She realizes that he’s alive and asks if
Draco is still alive. When Harry says yes, Narcissa lies and tells Voldemort that Harry
is dead.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Importance:</b>
If Narcissa had told the truth, Voldemort would have immediately sent another
killing curse at Harry. One which Harry would not have survived as he lay defenseless
without a wand. Even if Harry could have tried to destroy Voldemort, Nagini,
the last horcrux, was still alive and slithering. This would mean a piece of Voldemort continued to live. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2.
SACRIFICE-</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.4tnz.com/files/harry%20potter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.4tnz.com/files/harry%20potter.png" height="154" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Context:</b>
Both Lily Potter and Harry chose to sacrifice themselves in order to save their loved
ones. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Importance:</b>
Love plays an important role in the HP series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was Lily’s sacrifice and love for Harry that caused Voldemort’s Avada
Kedavra curse to backfire. And when Harry died willingly for his friends, the
Death Eaters were no longer able to harm them. Thus, the good guys had the
advantage.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>1.
MARKED AS AN EQUAL –</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpg4uYUui70/UO3H6KIf9zI/AAAAAAAAEAk/IxiVMcYUVhM/s1600/Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpg4uYUui70/UO3H6KIf9zI/AAAAAAAAEAk/IxiVMcYUVhM/s1600/Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-2.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Context:</b>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The one with the power to
vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him,
born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal…’</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Importance:</b> The prophecy foretold by Professor
Trelawney could have meant two different boys. Harry Potter and Neville
Longbottom. Both were born at the end of July, both of their parents
defied Voldemort three times. But Voldemort saw Harry as his threat, not
Neville. By attacking the Potters, Voldemort chose Harry as his equal. You Know
Who hadn’t learned the full prophecy and felt that he could easily kill HP. Joke's on him. But what would have happened if Neville Longbottom had been
chosen? Maybe he could have killed Voldemort after only 4 books…</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So there you have it, my CHOICES (See what I did
there?). It was extremely tough narrowing down the options. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HONORABLE MENTIONS BY BOOK</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ron’s moves
during the life or death game of Wizard’s Chess.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hermione’s
logic and choices when looking for the correct potion to allow Harry to cross
through the fire towards the stone.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110529175017/harrypotter/images/e/ef/Ronchess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110529175017/harrypotter/images/e/ef/Ronchess.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Chamber of Secrets</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ginny
trusting Tom Riddle’s diary. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Prisoner of Azkaban</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hermione’s
decision to take too many classes. And McGonagall allowing her to do so with
the help of a Time-Turner.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081114031719/harrypotter/images/5/5d/Time-TurnerHarryHermione.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081114031719/harrypotter/images/5/5d/Time-TurnerHarryHermione.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Goblet of Fire</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cedric and
Harry deciding to tie for the Triwizard Cup.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Order of the Phoenix</i>:</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
formation of Dumbledore’s Army and Marietta Edgecombe being a “sneak.”</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hp-lexicon.org/images/film/op/DA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hp-lexicon.org/images/film/op/DA.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Half-Blood Prince</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Malfoy
begins to lower his wand.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ron and
Hermione tell Harry they will go with him to destroy the horcruxes.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS18AIIAzwcWAMralFsJWPzyOuLdw8afOBxWhGsfMaQ8LIhcrvE" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS18AIIAzwcWAMralFsJWPzyOuLdw8afOBxWhGsfMaQ8LIhcrvE" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Deathly Hallows</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dumbledore’s
guilt over his sister’s death leads him to duel with Grindlewald. By defeating
his friend, he wins the loyalty of the Elder Wand.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dobby’s love for Harry leads him to save Potter and the others at Malfoy Manor.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeo4mw-Ezg80QeymQ5U0tc-kcnkg7SwYoBU9liNKYefxqGuV2S" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeo4mw-Ezg80QeymQ5U0tc-kcnkg7SwYoBU9liNKYefxqGuV2S" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Overall: </span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wand
chooses the wizard. From getting your first one, to winning another’s in a
duel, the allegiance of a wand plays an important role in the
series. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnh50m80sR1qbpvffo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnh50m80sR1qbpvffo1_500.gif" height="166" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Warner Brothers</td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”</i> - Albus Dumbledore</span></b></span></span></span></div>
Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-78113052455726430602012-11-14T07:14:00.002-06:002012-11-26T13:58:56.576-06:00Top 6 Back to the Future Life LessonsIt's no secret that my favorite film is <i>Back to the Future</i>. Some of my earliest memories involve a toddler-age Adrienne running around yelling, "What the hell is a gigawatt?" But now that I'm an adult-age Adrienne, I've realized that the film is not only a cinematic masterpiece, but one that teaches you important life lessons.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL4Y-TqF52E/UKOZFYxSpBI/AAAAAAAAANU/Gi4TSZfrMp0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-14+at+8.13.08+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL4Y-TqF52E/UKOZFYxSpBI/AAAAAAAAANU/Gi4TSZfrMp0/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-11-14+at+8.13.08+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">6. Don't Drive Recklessly<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> </span></span><br />
Whether you're chasing down a guy on a makeshift skateboard, or texting while driving, driving recklessly has some serious consequences. Take your eyes of the road for one minute and you just might end up with a car full of manure.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070914205307/bttf/images/6/68/Manure_ford_1955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070914205307/bttf/images/6/68/Manure_ford_1955.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Universal Studios</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">5. Parents Lie.</span></span><br />
Marty McFly grew up hearing his mom gripe about girls chasing boys, calling boys, parking with boys, etc. Cut to teenage Lorraine who stalks Marty to Doc Brown's house, parks with guys, smokes, and steals liquor from her own mother. So much for that nun-like facade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bDpg9dX2RY0/THatZVpGyGI/AAAAAAAABs0/fhwoQD4D7No/s1600/Smoking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bDpg9dX2RY0/THatZVpGyGI/AAAAAAAABs0/fhwoQD4D7No/s320/Smoking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Universal Studios</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Dreams Come True If You Work Hard Enough.</span></span><br />
"Mayor Goldie Wilson, I like the sound of that." Thanks to Marty's insight, Goldie Wilson goes from sweeping floors, to night school, to Mayor of Hill Valley. Even more impressive when you take into account that he had to battle racism while striving towards his dream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbj8goMRIv1qbpbkno1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbj8goMRIv1qbpbkno1_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Universal Studios</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">3. Being a Peeping Tom Is Dangerous.</span></span><br />
George McFly wasn't <i>bird watching</i> in that tree. Nope, he was
watching a woman strip down. And he became so distracted, he fell out of
the tree and into the street where Mr. Bates hits him with a
car…nearly. In steps Marty to simultaneously save the day and botch the
future.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/bttf/images/7/70/Peepingtom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://images.wikia.com/bttf/images/7/70/Peepingtom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Universal Studios</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">2. Don't Make Deals With Terrorists.</span></span><br />
You'll get shot at, chased, and possible fired at with a bazooka.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlPaU9FEyGlM5IkugQ-3vaToETlyL7nv11RC2Df8izgoypW_hs" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlPaU9FEyGlM5IkugQ-3vaToETlyL7nv11RC2Df8izgoypW_hs" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Universal Studios</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">1. Always Write The Correct Name In Your Underwear.</span></span><br />
It could be your only form of identification. Think twice before buying those Joe Boxers or Calvin Kleins.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbB18xuJ016KvihCogE7BOgr4-e6l1rd7ULrANujLs4-m0I5HOPQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbB18xuJ016KvihCogE7BOgr4-e6l1rd7ULrANujLs4-m0I5HOPQ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of Calvin Klein</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-91294834831974940802012-07-13T14:33:00.001-05:002012-07-13T14:33:57.355-05:00OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL<style>
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First off, I want to say that I am extremely excited for
this film. I’ve watched the trailer a few times and decided that I wanted to
break down my thoughts on how the film is being portrayed in just this first,
short teaser. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyywumlnhdw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Black and white vs. color: I love that Sam Raimi
is staying true to the roots of The Wizard of Oz and using color to set off the
wonder that is Oz. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I’m a bit skeptical about James Franco. His
delivery of the line, “I want to be a great one,” seems a bit forced and campy.
However, his reactions to Oz (which basically make up the rest of his time in
the teaser) look more genuine, which is why I’m only a BIT skeptical. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images3.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/movies/o/oz_the_great_and_powerful/trailer/281x211.jpg?width=281&height=211" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images3.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/movies/o/oz_the_great_and_powerful/trailer/281x211.jpg?width=281&height=211" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The visuals are STUNNING! I read that while
there is a lot of CGI in the film (how could there not be?) a lot of the sets
were actually built. With a $200,000,000 budget, that’s the least they could
do, right? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2012/07/oz_great_powerful_a_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2012/07/oz_great_powerful_a_l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Sam Raimi’s camera techniques are always great.
My favorite being the throw of the hat.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span><span>5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Who is who?: The roles of the witches are
misleading within the trailer. At first glance, it makes you believe that
Rachel Weis is The Wicked Witch of the West. However, based off of info from
the Comic-Con panel, it turns out she is the Wicked Witch of the East and Mila
Kunis is of the West. My guess is that the film will also show why she becomes
wicked (she doesn’t seem pretty evil in the trailer). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/otrc/2010/photos/8734535_360x202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/otrc/2010/photos/8734535_360x202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Soldiers and monkeys: You only caught a quick
glimpse of them, but they look so true to the originals. Super excited!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>And finally, the green hand at the end: Are we
going to see why WWotW becomes green and evil? God, I hope so!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hardinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/oz-the-great-and-powerful-wicked-witch-hand-scratch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://hardinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/oz-the-great-and-powerful-wicked-witch-hand-scratch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Questions:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Wasn’t it all just a dream for Dorothy? I’m
curious as to whether they will allude to this fact in the film or just
completely ignore it. To Dorothy, The Wizard was still living in Kansas when she
left and when she woke up. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What the hell was that fairy thing? It was
creepy and weird. I’m guessing it’s something from Baum’s books, at least I
hope so. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ozthegreatandpowerfulmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/642-380-aHR0cDovL3BlZGVzdHJpYW4udHYvX2NydW5rL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA3L096LXRoZS1ncmVhdC1hbmQtcG93ZXJmdWwuanBn-390x280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://www.ozthegreatandpowerfulmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/642-380-aHR0cDovL3BlZGVzdHJpYW4udHYvX2NydW5rL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA3L096LXRoZS1ncmVhdC1hbmQtcG93ZXJmdWwuanBn-390x280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why can’t this movie come out sooner!?!?!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/07/03/OZ-poster-2_510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/07/03/OZ-poster-2_510.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-49679533076689133422012-01-26T17:29:00.015-06:002013-03-05T10:16:39.131-06:00Another Bill and Ted...EXCELLENT!It was announced last year that Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were ready to team up for <span style="font-style: italic;">Bill and Ted 3</span>. While they have a script, there is still a lot they have to do to make it happen, like get the rights and the time. But what they need most is...a title.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/30000668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/30000668.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So you're probably thinking "why blog about this?"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQao7hPkItvAF02yYHhX_egkMCIQvnYb0rCfthL2X4gKhPM1oCYgM776MBa6w"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQao7hPkItvAF02yYHhX_egkMCIQvnYb0rCfthL2X4gKhPM1oCYgM776MBa6w" style="display: block; height: 191px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 263px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Well, I was up all night, tossing and turning, trying to figure out what the title could be. I wasted a lot of hours pondering this.<br />
<br />
<br />
There is one consistent, having "Bill and Ted's" in the title. E.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey</span>. Next you need a slang descriptive term. Since this would be their third movie after a long hiatus, I'm guessing it would be along the lines of "excellent" rather than "bogus." Plus, the sequel didn't do as well among audiences, so it would be safer to connect to the original.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Bill_%26_Ted.jpg/220px-Bill_%26_Ted.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Bill_%26_Ted.jpg/220px-Bill_%26_Ted.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 345px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Alright, so we need to find a slang term similar to "excellent."<br />
<br />
-Awesome?<br />
-Radical?<br />
<br />
Or something less slangy:<br />
<br />
-Amazing?<br />
-Phenomenal?<br />
<br />
<br />
But once you have your description, you need a word for their "adventure" or "journey."<br />
<br />
-Experience? (This would make it sound a bit LSD-y)<br />
-Enterprise? (Are they meeting Captain Kirk?)<br />
-Crusade or Hajj? (Religious connotations)<br />
-Exploration?<br />
-Voyage?<br />
-Expedition?<br />
<br />
There are tons they could use. But then again, they could break from the formula and come up with a cheesy title.<br />
<br />
-Wyld Stallyns Ride Again?<br />
-Bill and Ted Party On?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb101/jonescru/bill_and_ted/billted1.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb101/jonescru/bill_and_ted/billted1.gif" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 230px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 217px;" /></a><br />
<br />
I hope not. And the title I came up with? Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 130%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">BILL AND TED'S EPIC ODYSSEY!</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tinygif.com/data/media/11/bill_and_ted_neenering.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tinygif.com/data/media/11/bill_and_ted_neenering.gif" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 239px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Yep. I spent hours coming up with that.<br />
So, there you have it. And remember, be excellent to each other and PARTY ON, DUDES!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/4968/423447-dead_presidents__01____8_super.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/4968/423447-dead_presidents__01____8_super.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 142px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 335px;" /></a><br />
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<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/04/bill-and-ted-3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/04/bill-and-ted-3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 212px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 318px;" /></a>Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-59230473934271789272012-01-24T22:13:00.015-06:002012-01-24T23:56:38.359-06:00Remade in AmericaIt's apparent to the majority of people I meet that I love British television. Sometimes, I feel the need to stick up for it. Like now.<br /><br />With CBS having announced its intention to air <span style="font-style: italic;">Elementary</span>, a modern day telling of Sherlock Holmes, I can't help but wonder why. The BBC has already beat them to the punch with <span style="font-style: italic;">Sherlock</span>, which brings the characters and stories to present day London. With great performances by Benedict Cumberbatch (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</span>) and Martin Freeman (currently filming <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hobbit</span>), it's hard to picture a world in which CBS will have the better version. Especially since <span style="font-style: italic;">Elementary</span> would take place in NYC. What? 221B Baker Street in America? I can't see that working out well. Plus, I love that Freeman's Watson blogs about his adventures with Holmes. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://couchslobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sherlock-bbc.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 219px;" src="http://couchslobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sherlock-bbc.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So all this has got me thinking about American remakes of British television shows. Do they really work?<br /><br />If the program is a reality show or aired in the 1970s, yes.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hell's Kitchen</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">American Idol </span>and the game show<span style="font-style: italic;">s Whose Line Is It Anyway</span>? and<span style="font-style: italic;"> Who Wants to be a Millionaire?</span> were all hits brought to the US from across the pond. And have you heard of <span style="font-style: italic;">Till Death Us Do Part</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Steptoe and Son</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Man About The House</span>?<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Probably not. But I bet you know <span style="font-style: italic;">All in the Family</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sanford and Son</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Three's Company</span>. Again, all three were major hits in the United States.<br /><br /><a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02077/steptoe2_2077272i.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 208px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02077/steptoe2_2077272i.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />But what about recent remakes?In past years, many of the shows brought over and redesigned have flopped.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Viva Laughlin</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Blackpool</span>) was cancelled after two episodes.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qLbod20lf9k/Tx-QszhnycI/AAAAAAAAAIE/UiCN9J6B9Bk/s1600/Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qLbod20lf9k/Tx-QszhnycI/AAAAAAAAAIE/UiCN9J6B9Bk/s320/Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701434752694208962" border="0" /></a><br />The American version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Life on Mars</span> suffered declining viewership and never made it to a second season.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwz1nZgQnK0/Tx-Rou8blBI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/kEPVANJWFY8/s1600/1Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwz1nZgQnK0/Tx-Rou8blBI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/kEPVANJWFY8/s320/1Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701435782256628754" border="0" /></a><br />Let's not forget <span style="font-style: italic;">Skins</span>. MTV pulled the plug on its version after The Parents Television Council attacked the program leading to loss of sponsors and viewership.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck81ih9NanQ/Tx-SUmSL8OI/AAAAAAAAAIc/Z1_F93W-qRc/s1600/2Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ck81ih9NanQ/Tx-SUmSL8OI/AAAAAAAAAIc/Z1_F93W-qRc/s320/2Picnik%2Bcollage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701436535846203618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Being Human</span> has its counterpart on Syfy and while averaging 1.9 million viewers makes it the network's top winter series, the numbers would not hold up on networks like USA and TBS.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.darkhorizons.com/assets/0013/1908/beingh_article.jpg?1294322798"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 220px;" src="http://www.darkhorizons.com/assets/0013/1908/beingh_article.jpg?1294322798" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In all fairness, there is one fairly recent show that became a major hit when converted for American audiences. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span>. The first season struggled, but the show hit its stride during the second season and gained a vast audience. It's currently in its 8th season. The best part is that a lot of fans love both versions.<br /><br /><a href="http://ourbrainhurtsalot.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/the-office-us-and-uk.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 356px;" src="http://ourbrainhurtsalot.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/the-office-us-and-uk.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So what's my point in all this? I think that Americans should give the original British shows a shot over here. Just look at the recent success of <span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Who</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Downton Abbey</span>. Hey! Wouldn't that make a great crossover. <a href="http://th7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/Hihey9989/th_icon_smile_wink.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 26px; height: 26px;" src="http://th7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/Hihey9989/th_icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And by the way, if you can't understand the accent, there's always closed-captioning.Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-49117349961750215172012-01-11T14:11:00.014-06:002012-01-13T15:53:56.616-06:00The Art of the Bromance<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bromance</span>- <span style="font-style: italic;">n</span>. the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Definition provided by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. </span></span><br /><br />Think of all your male friends, I'm sure there are two or more who come to mind that share a unique bond that is indescribable. I can call to mind at least three to four bromances I've had the fortune to witness in life. But there is a subtle art to the bond shared. Having picked apart some of my favorite bromances in life, literature and television, I've noticed a trend. Five characteristics they all share:<br /><br /><br />A Common Goal<br />Trust<br />Looking Past Eccentricities<br />Sacrifice/Protection <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(Showing one's love by sacrificing themselves for their friend's protection.)</span><br />Teasing<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span><br />Join me as I break down three of my favorite bromances of all time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">3) Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.reconnections.net/stewart_colbert.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 355px;" src="http://www.reconnections.net/stewart_colbert.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Who doesn't love these two? With the craziness of the world, it seems that they are possibly the most sane people in news.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;"> A Common Goal: </span>Like I said, the media has gone rather wild in the world of 24/hr news and these guys are here to poke fun, as well as set viewers straight.<br />--- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trust: </span>Whatever Jon doesn't cover, there is a good chance Stephen will within the next half-hour. Jon has such faith in Stephen, that he was a leading player in starting <span style="font-style: italic;">The Colbert Report</span>. UPDATE: Stephen has forked over his Colbert Super PAC to Jon, so that he can run for President of the United States of South Carolina. It is now "The Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC."<br />--- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sacrifice/Protection: </span>Here's a video for evidence. Skip toward the end for the fight.<br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:376282" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="" height="288" width="512"></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/376282/march-03-2011/ice-cream-fight-with-jimmy-fallon">The Colbert Report</a></b><br />Get More: <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/">Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/">Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/video">Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Teasing: </span>This is more on the Colbert side of things. He's taken a few shots at Stewart on his program, but it is all in good fun.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Greg House and James Wilson </span>- House<br /><br /></span><a href="http://house.maxupdates.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Wilsons-Ex-Wife-New-Girlfriend-a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 386px; height: 257px;" src="http://house.maxupdates.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Wilsons-Ex-Wife-New-Girlfriend-a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>These two<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span> </span>are more at odds than not. But as best friends, they are one of the few constants in each of their lives.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;"> A Common Goal: </span>As doctors, they do what they can to save lives. In Wilson's case, this means keeping House in line.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Trust: </span>Yeah, not a lot of trust coming from Wilson, but House finds his friend predictable and trusts in that. Wilson can also trust House to be an ass most of the time.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Looking Past Eccentricities: </span>House can be a handful, with his rude demeanor and disregard for the rules, but he's Wilson's best friend. And while House is rather mean to Wilson about the many divorces, he sticks by his friend.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sacrifice/Protection: </span>How many times has Wilson had to bail out House? How many times has he tried to bring House out of addiction. While it seemed Wilson was done playing Mother to house after the stint in prison, he was able to let go of it all with a punch and then dinner.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Teasing: </span>Who doesn't love the prank wars and bets these two get <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>into. Some involve loose chickens and others deal with net traps.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">1) Shawn Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">- Psych</span><br /><br /><a href="http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/114/1140546/psych-20101214101721040_640w_1292540544.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 222px;" src="http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/114/1140546/psych-20101214101721040_640w_1292540544.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />You can't have a bromance list without these two at the top. Best friends since childhood, these two have grown up together and their is no shortage of love between them.<br />--- <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Common Goal:</span> As the owner's of <span style="font-style: italic;">Psych</span> these two are private detectives who solve mysteries, mostly to help the Santa Barbara Police Department. While Shawn's photographic memory and crazy attention to detail play a big part, Gus is not idle. His work as a pharmaceutical salesman has helped many times, not to mention his knowledge of rather weird facts and "the super-sniffer."<br />--- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trust: </span>Okay, to be honest, Gus doesn't trust Shawn as much as he should. Then again, if Shawn hadn't given Gus the wrong letter to "aggiornamento," Gus wouldn't have lost. However, Shawn has full trust in Gus and his abilities.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Looking Past Eccentricities:</span> Well, Shawn likes to pretend he's psychic, not to mention his inability to grow up. Gus is a bit more mature, but even he can't help goofing off when around his best friend. Shawn is able to put up with Gus' nerdiness, even though Gus believe he's one of the coolest guys around.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sacrifice/Protection: </span>Shawn and Gus always have each others' backs. The best example for this would be in the episode "Gus Walks Into a Bank." When Shawn hears that the bank has been held hostage, he does all he can to get in and make sure his friend leaves safely.<br />---<span style="font-weight: bold;">Teasing:</span> I think this video will explain it best.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cXpATTqVDig" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />Here are some more of my favorite Bromances:<br /><br />-Neil Caffrey and Peter Burke - <span style="font-style: italic;">White Collar<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-</span></span>Myron Bolitar and Windsor Horne Lockwood III - <span style="font-style: italic;">Myron Bolitar Mysteries</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-</span></span></span>Sherlock Holmes and John Watson<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span><br />-Merlin and Arthur Pendragon (and Colin Morgan and Bradley James) - <span style="font-style: italic;">Merlin</span><br />Check out this music video they made behind the scenes.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cgbXzTphStw" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />-Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oTsJHSF80XY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533215937293587991.post-49781198393592038372012-01-10T14:48:00.017-06:002012-01-10T15:47:05.400-06:00Downton WhoSo I've started this blog as a place where I can publish my random thoughts to the world. Some are weirder than others and most of them will probably have to do with the world of entertainment. Without out further ado, let me begin.<br /><br /><br />I've just recently become addicted to the ITV/PBS series <span style="font-style: italic;">Downton Abbey. </span>For those unfamiliar with the program, it revolves around the upper-class family and servants who reside at Downton towards the beginning of the 20th century. And with any period piece, I can't help but wonder what would happen if The Doctor visited the country estate.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/02/article-1325499094300-0F506E6600000578-361277_636x356.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 636px; height: 356px;" src="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/02/article-1325499094300-0F506E6600000578-361277_636x356.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo belongs to Metro)</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />And what sort of menace would be plaguing the inhabitants of Downton? Is Thomas really an evil alien? Has Daisy mistakenly sent a smoke signal to outer-space, bringing chaos to the countryside? What if Lady Sybil's been kidnapped by cybermen due to her compaigning that the term is sexist and there should be cyberwomen as well? Whatever it is, there is no question that The Doctor can sort it out with the help of Mary, Anna, Matthew, William and Lord Grantham. Although, I doubt Mr. Carson would approve if a police telephone box appeared in the library. He's only just gotten used to answering the phone in his room.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcgysU4Po1r1cobno1_500.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 282px;" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcgysU4Po1r1cobno1_500.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Graphic not made by me)</span><br /></div><br />And how awesome would it be for Maggie Smith to be on an episode of Doctor Who. And in this role? Oh god that would be amazing. The Dowager Countess would definitely be a match for The Doctor and his eccentric ways. According to this woman, electricity and telephones make her feel as if she were living in an H.G. Wells novel. I say that we put her in the Tardis and see what she makes of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mirrormirror.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c7dce53ef0147e1ff3b29970b-pi"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 527px; height: 345px;" src="http://mirrormirror.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c7dce53ef0147e1ff3b29970b-pi" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo is property of ITV)<br /></span></div><br />But no matter what, let's not forget Penelope Winton. The actress plays Isobel Crawley, but Doctor Who fans would know her as Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister.<br /><br /><a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTse2OY87PcOjlvOMAHBT6pArJpv1SLLXJMbQ-JqoOzkKxXKmkcAA"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 258px;" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTse2OY87PcOjlvOMAHBT6pArJpv1SLLXJMbQ-JqoOzkKxXKmkcAA" alt="" border="0" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_5vTQEj8EpCGu6B3vaPVOw0S8RKoQB7t4nQLwcKeJ7olKfSih"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 166px;" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_5vTQEj8EpCGu6B3vaPVOw0S8RKoQB7t4nQLwcKeJ7olKfSih" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photos belong to ITV and BBC)</span><br /></div><br />The Doctor could have some fun with this, possibly telling Mrs. Crawley, or her son, that their descendent will be one of the most powerful women in England. Until The Doctor takes her down, that is. Both characters played by Winton are strong and won't get pushed around. It's easily believable that Jones would be related to the Crawleys.<br /><br />There is just no denying that this would be an awesome crossover. While odds are non-existent on it happening, it at least keeps my mind occupied. :)Adriennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10451988039613724633noreply@blogger.com0