Author Archives: Marianya Klis

Fleeting: Bertrice Small’s “The Kadin”

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One weekend recently I randomly went to a favorite second hand store and found myself perusing the historical romance section… Particularly Bertrice Small.

Bertrice Small (whom recently passed away before completing her 57th novel) was the first historical romance (bodice ripping to be perfectly blunt) author that I was introduced to… and has been one of my personal favorites, her novels well worn out on my bookshelf. Not knowing that she had passed rather recently I came across an older novel of her’s “The Kadin”.
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Fleeting: Harry Potter “What Ifs” Part Two

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So in the past two posts I mentioned some fanfiction that I found myself reading in their entirety and the “What If” scenarios that caught my attention despite my love of fanfictions that stick with canon. However, since the “What If” scenario that posits what would happen should Cassius Warrington of Slytherin were to be the Hogwarts champion as opposed to Cedric Diggory is so darn appealing how to adjust the rest of the series so that the Hufflepuffs would come into their own…?

The key here is that Hufflepuffs by nature don’t strive for glory like the other three houses, they aren’t necessarily the underdogs either, instead they tend to stick to the background working diligently and consistently to earn their wares. They tend to be the background players who provide the security, knowledge, forethought, etc for any problem and situation while others present said information to the masses.

BETWEEN BOOK 4 (Goblet of Fire) and BOOK 5 (Order of the Phoenix)
Keeping the above in mind it would not have been far from the realm of possibility if towards the end of the events of Book 4 (keeping in track with the “What If” from the previous post that Cassius Warrington was the Hogwarts Champion) Harry Potter glances around the school and sees small groups of Slytherins interacting with students from other houses, or a lone Slytherin being comforted by other houses.

This is the time where the Slytherin students are divided internally, be it within themselves or within the house itself. There are Slytherins that are still steadfast in the ways of the regime as promised by The Dark Lord and there are others whose belief was shaken to the core and they are questioning the world and beliefs that were instilled in them from birth.
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Fleeting: Harry Potter “What Ifs”

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Yup… another Harry Potter related post…

So… in the last post I mentioned that I can’t really get into some fanfiction if it changes canon that was already set by the original author. However, there are some “What If” scenarios that have been making the rounds that caught my attention and I decided… well why not add them altogether and see what would have changed?

Let’s start with a fairly recent “what if” that has been gaining momentum recently….

tumblr_no5aqhOIDA1rkv63oo1_1280What if Cassius Warrington (Slytherin) was Hogwarts Champion instead of Cedric Diggory (Hufflepuff)
It all started with a tumblr post by crazybutperfectlysane
So I was rereading Harry Potter, when I came across this and thought- what if instead of Cedric Diggory, Cassius Warrington had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament?

Imagine…

  • … Dumbledore calling out the name of the Hogwarts champion and it isn’t a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff, but it’s a Slytherin. A student from a House most people hate.
  • … Cassius Warrington getting up, and three out of four Houses are booing at him and shouting things like “NO!” or, “We can’t have a Slytherin champion!” or demanding a retry. But he’s a Slytherin- he’s been dealing with this shit since he got sorted, so he keeps his head high and joins the other champions.
  • … Harry trying to catch Warrington alone because he doesn’t really want to associate with Slytherins (plus Malfoy seems to be around the guy ALL THE TIME now that he’s the Hogwarts champion), but at the same time he’s also fair enough not to want him to walk into the first task unprepared.
  • … Warrington walking over to Harry a few months later, and Ron and Hermione both jump into a protective stance, wands out, but instead of attacking Harry he just tells him to stick the egg underwater. (Because Slytherins don’t forget those who helped them out).
  • … Warrington and Harry helping each other out in the labyrinth.
  • … Harry being devastated when Peter kills Warrington- because Voldemort doesn’t care what house they’re form, a spare is a spare.
  • … the uproar that causes among the Slytherins, because some of their parents really are Death Eaters and they know what really happened.
  • … Slytherins fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts and shouting “This is for Cassius!”

Now it would be a wonderful thought… except the majority of the above changes Book 4 and then fast forwards to Book 7… so someone took it a step further… that someone would be aplatonicjacuzzi
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Fleeting: Harry Potter Fanfiction

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Recently I found myself going down a Harry Potter rabbit hole… don’t ask me why, it just happened.

The problem with fanfiction and me is that I prefer fanfiction that sticks with what is canon (aka nothing from the original material has changed) and yet it expands from the already established world from the original author.

As thus I have found that I cannot seem to enjoy most Harry Potter related fanfiction because so much that is out there changes the canon plot points that I find are crucial to the over all story and when those changes occur I become quite twitchy. Ah well. There is nothing wrong with the majority of fanfiction out there, that is why it is called “fanfiction”… the above is just a personal preference.

So when I came across the following stories, I found myself drawn to them because they introduce plot elements that makes sense when placed in-line with the original material, and yet diverges so that the author could really find their own footing and create a seamless story of their own.

“Songs of Regret” by RavieSnake
“The Teddy Lupin Series” by FernWithy
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Recipe: Any Starbucks Ice Cream

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A friend of mine came to visit one weekend and on the way had stopped by to get some coffee at a Starbucks, he called me to ask if I was interested in anything. Promptly I replied that I wanted the following order:

Tall inside a Grande White Chocolate Mocha Frappucino with extra Whipped Cream and Javachips

Yes, I know I am terribly picky. I blame the “yuppie” in me.

Anyway, he brought the drink, and by the end of the evening I found that I never touched it and it was starting to melt quite a bit.

Since I was too lazy to drink I figured I would turn it into ice cream… and how did I achieve such an endeavor?

Well… In addition to the “Tall” drink… which I am going to approximate as about a cup and half… I also added:
– 3 cups of heavy cream
– 1-1/2 cup of honey powder (or sugar if you’d like)
– a dash of vanilla extract

Mix together, toss into an ice cream churner machine and go to town.

Time to make Starbucks coffee ice cream. Fairly simple mix and I ended up with quite a bit of ice cream that I ended up giving away and the response to said ice cream was overwhelming positive.

Seriously… sometimes I feel like I could just toss anything together and chances are it would come out good in the end…

Quossover: Cinderella

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Earlier in the year (back in the spring) my friend wanted to see the live-action film version of Disney’s Cinderella, and so I accompanied her.

When it comes to the online world, Cinderella is not typically considered a prime role model for the “modern female”. Cinderella being the traditional “rags-to-riches” story depicted a young lady forced to be a servant in the home that she grew up in by a step mother and step siblings, her fairy godmother creates the means for Cinderella to go to the ball, she meets the prince, they fall in love, she flees, and the prince finds her.

On the surface it appears that actions happen to and around her in order for her happily ever after to come around. In a way emphasizing the notion that “good things comes to those who wait” which in today’s modernized way of thinking, is not always the case.

Disney’s original animated classic, stays along the lines of that mythos, that someone that was neglected and abused and quieted would one day receive their reward for their kindness. Although this is typically true in the sense of karma in today’s world, what is not necessarily true is the sense that things will happen to the protagonist, versus the protagonist seeking out what they desire.

Granted if there is anything that the Cinderella does emphasis to their audience and is something that I would emphasize as well is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (which if memory serves is a biblical verse, but I am not going to go and do any comparisons at this point in time).

So how does Disney’s live action version of Cinderella compare to that of the original animated classic?
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Recipe: Dole Whip!

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So for a surprise anniversary party for a friend, the friend’s husband asked me to recreate Dole Whip as found at Disneyland, WDW, the Disney Resorts… etc.

A quick search online provided a lot of recipes of Dole Whip as others have attempted to recreate the feat, not a simple task. Searching some more revealed that the Disney companies actually use a pre-made mix for their Dole Whip that worked reasonably well.

The original recipe:
– 1-1/3 cup of Dole Whip Pre-Made Mix
– 2-2/3 cup of cold water
Mix well then pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and let it churn.
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Fleeting: Family Online Memorial

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My paternal side of the family tree were dealt with two major blows within a two year span. When Thanksgiving 2010 came around, with it came the loss of the family patriarch. Less than two years later the family lost the matriarch over Labor Day weekend. Although we do not celebrate these very American holidays… it is impossible to forget the loss of loved ones from so far during a time where family is paramount. 

Because they chose to stay in the old country during the Fall… it was difficult for the children to communicate with the parents that have instilled strong qualities of survival; to brace themselves in a world that was unfamiliar to them. When the barriers of communications were lifted and the children were able to communicate with the parents again… it was with many new additions of wives, husbands and grandchildren.

So when the children felt the loss of their beloved parents: a Memorial was set up, first via Facebook… and later an independent website to commemorate the lives of these two individuals both of whom were prominent fixtures in the lives of their eight children and numerous grandchildren (with a few great-grandchildren sprinkled in for good measure). 

Within the website there are slideshows of the many branches of the family tree stemming from the lost patriarch and matriarch… through their children and then grandchildren. Memories of the parents from their children’s point of view and moments remembered by the children and grandchildren are all commemorated in this new digital age… and hopefully all of our descendants will grow to love and understand those that came before them.

Fleeting: Online Comics

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Something Terrible by Dean Trippe
I really have no idea where to start with this except that after being shown via Upworthy and having a successful Kickstarter campaign to be turned into a hard copy book. This is a must read for anyone out there.

Foxtrot by Bill Amend
Do I really need to say anymore? I mean seriously. I went to a W00tstock when it came to Chicago a few years back and Bill Amend was there and he gave a great monologue that included some of the nerdiest strips that he wrote for the seasons.

HomeStar Runner
This was introduced to me back in college and during my time as a student leader at the university and I have constantly used this as a way to break the ice with incoming freshmen / transfer students. Granted looking back it probably showed my nerdy-side, but ah well.

Kawaii Not
Totally catering to my evil side. Takes harmless everyday things in life and turns them on their head.

Modest Medusa
A friend of mine introduced this series to me a couple of years ago, and I have been hooked since. It just proves that snake ladies can be cool!

XKCD
Taking geekiness / nerdiness to a whole new level. 🙂

Ensign Sue Must Die and The Wrath of Sue
For the Star Trek and writers out there. Takes the concept of a Mary Sue and really turn it on its head in the Star Trek Universe… well the one based off of J J Abrams version of it.

The Friday Project: Every Friday there is another new piece of entertainment be it a game, or an image. I really don’t know how to explain it, but dammit it’s fun.

Fleeting: “Friend”-ly Stuff

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The following are various sites of my many circles of friends from all walks of life…

Some are on hiatus, others are ongoing. All are fun to read in some capacity or another.

THESPIAN

PAM TURLOW

JONATHAN COOK

Greetings! I created this site so that people can know what I’m up to with my playwrighting and music endeavors. And hopefully, this site will motivate me to keep moving forward with these crafts. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and I’m the vocalist/guitarist for the band Nine Day Descent. Check the home page for updates on upcoming events!

MUSICIAN

CHRIS OPPERMAN

The music of award-winning composer Chris Opperman sounds like your best dream being poured into a glass. Since debuting on his own Purple Cow Records label in 1998 at the age of 19, Opperman has been carving his own niche in today’s pop-saturated music world. As an exciting, relevant composer of a rare hybrid of rock, jazz and classical that is his alone, he has already made a name for himself as a solo artist and by working with some of today’s most renowned musicians.

PHOTOGRAPHY

MICHAEL YEN PHOTOGRAPHY

In these busy times, photographs invite us to sit, reflect, and remember the emotions and experiences of a moment in time. As a child, I used to snap pictures with my point and shoot camera when I went on family vacations and I love being able to flip through the photo albums and relive the events surrounding those photos. As I get older and experience all of life’s journeys, I know that I will want to look back and remember those moments. I have a passion for photography because it provides a means for me to preserve these unrepeatable moments.

I also enjoy giving back to the community and I love that I can volunteer my time doing something I love while also educating and capturing moments for a multitude of important causes and truly amazing organizations. I hope to make a difference in people’s lives through the actions that I take and the photos that I make.

These are my photos.

This is the world through my lens…

APJ PHOTOGRAPHY

My name is Alfredo Peralta, Jr. I have been shooting pictures [for] 26 years. While I have much experience with event photography, I have been branching out to express myself creatively. I am constantly trying to capture and express the interesting moments I see everywhere. This is my vision.

FRIENDS WEBSITES

JONATHAN COOK

Greetings! I created this site so that people can know what I’m up to with my playwrighting and music endeavors. And hopefully, this site will motivate me to keep moving forward with these crafts. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and I’m the vocalist/guitarist for the band Nine Day Descent. Check the home page for updates on upcoming events!

CHRIS OPPERMAN

The music of award-winning composer Chris Opperman sounds like your best dream being poured into a glass. Since debuting on his own Purple Cow Records label in 1998 at the age of 19, Opperman has been carving his own niche in today’s pop-saturated music world. As an exciting, relevant composer of a rare hybrid of rock, jazz and classical that is his alone, he has already made a name for himself as a solo artist and by working with some of today’s most renowned musicians.

FRIENDS BLOGS

THE FANTASY BROKERS

The dirty truth about fantasy sports is that no information is relevant without context. Dozens of other ‘experts’ will create rankings, projections, Top-10s, and other very fun and flashy distractions, all while hiding one simple fact: none of what they are writing means anything to you unless they know your particular situation.

That is where we come in. Our singular goal is to provide you, our readers, the best possible fantasy advice for your particular team. At the end of the day, we want to become your one stop source for specific questions regarding your fantasy roster.

Andrae Miller: Currently living in Chicago, born and raised in Baltimore, he’s a diehard Chicago and Baltimore sports fan. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in History and received a Master of Arts in Sports Administration from Northwestern University. Andrae’s favorite sports leagues are the NFL, NBA, and MLB, though he recently started to dabble in the NHL.

When his children arrive, he will name them Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ray Rice. Pet names will be Ripken and Ditka. And once a mid-life crisis kicks in, he will name his Corvette convertible Jordan. Andrae participates in NFL fantasy leagues every season and loves breaking down games and offering sports opinions.

COTTON CANDYRIFFIC

A Variety of Vintage Amusement Park Musings. A companion blog for my book, “The Cotton Candy Road Trip”

… AND …

PAM TURLOW — VOICE-OVER ARTIST BLOG

Pam Turlow: Pam is a voice-over artist, writer, vintage amusement park frequenter, Mid-century modern enthusiast, tarot reader and co-active coach, loving wife to adorable husband, and owner of a dainty beaglette (but not necessarily in that order)

GONZO’S THEORIES

This is a sort of notepad to document rants, raves, good ideas, and terrible ideas, opinions, musings, inspirations, and ongoing projects.

Edgar: I make art, including bad art. I teach art at a local high school. I am also teaching an after school program with elementary school students. I teach them various art making skills and techniques as well as a little bit here and there about the world, in hopes of them absorbing something which will make them better human beings down the line. I volunteer with the Vet Art Project in Chicago, coordinating programing and leading workshops. This is my little slice of the internet where I will post musings, thoughts, ideas, and art projects I am working on.

MY DOG IS A FUN SIZED

So I had been following many blogs with my Google reader and decided I should start up my own blog. I follow mostly dog blogs, corgis in particular, and will be sort of starting as just a place to repost articles of interest, new items for my etsy site UnlimitedGlassWorks.etsy.com, and will eventually be about whatever corgi I eventually acquire after my husband and I have jobs again. Right now I just don’t know where I will be living or even what state. So we’ll just have to wait and see and cross our fingers.

Lumie: I am an avid animal lover who adores dogs above all else. I finally own a corgi! Her name is Saber.

THREE STRIKES DATING

It’s all Superbad’s fault. You know, the teen hookup comedy. The type of movie that my ex-girlfriend loved to hate. I blame you, Superbad.

Rewind to the Fall of 2007. Yeah I know, that’s a long time ago. I’m lazy and didn’t decide to start this blog until just now. So, my ever dedicated readers, there’s going to be a lot of catching up to do before we get into anything current.

Don’t worry, as of this writing, I’m still a clueless single fool.

Back to 2007.

My then girlfriend and I were going to go watch the movie Superbad and she was being a good sport about it, as juvenile humor was not her cup of tea. But before we could walk out the door, we got into an argument about something and I decided, fuck it, it’s over. A five year book in the making. Done.

Now, after five years of dating, you’re either already engaged/married or something’s not right and you’re never going to marry the person you’re with. With me, I knew in the back of my head that I was not going to be marrying this girl so with our relationship in a somewhat rocky state for the past few months, it was time to call it quits.

I ended up watching the movie on DVD. It’s funny, but it’ll always bring me bad memories of the day I ended the only meaningful relationship I’ve ever had.

It took me about half a year until I recovered enough to even think about dating. But when I did, boy did I find out that I had a lot to learn.

Author: I’m just like every other single guy in many ways, putting myself out there, trying to figure it all out. I’m fit, well educated, am (hopefully) funny, and have been told that I’m a good looking guy (hope that one’s true as well). As a bonus, I also actively volunteer because I believe in making things better for everyone. On the other hand, I’m also shy, introverted, and I can’t drink worth a damn. I’m a guy that has had one long relationship and nothing more; I’m not good at dating.

Not good at dating doesn’t quite fit. In fact, based on my experiences, I think I absolutely suck at dating. Sure, sometimes I end it, sometimes the girl ends it, but any way you put it, I can never get past three dates.

These are my stories from the dating world.

TOWER OF MEL

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

Author: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games. Wait. Nope, that’s not me. The Force will be with you, always. Well, I hope so, but again, not my movie. Ok, before this gets out of hand, welcome to my space. I am the Tower of Mel. Why am I the Tower of Mel? Well, I am a 6′ tall woman who also loves to wear heels, leading some of my friends to call me the “Tower of…” and the name just stuck. Mel is short for my first name.

I am a Celiac, so I rock the GF lifestyle, I am an actress, just starting as a burlesque dancer, movie buff, musical geek, and self-described nerd…so long as it does not relate to science or math. A pop-culture nerd.

From Michigan, lived in Orlando for 8, and and am currently residing in Chicago. Waiting to see what doors life opens up for me to jump through.

Enjoy and don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts! Perhaps they will guide mine in a new direction.

CRASHUTAH: JOHNTHOUGHTS

The musings of a Las Vegas boot strapped internet entrepreneur

John Lynn: I’m a huge fan of blogging. Blogging puts food on my family’s table. I’m always amazed by the power of blogging. So, I figured it was time for me to put together a more professional personal blog where I can talk about my experiences. This is especially true since about 4 months ago I quit my day job to be a full time web entrepreneur and blogger.

This website will be an interesting mix of my thoughts running my new internet startup company Giving Sports and Giving Square and my 2 categories of blogs.

JILL OF ALL GENRES

this blog will be about things I find interesting, the status of my writing and what it’s like to be in New Orleans. When I sell my book, I’ll break the news here. When it’s about to be published, I’ll harass everyone here to buy it. When I’m coming to your town, the schedule will be here. And when I’m engrossed in something cool like say, oh, Post Secret, I’ll let you know with a little link like so: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I will not overshare about personal issues. For that, you’ll have to call me and/or buy me a drink. But I think I’m about ready to be *my kind* of blogger. Let’s see, shall we?

-Jill of All Trades, Master of One aka Emilie

Emilie Staat: I’m a writer who grew up in Georgia and Louisiana and I now live in New Orleans, which is an island and perhaps even a planet of its own. Certainly its own country.

[…] I write. I work in the movie biz. I teach. I take pictures. I am obsessed with graffiti, tattoos, great books, movies, tv (especially SYTYCD), pop culture, current events, the success of my friends and the bounty of my city.

I also blog at PureSYTYCD and at NOLAFemmes.

Fleeting: Disney Inspired Stuff

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Lover of Disney the following are various pages that bring a new perspective to the Disney world:

JIRKA DESIGN: This artist decided to take the various Disney characters and set them to “reality”, thus calling them the “real life” versions of Disney characters.
– Jirka’s Blog
– Facebook Page

“TWISTED PRINCESSES” series: This artist took the Disney Heroines and turned them dark… twisted. A lot of the later ones, the artist has included stories to explain how they have turned “dark and twisted”.
– DeviantArt Page
– The Art of Jeffrey Thomas

THE HUNGER GAMES the Disney Version: The artist created a breakdown of the Disney Heroes/Heroines if they were in the Hunger Games, ingenious really. I enjoyed it.
– DeviantArt page of the work
– Artist Gallery of male Disney villains if they were female

POCKET PRINCESSES: Drawn by Amy Mebberson , she takes all of the Disney heroines and have them interact as if they were all staying under the same roof.

DAVID KAWENA’S DISNEY HEROES: Various Disney Heroes… in the buff.
– Other Disney works on his DeviantArt Page
– Facebook Page
– Facebook Album of the Heroes Collection

DISNEY BOUND

DisneyBound is meant to be inspiration for you to pull together your own outfits which work for your body and wallet whether from your closet or local mall.

– Via Polyvore

LOVE, ASHLEY DESIGNS: This was an artist whose work I was introduced to and I absolutely love.

KAREN HALLION: Another artist whose art I was introduced to and absolutely love.
– Facebook Page

DISNEY STAINED GLASS: These are Disney characters set to stained glass.
– Mandie Manzano’s Personal Webpage
– Original Disney Stained Glass article from The Mary Sue
– Mandie Manzano’s Facebook Page

DISNEY
– Harrods’ Designer Disney Dresses
– Disney Bridal
– Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes via a Historical Lens
– Pokemon Princesses
– Disney Princesses re-imaged in Steampunk
– Disney Princesses Reimaged as Superheroes
– Disney Heroines in Lingerie

Fleeting: Preferred Review Sites – Literary Review Websites

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Originally posted under “Odds and Ends”, it made more sense to have this as an individual post for now…

LITERARY REVIEW WEBSITES
Love Vampires: Dedicated to Vampire Fiction

LoveVampires is a website dedicated to vampire genre and urban fantasy fiction. Our primary function is to provide informative books reviews about not just the latest book releases but old vampire fiction favourites too. We have an ever growing selection of book reviews which you can browse by author, title or genre. You can also read exclusive interviews with authors, enter giveaways and win free stuff or watch a selection of videos. Make yourself at home, browse through the site and click about a bit – there’s no telling what you might find! Your thoughts and feedback much appreciated so please contact us with your comments.

The Incurable Bluestocking

On this blog, you’ll find reviews of historical fiction, romance novels, science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, suspense thrillers, and even the occasional non-fiction title. My reviews will be both technical and personal, evaluating the merit of the words along with my own emotional reaction to it — and so you may occasionally get personal reflections or bits of my history thrown into the mix.

Diary of an Eccentric
A blog that reviews books primarily connected with World War II and Jane Austen

Graphic Novel Reporter
Exactly as it says, a website that focuses on various graphic novels.

Book Thingo: Reading (mostly) romance books down under

Book Thingo is one long conversation about books. It’s for readers, browsers and compulsive book hoarders, mostly of romance novels. We read other books—sometimes we even talk about them—but the romance genre is our first love, so that’s where we mostly hang out.

Book Thingo posts are written by readers down under, which may encompass the tropics, depending on where you live. Most of us are Aussies, though, so just remember that we had Hugh Jackman first and you can’t keep him.

OTHER REVIEW WEBSITES
The Movie Spoiler
Pretty self explanatory. This website will give you a thorough synopsis of every movie that has been released since… well who knows when he started the site. I wrote a couple of synopsis for the site. If you find that you don’t have time to read through the thorough and detailed synopsis then you might be lucky to read the “cut to the chase” which is either a very condescend version of the synopsis or just what happens in the end.

Your guide to the latest plot twists and surprise endings, now playing at a theater near you!

Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals
One of the more interesting weblogs out there in regards to musical that I have read. Being Boston based he is not only able to make the trip to New York for the various openings, shows, concerts, etc but he also throws in something local. For someone like me that doesn’t have deep enough pockets to go to The Great White Way all the time, this has be a rather valuable resource for me in finding out where I’d like to go down the road.

Slide to Play
Completely dedicated to app games that have been released for the various Apple productions that can use an app, this has been an extremely wealthy source of information to aid in navigating through the plethora of gaming apps that are out there and finding not only the most cost effective ones but the ones you could find for free and more. Not only detailed but thorough this website doesn’t just look at the apps that are bound to make a splash but games that tend to fly “under the radar”. A must have review site for anyone that owns an iPhone or iPad.

Fleeting: Back on that Writing Saddle… Sort Of

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One of the problems that have been fairly steady as of late versus ten plus years ago is that although ideas, thoughts, and stories are constant in their presence and in the imagination, the actual writing of them into a cohesive unit is far more difficult

Case in point, one of the oldest fanfictions (what author does not create “what if scenarios” for their favorite characters) the process was fairly smooth in composition. Pick a starting point and simply write. The different groups of characters from three differing places of the world had their own stories to tell before they were to meet and seeing what they were doing came easily… more than easily… it was there.

Another story written before that, the storyline was fairly straightforward, but the writing thereof was not linear, it was all over the place. One moment it was towards the end of the store, the next it was the beginning, and then perhaps somewhere in the middle. Just all over the place until the entirety finally poured on to the page and was then completed.

Nowadays find the writing just as piece meal as it was in those early days. With ideas and storyline all over the place but no real cohesive unit anywhere except in the grandiose scheme of things.

Like right now, as much as one would try to focus on a particular character… another group of characters (currently dubbed “The Musketeers”) just keep clamoring to be seen, then again, gentlemen of that persuasion tend to want for attention. What is an author to do than to write the scene involving these particular enigmatic group of gentlemen and see what would happen.

So what did happen?

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Review: Wheaton Drama’s “The 39 Steps”

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Wow… it has been a while since I have done one of these. Looking back on my history it would appear that the last one that I saw was Brightside Theater’s Moonlight and Magnolias, which was done back in early September of… 2013?!?!? Oh my gosh…

So what has kept me from reviewing all the other shows that I have undoubtedly seen since then? A multitude of reasons really:
1) I’m busy… but then again when am I not?
2) I haven’t seen anything on the community theater circuit that went “you have to write about this”… which I suppose isn’t fair since reviews are suppose to be honest opinions of a show.
3) This was beginning to feel like work than fun… but all things that were hobbies eventually become that, no?

Ah well…

Whatever the reason, I am here and I am writing now… and mainly because this show MUST BE SEEN. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to, go and see the show once, and you’ll find yourself wanting to see more because you are sure you…

Ok… wait… slow down here… let’s get through the formalities first and then beyond the break get to the nitty gritty… and there is a lot of nitty gritty here.

Acting: LOVE
Directing: LOVE
Set Design: LOVE
Overall: LOVE

Ok… ready? Here we go…

If you are not familiar with the original film of “The 39 Steps”…

“A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and the man stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring which is trying to steal top secret information.”

So now imagine all the speaking role characters from that film being portrayed by four actors. And ONLY four. From Samuel French:

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This 2-time Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of 4), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance!

In The 39 Steps, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale!

Not much different… and yet for someone who has seen the original film… they are differing points in a multitude of things. But to go through that would be dull and boring… so let’s get to the nitty gritty.

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Fleeting: Why I am Leaving Community Theatre

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I am not “taking a break” as it may appear to be… “retiring” might be a more appropriate term… though some people come “out of retirement” for one more show.

No… for me “leaving” is the most appropriate term for the usage here.

“Leaving” has a bit of finality to it, a kind of ending one chapter to start another one… and theatre has been a part of my life (albeit on and off) for over ten years. I will miss it, but I do have to end it.

Acting, stage managing, video editing… all of it. It has been tickling the back of my mind for months now. That this might be it, the last hurrah, though at first I thought it was after the 2014-2015 season, but the more I think about it the more I realize that this is probably better to be done by the end of the calendar year.

But why stop when I could chug along and (hopefully) do what I want? A lot of factors perhaps, some personal, some petty, but all draining in one arena or the next.

Where to begin?
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