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"Can We Talk About...?" 'Glee'

If you haven't heard about Glee then you've been living under a rock.

I'm sorry to be harsh, but it's true.

Honestly, I can't believe that it has taken me this long to write about since I've probably watched the Sneak Peek Premiere episode about 10 times since it aired. Not kidding. And it's also currently sharing the throne with several other television series that are my favorites even though only one episode has aired thus far.

It aired on May 19th after the American Idol season finale and the rest of the season will continue on Fox "in the fall". The only reason I'm using quotes there is because I don't know the exact date in the fall it will be starting up. Personally, I hope that Fox's version of "in the fall" means "next monday" but I'm pretty sure that's what they call "wishful thinking".

Anyway, you've been reading this and you're probably thinking, "Laura, get to the point. Why should I watch this show? Why is it so apparently awesome?" Well, let me lay it out for you.

1) It's Not High School Musical
Whatever you think Glee might be, it's not. And I know lots of people who think it's going to be like High School Musical. But in those movies, characters have been known to break into song for absolutely no reason. With this show there's a reason for the music: the Glee Club. Also, the music in Glee is about 10 kajillion times better than HSM. In the premiere alone: 'Respect', 'Rehab' and 'Don't Stop Believing'. And believe me, I can't stop listening to the show's version of 'Don't Stop Believing'. It's incredible. Which brings me to my next point...

2) A Talented Cast
Most of the cast in HSM are marginally talented (kind of. Personally I think nails being scratched on a black board is preferable to Vanessa Hudgen's so-called singing) but the cast of Glee is WAY WAY talented. When you listen to the show's reditions of the songs mentioned above, that's the cast singing. There's no stand-ins or lipsynching to another singer's voice. Nope. That's their singing. Lea Michele, who plays Rachel Berry, has the most gorgeous voice of the cast (IMHO). She was in my favorite musical, Spring Awakening, as the lead Wendla and in the show she sings a song from Les Mis called 'On My Own' and it literally has given me chills every time I have watched the premiere episode.

3) Interesting Characters
OK, sure. You've got two of the high school standards: The Betchy Cheerleader and the Cool Quarterback. But they're with a twist. The Betchy Cheerleader is also the president of the Celibacy Club and the Cool Quarterback wants to sing and can play the drums. But there's also the cast of misfits that is the Glee club; Emma Pillsbury, the teacher who's a germiphobe but also has a huge crush on Will Schuester, (the lead adult) who's the spanish teacher but really wants to turn the Glee club around. The cheerleading coach, Sue, is coniving and enjoys the fame that the Cheerios (that's the name of the cheerleading team) have brought upon her. My personal favorite is Will's wife, Terry, who I am pretty sure is ligimately crazy.

4) A Good Message
I'm going to get cheesy for a moment, so prepare yourself. The message that this show is sending (so far) seems to be a pretty good one. It's all about being true to who you are instead of what other people expect you to be. Like Rachel says to Finn (who's the Quarterback, by the way) "You need to stop caring what other people think of it. You're better than all of them." The show is about fighting and working for your dream and what you believe in. And when they sing 'Don't Stop Believing' at the end of the episode, it's a really frigging uplifting moment.

Is that still not enough to convince you? Watch this:



Have I got your attention now?

Now, hurry over to Hulu and give it a watch. Of course, if you're not in the States, you'll need to find some other means to do so. Please? I'll mean a lot to me. Thank you.

xoxo

"Can We Talk About...?" Pixar's 'Up'

Can I just take a moment to tell you how excited I am about Pixar's new release, Up? Thank you.

HOLY CROW I AM SO EXCITED!!1!

Currently, my desktop backgrounds are Up themed ones: the main desktop is Dug and the secondary is of Russel and Carl. My screensaver is the Meet Dug screensaver from the official Up website. Every time I see a TV spot for Up I get all giddy and start squealing. I get this happy swooping feeling whenever I read a review about it.

It's like I'm in love or something.

Isn't this something a crazy person would do if they were in love with someone? Put a picture of them as their desktop background, have a photo slideshow of him or her be the screensaver, get all happy and giddy whenever they see that person.

Oh my god.

This is totally why I don't have a boyfriend, isn't it?

It's because I'm already in love.

With a movie.

But seriously, I can't help it. I haven't seen it yet, but like all Pixar films, I am eagerly anticipating its release. What I'm not so pleased about is that I will be working when it opens on Friday. Of course, I am pleased that I am once again employed, so you know, I'll have to deal.

Anyway, I'll be writing my review of it after I see it on Friday. Because I finish at 9pm there's a show at 9:20pm and 9:50pm at my local theater I'll be seeing it after my shift. Now to coerce someone into seeing it with me...

xoxo

The Jellyfish

A song I wrote that was inspired by Maureen Johnson's novel Girl at Sea which is one of my favorite books ever. I think I've read it about 5 times despite having to read 50 different books this year.

Anyway, I sent the link to Maureen and then she Tweeted it:

I am pleased when I go away for a few hours and return to find that someone has written me a SONG: http://tinyurl.com/qs4ujp

I like writing songs for people. Even if it's a person I don't know but still admire. I think that if someone did that for me, it'd be nice to know that your work is appreciated and that it inspired another person to do something creative. And that's why I like writing songs for other people.

Check out Maureen here: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/ I especially love her blog posts. She's absolutely hilarious and such a clever writer.

50 Book Challenge Update

This is just an update on how I'm doing with the 50 Books in One Year Challenge I set myself at the beginning of the year.

I'm doing pretty well, I'm almost half-way, which is good because we're almost half-way done with the year. This short entry is going to be followed by a list of books that I have already completed, then another list of books that I have started and need to finish reading and then a third list of books I have not started reading, but would like to read (either for the first time or again)

Please feel free to leave a comment or two (or send me a message on Twitter: @lauranicole) with book suggestions. Someone suggested Paper Towns by John Green in my previous post about the 50 Book Challenge, which I have already read, but I'm going to be re-reading. This challenge isn't necessarily about reading new books. It's about reading my favorites again as well.

50 Book Challenge - Books that I have finished reading (Kind of in order)

1. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
2. Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
3. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
4. Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
6. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
10. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart
11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
13. The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
14. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
15. The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot
16. Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot
17. Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
18. The Pixar Touch by David A. Price
19. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
20. Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald

50 Book Challenge - Books I Would Like to Finish Reading

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Devilish by Maureen Johnson
YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts by Alan Lastufka and Michael W. Dean
Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques
My Point ... And I Do Have One by Ellen DeGeneris
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Emma by Jane Austen
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

50 Book Challenge - Books I Would Like to Read (For the First Time or Again)

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Perfect Spy by John Le Carre
When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin
The View From Castle Rock by Alice Munro
Paper Towns by John Green

treasure hunting the interwebs

One of my favorite things about the internet, is finding little pieces of treasure in the form of awesome blogs and websites purely by accident, chance and luck. Usually, I'll be reading something on a site that I frequent and then click a random link and wind up somewhere AMAZING.

For example, today I was reading a recap of an episode of The Office on Television Without Pity and I found this fantastic blog called Cakewrecks which features professional cakes gone horribly and hilariously wrong.

Then there's this LINK which you might not want to press, actually, because it's pretty annoying.

And there's really cool ones like this guy, Mike Matas, who is a photographer. I don't remember how I came across his stuff, but I always go to it when I'm looking to a) find inspiration or b) feel artistically insignificant.

What sites have you found in your treasure hunt across the interwebs? Leave a comment and let me know!

I am not a Trekkie, but...

...the new Star Trek movie was really freaking good. It was one of those movies that I had been anticipating for a really long time because of the trailer and I was not disappointed by its awesomeness. I kind of can't wait to go watch it again.

There were several reasons why I liked this movie, but I'm just going to mention the two that everyone seems to be talking about (with good reason) before moving on to why I, personally, loved this movie.

The awesome young crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

First, is the cast. J.J. Abrams picked a stellar cast that just meshed together so well. Chris Pine did a fantastic job playing the young badass Kirk and Zachary Quinto was a great Spock. I don't think I've seen greater facial control in an actor, ever.

Second, I was never bored. There was a fight scene right from the get go, and the pace never slowed up, so there was always something to think about in every single scene. I don't think my mind deviated from the story line at all because it couldn't. The amount of action never let it.
However, the real reason I loved this movie so much is not because of the cast or the writing. It was the effects. This movie reminded me why I want to be a special effects artist.

There's this one part, that can be seen in the trailer, where a planet consumes itself and it's probably the coolest effect in the whole movie. It's definitely the part where I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing as I took in visual effects marvel before me on the screen, then when it was done, the breathing started again with a whispered, "fucking cool".

See, told you it was really fucking cool.

Yesterday, I wasn't watching a movie. I was actually in space. On the USS Enterprise. Where there were laser gun fights, and black holes and a planet consumed itself before my very eyes. Forget the whole "suspension of disbelief" thing. Disbelief was crumpled into a ball, set on fire, then thrown out a window 40 stories up into the ocean where it sunk to the bottom where it will never be heard from ever again.

Live long and prosper, my friends.

Nicole, out.

a few things

1) Website = not going so well. Because it's for ME, I keep changing my mind. I think I'll just have to settle on something and then change it by season. That's what I plan on doing with my branding colors. Since I also cannot settle on them.

2) I need to post something on my YouTube channel. I've been neglecting it. But the song I want to do I don't know how to play, exactly. I might just end up doing an a capella self-harmonization version of it instead of trying to learn it on guitar (I can't find the tablature and cannot play a song just by listening to it).

3) I'm back in drawing cycle again. Kind of. Usually it's either music OR drawing. Right now it's both. Because I kind of have time for both. So that's fun. I drew outside today until all the bees, wasps, and other forms of NATURE made me withdraw back into my cave (my room).

4) I'm back in crappy teen romantic dramedy mood again with my movies. How do I know? I just finished watching "A Cinderella Story". That movie with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray? Yeah. That one. I have a love/hate relationship with this particular mood of mine. I love it because it means I'm happy (because these shitty movies make me happy somehow) and I get to indulge in my oft-neglected super-duper-girly side. I hate it because it's embarassing. Also I feel ashamed to be watching such superficial films instead of artsy smart ones (like my film buff-self would) or wicked-cool actions or sci-fictions (like my visual effects geeky-self would).
HOWEVER. All will be returned on Friday when...

5) STAR TREK COMES OUT!!! I honestly can't wait. I'm not even a Star Trek fan. I don't think I've even watched a single episode. But Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are in it, so that's a draw right there. But I won't pretend that they're the only reason. I was watching the trailer one day and there's this part where THE WORLD IMPLODES and as it did MY MIND EXPLODED. The effects are so beautiful I want to cry. And that's why I want to see this movie. The boy eye-candy for the girly-girl and the effects eye-candy for the visual effects geek.

Ok that's it for now.

DFTBA!

the launch of lauranicole.ca

For a few months, I had the address lauranicole.ca redirect to this blog, in lieu of putting up a real website. However, since graduation, it's occurred to me that I'll be needing to have an actual website upon which to host my portfolio and stuff. So I finally cracked and bought a hosting package and now if you go to lauranicole.ca you'll be directed to a page with a "coming soon" flash video on it and several links (one of them leading here).

If you visit that page you'll also notice that I've given myself a deadline to finish the thing: two weeks. And I'm really going to try to stick to that deadline and have the website all worked out in two weeks for its final launch onto the interwebs. It might also co-incide with the launch of my new live webcast show. I'm not sure.

On this blog I'm going to be posting some of my progress, including images, and links to resources that I have found to help me. So here's the first bit.

I used www.videocopilot.net to help me with the coming soon page. It's in a tutorial called "Disintegration" that's really super helpful. Though the lighting was my idea. I liked the way it looked like it was a light shining through water and the words were floating off into the murky depths...

Here's some stills of the "coming soon" animation: