Curiouser and Curiouser! (PB)

“You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret, all the best people are.” –Alice in Wonderland

It can be stated with a high degree of accuracy that Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite stories. There’s just something so intriguing to me in the world that Mad Hatter and Cheshire thrive in. I especially enjoy the newer version that Disney made with real people.

The thing I love the most about the new version of Alice in Wonderland is how beautiful they made everything. The colors are so vivid and intense that it’s hard not to be drawn in to Alice’s world. Of course, Johnny Depp adds a whole other level of intrigue to the movie as well. I’ve noticed that in approximately every movie that Johnny Depp is in he looks nearly nothing like himself. Alice in Wonderland is no exception to that trend. His bright orange hair adds to the vivid and intense color scheme throughout the rest of the movie.

My other favorite part of the newer Alice in Wonderland is the dynamic personality of the characters. Every individual from the White Rabbit to the Red Queen, Cheshire to Alice, are all portrayed in such intricate and believe ways that it’s hard for me to believe that it’s not all real. Every character is just as intense as their surroundings and just as intricate.

The last thing is of course Alice herself. In the newer movie the plot concentrates a lot on Alice, specifically her self-empowerment and independence. She develops a lot as a character throughout the movie and learns a lot about herself and others. She discovers who she wants to be and how to accomplish that. Overall, I think Alice in the newer movie is a very encouraging and uplifting character.

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” –Alice in Wonderland

High School Blues (PB)

High school: a school attended after elementary school or junior high school and usually consisting of grade 9 or 10 through 12.

What a nice, pretty definition. It doesn’t nearly cover the reality though. High school to a small child is a glorious place, one you look forward to attending. An accomplishment in your life that seems almost a million miles and year away. High school to someone who is actually attending is much, much different. That glow that ensconces it while you’re still young fades to a dull grey color. Those ideas of grandeur you have about it all seem to fade. That goal of being independent and living your own life—not exactly.

Overall, high school is deceiving. You don’t get to do whatever you want. You don’t even get good food. The hallways are always crowded and no one knows how to walk on the right side. Most of the classrooms have less than desirable air conditioning/heating systems. Actually, all of them do. The students are best compared to jungle creatures—less than civilized. The etiquette of the real world is forgotten once one steps through the doors.

I would imagine that the acts of cannibalism being committed by ‘loving couples’ are enough to satisfy their hunger—but, alas. Most of the creatures seek out other meals. Then, of course, it must be discussed and used as cannon fodder to arm the uninvolved bystanders. And of course—how could I forget?! Gym class. Best compared to training for aerial mortar fire—dodge ball, kickball, and ‘battle pins’ are all expressively unique in their methods. The genders of course must intermix to perform these ghastly tasks.

The last thing I must express is: Ain’t high school just funner than you could ever thinks?

The Terrible, Horrible, Awful, Tragic News (PB)

“Attention, attention! Another tragedy has occurred somewhere in the world!”

Now, you will never actually see a news heading like this. You will never see a newspaper proclaiming that just another in a long stream of horrible things has occurred. But, think about it. How many times out of ten are major news headings something good? How many times is the front page splattered with terrible, awful things?

               

As I was flipping through articles to write my blog on for this week I realized that most of the titles I was scanning through were proclaiming horrible events in some place or another. A murder, a bombing, a boat capsizing. Oh, and the entire deal with the Germanwings flight that recently crashed. It’s just one after another after another after another. Will it never end? There’s another article about Isis. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about them until the sun explodes.

Wait, wait, this one has promise. Oh, this is just boring.

The entire scroll bar of the New York Times World News section is filled with tragedy to the brim. Just once I’d like to see a nice, non-tragic story that isn’t completely boring. I mean, it’s so exciting reading about how two countries have reached a tax deal, or some other trivial tidbit, but I’d love a good story. A happy, enjoyable story where no one dies, no boring politics are involved, and everybody walks away happy and fulfilled with life. Even upon reading an article that seemed to have a lot of potential I was disappointed to discover it was not a happy tale, but a happy event disguising the boring undercarriage.

Well, I suppose I shall move on to another news site and another day to wait out my happy articles. What’s that saying? Oh yeah, misery loves company.

Where In The World Would I Go? (PB)

Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow? There are no limitations, no risks involved, and of course it’s all expenses paid. For me this question is nearly impossible to answer because there are so many places I want to go. I have a list of course, but it’s a long one. Just imagine—you have the opportunity to go anywhere you want. How could you possibly choose just one place?

The hardest part—in my opinion—is not coming up with ideas of places to go, it’s choosing one. So, pick the one that first pops into your head, right? Well, the first thing that pops into my head is Scotland. I can imagine myself sitting on a hill above a loch—lake for those of us who don’t know Scottish terminology—reading a good book.

Then my mind goes to Italy. Good food, beautiful views, amazing history. What more could I possibly ask for? Wouldn’t it be great to just go to Italy for a day? To relax in the nice Mediterranean sun—something we don’t see much on the wonderful home front.

 

Then of course I head off to the equally wonderful Germany. Beautiful as well with just as amazing food, Germany has just as many wonderful qualities as Italy. Then my mind goes to Ireland. Then Norway. Then Australia. Around and around and around. How could I ever make a decision with such a big world out there?

So, I guess I’ll pick somewhere I’ve been before.

This is Ruby Beach, Washington. I’ve been to this beach. I could have taken both of these pictures. It’s not a crowded place, it’s not that glamorous. The beach is less sand than pebbles and the driftwood is literally entire trees. There are these huge starfish all over the rocks. And to top it all off I got a terrible sunburn. But, it’s an amazing place. It’s beautiful and peaceful and I’d go back in a heartbeat. Even if it was a 6 hour drive from my cousin’s house through miles and miles of nothing. Did I mention it’s in the middle of NOWHERE?!

In short, I’m glad that I don’t have to decide where I would go, because I would have a very, very, very hard time picking just one.