So I've been watching Brand X lately and am moderately entertained by some episodes. Yes, he tries way too hard and therefore undermines his own effect, but he's actually cleverer when he gets on a roll, in ways I can't quote on my mindfully-tongued blog. He's honest and eager to connect with the audience, and was even surprisingly respectful while talking about the Aurora shooting a few weeks ago. He had a criminologist, a writer (of the show Sons of Anarchy), a former member of the army, and professional athlete with a troubled past each weigh in on the poor life choices and influences that must have led to the incident. I'm looking forward to seeing his show improve, or at least I hope it will. He's Russell Brand after all. I love him blindly and am just looking for validation.
I think reading the Harry Potter books for all my childhood has actually affected my writing style. See, I'm devouring The Sketch Book of Washington Irving, who was born in New York the year the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the American Revolution. He grew up in a time when, despite our newfound independence, Britain still held a lot of influence all over the world, culturally as well as in other ways. As such, British literature has always been a global treasure, something Irving was keenly aware of. He travelled to England many times in his life, even doing much of his writing there, where he could "lose [him]self among the shadowy grandeurs of the past." My point is, I find his meticulously-worded, winding sentences beautiful stylistically. They sound like those written by equally high-minded and esteemed, if not more so, British writers Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) and J. M. Barrie. My goal has always been to sound as sophisticated when I speak as they do.
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| Anyone seen the movie? I really should have by now,especially with my Disney and children's literature track records. |
On an unrelated note, I can never remember whether it's Washington Irving or Irving Washington. I blame this entirely on that damn book Catch-22 and that part when--who is it?--Major Major or Chaplain Tappman or Captain Aardvark or whoever it was switches them backwards and forwards to use as pen names.
I'm on a Paloma Faith kick lately, which was relevant last Sunday when The Amazing Seven (we missed you Alyssa!) took a trip into the city.
She stood so tall and she never slept,
There was not one moment he could regret He'd left me for another lady Her name was New York, New York, And she took his heart away, oh my!Her name was New York, New York, She had poisoned his sweet mind
Pretty song, pretty voice. We had a lovely day-- Chelsea, Christie, Sarah D, Cristina, Paige, Sarah F, and I took an early train in, walked the Highline park, wandered down near the pier, took the Subway up to Times Square, ogled through the Disney Store for the umpteenth time, enjoyed a well-timed, satisfying, and cost-efficient lunch at Olive Garden, walked to Central Park to hang out and watch an acrobatics show, admire the corner on which Central Perk from Friends fictionally exists, and then spent lots of money on candy at Dylan's Candy Bar before subway-ing it back to Penn. We were utterly exhausted by this point, but I did allow myself to be bullied into making an account on the Instagram machine. It's a fun little toy, but won't get used much since I don't even own a camera, that's how not into taking pictures I am.
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| Can you say favorite store ever? Shame all their stuff is so pricey. |
We also had the epic conclusion of our summer Harry Potter Book Club this week. this consisted of Jacqui, Rebecca, Andrea and me dressing as characters from the seventh book and marathon-ing our way through both movies, holding an intermission to concoct Nutella milkshakes and watch Aly Raisman dominate the floor exercises. We've had six other movie nights on our journey through the series, which included such memorable moments as criticizing Harry's over-done eyebrows, drooling over the hot grown up versions of the Hogwarts students, the meta nature of Lockhart having a painting of himself painting a portrait of himself, and, of course, the "Nice side bangs, Snape," moment, as well as multiple AVPM and AVPS references. Tuesday night takes the (rock) cake as being the most exciting of our movie nights though, as it was also a costume party. I had planned on doing my usual Bellatrix spiel, just because I'm so good at it but my hair happened to be leftover straight from Manhattan on Sunday. I broke out an old blonde curly wig and rocked the Luna Lovegood, going so far as to paint over my eyebrows. It was a good time. Andrea, being fun-sized, actually made a dress out of a pillowcase and came with a sock in hand. Any guesses? With her hair in adorable "bat-like ear" looking pigtails, she pulled off the cutest Dobby ever. Rebecca already had the correct-length blonde hair for her character: trench coat, ripped jeans (though maybe she just doesn't own whole ones), facial scars, and an out-of control, non-proportioned electric blue eye patch. Yupp, Mad-Eye Moody. And Jacqui shocked us all by dressing up even though she's never read or, for that matter, shown any interest in the series. She came in a white denim skirt and white tank top, with feathers glued to her eyebrows, arms, chest, and stuck in her ponytail. Obviously, she was an innovative take on Hedwig. Great job ladies! It's worth pointing out that mine was the only character to survive both movies. Hell, Luna's the only one to survive the first of the two movies too. Hah. |
| CONTINUITYYYYYY |
And I cried as irrational an amount as ever. I have such a problem.
