Advocating Advocacy

Today is "Ad Day" or something. First, I want to Save the Blue Like Jazz Movie. Donald Miller is my favorite Christian author and it really makes me sad that they were able to put together a solid script and good cast but lose out because they can't fund it and still keep it the way it's written.

According to Donald Miller's Blog, Miller is trying to present the movie as he writes, honestly. And sometimes being honest means doing away with the stereotype that every kid being raised in a Christian home is or should be perfect so their having trouble raising the dough. Check it out here.

I'd like to donate once I get paid Tuesday so someone needs to hold me to that.

Next, I'm advocating Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. It's about time someone tried to get a bunch of non-extremists together. It's disgusting how much politicians and "news" channels try to tear the country apart. Really, it makes me sick to be told I'm not a Christian if I support Obama because he's some white-hating, Muslim, Socialist and Communist - especially when I don't think these people actually know the difference between Socialism and Communism. And I'm just as sick of hearing that I'm a bigot because I subscribe to a system of beliefs or having it assumed that I want to burn Korans and beat gays because I dislike a policy or am somewhat offended when someone belittles my .

I also like the idea of Stephen Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive too. I love how Colbert plays on the ridiculousness of the media.

I wish I could go to the rally ... in fact I'm trying to see if I can work it out financially but I am in California and it is in DC so we shall see.

It'd be nice to see American media "Take it Down a Notch". Polarization has gotten out of control - the way to keep this country going is to work together not by verbally or physically beating those with differing ideals. It seemed like media had come a long way since the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers back when journalism was planting it's roots in America and the fact that we're back there after knowing all we know now is just sad. Here's the video of Stewart's announcement because I love it.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

My favorite sign is the "spiders" one but I also love the "not Hitler" one.

That's all. I advocated and ranted a bit so I'm finished.

'Nuff said,

Crysania

Edit: The Blue Like Jazz movie was saved!!

"Reach"-ing for Something to Write

Snoop Dogg vs LL Cool J: The Ultimate Halo Smack Down from LL Cool J


I love that video. I have feeling a few of my gamer friends would do the same thing if they had the money.


Since last Tuesday I've been making an effort to get in some time on Halo: Reach. I didn't play Halo: ODST much when it came out and by the time I did get on people were pretty much over it. But I like Reach as much as I can like a  game from the Halo franchise.

Screenshot courtesy http://www.bungie.net

You see, I suck at Halo. The first Halo for the X-Box was one of the first shooters I played so I was absolutely terrible at it. I thought with having a little more shooter experience, I would be better at Halo 2 ... but there wasn't much improvement. When Halo 3 came out I'd had shooter experience with Star Wars Battlefront, Gears of War and Call of Duty so I thought I would for sure do well. Alas, I still was pretty bad. Better than the first two but still bad.


I don't know what it is about the franchise, I just royally suck at Halo. You can see how much right here. (Note: There are some good stats from when Ben played on my account)


I still have a good time though. I enjoy the game and the story line so I like Reach - I'm just not very good. I'm lucky my gamer friends online are, or I'd probably never play. Online, I tend to be our handicap and/or bait ... funny, but sadly true.


I haven't bought my copy and have been using my brother's so I haven't beaten the game yet but it is pretty good so far. I'm especially impressed with the backgrounds. The maps are HUGE and distractingly pretty to look at. Bungie did a fantastic job with the Reach planet. I get lost in the big maps but haven't minded too much as I usually enjoy the surroundings (and lack of people killing me) enough that I can't complain.


Tonight I'm headed to Andre Ethier Fleece Blanket night at Dodgers Stadium! I'm excited to get my blanket! The season may not have been what we'd hoped for but I still love going to Dodger games. I'll be sad when baseball season is over.


That's all for today I believe.


'Nuff said,
Crysania

And I'll find strength in pain, And I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again

I am in love with this song. I may be falling for this band too - their lyrics are fantastic.



I wish I would've been super cool and hip and heard of them sooner, but as soon as I heard Little Lion Man I looked them up. Then I listened to more of their stuff this week ... and I love it.

I am a sucker for British and Irish folk-y music. There's something about it I really love. My dad says it's because I am Irish and that's probably true but no one else on my Irish side of the family seems to like it as much as I do. Seriously, I have The Celtic Woman CD from the PBS concerts - I have the Christmas version too. I just dig it.

This is the link to the official video by the way. I like both versions, I just put the live one up because I happened to be on the page.

Speaking of folk-y kind of music, I also love this version of Til Kingdom Come/ Ring of Fire by Coldplay. I'm sad the embedding was disabled.

Young Pilgrims by The Shins is another folk-y track I enjoy so I'll post it. (I know they are not British or Irish but I love the song).



Other acoustic/folk-ish stuff I like besides the obvious (i.e. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash): Good Old War (particularly the song Coney Island), Schuyler Fisk (Hello and Fall Apart Today are great), Corrine Bailey Rae and Bandits of the  Acoustic Revolution (acoustic side of Streetlight Manifesto) to name a few. I'm no acoustic/folk expert but I enjoy it once in a while in general. Suggestions are always appreciated!

I've had a lot to say this week but traffic has been awful so I've been in a really bitter mood and thought it best not to rant again. Playing volleyball last night and being told I only have to work half day today have put me in a much better mood today.

Volleyball kicked my ass last night. My legs and lower back are sore. I was definitely rusty from not playing in a while. I'm excited to be playing again. Kristin and I put together a co-ed team too. It should be a good time.

Also I've begun broadcasting volleyball for CSUF again. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it. The first game I had to do play-by-play though (I normally do color) and that was not so great. I had issues with the equipment and then some sound difficulties once we got it fixed - I was a bit flustered because of it all, honestly. It got better though.

Oh, right! And for the first time since I was about 8, I have short hair. It takes a little getting used to (almost been two weeks and I'm just getting used to it being me in the mirror without all my hair) but I really do like it. My sister picked the perfect cut for me to have short hair I think. At first we were going to do a bob but we decided to do layers, so I have more of a pixie cut. I know no one but me cares about my hair but it's a really big deal for me. I never thought I'd have short hair, but I definitely needed a new cut.

I didn't want to rant and ended up rambling instead, so I'll stop now.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

I'm Too Young for This ... Right?

I haven't been around lately mostly because I couldn't figure out what to say. I have finally figured it out but I did want to mention I went to the Dodger game on Tuesday (8-17-10) and got my Matt Kemp Bobble Head!

It was a lot of fun and the Dodgers won! So now I have Ethier, Loney and Kemp bobble heads ... if I had a Russell Martin one I'd have the sexy core four. Three of four isn't bad though.

So now on to my thoughts.

My friend Johnny got married on the August 6th and I must say, it was a good time. But I still can't believe Johnny's married. He's only, like, 22. It was crazy seeing this guy who's had me laughing and been like my little brother ever since I met him when I was 16, get married and start a family.

Honestly, he hasn't changed much since we first met. He still makes me laugh and he introduced me to his new wife and her family as his sister. It was really sweet of him, especially since he's been in New Jersey for a year and the wedding was the first time I'd seen him since he left.

But afterwards it got me thinking ...  a surprising amount of my friends are either married, engaged or in long term relationships.

In the past two years I've had 10 friends marry before or at 25. I have 4 friends currently engaged (2 to each other) who will likely be married before they are 25. It kind of freaks me out.

Of the 10 people I know that are married I went to 4 of the weddings (was invited to another but couldn't make it) and the other 5 I found out about after we'd reconnected via Facebook. Still, that many weddings of people my age or younger is pretty intense.

Is there a trend going around with people marrying younger again? I thought the trend was to wait but with a lot of people my age it seems to be happening.

I don't know what to make of it, really. It's just kind of freaks me out.

I guess one reason for this is this really weird trend with the women on my mom's side of the family. My great-grandma got married when she was 24 (considered old for her time actually), my grandma got married at 24, my mom got married at 24 and, two years ago, my cousin got married at 24; my aunt didn't get married at 24 ... she's never been married. However, she is quick to point out she had my cousin at 24 and therefore had a life-altering event happen at that age.

I am currently 23 (will be 24 in November).

See why I'm a little freaked out?

When I was younger, I'd always pictured myself being married young but now that I'm 23, and absolutely no where near getting married, I don't want to be. I don't think I'm really even a grown up yet so I don't think I should be getting married any time soon and I definitely don't want a kid in the next year.

But one day when I'm established and less insecure, I would like to get married. I don't want some freaky age-trend on my mom's side of my family to curse me. And since I'm really not the type to rush into things I have extreme doubts about this happening before I turn 25.

I don't know what is in the air lately, but it's freaking me out. I mean, I'm 23; I shouldn't be having to think about any of this right now ... right?

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

I Really Wish ...

I could have done this to some stupid lady on the freeway on my way home from work today:



Seriously, it's bad enough I'm stuck in Southern California traffic coming home from Orange County, but then this stupid lady on her friggin' cell phone could not drive! I was stuck behind her ass way too long.

I like the movie Shoot 'Em Up - particularly that scene. The whole movie is just a fun shoot-'em-up style movie with brilliant, cheesy, terrible one liners. Clive Owen is a badass and, yeah, there's no substance but it's just fun. I haven't watched it in a while but I feel like it after watching that clip.

Maybe it's because my daddy raised us on Arnold Schwarzenegger movies but I appreciate those kind of fun action movies with fantastically cheesy lines. This is one of my favorites ever:



How amazing is that?

Shoot 'Em Up is basically like that all through the movie so how could I not love it?

Anyways, an update from Loney Bobblehead Night ... it was one of the weirdest nights ever.

First we left about 15 minutes later than I wanted so I started off a little annoyed. Then there were 2 accidents on the 210 so after 20 minutes to get three exits. I got off the freeway and went down to the 10 but hit every red light possible on the way. Traffic on the 10 wan't too bad considering but, of course, merging to the 110 was terrible. I got off right before the 110 and had to go through the main entrance and deal with that traffic BUT we made got our bobble heads.

By the time we got inside I needed a drink and there was a short line, for once. There were 2 people in front of us but it took about 20 minutes to get to the front because the lady was having trouble with the machine and couldn't count. I finally get up there to order a Blue Moon and every tap at the stand is out of it. I settled for a Miller Lite. We got to our seats just in time for the Dodgers to turn a double play and end the top of the first (seriously as we're walking down the stairs we see it). Then my man Andre Ethier hits a home run and things were looking up. Our section was awesome, the Dodgers were doing great and it was an intense game because it was against the Giants ... but then the Dodgers lost in the 9th when George Sherrill came in ... I dislike George Sherrill immensely so that made it worse. Finally, we get back to my car and someone had broken my passenger side mirror.

I still can't decide whether it was a great night, an awful one or just a weird one.

I hope the Dodgers continue to kick ass in the West because if not we're in trouble.

That was random but I'm watching the game as I type this so I threw it in there.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

"The Right to Appear Ridiculous is a Right that I Hold Dear"

Tonight, I am getting my James Loney bobblehead! Isn't it cute?

I'm really excited. I had a ton of fun at the Andre Ethier bobblehead night and I'm going with Kristin, Laura and Jemma so I'm hoping for a good game (should be a pitcher's duel with Kershaw going against Lincecum) and a Dodger win (because we really need it) on top of the fun!

The line in the title is from the U2 song I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight. I love the lyrics in this song! Honestly, I like most of U2's lyrics, this song was just stuck in my head and considering the craziness I've endured the last few weeks ... it's kind of true.

I think that's it. Here's the song:

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

Quite Possibly My Favorite Korean ... Definitely the Sexiest

I finally saw Ninja Assassin over the weekend!

It was cool and Korean pop star Rain was totally sexy!

My first knowledge of Korean pop star Rain was on The Colbert Report when Stephen Colbert declared war on him over being voted into the Time 100 Most Influential People, I believe. The recap video won't work so here's one where Colbert challenges Rain to a dance off.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Rain Rivalry Challenge
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

He was totally adorable and so I asked the student I was tutoring (a pretty cool Korean boy named Arlen) about him. Arlen got me to listen to some of his music but I was definitely more interested in the music videos. Then I found out about Rain being in Speed Racer and decided I pretty much loved him.

Ninja Assassin took what love to a whole new level! He is SUCH a badass in the movie! There's really not much plot to the movie so if you want that more than awesome badass violence and Rain being sexy don't see it but the everything else is ... well, badass. I love action movies so I adored it. Very cool.

Rain looked amazing too! He trained 6 hours a day for 6 months to get in shape for the movie! He talks about that here! That's insane ... but in an awesome way.

There's not too much else I can say about the movie. It was just really, really cool.

Though it did make me think about one thing. I would love for there to be a good movie based on the Dead or Alive video game franchise! There's been a movie made ... but we won't discuss that - it's super cheesy. BUT in the game's storyline there is the potential for a good movie - especially if they focused on the ninja characters (a central part to the overall story). After seeing Rain in Ninja Assassin I think he'd make an amazing Ryu Hayubusa or Hayate/Ein (complicated story for him).

Rain in Ninja Assassin

Ryu Hayabusa

Hayate

See? With his hair in the movie I think more a Hayate, but his badassness would be perfect for Ryu too.

That's all for today. I felt like keeping it light. And, just for fun, here's the dance-off.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Rain Dance-Off
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

'Nuff Said,
Crysania