You decide...

The science of Superman is either really cool or really dorky. I'll let you be the judge.

Team Wild Hanlon does it again...

So, this week's episode of Treasure Hunters had the contestants following in the wake of Lewis and Clark. The challenges were more physical than intellectual. Team Wild Hanlon (see previous post for more info) was not quite as quotable this time around, but they did pull through after taking 11 hours to complete a task that took the Air Force team about an hour. After emerging from the interminable task, the team thanked each other, thanked God, and thanked Texas for supporting them! Oh, and did I mention that instead of going straight to the next task (an elimination one, at that!), they decided to stop off for some burgers and fries. Yet somehow, they were not the last team and they'll return next week! I love them! :)

Team Fogal Family - the pastor, his wife, and their daughter - are proving to be the dirtiest players of the bunch. They have so far cheated, lied, and misdirected the other teams in order to gain an advantage. Then, when they ended up at the finish line ahead of the other teams, they thanked God for getting them through. Yeah, God and bad sportsmanship. I'm all for competition, and I'm not saying I wouldn't make it difficult for the other teams (i.e. if I uncovered something important buried underground, I would definitely shovel over it after I got what I needed. I wouldn't leave it out in the open, making it easy for the other teams to piggy back off of what I already accomplished.), but it seems like there should be a little more honesty and integrity on this team in particular. What's really bad is that the other teams are starting to realize how the Fogals operate and they're starting to band together against them. Is it wrong that I'm kind of excited to see how all of this plays out?

Peace. Out.

Distractions...

If you're feeling positively giddy over The Office season finale, then this Jim and Pam shipper video is for you! Spoiler Warning: It does give away what happened in the finale, so if you're waiting for...something...be warned. And, I'll go ahead and attach a Cheesy Warning as well. It's a video montage set to Nick Lachey's latest single, "What's Left of Me." If you have an aversion to sappy clips and former boy-banders, this video is definitely not for you!

For something more lighthearted, check out one interpretation of The Evolution of Dance. The comedian performing is awesome and I guarantee it will make you smile. Maybe tap your foot. Maybe even audibly chuckle. Enjoy!

Peace. Out.

Trailer Park...

Some upcoming movies...

Spiderman 3 - I've never read comics, so I don't know if what's been going on in the Spidey cinematic world follows happened on the Spidey pages. But I've really enjoyed the movies. This one looks particularly intriguing.

Snakes on a Plane - The little movie that could! For months, there has been a huge amount of online discussion and grassroots promotion for this Samuel L. Jackson movie. The title says it all! I'm a big Samuel L. fan, though, so I'll definitely be seeing this one. I mean, if there's anyone who can deal with snakes on a plane, it's him, right?

The Last Kiss - The writers from "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash" decided to remake "Garden State." They even got Zach Braff and everything! Seriously, this movie looks interesting, but I fear Zach Braff is acting himself into a corner with his choices. He's a funny guy and seems to be a pretty good actor. I would hate to see him relegated to quarter-life crisis movies for the next ten years. Then what? The mid-life crisis movies?

Peace. Out.

Women of Faith...

So, this past weekend, I attended the Women of Faith (WOF) conference in Atlanta (Thanks, Bird, for the invite!!). The funny thing was there wasn't a whole lot of talk about faith. It was mostly a pep rally for women a little older than me who, frankly, don't get the opportunity to be pepped up very often. I mean, sure, they cheer on their husbands or kids or bosses, but they don't really get the chance to cheer for themselves. That is what WOF was all about. 20,000 women packed into Phillips Arena (where they made all the bathrooms in the arena women's bathrooms...LOL!), having fun and laughing themselves silly. Honestly, you put 20,000 women who mostly have to take life very seriously and be responsible at all times together, and they will laugh at anything.

I can't remember all of the details right now, but one of the women spoke about the fact that you may not always understand why things happen in life. This is something Bird and I had just been talking about the night before. You can drive yourself crazy asking Why me, Why not me, Why her, Why now? The fact of the matter is we cannot comprehend the mind of God. People don't like to talk about that in the modern day. They'd rather be the friend of God or intimate with God. And I'm not saying you can't (or shouldn't) be those things. But there's a dimension of mystery to the ways of God. We need to be okay with that. That is what faith is all about. And though she didn't launch into a speech on faith, it was a nice reminder (and challenge) to simply trust and have faith that, in the end, all things really do work together for the good of those who love God.

Peace. Out.

Oh, this is good...

Who could you beat in a Google fight smackdown?

Team Wild Hanlons...

Please watch NBC's new show, Treasure Hunters. The show is great on its own (like a combination of Survivor and The Amazing Race...with a little National Treasure thrown in for good measure), but it's also worth watching just for these guys. Oh, they are so quotable! If you didn't catch the premiere this past Sunday night, you're not that far behind (and you know they'll give you a "Previously, on Treasure Hunters..." before the next episode!). Its regular night and time will be Mondays at 9 pm. With Prison Break done for the season, what else are you going to watch at that time? Tune in for the Wild Hanlons, but stay for the competition. So far, I'm rooting for Ex-CIA to take it all!

And, just in case you were wondering, the answer is yes. These are the most links in any one post ever.

Peace. Out.

Inspired...

I've mentioned to a few people that I think I got inspired while in Cannes. I say "think" because I've had movie-making on the brain ever since, but no real concrete ideas. I'm one of those people who definitely does better on a project when I have clear direction. When someone says "just do whatever you want" or "you can choose any topic", it freaks me out and my mind goes blank. You can imagine the stress I'm feeling over my looming thesis!

Well, the inspiration has finally crystalized and I have a project I'm excited about. I'm hesitant to say too much about it for a few reasons. (1) You never can be too cautious...who knows if Jerry Bruckheimer or Harvey Weinstein is secretly reading my blog, just waiting for that great American story to pop out so they can snatch it out of my grasp! And (2) it's so, so, SO early in the development that I'm not even sure if it will actually happen. Wait, I don't want to be that pessimistic. It will happen, I just have no idea what kind of time frame we're talking about. I don't want to set myself up for failure by over-hyping it or talking about it too much, but I'm so excited and wired about it, I just had to share.

So, hopefully this time next year I'll be making the film festival rounds looking for distribution. Hey, a girl can dream, right? Cross your fingers! :)

Peace. Out.

The full quote...

I noted on my Cannes blog the "words to live by" I had stumbled upon. Here's the full quote from Johnny Cash, included in the liner notes of his 2000 album, Solitary Man. Those last two sentences are the ones I love so much...

"The Master of Life's been good to me. He gives me good health now and helps me to continue doing what I love. He has given me strength to face past illnesses, and victory in the face of defeat. He has given me life and joy where others saw oblivion. He has given new purposes to live for. New services to render and old wounds to heal. Life and love go on. Let the music play."

Peace. Out.

Through Painted Deserts...

While in France, I read Donald Miller's book Through Painted Deserts. I know people go on and on about Blue Like Jazz, but TPD is the one that really spoke to me. I think the circumstances in which you read a book (or watch a movie or hear a song or experience any kind of artistic expression) have a lot to do with how you receive it. This book is about striking out on an unknown road, not sure what will happen along the way. It's a lot of introspection. A lot of quiet. A lot of staring up at the stars and just thinking about...stuff.

Though I didn't have the chance to stop and think about stuff a lot, I was in an unfamiliar place, away from all of my family and belongings. I connected with this book in a way I haven't done in a long time. Surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the South of France and the Cannes Film Festival, it was an amazing experience to sit back in the mornings and wonder what makes people really happy. To try to wrap my head around the answers to the why questions rather than the how questions (i.e. Not "how do I break into the movie business" but "why do I want to?" Not "how do I go about getting more money" but "why do I want more money?"). It was the perfect book for me at that time. And I highly recommend it.

Peace. Out.

I'm baaaaack!!

I have returned from my trip to Cannes and am almost over the jetlag. It's always easier for me coming back than going. The trip was amazing and thanks to all of you who kept up with my Cannes blog while I was gone.

I'm getting settled back home and taking it easy this week. For those of you in the FS area, give me a call! I've missed my American friends! :)

Peace. Out.