Tonight we’re gonna watch movies like it’s 1999

October 4, 2006 — GraceKathryn

I have always said that 1999 was the best year for movies. Here’s proof. Films that came out in 1999:

Eyes Wide Shut
The Matrix
Run Lola Run
Election
Magnolia
The Sixth Sense
Being John Malkovich
The Talented Mr. Ripley
American Beauty
American Movie (“it’s pronounced Co-ven” LOL)
Boys Don’t Cry
Fight Club
The Green Mile
Go
The Cider House Rules
The Blair Witch Project
…and a whole bunch of other pretty good movies in addition to those great movies mentioned above.

The year 2000 wasn’t too far behind:

Memento
Requiem for a Dream
Amores Perros
Dancer in the Dark

Seriously, since 1999, there have never been more than 2 or 3 great movies come out in a whole year. The best I can hope for now is to see a “pretty good” movie every few months. meh. wah.

I am looking forward to a few fall releases, though… the Science of Sleep (seeing on Friday), Babel, the Fountain, and Children of Men. I’m hoping not to be let down.

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Dancey dance dance in the forest… aka Kathy’s book club

August 23, 2006 — GraceKathryn

An update on my summer reading list…

As the 2 readers of my blog may remember, a few months ago I posted a summer reading list containing 5 books had I hoped to read in the coming months. I have managed to finish 2 of those books thus far, plus 1 more not on the list, and I am saving the other 3 books for a later date.

I am always up for suggestions of excellent novels (and non-fiction), and for book discussion, online or otherwise. Look at my favorite books list on my main page to get an idea of what I would like, and suggest some titles to me please! Read on for my short (philosophical and literary) summary of Life of Pi, my opinion of some other books, and please post a response or something.

Life of Pi was pretty much exactly what I expected. As literature, it is a very entertaining book (and I look forward to the upcoming movie). However, one should read it with a full understanding of the author’s worldview and knowing that he is trying to influence the reader through use of fiction. Basically the entire first 1/3 of the book is a relativist manifesto. It is this kid (Pi) telling the story of his life and explaining how he came to be a devout and practicing Christian, Muslim, and Hindu, all at the same time. No one in his family or circle of spiritual mentors understands how this is possible, but apparently Pi is more enlightened than everyone else. He keeps repeating the mantra, “but I just want to love God” to his detractors with what I envision as angelic doe eyes and pouty lips (what a sweet boy).

Oh those silly practitioners of Western logic and adherents to the logical law of non-contradiction! They just don’t understand! (Please read my sarcasm in these words).

After the first 1/3 of the book, the relativist manifesto (seemingly) ends and the survival adventure at sea begins. Pi is lost at sea for the better part of a year (and most of the book) alone on a lifeboat with a fully grown adult male Bengal tiger. The point of the entire novel is to put forth the following idea… that it doesn’t matter if what you believe is true in the sense that it corresponds to the actual physical and spiritual reality of things. It only matters that what you believe is “a good story” or that it “works for you”. Never mind the Truth (with a capital T), you can choose what to believe, and that is your reality. (In other words… dancey dance dance in the forest, as my brother has so eloquently put it). I would really like to give away the entire (twist) ending of the book right now (It turns out he was dead the whole time! Oh wait, that’s the twist ending to something else.), but I’ve never been one to spoil movies and books for people who may one day read them. Thus concludes my summary of Life of Pi.

The Kite Runner was an amazing book. Everyone should read it. It is one of the best novels I have ever read. I am greatly looking forward to this novel being made into a movie as well, which is also in the works right now. (I know how to pick em!) That’s all I have to say about that.

In the meantime, I also managed to read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Upon browsing my friends myspace pages, I noticed that about 90% of all females (in the world) had it listed as one of their favorite books. Now I know why. It was a very good book. Any other suggestions for equally good Jane Austen books, or is that her best one by far?

Right now I am reading (concurrently) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers and various Colorado travel books in anticipation of my husband’s and my upcoming trip to Denver the week after next (yay!). Please give me your opinion of either.

Thus concludes today’s installment of Kathy’s book club.

And yes, I am currently listening to the new Dixie Chicks album. So shut up. It’s a very good album, and they have an ongoing feud with Toby Keith, which I think is quite awesome (as I, too, cannot stand Toby Keith). So don’t make fun of me or I’ll put a boot in your ass. It’s the American way.

Posted in Books, Music, MySpace Blog, Philosophy, Religion. Leave a Comment »

Don’t eat the fish!!!

July 3, 2006 — GraceKathryn

You know what is more miserable than just about anything? Food poisoning. You know who got fairly severe food poisoning the other night? Me.

At a large gathering on Saturday, myself and many others made the huge mistake of eating the beer battered fish, which tasted great going in… and not so good coming back up. Only my husband was smart enough to abstain from the food. I have to give him many props for his superior intuition. I should probably start listening to him when he advises me not to eat something. I think maybe the flies circling all the food should have clued me in to not eat anything… but I was really hungry!

Anyway, use discretion when choosing what to eat at large potluck-style gatherings. Nothing ruins a party like mass-food poisoning. At least 4 other people that I know of got sick, but I think I had it the worst of any of them. The good news is that I’m feeling much better today, and I think I lost about 4 lbs.

Posted in My Life, MySpace Blog. Leave a Comment »

Time for some product plugging

June 2, 2006 — GraceKathryn

I have recently discovered a few products/foods that I have overlooked for too many years. Well… NO LONGER shall these blessings to humanity be ignored. I shall finally place them on the proper pedestal they belong, or at least write a blog about them.

1. Downey wrinkle release spray. Wow. Amazing. Makes ironing of everyday items a thing of the past. It won’t do much for clothes that actually need to be pressed, but it’s awesome for t-shirts and skirts that are slightly wrinkly upon coming out of the dryer.

2. MARGARITA SALT!!! So you’re probably thinking I’m really weird for craving plain salt. But it’s not just any salt, it’s the yummy salty rim of a frozen/chilled mug that I crave, and margarita salt in particular. I will drink the beer contained within said mug just to taste the yummy salty mug rim. I have been craving margarita salt. Not the beer, but the salt (Though I rather enjoy Mexican beer as well. mmmmm… Pacifico).

3. Cherry Italian Ice (from Bella Crema in Norman). I’ve been going by that place like 3 times a week and the lady who works there knows my regular. It’s good. It’s real good. You should check out Bella Crema if you’re ever in Norman. It’s behind Hob Nob Rob’s liquor store across from Hastings on Main Street. The lady who owns it makes all the Gelato, Sorbet, and Italian Ice herself.

4. Pineapple. Just plain pineapple. It is God’s greatest fruit accomplishment. I could eat it plain all day long, or with cottage cheese.

5. This isn’t a product, but coupons are awesome.

That is all.

Posted in Miscellaneous, MySpace Blog. Leave a Comment »

Homogenous-ness (Yes, that’s a word. Shut up!)

May 23, 2006 — GraceKathryn

Ok, it’s not possible that nearly every person I know is a Socialist / Strong Democrat… but according to the politics test that so many people are posting on their pages, apparently you are. Is there no diversity of opinion of Myspace? Is there no place for differences? Is there no place for Centrists? Myself and this off-the-chart conspiracy theorist Libertarian guy (kisses, Matrix… he’ll never read this) are the only people I have seen who got anything on the test not in the lower right quadrant.

I have come up with a few theories of my own to explain the homogenous test scores:

1. Since it is “cool” to be a socialist among the enlightened young people of the U.S. ages 20-30, those whose score lands them anywhere but in the lower right quadrant are too embarrassed to post their real scores and thus be ridiculed, mocked, and rejected by their Myspace peers. These people deny ever taking the test, and never post their real score on their pages (unless they are off the chart extreme in one direction or the other, and proud to be an extremist, i.e. Matrix).

2. Because of #1, some people simply retake the test until they come up with a desirable outcome and then post the results of said outcome on their page.

3. So many people are heavily conditioned by the culture around them (particularly the youth and college culture) that they become indoctrinated and they all really do think the same.

For the record, I have taken the aforementioned test 3 times in about the last 6 months. The result posted on my page is from the first time I took it. The second time I landed in the Centrist circle, but still in the lower left quadrant. The third time (a few days ago) I landed even farther down and to the left than the results on my page. I thought putting that I agreed that 2 people should be able to fight to the death in a dual would pull me further to the right on the “socially permissive” scale, but I guess it wasn’t enough. My husband and my sexy single socialist friend Tyler (ladies, we’re still taking applications) tell me I should rethink that answer, maybe I will.

Honestly, I’m not much into politics at all, but it is really striking how close everyone is scoring to each other on this stupid test.

This blog is not about why you shouldn’t be a socialist (look at my score, I’m not that far from one myself). It’s about how maybe everyone should be more skeptical of what they’re taking in from the culture around them. I was a social science / sociology major who was an anthropology major for 2 semesters, so I know aaaaall about culture (insert rolling eyes emoticon here). “The culture around us” doesn’t just include those oppressive patriarchal religious institutions and “the man” who’s always trying to hold us down… it also includes the television and movies we watch, the books we read, the music and radio shows we listen to, the concerts we go to, the water cooler conversations we have at work, and the college professors we learn from. No one is immune to it. Not me, not you.

I may be becoming incoherent now because it is so late at night. I just want to see some diversity on here, that’s all. You can’t really all be socialists (or can you?). Hugs and kisses to all, and to all a good night.

Posted in Cultural Observation, MySpace Blog, Politics. Leave a Comment »

Summer Reading List

May 20, 2006 — GraceKathryn

I say “Summer reading list” because these are the books I hope to read over the next few months, not because I actually get a “Summer vacation” of any kind. Yes, I’ll probably take a week off of work at some point this year, but nothing long or extended. Anyway, without further ado…

Life of Pi by Yann Martel… I’ve already started this one. There is lots of material for blogs in here, but I’ll probably post it on my “real” blog.

Night by Elie Wiesel. Yes, this one is on Oprah’s book club, but wow. I read just the introduction a few weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. My friend Tyler tells me I simply must read this book. He said he was in tears at many points throughout. Tyler is a sexy man… 21 years old, sensitive, well-read, and single… and he’s looking for a woman. Eligible ladies may apply by sending me a private message. Philistines and Mormons need not apply.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. My friend Matt at work told me about this one. It’s Sci Fi, but his description of the book actually sounded like it was a critique of Christianity (in space!). I may be way off, but that’s why I want to read it.

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. Speaking of religious-themed books set in space, check out The Sparrow. Children of God is its sequel. I read The Sparrow earlier this year and loved it… so now I must read Children of God.

Posted in Books, MySpace Blog. Leave a Comment »

Christian – Other

May 15, 2006 — GraceKathryn

I genuinely want to know… why do so many of my friends and people I know categorize their religion on Myspace as “Christian – other” instead of as Protestant? When I think “Christian – other” I think Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, or Messianic Judaism… and that’s about it. So why are so many of you calling yourselves “Christian – other” instead of Protestant? I ask this sincerely: Do you not know what Protestant means? Protestant is Christian. Here is Wikipedia’s definition of Protestantism.

The category Protestant encompasses, (in my expert opinion) I would say, about 90% of the non-Catholic “Christian” population of the United States (especially in Bible-belt Oklahoma)… including churches like Lifechurch. Basically, if you go to an Evangelical, Evangelial Covenant (i.e. Lifechurch), Baptist, Methodist, Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Nazarene, Assembly of God, Holiness, or most any other non-denominational church in the United States, you’re attending a Protestant church.
_____________________________________

Here’s is what Wikipedia has to say about the three main branches of Christianity:

Within Christianity numerous distinct groups have developed with beliefs that vary widely by culture and place. Since the Reformation Christianity is usually represented as being divided into three main branches:

  • Roman Catholicism: The Roman Catholic Church, the largest single body which includes several Eastern Catholic communities as well as certain smaller communities (e.g., the Old-Catholics), with more than 1.085 billion baptized members.
  • Eastern Christianity: Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Eastern Orthodox Churches (including Western Orthodox churches which preserve Latin practices while accepting Orthodox theology), with a combined membership of more than 240 million baptized members. <<< This is what I would call “Christian – other”
  • Protestantism: Numerous denominations and groups such as Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed, Evangelical, Charismatic, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Nazarenes, Anabaptists, and Pentecostals. The oldest of these separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, followed in many cases by further divisions.

So I genuinely want to know… why are all of you identifying as “Christian – other” instead of Protestant? Post a comment on this blog or just message me directly. Thanks much!

Posted in Cultural Observation, Fundamentalism, MySpace Blog, Religion. Leave a Comment »

We’re goin to Texas… We’re goin to Texas…

April 28, 2006 — GraceKathryn

Well, I’m off to Austin this morning to go see William Lane Craig, Peter Kreeft, and Frederica Matthewes Green speak at a C.S. Lewis conference on Saturday. See my main page for Dr. Craig’s lecture on the absurdity of life without God.

Yes, I am extremely excited. Yes, my husband and I are huge nerds. Christian Philosophy conferences are what all the cool kids are going to on their vacations nowadays…. Haven’t you heard?

Posted in My Life, MySpace Blog, Travel. Leave a Comment »

Good Neighbors and Many Sparrows

April 12, 2006 — GraceKathryn

I about soiled my pants when I got a call on my cel today that started with the words “Do you have 2 chihuahuas?” Apparently my dogs got out of the backyard today and were running together down our (fairly high traffic for a neighborhood) street. This really nice girl named Ashley saw them on the street and stopped her car to get out and check their tags. They ran from her up to my front porch where they sat looking terrified. She made friends with Elmer and got my cel number off his tag (Elmer is a sweetheart). Pinto was so scared that he tried to bite her when she tried to pick him up, so she stayed with them on the porch for 30 minutes while my husband and I raced home from OKC as fast as we could. Now my dogs are safe and sound (and not dead) thanks to the goodwill of a neighbor (and complete stranger) who actually checked their tags and called me.

Moral of the story… ALWAYS TAG YOUR DOGS. It’s not enough to just have a collar with the rabies tag on it. You need to have your name, address, and phone number printed on their tags.

And just so you don’t think I’m an irresponsible pet owner who doesn’t secure my fence, we are fairly certain that the OG&E meter reader guy let them out through the gate when he read our meter today. We did a thorough fence check when we got home, and the only way they could have gotten out was by someone not shutting the gate completely or accidentally leaving it open, and it looked like someone had opened our gate today. Also, we have had these dogs for going on 3 years and this is the first time they have ever gotten out.

Side note… Ask me about why this experience is an answered prayer, and why it has helped to strengthen my faith. I have become convinced that Pinto is worth at least 2 or 3 sparrows. Elmer’s probably worth like 4. Eh, maybe 5 on a good day.

Posted in My Life, MySpace Blog, Religion, The Doglets. Leave a Comment »
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