So, I was just laying in bed thinking about Twilight (you know, typical Monday night) and I think I realized something that could blow the lid off this whole Edward-is-so-noble-for-not-wanting-to-turn-Bella thing. I haven’t read the books, so I know I’m not getting the full picture, but I don’t think Edward cares about Bella’s soul at all, no matter how much he claims that as his motive. (Theologically I have had a problem with that since I saw New Moon, because I don’t see why Jesus’ grace couldn’t extend to a repentant sufferer of vampirism… but that’s another discussion. Vampire scripture reference, anybody? Is it in the Apocrypha?)
Edward himself has admitted that Bella’s scent is like “his own personal brand of heroin”. I’m no expert on vampire biology, but I always assumed that scent was tied to her blood, because when she bleeds every vampire within a hundred yards loses it like so many sharks around chum. Therefore, were Edward to drain her, she would lose any and all of her appeal. As sites like this (thanks, Lance) point out, he just can’t actually be interested in her.
Edward Cullen, ladies and gentlemen, is. a. JUNKIE. There, I said it. He is not willing to make Bella a vampire TO SAVE HER LIFE just because he doesn’t want to, nay, CAN’T, give up her scent aka the smack.
Furthermore, I think the only reason he proposes at the end of New Moon (oh, umm spoiler alert?) is because now he wants to turn his ADDICTION into some sick sexual fetish butapparentlyhe’sreligiousforsomereason (and believes he has no soul or suicide will damn him or something) so he can’t have sex outside of marriage.
I can’t believe I didn’t see this when I was watching selected scenes (read: the ones with Taylor Lautner) on my bootleg copy the other day. I feel so used.
The last week of January I got to substitute a couple days for an English teacher whose two different classes were reading either Othello and The Diary of a Young Girl. I never read Anne Frank’s book when I was a student so I ended up taking a copy home and was reading it in my free time- which ended abruptly (though pleasantly) on Wednesday!
It is crazy to think how quickly life changes. This time last week I was worried about getting enough hours at work because of a decision my principal made that would limit the tutors’ subbing opportunities, and now I’m more worried about having time to do anything besides working at the school! Let me fill you in on all that has changed in the last few days.
I found out on Tuesday that one of our English teachers was leaving to take a job with better hours at another school and that her last day would be Thursday. On Wednesday I mentioned to my assistant principal that I had minored in English at school, and by the time I left at noon that day (because my 20 hours of tutoring for the week were up) I had looked over my transcript with the principal and discovered that I had 9 upper-level credit hours in English, 3 short of being considered “highly qualified” by the state to teach ELA. The other way to be highly qualified is to pass a TExES test, which I didn’t think would be a problem at all, so I went home and began to research the quickest way to get the skills to take my first real teaching position.
After talking to my ACP (alternative certification program) I found out the next TExES test isn’t until April 17th- bad news for me. While the science test I originally passed was offered online at a number of sites and I only had to wait a week, the ELA test is only administered on paper and offered every few months.
I called my principal and he said he could justify having me as a long-term sub if I was working to get qualified, but not beyond mid-March, so this test would be too late. I began to explore option #2 and found an online college course that ends on March 15th. Doesn’t get more “mid-March” than that. After getting the approval from my principal, ACP counselor, and admissions counselor about the late enrollment, I pulled the trigger on Thursday and registered for ENG 492 American Lit since 1860, which starts on Tuesday. Friday I co-subbed in my new class and come Monday I will be in there teaching by myself (with a flash drive full of lesson plans the previous teacher left behind- SO grateful for that!)
What a blessing! I have gone from being a Science certified teacher working as a Math tutor and substitute to a long-term sub teaching English 3 and 4, and, God-willing, the teacher of record by the end of the semester. I’m also officially a college student again, but it’s University of Phoenix online so I’m not counting that. Life is about to get extremely busy- teaching from 7am-5pm (6:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and doing my own schoolwork after all that… but I am excited. Lord, give me the strength to succeed throughout this and actually teach these kids something!
Christmastime means many things to many people. It is a time to reflect on the year past, a time to worship and look forward to the year coming, a time to eat good food and catch up with friends and family. It is all these things to my family, and even more to me and my dad: it is a time to sit in a freezing plywood box in the Texas panhandle and shoot as many animals as we can.
Our annual hunting trip is something I always look forward to. It was the way I started my winter break after finals for four years of college, and played more than a small part in my decision to pursue a career in education- I need that time out in nature every year or I get a little anxious.
We roll out tomorrow at 7 AM in order to make it to Shamrock in time to hunt tomorrow evening. The hunting is always fun, whether it is deer or quail or turkey or coyote or bobcat (this year we expect to see wild hogs), but it is the people we encounter that really make the memories. There is the generous ex-military man interested in wildlife management who uses terms like “fish condominiums” and “quality table-fare”, and the kind old alcoholic who missed about 3 years of fishing trips because of a little run-in with the law who just showed back up one spring morning by the boat trailers as if he were never gone. The biggest character we get to spend time with, however, is my dad’s cousin at whose home we stay when we are in Wheeler County. I present to you, unedited and in its entirety, an email my dad got from him the last time I was home that I had him forward to me. I almost forgot about it until now that we are preparing to trek northward in the morning. Almost. Can’t even say it seems that out of the ordinary once you know the dude.
From: B.J. Clay Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 2:51 PM To: John Agan; Jim Agan Subject: accident
Just thought i would let ya`ll know I was transferring my rifle from my pickup to another vehicle and it went off and i shot the end of my big toe off.They operated on it Friday afternoon.I am sore and will be off my feet for a couple of weeks but should be OK but with a shorter toe.My new boots will fit better now.JAY
I am a sucker for a good team up comic, and Jim Starlin and Mike Mignola’s 1988 space-opera Cosmic Odyssey is a great one. Really. Just finished it tonight and saw great character moments, awesome fights, and one of the best uses of the eclectic DC character roster I’ve ever witnessed. Mignola runs away with Starlin’s script, and I really like his character designs, from rotund Darkseid to tall, slender Starfire. Also, has one of the coolest depictions of Superman’s heat vision I’ve come across:
Look how it is igniting the air around it as he destroys this doomsday device. Cool.
Also, since I am watching SNL while I write this, I should mention that I finally got around to buying and reading the Amazing Spider-Man one-shot The Short Halloween by Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Kevin Maguire in the last few months, and it is GREAT. Hilarious dialogue and great story from first time writers and an old favorite artist.
Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go re-watch Hank teach Dean the Mystery Method because he is so Batman and then cry because there is only one more Venture Bros. episode left in this brilliant season.
Above splash from DC’s Batwoman in Detective Comics #856, Oct 2009 by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III. JDub3 is killing it in this series, people, even more than Team Jacob just owned Team Alice in Wonderland up there.
A friend just emailed me this pic. I love that it is somehow “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” merchandise. My favorite part of the movie was definitely when Hugh Jackman donned his gay apparel/ yellow costume and mask. Seriously, though, that would have been tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. No spandex pun intended.
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Life has been “X-tremely” busy lately (get it?)… I have had three great blog-worthy weekends in a row, and I want very badly to update with more than a picture and funny (?) caption but until I take my teacher certification test on Wednesday I have pledged to be a ghost so’s I can study.
Tonight’s installment of San Antonio’s Third Most Popular Comics/Marketing Blog ™ is brougt to you by our sponsors, Youtube and Hollywood.
Grace recommended the following trailers to me today (while I was at my first day of WORK!) and I just watched them. Both films look great and I just wanted to take a minute to suppose you hadn’t seen them yet and share them here. I am certainly no Brandon Jarratt, but I like to think I have decent taste in movies. But don’t take my word for it!
I have loved Amy Adams since her debut (to me) as Purse Girl in early ‘05, finally began to understand the buzz about Meryl Streep when I screened Adaptation last summer and really understood it with Mamma Mia! over Christmas break, so what’s not to like? Julia Child is no Anthony Bourdain, but I mean, who is, right? Bradley Cooper? Yes!
Guys! That’s Louis CK (@1:02)! Plus other people!
Alright, that’s really all I got. Please comment if you have any opinions whatsoever about these flicks. I hope no one is reading this right now because you are all at HP episode VI right now. Wish I could be there but I didn’t do my homework in time. I really am honestly scared to start book 6 b/c of the fiend I turned into during book 4. I was working at a chruch camp for kids from children’s homes and skipped stuff to read about the Tri-Wiz Tourney. I know, it was a low point. I’m afraid to become dependent again, cuz I’ve had that monkey off my back for almost 2 years now. I should just lock myself in a room and be done with it, Trainspotting style.
BTW, Entourage last night was real and it was spectacular. This summer is 2007 all over again.
Saturday morning- free resident breakfast at the apartments, met more people, took party to pool.
Saturday afternoon- finished Entourage season 2 with Scott! I first watched like seasons 1-3 during the summer of ‘07 and then bought them in China that fall but never actually watched the ones I bought until this summer b/c Scott had never watched it. It’s even better the second time, I am telling you.
Saturday evening- caught the tail end of HP3: Dementors Attack! on ABC Family at at the BWimp/GBills residence. Never really watched any of those except 5 on a plane and 1 when it came out like last millenium. Buckbeak was definitely the best casting job.
Saturday night- hung out with new breakfast friends, met their friends
Sunday afternoon- Started season 3 (man I hate Dom in these eps)
Now I am about to head to church/post-church game night with Roach to meet his friends, and
SEASON SIX OF ENTOURAGE STARTS TONIGHT!
We didn’t know we were working on a deadline to catch Scott up until a couple days ago or we would have watched Entourage before Kitchen Confidential, but between our friends at the apartments we think we have all the seasons lined up. I am current on the series, but I need to find HBO soon or I will officially be an episode behind.
Rock shows, new friends, HP, and the boys from Queens are definitely ingredients to a good summer.
