My Favorite Christmas Movie

My absolute favorite Christmas movie EVER is "It's a Wonderful Life". One reason, somewhat silly I guess, is because it's in black and white. I have always appreciated older movies without color more so than the recent movies. A second reason is because it is the movie my dad and I have watched together every single year since I was 10. Today I appreciate it mainly because of the message of how the gifts that really do matter are not just on Christmas day, but every single other day of the year as well because every day is a gift from God. (I also still enjoy watching it with my dad still) :D

It's interesting to me to think about how many different people would be affected if one single person had never been born or put on this earth. How many things would be different? It's amazing to think about how many people we affect each and every day, especially those who we don't realize we have affected...

Mufasa as a God-like figure

The last time I watched the Lion King it kind of clicked for me during the stampede scene how Mufasa may represent a God-like figure. Simba got himself into trouble and had no way out without help. Mufasa was willing to jump right into the face of danger to save his son, not knowing whether or not he himself would make it out alright. Now yes, this is also a demonstration of the way in which a good parent should act as well. But in essence, parents, children, and humankind in general is meant to be molded after God and therefore act in ways our Savior did.

Mufasa (a savior) jumped down to save Simba (humankind) and remove him from the stampede. Simba represents each and every one of us in sin. We're stuck and need help out, which is why God sent His son down to earth for each of us. So that we can each be safely removed from the stampede.

Drawing Final is COMPLETE

I finally finished my drawing final!! Yay!! I posted a rough sketch of what I hoped the finish product would look like a while back. It's done in prismacolor colored pencils. Rather than simply keeping it black and white, I decided to incorporate the primary colors somewhat as well. In addition to being my final for the class, it's also my mom's Christmas present.

The body is such a beautiful thing. And this was really fun to do :)

Girls on Facebook

So my roommate and I have decided that there are way too many over-revealing pictures of girls such as those with low cut shirts and bathroom pictures with barely any clothing on. Facebook has become an outlet for girls to share their low self esteem publicly- with the rest of the WHOLE WORLD. And although it is obviously not their desire to be exposing the fact that they are insecure, who can think otherwise when the subject of the pictures is taking photos in such a way as if to express that the best thing about her is her shape, her body, her weight, the physical characteristics that make her a true woman... If a girl was secure and confident about her appearance, then she would have no reason or desire to share with others what one would not normally see.

Has Facebook become the latest "speed dating website" based upon appearance only? Because with some of the pictures I have seen, girls are portraying themselves solely as sexual objects for men. It is so sad to see how eager so many girls and women are for attention from guys, whether or not the girl even knows who is Facebook stalking them and digging deep into the half naked pictures.

Independent women still exist, yet, with how much verbal abuse and put downs that some girls receive, it is no wonder why they do such things. Their home life, past, and desires are all apparent within the pictures they post for others to see.

Facebook can be a great method for connecting with friends and has given us the ability to contact others immediately. Yet, it's also sad to be surrounded by so many women and girls with such low self esteem and the belief that they need to have a man in their life to feel like they're worth anything. How sad.

Ladies, all you need is Jesus. :)

Today's films..and Shutter ;)

Today's films were wet up the way most horror movies are I thought. Only the very basic information and just a jest of the story was given away and the rest was up to the viewers to discover for themselves.

One of my most favorite scary movies using this method is Shutter. For those of you who have not seen it yet, you should get on that!! Seriously one of the best scary movies I think I've seen!!

I thought they were made beautifully, especially in a way that forced the viewers to race to figure out what the situation was before it was further explained at the end of the film. If the film had provided enough information which had led to immediate understanding, the viewers would have become bored at a very quick rate. I for one LOVE movies (especially those within the genres of horror and thrillers) where not much is given away so that the viewer has to create a story and build the plot themselves. This way it feels more realistic and the viewers feel as if they're playing a part within the movie- we feel important and almost as if we play a role within the movie to the point where what happens can effect our mood and even our outlook on certain things in life.

And although not every film had a happy ending or the ending we expected, it will be an ending we will remember because we played a part in the movie through our setting up of the story within our minds in order to make sense of the films before the films explained themselves.

(Because I'm a visual learner and remember pictures and not words really, I'm posting a picture of the cover of the movie Shutter-especially for the other visual learners-so that next time you're in a store and see it, you can remember to snag it!! It's great!!) :D

My latest project :)

I, along with a few other students in this class, am in the Drawing 1 class and preparing to start on the colored pencil final. Our final can be of any subject we see fit. I LOVE Prismacolors!! I'm really really REALLY excited for this project :D

I think the human body is so beautiful and therefore will be depicting just that in my final. I saw a similar art work (except it was done in acrylics on a HUGE canvas) at a small studio a long long time ago.

This is just a real quick sketch of what the final project will look like. I do think I will keep it black and white, but if anyone has any suggestions, please share them with me!! :)

Happy Feet 2

This afternoon, at 4:10 to be exact, I went to see Happy Feet 2 with my mom, cousin, and uncle. I never saw the first one and arrived at the theatre wondering whether or not I would be able to understand the movie without having prior watched the prequel. No worries, this movie set itself up very well and you can easily follow along even without having viewed the original Happy Feet. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. However, it was a little hard for me to accept the technique of combining live-action with animation. It was a let down to see actors combined with fantastically animated penguins and extremely realistic looking elephant seals.

I enjoyed the message as well. I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone, but I'm sure all of you can guess that there is dancing involved which helps save someone (or someones...**cough cough**) from disaster and remove them from the conflict within the movie. Yet, outside of the obvious was the message that it's okay to be different and that your niche doesn't have to match that of everyone else's.

One interesting message I picked up from the movie was the emphasis on the importance of the environment. There were a few scenes in the movie in which the arctic was shown melting and the effects of these drastic events on the animals in the area. Although this was the case, humans were depicted as being the heroes at the beginning, but towards the end (each and every time they were introduced in the movie) they were shown as not living up to expectations and as failures who left without finishing the job, therefore transitioning into figures who were unable to offer any help leading them to becoming the "bad guys".

I'm glad I went to the movie, yet, it slightly reminded me of a mixture between Finding Nemo and The Lion King. Finding Nemo because Erik, the young penguin who is confused about his purpose in life has a relationship with his father that pans out in an extremely similar manner as does Marlin's and Nemo's relationship. It only reminded me of the Lion King because the theme that everything in life is interconnected was repeatedly brought back up again (the circle of life).

And of course I stayed through the credits and was so very very excited to see Phillip Hall's name under "Animators" :)

Waltz with Bashir

My initial action upon finishing this film: overwhelmed with sadness and disgusted at human nature to the extent of nausea. I find it horrifying how we as a race can do this to one another. Yet, honestly, the very first thought following my shocked response was thinking "God, how can you let things like this happen?" I simply don't understand. And I know I'm not meant to, nor anyone else. But frankly, it just blows my mind. I think this is a movie every one of us needs to watch. Joy is very important in life, and obviously I LOVE being happy-who doesn't. Yet, it is also vital that we open our eyes to the terrible tragedies occurring all around us, for if we don't they will continue to be repeated. But what makes me even more disheartened... what if they continue to carry on despite our prior knowledge of similar events having already occurred within the past? That, my friends, would be a prime example of human nature's capacity for evil and the acceptance of such.

I am very glad the documentary was animated. If it was stop-motion, I most definitely would not have been capable of making it through the entire movie. This being because my brain would not have been able to process the disturbing images. In fact, even some of the animated images were too disturbing for me to even glance at for more than a second. This being said, I need to confess that yes, I would still rather pretend that the world is filled with gumdrops and fairies and that everyone loves everyone. So in essence, I am extremely disturbed at the idea that we can do such violent and terrible things to one another.

The ending transforming from animation to stop-motion brought me back to reality. I have no words at all to express the sadness I feel for the brokenness existent within our world. The bodies piled up like firewood.... All I could think was what about their story? They, just like you and I, had big hopes and exciting dreams about a prosperous future, they dealt with sadness and maybe-we'd like to imagine-experienced happiness at one time or another. Is this just not the best example (along with that of the Holocaust) of how life isn't fair?

As for the art itself, the technique, characters, and fluidness of motion reminded me a lot of many of the war video games my younger brother plays. Also, I realize how those involved with playing violent games may not have been impacted at the level that I was because the graphic depictions of death and suffering seem so similar to that of a game.

I am glad I went to this and to sum this night up, am completely disgusted with my very own kind.

Helvetica

Seeing as we are currently on the subject of documentaries, I figured I'd blog about my most favorite; Helvetica. Helvetica is a FANTASTIC documentary about typographers. I love it so much because it is so intriguing to watch men and women so in love with their job of simply making letters that it is if they are living creatures themselves that they are creating. But truthfully, being a typographer is not simple at all. It involves a lot of measuring (which at least for me is something nearly impossible-put a ruler in my hand and I'm already frustrated) and a lot a lot A LOT of patience. Yet, it is beautiful to see typographers express the way letters themselves have a voice. And not only a voice, but a BODY, and an ATTITUDE, and a POINT OF VIEW which they are apt to express despite what others will think. Yet, when combined to form a word is is even more!! It's not only a word, it's a WORD. It has meaning, it has life behind it, emotion, it's expression may even be tangible. The typographers in the documentary talk about their letters so genuinely as if they make up a part of their family. It is so moving to see how we overlook something so artistic, something so small, yet something that we truly cannot live without. Think about how fonts can express emotion and mood. Which sounds more like "I love you"... Is it I love you or I love you....??

I would say it is the second one. The first to me would be aggressive or even desperate, clingy, or needy. The second one is gentle and truthful. Just what I think... Typography is an art and something we as artists should no longer overlook.

Type is saying things to us all the time. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. They give words a certain coloring. -Rick Poyner

Proverbs 4:6-9... WISDOM

Tonight I went to Nicole Dreiske's lecture. It was so great and rather than being bored (which I had fully expected to be) I was completely intrigued the entire time. Listening to Nicole Dreiske speak was really not a lecture at all. In fact, she involved her listeners and made us feel like we were relevant and important, which is true because without us she would not have been speaking. Also, I found it wonderful how animated and excited she was to be speaking and sharing her hard learned knowledge with us.

I found it hilarious when she mentioned in one of her answers (in response to one of the last questions asked) about how she has been ridiculed and mocked for including children in her board that selects which films will screen at the festivals. But truly what smarter way is there to go about selecting a film for an audience than asking the appropriate aged audience members to choose their favorites?

Her closing is what stuck out to me the most, however. She quoted Proverbs 4:6-9 which states, "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though is cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor." Although wisdom is something we seek and expect to have obtained early in life and early within our careers, it is something that must be learned through experience, something that takes time and patience. Yet, understanding that receiving wisdom takes time and patience and realizing the path that this implies and taking it, well isn't that wisdom in itself?

I'm so glad I went to this!! Those of you who chose not to go, you most definitely missed out.. :(

The Tale of How

This was by far my most favorite animation out of all of the ones we viewed in class on Wednesday. It was surreal and not understandable. The way the story was told through incredible texture, movements one might find in a pop-up book, and the really very awesome creepy music. :)

This past class was the first time I had ever seen this indescribable animation. Originally when watching it, the first thing that came to mind was was the fight of the Dodo birds against extinction. The birds in the animation kept dying off and disappearing in different ways, but mainly due to the sea monster Otto.

I researched the animation a little bit more following class and became very excited and surprised when discovering that the animation did indeed have something to do with Dodo birds.

"The Tale of How" is made up of a set of prints, a coffee table book, and of course an animation. Such a bitter fantasy, but also so compelling and captivating.

Also, the web page I obtained some of the above information from had such an epic line that I thought I'd share it. When first reading it, I started laughing. If I had to choose an audience for this particular animation, it would be the following two groups listed in the quote: "The Tale of How coffee table book makes for a great present for children and widows alike."

A GREAT way to sum up this particular tale!!

SO GLAD Sleeper showed this in class :D

(The images above contain a few glimpses of the coffee table book).

A Feather's Tale

The scene that disgusted me the most within this animation was when the man who was playing with the chicken proceeded to mount the table and crawl on all fours towards the helpless bird. I then was thoroughly put off when he managed to grab hold of this vulnerable animal and manipulate it's body in ways that he saw fit to meet his personal desires. Upon becoming enveloped within his overpowering and disgusting actions, the chicken became stripped of her innocence, her protection, and of course her feathers. Having each of her feathers plucked out to me represents how her innocence and trust were pried from her hands only to be replaced by regret and lies.

Seeing just a reiteration of how women today are mistreated makes my stomach turn. Not all cases are obviously as extreme as the one represented, but in fact, I believe the animation does portray a variety of cases. For example, a woman neglected and feeling used solely for physicality within a relationship may feel featherless, for she has nothing left to give, nothing of her own to preserve, and obviously nothing special left to save. Even in relationships where the woman is putting in her all yet receiving nothing in return, she could feel manipulated like the chicken, as she contorts to make things possible and attempts to both deliver as well as obtain happiness.

Apart from feeling sad and distressed that men with such mentalities as to use, abuse, and harm women in all aspects of their lives (physically, emotionally, and socially) are out there hunting for beautiful women and girls to victimize, I am also upset that women settle for less and take said situations, until once they decide to try to escape, it is too late.

I believe it has a lot to do with the environment in which women were raised. Thankfully my daddy has told me my entire life not to put up with anything less than being treated like a princess. A RULE OF THUMB EVERY WOMAN SHOULD LIVE BY. (He's also a former marine sniper -- meaning that any boy trying anything could run, but he'd just die tired) :)

In all seriousness though, I 100% believe that if women were brought up in households in which they always saw their father or their mother's significant other treating their mother with nothing but the upmost respect, that abuse towards women would decrease significantly because the women wouldn't put up with it until it got out of control.

So men, treat your women right!! And women, stop putting up with crap!! God created man and woman to be equally yoked, not for one or the other to have more control or the seniority to treat the other as an inferior.

My glass would still be half full if it hadn't poured all of its' contents all over me...

Today has felt like such a comedy. It's just been one of those days where every single bad or stressful thing leads to another. However, rather than crying about it, which I have been on the verge of doing, the only thing keeping me sane and allowing me to move forwards with my work and my day is looking back and laughing at just how funny it all has been.

Enjoy:

SO this morning started off with a quick run to the library as I had a paper due for my 10 o'clock class. I left early enough prior to my 9 o'clock class that this shouldn't have been an issue. Yet, little did I know, I would encounter many technical issues throughout the extremely complicated process we all refer to as PRINTING. I walk outside and attempt to open my umbrella. This thing, I swear, is out to get me. It has a big, stubborn, thumb-killing button on the handle that proudly states "OPEN & CLOSE". Ha, that's a joke. Not that I mind the rain at all, but walking through freezing rain with Indiana hurricane winds ripping at your also dysfunctional and only sometimes waterproof coat is no fun :/ Just as I reached the library, my umbrella opened.

I walked to the printer lab in the library with my flash drive in hand, feeling very studious and prepared. Having printed once or twice before on these computers from my flash drive, I thought this process would be a breeze. Well my document wouldn't open on the first computer. The second computer I tried wanted nothing to do with it either. Finally, after having experimented with opening this one very specific document on every single computer, I realized on the last one that the document I wanted to open that had the correct file formatting was hiding directly beneath the one I had been trying to open for the last 30 minutes. Obviously that was the beginning of a long day filled with many dork moments of which I should probably feel ashamed.

Leaving the library was no easy thing either. I got outside and once again began dreading the process of figuring out Mr. Impossible, also known as my umbrella. I pushed the beguiling button to nearly have my eye taken out as only part of Mr. Impossible decided to open. Also, the little water that the umbrella had collected right before entering the library sprayed all over me. Guess he thought the rain wasn't doing a good enough job of showering me. So, I settled with wrestling with the umbrella on the way to class as I was a few minutes away from being late.

My day was great again until lunch time. I was making someone special lunch, when, during this process I realized half of what I had made was coating the microwave walls and ceiling. That was a fun clean-up. While covered in sticky soup which really was meant for eating not wearing, my friend in my 1 o'clock class asked how I did on the paper due last night on Moodle at 8. Uhhh... WHAT PAPER?!? And so, with sticky soup in one hand and my computer in the other, I made lunch, wrote my paper, and once again dug out my flash drive to make a run for the library.

I got to the library, and pulled on the zipper that was the single last barrier between me and my flash drive. I pulled and pulled and am sure I was talking to myself, so all the other students in the library at the time were most likely very amused by the short girl who talks to herself and apparently the flash drive her stealing backpack has hidden. Finally, I got it open and did indeed get my paper printed, so that was a relief.

I thought my day was once again under control but now I see that it is Mr. Impossible's mission to assure everyone around me that this is definitely not the case. I walked into Livingston with my lunch in one hand and umbrella in the other. I was in between the outside doors and the inside doors so that I could close my umbrella inside, like I was going to stay dry anyways... Thinking it smart to use the wall as leverage, I pushed my umbrella against it to help force it to close. Not paying any attention to where on the wall I had put it, I realized the door was opening (due to my accidental pushing of the handicap button), and of course squashing me behind it while I frantically fought Mr. Impossible. My umbrella was shoved up against my face in a really awkward way as I made sure to close my eyes tight as to not lose one from Mr. Impossible who seemed to be just begging to take one away from me. Being squashed, cold, poked, smushed, and frustrated all at the same time had me feeling helpless.

So what did I do... I started laughing. I laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed until I was crying I was laughing so hard. And who did I have to share my laughter with. Oh, well of course with good ol' faithful Mr. Impossible. ;)

1948 Political Cartoon

When watching this cartoon, the first thing that came to my mind when seeing "Ism" on the bottle that the salesperson was trying to sell, was communism. As I continued watching, I noticed that most of the details within fine print on the contract for "Ism" coincided with details of communism. For example, the promise that the government will take care of you (in a way that it sees fit) and signing your freedom over, and your children's freedom over, and your children's children's freedom over. That just screams out COMMUNISM!!

I find it really interesting that a cartoon made such a long time ago can tough base with struggles that continue to exist today. Maybe not yet in this country, but definitely in other parts of the world.

Who can tell which direction this country is headed in, whether it be for better or worse. This cartoon reminded me of how lucky we are to be free and that instead of complaining of how horrible our lives are in this current state, that we should instead look back and see how we've progressed and be proud, strong, and continue to realize and be thankful that we still are free. :)

nationaljuggernaut.blogspot.com/2009/09/this-cartoon-seemed-far-fetched-in-1948.html

Forwarded e-mails

So maybe I have never really paid much attention to the amount of e-mails I receive that are forwarded, or maybe I have just finally realized this over fall break because I've received no less than around 10!! Now I definitely LOVE everyone in my family without a doubt, but my grandparents send me anywhere from 5 to 12 forwarded e-mails a day. When I get old, I promise not to continue sending out forwarded e-mails to every living soul whose contact information I possess.

But have you ever thought about it and realized just how ironic these forwarded e-mails are? So most of them contain inspirational quotes and orchestrated music that's sole purpose is the make the e-mail readers cry. Out of curiosity, I watched a video contained within a forwarded e-mail with my mom last night. The video was all about how we should seize the day and enjoy life's ride. Well it's funny to me that the people who create these videos and even continue the chain by sending them to all of their contacts claim to be living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment (well they had to be on their computer at some point to continue on this process). And obviously some careers are computer-based. In fact some types of animation contain a TON of computer work. But I would never be able to be on the computer just to be on the computer. BoRiNg!!

I just found it very ironic. There's some person out there with an epiphany: "I'll show others how to live in the moment every day by creating a movie on my computer about it, send it out to a bunch of people who are always on their computer, who will then send it out to all their buds whose behinds are also in computer chairs"!!

It was the first forwarded message I have read since coming to school... and probably one of the last. :P

The forwarded e-mail's video that I watched last night I attached below. Most of it actually made me laugh because it was way to obvious with an attempt to stay serious for me to get through it without laughing. :D Have fun watching it ;) Guarantee it'll make you at least smile.

www.lshs64.com/enjoytheride.html

InSiDiOuS

Insidious is probably one of the scarier movies I've seen. The scariest movie I think I've ever seen is An American Haunting. :) But getting back to Insidious... One of the reasons Insidious is so scary is because it provides you only with a few images of what you believe to be the demons in the movie, prompting your imagination to create, create, and create an image which fits in your mind as "the creature that is making this movie scary". I really enjoy watching this movie, and I believe that the music is what makes the movie. The plot is good and original, but the music, OH WOW. For those of you who have not yet taken the time to watch this wonderful movie, I won't ruin for you my favorite music part for you. But for those of you who have, think Tiny Tim ;) You will never think of this song the same way again, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE <3

I love scary movies so much because they take your mind away from reality. SO.. when I'm having a bad day especially, you will probably either find me watching The Lion King or a horror film. The Lion King because it's by far my favorite movie of ALL TIME. And scary movies because they remove my mind from whatever I am over thinking at the moment and force me to attempt to unveil a plot before any of the characters in the movie do. Oh, and just to be frank, I love to be scared!! I cherish the feeling of my pulse speeding up and my cheeks flushing as I prepare myself and brace for a big surprise.

Also, some of what I view as the most romantic stories can be found in horror movies as lovers will sacrifice themselves to whatever happens to be chasing them at the time.

Scary movies allow for our imaginations to be a part of the plot. Movies that have the biggest impact on us will always be those which we are a part of, whether that be emotionally, mentally, or through our imagination.

If you haven't seen the movie, and even if you have, you should watch the movie trailer that is below!! Such a great movie. I think I'll watch it again tonight :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1YbOMDI59k

The Boxer

Honestly, when the movie first began, I thought I was in for another version of Rocky... which I was not very much looking forward to. It seemed that there was even an Irish Adrian. However, as the movie progressed, I realized that The Boxer was touching on bases way deeper than Rocky. I do have to admit though, without the discussion following the movie, I wouldn't have been able to fully understand the movie. I realize now that the religious disputes portrayed within the movie represent how much these parties formed around religion are lacking in religious values. For example, to contradict and hold disputes against an opposite party, members of these groups would partake in executions, group beatings, and vandalism. Not very "Christian-like" if you ask me.

Once again, being completely honest, I still don't fully understand the movie. Yet, I do realize that there exists so much content that is of actual worth within the plot that is simply based upon and encircling a life of a boxer even though boxing has absolutely nothing to do with the actual meaning and message of the movie. Although I didn't comprehend most of the movie, I was not bored once as there was always something to contemplate and try to better understand. Can people of the SAME RELIGION just of different sects really travel to such great lengths as to murder just to further prove their points and force upon others their opinion laced with over-confidence? It's just a hard concept to grasp.

It was a fantastic movie and I am so glad I went to watch it and especially glad that I stayed around for the discussion as to further understand what my mind had just attempted to wrap itself around. Unlike most of today's movies, this movie had a great and deep message (one I'm still thinking about a few hours after having watched the movie and one that I will most likely even recall and think back upon over fall break- it was that good!!)

Why wasn't Leeper there?!?

Last Wednesday, a powerful powder puff team practice was taking place directly outside of the science hall around 4:30ish. Due to the Midnight Study break, which was scheduled for later that night at the Dowden’s home, this particular powder puff team decided to have practice early in order to have time for homework and dinner later prior to making their way over to the Dowden’s for a completely awesome time. Everyone goes to the midnight study breaks because they are so fun and simply irresistible. Therefore, Leeper, who was also planning on attending, hurried up and packed up following his class so that he could get back and have a few hours to pick out the pajamas he was going to wear and stretch for the competitive games of Twister he was going to dominate!! On his way out of the building, however, he was just in time for the start of a new play. He heard a “HIKE” and then… POWWW. He was g.o.n.e. Completely knocked over. Of course he was still breathing and had no broken bones, but he sure did just have the wind knocked out of him. Apparently, one of the powder puff defensive players who had left her contacts in her dorm room had mistaken Leeper with his belongings as a sneaky quarterback with the ball. Scared that HU would kick her out of school due to her excessive accidental aggressiveness, she ran away. Leeper was helped up by some of the other players who made sure he was still well enough to drive home. However, due to his extreme soreness from the sack, he determined that it would be wise to stay home that night and recuperate from the hard hit he took. But there should be absolutely no worries, for he will be 100% by early Monday morning. J

RIP Steve Jobs

While safari loaded on my computer today, the first screen I saw was the apple home page. I saw solemn text beneath a black and white photo of Steve Jobs which said 1955-2011. Apple has chosen not to reveal the reason or site of his death, and has instead simply been ranting on about all of the many accomplishments and strides forward this man had and took throughout his short lived life of just 56 years. This man was not afraid to take risks and go out on a whim following a dream. He is well known for being the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple, and for being the chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios.

This past summer, I had watched the Pixar documentary, and I realize how vital Steve Jobs was in the existence of Pixar and where it stands today. Steve Jobs bought The Graphics Group in 1986 from Lucasfilm's computer graphic division for 10 million dollars. (The Graphics Group was later renamed something we are all very familiar with; Pixar). Pixar and Disney then made a contract and began the beautiful and amazing process of creating successful animation after successful animation. The rest is history.

How is it that such an inspirational and strong man dies so young? It just seems as if life has been filled with "extra tragedy" lately. It doesn't seem fair that a terrorist can live to be in their 90's and such an amazing inventor as Steve Jobs, perishes at the young age of 56.

All I unterstand is that God has a reason behind everything that happens, yet, it is the reason behind each event that I will never be capable of understanding.

Truly a motivational and inspirational man who wasn't afraid of hard work and chasing after a dream no one else thought possible of ever reaching. RIP, Steve Jobs.

And so now we're here

So just yesterday I learned about the death of a friend. I'm not sure how to do this whole stream of consciousness thing, but I need to do my homework and can't seem to focus on anything, so instead of trying to fight this horrible feeling of overtaking sadness and exhaustion mixed with waves of nauseousness, I figured I'd just blog about it. Maybe this will help.

Is there an ultimate sin? Is any one sin worse than the next? I know that the Bible states how every sin is equal in "badness".

I don't understand how people can go through this life without Jesus. Life is very rough sometimes. And I mean family, friends, and "special someone's" definitely really help, but what would you have to live for without the Lord? But then again, why do some people who claim to follow the Lord demonstrate that they don't have anything to live for? Does that make sense to anyone here? Cause I just don't understand...

I know that God gives and takes away. But why does He sometimes just sit back and watch what happens? Or does He purposely not step in?

He wants us to be His hands and feet. It's so difficult for me to wrap my mind around this!! I see so many ways that I could have helped and been THE HANDS and SAID SOMETHING. But He didn't tell me anything... so now we're here.

I know we're not meant to understand, but sometimes it's painful to acknowledge this and let God take control.

The picture I included was a drawing I did really fast when I couldn't organize any rational thoughts for the reasons of which this happened. If you ask me what it means, I won't have an answer. Just my thoughts portrayed on the only material I had at the time... done with sharpie on the back of a notecard.