New Beginnings; New Year

Ok, so I originally had a very nice thing talking about how I started out writing, but then it deleted (even though I copied it so I could paste it on here). Alas. I shall try to recount from memory.

I've known I wanted to be a writer since I was in second grade. I wrote a story about a Christmas tree. It was cliche (from what I recall), the tree was with a lot of other trees, (in an Xmas tree lot) but was getting passed over. It wanted to get chosen, as all the other trees did. (Perhaps a little existential for a second grader, but I'm writing what I remember it was about.) In the end, the tree was chosen and everyone lived happily ever after. The end.

Speaking of Existentialism: (Pic: Top: Kierkegaard and Dostoyevsky. Bottom:
Nietzsche and Satre). In order.

Someone I knew through middle school and high school died recently. I think he was murdered, drug related, from what I hear. Some people are saying they are surprised this happened. From what I remember of this kid from school, before he was expelled, he was pretty into drugs. I always stick to the green. I might experiment with other things, but it's only for the experience.

The one clear memory I have of this guy who died is from middle school. We were in the same English or Reading class, something like that. I had raised my hand, and he had apparently looked down my shirt because he made fun of me having a mole in my armpit. A silly memory, but it's what I got.  (Pic of him I found on Facebook. RIP H.M,)

A friend of mine said: "Life's too short you guys. Live it happy. Live it with the ones that love you. That's all that matters anyways." She did say this after the person I mentioned above was murdered. I agree with her though, wholeheartedly. I've had a lot of bad things happen to me in my life, and I've always had this kind of mindset, although I've been too reserved as of late. I think I'm getting too old to be reckless.

I know this blog has not been all about television, but sometimes the things that life brings you can be crazier than television. Also, I've been thinking about my life as a whole. I haven't been writing or reading, which is what makes me the happiest, but I don't have any time to do those things. I've been reading the same book since Sept. I can usually finish a book in less than a week. Thus proving that I work too much to enjoy myself. 

I watch my shows when I find the time. Still working on Agents of SHIELD, Dracula and American Horror Story: Coven. These shows are the only thing that give me pleasure during the week, and I'm assuming that some of them will be over soon. 

COVEN: I have a new theory on who the new supreme will be: Queenie. It would be perhaps the most unexpected. But others might say it sounds too cliche. Everything is cliche these days, no matter what it is.  

As for those other two shows, I can't really say what will happen. Marvel always surprises. 

The people who are writing this version of the Dracula story have turned Dracula into Nikola Tesla a little bit. He plays an American entrepreneur in the electricity race, but Dracula (aka Alexander Grayson) seems to be a step ahead of the game. Another cliche, but probably true (for Tesla), secret societies began boycotts against Tesla's work. 

I mean, who wouldn't want free energy with no radiation to worry about? Geo-magnetic energy has no harmful properties, but people put down Tesla back in the day because they were too afraid. (I'm talking about the real Tesla now, by the way). He found a way to create free, never-ending energy that was not harmful to people, but he got shut down. He was said to have wanted to use the Geo-magnetic force fields as weapons. So Tesla was shut down. But, if we could access that kind of power, we wouldn't have to use oil anymore. 

Think: If cars were able to run by just this Geo-magnetic energy. Homes, entire buildings, apartment buildings, businesses, etc, running off the energy that could be generated Geo-magnetically. A never-ending mass of energy that just continuously flows. We could build cars that would run off that energy. We could build entire communities from this kind of advancement too. Forget hybrid. Forget gas mileage. The car would run depending on the magnetic pull, I'd assume. 

Perhaps I'm just getting ahead of myself. I'm wishing that things had gone differently in our past. I wish people hadn't treated Tesla like a crazy person. He had some good ideas. If they had taken his ideas seriously, what would our lives be like now? The idea of that could be crazier than the idea of space travel. Or would it have helped increase the possibility for further space travel? I have no idea about that stuff. I have a degree in English. I only ask questions like "What if?"

peace and love,

Rachel

NBC has gotten a little more steamy.....

Well then, NBC, I applaud you for taking on the TV show Dracula. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is basically the sex-symbol incarnate as far as most female viewers are concerned. This new Dracula has all girls dripping, and not in a bloody way.

I've only just seen the first five episodes, but I'm hoping the series gets green-lighted for a second season. The premise for the storyline is quite interesting, and I'm intrigued where the creator's are going.

My first comment: It is interesting that Van Helsing and Dracula are working together. In the past (literature, movies, etc), they are known to be, basically, enemies. However, in this new show, they are working together to take down the Order of the Dragon, which was a real order back in the day. (Also, historically, Vlad II Dracul, father of Vlad Tepes / Vlad the Impaler, whom the character Dracula is based, was part of the Order of the Dragon).

I'm interested in seeing what else happens,though. I never read Bram Stoker's novel. Nor did I see the movie with Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder. I've always been more of a Frankenstein fan, myself, but vampires are going to be a big thing for a while, it seems. We read in my 12th grade English class, and I fell in love with the novel. I would really like to read it again. If I loved it at 18, I'm sure I'll enjoy it more now that I know more about how to read literature.

I would like to include some of the hot and steamy pics of Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Dracula, but I'm afraid you might have to watch for yourself to see how hawtt it actually gets. All I have to say is, butt-dimples.

He, Rhys Meyers, made an impression on me when he played as Henry VIII in The Tudors. Even before that, Match Point and August Rush were both very good movies that he had a part in. He's always sexy, no matter what role he's in. Jonathan Rhys Meyers just emits that kind of radiation.

Even in a more recent role as a villain in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, his character's name is Valentine, but he is anything but something sweet or special. He is a very dangerous person, according to all the stuff people say in the movie. I'm more interested in finding out what happens in the book series, so I can know more than what the movie has divulged.

Anyway. There are a lot of things I'm watching now, and ironically, some of those things happened to coincide. Good times.

Peace and Love,

Rachel

I have a theory....

Ok, so for those of you who are fans of American Horror Story, you might not want to read ahead for possible spoilers, not that I know what's going on, but I have my own theories as to what will happen at some point during this season.

Ryan Murphy lives to shock his audience, no matter what genre he goes for. Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story; his creations abound. However, this new season of American Horror Story: Coven, is possibly the best of the three, even though there have only been three episodes.

I significantly like Evan Peter's character more in this season than the others he portrayed in the series.

However, the most hilarious of them all is Emma Roberts' role as Madison Montgomery. Nancy Drew meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Except she's a bitch and kind of a slut.

I thoroughly enjoy each season of American Horror Story, despite the differences. That's the fun part. There's always so many different genres pushed into one season, it can't really be put in one category and really answer any questions.

Personally, I'm glad that Jamie Brewer returned to the series. First, she played as Adelaide "Addy" Langdon in the first season of American Horror Story. She only wanted to be a "pretty girl."

I, again, am glad that they brought her back. Although my roommate says they should've brought back Pepper, from season two, Asylum, of American Horror Story.

To get down and dirty about the series, Kathy Bates plays an almost hilarious role as an immortal bitch from the slave era who took too much advantage of her "help" in a sadistic way that was severely unkind. Obviously, turning someone into a minotaur is not a kind gesture.

Speaking of Minotaurs, during episode 3, we really get an idea of who Angela Basset's character is. Plus we get a good long glimpse of the Minotaur that Kathy Bates' character created in the first episode; now forever a Minotaur because of Angela Bassett? Questions abound.

The scene with Gabourey Sidibe and the Minotaur was kind of alluring and seductive. Sadly, he kills her. He killed the girl who played Precious in that movie Precious.

However, she sacrificed herself for Kathy Bates' racist ass.

Overall, American Horror Story: Coven has quite possibly proven itself to be the best season yet. Keep doing a good job, those of you working on this season.

Again: the series in itself has always used a multitude of genres to fulfil their seasons. 

The first season consisted of: haunted houses, ghosts, serial killers, poltergeists, S&M sexuality, suicide, insanity, and adultery (being kind of the main focus of the whole season).

The second season was: asylums (obviously), aliens, Nazis, genetic experiments, religions, demonic possession, the devil (something separate from demonic possession), and a kind of zombie. Among other things.

Last but not least, my theories on this season: Kathy Bates is our olden day racist, she will eventually get hers. Zoe is going to be the next Supreme, because I think it was her kiss that brought Kyle back to life. Although Lily Rabe's character is taking credit for it. I had thought that Zoe and Madison would be in a battle for Supreme, but seems as though that is not the case.

Anyway, there's so much unanswered. 

Rachel T.

More to come...

Just a short post here. I'll post again after I've seen and analyzed the first two episodes of the new American Horror Story : Coven series.

Movie: Curse of Chucky

Just watched the movie Curse of Chucky.

First of all, the doll is a lot creepier than in the original Chucky doll. The overall motionlessness of the doll makes it severely eerie.

And what a way to make Bolognese sauce look extremely gross.

I already knew that guy's head was going to fall off. Called it.

This movie marks the sixth movie in the "Chucky" saga. It's slowly working it's movie numbers into the ranks of Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw. I hate to include that last one only because I don't like exce sive gore. I only saw the first few Saw movies, then happened upon the Hostel movies. I don't like gore, like I said (before; rhyme), but I mostly got used to the gore. It's not real. It just looks overly-real.

The Chucky doll in this movie is overly-real as well. The original Chucky doll was also real - for the 80's. It's creepy that now we have a doll that seems so much more doll-like than life-like. It's just a doll. It doesn't even look like it possesses an evil soul; whereas I feel in the original Chucky movies, the doll was so much more realistically driven than doll-like.

Side note: I think it's kind of hilarious that Brad Dourif's daughter is the main character in this movie. For those of you who don't know who Brad Dourif is, he is the voice of Chucky. Among other various roles as a creepy dude.

I mention this, because I think it's only slightly silly that they allude to the fact that the main character's parents knew the serial killer Charles Lee Ray before he eventually died and his soul possessed the Chucky doll. Then low and behold, they bring in stuff from the first Chucky movie. Nica, Brad Dourif's daughter, uses the great Google machine and does research. Again - low and behold - she finds out some crazy stuff about the Chucky dolls. Unsolved murders abound in the Google search, but only one sticks out to her: 1988. The first movie, right?

Then, to make matters even worse, the brother-in-law of Nica puts a nanny-cam in the Chucky doll. Doesn't sound like a wise decision, does it?

While watching the movie, I spoiled myself on Wiki, because I don't like feeling like I already know what the answer is to the movie, and I have to find out. Let me say: I. Was. Right.

But I don't want to reveal too many spoilers. Although, if you read this post, it will most likely have many spoilers.

Slowly, of course, Chucky kills off each family member one by one until only one person is left.

Eyeballs have been significantly popular in the movies lately. Eyeballs that are dislodged from their sockets and thrown from the eye. It's happened in a few other movies I can't put my finger on at this particular moment.

Lame that Nica was blamed for her sister's death though. But who is going to believe that a doll killed people in this day and age? Maybe some people, but not a whole lot of others.

For the record, I thought that Jennifer Tilly's character died and was a doll, like Chucky. However, she shows up as a human being in this movie. Odd.... perhaps I should go back and watch the last few movies. Does she come back to life?

Either way, the movie was an overall better movie than a lot of the other sequels in this whole saga. First movies are always the best because it is what everything else is based on for the other movies. Usually.

In an ideal world, all sequels have some significance to the first movie. Too bad that doesn't happen. However, sometimes there are movies that surprise you. Like this one.

Peace and Love,
Rachel 

PS: 2 out of 4 of these pics I screen printed on my computer. (The two in the middle: the eye and the new Chucky). 

Early Morning Post (pun, intended)

I'm not usually up this early, but with my new job, I have to get up early sometimes and shower. (post started at 8:45 am, ended up publishing later)

Anyway, last night I had a bad dream. One that made me realize a few things about my life. It made me come to the conclusion that I don't date for a reason, and I will discuss that here.

First, I have to admit that last night before I went to bed, I saw that an ex of mine was online, and I hadn't heard from him in a while (we were still friends, but now we're not I guess) so I looked at his Facebook page to see what he was up to (instead of just talking to him), and I found out that he has a new girlfriend (why we're not friends any more). I also found out that he got kinda fat and grew some unattractive facial hair.

Anyway, the dream made me realize that every guy that I have ever dated is happier now with someone else. Other than me. Might sound a little like I'm too into myself; quite the opposite. Obviously, since it took a dream for me to realize this makes me a little unaware, sad and awkward. I feel like "the starter girlfriend."

My mom says, "It's just because you haven't met the right person yet."

At one point it was four years between boyfriends, and now I'm working on a span of two years now. Let's see how far we go till we find "the right person" like my mom says.

Mississippi is not the best place to look for someone who is intellectual and funny at the same time.

I was born in Biloxi, raised in Ocean Springs, and currently live in Columbus. My life has practically lived and breathed Mississippi (except for those two, separate, years I lived in Mobile, AL). There is a significant difference between the Coast and the rest of Mississippi.

I'm surrounded by the South, and as far as I know, there is no way out for me.

Peace,
Rachel

Not as drunk as I was before...

Going to post a thing I said about Rivers, a novel by my favorite teacher Dr. Michael Farris Smith. He, along with one other teacher (Mrs. Moffett), taught me a lot about short story writing.

I've been reading Rivers by Michael Farris Smith. Haunting. Perhaps more so than The Road by McCarthy, which I had to put down because it was too depressing. But I'm not having this problem with Rivers: possibly because it has very close ties to my homeland, and he is a mentor of mine. Cormac McCarthy - although brilliant - can be depressing. But Dr. Smith does the craft of literature a favor by writing this novel. It's not a Katrina novel, but it's also not a complete end of the world, apocalypse story; except for the region of the world that probably deserves it the most.

Now, I support my teachers, buying their works, reading them and then trying to find a non-bias way to read it, without not loving it because someone I know who wrote it. 

(Had the same problem with Smith's novella "The Hands of Strangers." I got it when it first came out a few years ago, and acted astonished when other people didn't have copies, if they lived in the South. I don't just mean in Columbus, MS. After I read it, I figured a whole bunch of other people had, because the South is such a tight-knit place, but no one had read Smith's novella, other than a select few who don't count because we all went to the school he taught at and that gives us all an immediate bias against all of his other short stories, for the most part.)