OK, I saved the biggest and best for last. If you don't already know this one, you might want to sit down because it's definitely a doozy.
Why do we celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25? We have pretty much no idea exactly what Jesus' date of birth was. I've heard sometime in the "Fall" (a little broad there isn't it) and also in March. Plus, the calendar has changed several times since Jesus' birth and wasn't standardized until much later in history. So how did it land on 12/25?
I'm going to use the "P" word one more time...pagan. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, priests realized that people in pagan areas accepted the new religions basic tenets if they were able to more clearly identify with them. In places like Britain and France, there was a feast in winter each year to celebrate the Sun god. So early Christian leaders assimilated this date into the Christian feast calendar. How better to erase pagan worship of the Sun god than by turning his feast day into a day to celebrate the birth of the Son of God? Pretty smart, huh? By the late 3rd, early 4th century, Church officials all over Europe were using the same date, December 25, to celebrate Christ's birth.
Whenever I teach this in my Western Civ classes, I see looks of disgust, confusion, pain, anger, you name it on students' faces. What I always ask is...does it really matter what day we set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth? Isn't it the action that matters rather than the day? Jesus is the reason for the season (to borrow a saying off of many church signs) and I think we can also add the other seasons, every day and everything else.
So as Christmas Day 2009 is drawing to a close, I would like to say "Happy Birthday Jesus!" Thank you for the amazing gift that you gave all of us!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I'm sorry, I know it's late but I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I got caught up in the morning opening of presents with Caitlin and then heading up to my Dad's for Christmas with the rest of my family. It was a lot of fun. I got to meet my little sister's boyfriend, who is an absolute sweetie, and we all played Wii and Clue. I suck at both!
Were you good little boys and girls or bad ones? Did Santa leave you bunches of stuff or did you find a lump of coal in your stocking? I must have been pretty good because I got a new house for my Christmas village, a set of black blown glass goblets, the first season of Supernatural, a framed photo of me and Caitlin in the teacups at Disney World, two new bookshelves and a Walmart giftcard (Daddy always gives me one so I can buy books- guess the new bookshelves will come in handy!)
I wish you all a safe and blessed rest of the Christmas season.
Were you good little boys and girls or bad ones? Did Santa leave you bunches of stuff or did you find a lump of coal in your stocking? I must have been pretty good because I got a new house for my Christmas village, a set of black blown glass goblets, the first season of Supernatural, a framed photo of me and Caitlin in the teacups at Disney World, two new bookshelves and a Walmart giftcard (Daddy always gives me one so I can buy books- guess the new bookshelves will come in handy!)
I wish you all a safe and blessed rest of the Christmas season.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Traditions #4- Santa Claus
Are you waiting for the jolly old fat man to visit your house tonight? I am. I'm like a little kid when it comes to Christmas...I absolutely adore watching people opening presents, just to see the looks on their faces when you give them a good gift (plus I also like to get presents of my own). When I really was a little kid, I used to worry about families who didn't have a fireplace. How did Santa get into their houses? That bothered me more than wondering how a fat man managed to travel around the world in one night (thankfully the Tim Allen movie The Santa Clause answered it all for me). But who exactly is Santa Claus?
The legend of Santa Claus really does come from the historical Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a 4th century Catholic bishop in modern-day Turkey who was known for devoting himself to helping the poor. He worried so much about a group of three poor sisters who did not have the money for dowries (money that women brought into marriage) and were on the verge of becoming prostitutes just to support themselves. Nicholas refused to allow this to happen and scrounged up the money to dower the girls.
As Christianity spread, Saint Nicholas' story merged with the Germanic traditions of honoring Odin, King of the Norse gods. Odin, who had a long white beard, would travel around during Yuletide (our Christmas season) and reward good children with small gifts. The children would leave dried fruit for Odin and carrots and wheat for the horse that he used to travel. Germanic families would also celebrate Yule by having ham dinners (how many of you will be having ham at some point this Christmas?).
Just like all of the other Christmas traditions, Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas came to America with Dutch and Germanic immigrants who came here in the late 1700's. Now, instead of dried fruit, we leave him cookies and milk. I guess this is where the fat belly comes from...we've hurt Santa's health over the years! Imagine what his cholesterol is! Personally, if I was Santa, I'd spend more time in Ireland- the kids there leave Guinness out for him :)
The legend of Santa Claus really does come from the historical Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a 4th century Catholic bishop in modern-day Turkey who was known for devoting himself to helping the poor. He worried so much about a group of three poor sisters who did not have the money for dowries (money that women brought into marriage) and were on the verge of becoming prostitutes just to support themselves. Nicholas refused to allow this to happen and scrounged up the money to dower the girls.
As Christianity spread, Saint Nicholas' story merged with the Germanic traditions of honoring Odin, King of the Norse gods. Odin, who had a long white beard, would travel around during Yuletide (our Christmas season) and reward good children with small gifts. The children would leave dried fruit for Odin and carrots and wheat for the horse that he used to travel. Germanic families would also celebrate Yule by having ham dinners (how many of you will be having ham at some point this Christmas?).
Just like all of the other Christmas traditions, Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas came to America with Dutch and Germanic immigrants who came here in the late 1700's. Now, instead of dried fruit, we leave him cookies and milk. I guess this is where the fat belly comes from...we've hurt Santa's health over the years! Imagine what his cholesterol is! Personally, if I was Santa, I'd spend more time in Ireland- the kids there leave Guinness out for him :)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas Traditions #3- Christmas Trees
We all have them...as a matter of fact, I have 3 1/2 of them (1/2 because Caitlin has a little bitty 1 foot tall one in her room)...but the question is WHY do we have Christmas trees? There are so many legends surrounding the use of trees at Christmas but this is the way I understand the history of the Christmas tree.
Like many other traditions that we take for granted today, the use of evergreen trees in wintertime decorations is descended from pagan rituals. Pre-Christian groups like the Druids would celebrate the Winter Solstice (our modern-day December 21) with a large evergreen tree at the center of their parties and feasts. By the time December got there, feasts were a bit sparce...not a whole lot of fresh foods. So Winter Solstice feasts included dried meats and fruits. But by honoring the evergreen tree, these pagans acknowledged the fact that better, more bountiful days were coming. Over time, the use of the evergreen drifted from the pagan traditions into the Christian traditions.
By the late 1400's and early 1500's, people in the German states decorated these trees as part of their Christmas celebrations, with one big tree in the center of town. In addition to slices of dried fruits, they would also tie small candles to the outer limbs of the tree. On Christmas Eve, the townspeople would light the candles and then hold hands and dance around the tree. This was to celebrate the fact that Jesus was the light of hope for the world.
When Britain's Queen Victoria married her German cousin, Prince Albert, in the mid-1800's, he brought many German traditions to his new home...including the Christmas tree. Victoria, Albert and their children decorated Christmas trees in the family quarters of their palaces. In addition to the traditional dried fruits, they also put on shiny ornaments and hand-made sugar ornaments. The Christmas tree had also made it to America by that time. German immigrants to the US in the late 1700's were the first to introduce the concept here.
Over time, the candles representing Jesus' light morphed into artificial lights. You can also see religious influence in other typical Christmas ornaments, especially the tree topper. Angels looking down from the top of a Christmas tree represent angels looking down on us from Heaven while a star on the top symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, shining brightly over Jesus' birthplace.
Take a good look at your Christmas tree and see just how much tradition- religious, historical and family- is there!
Like many other traditions that we take for granted today, the use of evergreen trees in wintertime decorations is descended from pagan rituals. Pre-Christian groups like the Druids would celebrate the Winter Solstice (our modern-day December 21) with a large evergreen tree at the center of their parties and feasts. By the time December got there, feasts were a bit sparce...not a whole lot of fresh foods. So Winter Solstice feasts included dried meats and fruits. But by honoring the evergreen tree, these pagans acknowledged the fact that better, more bountiful days were coming. Over time, the use of the evergreen drifted from the pagan traditions into the Christian traditions.
By the late 1400's and early 1500's, people in the German states decorated these trees as part of their Christmas celebrations, with one big tree in the center of town. In addition to slices of dried fruits, they would also tie small candles to the outer limbs of the tree. On Christmas Eve, the townspeople would light the candles and then hold hands and dance around the tree. This was to celebrate the fact that Jesus was the light of hope for the world.
When Britain's Queen Victoria married her German cousin, Prince Albert, in the mid-1800's, he brought many German traditions to his new home...including the Christmas tree. Victoria, Albert and their children decorated Christmas trees in the family quarters of their palaces. In addition to the traditional dried fruits, they also put on shiny ornaments and hand-made sugar ornaments. The Christmas tree had also made it to America by that time. German immigrants to the US in the late 1700's were the first to introduce the concept here.
Over time, the candles representing Jesus' light morphed into artificial lights. You can also see religious influence in other typical Christmas ornaments, especially the tree topper. Angels looking down from the top of a Christmas tree represent angels looking down on us from Heaven while a star on the top symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, shining brightly over Jesus' birthplace.
Take a good look at your Christmas tree and see just how much tradition- religious, historical and family- is there!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas Traditions #2- Mistletoe
Most people who go all out for their decorating at Christmas have at least one sprig of mistletoe hanging in a doorway. Some decorating connoisseurs go so far as to have mistletoe laden kissing balls hanging all over their homes. I would love to be in a place like that if Johnny Depp or Henry Cavill (sorry, I've been watching The Tudors) were around. Full on snog-fest baby!
But why mistletoe? Where does the legend of kissing under the mistletoe come from?
In Christian traditions, mistletoe was actually once a very large tree. Supposedly, wood from the mistletoe tree was used to construct the True Cross and then after Jesus' death, the mistletoe tree withered into a measly little vine.
Later in history, mistletoe was sacred to the Ancient Romans and Celtic Druids. They believed it had mystical properties and could increase the fertility rates in barren people and animals. Not so much! The berries of the mistletoe plant are highly poisonous.
Our tradition of kissing under the mistletoe actually comes out of Norse Mythology. Frigga, Queen of the Norse Gods and namesake for our modern word "Friday," wanted to protect her son Baldr, god of vegetation. To keep poisonous plants from harming Baldr as he made them grow, Frigga put a spell of protection on him. Somehow, this spell didn't cover the mistletoe plant. When Loki, the trickster god, discovered this, he tricked one of the other gods into using a mistletoe spear to kill Baldr. Frigga was so devastated over the death of her son that she declared mistletoe sacred- rather than kill, it would bring love to any two people who kissed when crossing under it. Whenever we kiss under the mistletoe, we are celebrating a mother's love for her fallen child.
As Christianity spread into the Scandanavian areas, this pagan tradition of kissing under the mistletoe sort of blended into Christian traditions. So if you sneak a kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas season, whether you realize it or not, you are celebrating many different kinds of love. Smooch on!!!
But why mistletoe? Where does the legend of kissing under the mistletoe come from?
In Christian traditions, mistletoe was actually once a very large tree. Supposedly, wood from the mistletoe tree was used to construct the True Cross and then after Jesus' death, the mistletoe tree withered into a measly little vine.
Later in history, mistletoe was sacred to the Ancient Romans and Celtic Druids. They believed it had mystical properties and could increase the fertility rates in barren people and animals. Not so much! The berries of the mistletoe plant are highly poisonous.
Our tradition of kissing under the mistletoe actually comes out of Norse Mythology. Frigga, Queen of the Norse Gods and namesake for our modern word "Friday," wanted to protect her son Baldr, god of vegetation. To keep poisonous plants from harming Baldr as he made them grow, Frigga put a spell of protection on him. Somehow, this spell didn't cover the mistletoe plant. When Loki, the trickster god, discovered this, he tricked one of the other gods into using a mistletoe spear to kill Baldr. Frigga was so devastated over the death of her son that she declared mistletoe sacred- rather than kill, it would bring love to any two people who kissed when crossing under it. Whenever we kiss under the mistletoe, we are celebrating a mother's love for her fallen child.
As Christianity spread into the Scandanavian areas, this pagan tradition of kissing under the mistletoe sort of blended into Christian traditions. So if you sneak a kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas season, whether you realize it or not, you are celebrating many different kinds of love. Smooch on!!!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Attn: Students
Just wanted to let everybody know that I got all the grades posted this afternoon. From what I understand, you all will have to sign into your Banner accounts on the Columbia State website. That's where you'll be able to access your grades for the semester.
I must admit that I had a lot of grades that were lower than I expected. I knew that the final was a bit harder than the other tests. Unfortunately that's just a byproduct of the amount of information that we covered after test #3. But what I noticed that hurt a lot of people's grades was the fact that many of you did not get with me to do makeups for tests you might have missed and the fact that I gave out a lot of zeros for movie reviews that didn't get turned in.
I can't discuss specifics on grades, but I will give you the curves for each class:
Clifton- 1 point (thank Maria!)
Columbia- 1 point (thank Keri!)
Franklin- 3 points (thank Blaze and Taylor!)
I hope you learned a lot and for those of you who have signed up for my class next semester, we'll just pick up where we left off.
Have a great Christmas break everyone!
I must admit that I had a lot of grades that were lower than I expected. I knew that the final was a bit harder than the other tests. Unfortunately that's just a byproduct of the amount of information that we covered after test #3. But what I noticed that hurt a lot of people's grades was the fact that many of you did not get with me to do makeups for tests you might have missed and the fact that I gave out a lot of zeros for movie reviews that didn't get turned in.
I can't discuss specifics on grades, but I will give you the curves for each class:
Clifton- 1 point (thank Maria!)
Columbia- 1 point (thank Keri!)
Franklin- 3 points (thank Blaze and Taylor!)
I hope you learned a lot and for those of you who have signed up for my class next semester, we'll just pick up where we left off.
Have a great Christmas break everyone!
Christmas Traditions #1- Candy Canes
There are so many things that we associate with Christmas and the holiday season, and, of course, each of them has their own legend. Some of these come out of Christian religious traditions, some from other mythologies and still others come straight out of the need to stuff our wallets. Strangely enough, the candy cane fits into all of these.
Part of the legend of the candy cane says that the peppermint candy was created not long after Jesus' death. In the early years of Christianity, those who followed the teachings of Jesus were persecuted- crucified themselves, tortured, fed to the lions for the sport of the Romans. It was dangerous to publicly be a Christian. Supposedly, carrying a candy cane was a way to secretly show your Christian loyalties to other Christians, sort of a secret signal.
Umm, not quite true. The earliest know descriptions of candy canes come from the late 1500's when parents would bring peppermint sticks to church services to keep their young children quiet (the services could be quite long and it takes a long time to get the good out of a candy cane). From this point until the early 1900's, candy canes were all white.
This is when the legend takes another religious twist. According to tradition, in the early 20th century, an Indiana candymaker decided to honor Jesus' suffering and death. Candy canes were already a part of holiday decorating, so he took two colors- red and white- and swirled them together. The red stripes honor the stripes on Jesus' back from the lashes he received and the blood that he shed for us. The white represents his purity. The Indiana candymaker also gave the candy cane its little hook at the end, turning it into a "J" for Jesus.
Is this true? Snopes says no, that the legend was created as a way to get more money for candy makers. But, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really matter. To me, candy canes are just another way to honor Jesus and play a big role in my Christmas decorating and traditions.
Part of the legend of the candy cane says that the peppermint candy was created not long after Jesus' death. In the early years of Christianity, those who followed the teachings of Jesus were persecuted- crucified themselves, tortured, fed to the lions for the sport of the Romans. It was dangerous to publicly be a Christian. Supposedly, carrying a candy cane was a way to secretly show your Christian loyalties to other Christians, sort of a secret signal.
Umm, not quite true. The earliest know descriptions of candy canes come from the late 1500's when parents would bring peppermint sticks to church services to keep their young children quiet (the services could be quite long and it takes a long time to get the good out of a candy cane). From this point until the early 1900's, candy canes were all white.
This is when the legend takes another religious twist. According to tradition, in the early 20th century, an Indiana candymaker decided to honor Jesus' suffering and death. Candy canes were already a part of holiday decorating, so he took two colors- red and white- and swirled them together. The red stripes honor the stripes on Jesus' back from the lashes he received and the blood that he shed for us. The white represents his purity. The Indiana candymaker also gave the candy cane its little hook at the end, turning it into a "J" for Jesus.
Is this true? Snopes says no, that the legend was created as a way to get more money for candy makers. But, as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really matter. To me, candy canes are just another way to honor Jesus and play a big role in my Christmas decorating and traditions.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Muse...Here We Come!
OK, so all week Caitlin and I have been on pins and needles. Her favorite band (and quickly becoming one of mine), Muse, announced last weekend that they were adding a few dates to their US tour this spring. I thought I was going to have to give Caitlin CPR when she found out that Atlanta was one of those new dates.
According to the Gwinnett Center, the venue where the show will be held, tickets were supposed to go on sale this past Thursday at 9:00. We sat, laptop in hand, hitting the refresh button for about an hour and then were completely devastated when we figured out that the Thursday sale was pre-sales for radio stations. I wanted to go hold the local station hostage and force them to get tickets for us.
Regular tics went on sale this morning at 11:00. We traipsed out in our jammies to Kroger in Columbia so we would be standing in front of a Ticketmaster counter as soon as 11:00 hit. Actually we were there about half an hour earlier and that was the slowest 30 minutes of our lives. We could have just ordered them at home but I was afraid that if the mass of Muse fans hit the Ticketmaster website at the same time, we might get cut out and not get tickets at all.
It's a good thing that we were standing there, ready to hit the 'purchase' button, because 6 minutes after they went on sale, whole sections of the arena were already taken. But...we managed to squeak in and get some really good seats, across the arena but directly in front of the stage!!!! The only other groups of seats together were up in the higher levels.
So, come March 1, when class meets after the concert happens, I might still be a bit deaf and definitely hoarse (cause I'm planning on singing my throat out) but Caitlin and I ARE GOING TO SEE MUSE!!!!!!
I am so doing a happy dance right now that looks a little something like Chunk doing the Truffle Shuffle in The Goonies.
According to the Gwinnett Center, the venue where the show will be held, tickets were supposed to go on sale this past Thursday at 9:00. We sat, laptop in hand, hitting the refresh button for about an hour and then were completely devastated when we figured out that the Thursday sale was pre-sales for radio stations. I wanted to go hold the local station hostage and force them to get tickets for us.
Regular tics went on sale this morning at 11:00. We traipsed out in our jammies to Kroger in Columbia so we would be standing in front of a Ticketmaster counter as soon as 11:00 hit. Actually we were there about half an hour earlier and that was the slowest 30 minutes of our lives. We could have just ordered them at home but I was afraid that if the mass of Muse fans hit the Ticketmaster website at the same time, we might get cut out and not get tickets at all.
It's a good thing that we were standing there, ready to hit the 'purchase' button, because 6 minutes after they went on sale, whole sections of the arena were already taken. But...we managed to squeak in and get some really good seats, across the arena but directly in front of the stage!!!! The only other groups of seats together were up in the higher levels.
So, come March 1, when class meets after the concert happens, I might still be a bit deaf and definitely hoarse (cause I'm planning on singing my throat out) but Caitlin and I ARE GOING TO SEE MUSE!!!!!!
I am so doing a happy dance right now that looks a little something like Chunk doing the Truffle Shuffle in The Goonies.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Attn: Students
CLIFTON STUDENTS ONLY!!!
I have sent out the mass email to the entire class with the extra notes that I promised you. They are long but I tried to put as much info in them as I could. (That's for you Lauren) I wanted to make sure you got the tangent stories that I tend to go off on.
The email went to your Columbia State email addresses. If you want me to send it to your personal email, send me a message at my gmail account. Don't forget to email if you have any questions!
See you either tonight at the extra study session or Wednesday for the final. Don't forget that we do not have class on Monday.
I have sent out the mass email to the entire class with the extra notes that I promised you. They are long but I tried to put as much info in them as I could. (That's for you Lauren) I wanted to make sure you got the tangent stories that I tend to go off on.
The email went to your Columbia State email addresses. If you want me to send it to your personal email, send me a message at my gmail account. Don't forget to email if you have any questions!
See you either tonight at the extra study session or Wednesday for the final. Don't forget that we do not have class on Monday.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
TV Review: Sons of Anarchy
When Sons of Anarchy started last year on FX, I sort of rolled my eyes. A show about a bunch of guys in California in a motorcycle club? I figured it would be such a testosterone laden guy show that I wouldn't enjoy it. So I didn't watch the first season.
Fast forward to a few months ago. Caitlin and I were at my friend Dawn's house and she whips out the box set of season 1. She gushed over how good it was, and still skeptical, we agreed to watch the first episode. Bada bing, bada boom- we were hooked. Dawn should be selling ice cubes to Eskimoes.
Yeah, on the surface, Sons might be about a bunch of bikers, but it is so much more than that. I got to digging and found out that it is actually a re-telling of Hamlet. Just call me an eskimo because I was double hooked then. I love Hamlet and am constantly looking for comparisons between it and Sons. Plus, Jax, the main character/Hamlet, is 110 different kinds of hot. He absolutely drives the show.
Caitlin, Dawn and I just got to sit down and watch the finale for season 2 last night (thank goodness for DVR's) and it was one of those "edge of your seat, OMG I've got to wait all winter and spring for more!!!!" episodes. I've got a full on case of the sads because I'm going to have to go for weeks without Jax. Yes, the show is good enough that I'm already going through withdrawals!
If you haven't seen it, traipse yourself out right now to the Movie Gallery and rent season 1. Better yet, go to Wally World and buy it because you'll be hooked just like me as soon as the credits roll. If you watch it already, tell me about it in comments- what do you like about it? Who is your favorite character? Are you as hooked as me?
Fast forward to a few months ago. Caitlin and I were at my friend Dawn's house and she whips out the box set of season 1. She gushed over how good it was, and still skeptical, we agreed to watch the first episode. Bada bing, bada boom- we were hooked. Dawn should be selling ice cubes to Eskimoes.
Yeah, on the surface, Sons might be about a bunch of bikers, but it is so much more than that. I got to digging and found out that it is actually a re-telling of Hamlet. Just call me an eskimo because I was double hooked then. I love Hamlet and am constantly looking for comparisons between it and Sons. Plus, Jax, the main character/Hamlet, is 110 different kinds of hot. He absolutely drives the show.
Caitlin, Dawn and I just got to sit down and watch the finale for season 2 last night (thank goodness for DVR's) and it was one of those "edge of your seat, OMG I've got to wait all winter and spring for more!!!!" episodes. I've got a full on case of the sads because I'm going to have to go for weeks without Jax. Yes, the show is good enough that I'm already going through withdrawals!
If you haven't seen it, traipse yourself out right now to the Movie Gallery and rent season 1. Better yet, go to Wally World and buy it because you'll be hooked just like me as soon as the credits roll. If you watch it already, tell me about it in comments- what do you like about it? Who is your favorite character? Are you as hooked as me?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Musical Review: "A Christmas Carol"
We have a wonderful old theater on the square here in Pulaski that local people have been using for community plays and musicals for quite some time. I just recently found out about it and was excited to go and see their musical performance of the Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol. Caitlin and my friend Dawn joined me for this foray into culture.
The program itself was absolutely amazing. What really caught my attention was the fact this was the first time onstage for over half of the performers. The actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge was perfect for the role. He pulled off Scrooge's anger, angst and ultimate redemption to a tee. The little girl who played Scrooge's baby sister in the "Ghost of Christmas Past" flashbacks was absolutely endearing. I am so glad that we took the time to go and see this performance.
The only dark spot on the whole thing had nothing to do with the performance itself; it was the audience. I realize that this was community theater, but come on folks! Reserve bathroom breaks for intermission and if you absolutely must get up to go, have the decency to not let the door slam. Another one of my big pet peeves- cell phones! There was one woman who had a 3 minute conversation on the phone, loud enough for everyone around her to hear. Do you know how hard it was for me not to break WWE on this chick with my chair?
RESPECT- it ain't just an old song by Aretha Franklin. Give it to the people onstage who have worked very hard to put on an entertaining performance.
Despite the shenanigans of the audience, I absolutely enjoyed the musical and will definitely check out other things that this theater produces. If you've got some time on your hands, I would encourage you to check them out too.
The program itself was absolutely amazing. What really caught my attention was the fact this was the first time onstage for over half of the performers. The actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge was perfect for the role. He pulled off Scrooge's anger, angst and ultimate redemption to a tee. The little girl who played Scrooge's baby sister in the "Ghost of Christmas Past" flashbacks was absolutely endearing. I am so glad that we took the time to go and see this performance.
The only dark spot on the whole thing had nothing to do with the performance itself; it was the audience. I realize that this was community theater, but come on folks! Reserve bathroom breaks for intermission and if you absolutely must get up to go, have the decency to not let the door slam. Another one of my big pet peeves- cell phones! There was one woman who had a 3 minute conversation on the phone, loud enough for everyone around her to hear. Do you know how hard it was for me not to break WWE on this chick with my chair?
RESPECT- it ain't just an old song by Aretha Franklin. Give it to the people onstage who have worked very hard to put on an entertaining performance.
Despite the shenanigans of the audience, I absolutely enjoyed the musical and will definitely check out other things that this theater produces. If you've got some time on your hands, I would encourage you to check them out too.
Monday, November 30, 2009
TV Review- "Being Human"
Unless you have access to British television or are addicted to BBC America like my daughter and I are, the closest that you get to British shows are either the American version of The Office (yep, the Brits did it first) or watching Gordon Ramsey scream his head off at people on Hell's Kitchen.
But in the good old Shelton household, our Saturday nights are filled with tea and crumpets and a big dose of BBC. On Saturday nights, the Brits run amazing shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Hex and Robin Hood. But the best show by far- for them and for me- is Being Human.
Being Human is a show about 3 flatmates, Mitchell, George and Annie, who live in Bristol and are just trying to fit in and get through their day to day lives. So are we all, what makes it different for them, you might ask.
Well...Mitchell is a vampire, George is a werewolf and Annie is a ghost. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke doesn't it. But I promise, if you watch the first episode, you'll be hooked!!!!
Mitchell and George work as aides in the local hospital. This is extremely hard for both of them. Poor Mitchell, he's fighting the Dark Side. Part of the vampire nature is to desire blood and sex so much that it nearly overwhelms him. But to be human (hence the show's name) he has to be good, fight his natural urges. He slips occasionally but it makes you love him all the more. Plus he's HOT!
George is recent to the lycan persuasion. He was turned into a werewolf a few months ago and is still dealing with that. He has a hard time explaining why he keeps having to be off work once a month and an even harder time going through the horribly painful transformation from human to werewolf under the full moon. He's a sweetheart and is goofy as all get outs but you can't help but root for him.
Of the three, I find Annie the most annoying. Being a ghost, she's pretty much stuck inside the house. That's where she died and her whole story is finding out the circumstances. She gets all giddy when she realizes she can make tea even if she can't drink it(Mitchell and George constantly have to step over full cups of tea she leaves sitting around). I still like her despite my annoyance because she's sort of like the guys' consciences, she keeps them human.
I can't wait for season 2 of this show to start. It has already been played in the UK and got rave reviews, so much that season 3 is under production. For us, the 6 episodes from season 1 are available on iTunes. It's worth the money and the time!
But in the good old Shelton household, our Saturday nights are filled with tea and crumpets and a big dose of BBC. On Saturday nights, the Brits run amazing shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Hex and Robin Hood. But the best show by far- for them and for me- is Being Human.
Being Human is a show about 3 flatmates, Mitchell, George and Annie, who live in Bristol and are just trying to fit in and get through their day to day lives. So are we all, what makes it different for them, you might ask.
Well...Mitchell is a vampire, George is a werewolf and Annie is a ghost. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke doesn't it. But I promise, if you watch the first episode, you'll be hooked!!!!
Mitchell and George work as aides in the local hospital. This is extremely hard for both of them. Poor Mitchell, he's fighting the Dark Side. Part of the vampire nature is to desire blood and sex so much that it nearly overwhelms him. But to be human (hence the show's name) he has to be good, fight his natural urges. He slips occasionally but it makes you love him all the more. Plus he's HOT!
George is recent to the lycan persuasion. He was turned into a werewolf a few months ago and is still dealing with that. He has a hard time explaining why he keeps having to be off work once a month and an even harder time going through the horribly painful transformation from human to werewolf under the full moon. He's a sweetheart and is goofy as all get outs but you can't help but root for him.
Of the three, I find Annie the most annoying. Being a ghost, she's pretty much stuck inside the house. That's where she died and her whole story is finding out the circumstances. She gets all giddy when she realizes she can make tea even if she can't drink it(Mitchell and George constantly have to step over full cups of tea she leaves sitting around). I still like her despite my annoyance because she's sort of like the guys' consciences, she keeps them human.
I can't wait for season 2 of this show to start. It has already been played in the UK and got rave reviews, so much that season 3 is under production. For us, the 6 episodes from season 1 are available on iTunes. It's worth the money and the time!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Happy Black Friday
Arrgh, just shoot me in the head right now. Every year, I swear that I am not going to get up early to hit the post-Thanksgiving sales. This year, I really meant it. I absolutely WAS NOT going to get caught up in that mad rush of lemmings all blithely rushing around for deals on stuff, just stuff. And then...I saw a Wal-Mart sales paper. Damn Wal-Mart! Why oh why did it have to put GI Joe and Star Trek on sale for $9 each. See, that's the way to make a movie junkie like me lose her bleeding mind and go rushing out before the sun comes up, still wearing my pjs by the way. Well, guess what I didn't get? Yep, you're right. By the time I got into the store, all the $9 copies had been snatched up. I figured it was best to leave before I completely lost it and bludgeoned somebody with one of the $4 copies of Breaking Dawn (It's big enough to actually do some damage!)
So, how about you...did you stay all snug and warm in your bed this morning or did you get up and brave the craziness? If so, what sort of deals did you luck upon?
So, how about you...did you stay all snug and warm in your bed this morning or did you get up and brave the craziness? If so, what sort of deals did you luck upon?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
When I sat down to Thanksgiving lunch with my family today, I sort of felt silly because the first thing that ran through my head was that I was thankful that we were having ham instead of turkey. (I know, I know, the crazy tangents my mind goes off on!)
But then I straightened up and thought about the things I truly am thankful for...
1. My daughter. I am thankful each and every day that God blessed me with such a wonderful child.
2. My amazing family and friends
3. My great students. Believe me, a great set of students is a true blessing.
4. The fact that I love my job. Jobs are hard to come by as it is right now and I am lucky enough to have one I absolutely love.
5. My books, short stories and other writings. I hope to have the opportunity to share them with everyone at some point.
I'm sure there are a gazillion other things that I'll think about later. But regardless, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!
So, what are you thankful for this year?
But then I straightened up and thought about the things I truly am thankful for...
1. My daughter. I am thankful each and every day that God blessed me with such a wonderful child.
2. My amazing family and friends
3. My great students. Believe me, a great set of students is a true blessing.
4. The fact that I love my job. Jobs are hard to come by as it is right now and I am lucky enough to have one I absolutely love.
5. My books, short stories and other writings. I hope to have the opportunity to share them with everyone at some point.
I'm sure there are a gazillion other things that I'll think about later. But regardless, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!
So, what are you thankful for this year?
The True Story of the First Thanksgiving
Every year we gladly celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It's a day off from work; a day to gorge ourselves on turkey; a day to watch football and prep for shopping on Black Friday. But our secular thoughts on Thanksgiving are far from the reasons for the first Thanksgiving celebrations in this country.
Rewind back to the early 1600's. A few years earlier, Christopher Columbus had stumbled upon North America while looking for a quicker passage to Asia. Although he never quite acknowleged its value, it's not long until all sorts of settlers are making the dangerous journey across the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding a new life in the New World. Of course, once they disembarked from the ships and established a safe place to live, the next thing these new settlers did was to set aside a day to thank God for protecting them during their journey.
Our whole lives, we have been raised on stories of how the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts gladly invited neighboring Native tribes to a huge feast of thanksgiving. Ummm, I'm calling BS on that.
The Pilgrims saw the Native tribes like the Wampanoag as non-Christian heathens. However, when the first harvests didn't come in quite as bountifully as the Pilgrims hoped, they gladly accepted assitance from the Wampanoag, especially Squanto. Squanto had learned English when he had been captured a few years earlier by previous European explorers in the area.
The first Thanksgiving DID include a meal, both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag contributed to the meal, and they ate at the same time. But the Pilgrims gathered together on one side of the open air eating area for their meal while the Wampanoag sat on the other side.
Now, to be fair, the governor of the Plymouth Colony did ask God to bless Squanto for helping them get their colony safely established, dealing successfully with the Wampanoag and for helping increase their meager harvest. He asked that God bestow blessings upon Squanto like he was a Christian instead of a heathen Indian.
Not exactly what we are taught in kindergarten is it? But hey, if the story doesn't get perpetuated, Hobby Lobby can't sell all those little figurines! In my mind, the first Thanksgiving was probably a lot like the Thanksgiving program in Addams Family Values.
Rewind back to the early 1600's. A few years earlier, Christopher Columbus had stumbled upon North America while looking for a quicker passage to Asia. Although he never quite acknowleged its value, it's not long until all sorts of settlers are making the dangerous journey across the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding a new life in the New World. Of course, once they disembarked from the ships and established a safe place to live, the next thing these new settlers did was to set aside a day to thank God for protecting them during their journey.
Our whole lives, we have been raised on stories of how the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts gladly invited neighboring Native tribes to a huge feast of thanksgiving. Ummm, I'm calling BS on that.
The Pilgrims saw the Native tribes like the Wampanoag as non-Christian heathens. However, when the first harvests didn't come in quite as bountifully as the Pilgrims hoped, they gladly accepted assitance from the Wampanoag, especially Squanto. Squanto had learned English when he had been captured a few years earlier by previous European explorers in the area.
The first Thanksgiving DID include a meal, both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag contributed to the meal, and they ate at the same time. But the Pilgrims gathered together on one side of the open air eating area for their meal while the Wampanoag sat on the other side.
Now, to be fair, the governor of the Plymouth Colony did ask God to bless Squanto for helping them get their colony safely established, dealing successfully with the Wampanoag and for helping increase their meager harvest. He asked that God bestow blessings upon Squanto like he was a Christian instead of a heathen Indian.
Not exactly what we are taught in kindergarten is it? But hey, if the story doesn't get perpetuated, Hobby Lobby can't sell all those little figurines! In my mind, the first Thanksgiving was probably a lot like the Thanksgiving program in Addams Family Values.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
New Moon Mania
In case you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of a little thing called New Moon that opened to a quiet opening this past weekend. And by "quiet" I mean HUGE, like $143 million in a little over 2 days huge. This puts it at the #3 biggest opening after The Dark Knight and Spiderman 3.
And before you even ask, yes $15 of that $143 million did come from the pocket of yours truly. Caitlin and I went to see it as soon as I could get out of my Friday class in Franklin. But no, I wasn't one of the crazy women who were drooling and making loud giggles and sighs when Taylor Lautner took off his shirt. That would make me feel too much like a pedo!
Needless to say, I love the Twilight Saga (books, movies, stuff, etc.)I would be lying if I said that I wasn't just a tad bit envious of Mrs. Meyer, an unknown housewife who has a wild dream that leads her to create an equally wild universe about vampires, werewolves and the humans they love. As an amateur writer myself, I would sacrifice my left pinkie toe, hell, both of my pinkie toes, just to have a fraction of the success she has had!
So my question for you is...have you seen the movie?
And before you even ask, yes $15 of that $143 million did come from the pocket of yours truly. Caitlin and I went to see it as soon as I could get out of my Friday class in Franklin. But no, I wasn't one of the crazy women who were drooling and making loud giggles and sighs when Taylor Lautner took off his shirt. That would make me feel too much like a pedo!
Needless to say, I love the Twilight Saga (books, movies, stuff, etc.)I would be lying if I said that I wasn't just a tad bit envious of Mrs. Meyer, an unknown housewife who has a wild dream that leads her to create an equally wild universe about vampires, werewolves and the humans they love. As an amateur writer myself, I would sacrifice my left pinkie toe, hell, both of my pinkie toes, just to have a fraction of the success she has had!
So my question for you is...have you seen the movie?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Attn: Students
To all of my Columbia and Clifton students:
Don't forget that we will be having class tomorrow. I'm sorry :( I'd be taking the day off if I could. As I have said before, you will not be penalized if you are not there. But please be aware that you will be missing notes and I won't be going back over them on Monday.
If you are coming to class, I'll see you tomorrow.
If you are starting your holiday early, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you on Monday.
Don't forget that we will be having class tomorrow. I'm sorry :( I'd be taking the day off if I could. As I have said before, you will not be penalized if you are not there. But please be aware that you will be missing notes and I won't be going back over them on Monday.
If you are coming to class, I'll see you tomorrow.
If you are starting your holiday early, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you on Monday.
Introducing...ME!!!!
For some reason, I feel like Saliva's "Ladies & Gentlemen" needs to be playing here.
Welcome folks to my inaugural blog posting. I started this blog as a way to communicate with my students outside of class as well as my friends and family. In class, I am always going off on crazy tangents- something I really don't have time to do considering the amount of work we should be covering in lecture- so I figured I would start this blog to discuss crazy history stories, all sorts of pop culture stuff and, well, anything else that I find interesting.
Just to let you know a bit about me... I am a professor of history (American and Western Civ) at colleges in middle Tennessee and central Georgia (and before you ask, yes I do drive to both of them. It's a killer, but in this economy, I'm glad to have a job). I absolutely love my job. I get paid to tell stories, TRUE STORIES!!! Hollywood can't make up half of the stuff I get to talk about. To me, nothing is more fun than to dig up the most insane stories about people in the past. They all have them and, for some reason, it always makes me feel closer to those people when I find out that they were just as crazy as I am.
This love of telling stories sort of parlayed itself into writing. That has become my new passion. When I'm not working up class lectures or with my nose stuck in a book or the TV, I'm writing. At this point, I have finished my first novel, Destiny. It's a young adult novel about Alexandra Montgomery. Alexandra is a certifiable genius whose archaeologist father has an Indiana Jones-type reputation. Her whole world gets turned upside down when she discovers her father is actually a spy for the government, searching for historical artifacts that have real or perceived power. She decides that she's going to help him with his job, even if it means getting herself killed. At the same time, Alexandra finds herself drawn to her father's new assistant, William. When Alexandra's father is kidnapped, she and William have to work together to save him from a group of religious fanatics who are out to take over the world.
In addition to Destiny, I am also working on its sequel, Legacy, a 5-part series of middle grades/young adult stories about the Greek goddesses and an adult murder mystery. In case you can't tell, I REALLY love to write. Now if I could just get an agent notice me and help me take my stuff to the next step...getting my books on the shelves. Do you know how wonderful it would be to walk into Barnes & Noble and see one of my books out there for people to read? I would probably sit down in the floor and cry like a baby.
On top of teaching and writing, I'm also a mother. My daughter is more than just my child. She's like my sister and my best friend, my biggest critic and staunchest ally, all rolled into one. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My friend Dawn always calls us the Gilmore Girls. Move that show from New England to Tennessee and you've got us.
So...enough about me. Add your own post to tell me all about you!
Welcome folks to my inaugural blog posting. I started this blog as a way to communicate with my students outside of class as well as my friends and family. In class, I am always going off on crazy tangents- something I really don't have time to do considering the amount of work we should be covering in lecture- so I figured I would start this blog to discuss crazy history stories, all sorts of pop culture stuff and, well, anything else that I find interesting.
Just to let you know a bit about me... I am a professor of history (American and Western Civ) at colleges in middle Tennessee and central Georgia (and before you ask, yes I do drive to both of them. It's a killer, but in this economy, I'm glad to have a job). I absolutely love my job. I get paid to tell stories, TRUE STORIES!!! Hollywood can't make up half of the stuff I get to talk about. To me, nothing is more fun than to dig up the most insane stories about people in the past. They all have them and, for some reason, it always makes me feel closer to those people when I find out that they were just as crazy as I am.
This love of telling stories sort of parlayed itself into writing. That has become my new passion. When I'm not working up class lectures or with my nose stuck in a book or the TV, I'm writing. At this point, I have finished my first novel, Destiny. It's a young adult novel about Alexandra Montgomery. Alexandra is a certifiable genius whose archaeologist father has an Indiana Jones-type reputation. Her whole world gets turned upside down when she discovers her father is actually a spy for the government, searching for historical artifacts that have real or perceived power. She decides that she's going to help him with his job, even if it means getting herself killed. At the same time, Alexandra finds herself drawn to her father's new assistant, William. When Alexandra's father is kidnapped, she and William have to work together to save him from a group of religious fanatics who are out to take over the world.
In addition to Destiny, I am also working on its sequel, Legacy, a 5-part series of middle grades/young adult stories about the Greek goddesses and an adult murder mystery. In case you can't tell, I REALLY love to write. Now if I could just get an agent notice me and help me take my stuff to the next step...getting my books on the shelves. Do you know how wonderful it would be to walk into Barnes & Noble and see one of my books out there for people to read? I would probably sit down in the floor and cry like a baby.
On top of teaching and writing, I'm also a mother. My daughter is more than just my child. She's like my sister and my best friend, my biggest critic and staunchest ally, all rolled into one. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My friend Dawn always calls us the Gilmore Girls. Move that show from New England to Tennessee and you've got us.
So...enough about me. Add your own post to tell me all about you!
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