Brain Crack!

I just heard like the uberest term ever: brain crack! You know all those random facts and statements and whatnot you store up in your head, things you would like to say, and are waiting for the right moment to say them? Apparently, that's called brain crack.

I swear, I really thought I was the only who did that! That's rather funny!

I was planning to go ahead and get rid of all my little brain crack tidbits on this post, but now that it's come right down to it, I can't think of any, except for one. The Track Team, who composed the bee-utiful music for ATLA, has announced that they may release an official soundtrack! And I'm really excited!

I know I have more brain cracks than just that one...come on! Where'd they go?

I ought to hire the dude from Inception to go find them for me.

Then again, I'm not so sure I want Cobb in my brain. Seeing the way he messed with people's brain in the movie, I'm not sure.

Hey, I just remembered another brain crack! Maybe inception really does work? Cobb, are you in there? Get out!

The other brain crack I just thought of was that I recently saw Inception and it's my new favorite movie.

Well, that's pretty much it...yet another pointless blog. :)

A Random Rant...ish

I haven't posted a blog in fah eva...so thus I rather feel like blogging. But I don't really know what to say....

I feel like ranting about one of my favorite subjects: that good ol' TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Why it's awesome/beautiful/a masterpiece/life affecting/all that good stuff. And why Zuko (My favorite character from ATLA and also my favorite fictional character ever) is amazing. And why M. Night Shyamalan's movie The Last Airbender is a total bloody piece of crap and the fans of the show deserve better and Shyamafail should be hanged and he has a lot of gall flying that abomination under ATLA's flag!!!!!

And why my two favorite characters of the show, Zuko and Katara, should have gotten together. And why the writers, who were originally intending to put Zuko and Katara together, were total freaking idiots when they decided to put him with Mai and her with Aang instead!! They did that because kids watch it too?? What????? What does that have to do with anything??? And anyway, that show is wasted on little kids who can't get a sense of the deeper issues that it explores! I really think the little kids could handle a meaningful romance, goshdarnit!! Zuko and Katara's relationship would have been infinitely more beautiful, and deep, and meaningful, and goshdarnit, you don't take the two most beloved, complex characters, the ones who you know the majority of the fans want to be together, give them five or six straight episodes of intense relationship development to the point where it would only make sense for them to be together, and then make it worse by having him risk his life for her, and then randomly go, "Okay, we'll split them up." Seriously????

Recently I found out that my BFF, Rachael, is a big Avatar fan. Well, naturally, finding that out made my day! So I text her and before I knew it, we were immersed in a conversation about Avatar, but mostly about how awesome Zuko is, and proud we are of him, and all that good stuff. So then she says something along the lines of, "I really wanted him and Katara to get together." And in my mind I was like Yes! That girl knows a good couple when she sees it! But I replied, "Me too! I really wanted them to end up together and I really thought it was gonna happen after" *spoiler* "he took the lightning for her." To which she replied, "I was sooo happy when he did that! I was like awwwww and then they weren't together and I was sad." So yeah...I must say, it was a very refreshing conversation! Who knew my BFF was an Avatard? You'd think I'd have known...somehow.... But anyway, that conversation made me happy!

And why I'm so freaking excited for the sequel show coming out next year!!! And how I'm not sure how I will live until next fall when it comes out!! And how I'm so bloody pumped because Dante Basco (voice actor of my favorite character) is returning!!!

But alas, I told myself a while ago that, in order to avoid appearing obsessed with the series (which I am, I won't even try to hide it), I would avoid ranting about A:TLA in my journal. So I won't. That little mini-rant up there doesn't count. I stopped myself before it went too far! You have no idea how long it could have been! Seriously!

 I pretty much reserve my ATLA rants for my Deviant Art journal. There, I'm sorrounded by my fellow Avatards and ZuTarians, and I can freely rant my little heart out, and most of them agree with me!

Deviant Art, by the way, is awesome. I'm pretty much in love with it. It's probably my favorite website. I post a lot of what I write there. It's pretty cool.

Anyway, that post was rather lengthy and meaningless...but hey, what are blogs for?

Have a great weekend!

Inception Is The Best Freakin' Movie EVER!!!

I just saw Inception! And, oh my gosh, what can I say?? I'm still like shaky and out of breath because that movie was just so freakin' AMAZING!!! It is most definitely my new favorite movie! It's right up there with Sozin's Comet in my book! Which is pretty freakin' high!

I can't even really explain it to you! It...wow! If you don't know what it's about...I'm not even really sure I can explain it. You just...have to go watch it. WOW.

I had heard a lot of rumors that it was really intense, and that it was the kind of movie that had you gripped. Like, you had to pay attention throughout the whole thing. You couldn't even get up and go to the bathroom for five minutes, because when you came back you would be lost.

And let me tell--all of those rumors are so very true!! I'm not typically one to get overly emotional during movies. I cried during Sozin's Comet, and so far that's been it. (Okay, so Sozin's Comet isn't technically a movie. Still, in my book, whether we're talking about movies, books, TV shows, or anything, Sozin's Comet is the best!) But Inception...wow. Just...wow. Oh. Em. Gee. It was so very intense. There was never a moment where I wasn't entranced and just had to see what as coming next.

And toward the end, I almost cried. It was just that good. Although the rest of the movie was so intense and action-packed, the end was a beautiful, emotional scene--even sad in many ways.

For those of you who have seen the movie and know how it ends, I'll let you know that my brother and I were leaning forward, chanting "Fall! Fall! Fall! Fall!" And when it didn't, we both screamed at the top of our lungs!! I just can't believe it ended like that!! NNNOOO!!!!! That's awful!!!!

Well, it was wobbling, so I'm just going to pretend it fell...in my mind....

I also fell quite in love with the music from Inception. I don't know who composed the soundtrack, but he or she is pretty darn good! I simply must have it! Especially the song at the end...wow! So beautiful! I almost cried.

Well, all in all, Inception is totally freakin' amazing!! GO SEE IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ugh, I haven't blogged in a couple days.

Anyway, I figured out how to add gadgets to my blog! As I'm sure you can see, I kind of went all out with it. I added a picture, a poll, a list of other websites that I use, and lists of all my favorite books and my pet peeves. Yep...gadgets are pretty sweet.

Well, what else can I say? Life is great. Thanksgiving is coming up. So happy for that! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break. My family and I are going to spend it with family in Missouri. Which is funny, because that's actually exactly what I was hoping to do.

At the moment, I'm working on cleaning my room so that I can go to youth convention tonight. Youth convention is pretty sweet. It's like a whole weekend of Jesus with all your friends. Pretty awesome. And we stay at Embassy Suites! 'Nuff said! Ignoring the fact that I'm claustrophobic and their elevators scare the crap out of me, that place is pretty nice.

Turns out one of my friends from youth camp is going to YC, too. We're hoping we'll get to see each other, 'cause I haven't seen him since youth camp. It'll be pretty cool.

Um...what else?

I don't know why, but this whole weekend I've been more excited than ever for the coming of ATLOK next fall. I couldn't wait before, but now I mean I really can't wait!! Gaahhh! It burrrnssssss!

I feel like ranting about how excited I am about ATLOK, but I don't expect those of you who don't know what it is (which is sad, y'all are seriously missing out) feel like reading yet another rant on something you don't even know.

Let's just narrow it down to this: Avatar: The Last Airbender is a totally freakin' awesome TV show, and I'm obsessed with it. Avatar: The Legend of Korra (or ATLOK) is a sequel show coming out next fall. And I'm really excited. Especially since I recently found out that the voice actor who played my favorite character is coming back for at least one episode. Dante Basco, voice of the one and only Fire Lord Zuko, WILL RETURRRNNNNNNN.... Yeah, I'm happy.

But no more ranting for now, I promise.

Psst...do any of you recognize that name? Dante Basco? I'm sure you've seen him in at least one movie before. Here's a hint: RUFIO! RUFIO! RU-FI-OOOOO! Yeah, that's right. Dante Basco also played Rufio in the classic, hysterical 1991 film, Hook. It's totally awesome; go watch it.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I've got for you right now. See ya laters!

Happy thanksgiving!

Take A Breath. It's Over.

Hey again!

So, I don't know how many of you read my last blog, "Smurfs, Guys And...Guys". I know Gracie read it, because she left a very heartwarming comment. :) Thanks Gracie! You totally made my day! You're awesome!

Well, I just wanted to say that I have been going through some major healing lately. It's been amazing; I want to describe it to you, but I'm not even sure where to begin.

Well, like I said in my last blog, I've been experiencing some memories of a bad experience, and it's been making me unhappy. I've kind of been trying to stifle them, and while I thought that was the way to go, I never really realized that it was wearing me down.

When it came back up, I don't know why, but I didn't try to shove it down this time. Instead, I was like "God, I'm sick of this. Show me how to forgive, and show me how to let go and move on. I can't go on like this." And immediately, I felt a response. It was like Jesus just wrapped His arms around me and said, "Start by forgiving."

So, with His wonderful help, I've been learning how to let go. And man, there are just no words to fully explain how refreshed I'm feeling. It's like all this weight on my shoulders is gone, and I can live again. I can breathe; I'm finally free.

It's funny; I didn't even realize just how much it was oppressing me. I kept all the junk bottled up, and when it came back to the surface, I thought it was a bad thing. But now I realize it had to come up to come out.

And I'm so glad I'm free now. I thank Jesus, my very best friend in the whole world, for showing me how to move on. I can finally live again.

As for the first guy, if anyone is reading this and going "OMG, that guy must be a jerk," don't. Really. He's a nice guy who just made a mistake. We all do. We still talk occasionally, and we're still friends. While we're not in a relationship anymore, I have let it go. And I'm very happy, and I hope he's happy.

Thank you to anyone who read this and cared. You're all awesome!

Goodbye for now!
Rachel

P.S. JESUS IS THE WAY!!!

Smurfs, Guys And...Guys.

I've got some depressing news.

Recently I found out that they're making a live action adaptation of that good ol' cartoon, The Smurfs. When I heard that, it just ruined my day!

I can't believe they're going to redo The Smurfs! No! They have butchered so many good ol' classic cartoons with their "modern" renditions, it's just sad.

The Smurfs was...man, it was a classic! I can personally say that I occasionally enjoy watching The Smurfs.

It should be revered as sacred and remain untouchable my modern directors who will just butcher it. We should issue a restraining order! The Smurfs are untouchable!

Normally, I would be excited about hearing something like that. But I really lost my faith in live-action adaptations of cartoons after M. Night Shyamalan decided it would be a good idea to turn Avatar: The Last Airbender (which is a great show, by the way) into his hour and a half long total crap-a-thon by the name of The Last Airbender. I still haven't quite forgiven him for ruining Zuko's scar and turning Aang into Ahng. But the time for a TLA rant is not now.

Maybe some of you have heard about the Smurfs movie and are excited.

OMG! I just totally noticed that Firefox doesn't put squiggly red lines under Smurfs! That means it's an actual word! That's awesome! Hahaha!

Haha...anyway, as I was saying, maybe some of you are excited about it? I personally am rather upset that The totally adorable Smurfs has fallen prey to the modern tradition of live-action horror. It's like my worst nightmare has finally come true! I'd kind of hoped they would remain immune to it!

What's next, a sequel to The Last Airbender? Make it stop!

On a totally different note, I feel like writing about my weekend. M'kay?

Well, where to start? This weekend has been...very weird. There have been events that normally would have made it an awesome weekend, and events that would normally ruin my week. It's like they kind of canceled each other out and left me with an average weekend.

The good news:

There's this guy at my church whose name I will not divulge at the moment. But I met him a little while ago, and since then we've become tight friends. He's one of the very few people in my life who has made me feel totally comfortable and confident, like I can completely remove the mask and be me, and he's not going to care.

Well, I'm sure you can see where this is going. I've kinda sorta been developing a crush on this guy, and a few weeks ago, I told him that I like him. He took it quite well, actually. 'Twas a relief.

Last night, he told me that he likes me back! It made me quite happy!! His exact words were, "Hey...um...I kinda like you...."

I saw him at church today, and, well it was...interesting. Our relationship is certainly different now, but not in a bad way. It's like...we both like each other, and we both know it. But he's told me before that he's not ready for a relationship, so we're kinda remaining just friends...? Which is fine, because I don't feel ready to try a relationship again either.

Which brings me to the bad news:

My relationship with this guy has started bringing up some, um...some memories that I would rather forget. It's...I could probably describe it as reopened wounds. I mean...I've had one relationship with a guy before. I'd rather not go into detail at the moment, but, well, let's just say that it partially killed my faith in guys. This guy, whose name shall remain hidden...well, he kind of forgot about me. Let's just leave it at that. And, I totally trusted him.

Since then, I have mended. Not completely, but a decent amount. I've gotten to where I think I'm over it, but then something brings it up and it's like it starts all over again. I've heard that healing is a cycle; I guess now I really know what it means.

Well, anyway...I was talking to my friend in church today. He was trying to show me how to make a heart with just two fingers, instead of my whole hand. I just can't seem to get it! Gah!

Anyway, after a while I finally gave up, and he just laughed. He made half of a heart with one of his hands and held it out to me. I understood what it meant, and I completed the heart with my hand.

Of course, me being as tiny as I am, the result was a very uneven heart. He started laughing and making fun of it, which normally would have amused me.

But the thing is, that's exactly what me and the other guy used to do. We called it the "lopsided heart"; it was like our special thing. We would do it when we met, when we parted ways, and generally just whenever we felt like it. So, doing it with my friend from church...it, um...it wasn't cool.

So, the long and short of it is, right now, I'm just confused. I'm trying to be excited that my friend likes me back, but I can't think of it without thinking of my first relationship. While I totally trust my friend, I totally trusted the other guy too. I don't know what to think. I don't even have an opinion. I'm just...genuinely confused. I mean, if my friend tells me that he feels ready for a relationship, will I be ready? Will I be able to trust him? I don't know. I know I should trust him; he hasn't done a single thing for me to mistrust him. But...man, I really don't even know. I'm just so very confused...more confused than I've ever been in my life.

So, yup...that was my weekend. Very strange, it was.

AudioMachine - Beyond Freedom

Simply put, this song is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my life!

Random Old Men Passing Out Pens???

Funny story! I just have to tell you!

I am homeschooled, but I go to Homeschool Co-op on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is basically public school for homeschoolers. It's complicated; don't ask.

Co-op takes place at this church that was kind enough to let us use their facilities. Occasionally, the church will having an event of sorts during Co-op hours. Today, there was a bunch of old people (not to sound mean) in the sanctuary, having a meeting or something. I don't know.

So, after my last class was over, I went outside and sat down on the cold concrete, waiting for my parents to come get me.

I was just doing my own thing, writing and texting and whatnot. The meeting must have ended, and I kept subconsciously noticing people leaving the church and walking past me. Like, my senses picked up on their presence, but I wasn't really consciously aware of it, if that makes any sense...

So, I was looking down at my phone, trying to sync it with my watch. I wasn't paying any attention to my sorroundings. Two women and a man came out the doors, and started walking past me to the parking lot. I subconsciously noticed the man stop in front of me, but I paid it no mind. I assumed he was just stopping to do something, and kept on doing my thing.

So, like five seconds later, I look and he's got this purple pen shoved in my face (literally; it was like four inches away) and he goes, "Do you want an ink pen?"

In my mind I was going, "WTHeck?" But I was like, "Um, sure. Thank you," and I took the pen. He, and the two women with him, just smiled and walked away. I was left wondering what exactly had just happened, and just how long he would have stood there, waiting for me to look up.

I'm seriously wondering if I've been punked. Like, if that was some joke or some dare or something. 'Cause seriously, you should have seen the looks on their faces when I took the pen...it was weird. It probably has a tracker in it or something; I'll probably get drafted into some Narnia army soon. (Which I gotta say, I wouldn't mind too much.)

It's a cool pen, though. It's a pretty shade of purple. But it has the name of some hospice home on it, so I'm not sure I'll use it...it's kinda depressing.

So anyway, that was my wacky experience!

...............???

o_O Okay um...I just noticed my own username in the list of my followers...??? I'm not sure how, or when I did that but um...okay... *shakes head to clear it*

Anyway, I just noticed that Euphoric Grannies has my blog listed under "Sites I've Enjoyed." I thought that was cool. I'm not sure what I have on my blog that anyone could possibly enjoy, but hey, who's complaining? Apparently she (or they, since her profile says it's two girls) enjoys watching me rant and rave about Deviant Art, Halloween, and Avatar.

And no, I'm not talking about the movie about enlarged smurfs. Whenever I mention Avatar, that's always what people assume I'm talking about. There was a time when one could mention the name Avatar, and everyone knew right away that she was in fact talking about the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Then the highly overrated movie came along. Curse you, Cameron.

And curse you, Shyamalan!! You have ruined ATLA's reputation with your crap-a-thon movie!

For those of you unwary victims who went to see The Last Airbender, let me just apologize on Shyamalan's behalf that you had to waste two precious hours of your life with that crap. And if you saw it and thought, "OMGrapes, the show must be horrid," please listen when I assure you that the show is on a level far higher than the movie. The show is an epic, beautiful classic about good vs. evil, love, and so much more. Shyamalan is the one who's horrid. He is herewith banished from ATLA fandom.

I highly encourage you to go check out the show. I give you an Avatar Promise, you won't regret it. Now maybe you're thinking, "OMGrapes, it's a cartoon. And a Nickelodeon cartoon, at that. How good can it possibly be?" That was my (highly misguided) assumption until just a few months ago, when my friend convinced me to give it a chance. Nickelodeon is not worthy of Avatar. It should be grateful that that epicness wanted anything to do with it.

If it takes you a while to get into it, don't worry. I confess that I thought it was lame for the first like two episodes. But it gets really good, really fast. Just trust me.

"Well, what is that show about?"

I'm glad you asked. Let me summarize for you.

By the end of the show, it does get a lot more complicated, but I can tell you the basic plot at the beginning:

The world is divided into four nations: the Air Nomads, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. In each nation, some people are born with the ability to "bend", or control, their natural element. The only person who can bend all four elements is the Avatar, and it's his (or her, the show is not sexist) duty to maintain peace in the world. The four nations live together in harmony, until the Fire Nation starts a war. And I'm not talking "Oh, I think I'll go pick on some lesser towns." This is an all-out, bloody massacred. And just when the world needs the Avatar the most, he vanishes. People think he's abandoned them, and they start to lose hope.

One hundred years later, the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. But then a Waterbender named Katara and her brother Sokka discover (more like stumble across) the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang.

So, at it's most basic level, the show is about how Katara and Sokka help Aang to master all four elements and, ultimately, defeat the Fire Lord.

But wait, there's more! No real story is good without a subplot, right? Katara, Sokka and Aang have an enemy.

This enemy is a bitter, angry young man by the name of Zuko. Now, Zuko wants to capture the Avatar to restore his honor. That's like his favorite word. It's always "honor this", and "honor that." By the beginning of the show, we know that Zuko has been disgraced in some way, and by capturing the Avatar he can get back what he's lost, somehow.

One of the best things about Avatar is its great use of symbols. Probably the deepest symbol in the show would have to be: Zuko's scar. Zuko has a big, ugly red scar that pretty much covers up the whole left side of his face. Now, I won't tell you how he got it. You'll just have to watch the show and find out for yourself.

My personal favorite trait about Avatar is the characters. Every one of them is so dynamic, and flawlessly developed.

But a close second is the music. The music from that show...oh my gosh. Don't even get me started. The music from that show makes the likes of E.S. Posthumus and Beethoven look like Dora the Explorer.

Maybe you're thinking, "Okay, so it's your typical normal-kid-becomes-powerful-and-defeats-tyrant scenario. How original." Trust me, that show is very original. I can't really explain to you its original elements, however, without giving away key secrets to the story.

Avatar is not one of those mega 20-season shows that takes forever to watch, unlike Naruto or M*A*S*H. It's only three seasons and 63 episodes long. I watched it in less than a month.

And the best part: it's totally clean. Little kids can watch it. This show is loved by kids and adults alike.

To sum up, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a beautiful story of good vs. evil, love, courage, honor, overcoming obstacles, redemption, and strength. With beautiful music and Japanese culture, deep, relevant themes, a perfect balance of humor, and unforgettable characters you will fall in love with. I highly recommend it, no matter your age or tastes. It will leave you out of breath and pondering.

At least, that's how it affected me.

Dante Basco Returns In A:TLOK!!!

Guys!!! You will never guess what I've just heard!!!!! Gaahhh, I'm so freakin' excited!!! I've just seen a video update on the coming of Avatar: The Legend Of Korra, stating that, for at least one episode, DANTE BASCO WILL RETURN!!!!! GAAHHH!!!!! YYYEEESSS!!! The voice of Zuzu is back, baby!!! W00t w00t!!!! It's not quite the same without Zuzu, but still...I am just so freaking excited, guys!!! Like you have no idea how happy I am right now!!! I am shaking!!! W00t!!! I'm still in mourning over Zuko, but still.... Long live Dante Basco!!!!!

Happy Late Hallowe'en!

Happy late Hallowe'en, guys! And in case you're wondering why I spell Hallowe'en like the British, it's not 'cause I'm British. I just think they spell things awesome.

LOL, so anyway, how was y'all's Hallowe'en? Did you dress up or go trick or treating or anything?

I dressed up as Miss Scarlet from Clue. My brother Caleb was a Jamaican Muskeeter. Yeah, I died laughing too. My brother Micah was Batman; my sister Ruth was a card shark (she actually looked pretty good!), and my sisters Sunday and Hannah were Cinderella and Tinker Bell, respectively. They looked just so adorable in their little dresses!

I didn't actually go trick or treating this year. We didn't have time to wait for it to get dark, because Caleb and I had a Hallowe'en party to attend at six. And honestly, I'm kind of bored with trick or treating anyway...but dressing up will never die.

So anyway, I had like the tightest Hallowe'en party ever. My brother Caleb and I went to my church, where my youth group and I played hide and seek...in the dark...at night! It was awesome! My church is creepy at night, but that's what makes it fun! Haha, me and my friend Carl went up behind the stage and we were hiding behind the baptism together. We got a big kick out of popping up every now and then and going "Dumbledore!" It was pretty hysterical! And of course, I couldn't resist walking across the baptism going, "Heeeeermione!"

...Let's see how many of you get that...

Guys, I have a warning for you! Please listen; this could change your life! Or at least your Hallowe'en futures. Haha anyway, I learned this the hard way just yesterday: if you're wanting to be comfortable in your Hallowe'en costume, do not--I repeat, do not wear false eyelashes! They're so not fun! Oh, they give you a great look, but you feel like you can't even open your eye all the way! Ugh. I didn't like it at all.

Anyway...that was my Hallowe'en 2010. Tell me about yours! I'd love to hear it!

Yay, My First Blog!

Hey guys! So um, yeah... this is my first blog on blogspot. I just made my account like five minutes ago. I know, yippee for me, right??

So, just for the sake of not having an empty blog, I'll probably post all my journal entries off of Deviant Art onto here. Just 'cause I can. I'm gonna warn you though, they're pretty much pointless. I didn't name my blog Rachel's Rambles for or reason.

I also need to warn you that as of now, they have been pretty one sided. I recently started watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, and needless to say, I'm hooked. It's the best show ever. My journal entries as of late have consisted mostly of long Avatar Rants. So...hopefully, I'll get off my ATLA high soon. If not, either bear with me, or go watch the show and get hooked yourself! Personally, I highly encourage the latter!

I'm still kind of learning the ropes of this sight...I'm rather confused. But, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it as time goes on.

Oh, and be sure to check me out on Deviant Art at www.zukoismyjacob.deviantart.com and let me know what you think of my writing! You certainly don't have to, but it certainly make me happy!

So yeah, I'm gonna go now! Expect to see some DA journals soon!