Joss's response to new Buffy movie

I'm glad you asked for my thoughts on the announcement of Buffy the cinema film. This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths—just because they can't think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.

Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, "Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER." Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, "I'll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!" Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?

I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don't love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I'm also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can't wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I'm making a Batman movie. Because there's a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.

Leave me to my pain! Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

Full story here

baby scoot

My daughter does the cutest scoot. She hasn't quite got the crawl down, but she'll still chase the dog...it just might take a bit to get there...and she might get distracted by carpet.

waffling...

A few years ago it felt like all my friends were getting married. This year, it feels like they are all having babies. In a few more years i'm sure it will feel like they're all getting divorced. But the truth is they aren't "all" doing anything.

It seems that all it takes is for more than 2 people to do something in the same year and i'm suddenly 'swamped with friends who are [insert mile stone here]'. This year i've got a few friends who are having children. I also have friends who just gotten married, friends who have just started their careers, friends who are purchasing a house...Everything doesn't happen to all my friends all at once.

I need to remind myself of this a few times a day so i don't disregard or ignore the mile stones many of my friends are making that i am not currently making. Because (as my mother taught me) no one has to live their life just like you do.

soap box: immigration

i hate the way illegal immigrants are treated. For some reason every country seems to think that lurking just outside their borders are hordes of people who want nothing more than to take the jobs of the countries citizens, rob the tax payers blind, and sit around and laugh at how easy they have it in their new 'gullible' country.

This isn't true. No one leaves their home country, travels in secrecy to another country then sits back and thinks "wow, that was easy!". Changing countries is expensive and gut-wrenchingly difficult; even if you do so legally.

Emotionally you must leave family, friends, and places you love behind. You leave favourite foods, music, and cultural events behind. You strip yourself of everything you have and prepare yourself for the biggest fight of your life.

To travel to another country is expensive. Flights, accommodation, and visas can cut a huge hole in your annual budget. If you want to stay in a new country, you can easily double your expenses, because your new country is going to have a huge stack of paper work for you to go through and in your new country, each sheet of paper can cost upwards of $100 per page.

So why would anyone choose to leave behind themselves and embark on such a journey? How about reasons of personal safety? What about reasons of religious freedom? Maybe the idea that THIS country will be more tolerate, less filled with hate? Maybe this country will provide resources so their children won't have to starve to death.

It saddens me that countries are so willing to treat those who are desprate as criminals. My heart aches even more when those leading the call to "secure our borders" are Christians who push Christian ideology. They go to church and listen to sermons called 'turning the other cheek' and 'what would Jesus do?'. Yet they can not practice these concepts are the needyist of the needy. Perhaps churches could solve the issue by focusing on less 'practical' concepts of faith, like prophecy.

Immigration is hard. Illegal immigration is an act of desperation...

Son of Jesse Review

For those who attended the Son of Jesse Concert over the weekend you will find it no surprise that i was greatly impressed with the outcome. However you might find it a big strange that the director and stage manager should write a review of their own play. But what i saw was so different from what the audience saw under the lights of the stage. This review is all about the play from the back end.

When the night began with the main star MIA for his first scene and a mic acting up, i feared the worst. But the night soon pulled itself together to produce a beautiful play. Special note should be made of Grace's part. Her command of the comms set and the mastery of the mics made the play. She kept her cool even in the face of a mic pack that just would not cooperate.

Rosalie should also grant a mention. Her strong and determined presence backstage made finding props and costumes so simple.

Many scenes were punctuated by Heidi's special "get rid of nerves and warm up" dance. The sight of Heidi prancing in little circles will be with me for a very long time and will make me smile each time i think about it.

There were a few moments of stress. At times Justin seemed to have gone to a different dress rehearsal than the rest of the cast. From misunderstanding timings to predicting next scenes we really began to worry he might be listening to his demon and angel selves instead of the directors. But he kept himself in good humour and pulled off a great performance.

Over all the night was a fabulous success both from the front and the back end.

the morning blessing

Every day my husband gives me the same blessing. He kisses me on the forehead and says, "be safe, be happy". At first i thought this was a flippant goodbye as he walked out the door to face the day, but as i've gotten to know him better, i've come to realise it is his heart's desire for my day.

Today my daughter was teething and had a very bad day. Most of my day was spent trying to keep her distracted from the discomfort she was feeling. As i felt my cheery mood begin to slip away i remembered my husband's words "be happy". If anyone else had told me that i possibly would have hit them. I tried to think of today from my daughter's perspective. I remembered when my mother would distract me from my life's discomfort. It wasn't easy for her, but so many times it made my day better. Clinging to the thought that i could make my daughter's day a little better by being happy, i clung on a little tighter.

But nine hours of alone time with a child who isn't feeling well doesn't make the day easy. I found myself using lazy lifting techniques. It is a sure fire way to throw out my back. If i can't lift my baby, i'm in big trouble. I reminded myself i must be safer and did a few stretches to help rectify some of the damage i'd begun.

Isn't it funny how the last words spoken as a spouse leaves the house linger? Especially words or phrases that come from the heart. So it is my desire for you, my friend, to pass the blessing on Be safe. Be happy.

brief thoughts

After almost 2 months without much chatter, i've finally returned to blogging...no i lie. I'm not returning, i'm updating briefly while my daughter sleeps and i have no idea when i will return to my thoughts again.

Brief thoughts on motherhood:
fun
exhausting
rewarding
unexpected


Brief thoughts on life:
crammed
unusual
hard
grieving
full

I must now go. My daughter has awoken and she needs me...no one but me:)

i'm a mummy!

my fascination with Amanda Palmer continues...



Strong language advisory...and probably not safe for work

she loves me:)

It is in endless source of amusement to me that the dog still loves me. I don't mistreat her or anything but i'm becoming less and less comfortable as a dog cushion. She made it very clear the other day when she jumped onto my lap only to look at me forlornly asking (with her eyes) "where did your lap go?" She immediately jumped down and found a more comfortable spot on the floor...on top of rusty nails and a hammer.

But she does still love me. I know this because in the morning she always believes that the stomach will have magically disappeared in the night. She jumps onto the bed and burrows under the covers to snuggle in close to me. As soon as she discovers the kicking belly, she's gone again but not before giving my face a morning wash. ICK...i really should train her not to do that.

Today is a cool day and she's snuggled up into the side of my leg...snoring. Yep, she still loves me.

our day out

Top 5 ways to know you live in Hickville

I live in Hickville where Bogans do not hide and Rednecks can only stand in awe. I know this because:

5. Christmas lights are still hanging to the trees in the front garden

4. Everyone over the age of 45 in the town seems to either been at or remember the birth of your significant other.

3. You walk down a random street and run into your second cousin (thru marriage)...for the second time that day.

2. Random strangers assure you that "mary jane" is an excellent name for your future daughter.

1. On your way to meet a friend you see a HORSE standing next to a couple eating alfresco at the town cafe.

and your HOW old?

As if this wasn't wrong enough...they can show the twins coming out, but they cover her breasts??!

Thanks to Pictures Unrelated for image.

cause i want to be the gossip of the town!

After more than 6 months of being home during the day, i have found myself occasionally channel surfing in the midday time slot. Inevitably i'll stumble upon Dr. Phil. Some woman will be crying and saying something like "he always lies to me. i don't know why". and Dr. Phil will respond with "Sharon says that she is at a breaking point in her marriage. Let's take a look". Then we get footage of a camera capturing an argument in the couple's home.

My question is, if you are at your wits end and you realise you need to get help or your family is going to fall apart, why the hell do you choose to get help on Dr. Phil. Not only is his advice pretty shallow, it is also there for the whole world to see! your shut-in gossipy neighbour from next door is going to see "ooo! he had an affair on her!"

Why not just go to your local psychologist or counsellor where you are entitled to confidential help that won't be blabbed about to the whole neighbourhood?!

It baffles me too much. I switch off the tv after a few minutes.

33 weeks and counting

my thoughts of feminism

I am a big supporter of feminism. I hate it when books, movies, music, society use women as a means to get a man something. Whether it's sex, power, or politics women seem to be a means to gratify the ego of some men. I hate that. I have lived all my life in cultures that claimed to be equal and yet there seems to be more and more inequality the older i get.

It seems organisations are particularly prone to trying to control women. Churches define women's roles and when women step outside those bounds they are often socially or financial disadvantaged (financially, if they work for the church). It disgusts me when women seek help from the church and are told that the men in their lives are the ones who will give (or not give) them help as they see fit. Sadly this isn't a situation that is confined to 50 years ago; this is happening today.

Political groups often see women as easy targets. It is popular and easy to critize a woman in politics if she has views on family, health, or abortion. Women in politics are often seen to not give enough attention to their own family therefore have no relevant experience to speak on the matters of family. If she sides with abortion rights, she's seen as a whore. If she side against abortion, she's seen as an over protective mother type. If she wants more health care for her family, she's too lazy to get working and support her own healthcare. Somehow men seem to be immune to these sorts of attacks...

Even feminism itself is starting to define what is good for a woman. No Prior Restraints pointed out the other day how feminism had become a tool by which to tell women how to think. "you can't listen to Taylor Swift because she isn't empowering women in her songs" Wasn't the feminist movement supposed to support women's right to think for themselves? Make choices for themselves?

This is where the point to all this is supposed to be made clear. A happy summery to make the world liveable again...or maybe a call to action. There is neither here. There is no solution that will make organisations see women as people and not just 'women'. There is no sentence that can make the injustice of it 'okay'. There is just women who are sick and tired of being told what to do and how to think.

love it or leave it

I was a pretty naive girl when i first left my home country. I thought that my home country was amazing and that seeing the world would only confirm that belief. What i didn't realise was that i was about to enter the world of 'the migrant' and become one of the most hated groups on the planet, and by extension an outsider even in my home country.

Every country i've been to or heard of has a certain amount of nationalism. This isn't a bad thing until nationalism becomes synonymous with 'white only' or 'native only' or 'christian only' (you get the idea). Countries that have freedoms of speech are often quick to declare anyone who disagrees with [insert any group]'s understanding of nationalism should leave the country.

The implication of this statement is that

1. you (the person who disagrees) are the ONLY person who feels the way you do.
   
2. There are other countries who have national policies that agree with your view
3. your views are not important enough to debate.

This kind of argument is not helpful in creating and maintaining a healthy free country. It makes me angry that people put bumper stickers on their car that say things like that. It makes me angry when politicians suggest that migrants who disagree with an parts of their new countries policies should be "sent back".

Forcing or pressuring your opponent out of the country does not mean you 'won' the debate. It just makes you a bully.

quotes from the interweb

So lately i've been reading a lot of stuff from various online sources. I thought i'd share some of my favourite quotes of the week with you.

If it's "The Land of the Free", why am I always broke?? -Josh Lawson

"Question: Were getting 18 inches tomorrow. Any advice?
Answer: --Lubricate." - via Brent Spiner

"The scope of RC (Restricted Classification) is simply too broad and can raise genuine questions about restrictions on access to information. RC includes the grey realms of material instructing in any crime from [painting] graffiti to politically controversial crimes such as euthanasia, and exposing these topics to public debate is vital for democracy." - Iarla Flynn

Today, I'm practicing being grateful. Not actually grateful- just practicing - Nathan Fillion

My 80-year-old grandmother accidentally smashed her hand into the wall while hauling her garbage can into the garage. It swelled up and turned purple and looked awful. One of my aunts came over that evening and said "Mom, what did you do to your hand?!" and Grandma replied "This is nothing. You should see the other guy." IMMD - Jill

all natural

Growing up, my mother was a big supporter of consequences. If you touched the burner, you'd get burned. She never *wanted* me to hurt myself. It was a natural consequence. True, there were many times she was able to stop me before i got hurt, but it was not something she could do all the time.

I have taken that lesson with me in life. There are consequences to my actions. If choose not to wake up in time, the natural consequence is that i will be late. I can not blame it on my husband for not waking me up.

A few days ago i made up my mind to stop being a safety net for someone. I decided to not stop their hand when it went for the burner. I decided it was time for some natural consequences to kick in. It may mean that i lose them from my life, but i can not continue to treat an adult like a child. There is a strange and wonderful peace about my decision. And i believe it was for the best.

awkward moments

Watching my stomach move in large and unusual ways makes me nervous. I don't think my body was *supposed* to move like that...i don't care how big the baby is getting!

hehehe - another food song

As perfect as my dog is, she has one or two flaws. In normal conditions these flaws could be addressed in a calm manner. Under super hormones, her life is in danger.

Her current favourite trespass is stealing rolls of toilet paper and shredding them on the lawn so it looks like it snowed outside.

Now i recite my mantra: I am MAD but i can control myself....i am mad but i CAN control myself...

hate world

It is no surprise to those who know me that i am often offended and frustrated by those claiming to be from the right wing (emphasis on *right*). I cringe when some talk about how "God hates gays" or "the Obama administration turning America socialist".

The video above is a response to 2 right wing commentators who suggested that the devastation in Haiti was bought on by devil worship and communism. The response is done in the same vein that the right wing commentators spoke. It was all hate.

The use of inflammatory words by either side creates an emotional response by the viewer. Do we really want more emotionally hate filled people? Perhaps the only real response to this kind of hate is to ignore it...but then again, does our silence suggest agreement?

I can't help but believe that i can disagree with someone on an emotional level and still respond to them without wishing them dead or in hell. But maybe that is just the pregnancy hormones talking. What do you think? Can we respond to vocalised hatred without resorting to the same rhetoric?

preparing for 2010

It might seen strange that i'm setting about preparing for a year that has already starting, and i can't really deny that it isn't. Last year (or at least the last 5 months of last year) are pretty much a wash for me. I spent more time aquainting myself with the bathroom than i did pretty much anything else. (not fun)

With the start of a new year brings so many things. The obvious one is bub, who is still a few months away. So before she gets here there are a few minor things that need to be done. (in no particular order)

1. Replace carpet
2. update kitchen
3. clean cupboards
4.assemble baby room
5. teach Faith to sleep on command
6. prepare birth plan
7. stock up on pet all pet supplies i will need for the next 6 months
8. entertain guests
9.pick out a name for newest family member
10. remain calm so bub has a happy environment

The list continues....

When the church ladies said i would start the 'nesting' thing soon, i honestly believed it was an old wives tail...apparently it is a bug that has moved into my house and attached itself to my brain!





26 weeks!

I got inspired to be more artsy crafty today...until the cat started stealing my crafts.

And that put an end to that.

highlights

Checking out Mount Taranaki...strangely the signs seemed to apply to me.



The awesome lawn art saw on one of many trips where we weren't quite sure where we were or where we were going...the sheep were too cute though! so it was all worth it.




The New Plymouth's lights in the park was inspiring. Very beautiful!