tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59019314866066312652024-02-02T11:37:40.641-08:00lmswritingI write because I cannot cease.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-60703288454227360942020-05-11T11:33:00.001-07:002020-05-11T11:33:41.816-07:00I've Left Back in the day, Blogger was IT. The place to be. I managed to join during the height of the blogging craze. Those were the glory days.<br />
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But like many, many bloggers I've deserted this wonderful free platform for one of the flashy new ones, the kind that promise you a hundred shiny templates and your own domain name.<br />
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For anyone still stumbling across the ghost town of this site, please be sure to follow me to my new and improved, upgraded and nearly as neglected digital portfolio of a website at<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.lmshearer.com/">lmshearer.com</a></b></h3>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-75646799968412703072015-06-19T20:24:00.000-07:002015-06-19T20:26:58.402-07:00Accidental Photoshop PracticeRight now there is a cat sleeping under my desk. Every time I stretch out my foot I kick something warm and furry and, occasionally, moist.<br />
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Last week at the beach I took some photos. That is a slight understatement. I took a lot of photos. But a good deal of them did not turn out, and a good deal of those were on a card that was tragically wiped accidentally at the last minute.<br />
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A happier accident is that some of the beach photos survived. Much to my surprise, I shot them in raw, a format which I should be using but (#storyofmylife) I am afraid to do much with. While mourning the loss of my other, safe, jpeg photos I came across these and decided to make them look nice in Photoshop (which I also barely know how to use) and post them on the internet. As you can see, my coloring still needs some work.<br />
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I played around with framing a lot last week. I'm trying to move beyond my amateur point-and-shoot mindset to find tighter, sharper, and more interesting angles. As you go through them, though, you can see patterns where I tried the same idea over and over again. The following pictures aren't my most confident work. More like a sample of my work-in-progress.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Stop! Don't move! Let me take your picture!"</td></tr>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-33645486465744894202015-05-27T22:22:00.001-07:002015-05-27T22:30:57.697-07:00Sam and Hadley are Married<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gyo3f3D15BI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gyo3f3D15BI?feature=player_embedded" width="500"></iframe></div>
My latest attempt at wedding videography. This was shot on four different cameras between three different people. The full wedding video has the largest amount of footage I've worked with to date. Nesting is saving my life right now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijZ3hec_18tptAc6SEn62NSlWrHx9Dr7WYqEwskIlwY5Cevly6a0U7KdgGsjgigWNKj4ArVrulhBnGg1yfHVNi-dwkYHfjYD1_vmNd77jkVBKaFoj9AIlrswJFOp3xzrPeMOGm6dlVAM/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijZ3hec_18tptAc6SEn62NSlWrHx9Dr7WYqEwskIlwY5Cevly6a0U7KdgGsjgigWNKj4ArVrulhBnGg1yfHVNi-dwkYHfjYD1_vmNd77jkVBKaFoj9AIlrswJFOp3xzrPeMOGm6dlVAM/s640/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is before I discovered nesting.</td></tr>
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It's still less work than the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvE4h80k0Fc" target="_blank">short film I made</a> because this is all about cutting between one continuous shot. It takes discernment and rhythm but it's not as hands-on. I have less creative control. But it's good work, good practice, and I'm happy to do it.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-33046314196061807632015-02-18T16:46:00.001-08:002015-02-18T16:51:29.029-08:00Guest Post: Pint-Sized Piety<i><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"></span><a href="https://plus.google.com/101142004927321936469/posts" target="_blank">Leslie Conzatti</a> from the <a href="http://upstreamwriter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Upstream Writer</a> sent me this guest post a while back and I have been forgetting to post if for far too long. Here is Leslie's take on the "pure" role models that you may have experienced in your childhood reading. Though I confess I still love the melodramatic Anne Shirley I appreciate the flaws Leslie points out in that series. Even nostalgia should not be immune to criticism, especially when books like these can shape your thinking in subtle and sometimes harmful ways. Give this post a read and be sure to share your opinion on fictional role models for girls -- and whether you've noticed characters who are not quite as good as we've been led to believe.</i><br />
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Elsie Dinsmore<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">... Anne Shirley... Polly Pepper... Mary Rode...</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These are heroines of Christian juvenile literature, the books thrust into little Christian girls’ hands so they wouldn’t fill their head with magic and wizards and all sorts of witchcraft that could be so damaging to little minds. These were the prescribed role models; if we can get our girls to admire these characters, to behave like these characters... well, they might not be totally perfect themselves, but at least we could look forward to punishing them less often, and convincing them to obey us without question, right? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just do what these people do, and our lives will turn out just like theirs. When people start treating us unfairly or wrong, we just whisper a quick prayer—or better yet, one of the King James Bible verses—and the one doing the tormenting will immediately be convicted in their soul because of our behavior and ask us about God—at which time we will eloquently give a list of verses strung all together like stanzas of a poem, and they will have such respect for our vast knowledge that they will never bother us again. According to these books, even girls as young as eight years old have the capacity for complete docility and total restraint of their temper; is it really too much to expect—nay, demand—from one’s own children?</span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s Christian chick lit for little girls... and I think, for as much as I read, and as much as young girls in Christian families are encouraged (among other things) to read—and read these books, in particular—these books just about ruined my discernment, my faith, my perspective, and my life. Bear with me as I take at least four books from my early formative literary years, and unpack the deplorable fallacies in each—ones that we might not notice, for all the nice, shiny, “Sunday Best” these present on the outside.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elsie Dinsmore</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic Storyline:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The motherless daughter of a rich Southern family comes to live with her father’s family while she waits for him to come home from abroad (since he had abandoned her mother while she was pregnant, under duress from his family—but now that the mother is dead, he can raise the child). She is dutiful, docile, incredibly saintly, and draws the admiration of everyone around her (except her own father, till the very end when she almost dies) for her spectacular character. In ensuing installments, she marries the very good friend of her father’s (which the age difference is rather suspiciously ignored and never mentioned) who of course dies and leaves her a widow—but Elsie handles it all with such purity of heart that we could never hope to achieve.</span></span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9ff1022-b301-f5d7-6082-d1eab38a9246"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why did we read this?</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Elsie is heralded as “A Christ-like role model” for little girls. There are presentations of the gospel to skeptical relatives, Bible verses illustrated, and young Elsie is the perfect example of the child every parent dreams of having: one who is devoted to the Bible, obedient in absolutely every instance, and so completely guileless that they would never be known to lie or disobey without immediate confession.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Closer Look</span><span style="font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This book, bluntly stated, fostered a deep discontent with my lot in life. Elsie had a big house, a rich family, and nothing but leisure outside of studies—which she never seemed to actually fail at, as the book constantly reiterated her meticulous attention to sums and lessons. I wanted people to dote on me like Elsie’s family doted on her. I wanted people to see my righteous responses and penitent tears as the pious demonstrations of a “Christ-like role model” and reward me for it. When someone teased me and I begged them to stop, I wanted them to be so ashamed of themselves that they would go above and beyond to try to make it up to me. Basically, I was a selfish little girl who would rather live in a fantasy world, and felt entirely justified in it, because Elsie was a “Christian role model” whom I was allowed to idolize and envy, because of the “excellent moral teaching” it contained. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Five Little Peppers And How They Grew</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic Storyline</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: A poor, rural family of six (a widowed mother raising five children under the age of 13) always manages to be happy and contented in spite of their circumstances. A chance encounter with a very rich boy brings the family into acquaintance with neighbors who are so pleased to have this poor family as friends that they become quite close—only to discover that the long-lost father of one unit in that family is the Peppers’ uncle, and so they’re not so poor after all!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why do we read this?</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Five Little Peppers serves as a treatise on the importance of industry and deistic humanism (the Peppers refer to faith in God, but largely all of the difficulties are surmounted by self-effort and miraculous coincidence) served up in simple vocabulary for the early reader. Phrases like “’To Help Mother’ was the great ambition of all the children, older and younger” so cunningly emphasized, stand out to the reader’s eye, so that any child transitioning past the age of unconditional delight and into the realm of expectations and parental approval contingent on familial obligations will seize upon this opportunity and look to the lively Peppers for ideas by which they could improve their lot and take the fictional ambition as their own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Closer Look:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It’s a family of five and the oldest is eleven years old, and everyone is just as hard-working and painstakingly pleasant as you would never believe. I read this book like the fiction it was; industry of this quiet, placid sort was not common in my world, and we certainly were never so poor that we’d go skipping around the house as a family to herald the delivery of a new stove when one arrived as a gift. Granted, it’s not as intensely tear-sodden as a certain rich young heiress... but the “family that everyone envied because they had such good times together” has little bearing on the art of actually telling a story to someone older than ten years old and home-schooled—oh, and should I also point out that there’s little about the Gospel, really, in this book... at least I wasn’t overburdened with verses in King James English, but it really felt more like a younger version of Little Women as far as a deistic, moral, poor family went—and, frankly, I prefer the Marches. They were more like my own family, and I felt I understood better how to interact with my family from reading those.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anne of Green Gables</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic Storyline:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A Canadian couple on the small island province of Prince Edward Island send out for a boy to help the elderly man with the chores around the farm. What they get is a spunky red-headed girl who changes their life and the community of the island forever. Eight books span her life from her arrival at Green Gables, through marriage, raising seven children, two wars, and finally, seeing every one of her children happily married. (Those who survived the War, that is...)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why do we read this?</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This book is popular for the nostalgia factor, maybe. Your mom grew up reading it, and it’s clean enough (prodigious and quite precocious use of the expression “Gee whiz” or some variant), and the romance is the “petty,” Hallmark variety—and there’s no divorce or really devastating severances or really illicit affairs, so everything is on the up-and-up... even if it’s miles away from the straight-and-narrow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Closer Look:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> What part of Anne’s total irreverence, her penchant for chasing after boys, lying, and her glib shallowness was ever considered a good idea for little girls to read? If Elsie Dinsmore drew me into the fantasy world of stately houses and pretty things and indolent lifestyles, Anne of Green Gables got me further in by tempting me with so many good-looking gentlemen and too-good-to-be-true coincidences and overly-forgiving authorities. (Somehow, fitting an apology into a funny story of how the mistake came about still did not get me the reaction she always managed to receive...) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anne was disobedient, sassy, and foolish, but she was so amazing at it that everyone still loved her. I wanted that. It led me down the path of thinking that any boy who teased me secretly liked me—and did I like him too? Maybe... I mean, he is “Awf’lly handsome!” and that’s what counts, right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Basket of Flowers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic Storyline:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> There was an elderly basket-weaver who served his country well and saved the life of a Count who rewarded him richly. Being a devout man, however, he accepts but a little garden cottage, reasonably furnished, in which to raise his young daughter, Mary. She grows up in the company of the young Countess, their benefactor’s daughter, who is so enthralled with Mary’s skill and industry that she invites her to the castle and heaps gifts on her, which inevitably invites the resentment of her greedy, selfish lady-in-waiting, who forthwith does all within her power to discredit and frame Mary to get her first imprisoned and then banished. Together, the two make their way into the wide world where they are taken in by a kind farmer, and are able to do lots of wonderful and useful things for the farmer, and everybody is happy. By and by, the father is taken ill and dies, leaving Mary destitute and immediately afterward, she is turned out of the house by the farmer’s daughter-in-law, a prideful, shrewish woman. Mary is rediscovered by the Countess, who has by that time discovered the injustice that had separated them, and furthermore, as Mary is reunited with the people that loved her, she is able to see justice served on the cruel farmer’s wife, bestow deathbed forgiveness to the waiting-woman who wronged her, and falls in love with the judge’s son, who is both noble and exceedingly handsome, and thus the book ends with its heroine happily married.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why do we read this? </span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps it is to entertain the notion that life + Bible verses = eventual riches and recognition in high places. The main message seems to be something like, “No one ever says No to the Bible!” It’s a nice quiet book with lots of pithy observations, and heady theological concepts ostensibly condensed into easy object lessons for the “young reader” to understand. The evil, selfish, liar is punished; the evil, prideful tormentor ends up making a fool of herself; and the poor, oppressed heroine is eventually elevated to a place high above them all. What’s not to admire and ultimately want to have in one’s own life?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Closer Look:</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Take out the bible verses, and you basically have Cinderella, Version 2. That’s all this is, a fairy tale with Bible verses thrown in. But it’s the Bible verses that make it “good Christian literature” isn’t it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No; I’ve learned this in my own writing. Just because you have characters spouting reams of Scripture and “preach-ifying” every time they open their mouths doesn’t discount the fact that this is nothing more than a heady sermon thrust into a fairy tale with a liberal heaping of King James verses that is less a “tale for the young” and more of a sweet pat on the spiritual ego for the parent who doesn’t let their kid read C. S. Lewis “because of the Talking Animals.” (Two words: BEATRIX POTTER...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The reality</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"> that these books do not address is that there will be people who will say “no” to the Bible... and do so very convincingly. There will be times that do not have a pithy verse we can carefully incise from its context and apply like a round peg to the “square hole” of our circumstances, completely verbatim and preferably in the “original” King James...for effect. It might be easy to dwell in the hypotheses of modest dresses, eligible and handsome bachelors just waiting for that saintly little angel to catch their eye, at which point they will follow them home or search the village like Prince Charming bearing only the “glass slipper” of her “shining countenance” as an identifier, of a family whose highest form of ideal amusement is sheer industry—something they will gladly spend themselves to death at the age of ten for! But what does this do for the reader in regards to their life outside the covers of the book?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most poignant quotes I ever read put it this way: “Good writers touch life often...” Some people consider fiction to be merely a form of escaping ones reality, serving only to increase the disorientation upon reentry, because the “holiday” is over and the world had gone on spinning without you, and now you must play “catch-up.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But this is not true... or rather, the “escape literature” should not be regarded as the good stuff, nor even as a reasonable sample of all fiction. Good fiction, according to the quote above, is grounded in something that the reader can relate to, ten or even fifty years down the road from when the book was published. It’s penned with a solid understanding of what life is, not one isolated Sunday-school spinster’s imagination of what life ought to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is not to say that all Christian literature is bad; the rare author who decides to break the mold and go ahead with telling their own kind of story that reverences God and His Word, whether or not it actually references it—all the while keeping with the truth of the quote above (which, by the way, is from Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451—the first “secular” novel I read of my own volition after being so jaded by the sorry state of Postmodern American Literature in my last semester of college!) and touching life often enough that the reader—far from being disoriented by the real world—is emboldened to seize the opportunities presented to her. She is inspired to appreciate her world a little more, by the way the writer presents the real-world elements of the fictional world. She is enriched in her logic and vocabulary by the quality of the amount of literature she is reading, not affixed within rigid buffers that really narrow all of literature to one or two genres because most Christian authors don’t seem to know how to fit the Gospel into anything but a romance or a children’s book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of all, she is empowered to do more than just sit at home and sew and wait for her prince to knock on the door—she lives her life and engages her world because of what she has learned about it from the books she reads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*******************************************************************</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/101142004927321936469/posts" target="_blank">Leslie Conzatti</a> has two great passions in life: God and literature (in that order). She has been writing stories since before she could read, typically of the fantasy or sci-fi genre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A native of the Pacific Northwest, she can usually be found on one of two blogs: her personal blog, <a href="http://upstreamwriter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Upstream Writer</a>—an entertaining source for her more literary side; and <a href="http://emilyecrivainereviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily Ecrivaine Reviews</a>, where she lets her inner geek out for some much-needed airing of nerdy parodies and highly studious TV show reviews. When Leslie is not pursuing her latest fanfiction adventure or working on her novella which will potentially be one of five to be published in an anthology late next year, she also works as a second-grade classroom assistant in a local elementary school.</span></div>
</span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-29646172951268848712014-12-28T13:34:00.004-08:002014-12-29T13:22:12.108-08:00Before You Share That Article...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h4>
<i style="font-weight: normal;">... think twice!</i></h4>
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<br />
<h3>
<b>Should I share this article? </b></h3>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
This is a question that, unfortunately, does not get asked enough in the world of social media. It's easy to just click share without thinking about the wider consequences. In all of our online sharing we need to be discerning, especially on social media where an untrue or unhelpful article can spread quickly. I've written out some questions that I ask myself before sharing something in the hope that these ideas will be helpful to you as well.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>The Clickbait</u></span></h3>
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<i>Does the title of this article contain the following phrases, or phrases that are similar: "Made my day, my jaw hit the floor, everyone was shocked, you won't believe what happened next, etc."?</i></div>
</blockquote>
If YES then ask yourself<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Did this really make my day? Did my jaw literally hit the floor? Was everyone truly shocked? Am I still having a hard time believing what actually happened next?</i></blockquote>
If NO then DO NOT SHARE THE ARTICLE<br />
<br />
<i>If you must</i>, do so with an apology, or see if you can find the source article or video. As a general rule, try not to direct traffic to clickbait sites. They often repost other people's work without crediting, or use dishonest and sensational titles to generate clicks. They should not be supported.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>The Pseudoscience</u></span></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Does this article link to </i>every<i> study that it mentions (</i>especially<i> if it uses the phrase 'studies have shown that __ causes cancer')?</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If YES then take a moment to click through the links and make sure they're from a reputable source, even if you don't understand a word.</div>
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If NO, then DO NOT SHARE THE ARTICLE</div>
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<i>If you must</i>, you're going to have to do the research yourself and post links along with the article. There's no way around it. You shouldn't trust claims made without proof, and you shouldn't pass them on to your friends either. When the subject matter is medical an article that makes false claims can quite literally be harmful to anyone who follows its incorrect advice.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<u style="font-weight: normal;">The Sensational</u></h3>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Does this article sound almost too good or too horrible to be true?</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If YES, then ask yourself</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Does this article come from</i> <a href="http://www.theonion.com/" target="_blank">The Onion</a><i>, or another parody news site? </i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If YES then RETHINK SHARING THE ARTICLE. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If NO be sure to ask:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Does this article have a corresponding page on </i><a href="http://snopes.com/">Snopes.com</a><i>?</i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If YES and it's false, DO NOT SHARE THE ARTICLE<br />
<br />
<i>If you have already shared the article</i>, don't post a retraction that says "this is false, but my point still stands." Just don't do that to yourself. Check before you post or own up afterwards. If you fail, admit it, but don't continue using a soapbox that just collapsed.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>The Political</u></span></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Does this political article unfairly attack the opposing side by referring to them with hateful or slang terms, by using angry and bitter speech, by spreading lies and disinformation, by making unfounded assumptions, by generalization, or by promoting slander and gossip? </i></blockquote>
IF YES then it goes without saying. DO NOT SHARE THE ARTICLE. It does not matter how wrong you believe your political opponents to be. Always be the better man.<br />
<br />
IF NO then ask yourself<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>What are my motives in posting this article? Am I sharing it with selfish motives, e.g. to attack another friend who has the opposite opinion, or because I feel a great deal of hurt and hatred toward people who hold the opposite opinion? Do I have friends who may get offended by this article, and am I sharing this expressly to offend them?</i></blockquote>
IF YES then DO NOT SHARE THE ARTICLE.<br />
<br />
IF NO and you can honestly say that you are sharing this article because it<i> </i>expresses your opinion on a certain political subject well, then go ahead and post it. Remember that there are some things not worth ending a friendship over, and many political topics fit into this category. I'm not saying you should always be silent, just that you should always be <i>gracious.</i><br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<u style="font-weight: normal;">The Downer</u></h3>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Was I going to share this article with the following caption, or a similar caption: "What is this world coming to? What is happening to our country? This is why the world will end soon. What is wrong with people? I don't even want to live on this planet anymore."</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If NO then you're all good. Just checking.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If YES then it's seriously time to get off of Facebook or Twitter. Get up out of your chair, go hug your closest loved one, get outside and go for a walk, eat some chocolate, take a deep breath. Acknowledge the fact that you have no control over the events of history. Make peace with it. God is in control. It's going to be all right. I promise.<br />
<br /></div>
So let's commit to being wise and discerning curators of information on social media. We've been given a lot of power and we must use it responsibly. Here's to less of these articles in the future, and more good articles and great discussions.
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-48594579669960962702014-10-28T16:46:00.000-07:002014-11-09T13:38:34.273-08:00I'm Upgrading to a Canon Rebel t5i<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This beautiful little camera has been mine since Saturday and I love it. I've taken it all around, shooting random video of inanimate objects, people's faces, cats. Mainly cats.<br />
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This is the first DSLR I've ever owned so it still feels a bit like alien technology. I've been making do with cast-off camcorders for so long that having a DSLR feels like an incredible luxury. My Rebel t5i came in a bundle with two lenses. It has a stabilization feature on the lens. It has adjustable focus. It has a touchscreen. Honestly, it almost feels like too much.<br />
<br />
But the video I've been getting is the crispest, sharpest, and clearest of any camera I've ever had my hands on and it is so exciting. Even though I'm a complete stranger to things like iso and aperture. YouTube has been very helpful so far and will continue to be my personal film school over the coming weeks.<br />
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I never thought still photography was very interesting but I've been (attempting) to take some pictures and it's actually more fun than I imagined. I've been using it to experiment with composition (and take cat pictures, <i>of course.</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQz3dQpUOnjqsGhFbtKJnndZhIQc5sOmpSu_gLowLsDtVhzPd6RJnkZ3p9cgfQa6N9QW21DRWuyzLWkMkuFaqWoNuqpRKLs3bDg3HxF3PLxm8ze9jCLVX9-BKPufIIMr7VOQJ4EMH_cc/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQz3dQpUOnjqsGhFbtKJnndZhIQc5sOmpSu_gLowLsDtVhzPd6RJnkZ3p9cgfQa6N9QW21DRWuyzLWkMkuFaqWoNuqpRKLs3bDg3HxF3PLxm8ze9jCLVX9-BKPufIIMr7VOQJ4EMH_cc/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="215" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: the only two cameras I've ever bought.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The above picture will give you an idea of how big of an upgrade the Canon Rebel is for me. Of course I've had a variety of camcorders, ranging from Sony to Everio to the Canon I borrowed from Daniel Wilson to film <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2014/09/rachel-and-steven-are-married-and-i.html" target="_blank">Rachel and Steven's wedding</a>. But the Flip is the only one that I've actually been able to call mine, and I stopped using that as a primary camera a little less than a year ago. The Flip video camera line has been discontinued for about three years, in part thanks to the improvement of iPhone video quality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3t_c8fWIWCEe5FXZEOW77uYuM2vqZYlTRoa53_ecvDzs5CYKSB-JYeN0Qge5-EDUb_gN-nATksz4ToQxcgYE7iSozkemzWMUGkxKOx4e-CKkBoVLNWKXE8hjjOCQjL2Lod-qsKkoOTU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3t_c8fWIWCEe5FXZEOW77uYuM2vqZYlTRoa53_ecvDzs5CYKSB-JYeN0Qge5-EDUb_gN-nATksz4ToQxcgYE7iSozkemzWMUGkxKOx4e-CKkBoVLNWKXE8hjjOCQjL2Lod-qsKkoOTU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="201" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Notice the lack of options on the Flip camera? The big red button is for recording (in case you missed the subtlety of that feature) and that's about the extent of the camera options. The Canon Rebel on the other hand is a bit overwhelming in comparison. But it's going to be a lot more fun.<br />
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Flip camera and I have had a good run, but now we're parting ways. It's going away to a good home where it will be put to good use.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXinxHBfk2kRYwzf9FI6uUQTNZOT4P25nf-EidyNufm6tbtVi8-h6nh7MDZ-dwWyYQadJS1pB0x415e9FL8G2E6cx4HQx0Avn5GUgHlIe95IkFOy4jBzKhbJQddOj1uz6vuN8GKwfzlZI/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXinxHBfk2kRYwzf9FI6uUQTNZOT4P25nf-EidyNufm6tbtVi8-h6nh7MDZ-dwWyYQadJS1pB0x415e9FL8G2E6cx4HQx0Avn5GUgHlIe95IkFOy4jBzKhbJQddOj1uz6vuN8GKwfzlZI/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never mind, I'll find someone like you.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't wait to shoot a video with my DSLR. I'm hoping to do some music videos for some musician friends of mine at some point. Music videos and commercials are two things I've always wanted to try. Music videos have so much potential for storytelling. I've started a <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLM4n8UBcSRJl1-Iw19s3osiO8JMInABt" target="_blank">Favorite Music Videos playlist</a></b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>to get a feel for what I like and what I want to emulate. </div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
Beyond that I may try to do some more sketches or short films, and I'll probably end up with some event videos whether I like it or not. It would be interesting to shoot another wedding with my better equipment and increased experience.<br />
<br />
Also I can now take better cat pictures than ever before so that's a bonus. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlwPKK01cZrdtdkVMzqDQd5sMUs5sDM52sji5ASff4wcgscZWA6odcei6F2_3jpopMiiqmiufDz_7YLuZl5v5QJEU5IHPkVKF3n7rmDdVoXTXPkigOFJ4gBcUn4kvaH1hn3jb57Qjh0M/s1600/10675548_10153266740708976_6307413633983553412_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlwPKK01cZrdtdkVMzqDQd5sMUs5sDM52sji5ASff4wcgscZWA6odcei6F2_3jpopMiiqmiufDz_7YLuZl5v5QJEU5IHPkVKF3n7rmDdVoXTXPkigOFJ4gBcUn4kvaH1hn3jb57Qjh0M/s1600/10675548_10153266740708976_6307413633983553412_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Achievement unlocked: model status.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Want to see video mode in action? I've put together a video of some of the shots I've been taking. <br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gN4YKsnDziw" width="560"></iframe></center>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-80452368273729704702014-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:002014-10-28T12:21:35.159-07:00Contra Dancing is Awesome and This is Why<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tQ3A1hnTLB4" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
I don't only do event videography but this seems to be a lot of what I film and edit these days (huge thanks to Ruth for doing 99% of the filming.) This was a costume party/dance/fundraiser that I organized for the Oregon City-based <a href="http://www.hope360pc.com/">Hope 360 pregnancy resource clinic</a>. <br />
<br />
The majority of the dancing was contra dancing, or folk dancing as some people call it. We also had some swing dancing but unfortunately didn't capture it on video.<br />
<br />
While I was organizing the dance I watched a lot of contra dancing videos on YouTube in order to find some new songs to dance to. Because the videos I found were so helpful I decided to film this dance to help anyone else looking to organize a contra dance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoTfAhvEvQ68ZIR1gPZ65KKnF7fpoeRkaJiXxnRWKuSeTV5WyaRafPBY2esWvWOt2dFDJcx02nb11Pw6TFeMi2OotuUNEUpQZHGzdIxwVjCs7J4ee6bgzBGS2FcCz4mj9P_oM3a62w-M/s1600/dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPoTfAhvEvQ68ZIR1gPZ65KKnF7fpoeRkaJiXxnRWKuSeTV5WyaRafPBY2esWvWOt2dFDJcx02nb11Pw6TFeMi2OotuUNEUpQZHGzdIxwVjCs7J4ee6bgzBGS2FcCz4mj9P_oM3a62w-M/s1600/dance.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
If you're new to contra dancing (or only think of it as a slow, boring, and awkward pastime enjoyed by people in the late 18th-century) <a href="http://www.sbcds.org/contradance/whatis/">this website is a decent introduction</a>. Honestly, contra dance can be a slow, boring, and awkward pastime, but if you're looking for a dance where you don't have to know all the moves (or any moves) then this a great place to start. If you can count to eight, clap, skip, spin, and run, then you can contra dance. When its done with enthusiasm (and the right music!) contra dancing can be incredibly fun (and an intense workout.)<br />
<br />
Using modern music helps a lot. I'm really excited about how a lot of newer pop songs incorporate EDM music into their choruses or throughout their songs. EDM is dance music, and if you get one with the right beat it makes for some really epic contra dancing (this is technically called something like "techno-contra.")<br />
<br />
My biggest goal for organizing and promoting these dances is to make it fun and exciting for all the kids that come. Contra dancing was a big thing at my church when I was their age, but it kind of faded out after a while. I'm hoping to bring it back in a big way while changing a few things that I'd always thought could use improvement (this is the beauty of volunteering, guys.) I've changed it for the group of kids that are growing up going to these dances, and I can't wait to see how they'll change it when they're old enough to take over. It's a great tradition, and at its heart, contra dancing is a simple but fun activity that has more form and substance than the freestyle dances that are typical today. And it is awesome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpUseCToZnBl5SFPvhg9ql1BZTQM9s3ZgLLgBzJdyEED_cB4fZu-l8v03zrhs0cy9x63HGp5jKcFVEOuwRu8Z5m8lS_K2PsHjx6sISGEAUf5O2S3eUgY5ZxvOuraVJkfkD5rOl_EV_U0/s1600/dance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpUseCToZnBl5SFPvhg9ql1BZTQM9s3ZgLLgBzJdyEED_cB4fZu-l8v03zrhs0cy9x63HGp5jKcFVEOuwRu8Z5m8lS_K2PsHjx6sISGEAUf5O2S3eUgY5ZxvOuraVJkfkD5rOl_EV_U0/s1600/dance2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just like Ruth's "Matchmaker from Mulan" costume.</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-18089886596854984552014-09-20T17:59:00.003-07:002014-09-20T18:07:16.296-07:00Rachel and Steven are Married (and I shot the wedding)I'd never really thought about getting into wedding videography, because I didn't actually know wedding videos were a thing until earlier this year. Now I've just finished filming Rachel and Steven's wedding, which brings my wedding video count to a grand total of <b>two</b>. Here is Rachel and Steven's short wedding film.
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='364' height='300' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/MrHGeJOX-6U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Since I am new at this, it's all been a learning experience for me (and a good one.) In no particular order, here are some of my thoughts.<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Event videography is an interesting challenge because you can't pause events and make them happen again. You have to be constantly on the alert, like a hunter or a barehanded fisher. This was very exhausting for me in my post-accident post-concussive state but it was also very thrilling in an adrenaline-fueled way. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's also a good exercise in learning how to tell a story by identifying the pieces of an event that make up scenes, or snippets of dialogues. Life is a series of significant moments with lots of boring stuff in between, and video storytelling is about catching those moments. Like being a fisherman, a fisher of moments.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm still not very good at being bold and getting in close with the camera when I need to. I feel very conspicuous and like I shouldn't be there. I tried to avoid this feeling by wearing something dark and neutral and trying to insinuate myself into the scene. This kind of thing will hopefully come with practice and experience, but I'm still working on trying to find that balance between getting a good shot of the moment without ruining the moment.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's hard to find good royalty-free music on the internet. But not impossible.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had three cameras running during the ceremony and I was the only one running them so it was a bit of a juggling act. I'm very grateful for my tripod and my monopod, without which I could not have made it happen. Of course I should have asked my intrepid friend <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-christians-should-read-harry-potter.html" target="_blank">Ruth</a> for help but for some reason completely forgot. I'm still new at this.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of things I forgot, I've twice made the mistake of forgetting to ask the couple if there are any special songs they want in the wedding video, and having to ask them post-wedding. Awkward.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Editing is work. Videography doesn't always feel like work, but editing is just plain labor. However, editing is the rewarding part.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If something is too good to be true, I've probably done something wrong and will have to go back and put in another hour of work to fix it.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fra0HHnzbQ" target="_blank">This wedding video by Nhut Pham</a> and <a href="http://vimeo.com/103897581" target="_blank">this wedding video by Miwaza</a> are my two favorite wedding videos on the internet. If I end up doing more wedding videos, those two are what I aspire to create someday. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is me coming off a day's worth of editing to make the above "highlights" film. I'll finish putting together the hour long ceremony video this week in my (ha) spare time. I currently have three camera's worth and about five hours of footage to look through. But</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I'm not complaining.</span></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-19619424784358408672014-05-05T16:26:00.000-07:002014-06-17T14:09:11.283-07:00Shearer Girls Discuss | The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/da/d3/8fdad3fce08a56e508e1a89748d68e55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/da/d3/8fdad3fce08a56e508e1a89748d68e55.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at this poster upside down <br />
and it will blow your mind.<br />
(<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Imdb</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Spider-Man was the first comic book hero I ever read about. The Sunday paper had a limited edition print run of the original Spider-Man comics, so that's what we read every Sunday afternoon. It was the beginning of my introduction to the superheroic world of comics (and probably the most basic reason I prefer Marvel heroes to those from DC.)<br />
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Spider-Man is just an awesome character. So many terrible things happen to him, but he always chooses to do the right thing, selflessly. He fights crime because he knows its the right thing to do, not for revenge or fame or glory.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptXzUlDXOi4" target="_blank"><i>Wealth and fame he's ignored; action is his reward</i>.</a><br />
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I enjoyed the Sam Raimi adaptations a lot because he got so many things about the character right. Also, Sam Raimi's movies were just a lot of fun, very lighthearted and "comic booky," but deep when they needed to be. They were excellent adaptations of the original comics.<br />
<br />
So when they decided to reboot the character I was... kind of mad. They'd already made three perfectly good movies. The only reason to reboot it at that point was for two reasons: to retain the rights, and therefore to profit off the character.<br />
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It was no longer about Spider-Man as a character; it was about Spider-Man as an asset, as a good to sell to movie consumers. At that point it just felt like Sony was simply using the character's popularity in an attempt to make more money.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to today. In anticipation of the upcoming <i>Amazing Spider-Man 2</i> I decided to write, shoot, & post a video review of the first <i>Amazing Spider-Man</i> movie. The only way to adequately express my supreme disappointment with that movie was by writing a snarky and humorous review using skits and wigs and lots of cool sound effects. My awesome sisters were my co-reviewers and actors.<br />
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<div>
Here is Part 1, covering Peter Parker's gang activity and Uncle Ben's death.</div>
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PELJjvaAJZY" width="560"></iframe></center>
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Part 2, covering everything from Stan Lee, Rodrigo, and J. Jonah Jameson to promises, cameos, and ending scenes.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vDawws4k0w0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
In case you're wondering, this weekend we went and saw <i>Cap 2</i> (a highly superior movie, which I may review at a later date) in order to effectively boycott the release of <i>TASM2</i>. Just doing my part to discourage the continuation of a franchise that was so desperate to make money that it partnered with the <a href="http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2014/pr14_018.htm" target="_blank">United States Postal Service in order to promote the movie</a>.<br />
<br />
Seriously, Sony. Let it go. Let it go! Don't hold onto Spider-Man anymore.<br />
<br />
Maguire never bothered me, anyway.<br />
<br />
<i>- your friendly neighborhood Spider-fan</i>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-52694262907865945162014-03-15T11:55:00.003-07:002014-03-22T17:54:49.766-07:00Review: The Book Thief<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1118668.The_Book_Thief" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Book Thief" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328867909m/1118668.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1118668.The_Book_Thief">The Book Thief</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11466.Markus_Zusak">Markus Zusak</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/634646821">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
This is one of those books that I'd heard a lot about and about which many people had strong feelings, so I was forced to read it so that I could have an opinion. <br />
<br />
Now that I've read it I have an opinion, and that opinion is that Hans Hubermann is now on my list of the greatest characters in literature, especially since I used to know someone like him -- the kind, silver-eyed old man, with the mischievous wink and smile and the sparkling eyes. I don't care that Death likes Rudy the best. Hans Hubermann is my favorite. <br />
<br />
I wrote a more professional, balanced review over on the Exodus website where I discuss all of this much further. Here are my thoughts at the beginning of that review and you can read the rest by clicking the link...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Book Thief </i>is not an average novel. Perhaps that's putting it lightly. <i>The Book Thief</i> is unconventional and different in a way that will either shove you out of the story or pull you head first into it. It has been both praised for being emotionally resonant and despised for being emotionally manipulative. Call it creative, call it pretentious, the truth is that<i> Book Thief</i> doesn't really care what you think. It freely uses or discards the rules of novel writing in order to achieve its own unique tone and style. Whether you love or hate that style is up to you. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Our narrator is Death. The year is 1939. (<strong><i><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=55441&referral=6ffbg5zh" rel="nofollow">Continue reading at Exodus Books.</a>)</i></strong></blockquote>
Basically, <em>Book Thief</em> fully merits the four stars I gave it. It was refreshing (and painful!) to read about WWII from the German side, especially to read about the Germans who were just caught up in the war, like everyone else.<br />
<br />
I also saw the <i>Book Thief</i> movie and it was excellent (although there were a few parts I wished they had included, like Liesel's seeing Max in the parade). Geoffrey Rush was <i>amazing</i> as Hans Hubermann. The part where he sat at the kitchen table sobbing with Rosa was gut-wrenching.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6dRuGwS1gWU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
So, yeah. I guess you could say I liked <i>The Book Thief</i>.<br />
<br />
—<i>the girl who does not acquire books by thievery</i>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-4456063991345171782014-03-06T19:09:00.000-08:002014-03-06T19:09:21.337-08:00I Shot a (Steampunk?) Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_faIsOJluXCnzeowV_fwHhIYjJQT7sfhFRnZt1nf4agVrg4fnkBmk4NUtQ7M9prRnDV4ehYQNa0PPD5ouhKxPp6gEOpCzQHs7xL88bmLNZDk4cyyFmNLGdAvHMIZ1s79ZLhiWx_boaYc/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_faIsOJluXCnzeowV_fwHhIYjJQT7sfhFRnZt1nf4agVrg4fnkBmk4NUtQ7M9prRnDV4ehYQNa0PPD5ouhKxPp6gEOpCzQHs7xL88bmLNZDk4cyyFmNLGdAvHMIZ1s79ZLhiWx_boaYc/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nicholas Fitzgerald and Princess Harriet rehearsing</div>
<br />
This past week I have been busy. Among other things, my schedule has included frantic script rewrites, getting up at 5:30 in the morning, shooting with dying cameras, hiking through way too much mud, a terrible head cold, orange juice, top hats, dealing with editing programs, reading <i>The Book Thief</i>, taking Hogwarts sorting hat quizzes, and many other insignificant tasks that have no bearing on this post.<br />
<br />
The significant part to pick up on is that I'm making a steampunk movie. Or at least a movie that is set in a vaguely steampunk world, but is not overtly steampunk due to the budget constraint of having no budget.<br />
<br />
Right now I'm in the process of editing (painful) and trying to come up with a title for the thing (dreadful.) I'll write up a proper long post about the whole miserable process soon. Until then this is me sending up feeble smoke signals from the land of post-production.<br />
<br />
In other news, the sorting hat quizzes keep splitting me between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor so I don't know for sure what I am. Or where I belong. What is truth?<br />
<br />
<i>—the irritable film editor with the head cold</i>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-5538645003725536372014-02-08T11:38:00.000-08:002014-11-09T14:02:15.863-08:00Harry Potter and the Series Review: The Epic ConclusionSo..... remember way back <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2013/06/harry-potter-fan-rereads-series-first-time.html" target="_blank">when I said I was going to write a review for every book in the Harry Potter series</a>?<br />
<br />
In my last <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2013/09/harry-potter-review-part-1.html" target="_blank">post back in..... ahem, September </a>I used my current job at a bookstore as an excuse for my lack of series review posts. Well, just recently my boss asked me to write – guess what – a review of the Harry Potter series for the website. Turns out I do a much better job of keeping up on that when I'm getting paid for it. (No brainer right?)<br />
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<br />
Now I'm just going to present you with the links to the website. You can read the reviews directly on the site (and drive the pageviews up!) Also don't miss the <a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/category.aspx?id=8331" target="_blank">series overview (written by my co-worker)</a>. And maybe check out the rest of the website while you're there. It's a pretty cool place.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher's_Stone_Book_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher's_Stone_Book_Cover.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=50115" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Secrets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Harry_Potter_and_the_Chamber_of_Secrets.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=36484" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=32957" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="207" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=31450" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/Harry_Potter_and_the_Goblet_of_Fire.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=31110" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Harry_Potter_and_the_Half-Blood_Prince.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=31446" target="_blank">Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="222" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.exodusbooks.com/details.aspx?id=32955" target="_blank"><span id="goog_502260383"></span>Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
And so we come to the epic conclusion of my sad failed Harry Potter and the Series Review series. Happy reading, everyone! Let me know what you think.</div>
</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-53252611692495477162014-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:002014-02-09T23:40:03.128-08:00Why the Aesir Can't Have Nice Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Baldr_dead_by_Eckersberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Baldr_dead_by_Eckersberg.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Why the Aesir Can’t Have Nice Things</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Or; The Death of Baldr Retold</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>By Lauren</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Aesir are the Norse gods. Like the Olympians, but more like the </i>Norse<i>lympians.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ODIN:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OH NOES!! Baldr is doomed to die!!</div>
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<br /></div>
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FRIGGA: </div>
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But he can't die! He’s so beautiful! That’s why we call him: Baldr the Beautiful.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
THOR: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No! He must not die!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
FRIGGA: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will ask everything in the known universe to pretty please not kill Baldr.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
THE AESIR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
YAYY!!!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
FRIGGA: (waves hand and makes sparkly noises)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Poof! You are now protected forever and ever!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
BALDR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Much protect.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Very not die.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
THOR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let us throweth things at Baldr to see if they hurt him!!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
EVERYONE STANDS IN A CIRCLE AND TRIES TO KILL BALDR! HE DOESN'T DIE!<br />
<br />
THIS OBVIOUSLY MAKES THIS A REALLY GOOD IDEA!!!!</div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI: (sidles up)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Heeeey, FRIGGA, what up sweetheart?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
FRIGGA:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh, not much, just trying to kill Baldr, you know how it is.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
SOOO you know, there's nothing you could have forgotten to ask not to kill Baldr, you know, like, some sort of plant or weapon or anything?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
FRIGGA: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, I was like, going to include mistletoe but then I was like, you know, too much work, ya know? So yeah, mistletoe will totally kill him but who would even think of that, right? Hahahaha.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cool story bro.</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*Vanishes*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
EVERYONE IS STILL THROWING THINGS AT BALDR!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
BALDR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Very spear.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Much safe.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Gosh.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Heeeeeey blind brother of Baldr named Hoor! What’s up? Hey, all these people trying to kill your brother. Wanna join in the fun? Take this bow that’s totally not loaded with a mistletoe arrow. Hehehe...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HOOR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Umm okay. Why would mistletoe be a problem -</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey, let’s shoot the arrow now!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
HOOR SHOOTS ARROW</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
BALDR:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Much die!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Very pain.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So dead.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
BALDR DIES.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
THE AESIR: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!</div>
</div>
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbcpcxZjll1re3x32o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbcpcxZjll1re3x32o1_500.gif" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/58e67a4eaac1232d655261c7cd073d46/tumblr_moghq8gFUY1re3x32o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/58e67a4eaac1232d655261c7cd073d46/tumblr_moghq8gFUY1re3x32o1_500.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LOKI:<br />
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6hbvakVWP1rwcc6bo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6hbvakVWP1rwcc6bo1_500.gif" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
END</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-70501537838920115112013-11-27T17:04:00.001-08:002013-11-27T17:04:12.778-08:00The Lord's Prayer (recited by children)<div style="text-align: left;">
My latest YouTube video, done with the help of the lovely <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-christians-should-read-harry-potter.html" target="_blank">Ruth </a>and some adorable children.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8U0KRN4VQeQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
This was really fun to film and edit. A lot of the filming was just grabbing children after church, making them sit or stand, explaining in two to three sentences what we were doing and then telling them which line to say. Ruth was my evil assistant, crossing off which lines had already been said, and which needed to be redone just in case the first didn't turn out. The editing was pretty quick, and the music is from YouTube's free library. I'm very happy with how it turned out. I admit I may have teared up a little the first time it all came together. It's a precious thing to hear children recite great creeds of the Christian faith.<br />
<br />
<i><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Out of the mouth of babies and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger." Psalm 8:2</i></div>
</i><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-38624061920048974512013-10-17T13:13:00.001-07:002013-10-17T13:13:03.947-07:00Reasons the Trailer Thinks You Want To See The Hobbit 2<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fnaojlfdUbs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Middle Earth</li>
<li>More Middle Earth</li>
<li>Hey, guys, look, it's Middle Earth!</li>
<li>LEE PACE!</li>
<li>Richard Armitage, did anyone really forget about Richard Armitage?</li>
<li>The barrel scene, everyone.</li>
<li>Like, a really intense barrel scene</li>
<li>This is not the barrel scene from your childhood</li>
<li>Oh yeah, and by the way LEGOLAS</li>
<li>Bet you didn't see <i>that </i>coming</li>
<li>AND not only is Legolas in this movie but he also has an ELF GIRLFRIEND</li>
<li>WHO IS ALSO KATE FROM LOST</li>
<li>*who was not in the book*</li>
<li>An elf girlfriend who can fight.... really good.... hmmmm, where did I see that before?</li>
<li>Sauron is <i>totally not</i> the Necromancer, nope, not even a little bit</li>
<li>Gandalf with a sword</li>
<li>LEE PACE'S EYEBROWS!!!!!1!</li>
<li>Freaky close-up of Lee Pace's elaborate and grey-tinged eyebrows</li>
<li>*sweeping dramatic eyebrow shot*'</li>
<li>Did we mention Lee Pace was in this movie and he has eyebrows?</li>
<li>That pale orc you either didn't care about or hated because he wasn't in the book</li>
<li><b>Giant spiders</b></li>
<li>Aramis from <i>Three Musketeers</i> is Bard for anyone who actually watched <i>Three Musketeers </i> (or remembers Bard in the first place)</li>
<li>Wizard fighting</li>
<li>Legolas shooting things at really, really close range</li>
<li>Fighting in the barrels during the barrel scene. Bet you don't remember that part! *<i>Fanboys shriek and scream and dissolve in incoherent puddles of rage</i>*</li>
<li>And let's not forget about the amazing, spectacular, stunning CGI dragon....</li>
<li>PSYCH! It's actually just Benedict Cumberbatch wearing heavy makeup</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">COMING DECEMBER 13 </i></li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;"><i>IN 3D</i><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></li>
<li><i>Also 2D for the peasants</i></li>
<li><i><b>BUT MOSTLY 3D!!!!</b></i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>"Hey, wasn't, like, that Bilbo guy supposed to be the star of this movie or something?"</i></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-55056725498932161812013-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:002013-09-02T16:31:56.598-07:00 “Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills."<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Harry Potter and the Series Review Part 1: Chapters 1-2</b>
</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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So I have not been keeping up with this review <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2013/06/harry-potter-fan-rereads-series-first-time.html" target="_blank">like I said I would </a>because:<br />
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<b>A</b>) I got a summer job at a bookstore - in which I work ten-hour days with a 90-minute round trip commute, which doesn't leave me very much time for reading although<br />
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<b>B</b>) when I have had time for reading I've been opting instead to read other books, like the works of certain British comedic fantasy and sci-fi writers, or whichever book I've seen or bought at work that day.<br />
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So I've put this review off in the hope of reading more Harry Potter before I write it, but I figure it's been long enough that I might as well just jump in.<br />
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To start with, here is my demons/occult count so far.<br />
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Demons summoned: 0<br />
Occult mentioned/alluded to/glorified: 0 times<br />
Blatant portrayal of Satanic worship: I got nothing.<br />
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So we're good on that front so far, but I <i>am</i> only two chapters into the book.<br />
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One thing I've noticed so far while reading it is how <i>funny</i> it is. Mr. Dursley is the director of a firm called Grunnings, which makes drills. The name, the occupation.... It's simple and mundane, but also edge-of-the-mind-twisting funny.<br />
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I also had to giggle at Mr. Dursley thinking cloaks were the latest fashion.<br />
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Some of the dialogue is as awkward as I remember it, but then some of it is good, so it feels like a toss-up on that end.<br />
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The set-up is classic, and reminiscent of the King Arthur myth. A child, born in a world too dangerous for him, his past and future steeped in destiny, his parents dead, sent by a Merlin-esque figure to live with adoptive parents and an adoptive brother who dislikes him/takes advantage of him. There are a lot more references to Arthur mythology in the continued stories but this is the first.<br />
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That's all for now. Two chapters down, the rest of the series to go. Next up we have Dudley's birthday and a strange encounter at the zoo, so we'll see how that goes. Already looking forward to it....</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-35356087729729099042013-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-10T06:00:04.305-07:00How to Remember Commonly Misspelled Words #2: Lose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The English language can be hard sometimes. It's a mishmash of a bunch of other languages with seemingly random grammar and spelling rules. Sometimes remembering the correct spelling of a word comes down to rote memorization. <i>Lose </i>and <i>loose</i> are two words that I see misspelled <i>a lot</i>. Here are some memory aids I sometimes use to remember the correct spelling.</div>
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<b>Lose vs. Loose</b><br />
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<i><b>Lose</b></i> is a very lonely word to begin with.<br />
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To lose someone is to become more alone. To lose something is to be stripped of it, to be less without it. <i>Lose</i> is a word that stands all by itself, that echoes loneliness.<br />
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So when you're spelling <i>lose</i>, remember to never give it another <i>O.</i> <i>Loose</i> is a word that has a companion. <i>Loose</i> has two <i>O</i>'s, has a friend in the middle. But <i>lose</i> is a word that has <i>lost</i> something. It's lesser without that second <i>O</i>. It's alone<i>.</i> To <i>lose</i> is to be a<i>lone</i>.<br />
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<b><i>Loose</i>,</b> on the other hand, is like a pocketful of <i>loose</i> change. The two round <i>O</i>'s in the middle are two pennies, rattling around and banging into each other. <i>Loose</i> is a word that's relaxed and easy-going; where <i>lose</i> has that intense "z" sound, <i>loose</i> slides off the tongue with the "s" sound. <i>Loose</i>. Two pennies in a pocketful of change.<br />
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<b>So remember this:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>He knew that if he were to ever </i><b>lose</b><i> her, he would be lonely, the loneliest man in creation. Even the </i><b>loose</b><i> change in his pocket had friends, had other pennies and dimes it would meet and collide with. But if he lost her, he would be truly alone.</i></blockquote>
English is a pretty cool language.<br />
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<i>If these word-pictures help you, that's great, but not all memory aids work for all people. Do you have a certain association in your mind that helps you remember certain spellings? What are some other commonly misspelled words that you'd like me to feature?</i>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-50558422847165262482013-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-01T08:00:01.333-07:00How to Remember Commonly Misspelled Words: Lightning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know, the English language can be hard sometimes. It's a mishmash of a bunch of other languages with seemingly random grammar and spelling rules. Sometimes remembering the correct spelling of a word comes down to rote memorization.</div>
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Which is where this post comes in. The way I usually remember spelling rules is by associating the spelling of words with their meaning. Sometimes this comes unwilling due to some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia" target="_blank">synesthetic</a> tendencies that I have, such as letters having feelings or different spellings of words having different colors, which makes it easier to remember. But some of the spellings have to do with conscious memory aids, and I'd like to share some of them with you to see if they help.</div>
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<b>Lightning vs. Lightening</b><br />
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I see this mixed up <i>all the time</i>. Let's see if we can shed a little light on the situation.<br />
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When talking about <b>lightning</b>, "<b>a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere</b>," remember, the word is short and snappy like the event itself: light-ning. No room for that "e" in here. Just two syllables. </div>
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Imagine a streak of lightning. Feel the brilliant electricity crackling in the warm air. Then all of a sudden it flashes into light - and then it's gone. <i>Light-ning.</i><br />
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However, when talking about <b>lightening a load</b>, that extra "e" is what stretches that word into three syllables: light-en-ing - as if you're lifting that pack off your back, swinging it down, and dropping it on the ground. Feel the weight of the load on your shoulder, feel the muscles stretching as you lift it off, feel the tug of the gravity pulling it down, feel the relief on your shoulders, the lightening. <i>Light-en-ing.</i><br />
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<b>So remember this: </b>if you're talking about a streak of lightning say it short and snappy in your mind: light-ning. Otherwise spell it light-en-ing, three syllables, like the action.<br />
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Isn't English awesome?<br />
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<i>If these word-pictures help you, that's great, but not all memory aids work for all people. Do you have a certain association in your mind that helps you remember certain spellings? What are some other commonly misspelled words that you'd like me to feature?</i><br />
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-72297536443663972012013-06-21T16:52:00.000-07:002013-06-21T16:53:39.355-07:00Harry Potter and the Series Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Harry Potter is one of those books that was a major part of my childhood. I read some of the earlier ones (1-5) multiple times when I was younger, but haven't re-read them since the seventh came out.<br />
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Of course, the books stirred up quite a bit of controversy in Christian circles at the time, and in fact still do. I've featured a guest post here before on <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-christians-should-read-harry-potter.html" target="_blank">why Christians can read Harry Potter</a>, and I agree with all of those points, but those just touched on a few of the problems people have (or think they have) with the book. And my memory of the books is getting fainter and fainter, such that I find it hard to use specific examples to defend the books. All of which leads me to wonder if they are as good as I remember.<br />
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Another criticism I've heard is of J.K. Rowling's writing style. I remember loving it. My ten-year old self was very inspired by her writing. My fiction writing teacher, on the other hand, is apparently against her writing style, especially her use of psychological adverbs. Of course, he was against many things that famous writers did. (<i>In case you're reading this, Mr. Jones *waving* hi! You were a fantastic teacher.</i>) But a common criticism is that her book was popular in spite of her writing, and I just don't remember it well enough to lean either way. As I said before, I'm not necessarily reading to defend or apologize, but to judge for my (slightly more aware) self.<br />
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Instead of a book-by-book review, I'll just be reading the books and posting weekly<i>ish</i> about whatever section I'm on or have just finished, as well as other thoughts relating to the series. Possibly I'll also feature common objections to the Harry Potter series and work through them using the books and (if it's a Christian-based objection) the Bible. In fact, if you have a common objection to the series that you'd like me to address on my way through the series, go ahead and post it in the comments. If you have a strong opinion on the series and can condense it into 1,000 words, well, <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/p/guest-posting.html" target="_blank">you know where to submit that idea</a>....<br />
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So, to recap: this will be a <b>summer series</b> on <b>Harry Potter</b> that I'll be posting <b>weekly<i>ish</i></b>. Since apparently Google Reader or Google Friend Connect (or something) is leaving July 1st, if you want to keep up with me in a way that is free from the whims of Blogger, I now have three options for you.<br />
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<b>Take your pick. </b>(Or, hey! Why settle? Follow all of them.)</div>
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Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-81553107791696377472013-06-07T19:00:00.000-07:002013-06-07T19:00:01.445-07:00Silence the Enemy and the Avenger<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Battle_of_Montaperti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Battle_of_Montaperti.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Montaperti.jpg" target="_blank">Charge!!!!</a></td></tr>
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So. Graduation.<br /><br />Here we all are, on the brink, as it were, the unseasoned troops itching for battle. We’re all ready to rush the front lines, swords drawn, armor clanking, banners blowing in the breeze, accompanied by the sound of a distant battlehorn, Lord of the Rings theme playing in the background. But what we meet on the other side looks a lot less like orcs, and a lot more like a bunch of hardened soldiers standing behind their thirty-ton tanks, dressed in camo and holding M16’s. And one of them has a flamethrower.<br /><br />You see, in this world and in this time we hear and complain a lot about the gospel being silenced. The gospel is silenced in schools. The gospel is silenced in our media, in our government, in every public place. The gospel is pushed back into our churches, back inside the privacy of our homes. The gospel is suppressed, smothered, and shut up.<br /><br />We’re told that we need to change our faith; that our beliefs are outdated and old-fashioned; that we should hope that the next generation of Christians (and that’s me; that’s all of us here up on this stage) will grow up without the biases and prejudices of the past. It’s time to trade in the sword of Biblical inerrancy for the much more effective M16 of love and tolerance.<br /><br />You hear that silence, that ringing empty silence, in your workplace, in the news, in the movies? Do you miss all the words that should be there? Do you strain your ears for the words of the gospel? Do you know why the good news is silent?<br /><br />It’s silent because you are silent. It’s silent because I am silent. <br /><br />But praise be to God. We all up on this stage here, we were all brought up with a Christian or mostly Christian education, where the gospel was spoken and breathed and sung and told to us over and over again. The good news, that Jesus conquered the world, that Jesus rules the world, and that we are His children, we are the saved and the sanctified and the justified and the empowered, to speak words of healing in this broken world.<br /><br />Because sin, it broke everything. Sure, things look solid, look whole, but that’s because our eyes are broken. But the author of our story came down into the story and was broken like us, was broken for us. The world is not silent when the Word Himself is here, when He says “let there be light,” and there is light. How can the world be silent when the Word Himself reigns on high?<br /><br />We each have our place to go, our own silence to fill, to conquer. I hear and have always heard it loudest in storytelling, in media and entertainment, in books and films, and that’s where I feel called to go. To speak the words of truth in one of the most gospel-starved places of our culture, the entertainment industry. Storytelling is power, because words are powerful, and the lies that are written in our culture’s stories are powerful. But God has spread the light to all corners of the earth, and Jesus has conquered every culture, every medium, every industry, so now we just go to claim the victory, to spread the good news. Jesus has won!<br /><br />The gospel is only silenced when we are silent. And we have the power of Christ in us. The gospel cannot and will not be silenced, because<br /><br /><i><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8:2&version=NKJV">Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants</a><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8:2&version=NKJV">You have ordained strength,</a><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8:2&version=NKJV">Because of Your enemies,</a><br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8:2&version=NKJV">That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.</a></i><br /><br />Hunger, war, disease, and poverty; liars and hypocrites; pride, arguments, sin; all the enemies of God, they are the ones who will be silenced. Sure, they think they’re part of the big army, they think they have the tanks and the bazookas and the grenades and the flamethrowers on their side, but what they don’t know is that they’re not an army. They’re not even a protest movement. They’re just a different head of the same old ugly, lying serpent.<br /><br />And when they see us coming at them, rushing the front lines, sword swinging -<br /><br />Man, they’re really going to lose their heads.<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-68330893510359517362013-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:002013-06-22T14:09:41.697-07:00Miss Jack Lewis Baillot: Self-Publishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello.<br />
<br />
That is the best way to start a guest post, right? Or maybe,<br />
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Hello, my name is Jack. I'm an author who is training to be a mad scientist and I would like to thank Lauren for letting me guest post on her wonderful blog.<br />
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Thank you, Lauren!<br />
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Lauren has asked me to do a post on self-publishing, Which I feel very honored to do.<br />
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When I first set out to publish I determined never to self-publish (this is why I now shout, “I WILL NEVER USE WALLACE'S SWORD IN A FIGHT!”) Things changed over the years I wrote and after a lot of research I began to realize self-publishing was the way I wished to go. But there is a lot about self-publishing people don't really understand yet – and a lot of it I got a crash course lesson in the closer I came to publishing.<br />
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Self-publishing is no longer just for the authors whose books aren't good enough for a publisher or for those who are just writing a family history. A lot of people are going with self, and are doing well at it. (Not that there is anything wrong with finding an agent and a publisher. That is what an author should first decide – because now you have the freedom too. Which publishing option would best suit you?)<br />
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Whichever you choose you must keep in mind that marketing is mostly in your hands now. Before you even finish your book you should have people interested in it. One of the best ways to do this is to set up a blog or website. Writing blog posts gives people a chance to get to know you and your work. But you must keep up on this. And you must read other blogs and comment. (Lots of work, but worth it.)<br />
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Keep things on your site professional, while still being yourself. I've been told this is a tricky feat, but so long as you look at writing as a serious - albeit it very fun - endeavor you should be able to succeed. Meet other authors as well. Twitter is a good place for this. And don't just follow and talk to other authors just starting out, meet those who are well known. I follow a few on twitter and have gotten a lot of help from them.<br />
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Keep up on the internet world. What is going on there? Is Facebook still popular enough that a page there would help you, or just get in your way? What big writers have blogs? (And be sure to find blogs which are kept by your target audience.) <br />
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Some things I also found one needs while self-publishing is an editor - find one. Hunt high and low and in the jungle but find one. And someone to help with the cover. Or, if you plan to do the cover on your own, set aside at least a month for it. (Trust me, even a month might not be enough time.) Also, for the cover, look up books in your genre. See what is popular and study their covers. If you are a reader you know, books are judged on covers and yours will need to look professional. <br />
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And remember, self-publishing is hard work. But if you stick at it it is worth it. Still, you might want to hire a support group and some cheerleaders to lift your spirits on bad days. And have chocolate always on hand.<br />
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I am still slightly new in the publishing world, but I would be glad to give hints, advice, or warn you about the next step if you need. (Also, I've a chocolate supply - I had a cookie supply but my pet hedgehog ate them all.) Feel free to contact me about any questions you might have. My email can be found on <a href="http://missjacklewisbaillot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my blog</a>, which is probably very handy. I also have a list of authors you can follow and contact - ones who helped me - and can give you a point in the right direction.<br />
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<i>Thanks a lot for this guest post, Jack! I appreciate how encouraging you are to other writers, especially those considering self-publishing.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Miss Jack's self-published book, </i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13794216-haphazardly-implausible" target="_blank">Haphazardly Implausible</a>, <i>is currently <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/jack-lewis-baillot/haphazardly-implausible/paperback/product-20576419.html" target="_blank">available as a paperback on Lulu</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Haphazardly-Implausible-ebook/dp/B00AM0P2U6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356737344&sr=1-1" target="_blank">on Amazon for Kindle</a>. The best way to help an author is to buy their work, you know!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Okay, everyone. What do you think about Jack's tips on self-publishing? Which path will you (or did you) choose for your book? There's a lot of discussion about this topic in the blogosphere. What's your take on it all?</i><br />
<br />
<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i>Would you like to write a guest post for this blog? <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/p/guest-posting.html">Click here.</a></i></i></div>
<i>
</i>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-88104323113558402372013-01-07T16:18:00.000-08:002013-01-07T16:19:46.257-08:00Spam. Oh Joy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/No-spam.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/No-spam.svg" title="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANo-spam.svg" /></a></div>
It's Monday. It's the first full normal week of the New Year. I am still recovering from emotional trauma induced by <i>Les Miserables</i>. I thought I'd so something light-hearted and share some of the nicest spam I've gotten in the past or recently. This was partly inspired by MOV's <a href="http://mothersofbrothersblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/882-excuse-me-spammy.html" target="_blank">recent post</a> in which she did a similar thing.<br />
<br />
I've enabled comment moderation for posts 7 days ago or longer, and Blogger's pretty good at picking up spam that way, although two spammers have already targeted my <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2013/01/when-tomorrow-comes.html" target="_blank"><i>Les Mis</i> post</a>, probably because of the keywords. So mostly I can just look at this spam and laugh.<br />
<br />
The funny thing about a few of these spam comments is that some of them I would keep if it weren't for their invitations to <i>please check out my homepage</i>.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">This is the second time I've been to your site. Thnx for posting more details.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;">sweet blogging! keep up this awesome stuff</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;">Just desire to say your article is as astounding. The clearness on your post is<br /> simply excellent and that i can suppose you're an expert on this subject. Well along with your permission let me to clutch your feed to stay up to date with forthcoming post. Thank you 1,000,000 and please continue the enjoyable work.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">What's up, yeah this paragraph is really fastidious and I have learned lot of things from it on the topic of blogging. thanks.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hi there, just wanted to say, I liked this post. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I every time spent my half an hour to read this website's content every day along with a cup of coffee.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I got this web site from my buddy who shared with me about this website and at the moment this time I am browsing this website and reading very informative posts at this time.</span></blockquote>
I think my favorite has to be "reading very informative posts at this time." Or being told that my blogging is "sweet." Also, it's nice to know that one of the spammers reads my content for a half hour along with a cup of coffee. I don't post a half-hour's worth of content every day, though, so he must be an incredibly slow reader.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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And as for my paragraph being fastidious? I'm guessing that means <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fastidious?s=t" target="_blank">the second definition of fastidious</a>, and not the first. Or was my paragraph really critical? Hard to please?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Besides misspelled compliments, I once got an anecdote from one friendly spammer.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The other day, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone! </span></blockquote>
And possibly the nicest spam I ever got was this one who wrote out this whole poem for me. He even included a helpful link to some random site which I forget. But here it is.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">there's an angel in her grandmother's garden light of laughter shining from her eye heart of soulful gold that cannot harden lips if love that cannot ever lie (she's brighter than her smile deep in her cool clear mind refreshingly she moves her gifted pen learned patience made her possible to find inspiring me,perhaps,to love again)! since that day...my world's not been the same John saw the Holy Spirit,like a bird descend upon the Son of God,who came to teach,and be the meaning of the Word Linda is more than a Spanish word my heart's heavy...whether feather or a stone dove is sometimes more than just a bird a man was never meant to live alone there's an angel in her grandmother's garden little pigeon resting on her wing the same angel I have seen once in a vision the same song this bird and I are set to sing Linda is more than a Spanish name this angel seems content to never move quiet as her picture in her frame ever near...that I may ever love a song.</span></blockquote>
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Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” </div>
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Nice as spam comments are, I'd rather have good honest feedback than another anonymous person telling me that my paragraph was very fastidious , and informative. thnx. also <i><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">please visit my homepage</a></i>.</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-4971234741907667002013-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:002014-02-10T00:05:30.986-08:00When Tomorrow Comes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Sw62P4jqvSoDbsyrz2IlOSp90esZ8440L_SJX13s83bGBwN-jglf88QC7xQ2xyZOVU4yuACIu_k2D2McFfREbZNkql6aI-hOpgQZ2po6Z_3Q-HdcogUtcLu4dM7S-mES_uyPkNlnT_4/s320/les-miz-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Sw62P4jqvSoDbsyrz2IlOSp90esZ8440L_SJX13s83bGBwN-jglf88QC7xQ2xyZOVU4yuACIu_k2D2McFfREbZNkql6aI-hOpgQZ2po6Z_3Q-HdcogUtcLu4dM7S-mES_uyPkNlnT_4/s320/les-miz-banner.jpg" /></a></div>
I was a skeptic.<br />
<br />
It was partly because it was recommended to me by everyone. It was partly because of the wild-eyed fanaticism that people had for the story (no offense to wild-eyed fanatics). It was partly because of the two songs I'd heard from the musical. It was partly because the story was about the French, and a Revolution, and I already had a favorite story about the French and a Revolution which did not have the world <i>miserable</i> in the title (<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>). It was partly because I had little to no idea what the story was about. It was mostly because I was a snob.<br />
<br />
When I heard the movie was coming out I knew I would finally have to see it, but mostly in a duty-bound way. <i>I suppose I should give it a chance</i>. I briefly thought about reading the book first, but dismissed that idea. My feelings toward it were kind of like my feelings toward <i>Phantom of the Opera</i>, another musical based on a book, in that I would give it a chance, watch the movie, listen to the music, read the book, and then be justified for disliking it.<br />
<br />
The movie came out and the first reports came in on Facebook.<br />
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<i>Just had my soul and emotions ripped out, manhandled and remade in 3 hours.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> I still cannot speak or function...</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I'm not sure I will be able to talk about it honestly and intelligently for awhile. Not to be missed by any serious Christian!</i></blockquote>
This did nothing to persuade me to see the movie. In fact, it made me want to avoid it more than ever. All this over a musical about French people (no offense to the French)? Really? Why would I go have my soul and emotions ripped out? Who needs that?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But then I realized. Maybe I needed that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I believe that most of the time the things that I avoid doing are the things I need to do the most. My soul's first defense against change is curling up into a little ball and hiding from the light it desperately needs. As painful as it sounded.... maybe I should go into it with an open mind.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, it was just a story, right? Whose to say that it would really effect me at all? Might as well give it an honest chance. So I sat down in my theater seat, sighed, and the story began.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The rest, shall we say, is history.<br />
<br />
Soon I'll be able to review <i>Les Miserables</i>. Soon I'll be able to think clearly about all the beautiful symbolism that I found in that story. About what it really means. But not today.<br />
<br />
First I need to finish reading the book (which I picked up the night after seeing the movie). And I need to see the movie at least twice more. Having been a skeptic, I feel like I'm a little late to all this. I want to know what it means, know what's been said before about it, not so that I won't say it, but so that I'll know more about what it means.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.fandango.com/r88.8.2/ImageRenderer/375/375/nox.jpg/149559/images/masterrepository/fandango/149559/lesmiserables-ps-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.fandango.com/r88.8.2/ImageRenderer/375/375/nox.jpg/149559/images/masterrepository/fandango/149559/lesmiserables-ps-14.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fandango.com/movie-photos/lesmiserables2012_149559" target="_blank">via Fandango</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let's just say, I am no longer a skeptic. I will be reviewing <i>Les Miserables</i> someday soon.</div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-4367844088009321262012-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-31T07:00:00.876-08:002013: the Year of the Snake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://twilightswarden.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/st-george-the-dragon-08-trinascharthyman-sqs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://twilightswarden.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/st-george-the-dragon-08-trinascharthyman-sqs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.hyman.pagebooks.net/" target="_blank">St. George & the Dragon by Trina Schart Hyman</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are standing in the final footsteps of a dying year. The credits are rolling. The sequel is about to begin. And it looks like there will be dragons.<br />
<br />
In keeping <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012.html" target="_blank">with my promise on Friday</a>, here are a few of my New Year's resolutions, which all seem to have to do with learning, because I have a lot to learn.<br />
<ol>
<li>Have more fun with writing this year. Don't get stressed with it and think of it as work. Play with it. Learn it. </li>
<li>Do new things. Don't stay inside my bubble of writing-related stuff. Branch out and learn something completely different.</li>
<li>Wrap up school/college, and savor learning along the way.</li>
<li>Learn to be a servant not only in the big things, but also in the little things as well. </li>
</ol>
<div>
And since, without repentance, serious resolutions can never come to be, here is my chief New Year's repentance:<br />
<br />
I am lazy, complacent, and afraid of pain. I need to:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Put off:</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>staying comfortable, which is serving myself.</div>
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<b>Put on:</b> willingness to serve other people, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. When it's inconvenient or humiliating. When it's exhausting and uncomfortable.</div>
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<br /></div>
This ties in with my word (or lesson) for the New Year. For 2012 my word was <i>chosen</i> because I've been learning to accept that not only does God care about me, but also that He chose me. Not only that He chose me, but also that He gave me everything. Not only that He gave it to me, but that He gave it to all the world. I felt like I was learning about His grace, and learning to wonder at His grace.<br />
<br />
So it seems to follow that for 2013 my word is <i>servant</i>. Because God has done so much for me, it gives me a desire to do much for other people. Right now I feel like I have almost a hunger to serve, to take care of and take charge of the big things. That's why I took on not only the <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-am-writing-play.html" target="_blank">church Christmas play</a>, but also the children's choir. However, in 2013 I want to focus on being a servant not only in the big things but the little things as well. I want to use this time I've been given to serve as exorbitantly and passionately as I possibly can, wherever I am. I want to be used up with service. I want to empty my store of love. Only when that happens can you find that is actually overflowing.<br />
<br />
2013 is a year that will be filled with dragons. Economic and financial dragons. Relational and spiritual dragons. Mental and physical dragons. 2013 is the year of the snake, the year of temptation, the year of the serpent. What 2013 needs is dragon-slayers. But it needs dragon-slayers who are servants, which is why I sorely need to learn this lesson.<br />
<br />
But before I can slay dragons I need to repent of the dragons I have not slain, that I have allowed to flourish and grow instead. Before I can learn to serve and be selfless I need to repent of having been selfish.<br />
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Repentance is putting off the old and putting on the new. God grant me the grace to repent this coming year, to take what He gives me with blessing, and to pour out myself in love to other people.<br />
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God grant us all the grace to crush the head of the snake beneath our feet this year.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901931486606631265.post-17518467448310326292012-12-28T14:15:00.000-08:002012-12-28T14:18:26.866-08:002012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2012 was quite a year.
<br />
<br />
I don't really know how I feel about it yet. It's like when you're walking out of the movie theater after a really good movie that had so much in it that you have to reserve judgement until you're far enough removed from it that you can think about it clearly.<br />
<br />
So basically my feelings about 2012 are the same as my feelings for my recent experience with <i>Les Miserables</i>. I can't talk about that yet, either.<br />
<br />
This year had ups and downs, as all years are accustomed to have. It had painfully hard moments layered in with blissfully sweet ones. It had stretches of growth tempered with patches of falling down and getting back up again.<br />
<br />
I thought I would do a recap of 12 of my favorite posts I wrote from 2012, although that's a little odd because I only really started blogging this year. But here are some of my favorites:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/12/if-lord-is-with-us.html" target="_blank">If the Lord is with Us</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/11/when-others-define-you.html" target="_blank">When Others Define You</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/10/superheroes-and-fairytales-in-common.html" target="_blank">What Superheroes and Fairy Tales Have in Common</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/07/5-reasons-you-may-have-lost-followers.html" target="_blank">5 Reasons You May Have Lost Followers (and Why You Shouldn't Be Too Upset)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/05/top-ten-tips-for-creating-top-ten-tips.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tips for Creating Top Ten Tips Lists</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/04/z-is-for-ze-accent.html" target="_blank">Z is for Ze Accent</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/04/t-is-for-tortured-artists.html" target="_blank">T is for Tortured Artists</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/04/e-is-for-ebooks-vs-books-part-2.html" target="_blank">E is for Ebooks vs. Books</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/04/b-is-for-books-vs-ebooks-part-1.html" target="_blank">B is for Books vs. Ebooks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-point.html" target="_blank">What's the Point?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/02/lauren-and-post-about-titles.html" target="_blank">Lauren and the Post About Titles</a></li>
<li>Five-part <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/search/label/Avengers" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Avengers</a> review</li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>Part 1 - <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/05/we-shall-gain-universe-avengers-plot.html" target="_blank">We Shall Gain the Universe: <i>Avengers</i>, Plot & Structure</a></li>
<li>Part 2 - <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/06/sort-of-like-team-avengers-character.html" target="_blank">Sort of Like a Team: <i>Avengers</i>, Characters & Continuity</a></li>
<li>Part 3 - <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-understood-that-reference-avengers.html" target="_blank">I Understood That Reference: <i>Avengers</i>, Humor & Nerdiness</a></li>
<li>Part 4 - <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/06/can-you-wipe-out-that-much-red-avengers.html" target="_blank">Can You Wipe Out That Much Red? <i>Avengers</i>, Themes</a></li>
<li>Part 5 - <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/06/burdened-with-glorious-purpose-avengers.html" target="_blank">Burdened with Glorious Purpose: <i>Avengers</i>, Conclusions</a></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Also, don't forget that I have spaces open for <a href="http://lmswriting.blogspot.com/2012/10/wanted-guest-poster-blogger.html" target="_blank">guest posts</a> on Word Art. I'm currently open from February and onward.<br />
<br />
I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to 2012 yet. On Monday I'll be posting my New Year's resolutions - and some New Year's repentance as well.<br />
<br />
If 2012 is the movie we're walking out of, then 2013 is the sequel that we are all forced to see. On the one hand, it's a good year ahead, because God is good. On the other hand, I see dragons in the path before us. But this just means we've been given the chance to rise up, to wrestle the dragons to the ground and cut off their heads. I'll write more about this on Monday. For now, hope you had a happy Christmas, and hope you have a happy New Year.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How do you feel about 2012? Did you have a good Christmas?</i></div>
Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15292139796803739003noreply@blogger.com0