Accio New Post!

I read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" over the summer because I figured it was a cultural thing and I needed to. It was cartoony ("Muggles"? Really?) and childish (Minerva McGonagall? Please.) and I couldn't see why anyone would like the books.

I felt obligated to read "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" after that because my friend wanted me to. It wasn't really better, although I was at least used to the stupid lingo.

Then I read through "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." I actually liked that one. I liked Sirius. I read over phrases like "Let's use Polyjuice Potion" and "Try Summoning it" without thinking.

I started "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and couldn't do it. It was mind-numbingly boring and I quit, finished trying. Who cares THAT MUCH about Quidditch??

Two months later, I forced myself to try "Goblet of Fire" again. After the beginning, I got into it. It was...great?? I got sort of into it, in a way.

I wanted to read the next one, so I read "Harry Potter and the Order Phoenix." ...I really liked it a lot. The book didn't even start out boring, though Harry was a whiny git at first. The whole thing was becoming surprisingly interesting and extremely complex. I was delighted at how insignificant things started to fit together so perfectly.

I devoured "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in like two and a half days. I laughed at Ron, marveled at Hermione and cringed at Harry. It was second nature to summon things (Accio!) and I registered the complicated fighting scenes (Stupify! Protego! Petrificus Totalus!) without difficulty.\
I eagerly read and savored "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." I cried. It was intense and realistic. It felt like I was watching my friends right before my eyes. I knew their histories. I knew their styles. I had watched them grow up for seven years.

I finished the series, including one of the most satisfying epilogues I've read, on Christmas Day (really the day after; it was 12:46). I never intended to like Harry Potter. And I'm not sure why I do. It IS cartoony at times, and I'm not sure that it's exceptionally well-written. But...for some reason, I DO like them. I like them very much. And I'm sad they're over.

I know a lot of you are very anti-Harry Potter. Whatever. I was too. But there's a lot to appreciate in them besides witchcraft and wizardry. There's mystery and humor and realism and morals and great quotes and strong characters and enough creativity for half the Renaissance period.

Stop judging the books before you read them. I was just as guilty as y'all are; I condemned them too (and I still wouldn't NECESSARILY recommend them for impressionable little kids). But I now stand on the issue of HP where I do with the dread T series:

If you haven't read them, don't judge them. (Ah ah ah, no buts. Stop it. Stop--STOPIT. Shush.) It's just as bad as calling a cheerleader stupid or a homeschooler unsocial or a nerd creepy.

That is all.

~Kendra

To Pierce or Not to Pierce? Biblical View

Wow! The feedback on To Pierce or Not to Pierce was great! Y'all are so awesome :) Thanks for giving me your opinions. It's helping me make my decision.

There was one particular comment I want to address specifically. One person wisely suggested that I turn to Bible for the answer (always the best place to start). A few verses this person suggested:

Leviticus 19:28
"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD."

Deuteronomy 14:1
"You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead."

Genesis 35
"And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Lots of information there! I have trouble knowing where to start XD

First, I'd like to point out a pattern in the verses (well, one of them): They come primarily from the Old Testament. Why is that? Well, it's because back then, there were TONS of rules to follow to make Christians "clean". It's unbelievable! If you read those early books of the Bible, it's staggering to see the lists of rules the Israelites were expected to follow. You might even say it was impossible. Why would God give people so many rules that were so difficult to follow?

I think one of the biggest reasons is simply because it's impossible. God wanted the Israelites to realize how impossible it was to be perfect, how much they needed God and his forgiveness.

For years and years and YEARS it went on like that. People tried to follow all the rules (even the ones about clipping your beard, braiding your hair, and piercing your ears) all the time. Then something cool happened:

Jesus came.

Jesus wiped away all the rules but two:

Love God.
Love your neighbors.

(If you follow those two commandments, the other Ten Commandments kind of naturally follow anyway.)

This is one reason why Jesus made people so angry.

WHAT??? This trouble-maker says we don't have to wash our hands before every meal. HOW DARE HE?

Etc.

See, when Jesus came, HE was the perfect sacrifice! By dying for our sins, he took away the burden of trying to be perfect. We don't have to follow all the Old Testament rules to be good Christians. Jesus took care of that burden for us :) It's all good.

There is one verse from the New Testament:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

I really like this verse. But I don't think it means that piercing your ears is wrong. Piercing ears does not dishonor God. It's simple a fun way to show your personality. To show who you are, how God made you, a way to express yourself! We should always honor God with our bodies, but I see that as more what you physically do. Honor God by opening the door for people. Honor God by not reacting in sudden violence. Honor God by using your hands for His glory. Things like that :)

The Bible is the best place to look for answers. It's our instruction manual, our map for life, God speaking to us! But it's also really important to make sure you understand all the details behind the text.

~Kendra

Shopping. Yeah, Again.

I have good news for you:

I survived yet another shopping trip.

It wasn't actually that bad. I'm starting to not dislike it. Which is not the same as liking it, mind you, I can just STAND it now.

...okay, maybe I like it a little bit. But only when it's for me. And when I have a non-cheapskate budget. And it's not one of those leave-at-9AM-get-back-at-4PM trips. Then, and only then, I kinda like it XD

I have sort of an odd sense of style sometimes, so it's weird finding clothes. I don't do plaid shorts. I dislike flowered embroidery. Puff sleeves + pink = not for me. Purple anything = not for me. Anything even hinting of "Save the Planet", "Peace and Love" or "THIS WAS RECYCLED" receives an immediate GETMEAWAYFROMTHISRACK reaction.






(The first and last YESES I actually got :D)

Not only did I find some CLOTHES I liked, but also a pair of SHOES. That is a major accomplishment for me. Why?

1) I have big feet.
2) I have long toes.
3) Kendra's big feet + Kendra's long toes = I hate my feet.

So yeah XD I found shoes. Wewt.

Long story short: I don't hate shopping...:OOOOOOOO

XD

~Kendra

Food for Thought

"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." ~ Atticus Finch, "To Kill A Mocking Bird"

People talk about being judgmental a lot, but I'm starting to think it's one of those lessons you have to figure out for yourself. I can talk until I'm blue in the face about not judging, but you have to learn it for yourself.

Things that you swore never to do, say, think, feel, wear, or forget, you will. Don't be so quick to judge people for what they do. You don't know the half of it. You don't know what's going on with them. You don't know how they feel. Someday when you do, you might feel pretty silly for stereotyping them or writing them off.

Of course, there are boundaries to this. There are some things that are never okay, no matter what the situation. However, it may turn out that things you thought were black and white actually aren't.

Think about it.

~Kendra

P.S. Check out Levi's blog, With the Setting Sun. His writing style is cool, and he's got great thoughts.

Double Tagged

Today is going fine. Nothing really to report. I might go to Cavender's lacrosse game later. That should be interesting considering I know NOTHING about lacrosse XD (But at least I know about football, huh, Cavender? :P)

School is going a'ight. We're supposed to be starting our Lincoln-Douglas debate this week D: That's a one-on-one debate... Our teacher didn't explain it at all, and yet we're supposed to work on it this week...? Ugh, I'm confused and already stressed -_- And it's only day two. *sigh*

Well, I was tagged by Bleah Briann. This is a unique tag in more ways than one! This particular tag was created by Bleah, but part of the tag is to make your own. When you tag people, they will take your and then create one themselves. The people you tag will take yours, and make one of their own, etc. Here we go!

The Way I like to Say Hello:
In real life, just "Hey :)". In chats online, either "Hey" or "Hai" XD

Once Upon A Time...(finish the sentence):
...is no way to begin this story.

When I was five my favorite item was:
Hmm, I'm not sure if I had a favorite item then...Probably my dollhouse. I loved that thing. I still do!

What I like between two peices of bread best is:
Turkey and pepper.

When I grow up I want to be a/an:
WriterLawyerTeacherWifeMom. Oh yeah.

I like:
Summer, dancing, words, feeling free, being with my friends.

I really, really want:
Since "No school" is too obvious, I'm going to go with...I don't even know actually.

I desperately need:
Self-discipline.

If I could color my hair any color I would color it:
I don't think I would. I don't really mind my hair color, and if you color it you have to keep going to get it done...Not for me.

People often call me:
Weird :D XD

I'm terrified of:
Losing people. (Also spiders, food poisoning, and tapeworms XD)

The Way I like To Say Goodbye:
Talk to you later :)

Now I have to make a tag. Hmm. Let's see...

1. Do you believe the world will end in 2012?
Nope.

2. Which scares you more: things that happen outside your body (like falling off a cliff, getting punched in the face, a spider biting you, etc.) or things that happen inside your body (like diseases, emotions, ignorance, etc.)?
Definitely things that happen inside my body.

3. Briefly describe your life in ten years.
Hmm, I'll be 26. Mkay, if I am still planning to be a lawyer, I'll be just finishing up school. I sort of want to be married by then, but maybe not kids yet. It would be so hard to keep up with school and kids. Hopefully I'll still be writing. It would be cool to have a book published by then. I hope I'll have retained my love for words and imagination and am on the path God wants for me.

4. What do you think is the most power thing in the world, and why?
Words. Words are definitely the most powerful thing in the world in my opinion. Sure, friends, love, and compassion are big, but how are those things expressed? Lots of times, with words. You can persuade people to do the right thing with words. You can make a difference with words. You can spread knowledge with words. You can change the world with words. Words are the way people communicate, and without communication, where would anyone be?

5. What high-school stereotype would you put yourself in?
Either the weirdos or the normal kids. Definitely not running with the popular crowd, but not *quite* a nerd.

6. Why did you start blogging?
I was part of the Pen-Wielders' Guild, and I thought blogging would be interesting to do on my own. My class also started a blog, Students of Serendipity. I've always had lots of ideas floating around in my head, and I thought blogging would be the way to capture them all in one place.

7. What's your favorite animal at the zoo?
Lions. I heard one roar one time. That was AWESOME. It was just O.O So cool.

8. Gold or silver?
Silver.

9. Light or dark?
No such thing as darkness, just the absence of light.

10. Good or evil?
Without evil there couldn't be good.

Okay. *whew* Finished XD Now, you take my tag, do it on your blog, and make one of your own! I'll tag anyone who wants to do it XD Go for it. Can't wait to read your answers!

~Kendra

MONUMENTAL DECISION (skip to the end if you want)

Remember what I said about how our BritLit assignment was cool? Well, I lied.

I *thought* it was going to be cool, but it's turned out to be tedious, slow, boring, and pointless. The book is, at least, not the assignment. The author doesn't tell you who's speaking, you just have to kind of figure it out. And it's set in India, so the way they phrase things is sort of cryptic and awkward. And nothing happens. I'm a fast reader, and this is day 2 with only 50 pages covered. I need to get to 170 by Monday. *groan*

Besides that riveting piece of news, guess what else has happened today?

NOTHING. -.-

This is my life during school. Exciting, isn't it? This is why we need a schedule. I'm planning on starting it this Sunday, so I'll just take the top seven Days from the poll.

As of now, the schedule is going to be:

Sunday: God Day
Monday: Name/Quote/Advice/Question (tied, obviously)
Tuesday: Fact or Fiction Day
Wednesday: Picture Day
Thursday: Character Day
Friday: Memory Day
Saturday: Daybook Day

So yeah. That is all I have to say.

OH, WAIT, NO.

I actually have something MONUMENTAL to ask you guys:

What if I changed my username? How freaked out/opposed/PO-ed would y'all be? Here are the ones I was considering:

Cinderbelle (ditch Kendra completely, but...I don't think I could do that...)
Kendrabelle (I like this, too.)
Kendra Cinderbelle (I don't like this.)

Thoughts? I know this is a lot of asking in one post, but if you wanted to leave me a comment with your opinion, I'd like it :)

By for real, y'all :D

~Kendrabelle

Return of the Schedule?

So, first: what do you think of the winter look? I really like it, but it sort of seems...dark almost. Kind of like the White Witch's castle or something, you know? Hmm.

Well, school sort of started back today. Not full speed by any stretch of the imagination. All I had to do was a little biology left over from break and repack my backpack for this semester. Tomorrow is when the real tortur--er, fun begins.

*sigh* I'm not sure when I started to dislike school so much. I used to sort of like it. I think I started to hate it when I started having to try really hard ;P Everything used to be really easy, now I have to really think. Darn, right?

It is official, though:

Kendra has a kold :(

But, seriously, it's not that bad. I hate feeling slow and stuffy, but it's not that bad. I slept a lot better last night than I did Saturday night. Saturday night was like my own personal...heck ;P FREEZING COLD!!!!! Last night, I wore my awesome new pajamas that Matt and Katie gave me, and added two extra blankets to my usual three :D I had really weird dreams though. Not even cool ones like usual, just kind of stupid :-/ Oh well.

With school starting back, I think I may need to get up a schedule again. What do you guys think? It's nice to have something pre-thought-out ideas so that I have something to go on if my day has been totally BLECK, you know? Hmm.

Okay, here's a list of all the "days" I've done before. Which ones would you really like to see back? I'll probably put up a poll in a minute.

1. Name Day
2. Quote Day
3. Character Day
4. God Day
5. Carpe Noctem Day
6. Word Day
7. Advice Day
8. Question Day
9. Fact or Fiction Day
10. Award Day (will not be returning, just so ya know, LOL XD)
11. 50 Word Friday (will definitely be staying, just so ya know ;))
12. Memory Day (...? Did anyone else *completely* forget this one??)
13. Picture Day

Do you feel like this was as boring and useless a post as I do? ;P

~Kendra (Sorry, my signature is still messed up.)

Opposites

My sister Lizzy and I are complete opposites. Everything about us is different and opposite. We still get along (mostly, haha), but we're completely different.

Me:
I have brown hair and blue-green eyes.
My favorite color is green, and I hate purple.
If I had one wish, it'd be for an older brother.
I like soup because I don't like to eat, and I'm good in every subject but math and science.
I'd rather be hot than cold, and summer is my season.
I'd rather read and write than just about anything, but if I'm watching a movie it'll be action-packed and full of suspense and clever dialogue.
When it comes to cleaning, I'm a big believer in "Let's don't and say we did".
My room is organized chaos: it's messy, but I know EXACTLY where everything is.
I'm sort of OCD, though, and if something isn't symmetrical, it irritates me to no end.
I'm terrible about procrastinating.
I'm persuasive and mischievous and enjoy getting around the rules.
If a rule is stupid, I will break it just to bother you.
You can yell at me all day, I don't mind, and the whole guilt-trip thing is lost on me.
Overall I'm a green-loving, persuasive, tom-boy-rebel who should have been born in Florida with an older brother.

Lizzy:
She has blue eyes and blonde hair, but darker eyebrows which she worries about all the time.
She loves blue and likes purple, and she likes to cook, too.
She likes to eat, but she's still skinny.
Where I would kill for an older brother, she'd like to have a little sister.
Reading and writing are basically the bane of her existence, and she works herself up every time she has to do either.
She hates being hot and would probably thrive in Alaska.
She's an absolute neat-freak and if something isn't SPOTLESS, she'll scrub it for half an hour (I wish I were kidding).
When relaxing she likes hanging out with the family and is a lover of chick-flicks.
She okay with word play if you explain it to her, but it's really not her thing.
She's very helpful and kind and easy to guilt-trip and if you yell at her she'll cry.
She's huge on rules, she'll follow them even if they make no sense. If the dentist tells her not to eat for two hours, she won't eat after it's been an hour and fifty-minutes seconds. She might even wait an EXTRA hour just to be on the safe side.
Overall she's a very sweet and fun neat-freak who believes in following the letter AND the spirit of the law.

And there you have it.
Opposite. Complete opposites.

I'm Evil where she's Good.
She's Clean where I'm Messy.
I'm Chill where she's Freaking Out.
She's Helpful where I'm Clueless.

Opposites, but sisters, and that's enough the same for me. I love her no matter how she is <3

~Kendra

Well, Folks, It's Today...

I have a new follower! Thanks, Olive Tree!

NEW MOON COMES OUT AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT/TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I am going to be at the theater! Cassie Roads and I will be arriving at the theater two hours ahead of time to ensure a good seat. And I'm still not holding my breath for one. I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be Twi-hards and fanpires lined up outside as early as 6pm this evening.

Can you believe that last year I was about to wet my pants to go see Twilight? LOL! Boy, how times have changed. I've barely had time to think about New Moon until, like, today. I kept thinking I'd start getting excited...but I never did. I'm definitely excited now, but it's more like a vague smile as I participate in a fad than a screaming obsession.

Maturing? *shrug* Maybe :)

So, in honor of the Day of Release, I thought I'd do a Twilight post containing all my thoughts about it. Feel free to roll your eyes and skip this post if you so desire :)

I've already state my opinion on the Why-Christians-Should-Hate-Twilight issue, so I won't go into that again (I believe Twilight is perfectly okay for Believers, by the way). If you want to here my relatively-short-for-me rant, click HERE.

Now my view on the ever-popular issue: TEAM EDWARD OR TEAM JACOB??

VIEWS ON EDWARD
The Good
1. Beautiful
2. Strong
3. Mythical
4. Firm believer in abstinence

The Bad
1. Ultimate controlling boyfriend
2. Learn to laugh, would ya, Ed?
3. Dead
4. His love for Bella is completely unrealistic. I mean, really?
5. Robert Pattinson is ugly.

VIEWS ON JACOB
The Good
1. Hott
2. Great sense of humor
3. Mythical
4. Fun to hang out with
5. Loved/knew Bella as a friend first
6. Protective, but not controlling
7. Did I already say hott?
8. Did I mention great sense of humor?

The Bad
1. ...
2. ...
3 ...OH! He swears a couple of times! That could be bad, right...?
4. ...

So, that's where I stand on the Team Jacob vs. Team Edward issue.

BUT. There is someone who trumps them both.

Guess who?

EMMETT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WooooooooooooooT! :) Hehe, he's my faaaaaavorite. He's everything Jacob is/has except he's an OLDER BROTHER, TOO!! I mean, c'mon! ;)

Now. Which book is my favorite? I like them all for different reasons, so it's honestly hard to choose.

TWILIGHT:
Great beginning to the story. Edward is awesome in this one because you don't get to know Jacob that much XD Edward and Bella's relationship is fun and healthy and Edward growls several times. *girlish giggle*

Sorry.

*clears throat*

NEW MOON:
**SPOILER ALERT**
Edward leaves!! :O *gasp* Which sucks the first time you read the book, but then when you read it again, you're not as shocked and you can enjoy Jacob more. Then the book is pretty awesome. Lots of Jacob and Jacob-esque humor. Bella and Edward's relationship spirals quickly into the utterly ridiculous and unhealthy stage.

ECLIPSE:
Definitely my ultimate LEAST FAVORITE. Edward is back (*grumble*), and a complete control-freak. He keeps Bella from her other friends and from her best friend, Jacob. Bella and Edward's relationship is stupid and creepy, and Jacob is constantly fighting for attention. There are some good moments, of course, but over all I wanted to slap Edward the entire time.

BREAKING DAWN:
**BIGGGGGG SPOILER ALERT**
Hehe, PG-13. No, really, it's not that bad. Bella and Edward get married, and they do what married couples do. So it's not bad morally, but maybe not for little kids either...Still, you get to see Emmett a LOT more, which is a huge plus to me. Jacob appears plenty, too, and there's even a section of the book written from his point of view! Awesome!

So there's my view on the books. I'll just wrap this rant up with some lovely cast photos :D

**WARNING!! CONTAINS A VERY SHIRTLESS MALE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO HATE ME FOREVER FOR POSTING SUCH ATROCITIES, DO NOT SCROLL FARTHER THAN THIS. THANK YOU.**

JACOB BLACK

EDWARD CULLEN

EMMETT CULLEN

BELLA SWAN

Haircuts and Anti-Fanpires!

Thank you, Christopher Kolmorgan for following!! W00T!

Guess what, you guys? This coming Wednesday is my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BLOGGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O Whoa! How did I not notice that earlier?? What should I do? You tell me! I'd love some ideas of what you'd like to see :)

So, today I got a hair cut :D Y'all know how I looked before...and here's how I looked after!
:D I love having a photographer-computer-savvy sister :) <3 href="http://thoughtsofashieldmaiden.blogspot.com/">Thoughts of a Shieldmaiden. Earwen does not hold a very high opinion of the series (although she hasn't read it yet). I'd like to say a little about what I think.

Some common complaints about the Twilight series are:
1. It portrays vampires as the "good guys".
2. It contains sexuality.
3. It encourages girls to go for the "bad boys".
4. It portrays effeminate guys as being hot.
5. It is completely unchristian.

The "Twilight" series is not an incredibly complex story when one tries to explain it briefly. The entire plot line can be summed up in one sentence: "It's about a girl who falls in love with a vampire."

Whoo hoo.

It's actually much more complex and intriguing when you get into it, though. The main character, Bella, and her vampire "boyfriend", Edward, have to fight the constant battle of their two worlds. Edward and his family are "vegetarians", meaning they do not drink the blood of humans, but animals only. However, the call of Bella's blood to Edward is uncannily strong, making for an interesting relationship.

The first accusation to examined, that vampires are portrayed as "good guys" does have some merit. Yes, the vampires ARE portrayed as the good guys. Some of them are.

Oh, you mean how there are good and bad people?

Yes.

There are good and bad vampires in the story, just as there are good and bad humans. Being a vampire does not immediate classify someone as being "evil" or the "bad guy". What you are doesn't make you good or evil, it's your choices. The "good" vampires make good choices. They make the best with what they have. They were turned into vampires against their wills, and are now struggling to be the best they can be under the circumstances. The "bad" vampires make bad choices. They embrace their blood lust instead of fighting it, and think of humans as nothing but snacks.

I've heard the idea of a "good vampire" compared to a "good homosexual". (This post is not about homosexuality. If you want to see my thoughts on that, go to Carpe Noctem. I am just speaking about this subject from a Christian point of view because that's where most of the complaints are coming from.)

That comparison does not computer at all. Homosexuals CHOOSE to be what they are; vampires are "born" that way. Calling all vampires "evil" is like calling all Americans selfish, all African-Americans rude, or all Asians smart, for that matter!

The second complaint about the Twilight series, that the books are full of sexuality, is not true. There are a few pages in the third book, "Eclipse" that have some suggestive behavior, but Edward quickly puts a stop to it. While Bella has no problem giving herself away, Edward has firm principles governing abstinence and makes it clear to Bella that if they were ever to have a physical relationship, they would have to get married FIRST.

Another commonly-made accusation is that the books encourage girls to go for the "bad boys". Edward is not a "bad boy". In fact, at some points he is so good that I turned away in disgust. (Bella did, too, lol!) As I said before, Edward refuses to sleep with Bella (a good thing, not a bad thing), upholds his principles, tries to be the best he can be under the circumstances, respects parental authorities, and tries to do what's best for Bella.

If there is a bad boy in the series at all, it is Jacob Black (my favorite, of course :D). Jacob helps Bella to deceive her father, aids her in dangerous activity, swears (mildly), is the Innuendo King, and tries to break up Bella and Edward.

I don't know about you, but Jacob definitely seems to err on the side of "bad boy" MUCH more than Edward.

Accusation #4: The Twilight books portray effeminate guys as hot. It doesn't, really. I mean, I guess I can see how Robert Pattinson looks girly, but I think the casting of Twilight was TERRIBLE anyway. Edward is the picture of masculinity if you read the books; it's why I fell in love with him the first time through the books. I mean...wow, honestly, he is not girly. Not at all.

The complaint that Twilight is completely unchristian comes from people who have not read the books. For the record, the Bible says nothing about vampires or werewolves. Twilight mentions God several times and all in a positive light. Edward and his family are Christians. Edward's father's father was a medieval priest. The values of good and evil, right and wrong are clearly mapped out through the book in a most Christian manner. I mean, even abstinence is there, y'all! Like I said, complaints of the books being unchristian clearly come from people who have not read the book, or who are determined not to like it.

And that's my rant for the day :) Maybe I'll publish this to Carpe Noctem later...

Thoughts, questions, opinions, arguments welcome, as always! Oh, and don't forget to vote on the serial poll, and don't forget to give me ideas for my ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!!

~Kendra

Top 50 Ways to Annoy People Who Don't Like the Maximum Ride Books

This is great because you can change it up a little and make it work for ANYTHING.

1. Relate everything they say to the Maximum Ride books.

2. Say they look like a Maximum Ride character of the opposite gender.

3. Quote the Voice.

4. Rewrite their favorite song with Maximum Ride lyrics and sing it constantly.

5. Crowd their inbox with Maximum Ride related e-mail and make sure the subjects are misleading.

6. Start reciting Max's poem "White" at random moments, pretend to forget what comes next, and ask if they know in a very loud voice.

7. Make them play Erasers vs. Bird Kids with you.


8. Give all of their friends Maximum Ride related nicknames and act mortally offended when they don't know the history of their character.

9. Change your name to that of a Maximum Ride character and start screaming when they don't address you as such in public.

10. Draw wings and wrist-scars on every poster and picture you come across...in permanent marker.

11. Give long lectures about how the Voice's advice relates to every day life.

12. Constantly ask if they can see the Flyboys too.

13. ...refuse to explain what a Flyboy is.

14. Pretend you can fly, become invisible, or read minds..

15. Insist that NOTHING in your house be moved, for Iggy's sake.

16. Constantly compare them to Jeb.

17. ...laugh evilly if they ask who Jeb is.

18. Complain loudly about how you need at least 3000 calories a day to grow up big and strong like Max.

19. Tell a very long joke using a random Maximum Ride quote as the punchline and then laugh hysterically.

20. ...make sure the joke isn't funny.

21. Write letters to people (friends, neighbors...politicians) and ask them to join the fight to save the world.

22. ...hand fliers advertising it to random passerby.

23. Report Ari's death to your local authorities.

24. Call them repeatedly asking if Dr. Martinez is there and hang up before they can reply.

25. Walk past a wall over and over again, stopping randomly to bang on. When you receive weird stares, shout, "What?! I'm look for branches of Itex!"

26. Every time you see them, demand an explanation of why exactly they don't like Maximum Ride.

27. If anyone tells you you'll go to hell for reading Maximum Ride, either: a) jump and down and tell them that you can't wait; b) tell them you'll meet them there; or c) ask them to back up this claim with evidence, and laugh at them when they can't.

28. Play the book-on-tape while they're stuck in your car.

29. ...add commentary.

30. When it's the anniversary of one of the releases, call to remind them.

31. ...every five minutes.

32. Classify everyone you meet as a different mutant. (Example: "Ooh, he would make a great dog-whale!")

33. Follow them around while acting out a scene from the book doing very annoying voices for all the characters. Expect them to join in, and act offended when they don't.

34. Count down to some obscure Maximum Ride event, whether it's a random date mentioned in the books, or maybe a character's birthday. Keep saying: "87 (86, 85, etc.) more days!" in the middle of every conversation you have with your friend. Smile in a superior way when they ask what you're counting down to.

35. Start talking about a deceased Maximum Ride character and suddenly burst into hysterical tears.

36. Refuse to be comforted.

37. Send them numerous letters informing them that they have been selected for research, and you must bid them goodbye.

38. Print this out and use it as a checklist.

39. Insist that they subscribe for your new Maximum Ride newsletter and when they say no, act like you've been seriously offended.

40. If you go to a big city with them, loudly ask random people if they know where you can find the School.

41. Invite them to play "Mad Scientists" with you.

42. Tell them you're Fang, then hide.


43. Send out birthday party invitations for a Maximum Ride character. Be sure to call everyone who doesn't respond and ask them if they're coming.

45. Call your local news station and give them a tip on where to find the Bird Kids.

46. Whenever looks like it might rain, scream "Global-warming induced hurricane!!" and hide for days at a time.

47. When travelling long distances, tell them it would be so much faster if they had wings, too.

48. Tell them that they're almost as good a cook as Iggy.

49. ..refuse to tell them who Iggy is.

50. Speak in an androgenous voice at random moments and make predictions about people, give directions and advice. Then, use your normal voice again and pretend that you don't remember anything.

Haha, now that that's done with, I just have three quick "announcments" to make.

1. Since Word Day and Carpe Noctem Day are scheduled for replacement, I need something to replace them WITH. I have some ideas, but I'd really like to know what you guys want, since you're the ones who read my boring junk anyway ;)

2. Don't forget to vote on Name the Assasin girl poll. Pro to Kieran: very cool sound and cool meaning. Pro to Vega: very cool sound and fits with the meaning of her two brothers, whose names mean Sun and Mood. (Vega means falling STAR).

3. Also don't forget about Followers Say...at Carpe Noctem coming up on September 26! So far there are only three people "signed up" to do it. C'mom, you know you want to ;) Details here.

That's about it! Thanks, y'all! Talk to ya later!

The Armoured Heart

Congrats to Cavender and Limer! You didn't get the Guess That Word: Spanish Addition word correct, but you DID it, so you get an award :D

*applause*

The answer I was looking for is this:

Desconsolado = heartbroken.

All your guesses were VERY close, and pretty much synonomous, but not quite :)

Moving on to Picture Day...

Okay, so, keeping with the Spanish word theme, I just Googled "broken heart" images. I found three AWESOME ones, and I CANNOT chose, so you get three pictures in one day! Woohoo! :)

Aren't those so cool?? I thought so. I really want to go into detail about them, actually, but I'll just do the first one.

This heart is shattering, but notice that not all the way through. The heart is three dimentional and only the outer armour is coming off, exposing the bare, red heart. As tragic as the picture looks, if you think about it, it's actually not. At least, not necessarily.

This could be a picture of at least two different and opposite things: it could symbolize a person with a lot of reservations, who has trouble giving his/her heart away. Then, along comes someone very special who helps to shatter than tough exterior and help him/her fall deeper in love without all the barriers.

It could also portray a broken and wounded heart. A heart that's been hurt deep down, and over a long time, a scab has grown over the heart, a scab, a protective shell. Then, suddenly something reminds the heart of the one it love, and suddenly the scab is torn off, exposing the painful wounds.

I tend to think it's the first option. Look at the stars sparkling around. It really doesn't seem like such a depressing picture.

Then you have that thing in the upper left-hand corner... What is that?

I think it's a tiny Earth.

Then that sort of makes the case for both options, I think. Having the Earth so small and far away could be portraying loneliness, or it could be portraying being so in love, that worldly cares are far away.

What do you think? Leave a comment and tell me!

Hmm, wow, that was a little deep, haha! I really like all the pictures, but the eye might be my favorite. Or maybe the armoured one...it's a tie. Which is your favorite?

**CHALLENGE** Comment or email me (livinglovinglaughinglearning@gmail.com) what you think one of the pictures means, and/or which is your favorite. There might be an award in this for you... ;)

Today I got to see my wonderful favorite Aunt Susan. She's so much fun. Almost scattered, by so very dear and fun. I just love her.

Well, that's all for now, folks!

Carpe diem!

P.S. Millions of thanks to ILARUS for following!! Wow, 41 followers...I think I'm getting dizzy...

WHAT TO WRITE??

Today started out as the worst day of my life, and ended up being awesome! School is all done! For real. No procrastination, everything really is done!! Isn't that a great feeling? I don't know why I'm such a procrastinator when it stresses me so much. I'm just kind of lazy, I guess.

Hmm, haven't really tried to write yet. Don't know what to write! Y'all help me. Which story should I put my effort into? Lol, this should be fun...

Story #1:
Name: Doesn't have one. Right now, it's called "The Creepy Story," even though it really isn't...
Level of promising-ness: High.
Pages so far: 62
Word count: 34,085
VERY basic plot: A girl finds out her best guy friend is half elf and gets swept up in a crazy adventure in which the girl and the guy get thrown into the "Elf World". Girl gets amnesia once in world and gets separated from boy.
Recent action in it: Not much. I've been sort of editing and avoiding writing more because I'm at a block.
Other: Don't know the long term plotline!! Not good! I don't know what to do next, and I'm not sure how happy I am with the whole amnesia thing...it's very irritating...

Story #2:
Name: Right now, "Cammie and Cousins"
Level of promising-ness: Semi-high
Pages so far: 48
Word count: 23,910
VERY basic plot: A girl named Cammie (who has three boy cousins, all older) finds out she is the Wielder of the legendary Dagger. The evil king wants her to use her power for evil with him, and she refuses...sort of. It's hard to explain.
Recent action in it: Uhhh, kind of about the same as with Creepy Story. Have been avoiding seriously writing it because I don't feel good about the plotline.
Other: Has lots of gaps and stuff. Lots of stuff that needs filling in. Again, long term plot is generic and shaky.

Story #3:
Name: "The Chronicles of Jeolotoe: A Spark of Strength"
Level of promising-ness: Iffy. Could be good if I put a lot of effort into it. Mostly I just stick with it because it's been a part of me for soooooooo long and I can't let it go.
Pages so far: Well, I'm in the middle of a brutal re-write, so only 10 so far lol!
Word count: 4,145
VERY basic plot: I do not feel like explaining it. Set on a planet called Jeolotoe. Six fire fairy girls who are entertainers for the evil Fire Lord try to overthrow him with the help of a reluctant super-awesome spy.
Recent action in it: Uhhhhhhh.....
Other: I LOVE THIS STORY!! I just can't give it up! The plot COULD be really good, but is it worth the effort??

Story #4:
BEGIN A NEW STORY! *gasp* Can I?? Do I have the creative juices? Do I have that kind of time on my hands??

Haha, sorry, that post was insanely long. Just tell me what you think. Thanks. I need to write, but can't and it's driving me CRAZY! Or maybe I should say crazier. :)

Twilight Review (by ME :D)

Staring: * = Terrible!! ***** = Utterly brilliant!
Twilight: ** and a half. But the rating may go up after I see it again.

Over-all:
Not thaaaaat bad. I still liked seeing it, and I'm sure I'll like it better the next time around. I always do with movies. It's just that I don't understand why they did some things. It could have been such an amazing movie, and it wouldn't even have taken that much effort to make it that way. So, I just don't understand why they didn't do a better job. But, still a good movie, glad I saw it, can't WAIT to see it again, and, okay, Emmett looked GOOD :) LOL!
My personal Twilight review :D

Good parts:
1. Alice was absolutely perfect. Could not have been any better.
2. The scene at the Cullens' house was hilarious!
3. Jacob was great.
4. Emmett was perfect.
5. Rosalie was good.
6. Charlie wasn't really like the book that much, but he was really funny, so that's okay.
7. Bella's lullaby was PERFECT.
8. The graduation cap part was funny.


Parts that weren't right, but I think were exceptable/didn't really matter:
1. Bella went straight to the ballet studio instead of stopping by her house. (That was okay. I can understand that.)
2. Edward's room was too small. (Whatever. Not a big deal.)
3. Edward's "birthday" was wrong. They said 1918, it was 1901. (Okay, again, not plot-altering.)
4. I didn't like how Carlisle, like, went crazy in the flashbacks of him changing Edward. It looked like he was eating his neck. Ew. Lol!

Bad parts:
1. Edward's script was terrible.
2. Edward acted all wrong for the first half of the movie.
3. Edward's voice was wrong. He couldn't get his words out and it was wrong and annoying.
4. Jasper...yeah, he was weird.
5. The hotel part lasted a grand total of 2 minutes instead of like a day and a half.
6. Renee wasn't right at all. Much too old.
7. The part when Bella has to leave Charlie was EXTREMELY unemotional, which is so wrong.
8. Alice and Emmett weren't in the Jeep with Edward and Bella when they were running from James.
9. Edward never gets mad at Bella in the movie. (And we all know THAT'S a big lie lol)
10. Edward is too easy to calm down and convince that Bella's plan is a good one.
11. Edward goes crazy when sucking Bella's blood out in the movie. (Sooooo not like the book and really freaky.)
12. The "meadow" part absolutely sucked (No pun intended lol and sorry, I gotta be honest. It wasn't even a meadow in the movie. :( ).
13. They left out the entire part when they do the blood testing in biology and Bella faints.
14. The whole 20 questions thing when Edward and Bella take turns quizzing each other didn't even happen.
15. Edward never mentions how they hunt, that they don't have to breathe, or what Jasper's "talent" is.
16. Jasper never even uses his "talent."
17. Edward keeps slipping up. He'll be like, "I heard his thoughts!" and Bella will be like, "What??" and Edward tries to cover it up. Um, no. He's had over a hundred years to work on not slipping up. He would not just randomly blurt stuff out like that.
18. They don't make it clear how Carlisle changed everyone.

Still, don't freak out. Go see it. It's not terrible, it just could have been better. Can't wait to see it again!!