Top 5?

I have been working on this Top 5 project on and off for the past year. No, it is not procrastination that has been by nemesis. It’s because it has been the fact that this was more difficult than I imagined. Why did I think making a Top 5 playlist of my favorite songs of all time would be easy? It’s not.

Every time I think I have it down, I see the other songs on my phone and they look so lonely. There are a couple of songs that always end up on my Top 5, Late At Night by Buffalo Tom, Under Pressure by Queen, and Heavy Metal Drummer by Wilco.

I feel about my songs the same way I feel about the books I read. Each one takes you on a different journey. I was crazy to think I could only pick 5 because each song has a different meaning, and most importantly a different memory.

I am pretty sure eventually I could narrow down the list to 5 if I worked hard at it. There were times when I said okay maybe Top 20, or Top 10. There are songs that I grew up with like You Got the Right Stuff by New Kids on the Block. What can I say? They were one of the first boy bands. Songs that just make me smile like Rock Lobster by The B-52s.

There are other songs that are classics and are still awesome like Me and Boobby McGee by Janis Joplin. Songs that I would not admit to liking, you know what I am talking about. Those pop songs that you sing out loud in your car or at home when no one is around. For dignity purposes I will not state my song. That’s personal. :) 

To Top 5 or not to Top 5 that is the question. I think at this point nature has taken its course and fate has decided for me not to Top 5. Not because I can’t, and not because I see my other lonely songs on my phone. But because songs should not be limited to a playlist they should be kept in our hearts, shared with loved ones, and cherished.

The YouTube

I was not sure what I should blog about this week. So I have decided just to start typing and see where my random thoughts take me. And they took me to YouTube, and some side thoughts. Believe it or not, I did not start watching the YouTube until recently.

Side thought: the YouTube, classic Bryn. If you have not seen Gavin & Stacie, you should.

It’s been so recent that I began to watch YouTube, that I was not aware the like and dislike buttons were a change made to rating a video. As most of you know I am a Twitter nub. So when I found out that I could tweet YouTube videos, mind blown.

I subscribe to different channels like Geek & Sundry, the Nerdist, and BBC America just to name a couple. I like being able to see clips of my favorite things like Doctor Who, book reviews, and just awesome indie videos from YouTubers.

I have to admit there are times when YouTube confuses me. I once saw a video of a proposal, which was really sweet because it was genuine. When I looked down I saw 30+ people disliked the video. I am not sure when people stopped liking proposals, or people just sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Side thought: and what is with all the spam in the comments? Spam follows you ever where, even online, it’s weird.

I just get confused because yes I do feel YouTube is a form of freedom of speech, I did not realize how kind of Cyberman-ish some comments can be.  

Side thought: super excited about 11/23/13.

At the same time I feel that YouTube should be a place where someone can go to express their views, be themselves, and express their creativity. Again that’s just my opinion only. Perhaps I may be a little naïve, or may sound like everything should be unicorns and glitter, but you can dislike something and be constructive.

Broadchurch

I admit when I first saw that David Tennant and Arthur Darvill would appear in Broadchurch, I could not help but feel that pang in my heart for the Doctor and Rory. But after watching the first episode all I could see was Detective Inspector Alec Hardy and Reverend Paul Coates. After the second episode I could not help but be a definite fan of this show.

For those of you who may not have seen Broadchurch yet, fair warning this blog may contain a couple of spoilers. The story revolves around the death of 11 year old resident Danny Latimer, and how it effects his family and the town.

As the story progresses you learn that Broadchurch is not such simple town after all that everyone is keeping secrets even some of the Latimer family members. There were some secrets that I could not believe. Like when we found out that Mark was having an affair, Beth is having an affair, or that Danny has been sneaking out all hours of the night without his parents knowing.

The whole cast of Broadchurch was wonderful on this show. No actor carries the show what I mean by this is that each cast member makes the show fluid. Each actor is a piece of the puzzle.

Another piece of the show that was essential was the music composition. Olafur Arnalds composes beautiful, suspenseful, and haunting music for this show. When Danny’s killer is reveled my heart went up. As each step the DI Hardy took towards the phone signal my heart as pounded faster with each step. Such brilliant music.

Speaking of the last episode I am sure like most people I was like what? When I found out it was Joe. I did not see that coming especially since his wife was the second led detective on this case.

It did make me sad when Beth asked Miller how could you not know. My heart truly went out to Beth, but 1% of my heart was like, but everyone was keeping secrets even your husband.

This season of Broadchruch was amazing. I loved how it pulled you in right from the start, and let you see all the events that took place the night of Danny’s death to help bring some type of closure to everything. Normally I do not use the term an emotional rollercoaster, but this show was just that. If you’ve made it this far, and want to see a show that will make you cry, and make your heart skip a beat I would recommend this show.

Minbari not of Minbari

My thoughts, nay my feelings on Babylon 5. While my feelings cannot be contained on a piece of paper, but I will do my best to bring some sort of justice to the show. I don’t think at the last sentence, I will have even had enough to say all I feel.

I first got introduced to Babylon 5 by my husband. I admit when I first saw it my initial reaction was, okay why is this his favorite show? But as I watched each episode the story pulled me in, and I knew why it was his favorite show.

I could not get enough of Sinclair, Delenn, Stephen Franklin, G’Kar, and Londo. Everyone who was in the beginning. And everyone who followed.

As cheesy as it may sound I felt like was right next to as Sinclair as he brought people together in the new station. Sinclair carried himself with confidence and passion for his people. He led without intimidation, as a leader should.

I don’t think I was alone when I was sad to see Sinclair leave. However, Sheridan did a wonderful job as well. And let’s not forget the love between he and Delenn. Poor Lennier, my heart went out to the dude.

As the series went on, we learned what Minbari not of Minbari meant. We learned the real past between Narn and Centauri. Oh my goodness, the scene with G’Kar and Vir in which each drop of blood hits the floor to represent a Narn who past away blew my mind. Andreas Katsulas … there are no words to describe the brilliant actor he is. Yes is, because his work will always live on not just on screen but in our hearts. Just thinking about that scene gives me goosebumps. Each actor brought his or her A game to this series. If it was not for them, and all the people behind the scenes the show would not have been as brilliant as it was. Through them we were able to experience love, loss, heartache, death, and hope. For that I am ever so grateful.

I had a chance to meet J. Michael Straczynski at SDCC this year, and get his autograph.

My husband: After discussing his love for Babylon 5. I got her hooked on the show.

Straczynski: in his classic self-deprecating Straczynski fashion, turns to me and says, I’m sorry.

Me: No, I love it. I cried when I saw the last episode.

Husband: Yea, she was sad when she found out there were no more Babylon episodes.

Straczynski: Its hard when a show you love ends.

Meeting Straczynski was one of the best moments at SDCC this year. I can’t believe him and Patirica Tallman were walking the hallways just like that. Side note: it’s the same way my husband felt when he saw Bear McCreary walking the floor and could not believe he was able just to walk up to him and have a conversation. It’s like you can’t help but want to yell to the people walking around “do you know how brilliant this person is!”

As many of you know there has been a recent Free Babylon campaign, where fans want Warner Bros Televison to release Babylon 5 on the air. I agree we should release Baylon 5, and any other SiFi related shows that teach us lessons on how its important to treat each as equals. That remind us to be better than who we are as people.

Babylon 5 was much more than a show “set in space” it was about humanity. I don’t mean humanity as in humans verses aliens, or the survival of humans. I mean what’s in our spirits. What makes us human is the empathy and compassion we show towards one another. That is one of the messages I took from Babylon 5. The other was not to be afraid of who we are destined to be. Sometimes we fight who we are truly meant to be in times of change, and times of adversity.

My thoughts after reading Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

This blog may not be a review in the sense that it’s going to sum up the whole book chapter by chapter, or comparing it to other literature. I am going to write more about my thoughts and how the book made me feel. Because isn’t that what books should be? Books should for an extension of human emotions, a place to escape within our imaginations, as a companion, etc.

If anyone reads my tweets, you know that I finished the Attachments in two days, and feel in love with the characters. I wanted to blog a little more about the book because I feel that 160 words are sometimes just not enough. Hopefully it’s not a spoiler for those who have not read the book, and it’s just enough for those of you who have read the book to understand what I am discussing. Perhaps, someone has already mentioned these things since the book has been out a while. And that’s okay because it just means that I am not alone in my falling in love with this book.

As some of you may or may not know, Attachments is a love story where boy reads girl’s emails, and boy falls in love with girl before even knowing what she looks like. Girl also crushes on boy, not knowing he has been reading her emails. She crushes only because she has a boyfriend. In my opinion underneath the romance is a story of how when faced with certain situations, the outcome will reveal who we truly are.

When reading the emails between Beth and Jennifer, I could not help but laugh at loud at their inside jokes, which did not make me feel like an outsider. I liked how their emails were written in a way that helped you see how they viewed themselves, how they think, and acted without having to go into your traditional book description of characters or places. When I was reading Lincoln’s chapters where he was putting it together why Beth and Jennifer had not emailed, my heart broke for Jennifer, as I put it together myself.

Oh Lincoln. You can’t help but feel for the guy. When you read Lincoln’s chapters you can’t help but smile at his victories, and find his awkwardness endearing and cute. What can I say I love dorks, which is why I married one. When Beth and Lincoln finally kissed, and realized they love each other, I could not help but do a happy dance and smile the whole next day in sharing in this happy ending.

I tweeted that I feel in love with the characters of this book. I laughed, cried, and smiled with them. I have not read a book like this in a while. It’s the kind of book that I could not put down. The only reason it took me two days to read is because at work I can sit a read a book. However, during my break time I could not help but think will Beth finally put two and two together with who her “cute guy” is. I wonder how the book is going to end. I hope it ends on a happy note. I only have a couple of more hours left in the day before I can start reading again. Not to mention this was the kind of book where I felt my husband needed to be informed of the major events that had occurred as I read the funny moments, and said my oh no’s during the sad times.

After reading Attachments, I could not help but wonder what if they made this book a movie? Then I thought no better not think that because only few movies based on books have, in my opinion, captured the essence of the book. The essence being what I have wrote about, how the book makes you feel. But that’s a whole other blog.