This is why I can't be a movie critic.

      Yesterday I watched Sucker Punch and liked it. Yes, that's right, I enjoyed watching scantily clad girls pwn everything from steam-punk Nazi zombies (yeah, you heard me), to dragons in the middle of an orc occupied palace, to samurai totting bazookas. Not to mention that the girls usually had some bizarre weapon of their own. If you want an example take a look at this. That's a gun wielding bunny suit. Yes, I know. I want one too.
     At this point you may be saying 'that's all well and good, but what about the plot?' Well, let me tell you friend, this movie had a plot. It may not have been good, I may not even be able to tell you coherently what that plot was, but it was there! Anyway, the whole movie was about the epic visuals and strange music that faded in and out in wonderful ways.
     At first blush the movie felt like a 'yay women!' kind of movie, because the girls were fighting valiantly for their freedom, but the feeling was swiftly punched away towards the end of the film. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the film because a) it felt like watching someone play a really pretty rpg, b) the music was cool! and last but not least c) there were tons of explosions and there was this one shot of a dead baby dragon and the fire from the angry mother dragon enveloping everything and it gave me chills. WAIT I almost forgot! They were fighting said dragon with a B-52 bomber! Super awesome action flick, thy name is Sucker Punch.
    
     Now on to the indie film I watched a few moments ago. Troll Hunters. It's one of those fake documentaries affectionately termed "mockumentary." I hate shaky-cam, but it fit nicely here and the pay-off was well worth it. It was not of the annoying brand of films which never show us the creature it bills, fairly near the beginning there is an encounter in the woods where you actually see why everyone is running. (Take that Blair Witch Project... which I have not watched so I might be falsely accusing but I doubt it very seriously.... >_> )
     If you miss that feeling of magic in your life, go watch this film. It's like hearing your first fairy tale. The world seems fresh and alive again. It kind of kicks your sense of wonder (as in 'I wonder if that tree can talk') into high gear. In the first scene with a troll as every is running I started thinking that if I were there I would probably be laughing hysterically because it was so wonderful, but I'm odd. If you are curious but think I am probably a rambling lunatic check out the trailer... just in case I'm not crazy. As a warning, you have to read subtitles unless you speak Norwegian. Again, totally worth it.
     It is important to remember while watching this film that it's ok to laugh when the sheep die... you'll see what I mean.

     There you have it. Proof that I can never be a film critic. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to stick with philosophy.

Why yes, I am writing this because I have better things to do....

I am doomed. I have two papers to write in a time span that is impossibly small. Yes I planned poorly. Yes I will look tired and drawn in a matter of hours, no I don't care. I am concerned with other things. Why does life always seem to give me brilliant revelations when I have other things I have to get done (and in doing so makes me completely forget the revelation)?

When I was little younger I wanted to be an astronaut (until I discovered a healthy fear of dieing in a vacuum), a vet (until I realized I couldn't stand to watch animals die every day), a musician (until I went into a college department that hated what I loved), and finally a silversmith (still want it). Did anyone see philosophy on there? No. I do philosophy because I can't help it. It's what I think about all day, but it's not what I want to formally do out in front of everyone. I don't want to argue over things about which I am unsure. Don't even get me started on the people I would be arguing against. It all seems entirely fruitless. Today I may choose this stance, tomorrow it's wrong and I'm supposed to pretend I never said that... ummm... no. I refuse. I am now simply squandering my life away. Biding my time until... until... Oh yeah, there is no until. Great. This was the conclusion that hit me a few weeks ago.

Now I am changing my whole viewpoint. I want to create. It's what I've always wanted to do, what I'm obsessed with. I hate competition, and philosophy is competitive, so maybe this just isn't right for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to study it, probably still going to be involved in it, but I don't want that as my life. For now I will bide my time in order to decide what my next move should be. Should I get formal training in music, metal work or nothing at all? I know that what I do in the next few years is going to do a lot to me later in life, I just hope I will have the courage to make good choices. I think I'll pretend I'm someone else planning a life for me. This should at the very least be an interesting experiment. Here goes.

Scrolls

I have been absent minded of late - thus I have not done well at keeping up this blog. I found that silversmithing kept my sanity quite nicely. The class is now over and I have created several pieces that I am quite proud of. I am on a quest to find all of the equipment I need to smith at home, and that is far easier said than done. I am determined however so pretty much no power on earth is going to stop me, even if the power trying if my faulty memory when I go to the store.

On another note, a friend in the SCA asked me to illuminate a scroll for her. I think it turned out rather well and so I took a picture and am linking it here. My boyfriend did the calligraphy, my SCA friend wrote the text, and I designed and illuminated it. I have found scroll design very relaxing, but I am obviously not very good at it yet. I do want to improve and appreciate comments, but my main focus right now is metal work.

Yes, metal work is my main focus. I think it may finally be that one thing I can be all consumingly passionate about. I have no idea how to bend my life around it, at this point I only know that I want to. I love everything about working metal, even the arduous filing process that is involved in almost any piece. I love watching bits of wire or shiny sheets transformed into gorgeous wearable art (actually pretty art, not the modern 'I'm trying to make a statement' art.)

So that's my life currently. Perhaps soon I'll have time to put up a quick tutorial of an interested knitted wire technique I'm learning. So long for now.