Ring of the Nibelungs

Its one of those movies you're not sure you love or hate. Unlike the classic play of good triumphing over evil, love conquering all, and the heroes riding off into the sunset - this movie had none of that. Our hero, Siegfried, is brainwashed → his true love, Brunnhild, (before the brainwash) orders him killed for disgracing her → Siegfried is killed → his killer and the King fight over power which leads to both of them being killed → Brunnhild kills herself over Siegfried's body.

Despite the evident futility of it all, its refreshingly different, the soundtrack was good, there were a couple memorable lines, the cinematics were bearable, and how the very beginning of the movie was linked with the end was pretty cool. The 'everlasting love/killing yourself over your dead love thing' was quite "nice" too.

The last lines of the movie:
Giselher: [as Brunnhild dies with Siegfried] Today the old gods live again.
Lena: No, today the old gods die with them.

Closing Song:
http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/13136/Katie-Knight-Adams---Riding-on-the-Rocks-mp3-mp3.html

A Season of Farewell’s

Have you noticed how death seems to travel in a pack? A woman dies, and shortly after her husband follows. This season seems to be host to a domino of deaths. I am referring not to the deaths of people (but I guess that this is also the case), but to the deaths of entire universe's. i.e. universe's of fiction.

The death of fictitious universe's is a given. None are immortal; not even the seemingly omni-present Bold & Beautiful. The actors gray, the actors sag, and soon none of the original cast will be left. Their themes lose their appeal, their cinematics disappoint, and newer shows eclipse the old. If it were not for its unbelievably low production cost, B&B would have been scrapped ages ago. How I look forward to the time when Saturday morning TV will not be consumed by this mindless, illogical, and repetitive drama.

What I mourn for today is the death of so many series which I have befriended. Characters in one-off books or even trilogies are never able to create the same kind of kinship as books/TV series we have seemingly aged with. (I guess this is part of the lure of B&B). If an entire series were published (or made available) at the same time, the series would simply amass to a long story rather than an extensive adventure. The waiting between installments allows books to become a part of us; they become old friends rather than just “some long book we read some time ago”.

A truly great book should be read in youth,
again in maturity and once more in old age,
as a fine building should be seen by morning light,
at noon and by moonlight.
- Robertson Davies

Even better if we are able to continue the journey in maturity and old age rather than trying to relive the experiences of youth.

The waiting process involved between TV series works similarly in creating a form of kinship – but whether to a lesser or greater degree I shall not generalize.

Some might find me rather loony to mourn the deaths of fictitious universe's while the real world is so full of suffering; why mourn the deaths of imaginary people when real people go unmourned? While the real world is undeniably important and hence warrants no farther argument, the fictitious is also of great utility. Fiction paints for us a world as how it could be, or should be; fanciful it is conceded, but what are we without our dreams, hopes & aspirations. Fiction helps us explore ideas unbound by the retraints of this world. Fiction teaches us to dream, and with our dreams, strive to attain new heights and be the best we can be. Fiction is an unbiased teacher, mentor and guide. Without fiction, none of us would be who we are, and none of us will become who we could be.

Today I mourn the death of yet another great teacher.

"I know that love is unconditional. But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and....strangely easy to mistake for loathing" - From Stardust

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Remember, remember the 5th of November

From brightest light is born in the darkest shadows - Alice 19th

You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting - A Knight's Tale

The Quality of Mercy

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
- William Shakespeare

Where mercy is shown, mercy is given - Duane Chapman

Although justice must be tempered with mercy, it must still maintain a sense of retribution - Law & Order

My fav part from the movie a Knight's tale:
Adhemar: Why didn't Ulrich finished him?
Jocelyn: He shows mercy....
Adhemar: Then he shows his weakness - that is all mercy is.

It is not weakness to desire life and to respect it - Christopher Leadem

A person isn't who they are during the last conversation you had with them. They're who they've been throughout your whole relationship. - Rainer Maria Rilke

In war, the first victim is truth - Unknown

Only good men die at war; the bad ones ensure their own survival - Unknown

It is easier for a man to extinguish the light within himself, than to scatter the darkness all around - 'Daywatch'

All the following are from the movie Lord of War, which in my oppinion is simply one of the best movies ever made

There are two types of tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want, the other is getting it

They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."

Every faction in Africa calls themselves by these noble names - Liberation this, Patriotic that, Democratic Republic of something-or-other... I guess they can't own up to what they usually are: a federation of worse oppressors than the last bunch of oppressors. Often, the most barbaric atrocities occur when both combatants proclaim themselves freedom-fighters.

Some of the most successful relationships are based on lies and deceit. Since that's where they usually end up anyway, it's a logical place to start.

There are many many many more really good quotes from lord of war.. some are humorous some make you think... most available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295/quotes

multiple

“Wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal” - Tupac

Check out Trudi Canavan's Age of the Five trilogy. Nice read, likable characters, and the best thing about Canavan is she doesn't take years to write... She popped out 3 books in like 2 years...

"In the end, we always think about to the beginning" - Unknown

Go to youtube and google "mexican 300"
Review: Racist < Funny

"Practise makes perfect; but, perfection only exists in the realm of the gods" - Trudi Canavan