On my mind...

Nothing major to post today, but I feel like I need to be true to Blogger, my first love, even in the midst of my growing MySpace addiction (did you know you can search by school and look up all your old classmates?!). So, here are the things that have been floating around my brain lately. Feel free to comment on these or post the random thing you've been stuck on lately!

* RIP Don Knotts and The Juliana Theory. Obviously, those are two different kinds of deaths. Don Knotts passed last Friday due to natural causes. He was many things to many people, but he will always be Barney Fife to me! I love those old episodes where he was so young (as was little Ronnie Howard) and had that high-pitched voice. Nip it!! The Juliana Theory decided to disband so they can find "real jobs". This is so sad as I think they were one of the best acts on the rock'n'roll scene. You can check out their other reasons for breaking up on their website.

* I am going to have to decide on a thesis soon. It will determine what classes I take for my electives in the Fall and how I spend my time next Spring. There are so many things I've found myself interested in these past two semesters; it's hard to nail down just one thing to focus on. I'm really interested in the Millennial Generation, in how Christians use the mass media, and how celebrity/pop culture affects our everyday lives. Does anyone see a way to put those together in a new and unique way??? Seriously, I have no idea what to work on. I'm writing a paper this semester on how modern TV shows are setting their plot lines up to have viewers vote against the marital relationship and for an extra-marital one (i.e. Friends, Grey's Anatomy...those are the two shows I'll be focusing on!). That may be the beginning of a thesis. We'll see! I'm open to suggestions!

* Cannes! I'm fixated on what I'm going to wear while there. I know that's a really shallow thing to think about, but it keeps me from dwelling on the fact that I'll be spending a month in a foreign country without my husband!

* 24 and Grey's Anatomy continue to totally rock my face off each week.

* Spring Break is only 10 days away...Hallelujah! I love my job and even living in Franklin Springs, but I need a break once in a while! I'll be working in Nashville this weekend (yay!) and then in NC for Spring Break. Hopefully I'll come back nice and refreshed and ready to finish this year in top form. While in NC, I plan to see a childhood friend who now sings lead in a Neil Diamond cover band. I am so excited about this, it's really ridiculous!

Peace. Out.

Up for a move, anyone?

Apparently, there's an organization called Christian Exodus that is trying to convince Christians to move to Greenville, SC. The purpose of the moving is to influence a small, but important state's government on behalf of the conservative, Republican agenda. There's lots of info on their website and also in a USAToday article I just read earlier today.

It seems about 20 people have already made the move and the main guy is hoping that by 2014 there will be enough Christians in the area to really make a difference in the State elections.

There are so many things I'd like to say about this, but for now I'll focus on my discomfort with the use of the word "exodus". Exodus means a mass departure. CE is asking people for a mass arrival. I'm sorry, I know that's the least of the issues with this organization, but that really bothers me.

I also just don't understand the purpose of an organization like this. I completely support wanting to rally Christians together and even encouraging them to act more like a unified body so as to make a real difference in our country and world. But this has the ring of cult-ness to it. The whole thing, to be honest, just makes me feel a bit...icky.

What do you think?

Honestly...

THE cutest baby ever! My nephew, Gabe...

Spread the word!!

Randy and Mackenzie Chester, aka 4 and 20 Blackbirds, will be performing at the Ekklesia Centre in Royston, GA, next Thursday, February 23. Doors open at 7 pm and music starts around 7:30. This is a CD release party for Randy and Mackenzie, so come out and support some amazing music!!

Peace. Out.

I think I Cannes!

Some of you knew that I had applied for a study abroad program through UGA for this summer. The program takes place in Cannes, France, during the Cannes Film Festival. I just found out this week that I've been accepted! I will be in Cannes for most of May through the first week of June...four weeks in all. Hopefully Paul can be with me for at least part of that time!

While in Cannes, I'll be taking two classes, watching TONS of movies, and hopefully getting into a party or two! :) Luckily, I'll have Internet access, so I can give you all updates on upcoming movies and, of course, celebrity sightings!

I'm so excited about this opportunity and can't wait to get there!

Catching up...

Mel had a great idea a few days ago. A nice little catching up post. So, here's what I'm doing lately, and I'd love to hear from you too!

What I'm...

READING:
Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today's Pop Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter - It's a really interesting book on how the tv shows, films, video games, etc., of today are requiring us to use our brains in a more critical way than we've had to do before.

Exodus - Yes, the book of the Bible. I just finished Genesis and will be starting Exodus later today. It was so interesting to read at the end of Genesis where the whole Israelites in Egypt thing started when Joseph brought his family (remember his dad was Jacob or Israel) in during the famine. After that things sort of went down hill! I love Exodus though because it's such a wonderful story of God's *enduring* faithfulness through all of our obstinance and disobedience!

WATCHING:
Grey's Anatomy - I'm drawn in to this show more than I have been to a show since Alias started in 2001. The only thing I don't like, though, (and this is sort of a pattern on tv and in movies now) is the love triangle between Meredith, McDreamy, and Addison. Meredith and McDreamy had a passionate relationship in the first season, right up until the moment McDreamy revealed he was technically still married, but separated. This season, his wife, Addison is on the scene and trying to repair their marriage. He has committed to do the same, but still throws longing looks Meredith's way. Now, what bothers me about this whole situation is that the audience has now been set up to root *against* the married couple. You want their marriage to fail so that McDreamy and Meredith can be a couple again. The same thing was going on on the show House and on Alias in the third season. Other than the, um, morally ambiguous nature of the show, though, GA has awesome characters and very interesting plotlines.

Project Runway - The best reality show out there! It keeps the focus on the competition and those contestants have to work HARD to keep their place! Go Daniel and Chloe!!

My Name Is Earl - Bird and I joke that when we first saw Earl, we thought it was a reality show! It's hilarious, though, especially for people who grew up in small Southern towns.

LISTENING TO:
Sugarland, Twice the Speed of Life - Great country music! I loved Jennifer Nettles as a solo artist and she has really found her niche to break into the mainstream!

O.A.R. - kind of like a Dave Matthews Band for the new millennium. Good stuff!

Johnny Cash, 16 Greatest Hits - Love him or hate him, you can't deny the man's gift of storytelling!

Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway - Sorry, Paul McCartney, but she really did deserve that Pop Album of the Year Grammy! One of the most consistent albums I've heard in a while.

So, what's going on with you?