Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Redwall VS. The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows has always been one of my all-time favorite books. Its heartwarming, enchanting, and just plain classic. Of course, I feel the same way about Redwall. Obviously.
Please bear with me as I do yet another animal book face-off.

DIFFERENCES
.Redwall is more medieval
.Rats and Toads evil in Redwall, though Toad in WITW is a bit of a nuisance
.No pistols in Redwall
.Moles don't have those adorable accents in WITW
.Redwall has no cars
.No Christmas in Redwall
.Humans in WITW, but not in Redwall
.No satyrs or regular countries in Redwall. Or gypsies, either, unless you count the Shrews. (They've always reminded me of gypsies.)

SIMILARITIES
.Rats, moles, badgers, hedgehogs, rabbits, toads, stoats, weasels, foxes, otters
.Moles, badgers, hedgehogs, otters-GOOD
.Stoats, weasels, foxes-BAD
.Picnics
.Badgers like being loners
.Cluny's haycart is similar to Toad's caravan and the bargewoman's barge.
.Moles are sensible
.Weasels and stoats invade
.One word: swords
Picture by David Peterson

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Whoa, Tag AGAIN

Marian from All that is Gold tagged me! I'm really enjoyin' these things.

 What song are you currently addicted to?
The "How to Train Your Dragon" theme song.

What books are you currently reading?
Dormia & Frommer's Ireland 2008. (Travel Guide)

What's your favorite colour?
Green.

What's your favorite hobby?
Writing, drawing, curling up with a good book.

Sweet or Salty?
Sweet! Or spicy.

What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
 Um...Again, "How to Train Your Dragon."

Cake or ice cream?
Cake all the way.

What websites do you always visit when you go online?
Blogger, Youtube.

What was the last thing you bought?
Books-A Single Shard and The Edge Chronicles: Stormchaser.

Which fictional character do you think you're most like?
Aragorn.

Favorite toy growing up?
Don't remember.

Favorite instrument?
BAGPIPES!!!

What was the last meal you ate?
Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Do you want to learn another language?
Yes, but I wish I could just learn it all in one day.

Five things you really appreciate:
Books, Creativity, God, life, music, art (not nessacarily in that order.)


What's one of your favorite quotes?

It isn't the thing you do, dear;
It's the thing you leave undone,
That gives you a bit of heartache
At setting of the sun.-Margaret E. Sangster

What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
GO SEE HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON!

What are you looking forward to?
The Hobbit movie.

I tag the following eight:

ATLANTA
BRIDGET
THE RELUCTANT DRAGON
MEAGHAN RUTHERFORD
KIDS2.ENGSTROM
PIXIE VIXEN
SAERWEN
&
IZORI

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Fuuny Thing Happened on the Way to Wonderland...

This was gonna be another "My Judgement Sucks" post, but I prefer this lame title better.

So I think you get it by now: Celtic Traveler is idiot, goes Anti-(fill-in-the-blank), then finally sees the movie and falls in love with it. Yeah, it happened again.

I guess I was brooding too much on how much I absolutely despise the animated Disney version of "Alice in Wonderland". The old one had no plot, no likable characters, and it creeped me out. It still does.

But the new Tim Burton version was brilliant! After being introduced to the drab, dull world of Alice's reality, I got sucked down a rabbit hole...and that's where it got interesting. There was actually a storyline, and Alice was a terrific protagonist. And I was ecstatic about the battle scene and the evil Red Queen's reign. The Dormouse was awesome (fierce little tyke) and even the Chesire Cat was lovable! And he's one of the top reasons I hated the old version!
Of course, hands down, The Mad Hatter was the best. He was sweet (kinda), funny (hysterical!), and I seem to have a soft spot for madmen. And he can do a mean Futterwacken dance. That was the best part in the whole movie!

So if you think its weird and creepy, it's not in the least bit. It's actually a spellbinding, stunning movie full of heart.

And if you've already seen it and heard this a thousand times, my apologies.

But I was bound to do an AIW post sooner or later.

Objectionable content: Stayne tries to kiss Alice.

Edit: Once more, my mind changes. After the general excitement died down, I realized--I don't like it.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Too Much Time On Thier Hands

At least it makes them happy.The last one especially.

Sound of Music | Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)


The T-Mobile Dance

T-Mobile Josh's Band

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Sable Quean Quotes II

Picture by Redwall-Fans
Little Tassy sobbed brokenly. "Never see the sun again, or the woodlands, or Redwall Abbey. I couldn't bear it-I'd sooner just die!" Midda glared at the squirrelmaid. "Thanks for that, Tura. You've really cheered pore Tassy up."


The smile that dawned over the sable's features was one of pure evil.


Jango had found his little son, Borti. The pair of them were laughing and weeping, hugging each other fiercely. Buckler smiled. "There's a happy sight for ye!'


"There'd better be loads o' scoff left when ye get over here...or!" Sister Fumbril roared back in a fearsome voice, "Or wot, ye young lard bucket?" Her reply did not seem to bother Diggs, who grinned winningly as he called back, "Or we'll starve, an' you'll never know the blinkin' pleasure of our company ever again, so there!" Friar Soogum yelled, "That'd be a mercy, sir!"


Jango remarked sourly to Buckler, "Tell that lard barrel mate o' your'n that if he ever calls me Logaface agin, he'll be wearin' that liddle bobtail of his as a hat!"


Triggut, who had heard the squirrelmaid, snarled, "That's right. Don't upset Triggut Frap. Yew 'eard her. I'm a madbeast, see, crazy, crazy mad! Bees keep a-buzzin' round in my head, all day an' all night, never stop. Buzzbuzzbuzzbuzzbuzz..."


"I followed you and what did I find along the way? My old friend Dirva, a monster eel and one of your beasts, the big stoat Lugg, all dead. Very careless of you!" The tall sable's dark eyes flashed briefly. "I am used to death in my trade."


He called out cheerily to his newfound friend, "I say, Ambry, what's this friend of yours called? Just so I can shout to him if I see a young otter in the distance." Ambrevina Rockflash unwound her long, hefty sling. "Flandor, that's what he's called. Flandor!"


That was when everything went wrong.


"Did anybody teach you to sing, Mister Diggs?" Diggs puffed his chest out proudly. "No. Why d'you ask?" She smiled innocently. "Oh, nothing, really, but it might've been nice if they had." Diggs thought about this for a moment, then gave the hogmaid an icy glare. "See here, marm, I've seen creatures thrown overboard for remarks like that. It's bloomin' mutiny, y'know!"


"Flandor was my only friend." Diggla, who had been using the huge badgermaid as a hill, clambered over her shoulders and stared into Ambervina's deep-brown eyes as they softened with unshed tears. The mousebabe placed a tiny paw on each side of the big striped muzle. "Don't you not cry, now. Us all yore mates."


Vilaya stood up, leaning against a sycamore. "No time for dying. I've got a score to settle!" Gliv grinned coldly. "Huh, so have we both!"


Buckler shook his head. "Well, I've seen everything now!" Bartij winked. "Yore at Redwall Abbey now, young mate-you h'ain't seen nothin' yet!"


"Our hearts are filled with joy and cheer,/goodbye to anguish, grief and fear,/whirl me around now, tralalaa,/raise your voice and shout hurrah!"


"Get him to those stairs. Kneel him down and grab his ears. We'll see what he has to say when his head is decorating the point of a spear!" The guards dragged Buckler, struggling wildly, to the stairs. Forcibly, they made him kneel, two holding his forepaws from behind, with the remaining one tugging on his ears, stretching his neck taut. Zwilt stood over his victim, raising the big broadsword aloft to judge the strike. "Well, rabbet, you don't look so brave now, do you?" Craning his head sideways, Buckler stared with loathing at his enemy. "I don't answer to cowards!"


"We meet in happiness this day,/to celebrate our victory,/not to boast of fighting ways,/but just the joy of living free./Oh, may that feeling never cease,/for you, my true and honest friends,/enjoy this feast, in love and peace,/and hope our freedom never ends!" A tiny squirrelbabe held up his beaker. "I drink to dat!" Laughter echoed around the orchard as they fell to in earnest.


"Come on, let's go to Redwall Abbey. There's room for everyone there!"


"Aye, I've seen a few things and learned a bit. Travelling with a companion like goood old Diggs, friends such as the Witherspyks and the Guosim. Discovering the wonders of Redwall Abbey and its honest creatures. Huh, even meeting my first Bloodwrath mole, Axtel. Losing my brother Clerun, seeing his two little babes, knowing what it means t'be an uncle. freeing the young uns, battling with the Ravagers, watching friend and foe alike slain. You don't live through those things without addin' to your knowledge of life, sir."

Friday, April 9, 2010

Award!

Thank you Jare & Lib for giving me the Stylish Blog Award! I have to list 5 random things about myself, and then tag 5 people.

1-I don't own a cellphone, ipod, itouch, or anything of that sort. I'm a CD Player sort of person.
2-I read Travel Guides like regular books.
3-I use slang that doesn't even exist in my country or this world. And I'm always popping up with random quotes from books and movies.
4-I've written six 200+-page books in my life.
5-My smile looks like a frown. I'm not sure if my frown looks like a smile though...

Anyway, enough about me.

I award:

MELODY
LIZZY
GRAY
LADY GREENLEAF
&
ELIZABETH KAUFMAN

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Magic, Myth, and Mórrígan

At the beginning of the year, I picked up a nice, thick book that I kept seeing everywhere. It had a picture of an Irish witch surrounded by wolves and was entitled "The Hounds of The Mórrígan." Intrigued, I read it. But I soon got daunted by the 674 pages and quit.

One of my worst mistakes.

I recently picked it up again and absolutely loved and enjoyed every minute reading it. The books full of charm and wit, and funny without being silly, and suspensefully scary without being too dark.
In other words, a classic.

Pidge and his philosophical little sister Brigit live in Ireland and have typically normal lives. Then he finds the book. The book that imprisons the terrible serpent Olc-Glas. And the evil witches Breda, Macha, and The Mórrígan will stop at nothing until they get it-and a stone that conquered them thousands of years before. Then they will plunge the world into darkness. So what do Pidge and Brigit do? Go on a fantasical journey through Tír na nÓg to stop them, meeting a patchwork of lively characters along the way.

It's an amazing book that is rich in magic, myth, and Mórrígan. Don't miss it. You'll never forgive yourself if you do.

Objectionable Content: Two D-words.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

How to Train Your Dragon

It was amazing, it was splendid, it was hilarious, it was nerve-racking!
It was everything I had hoped it'd be.
It was "How to Train Your Dragon."
I absolutley loved everything about that movie! The animation was astounding, and the secnery was breathtaking. I was actually bobbing my head to the background music. (Soundtrack anyone?) The characters were lovable, Toothless ecspecially, and Hiccup was one of the best heroes ever to grace the big screen. In other words, one of the best movies of the year. I bet you anything it'll win Best Animated Picture.

It was not only uprariously funny and delightfully scary, but touching. I almost cried when Hiccup's dad threw him to the ground and said "You're not my son." (It's not a major spoiler, so don't freak out if you haven't seen it yet.)

The final battle was fantastic and actually as great as Lord of the Rings. I'm serious.

Five One Hundred stars all the way!!!