my stint as a casting director

So I'm constantly hearing rumors about film/mini-series adaptations of Diana Gabaldon's amazing Outlander saga. For those of you who haven't read it, it's a romantic-historical-science fiction tale about a British woman who is transported back into the 18th century Scottish highlands. It's a wonderfully engrossing series that I highly recommend.

The downside is that, because the stories are so detailed, complex, and full of a wide variety of characters and locations, any filmmaker who attempted to take it on would have a huge task ahead of him/her. So I've decided to help them out by doing the casting for them:

Rachel McAdams as Claire Beauchamp:

Chris Hemsworth as Jamie Fraser:

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as "Black Jack" Randall:

Ionn Gruffud as Frank Randall:

Blake Lively as Brianna Randall

With all the fans out there, and the huge success that the series has enjoyed, I can't imagine that they won't make some type of film version of this. If I do say so myself, I think that I have chosen a perfect cast. A little red hair dye and that's that.

FITBF: or, why i seriously love my dog, hulu, and stinky cheese

go here to play along

The phrase or punctuation I overuse the most is "seriously." I am seriously hungry. You seriously need to stop. Seriously, you are way too good for him. Seriously? Seriously? Are you serious right now? (When someone's being a smart-ass and I can't come up with something witty to say.)
You get the idea.

Today I am thankful for Hulu Plus. I've been vegging on the couch with the NBC Thursday night lineup, and it's Friday. Yay!

My best friend is my dog. I love all my people friends dearly, but my dog Sammy has been my most loyal and lovable little companion through five stressful years of school, several moves, and a heartbreak or two. They don't call them man's best friend for nothing.

A quirky thing about me is that I'm not really a fan of chocolate.  I'd rather get blocks of cheese than a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day...no, seriously. I love gourmet aged cheese, the stinkier the better.

This weekend I will finish reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, just in time for a book club meeting next weekend.

Something that worries me is finding a real job. I'll be officially on the hunt as soon as I complete my certification, and I know it's going to be an uphill climb.

On my night stand you would find a bedside lamp, my Kindle, another little stack of books for good measure (right now it's Persuasion by Jane Austen, The Mummy by Anne Rice, and Barrel Fever by David Sedaris), a jewelry dish, and a glass of water.

why my ears are smiling this week

The five songs my iPod's been playing pretty much non-stop this week. They're not all hits, and they're not all recent, but they are all fabulous.


1. "I Want Love" - Elton John

But I want love, just a different kind
I want love, won't break me down
Won't brick me up, won't fence me in
I want a love that don't mean a thing 
That's the love I want, I want love

What a lovely, understated music video. Gotta love EJ and RDJ.



2. "Welcome to England" - Tori Amos

I'm in quicksand; I am sinking fast
Perfect, he laughed
Cause your other half has got a Devil's access
Welcome to England, he said
Welcome to my world
You better bring your own sun, sweet girl

One of my very Tori Amos favorite songs - and I love pretty much everything she does. The video is eerie and beautiful, which is what I've come to expect from her.




3. "This Ain't a Long Song" - Scouting for Girls

It's all right
You can try, but you'll never keep me down
It's all right
I may be lost but I'm waiting to be found

I discovered these guys on a Graham Norton rerun - And I love them! The lyrics are a bit inane, but it's upbeat and catchy...A perfect non-depressing breakup song, if you need one. (Who doesn't?)



4."Tainted Love" - Soft Cell

You need someone to hold you tight 
And you think love is to pray
Well I'm sorry, I don't pray that way

Pure old-school pleasure.



5. "Born This Way" - Lady GaGa

It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
'Cause you were born this way, baby

So unless you've been living under a rock you've probably heard this song a million times and seen the video at least once. But I'm not tired of it yet. I've had it set as my wake-up alarm this week, and I've been rolling out of bed with a little extra oomph. The video is crazy, of course, and a little self-important...But I guess I wasn't expecting anything less. Props to her for looking fabulous. And I think I already have a Halloween costume for this year! (Pink hair, skull face paint, and girlie tux? Yup.)

'celeb transformations!' (ugh can't believe i just typed that...)

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster

There is nothing I like more than a good old-fashioned story about pretty-girl-turns-ugly, skinny-girl-get-chubby, hot-guy-gets-hotter, girl-shaves-head. Hmmm. Okay what I'm really talking about are celebrities and the cool transformations they make for movies. Here a few of my very favorites example.

Natalie Portman shaved her head for V for Vendetta

Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones and now

???????

I love it when a beautiful woman isn't afraid to look bad (Charlize.) I also love seeing a woman embrace her curves and, slap on some red lipstick, and enjoy being boobylicious (Renee), although I'm not so thrilled with the near-skeletal proportions she's reached nowadays. I also know how weird and attached girls can be to their hair, and I think people can forget what a big deal it is to chop it all off (Natalie) - and, of course, she still looks gorgeous! And Gerard's transformation into Leonidas isn't so much a transformation as body paint, a costume, and special effects...But maybe I just wanted an excuse to look at him? Next up, I want to see Keira Knightly as Susan Boyle in a film biopic. She needs it.

haterade: giant squid

Am I the only person who is just incredibly freaked out by the idea of the giant squid? I guess I'm a bit behind, but I had no idea these things were real. I recently found out that researchers from the Japan's National Science Museum actually caught one on film. And, unlike in Harry Potter, apparently giant squids are not likely to let you tickle their tentacles. This news has completely changed my entire perspective on life.

omigod

 Why I will have nightmares about giant squids tonight:

1. The one they got was 24 feet long, and it's a small one. They actually are estimated to reach nearly 60 feet in length, although they live so deep down in the ocean that they're very difficult to observe in the wild.

are you serious

2. They're vicious! I just read about a poor dead female who was dismembered and washed up on shore in Tazmania, apparently the victim of what can only be called squid rape. What's the world coming to. (By the way, I'm talking about a female squid, not human...eesh.)

3. Giant squids have beaks and circular saw-like suckers. I repeat: beaks & tentacles of death.

4. These things have only one known predator: Sperm whales. Sperm whales are the largest living animals with teeth. Moby Dick was one. They're huge and scary. And they're the only thing in the wild that can take on a giant squid. Sooo.

team sperm whale!

As you may recall, I get upset about animal extinction. But if all giant squids were suddenly to collectively disappear from the face of the earth, I think I'd get over.

Great news! There's another species of squid out there know as the Colossal Squid, which may or may not be scarier than the Giant Squid. Well, that's fun.

hot "feminists" round 2

FEMEN strikes again! Remember that topless protest held for Putin I blogged about back in October? Well, they're still around, and making news again. This time, over a New Zealand radio station's "Win a Wife" contest, in which they promised to send a listener to Ukraine to find a mail-order bride.

Signs read "Ukraine is not a brothel." And they were topless....again. As I've said before, I find this a very bizarre way to handle a feminist agenda. I do definitely get, however, how insulting it would be to hear that you and your countrywomen are the "prizes" in a radio give-away in another country. (Ouch.) So I'll keep saying what I said before: Do what you do, ladies.

Picketing in front of a marriage registration office in Kiev. Photo: AP

this one's for the fat kids

 An Arizona school district is causing a big fat stink. Here's a segment from an editorial on the subject:

Beginning this fall the [Flagstaff school] district will measure and weigh elementary-school children and send letters to parents whose children are overweight or heading that way....we'd like to see the Flagstaff schools' program expanded statewide. Obesity is a public-health problem of monumental proportions (and no, the pun isn't intended) in this state and nationwide.

Since I haven’t read the Flagstaff school’s official policy, perhaps I shouldn’t pick it apart…But I will anyway.

In an era of eating disorders and body image issues (very eloquently described by Marya Hornbacher), it seems very dangerous and petty to pick out students who appear to be “on the way” to becoming overweight. How would a school nurse possibly know enough about a student’s personal life to be able to distinguish between a little lingering baby fat and a sedentary lifestyle? They would have to go on appearance and/or personal judgment alone - which is dangerous, especially considering that there are many healthy kids out there who might technically be overweight.

And can you imagine for one moment how horrifying and humiliating it would be to be picked out as one of the fat kids? Most elementary-age children think they're awesome; it doesn't occur to them that they're not until they go through those hellish middle school years. They'll have plenty of time to feel shitty about themselves then. And another thing: Parents with overweight kids usually know they're overweight. They either handle the situation at home or they don't. Getting a letter from the school wouldn't change a dang thing.

I tend to be a social libertarian, so that might tell you how I feel about the political/social ramifications of all this, nevermind the poor babies' self-esteems. This Arizona situation lends itself very well to a discussion about Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign, which I will save for another day.

Obesity is an epidemic, there’s no doubt about it – and it does always start with being slightly overweight. So I think schools do owe it to students to provide nutritious meal options, promote healthy activities, and educate young people about good lifestyle habits. That doesn’t include sending out official “Hey, your kid’s getting fat!” or “It’s come to our attention your child is a lard-ass!” letters.

Bad idea, if you ask me. As always, I could be wrong.