Catching Fire: SPOILER ALERT

The film began with scenery reminiscent of the Twilight movies, so you can imagine that it brought me to laughter at its start.  However, the outdoor setting relating back to the ridiculous Twilight movies quickly turned legitimately intense as Katniss attempted to shoot a turkey.  Her reaction to shooting the turkey and having a vision of killing a tribute shows her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, not exactly her emotional state.  I've heard it argued that Katniss was more emotional in this movie and that the actress better portrayed Katniss' emotions.  I disagree.  In the books, Katniss is not a very emotional person, she's very thoughtful (as in, she thinks a lot).  Throughout Catching Fire, the book, Katniss has many more outbursts, as a result of her being traumatized, leading her to have many more in this movie, contrasted to the previous one.  Katniss in The Hunger Games serves as a participant; now, in Catching Fire, Katniss must deal with her past and start dealing with the trauma it has caused.  The adrenaline has worn off (now that she doesn't need to literally survive), now she's stuck processing everything she went through and everything she did while also struggling with the more physical consequences of her actions.  Overall, I believe she, and the other actors, did a great job portraying their characters; or, I was just too distracted by the awesomeness of the movie to notice bad acting.

I understand that the writers of the film must have chosen to also have Gale in this opening scene in order to speed up the process of showing his and Katniss' potential love interest, but I honestly think the book's opening scene would have been more powerful.  A sixteen-year-old girl drinking away her traumatized past would have hit the audience more dramatically and driven home the point of her suffering more thoroughly, I think.  By the way, I hate how the world is creating a "Team Gale, Team Peeta" around this story.  It was okay to do that with Twilight; because, other than an obsession with being young and beautiful, Twilight made few statements about society worth looking more deeply into.  The fact that we're taking this story and turning it into a fetish about who is the "better guy" for the heroine means that we are doing exactly what is so disgusting about the Capitol inhabitants.  We are failing to recognize the grotesquery (I may have just made up a word) given to us in the story.  THE STORY IS ABOUT CHILDREN KILLING OTHER CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR GOVERNMENT FORCES THEM TO AND THEIR PARENTS HAVEN'T STOPPED IT.  Yet, we, as a society, allow ourselves to get caught up in the very, very slight, insignificant romance in the story.  The romance was only important to the extent that it provided some relief to the dreary aspects, even though the romances often also exacerbated the problems.

Another thing that makes me sick is the advertisements by Covergirl.  I get that the brand may have done the make-up for the movie, but they shouldn't be advertising the styles as something we should mirror or repeat.  The whole point of the Capitol people looking that way was to cover-up the nastiness beneath and to juxtapose them and those from the Districts.

Suzanne Collins may be brilliant.  She has let us mirror what she has shown us is so wrong in her books.  However, if she were really feeling this way, I would hope she'd voice this opinion.  But, perhaps she's either not that brilliant after all or she's also fallen prey to hypocrisy.

Other than the scenery given in the opening scene, the only other scenery I had a major problem with was the Victor's Village.  I pictured it to indeed be "sanitary" but more colorful, or at least grand, from the outside.  The movie made the village look like a cemetery.  The arched entrance looked like one that would be at a cemetery entrance and each home looked like a tombstone.  This was not what I pictured at all.

I really appreciate the looks we get at the gamemaker's studio and the president's house through the film interpretations.  However, I was surprised they didn't put in the part about Plutarch Heavensbee showing Katniss his watch at the president's party though.  That would have been wonderful foreshadowing!  I was very impressed with the arena and the attack of Cinna before Katniss entered the arena.  The only problem I had with the arena was that I was very confused with where Katniss and other tributes were when she dove in the water and ran on the platform.  I also couldn't figure out why Finnick, being such a natural swimmer, wasn't able to reach Peeta and help him when he was fighting the other tribute in the water.

I would have also liked more character development of the other tributes.  And, Finnick was NOT cast right.  Sam Claflin is not very attractive in the way Finnick should have been and really doesn't seem to fit the mold for smooth, charming, cold, passionate, and deceptive all at the same time.  But, I'm not very surprised he was given that role.  After his appearance in Pillars of the Earth, then in some PBS movies, and finally in Pirates of the Caribbean, I knew he'd get a role in one of the big "blockbusters" loved by teen girls.

I really, really, really liked Katniss' hairstyles!  Although, she is supposed to have drastically longer hair.  Her hair for the president's party was SO intense!  I loved it.  I also liked the general braid they chose for her this time.  I don't really understand why they changed her costumes from what she was supposed to wear in the book though.  I definitely pictured different suits for the arena as well.

Well, for now at least, I've run out of things to say and I'm very tired.

Lucid Dreaming

When I was in my sophomore or junior year of high school, I discovered lucid dreaming.  I'm not sure whether or not I was able to control my dreams before this experience, but I do remember the realization that I can completely control my dreams; at least I can when I become aware that I'm dreaming, which has occurred anytime that I've woken up remembering that I have dreamed.  Somehow, in a discussion, dreams were brought up and I told my good friend about my discovery.  She warned me that controlling dreams can leave you in an unrested state as well as cause you to be stuck in the paralysis caused by the dream world and other issues (her knowledge came from her AP Psych class, which provided more knowledge than what I had previously gained about dreams).  Whether or not these side effects are true, I do not know; but at the time, I took her word for it and stopped controlling my dreams.  I still would dream lucidly, I don't believe that you can remove your lucidity once it's there in a dream, but I took a step back and let my dreams play out.

In my dreams since then, as I've said, any that I remember, I have been lucid in them to some extent.  I've never practiced lucidity intentionally.  After my first realization of dreaming lucidly, I constantly controlled my dreams quite naturally and it was quite fun.  I believe the reason I first gained control was because I was so embarrassed and in absolute shock at myself in my dream that I had to take control.  Following that dream up until my friend warned me of potential dangers, I controlled and was lucid during anywhere from 1-3 dreams per night.

I'm not so afraid of controlling my dreams anymore.  I try not to control them too much though, because I find it more therapeutic to allow my dreams to progress on their natural courses.  Sometimes, however, I find myself gaining lucidity because I am controlling my dreams.  It's very strange.  Upon gaining this lucidity, I often lose control (or rather my dream comes to a stand still as I evaluate what I'm doing in my dream and what I should be doing) and begin to pull myself out of the dream.

I've found that both controlling my dreams and gaining lucidity usually lead to displeasure in my dreams and I do not suggest seeking it.  However, lucid dreaming does provide interesting concepts about life.  Controlling our dreams usually allows us to do whatever we want.  But I do say to use caution, you probably wouldn't want to find yourself making immoral decisions you wouldn't make in the waking world in your lucid dreams because you will likely still feel the same shame, but it's deeper because you will likely not admit your dreams.

Some interesting articles that got me thinking about this:
Dreaming Article
Lucid Dreams
More on Dreams

Bryn Mawr College Early Fall Photos 2013

Goodhart Theater

Thomas Hall from Cloisters perspective

Taylor Hall

The Labyrinth

Leaves on Merion Green

Covered over Fountain in Taft Garden

This Week's Horoscope (10/6/13 - 10/12/13)

Link:  Weekly Horoscope

This Week's Horoscope (9/29/13 - 10/5/13)

Link:  Weekly Horoscopes

This Week's Horoscope (9/22/13 - 9/28/13)

I have begun to write horoscopes for one of my college's newspapers.  Below you can find a link to the horoscopes on the newspaper's website:
Weekly Horoscopes (9/22/13 - 9/28/13)

Virgo Physical Features

Like the other signs, Virgos are also given away by their physical features.  Typically, Virgos have very ovular, sometimes nearly rectangular, shaped faces that are thick and filled-out with their jaw and cheek bones wide-set.  From their foreheads down to the ends of their jaws where their necks begin there tends to be a straightness or continuation in their faces, essentially a straight line that neither curves nor turns obliquely.  Virgos also put on weight very easily and have trouble losing weight, so they tend to be on the thicker side more often, though they are rarely to the extent of being obese.  I say this lightly, they tend to have "watery" eyes; I mean this as in their eyes tend to be very colorful or change colors and look like what you'd expect someone with a Pisces, or other water sign, personality to have.  Below are some examples of famous Virgo faces:

Alexis Bledel

Blake Lively

Cameron Diaz

George R.R. Martin

Michael Jackson

Prince Harry

Regis Philbin

Salma Hayek

Colbert Astrology Clip

Just thought this was relevantly amusing to this blog:

The Astrology topic arises at about minute 2:30/2:40ish.

Colbert Astrology Clip

Some Tips on Surviving Freshman Year of College

*Keep in mind that this post is being made from someone who literally just finished her freshman year attending a women's college.

*Potentially a work in progress post.

1.  If you don't think you'll wear it more than once, don't pack it - as a rule for packing clothing and shoes and coats

2.  Bring good rain boots (well if you're attending college in a normally rainy climate)!!!  They were the most useful and most worn pair of shoes I brought! - by "good" I mean quality rain boots that won't leak or fall apart (it's worth spending the extra money)

3.  Purchase healthy snacks to keep in your room - unhealthy foods, like chips weigh you down and don't provide the necessary study/homework fuel

4.  Get a refrigerator!  Even if your hall has a communal fridge and your school typically follows a social honor code, people tend forget their manners when it comes to food; they will steal your food and make it gross...get your own fridge.

5.  Buy layers to wear under your pants if you're attending college in a cold climate; nobody will notice them and it keeps you warm on your treks across campus to class

6.  Participate in school traditions (even if that's just attending football games)!

7.  Find time for leisurely reading and try not to find out about more television shows to watch online (you'll spend WAY too much time doing that)

8.  Keep medicines around that you would find in most homes, like Pepto, Tums, cough drops, Advil, etc.

9.  Bring a bathing suit, beach towel, and sunscreen - you never know when you may have the opportunity to use these things

10. If you have silly theme clothing, like a grass skirt, bring them!  There are lots of themed parties.

11. Bring your own computer.

12. Don't be afraid to try new things, but remember to put your foot down if you don't want to try something.
13. Never keep more than $20-30 on you at any time because you'll spend it too quickly.

A Problem of Being Straight at a Women's College

I don't know why but recently, in my spare time, I just haven't been in the mood to create my Astrological blog posts.  I apologize if you're anxiously awaiting my posts!  I don't know when I'll get to the Pisces, Aries, and Taurus health tips and Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and Taurus facial features; so don't hold your breath.

I truly have been busy with school, more so than last semester, but not enough that I can justify slacking on my posts.  I just haven't been in the mood to make them.  I've also been slacking on Astrological chart interpretations that were due for my friends last semester!  It's not that I'm waning in my Astrological interests, I just haven't been in the mood to fulfill my blogging obligations that they require.

I guess it would be valid to say that I'm bored (busy, but bored - not even bored with my school work, just bored in general).  You'd think that my boredom would cause me to want to be on top of my Astrological obligations?  I don't mean to say that nothing "exciting" has been happening, that nothing "new" has been happening, because that wouldn't be true.  I'm just bored.

Upon evaluating myself, which I haven't done very thoroughly, I have found that I'm bored because I have nothing to "dream" about.  There are specific things that I hope to happen, like getting a particular job this summer; but these immediate, specific things, I don't like to "dream" about too much because then I get my hopes up; if they don't happen, I get too crushed. But that's normal for me, as in, I've always thought that way; that shouldn't specifically be making me bored.  By having nothing to "dream" about, I mean I have nothing to daydream about.  I'm a straight woman at a women's college.  While there are lots of guys around and on campus on a daily basis, I don't see particular guys as often as I would have in high school.  I'm not a very bold person, so it's difficult to form relationships with people you see for a few hours a week in a classroom (meaning not social) setting or just in passing.

Perhaps this seems pathetic, or ridiculous, to be bored because I don't have guys to daydream about, but it's true.  Since I started school as a child, I've always managed to have a crush on some guy at almost all times; but, in school, you are constantly with these people and have grounded relationships with these people, so you have the opportunity to form real intrigues.  Yes, I can form a crush based off of appearances that I've only briefly seen; however, one that I would daydream about would have to be one that also comes from knowing a person.  Therefore, I am bored and don't know how to comfortably solve this problem.

In Response to the Hell Week Drama

If you haven't gone through Hell Week, you know nothing about Hell Week.  Bringing Hell Week drama up to the world is irrelevant and confusing, which is why I never posted about my Hell Week experience on my blog.  So why did someone leak their email from a dean when the rest of the world couldn't truly understand Hell Week? (You can find the article that includes the leaked email and the drama surrounding it here)

Yes, for the most part, this is laughable, but what the news fails to recognize is that Customs People are meant to be advocates for the freshmen and are supposed to be Hell Free for their own Customs Group; so if things were getting out of hand, which they may have been with the water dumping and forcing certain things (as cruel deception and force are violations of the Honor Code), the Customs People should have stepped in and advocated for their freshmen.

Regardless, I'm very surprised that these actions were reported to the deans.  Why were they reported?  Did someone feel as if they were being hazed?  And why did the Hell Week Committee not step in?  Are these things just being exaggerated?

Here are some more reports on the incidence just to show how blown out of proportion this whole thing is, especially since it happened practically a month ago:
- Jezebel
- Philadelphia Inquirer
- Fox News

"Lieutenant Nun" in Review

I'm in a class this Semester called, The Historical Imagination. It's a bit tedious, though I do understand why it's required for History majors (I have yet to declare a major).  Essentially the class is about the history of studying history.  It delves into the problem of sources and how history is perceived and how the perception of history has changed over time and to fit in different places.  I would consider the main book we read to be "Silencing The Past" by Michel-Rolph Trouillot.  Truly, the book is a textbook though it does not look like one to perceive.  If you have the Internet regularly available, you can get through the readings by Google searching every other word, but if not, you'd have to have a pretty large vocabulary or an amazing dictionary to get through the text.  Once you understand the big words, most of the points made throughout the book are well-founded and make sense.  However, most of the points made in the book are made everyday in my other history classes by the professors in a ways that are much more easy to understand; therefore, I do not really understand why the class is required if not to merely stress the point that history is not concrete.

Anyway, we were required to read a book called "Lieutenant Nun" for this week.  On the cover of the translation we were assigned, it titles the book "Memoir of a Basque Lieutenant Nun Transvestite in the New World".  My personal understanding of the word "transvestite" is someone who identifies profoundly with two sexes or was born with both sexes.  Now, I may be wrong, so I'm going to Google it right now and put the Internet's definition for it:  a cross-dresser.  That's what the first three website blurbs told me about what a transvestite is; so I was wrong.  According to one of the blurbs, it is often confused with someone who is transsexual or transgender; perhaps that is what I was confusing it with.  Okay, so going with the Internet's definition, the modified title is correct.  However, I think that adding that word to the title makes the book seem extra statementy (I know I made that word up).  However, reading the text, the author never really seems like she's trying to make a statement; but I don't know her motives.

The book is short (it's only 77 pages) and really easy to get through because it describes action scene upon action scene.  I really did enjoy reading it because it was quick, I also found it fascinating.  What really intrigued me is that the woman was so devoid of emotion in her writing.  This is almost a masculine thing, but yet I don't even know that most men are that devoid of emotion.  The woman, Catalina de Erauso, murdered so many people, and it was as if death meant nothing to her!  It was very strange.  At one point, after she sort of accidentally murders her brother, she does briefly point out that it did pain her a lot, especially while she was hiding out in a church for a good period of time.  But other than that the only time she makes slight reference to emotion is when she speaks of discomforts she has or opinions; like when a kind woman takes her in (thinking she was a man) and tries to marry her to her dark skinned daughter.  This particular event brings up another interesting point that it would bring her little pleasure to marry an ugly girl because she wasn't her type apparently.  In a way that could be taken as a hint towards bisexuality or lesbianism, but it's hard to tell for sure and may have only been a translating issue.  I find it hard to believe that she would have been well-accepted, especially by the King of Spain and the Pope, if she professed what would be considered sexually unusual at the time, being the earlier 1600s.

Well, all in all, I really do recommend the book as a quick read to anyone.  It's interesting.  It seems so fictional for a life to be as such and sort of accepted and celebrated at the time.  I was very surprised.

Now for a bit of Astrology:

The only possible astrological sign for Catalina is Sagittarius. She desired nothing more than to travel and not be tied down.  She did not resent learning in the slightest.  She maintained the mentality that more money can always be made.  She was selfish in an unconscious way.

I don't think it's very possible, based off of her story, for her to be any other sign.  I tried to place her as maybe Taurus or Virgo, but she was too able and not attached enough to her possessions to be a Taurus and she certainly was not a people-pleaser, so she couldn't be a Virgo.

Extended Health Tips for Aquarians

I have to start by saying that I don't know a lot about Aquarians in regards to health.  Although I've met a fair amount of them, I don't know a lot of them very well.  Therefore, this post is going off of the very few (comparatively to the other signs) observations I have made and what has been said in my handy astrology book "The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need" by Joanna Martine Woolfolk.

Most Aquarians I know, both male and female, have a great propensity to put on weight; although, I have met some Aquarians that put most people to shame in how healthy they are, but they work-out like maniacs.  I know a lot of Aquarians of both sexes and all age ranges who choose to eat badly even when they have a healthier choice around them.  Even those I know who are work-out maniacs will take a candy bar if offered to them.  Therefore, I suggest to put in some willpower in choosing the healthier options, Aquarians!

Aquarians are often stuck in their heads (not like Pisces people who are essentially in lalaland in their heads, but rather mentally stimulated with their thoughts, even if they can be sometimes silly ones).  This can be great for producing the world's great innovators, but it's contributive to why they tend to snack on bad things and are not necessarily conscience of what it's doing to them.  They ignore the outer.

As it is, Aquarians are prone to circulatory problems, as that is one of the aspects of the body that Aquarius rules.  Therefore, Aquarians need to be conscientious about their health.  Aquarians are also therefore prone to things like varicose veins, so making sure they get enough movement and exercise in especially their legs is important.  Aquarians should spend at least an hour each day in constant movement that benefits cardiovascular health, like speed walking or even light jogging.  Biking would be another way as well.  These activities should be done solitarily (SP) because it also gives them the time they need to be alone in their heads.

Almost Hell Week

Hell Week at Bryn Mawr begins at sundown on Wednesday.  I believe it ends at sundown next Wednesday.  Hell Week is a sort of "kind" hazing that is meant to welcome the new students to the Bryn Mawr community.  It's supposed to stand for a time where we (freshwomen, transfers) get to act uninhibited because no outsiders are allowed on campus (excluding Haverford and Swarthmore students while they're in class).

Most people choose a Heller from the Sophomore class who compiles a schedule for you encompassing the week.  You do the tasks on the schedule.  There are also a few traditions that go with Hell Week:  Duck Pond Run, Erdman Performances, Plenary, the Shipley Dance, and Goodhart Performances.

Luckily, Hell Week falls during the deepest week of Winter and over Valentine's Day.  I've compiled Valentine's Day cards for my friends and my Customs Group.  They are Snoopy themed and have lollipops attached.

"Book Three: A Storm of Swords" in Review

This book was just a continuation of the second.  That brings me to agitation because THIS SERIES WILL NEVER END.  I've been talking to other readers of this series and apparently, the author, George R.R. Martin, plans to add yet another book to it (and if he got away with it would add even more!).  I get that the books go very in depth into each character; but, I think that's the problem.  Rather than continuing to complicate things to make the characters more dynamic, give them identifying traits and wrap the story up.  Also, stop adding characters and stop adding developments to the characters.  At this point, there is no identifiable direction to the story.  To the author:  Satisfy your readers by ending the series.

Astrology:
Aries:  Ygritte

"Book Two: A Clash of Kings" in Review

The second book in the series, "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, was much more eventful than the first.  Although the prologue was more relevant to the book than the prologue in the first book, it was a little difficult to get through, as most of the first book actually was.  However, I enjoyed the second book much more thoroughly than the first even though my favorite characters seemed to be described less frequently and were perhaps even nonexistence, as they perished in the first book.

I find myself more into the series and more intrigued, I can't wait to start the next book; however, I have to admit, I was disappointed with some of the occurrences in the book.  Stannis, as a character, was very disappointing.  I don't believe he was actually defeated at King's Landing, but I am very disappointed with him.  In the first book, Stannis isn't really characterized as anything but boring, just, and stringent.  The second book portrays him as being almost cruel and stupidly stubborn.  Even Stannis cannot actually prove that Joffrey is a bastard, so he has no honorable claim to the throne.  I'm also frustrated that Arya isn't a little more settled than she was at the start of the book.  It also would have been nice to have more insight into what Robb is doing.  I thought the narration additions of Theon and Davos neutralized each other; Theon was somewhat interesting, while Davos was boring, excluding only the account of Stannis' shadow being born.

I'm very interested to find out what Bran will do next and what will become of Rickon.  I believe Bran is heading to the Wall and may go beyond that eventually.  I don't know where Osha is taking Rickon and I'm surprised Rickon hasn't fussed more about it.  I assume Arya will try to take her friends to Riverrun, but will most likely be stopped and diverted by something yet again.  I get the impression that Lord Tywin isn't actually Lord Tywin, but is rather either Stannis or Melisandre.  I don't know what Magister Illyrio has in store for Dany, but I don't really trust him.

Astrological additions:
Gemini:
- Theon Greyjoy
Libra:
- King Renly Baratheon
Aquarius:
- King Stannis Baratheon