tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60077997461492220682024-02-18T23:26:52.785-07:00About a Girl...who drives with the windows down and the music on full blast. She talks too much, sleeps too little, and has a plethora of random thoughts to share. It will rarely have anything to do with anything, and will often mention chocolate chip cookies, so be warned. Don't be disappointed by the constant sarcasm or bad spelling, big words or historical references, the author enjoys all of the above. Oh and she really really really loves comments. Really.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-32366483430567322182015-06-29T16:44:00.002-06:002015-06-29T16:44:33.275-06:00In defense of princesses...Let me get one thing straight, right off the bat: I have no desire to be a princess (my need to marry Prince Harry, not withstanding).<br />
<br />
Truthfully, it seems stressful; all of those humans scrutinizing your every move, having to dress perfectly ALL the time, and I'm sorry, but they always seem to be required to wear nylons. After 18 months of wearing them day in and day out, the absolute last thing I want to do is wear them on the daily. I realize that it appears that most of my objections with being a princess have to do with picture taking and wardrobe, but there are loads more, many of which are less superficial.<br />
<br />
Another thing we need to get straight is that I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by incredible people who never gave me the idea that I couldn't be the queen of the world if I so chose.<br />
<br />
At 2, I announced that I was going on an LDS mission to Japanese where I would speak Japan. Mama Kerry and Papa Steve bought me a Book of Mormon of my very own to carry around. They patiently listened when I required them to sit very still while I recited the stories that I had painstakingly memorized. (You might think I'm exaggerating, but Mama Kerry and Papa Steve can confirm this statement.)<br />
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There was also a short experiment with baseball in there somewhere. I'm not sure if I'd seen The Sandlot recently or if it's just something that all my friends were doing, but it was all over once they made me stand in the outfield for a whole inning. Mama Kerry was fine with it, but Papa Steve was a little sad to see my sports career end after one season. I didn't enjoy the baseball caps. Plus, I could definitely find a less ridiculous way of getting a popsicle.<br />
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When, after a viewing of The Nutcracker, I declared my intention to become a world famous ballerina, Mama Kerry bought me a leotard, tights, ballet shoes, and found me a dance studio. She didn't point out that I was a little short, or that I didn't have the ideal body type, or that the chances of my becoming the next Julie Kent were about as likely as her becoming an astronaut.<br />
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When I decided at 12 that I was going to be a lawyer, the padres were thrilled and allowed me to stay up late watching Law and Order. And never got annoyed when I insisted on reciting the Miranda Rights over and over again.<br />
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When I wanted to leave school to go on an LDS mission at 21, my parents were my number one cheerleaders. When I returned and declared that I was going to teach high school history, they were equally thrilled.<br />
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And at 29 when I announced that I was again planning to go to law school and to subsequently take over the world, my wonderful parents did everything short of handing me a crown and telling me to get going already.<br />
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How do these two things connect? To understand, you need to know one more piece of information:<br />
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I was (and still am, some days) absolutely princess crazy growing up. I can recite most of the original Cinderella word for word (see, I put those early recitation skills to GREAT use). I was Jasmine for Halloween in 3rd grade. Harem pants and all. I was Belle in 4th grade. Complete with the yellow ball gown that Mama Kerry stayed up all night sewing for me. I took a children's lit class in college for the sole purpose of getting a grade to read princess stories, and I liked it. I have seen every Disney princess movie in the theatre and still have days where I wish I could be Belle, because who cares about the Beast, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT LIBRARY?!<br />
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Here's my thing: I did and do those things because I wanted to, not because I was forced to wear pink and play with my Jasmine Barbie doll. I have always enjoyed all things girlie, including a good true love's first kiss. And I genuinely feel that these types of stories have value in our society because when used sparingly, they help to illustrate kindness, patience, generosity, and just a little bit of fun. BUT (and this is important, so don't stop reading just because you don't agree with me so far), they need to be balanced out with so much more.<br />
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As I said before, I was raised by parents who never told me I couldn't do something because I was a girl or forced me to fit into a confined gender role. If I had wanted to play sports instead of dance, Papa Steve would have been the first in line to buy my cleats. There was never a massive divide between what was appropriate for my sisters and I and our brothers. I watch football and my brothers cook. My little sisters played lacrosse and soccer. My little brother paints. Another writes lyrics and music. My youngest brother would rather watch Frozen than any sporting event. They all, oddly, like to shop.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, we were all taught from a young age that genuine kindness was more important than good looks and that quality of character was more essential than money.<br />
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It's about balance. When a child is mentally fed a steady diet of one thing or another, it's unhealthy. I'm grateful that my parents allowed me to like the things that I liked, encouraged me to try new things even if I didn't like them at first, and supported me, even when they would have made a different choice. This has helped me to grow into a strong, independent, and well-rounded human being who is capable of providing for myself.<br />
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I genuinely believe that it's not the stories themselves, but how they are applied which can be damaging. In my experience, there are very few things outside of drug use, murder, and the Kardashians that can be labelled as categorically evil (please note that this is not an exhaustive list of things I find to be completely evil. Mouth noises, the word moist, and people who don't shut cupboards could also be added).<br />
<br />
Anyway, the whole point of this is to ask for a little bit of balance in the grand scheme of it all. Let's not paint all of us princess loving girls as anti-feminist and unaware. Let's not characterize all non-princess loving, non-girlie girls as unfeminine and harsh. Let's come together and realize that, as with all good things, there's a great deal of variation and difference.<br />
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Now. I'm off to day dream about that library.<br />
<br />Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-44551449356607599362015-05-10T22:24:00.002-06:002015-05-10T22:29:40.468-06:00Is this thing on?*taps on mic*<br />
<br />
Hello? Is anyone still out there? What's that you say? You've all stopped reading blogs? Particularly blogs that haven't been updated in almost two years? Well, I can't say that I blame you.<br />
<br />
I could give you my nine million excuses for my total and complete radio silence. But any explanation would be just that; an excuse. So maybe I'll just ask, no beg, for your forgiveness and get on with updating anyone who's still out there in the interwebs about my life.<br />
<br />
Let's start with the most massive change: I'm moving to Michigan in August. That's right, Michigan. As in the state that someone decided to split into two pieces. Why Michigan, you ask? Well, because that's where I got into law school. Yup, law school. I'm pretty much going to be Elle Woods. Minus the Lexus and Harvard education, plus the student loans. I'm excited, scared, nervous, thrilled, and a little overwhelmed. I know no one in the great state of Michigan, so this will be an adventure in the vein of the illustrious Bilbo Baggins.<br />
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Deciding where to go to school was a massive learning experience. Some of the best advice was given to me by my dear friend Liz when I found out that I hadn't been admitted to one of my top choice schools, "You know what: adventure is not to be had there. A change a scenery will be amazing for you."<br />
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I've lived so much of my life doing what was safe. It's not that my life is bad, it's just been small. I could make a list as long as I am tall of all the things I haven't done. While my moving across the country isn't going to cause a shift in the space time continuum,or be written about in any type of history book, in my tiny insular world, it's going to be a substantial change. Not just because I'm moving away from my family, friends, and job; it's because I've finally decided to allow myself to truly have an adventure. I've decided to continue to build a life that I'm proud of.<br />
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So apparently that is going to require me to haul a small portion of my obscene amount of stuff to a state shaped like a mitten and fill my head with dizzying logic problems and Latin terms.<br />
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And I couldn't be more excited about it.<br />
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<i>Stay tuned for other random updates about life, liberty, and all the things. </i>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-33116065626640109662013-07-01T15:42:00.001-06:002013-07-01T15:46:32.817-06:00Here's the thing about country music...Until recently (recently meaning yesterday), I'd kind of written off country music. Before my mission, I listened to it on the regular. When I came home it had started to sound like nails on a chalkboard to me.<br />
<br />
Sad, no? I was totally okay with it. It's when I hit my true hipster stage.<br />
<br />
But then Samantha Jean decided that she was going to try, as many had before her, to convert me back to the land of cowboy boots, Wranglers, trucks, and twang. And because heaven knows that after a while I can be worn down, I finally had her just make me a mix of songs to ease myself into it. Little did I know that with country, there's no easing. It's all or nothing.<br />
<br />
And I'm back in the all phase.<br />
<br />
So without further ado, here are the things that I've learned in the last 24 hours of my recent re-conversion to country music:<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>-Girls are <strike>allowed</strike> EXPECTED to be sassy</b></h3>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Have you ever noticed every hurricane gets its name from a girl like this? She's a cat 5 kind keeps you up at night." </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-Hunter Hayes</div>
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<h3>
<b>-Say what you really think</b></h3>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"So let's shake hands and reach across those party lines. You got your friends just like I got mine. We might think a little differently, but we got a lot in common you will see. We're just like you, <b>only prettier</b>."<br />
-Miranda Lambert</div>
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<h3>
-<b>When in doubt, talk about your truck</b></h3>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
If I tried to give you an example of this, I would spend all day typing. Just listen to any Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan or Kenny Chesney album</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
-<b> Sometimes? You don't have to be nice</b></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Well I've been saved by the grace of southern charm. I got a mouth like a sailor, and yours is more like a Hallmark card."<br />
-Miranda Lambert</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Mama always told me that I should play nice. She didn't know you when she gave me that advice." </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-The Band Perry</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
-When worn right, blue jeans really do it for a guy</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Girl, you cut those jeans just right. I know you didn't buy 'em like that."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-Brett Eldredge</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
- If something is worth happening, it happens in the summer</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
See Brad Paisley's "Beat this Summer" and Rascal Flatts "Summer Nights"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
-"Bless your heart" is more of an insult than an actual wish</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"I don't have to be hateful, I can just say, "Bless your heart."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-Miranda Lambert</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
-Just because you're a good girl, doesn't mean he's a good guy</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"You'll see a good boy, gonna give you the world. But he's gonna leave you cryin' with your heart in the dirt."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-Carrie Underwood</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
-And last but not least: the "g" at the end of any word is meant to be left off</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So friends. Feed my new addiction. All suggestions are welcome and will be vetted by my guide, Samantha Jean.</div>
Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-25584214075191192542013-04-04T09:40:00.000-06:002013-04-04T09:40:07.843-06:00Things To Be Excited About...The first thing that each and every one of you should be excited about is that I finally got my lazy fingers to post something on this here blog. That's exciting thing number one. Other things are as follows.<br />
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*dramatically clears throat*<br />
<br />
Things I, Mallorie Anne Mecham, Am Currently Ridiculously Excited About:<br />
<br />
<i>(in no particular order...oh who am I kidding. They're SO in order)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
1. Mother's Day is in 38 days. This means that I not only get to celebrate my saintly mother, but that I get to talk to this <a href="http://sisterwhitneymechamsblog.blogspot.com/">here </a>missionary.<br />
<br />
2. I'm leaving for a fancy pants trip to the Dominican Republic and NYC with some pretty <a href="http://aeschylus-turtle.blogspot.com/">freaking awesome people</a> on May 17th. 10 days of sand, awesomeness and no international students sending me emails. If you are calculating correctly you will realize that this means I get to spend my birthday in New York...which leads us to...<br />
<br />
3. I get to spend my birthday in NEW YORK CITY! With Charisse. And her awesome family. Three cheers for turning cough28cough and being an honorary Baxter.<br />
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4. Jalyanie and Lucas are coming for a WEEK in June to see me. Okay, it's not really to see me, it's for Lucas' sister's wedding, but I'm really important. And I finally get to meet the darling Janie!<br />
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5. It's spring. Spring means skirts. And heels. And cute clothes. And flowers. And sunshine. And all kinds of delightful loveliness prior to the death that is SUMMER where I will melt into an unrecognizable puddle.<br />
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6. Netflix and the TV gods conspired to give me the greatest birthday present that a magic-trick-loving-banana-eater could ask for. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57577916-93/arrested-development-to-debut-on-netflix-on-may-26/">Behold</a>!<br />
<br />
7. ENDER'S GAME. People. This is big. My world will be forever changed on November 01, 2013.<br />
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8. While I'm on the movie kick: The Veronica Mars Movie. Oh yes, marshmallows. V. Mars is back to rock your world.<br />
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9. My hairs are finally growing out. Want proof? See below. (Sorry for the fuzziness. Dropping your iPhone, for some reason, makes it less effective. Who knew?)<br />
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9.2 I'm also digging this nail polish color.<br />
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10. Even though I can't get myself to Manchester, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/9679876/Kenneth-Branagh-to-direct-and-star-in-Macbeth-at-Manchester-Festival.html">this </a>is cause for great excitement for a theatre nerd such as m'self.<br />
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So dearest friends, what are YOU excited about these days? Fill me in.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-72337615864240781112013-01-23T22:32:00.002-07:002013-01-23T22:32:27.309-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-2710600534826641962013-01-04T11:35:00.001-07:002013-01-04T11:35:12.375-07:00Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Captain Grouchy Pants Today...10. My feet haven't been properly warm since Christmas. This could be because I live in an apartment with zero insulation.<br />
<br />
9. The medical professionals have yet to find a way for me to have an IV of Diet Coke (and not have it kill me like the crazy nurse did with the patient in Brazil).<br />
<br />
8. I don't want to like the new companion on Doctor Who but I do. I also don't want to like the new credits sequence or the new and improved inside of the TARDIS.<br />
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7. People who correct you just so they can sound superior (especially when they do it in front of your boss).<br />
<br />
6. Procrastinators. I'm so sorry, but no, since you haven't even begun an application to our program, we can't admit you for a semester that begins on MONDAY.<br />
<br />
5. My desk has become a dumping ground for files that advisers have yet to pick up for the coming semester. My desk is not big enough for this to go on much longer.<br />
<br />
4. The creepy homeless guy who was practically living in my office over the weekend drank all of my remaining pomegranate 7-Up which is only sold at Christmas. And since it's no longer Christmas, I can't find any.<br />
<br />
3. It's no longer Christmas.<br />
<br />
2. Yoplait stopped making my favorite kind of yogurt.<br />
<br />
And the number one reason that I'm Captain Grouchy Pants today....<br />
<br />
1. Because I am an adult and as an adult, I don't get to stay in bed when it's negative eleventy billion degrees outside and drink hot cocoa and bond with the doctors of Grey's Anatomy or go on adventures with Amy, Rory and the Doctor or play office Olympics with Jim and Pam.<br />
<br />
Now. Who do I speak to about quitting adulthood?Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-39329343709575708952012-12-05T16:05:00.000-07:002012-12-05T16:05:00.351-07:00Wherein I prove what a total and complete girl I am...So I'm usually a total music snob. It's bad. That, combined with the skinny jeans, are exactly why Platt calls me an abbreviated hipster. But I've shown before that I have a weakness for cheesy boyband music (coughOneDirectioncough) and herein I will once again prove that I'm really not as cool as I pretend to be.<br />
<br />
I love Taylor Swift. And before you start, her music is so not country. It's pop. And I love it. What I really love are the lyrics. They're so...girl power. AND she has an uncanny ability to describe exactly how I feel about all sorts of things. I've listened to her new CD roughly 8000 times since it came out (and it's not more because One Direction put out a new CD just after her, so I had to listen to that long enough to memorize every single lyric and figure out which one of the guys was singing which part. Did I just loose all my cool points? I just don't even care).<br />
<br />
Anyway. The whole point of this is to tell you that I found a new life motto. In a Taylor Swift song. Next thing you know, I'll be buying Teen Bop magazine and chewing bubble gum all the time. Oh, you want me to quit editorializing and just tell you what it is? FINE. Impatient much?<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"I just think you should know that nothing safe is worth the drive."</b></h2>
What you don't know about me is that I'm great at pretending that I'm brave and super positive, but when it really comes down to it? I'm a chicken. 100% coward. I don't like to wait for anything and I'd rather stay comfortable than go out on a limb for anything. But lately something is different. And I'm totally okay with it.<br />
<br />
So yes. My new life motto might come from a cheesy Taylor Swift song, but you know what? It could have been worse. At least it wasn't a One Direction song.<br />
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You may now take away my hipster card...oh wait, we never got them. Decided they were too mainstream.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-6863102004707699042012-11-27T09:30:00.000-07:002012-11-27T09:30:02.473-07:00Sometimes...... I wish I was a ginger.<br />
<br />
... I spend all day in leggings and one of my little brother's sweatshirts. And I love it.<br />
<br />
... I car dance SO well that I distract the car next to me and they forget to drive. I'm always proud of myself for that.<br />
<br />
... when I'm grouchy, I watch One Direction videos on YouTube and I remember that there's no point being grouchy in a world where Louis Tomlison and his ridiculous jokes are just one click away.<br />
<br />
... I love Lee Pace even though he was in the new Twilight movie.<br />
<br />
... I still get the plague even though I had my tonsils yanked.<br />
<br />
... my internet goes all wonky and even spending an hour on the phone with Corey Shaw doesn't fix it.<br />
<br />
... international students say the absolute best stuff in their emails, such as "I wish I could be the lucky dog." I always laugh.<br />
<br />
... even though I love my job, I wish I had one that I could wear comfy clothes to instead of fancy pants clothes all the time.<br />
<br />
... I get unreasonably excited when I find other Doctor Who fans who will talk about my love for David Tennant with me. As in I jump up and down and clap my hands. I always judge myself just a little for this.<br />
<br />
... I realize that I'm going to miss my DVR when I move.<br />
<br />
... I wish that I was British.<br />
<br />
... I worry entirely too much.<br />
<br />
... popcorn and frozen Junior Mints fix everything.<br />
<br />
... watching Pretty Little Liars makes me want to scream yet I can't turn it off.<br />
<br />
... I read the same book over and over even though I know exactly what is going to happen.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-40603545047093206622012-11-24T00:23:00.000-07:002012-11-25T19:20:20.735-07:00Wherein you learn that I go for the nerd...Dearest readers, I learned a few important things tonight that I feel need to be shared post haste on the interwebs.<br />
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A) NEVER under any circumstances, no matter how tired one might be are, should anyone drink a large Diet Coke during a James Bond movie. You will spend the entirety of said flick doing your best not to pee just a little every time a gun shot goes off. And if you haven't been to a Bond film recently, let me clue you in: that happens a whole darn lot. (Maybe this is more specific to me as the caffeine made me a touch jumpy as well).<br />
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2) Daniel Craig has the ability to make just about anything look hot. I'm not even exaggerating (which I will now admit that I am prone to do in most cases). Whether he's trying to live the life of a drunken beach bum or is walking into a mob run casino in a perfectly tailored tux to seduce a... erm, lady of the night, the man does it with class and sheer perfection. It's why he's my favorite Bond (SHHH! Don't tell Sean Connery. He held the top spot until just recently).<br />
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III) Even when the above mentioned perfection is clamoring for my attention, I will still go for the nerd.<br />
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Allow me to explain for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of feasting your eyes on Mr. Craig's baby blues in the most recent installation of the International Man of Mystery's story; you finally get to meet Q, who has morphed into the perfect blend of hipster and tech nerd. And I think that I might be a little bit in love with him. (Hint: Hold the little).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh505D3qWr0Iz8sYElK6zUDSbAn9CvAy4sRoPycePnrVGXfT4C-mD2PC3BjO-hC9f_hD20jQ1u7YrWhPEVSbTH2UOn20dqTF9uwZFgWgsoDmjEGgvekhOY4KmrieqMtFQIgOx3Z4V7bCwln/s1600/skyfall-Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh505D3qWr0Iz8sYElK6zUDSbAn9CvAy4sRoPycePnrVGXfT4C-mD2PC3BjO-hC9f_hD20jQ1u7YrWhPEVSbTH2UOn20dqTF9uwZFgWgsoDmjEGgvekhOY4KmrieqMtFQIgOx3Z4V7bCwln/s320/skyfall-Q.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I loved everything from his heavy framed glasses (I have a similar pair in the bathroom at home) to his messy hair to his cardigans to his skinny tie. I thoroughly enjoyed his snarky banter with Bond and the fact that he's wicked smart. While Bond maybe hot... oh let's be honest, we're all friends here: there's no maybe about it. Bond is smokin'. So, while Bond is hot in every sense of the word, Q is wonderfully quirky and just dorky enough to appeal to a total nerd girl like me. Don't misunderstand me: nerd does not mean lack of social skills or an extreme dislike of sports. I have learned through painful trial and error (read: loads of awkward blind dates) that I couldn't ever spend a ridiculous amount of time around a guy who hates sports. It's just not a thing in my world (speaking of: GO UTES! Way to finally win a game. Now back to our regularly scheduled ranting). But I most definitely appreciate a nerd. And that, my darling readers, is what Q is. Total and complete geek chic.<br />
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Why, may I ask you, do men like this only exist in fictional worlds?Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-88598195917471659372012-11-07T13:18:00.000-07:002012-11-08T12:51:54.781-07:00This is not a political post...This is a Hobbit post. You read that right.<br />
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This is a post celebrating the goodness that is J.R.R. Tolkien and his brilliance.<br />
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It's an epic moment.<br />
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I just purchased tickets to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.<br />
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What?! You didn't know about my Lord of the Rings obsession? You must have failed the quiz to be my friend. I'm sorry for you.<br />
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You can redeem yourself by watching the video below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SDnYMbYB-nU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Richard Armitage as Thorn Oakenshield? Martin Freeman as Bilbo? </div>
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I grew up watching the animated version over and over. And I can tell you that in this moment, I am thrilled. THRILLED I tell you!</div>
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So, friends. </div>
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Put aside your differences and join me in celebrating the brilliance of The Hobbit. </div>
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<br />Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-85711296426594092532012-10-23T00:38:00.000-06:002012-10-23T10:26:56.663-06:00Everything I need to know in life I learned from watching Doctor Who...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbiFZG71EgWtSAQa3dqL33Tuq3orm7sEODx8r7HtygIjRksYS3aBwkL5x2vLWRz7iMDQ9C9tILVq6-xsLCuWu7Q8SbOFOmU_NGo9OhG626YtXV6gCjV3qmKfBRmd4DdbR4grXObtvYIDd/s1600/DW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbiFZG71EgWtSAQa3dqL33Tuq3orm7sEODx8r7HtygIjRksYS3aBwkL5x2vLWRz7iMDQ9C9tILVq6-xsLCuWu7Q8SbOFOmU_NGo9OhG626YtXV6gCjV3qmKfBRmd4DdbR4grXObtvYIDd/s1600/DW.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a blue box must be in want of a companion...</div>
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<u><b>Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned from Watching Doctor Who:</b></u></div>
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- It's never too late to start over.</div>
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-If you're on your way to a gay, gypsy bat mitzvah for the disabled and you suddenly get a random thought? Follow through on it. The Third Reich really is rubbish and killing Hitler is a brilliant idea.</div>
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-When in doubt, put on your brainy specs. They'll help.</div>
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-The smallest, most insignificant moment can change the fate of the universe.</div>
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-Turn left.</div>
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-Always be yourself.</div>
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-Bananas are good, pears are nasty, and apples are rubbish.</div>
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-Waiting is worth it in the end.</div>
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-Don't trust mannequins, anything dressed as Father Christmas, or any type of Christmas decoration.</div>
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-Bowties are cool.</div>
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-Sometimes? Everybody lives.</div>
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-The Doctor lies.</div>
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-It's often the most ordinary looking people who make the biggest difference.</div>
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-Time is NOT the boss of you.</div>
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-Don't blink. Don't even think about it.</div>
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-Shakespeare was a flirt.</div>
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-Spending Christmas in London is a surefire way to meet the Doctor.</div>
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-A mop and a fez complete any outfit.</div>
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-Be excited about your fingers.</div>
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-Feel like everyone is staring at your back? Yeah, there's probably a time vortex there.</div>
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-Extermination is never the answer.</div>
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-Love is always more powerful than hate.</div>
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-Dying and turning into a Roman is VERY distracting.</div>
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-Good men don't need rules.</div>
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-Nothing can last forever.</div>
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-Spoilers are everywhere. Just look for them.</div>
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-Things are rarely what they seem.</div>
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-We don't understand babies because we're just not listening the right way.</div>
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-The universe is big. And vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things can happen and we call them miracles.</div>
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-You hav<span style="font-family: inherit;">e control over who you will be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Keeping a journal will come in handy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Memory is more powerful than we know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-When you disagree with the manual, throw it into a supernova.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-The universe is made of tiny stories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Time is not a straight line, it's a ball of wibbley wobbley timey wimey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">There's loads of boring stuff. Like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays. Big temporal tipping points when anything's possible.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Don't trust anyone who brings you coffee just to be nice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-They might shoot you, but you still have the moral high ground.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-If you wake up with a bunch of tick marks on your arm, and you can't remember what just happened? RUN. It means the Silence is near.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Books are the greatest weapons in the world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Even when you try your hardest, sometimes you fail. You just have to dust off your trainers, straighten your bowtie and move on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Speaking of trainers, they go nicely with a pinstripe suit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Don't be afraid to try something ridiculous such as fish fingers and custard. It might be exactly what you're looking for.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-If you're going to die, do it looking like a Peruvian folk band.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-The Rotmeister isn't the greatest nickname.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-When in doubt, make up a word.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Patience is for wimps.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Being normal is overrated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-Be sure your wedding dress has pockets. And that you always carry your cell phone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.483333587646484px;">-If you look hard enough, there are more wonders in the world than you could have ever dreamed of.</span></div>
<br />Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-73421860380271750352012-10-10T20:49:00.000-06:002012-10-10T20:49:57.420-06:00Turns out?I don't deal so well with change. Especially big ones. Like Squeegee going on a mission. Yes. I know she's going to be the greatest missionary ever. Yes, I know that in 18 months she's going to come home and that she's not dead or anything. Yes, I know that missions are totally awesome and that missionaries make the world a better place. But all of this knowledge didn't stop me from crying like a baby when I said goodbye today. Or all the way home. Or while I was sitting at my desk at work. Or any time anyone asked me how it went. Let's be honest. My eyes are a little raw now and I've got quite the headache. <a href="http://ewinmawie.blogspot.com/">Erin</a> promised me that it gets better and she's too sweet and wonderful to lie to me, so I'll take her word for it.<br />
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I'm now accepting donations to my mental health and stability for the next year and a half.<br />
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(Was all that dramatic enough for you? I promise, I'm doing much better than it seems though all the stuff about crying it true).Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-46410478485690421942012-09-11T02:16:00.000-06:002012-09-11T02:22:00.840-06:00Yup, I'm THAT girl...The above statement could apply to a myriad of things. Today these include but are not limited to:<br />
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-The girl who started a new job</div>
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-The girl who watched about 80 episodes of Friends this weekend during the Nick @ Nite marathon (Team Chandler, all the way)</div>
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-The girl who's little sister gave the most incredible farewell talk yesterday</div>
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-The girl who met the REAL Luna Lovegood tonight at IHOP in Centerville (you think I'm exaggerating? Not this time).</div>
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-The girl that most definitely did not sleep long enough this weekend</div>
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-The girl who made stellar cinnamon rolls for her little sister's farewell breakfast (I'm seriously fantastic. You should bribe me to make them sometime. If you're a cute boy, you just have to smile pretty and ask me out and I'll make them)</div>
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None of these things are actually what I was thinking about when I wrote the title of this post. </div>
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Let me set the stage. </div>
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Tonight Sara the Theatre Fairy, the Fantastic <a href="http://aeschylus-turtle.blogspot.com/">Charisse</a>, and I made the trek up to Centerville to see <a href="http://www.centerpointtheatre.org/season/12">"Little Women"</a>. A night of theatre combined with hanging out with two of my favorite people? Thank you, Monday. I'll take that. Anyway, back to the point. As with any show, there were some fairly attractive young gentlemen whom I was given the pleasurable task of watching on stage for a few hours. You wanna know what else didn't hurt? They were required to sing. I KNOW. Do you see that puddle on the floor at Centerpoint? Yeah. That's me. I'm writing this using a combination of telepathy and a sonic screwdriver that I borrowed from The Doctor. (Partially because I bawled my eyes out when Beth died. We all forgot tissues and I've never been more grateful for the fact that I wore a black long sleeved t-shirt). Pretty boys who sing? Yes, please. Another benefit of having completely awesomely, fantastical friends? They know EVERYONE. Including darling boys who's voices make my head involuntarily to one side. After the show, we're very casually hanging out in the lobby, just far enough away from the cast so as not to appear creepy (coughSuperfancough) but close enough so that said cute boys could see my big deal friends. That's what happens when you're short and not a theatre person. No one sees you. This is why you have tall friends. Anyway, I'm rambling again. You're reading this and wondering when I'm going to get to the point, aren't you? As well you should be. The point is this: I'm still THAT girl. The one who has a hard time putting together completely sentences when there's a moderately attractive guy around. What happened is this: Fantastic Charisse brings Super Cute Guy over to talk to our completely awesome little group and instead of answering the question asked me by another friend ("Where do you work?") with the appropriate answer ("The grad admissions office at the business school at the U") it came out more like "Blergity blah mah shshshshshsh" and Sara the Theatre Fairy had to save me by providing the actual answer. She assures me that I didn't sound that ridiculous, but she wasn't in my head and it was all pretty much mush. Mostly because I could hear Fantastic Charisse whispering things about me to Super Cute Boy ("She works for the U business school and she's getting ready to start her masters in history") while he's kinda trying to break into the conversation. So yes. <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html">I'm still that girl who is twelve on the inside</a> and can't form a coherent thought around anyone who has <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/all-cookies.html">all the cookies</a>.</div>
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If all else fails, at least I'm entertaining.</div>
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And they say I can't act. </div>
Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-9869900683014456252012-08-25T02:23:00.007-06:002012-08-25T02:26:55.331-06:00From the ridiculous to the sublime...I'm a planner.<br />
I like lists.<br />
I like timelines.<br />
I like back-up plans.<br />
I like to be able to check things off and know that I'm done.<br />
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When I was in high school, I created<a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/go-confidently-in-direction-of-your.html"> a life plan</a>. And part of this life plan (as absolutely silly and ridiculous as this might seem now) included purchasing all of my clothes from Banana Republic. Vain? Maybe. But it was a goal all the same.<br />
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Something else you need to know? I got a new job today. Yup. It's true. Who has two thumbs and is the newest member of the graduate admissions staff? This girl. This job is fancy. And I am... well, blessed doesn't seem to be a strong enough word. This opportunity had absolutely nothing to do with me and everything to do with the fact that I have a loving, wonderful and completely gracious Father in Heaven who surrounded me with incredible friends that think far better things of me than I deserve.<br />
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One of the best parts about this fantastic job (the promotion from "administrative assistant" to "program coordinator" aside)? A raise. It's completely tacky to say how much, but I will tell you this: it's enough that I can cross my Banana Republic goal off my list. And I have solid proof that this goal was not as lame as it may originally seem. I will now recount the story for your reading pleasure.<br />
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(clears throat and announces the following in a dramatic tone)<br />
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SOLID PROOF OF THE VALIDITY OF MY BANANA REPUBLIC GOAL:<br />
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Last Friday evening, Sarah the Theatre Fairy and I took City Creek by storm to do a little 'light' shopping because a) I finally got my tax return (long story) and 2) I had a job interview on Monday afternoon. We made our way into Banana Republic (which I swear was glowing just a little, proving that it's as magical as I've always thought) where we were greeted by a completely lovely sales girl who immediately started pulling out the most beautiful clothes for me to try on. In the middle of all the gorgeous madness, Sarah found the Perfect Dress. Everything about this dress was amazing. As soon as I zipped it up, I could hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing. I looked taller, my skin was clearer, my hair was brighter...You name it, this dress did it. My fairy godmother herself couldn't have whipped up anything better with her magic wand than this dress. Then Sara found a 40% coupon online. Long story short? I left Banana with the dress and a few other things, as well as a lovely Banana credit card which has been put to good use over the last week. I walked into Aldo and found the Perfect Shoes to go with the Perfect Dress. They were the last pair, on sale, in my size. Thank you, Shopping Gods.<br />
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Fast forward to Monday morning and me walking into work. The dress was a hit. The interview was perfect. And now I have myself a fancy new job, all thanks to a fantastic friend, a whole lot of inspiration, and the Perfect Dress. Tonight I went back in...just because I have a discount now and why not? The same girl who helped me last week was working, and not only did she remember me, but she was thrilled that I got my job. If you ever need a self-esteem boost, visit the BR at City Creek. Those girls could make you feel great if you looked like death warmed over.<br />
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So my friends. What is the point of this post? Simple: No matter how silly the goal, it feels fab to cross it off the list.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-30217031107856505182012-08-06T23:32:00.002-06:002012-08-06T23:38:07.833-06:00Help a girl out...Who doesn't like being asked for their opinion on something? Absolutely no one that I know. Most people like to share their thoughts on various things (mint green skinny jeans, music, my hair color/length, TV shows...you name it) so I'm going to ask for yours RIGHT NOW.<br />
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Here's the deal: </div>
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I finally bought a new computer. I've needed a new one for going on two years now. Poor Casey had been through a lot. Remember that time <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/autumn-fallin.html">I gave him a soy milk bath?</a> And how he had his <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/in-which-casey-gets-tune-up.html">memory wiped</a>...four times? He got me through the <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-despise-academics-lorelai-gilmore.html">Week of the Five Papers</a> (the Native American name, naturally. The other name should not be used in polite company) as well as countless other late nights and hosted quite the dance party in his day. But alas, dear Casey, it is time to say goodbye. This is where I need your help. DESPERATELY. This little machine of delightfulness doesn't have a name. I asked for suggestions on Facebook and Instagram (because what kind of good hipster would I be if I didn't Instagram my new purchase?) and got quite a few great responses, but now I can't decide. So please please please. If you love me at all. Leave a comment with your vote:</div>
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*Rory Williams aka Rory the Roman or Mr. Pond (ala Doctor Who) -Nevitt<br />
*Louis -Squeegee</div>
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* Jasper -Daniel</div>
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*Vidanric -Nevitt (again)</div>
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*Oy with the Poodles Already (Poodles for short) -Amanda</div>
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*Della -Martha</div>
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*Pete -Hermana Boone</div>
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*Sheldon -Alex</div>
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*Oscar -Jen Cowling</div>
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*Dell Paxton ("You are my biggest fan.") -Liz</div>
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*Rum Pot Dellicus -Megan</div>
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*Humperdink -Platt</div>
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*Clarence -Em</div>
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*Captain Jack Harkness (Also ala Doctor Who) -Tina</div>
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Let the opinion giving begin now. If your name is picked, I'll send you cookies. </div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-67083000887138346222012-07-17T16:20:00.001-06:002012-08-01T13:20:33.074-06:00Wherein I prove that I'm really a 15 year old girl on the inside...You know how they say that some people's growth is permanently stunted around a particular age or event? I'm fairly certain that mine is 15. At least where boy bands are concerned. You see, I grew up during the N*Sync and Backstreet Boys craze of the late 90's/early 2000. I was never big 'boy band' kind of girl. I danced so I was well acquainted with their tunes, but I never owned a CD. I never taped one of their songs off the radio (someone please tell me they remember doing this... nope? I'm the only one? Then you're all lying in order to appear younger). I firmly believe this is why my boy band phase has hit (and hit hard) in my late twenties. And it is late twenties. I don't care what any of you say. Are you closer to 30 than 23? Do most of your friends have small people running around their homes? Do most of your friends OWN homes? Then you're in your late twenties. Welcome.<br />
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Anyway, what is playing on repeat on my iPod, computer, CD player in the car and iPad for the last two months?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItZRzYS-nEqSQet7tBzoe_ETjmTAgUyiKyi7qK2U8k7F3dZiEIVWkdDG2lP-w_oEor0r-mkMZW3na2BHIeBd3zw-KxhkK5FcZs957EeKM8J3UEr9_WiRNUqMFa9bBCTAQR5D-1lGVZPFg/s1600/One-Direction-Up-All-Night-CD-Album.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItZRzYS-nEqSQet7tBzoe_ETjmTAgUyiKyi7qK2U8k7F3dZiEIVWkdDG2lP-w_oEor0r-mkMZW3na2BHIeBd3zw-KxhkK5FcZs957EeKM8J3UEr9_WiRNUqMFa9bBCTAQR5D-1lGVZPFg/s1600/One-Direction-Up-All-Night-CD-Album.jpg" /></a></div>
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And it's not just because they're British...though that helps.</div>
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In two weeks alone I listened to one of the songs (cough<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E">WhatMakesYouBeautiful</a>cough) over 50 times. My hipster side is judging so hard right now that I almost can't hear anything else...except for Liam, Harry, Zayn, Niall and Louis sweetly singing about 10 other songs in my head at all times. Saddest part? I've listened to it enough times that I could go through any given song and tell you who is singing at what time. I know all of the words to all of their songs and happily sing along. I even YouTubed them. And they're hilarious. I kinda want to be best friends with them...Louis in particular. Anyone who decides that a fake, stuffed bird is named Kevin and that he talks should be my friend. </div>
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I'm now going to join a support group while I'm wildly judged on the interwebs for this. No one will ever wonder why I'm single again. I just gave definitive proof. </div>
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I'll see you after detox.</div>
<br />Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-38307528301120563772012-06-29T09:11:00.000-06:002012-06-29T09:11:33.129-06:00Quotables...I've been horrible at keeping up on quotes of the week. I know. I've been horrible at blogging in general. I wasn't going to bring that up for the second post in the row, but it was just hanging out there in the ether begging to be said. So, as I am wont to do, I said it. Anyway. Today I am stuck at work for an extraordinarily long period of time so to entertain myself, I started looking through all the completely fantastical stuff I posted on Pinterest. I should become a professional Pinner. They should pay me. (Something to look into...that and getting paid to read). Without further ado, here are this week's (erm, more like month's) quotes:<br />
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"There isn't anyone that you couldn't love once you've heard their story."</div>
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-- Mary Lou Kownacki</div>
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"Life has many ways of testing a person's will. Either by having nothing happen, or by everything happening all at once."</div>
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-- Paulo Coelho</div>
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"There is nothing interesting about looking perfect."</div>
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--Emma Watson</div>
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"When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead."</div>
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--Ernest Hemingway</div>
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"My experience has been that this is, surprisingly, always hope."</div>
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--The Doctor</div>
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"Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."</div>
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--To Kill a Mockingbird </div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-25474358446360045342012-06-25T15:07:00.001-06:002012-06-25T15:48:42.066-06:00Oh heeey...<div style="text-align: center;">
You wanna know something I'm best at? </div>
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Forgetting to blog.<br />
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And now <a href="http://itjustgetsstranger.blogspot.com/">Eli</a>, who is totally blog famous despite his complete and total inability to properly learn to use simple technology (like the camera on his cell phone), has mentioned me on his blog. You should probably read the post. (But after you've finished reading this one. I need the attention.) If only because I'm mentioned and that means that my list of life goals are now half as long. I can safely cross: "Find a way to get yourself mentioned on Eli's blog so you can feel special" off. Which means that I now have to write something fantastic just in case someone makes their way over here expecting to be entertained.<br />
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In all reality, it feels to good to have accomplished something worthwhile despite the fact that the last two weeks of life have pretty much been a complete wash when it comes to productivity. Turns out? Getting your tonsils yanked? It makes one extremely tired. And sore. And grouchy. And sick of watching TV. Who knew? I found something very important out about myself in these last two weeks: I am far too achievement oriented to be a good sick person. I drove everyone around me batty. I'm lucky that my family loves me. Particularly my madre and my sisters. One day, while fairly high on some sort of lovely drug that was 100% prescribed to me by a licensed medical professional, I tried to do laundry. I'm sure that it was extremely entertaining to watch a girl who couldn't walk in a straight line if her life depended on it stumble back and forth from the laundry basket to her closet. Hey, I'm nothing if not entertaining. Now, dear readers, I'm mostly healed and back at my lovely place of work. It feels absolutely fantastic to be DOING something again.<br />
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Update me on what's going on in your worlds. I need comments. The doctor said it would help my throat heal faster.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-16413988829009398722012-05-15T15:42:00.000-06:002012-05-15T15:47:18.421-06:00Tellin' it like it is...Here's the thing:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">girls aren't as complicated as guys seem to think we are. </span><br />
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For the most part, we just want life to be like a good Taylor Swift song or the end of a John Hughes movie. It's not that difficult. What it comes down to is this: we don't want to have to do all the work. I mean, please. We're already required to do our hair, put on makeup, smell good, and walk in heels without falling over. Most of us are even willing to be sparkling and witty as well as watching approved sporting events with you (no WWE wrestling for this girl though I'll happily sit through a Red Sox game or any college football game). For the deserving, I'd even be willing to make a sandwich. Hell, if I really like you, I'll make you dinner.<br />
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And what do we ask in return for all of this? A date. Not a lifetime commitment. Just a simple date. How is this concept so difficult to grasp? What? You're not sure if a girl likes you? ASK HER OUT. You don't know if you can hold a conversation with her for an entire date? ASK HER ON A WALK. You're poor? Let me tell you this: she doesn't care if you spend tons of money. Most girls just want to be asked out by a nice guy who will open their door for them when they get in the car.<br />
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It's some sort of insane stereotype that girls automatically jump from a simple date to forever. Yeah, our minds work a mile a minute but we're not planning out eternity and we most definitely wait until at least the third date to pick out names for our kids (if you didn't catch the massive sarcasm there, you're in trouble). It's just part of our process.<br />
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Sometimes, things just don't work out. Sometimes you don't click. Sometimes you like her and she doesn't like you. Or vice versa. But how in heaven's name will you ever know if you don't go on a date?! Also? For the record? Hanging out does NOT count as a date. If you need clarification, ask your parents. Mine frequently remind me what a date is supposed to contain.<br />
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End rant.Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-77224042135707755462012-05-10T10:00:00.001-06:002012-05-10T10:00:56.506-06:00A collection of completely non-related things that I find completely interesting...-On 10 May 1940 <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865555430/This-week-in-history-Churchill-becomes-PM.html?pg=2">Winston Churchill became PM of Britain.</a> Cool, no?<br />
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-The Avengers made over $200 million on their opening weekend. That just proves that my complete admiration is not misplaced. But just to double check, I'll be going to see it again with Alex on Saturday afternoon, with Liz (for historical research purposes) next week and again with Squeeg on my birthday (because who doesn't want to spend the day with both Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth as well as Jeremy Renner? A crazy person, that's who.)<br />
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-There are 17 days until my birthday. There are 52 days until Charisse gives up her ex-pat ways and finally comes back to the US of A for a good long while. This means that the First Annual David Tennant Appreciation Night can happen.<br />
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-Speaking of the fantastic Mr. Tennant, I've had two discs of Doctor Who sitting on my DVD player for almost two weeks. I can't bring myself to actually let it end.<br />
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-I'm completely head over heels for Benedict Cumberbatch after this week's episode of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1475582/">Sherlock</a>. Let's be honest: I loved him before, but this week we've moved into full blown obsession mode.<br />
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-One of my friends jumped about 10,000 points on my ridiculously awesome scale when he told me that he has Keeping Up Appearances on DVD. <a href="http://itjustgetsstranger.blogspot.com/">Eli McCann</a>, you are now definitely in the running for my favorite person.<br />
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-We're getting new art put in our office this week and I'm pretty much in love. I also think that everyone should come visit and see it. It's worth the drive.<br />
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- After chatting with some friends, I'm seriously considering opening my own Etsy store to sell my cards as well as offer my handwriting services. I feel that this could be a way to finance a trip to Europe. Thoughts?Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-77618873015851094222012-05-07T14:07:00.000-06:002012-05-07T14:07:23.011-06:00By way of an update....<div style="text-align: center;">
I survived graduation (hooray) and as present from the karma gods, I woke up with the plague Saturday morning. Which now means I've spent that last two days in bed doing absolutely nothing but watching lots of episodes of Castle and eating mint M&Ms. </div>
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However, I have my priorities straight: despite graduation looming like a nasty dark cloud over my world, I did make time to see The Avengers at midnight on Thursday/Friday. It was amazing. Actually, amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. There are no words. Because, let's be honest, Chris Hemsworth's arms can't be described by any words that the English language has created. There was some definite thought put towards making a shrine in Joss Whedon's honor for his brilliance in writing and directing such an incredible movie... Can you tell that I liked it just a little bit?</div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-6800773867698501072012-04-30T23:11:00.000-06:002012-04-30T23:11:28.377-06:00Remember how I graduated last spring?And remember how when you graduate the stress of final exams is supposed to be gone? Yeah, I did too. But the last two weeks have proved to be absolutely insane. Like off the charts. I feel like I'm living solely on Diet Coke. I have that finals haze hanging over my mind kind of insane. This is partly because I'm tutoring at the Burb again so I've been working an extra 4 hours each night after my regular job at the business school. Also? I'm in charge of helping plan graduation for the b-school. Which means that I'm pretty sure that before Friday my pretty little head is going to spin clean off my shoulders. I haven't felt this...manic? Insane? Exhausted? Wiped out? In desperate need of a day closed sunny room, with a pile of books and a cup of tea? In an extremely long long time. It's not that I hate either of my jobs. I actually quite like them both. I love my students (most of the time). I love getting to teach history on a daily basis. I like getting to 'administrate' and organize at my b-school job. I won't lie to you though: I'd like to have time to eat something more than cold cereal or sushi from the Smiths on 9th and 9th every day. <div>
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So I'm begging you, dear readers. Tell me something lovely and wonderful. </div>
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And go.</div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-25461220167475556642012-04-20T14:37:00.000-06:002012-04-20T16:19:52.946-06:00Quotes of the Week...How do you feel about the new and improved blog layout? I think I'm in love so if you hate it, don't tell me. I wouldn't listen to you anyway, if I'm going to be perfectly honest. Anyway, along with the new layout I've decided to do my quotes of the week as their own post. I know. I'm a genius. Also, I wanted to say how much I loved all of your comments on my last post. I'm totally going to gush and say that I clearly have the most awesome friends in the 'Verse.<br />
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Without further ado, the quotes of the week:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other. Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- (500) Days of Summer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-C.S. Lewis</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don't love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Natalie Portman</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Everything can be taken from a man or woman but one thing: the last of the human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Viktor Frankel </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Desmond Tutu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I am by nature a dealer of words, and words are the most powerful drug known to humanity."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Rudyard Kipling</span></div>
</span></h2>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-81707135193453568012012-04-16T23:50:00.000-06:002012-04-17T09:10:27.788-06:00Why I Majored in History...<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it." -Winston Churchill</i></div>
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I've started this post about three times. And every single time I go through and erase everything that I've written and stare at the Churchill quote again. I won't lie to you, I tried to find one from Doctor Who, but I couldn't find one that I liked well enough. And Churchill? He's my hero. And only partly because he's famous for saying wonderfully snarky things.<br />
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This is the thing about being a humanities major: you know from the get go that you're never going to make any money at it. At least if you're smart, you know you're never going to make any money. That's not why you do it. This isn't business school. If you're a true blue history major, you've had more than one person try to take you aside and tell you how worthless your life goals are. Try to talk you into doing something more sensible, like getting your MBA because you're good at analyzing or becoming an elementary school teacher because you're great with kids. While I firmly believe that I would be good at both of those things (both of which are worthwhile goals to pursue), I'm not passionate about product distribution or dividing fractions.<br />
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<i>"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman</i></div>
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What these well meaning people don't seem to understand is that just because you're talented in a particular area, doesn't mean that's what makes you come alive. And what, may I ask, is the point of spending your entire life doing something that you don't really love? There isn't one. It's a silly and narrow minded way to view the world. I majored in history because every single time I sat down in one of my classes, I was thrilled at the idea of reading, learning, and absorbing everything that the professor had to offer. I always tell my students at the tutoring center that history is really about people. People just like them. Sure, you have to remember their names and a whole list of dates on which they did all kinds of random things, but if you really look at history for what it is, you see a story. It's someone who lived their life in such a way that you are forever changed by their choices, good or bad.</div>
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<i>"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." -Bobby Kennedy</i></div>
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I majored in history because someone needs to remember them. Who are 'they', you ask? They are anyone. They are infantry soldiers who slogged through the jungles of Vietnam, unnamed women who marched in the streets of New York City demanding the right to vote, immigrants who lived in the poorest conditions you could imagine, mothers who raised their children alone after their husbands were killed defending their country, ordinary people who went about their quiet lives. These people deserve all of the respect that history has to offer them, yet their stories are so often discounted as being 'boring' or 'useless' in the 'real' world. </div>
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<i>"History is our guide to navigation in these perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are." - David McCullough</i></div>
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Last year I was lucky enough to be part of a seminar focused on the Holocaust taught by my favorite professor at the U, Ronald Smelser. If you ever have the chance to take a German history or World War II focused class from this man, run, don't walk. He's amazing. During the course of the class, we discussed the idea that as the termination of the Jewish race grew more prevalent in Hitler's Germany, that very few people stepped in to help or stop the Nazis. It wasn't the focus of the class, but it became my focus as I wrote my final paper. The last paper I would ever write as an undergraduate history major. The more I thought about those people and what they sacrificed, the more I realized that they are why I spent so many years pouring over dusty old books and memorizing dates. It's because these people, whoever they may be, deserve to have someone willing to search for them and their stories. Many of these good men and women suffered and died along with the very people they were trying to help. Their efforts mean so much more than their numbers, because they have permanently and vividly colored the pages of the story of human kind with something redeeming. And all at once it came to me, the real reason that I picked a major that seems completely useless and absolutely senseless to so many people: I studied history because it taught me who I was and where I came from. I studied history because I love learning about people. I studied history because without it you have no math, no engineering, no science. I studied history because the past is prologue. The past teaches us what to repeat and what to stay far away from. I studied history because the world needs all kinds of people to help it run. I studied history because it made me come alive. </div>
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I studied history because I believe that everyone deserves to be remembered. </div>
</div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6007799746149222068.post-48475109854833256402012-03-30T15:15:00.000-06:002012-03-30T15:26:29.652-06:00DID YOU KNOW?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEs74fLsnnloB8xkygC_NAbnUt6ia1LimHzvireoo3mNFz2ZhSo29NIHT8hWafdaHkRbdh-BOySQJVC9M8O1GPWnCczq-4NqpA78aftfuKaq1SF0XTOS1dhB6noQ-6sdgSxrTwXN2wCJO/s1600/Ender's+Game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEs74fLsnnloB8xkygC_NAbnUt6ia1LimHzvireoo3mNFz2ZhSo29NIHT8hWafdaHkRbdh-BOySQJVC9M8O1GPWnCczq-4NqpA78aftfuKaq1SF0XTOS1dhB6noQ-6sdgSxrTwXN2wCJO/s400/Ender's+Game.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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A) Did you know that Ender's Game is <a href="http://thisismalsblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/bookwormday-6.html">one of my top 5 favorite books</a>? (If the answer to this is no, you haven't taken the friendship quiz. Or if you did, you failed.)</div>
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2) That after YEARS of IMDB saying that they were in "pre-production" for the movie they finally released a cast list?!</div>
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tres) That I'm beyond thrilled about all of the casting that I've seen so far?</div>
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You wanna see?</div>
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Ender:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDn448UVqDf-9CaanQeizjLGhF8v_JzEBqz33gn_4NXlZwkkvOY5bPmOkeT11QpueRW7uMXp2hIme-ZxBD3J7MqzjtBeDKVACvsgkPE8NB4WZG18PvZ1oFCYtebGvBynSlICt3p9biy2j/s1600/Ender-Wiggin_458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDn448UVqDf-9CaanQeizjLGhF8v_JzEBqz33gn_4NXlZwkkvOY5bPmOkeT11QpueRW7uMXp2hIme-ZxBD3J7MqzjtBeDKVACvsgkPE8NB4WZG18PvZ1oFCYtebGvBynSlICt3p9biy2j/s320/Ender-Wiggin_458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Right?! I mean, he's a little older than Ender is in the book, but he's a phenomenal actor and I love him already.</div>
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Valentine:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uxp9H4wKxwhUVSk3bdXwp-n6jhM-HT2FLDAYRLFyoIs7PIJ7rMWAUKGJ6v01VGVYLU5lLV0M6aEBtbIOHdqEE_5OFdlS0lYqITw5XjhBatwEJdzaW5XGUUuKvQ2U9hFnfpVOvHduf4Pc/s1600/Abigail-Breslin_458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uxp9H4wKxwhUVSk3bdXwp-n6jhM-HT2FLDAYRLFyoIs7PIJ7rMWAUKGJ6v01VGVYLU5lLV0M6aEBtbIOHdqEE_5OFdlS0lYqITw5XjhBatwEJdzaW5XGUUuKvQ2U9hFnfpVOvHduf4Pc/s320/Abigail-Breslin_458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Believe it or not, that is Abigail Breslin. I was shocked. And amazed. And thrilled because she's a lovely actress.</div>
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Peter:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EBR8Q0T2QbPPZy96wpB96WPhCDC26hnRDDHTm7RmSjKLKNuDIpeK6a8MRPuL4Wl_08ozE0WCI-BQUgwZ6GvnkROsE2xGf4vsLDv6-7XaT4sEoSSFFR5sG_Oryinco4pGQFyRokxWsYBJ/s1600/Jimmy-Pinchak_458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EBR8Q0T2QbPPZy96wpB96WPhCDC26hnRDDHTm7RmSjKLKNuDIpeK6a8MRPuL4Wl_08ozE0WCI-BQUgwZ6GvnkROsE2xGf4vsLDv6-7XaT4sEoSSFFR5sG_Oryinco4pGQFyRokxWsYBJ/s320/Jimmy-Pinchak_458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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He'll do.</div>
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Graff:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMVBrXFI40JB5ln2cs7B8X1YNzBvjKs94n3cj80CBO6yxOKYikGv3MtzM78LpHwndkTGvbR6a0TWHuvWjYXzXFOElynusPh0uKsc4Dc9R5BFH0ikZpDPU7XawOdsS4KQRCh9jIxQz1TEw/s1600/Garf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMVBrXFI40JB5ln2cs7B8X1YNzBvjKs94n3cj80CBO6yxOKYikGv3MtzM78LpHwndkTGvbR6a0TWHuvWjYXzXFOElynusPh0uKsc4Dc9R5BFH0ikZpDPU7XawOdsS4KQRCh9jIxQz1TEw/s1600/Garf.jpg" /></a></div>
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I never imagined Graff as being good looking. Ever. Just fat. Really really fat.</div>
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Mazer Rackham:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmJFC5Bc9mMxT6f3ticEOWGabams4yrz_TT45PcaqSFcOcELcThrIR7blgGuzBkkmBn_Rq-Dq13Xg3f1PmmI2AgDbQyml4xY2xwYc6WjYdfaqUFHo0nCTrUxOYJxVxWjHq-lyedoRFchC/s1600/Ben+Kingsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmJFC5Bc9mMxT6f3ticEOWGabams4yrz_TT45PcaqSFcOcELcThrIR7blgGuzBkkmBn_Rq-Dq13Xg3f1PmmI2AgDbQyml4xY2xwYc6WjYdfaqUFHo0nCTrUxOYJxVxWjHq-lyedoRFchC/s1600/Ben+Kingsley.jpg" /></a></div>
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This might be my favorite casting decision of all. He's precisely who I imagined Mazer looking like when I read the book. I squealed a little (read: A LOT) when I saw his name on the list.</div>
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Anderson:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscJR5XyBkpPhqdM3Vi4kuuL6C9FGVjeeDCLpReQmK0vFMs7o2a0adyZbCfb2MCJ9jc5pzTBsvpXfwg6w9Dh2LMJ4u0LrmPIXUflZbSVaR94UxOc8nseyW0vI0TlX7Cbc8brPk-LUyYTU1/s1600/viola-davis-red-lipstick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscJR5XyBkpPhqdM3Vi4kuuL6C9FGVjeeDCLpReQmK0vFMs7o2a0adyZbCfb2MCJ9jc5pzTBsvpXfwg6w9Dh2LMJ4u0LrmPIXUflZbSVaR94UxOc8nseyW0vI0TlX7Cbc8brPk-LUyYTU1/s320/viola-davis-red-lipstick.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I haven't decided yet how I feel about them changing Anderson's character into a woman. I have NO doubt that Viola Davis can pull it off (the woman can ACT), but it changes the tone of the character quite a bit.</div>
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(There are about a million more characters, but I'm only going to give you two more. You can go <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20577069,00.html">here</a> to see the rest of the cast).</div>
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Petra:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MW0qiATvaO4rJ4fTLk68yLQRCdGhyphenhyphen2R4ZffiPoPuNaYaOc9uViegY-l16Ds-RFzb1Qr7VzCLb50H5LuzNg-FZsLY0wbC-k4QfH4AXHfqPY2hBXvQSlAEwYoOtHI1dYV8JwebrpiH6voU/s1600/Petra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MW0qiATvaO4rJ4fTLk68yLQRCdGhyphenhyphen2R4ZffiPoPuNaYaOc9uViegY-l16Ds-RFzb1Qr7VzCLb50H5LuzNg-FZsLY0wbC-k4QfH4AXHfqPY2hBXvQSlAEwYoOtHI1dYV8JwebrpiH6voU/s1600/Petra.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once again, she'll do.</div>
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Bean:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNAPKSP6G0D8gzBzTVUR1HToCiuEExzTlIUk_SDDHKjmQJQfm306pQIw__WujAWKR7p9WIi0UlD6LUDkPEpxv5nB20AJgYaejd2xmU_vno6VB-exV2uLkx5_ekhTM-ry6VnoKAJl9fShO/s1600/Aramis-Knight_406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNAPKSP6G0D8gzBzTVUR1HToCiuEExzTlIUk_SDDHKjmQJQfm306pQIw__WujAWKR7p9WIi0UlD6LUDkPEpxv5nB20AJgYaejd2xmU_vno6VB-exV2uLkx5_ekhTM-ry6VnoKAJl9fShO/s320/Aramis-Knight_406.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Bean is my favorite character in the book next to Ender. And since I've seen this kid on NCIS, I give him two thumbs up. He's fab.</div>
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So there you have it. My nerdiness is about to hit a whole new level, friends. Prepare yourselves.</div>
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M</div>Mal Mechamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03857660470192069626noreply@blogger.com3