FMP: Heartbroken - Meaghan Smith

This week's From My Playlist is Meaghan Smith's Heartbroken. Smith is a fantabulous artist and there are very few songs on her The Cricket's Orchestra album that I don't absolutely love. I'm sure you'll be seeing her here again.(Note: This video adds an extra drum loop into the background. The original song is much better.)

COYS

Tottenham and Liverpool played in Baltimore Saturday. I had a front row seat, right near the player entrance to the field.  There was a lot of red in the crowd. Of the 43,000 people there, I'd say at least 2/3 were Liverpool fans. But that's alright. We Spurs supporters held our own. Somebody wore an Arsenal shirt in the THFC section. He provided entertainment for many of the rowdier gentlemen. It was a good goalless game considering temperatures were up around 100 and the players looked like they just wanted to take a nap. The refs didn't even add any extra minutes, as they were as hot and sweaty as everyone else. Got to see some new acquisitions play and cheer on familiar faces. All in all, a good day. <3 my Spurs!

Friedl, former goalie for Team USA. The fans loved watching him play at home, but most of the time he looked like he wanted us to shut up. (Kidding, Brad... not really)

Bale with his bottle (and #9? WTF?)

The line-ups. Check out all that red in the background. Where's the Lilywhite??

Bale in his favorite position: @$$ to grass. To be fair, it was a very nasty tackle by Charlie Adam and if Bale is out for another 3 months, Adam better watch his back.

The REAL Kyle Naughton. Some drunk Aussie spent half the game claiming that the guy in Naughton's shirt wasn't really him because the "real" Naughton had a mohawk. Have another one, buddy.

Andy Carroll took some good-natured ribbing from one of my neighbors, but instead of ignoring him like the rest did, he flashed a big grin and waved. Not a bad fella, if you ask me. Plus, he's pretty freaking hot. Love the hair, no matter what anyone says.

By the middle of the second half, both sides had subbed out pretty much their entire teams. Good thing, too, or the boys stuck on the field for 90 might have melted.

Time for a free kick. Who's gonna take it? Siggy? Kane?

Nope. Bentley. And he missed. I'm pretty sure that every time he touched the ball, we lost it. I thought we were supposed to be selling "The Next Beckham". Why is he still here?

Tired and ready for some cool showers, the boys gave us a hand, but refused to stop for autographs. And Brad finally gave us a smile! We knew you could do it, Brad!

Flashback Friday

Today is a good Friday. Right now I'm in Maryland to see my favorite football (soccer) team play another really awesome team. It should be an experience of a lifetime. But for now, let's do our weekly recap.

Weekly Flashback 

• Lazy Is Not A Four Letter Word! By the lovely Emma Burcart
• The Game That Can Give You A Longer Life from Jane McGonigal (Don't read the comments. It will make you lose faith in humanity)
• Confessions Of A Window Licker by Ellie Ann
• 7 Free and Legal Places To Find Photos from Melinda VanLone/Marcy Kennedy

Epic Flashback

I'm going to be a dork and post a video of one of my favorite players  (fingers crossed that he'll be there tomorrow). Enjoy the awesomeness!! (P.S. He was the most expensive teenager yet and he just turned 23.)

What Makes Lasting Fantasy: Part I

Today I'm going to start a five-part blog series about what I think makes a fantasy story that can stand the test of time. Most of the examples I'm going to refer to will be series, because those seem to be the ones that stand out the most.

Part I: A Clear Definition Between Good And Evil

I'm all for a good book that can blur the lines, but honestly, I haven't found one that I'd call a "classic" that can do it well. All of the books that I would call my favorites, the ones that I want to read again and again, clearly define who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Some minor characters can waffle a bit and the main characters obviously make mistakes, but the protagonists and antagonists know their roles and stick to them.

Examples:

Harry Potter - Harry Potter is a classic example. Good guys: Harry, Ron, Hermione. Epic bad guy: Voldemort. There is no question throughout the entire series where these two parties fall. You know who the bad guy is and you know whose job it is to take him down.

Lord of the Rings - Again, a very clear definition. Good guys: The Fellowship, the elves, the Rohirrim, you name it. There are a lot of good guys in this series, and most of them are awesome.  Epic bad guys: Sauron, Saruman, the orcs, pretty much anything associated with Mordor.

Star Wars - Another perfect example. Good guys: The Jedi, the Rebels, Han, etc. Bad guys: The Sith, the Empire

Clear cut sides give us something to cheer for without fear of hitching our ponies to the bad guy in disguise.

Exceptions:
I honestly can't think of any really timeless fantasy books where there isn't an obvious "good vs bad" battle. I can think of characters who don't necessarily fall on one side or the other (Snape and Boromir for example), but no books. I initially thought of Frankenstein here, but decided against it in the end as most of the notion of the monster being bad comes from the movies, not the book itself.

 One of my most favorite movie scenes ever 

How many of your favorite books follow this rule? Can you think of any exceptions?

FMP: Over - Blake Shelton

I love music, so I've decided it's time I share my playlist with you, hence the label FMP. From My Playlist (no, it's not those black strappy things you were thinking of). First up is Blake Shelton's Over. I absolutely adore this song. Enjoy!

Flashback Friday

It's Friday (again? Already? No way!). Flashback time!

Weekly Flashback

• Bullying & Goodreads
• Cake Wrecks: Sunday Sweets, Villain Edition Life-size stormtrooper cake? Yes please!
• Author Etiquette 101: How to Support Readers
• Fake It Til You Make It

Epic Flashback

Today in 1968, Johnny Cash hit #1 with his live version of Folsom Prison Blues. We miss you, Johnny!

 

Gamer Girls Lend Me Your Ears!

I haven't taken my official photo yet, so I cheated for now. This is my main in SWTOR

Gamer girls, lend me your ears (and photos)!!

In August, I will be doing a blog series about female gamers and I want to include you! At the end of the series, I'm going to do a compilation of all the photos I get. What do I want in the photo? Well, YOU, of course. Also a sign that says "I am a gamer" and/or your favorite video game. Feel free to get creative, but please remember that my blog is PG-13, so keep it decent.

Email pictures to samantha@samantha-warren.com. They need to be received by August 20th to be included.

I am also looking for anyone interested in reviewing newly released games or previewing soon-to-be released games, and/or those who have an idea for a blog related to female gamers (no rants as I want this to be a positive experience). Just send me a message/tweet/email! Thanks bunches!

There also might be a prize involved, maybe along the lines of Call of Duty: Black Ops or Guild Wars 2. Stay tuned for more information!

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Hope you stayed away from all ladders, black cats (whoops, hi Josephine) and mirrors.

Weekly Flashback

• Why Are American Kids So Spoiled?
• The Art of Packing
• The Bomb of Profanity
• The Freedom to Write

Epic Flashback

After a conversation I had with a co-worker this week, I think it's time I let you all in on a little secret: I love the Spice Girls, specifically Spice World. It's one of the most fun, entertaining, insane movies I've seen and I adore it. And Posh did a wonderful job, back before her fashion taste went down the tubes. There, I said it. Please keep the tomatoes in the compost bin.  

Stealing the American Dream

Minnie Driver was never one of my favorite actresses. She kind of lost me when she did Good Will Hunting. That was one bandwagon I just couldn't get on, but despite the less than stellar (imo) start to her career, she had one role that was absolutely fantastic (well, two if you count Phantom of the Opera).

In The Riches, Driver plays Dahlia Malloy, an ex-con who just got released from prison. Her family are travelers (think Brad Pitt in Snatch) and she's pretty much the Princess Kate of the group. Everyone loves Dahlia, though few appreciate her outspoken husband Wayne (played by the always awesome Eddie Izzard). Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, they end up at a massive house in stereotypical suburbs. A bitter battle ensues between Dahlia and Wayne, at the end of which she declares "I don't need much, Wayne, but I need you." That's when Wayne hatches his plan to free his family from their life on the move and give them what he thinks they want and need:  

The American Dream. We're gonna steal it.

What I find most interesting about The Riches (aside from the superb acting, excellent dialogue, and entertaining characters) is that the "American dream" is laid bare. We see the real grit behind it, and we discover that maybe that dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. Society tells us what we should want, that we should have a big house, high-paying jobs, send our kids to private schools, and maybe that works for some people, but is that what really matters? Is it the where and what that make us? Or is it who we are with? Maybe the "American dream" needs a bit of a revamp, moving away from the accumulation of stuff to finding contentment in our current situation.

Sadly, I couldn't find a video of the particular part I was talking about, but here's Cael teaching his sister DiDi how to scam a convenience store worker.

 

Flashback Friday

Woohoo, it's Friday! Time to look back at the week that's behind us.

Weekly Flashback

•  Five Reasons to Read Indie Authors from Merry Farmer
• The Freedom to be Creative by Debra Kristi
• The Religion of Writing from The Write Cafe
• Why Prince Charming Kind of Sucks - This one is a bit old, but so funny

Epic Flashback

Who remembers snap bracelets?? I loved those things! For months. In my school, the metal ones were banned, and for good reason. Those things were dangerous!

 

The Curious Comfort of the Interweb

I am an introvert. *gasp* I know, right?? You're totally shocked, aren't you. You're not? Ah, well, I don't hide it very well. It's something I've struggled with since high school. Actually, I think my troubles with it might have started in sixth grade, when classes were first split. Before that, I didn't think anything of it. I was quite content staying home and reading all day until I noticed that everyone around me was hanging out at the mall, partying, etc. I didn't enjoy that stuff, so I figured something must be wrong with me.

It got worse in college. I picked one of the biggest schools in the nation to attend. Talk about a smart choice (/sarcasm). Still, I loved the school. It was a gorgeous campus, I could go to the football games, and I did meet some really cool people. I even went out to the occasional club or party, though most of my time was spent in my room, the library, or my friends' room playing 007 (I sucked, but it was fun). Then after a couple years and lots of testing of my social tolerance, something happened. I discovered MMOs.

Yes, scoff if you must, but that one discovery helped me tremendously. Before that, I hadn't really spent a lot of time on the internet. I used it for searching and stuff, but I never used it as a social tool. But when I started playing Star Wars: Galaxies, my world changed. I met new people, people I never would have encountered without the game. I became part of a community of individuals, a lot of who (whom?) were much like me. Since then, my social footprint has grown and I have expanded the ways I meet new people, but I still find it easier to interact with folks online that in person.

That's all good and great, but what's my point and why am I rambling? Well, while reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Won't Stop Talking last night, Susan Cain brought up a very interesting point:

Studies have shown that performance gets worse as group size increases. .... The one exception to this is online brainstorming. Groups brainstorming electronically, when properly managed, not only do better than individuals, research shows; the larger the group, the better it performs.

Weird, right? Earlier in the book, she mentions how introverts seem to feel more comfortable online and are able to express themselves and build friendships that then transfer to the "real world" much easier than they can in the physical world. As I was reading that, I was like "Yes! Absolutely 100% yes!" But why? What is it about the internet that makes it so much easier for introverts to be themselves and share their inner thoughts?

1. We don't get interrupted.  This is a big issue for me in face-to-face communication. I always like to let people finish talking before sharing my thought, but often that means they've moved onto another topic and sharing my thought would be out of place. Or I get interrupted in the middle of a thought and find it very difficult to bring the conversation back around to where I was before. In online communication (specifically typed chat) no one can get interrupted. Everyone gets their say and can even discuss multiple topics simultaneously.

2. We have time to think.  It's rare that we're required to answer RIGHT NOW when someone asks a question or makes a comment online. We often have time to ponder it over, even if it's only a couple of minutes. And if we are required to answer right away, we don't have someone staring at us while we think.

3. We can double check what we've said. Before we even send the message, we can read it over to make sure that what we're saying is what we really wanted to say. This greatly reduces the chances of our figurative foot ending up in our mouths.

4. People are typically more supportive than judgmental. Sure, there are some jerks out there, but I've found an enormous community of extremely friendly, helpful people. And everyone is so different. They come from all walks of life and share so many different experiences (and many of the same). If I have a problem, someone else has been there, too, and they understand.

Are you an introvert in a world of extroverts? Do you find online communication easier than face-to-face? What are some other benefits of online media?