Back in May I visited Dreamscapes in Salt Lake City, at the Gateway. It's labeled as an immersive art experience where different exhibits were created by several artist, emphasizing upcycled, recycled, and donated materials. Cool idea of a place, interesting to walk through and seeing all of the different creations.
Sarah
This is a nostalgic post.
When I was a kid I remember getting Icee's. It was a treat, and the only place in town was at the local Kmart. At the front of the store sat a little booth/cart of sorts, and there you could get Icee's. Was anything else sold there? No idea, because all I wanted was an Icee.
The past has moved on. Kmart went out of business in my hometown a loooong time ago. I just got done looking at a Google map of Porterville in satellite typography mode, and so much is unrecognizable. Seems like there's been a lot of change in the last 20 years. I can't figure out where the Kmart even was. Fractured memories. And sometimes I wonder if childhood memories can even been trusted. But I remember that stand. And I remember how lucky I felt drinking the Icee.
With all the change, it's just kinda nice drinking the familiar drink. These days I don't get it at a grocery store but at the movie theater, and super occasionally at Burger King. Those are the only places I know that sells them.
Now the only trick is to not drink the whole thing before the movie trailers are finished playing.
Sarah
What a silly movie!
So many great moments and scenes and songs!
I remember watching The Court Jester as a kid, but the memory of the movie is fragmented at best, and I don't even know if I watched all of it without wondering off here and there, missing stuff. I didn't even remember that fact that the movie is a musical.
Melvin Frank and Norman Panama wrote, directed, and produced The Court Jester in 1955, starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. It's so amazing seeing Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins and While you were Sleeping) and Angela Lansbury (She's done so much) so young, and playing such fun roles.
The movie itself centers around Hawkins (Danny Kaye), who is an entertainer turned court spy, helping to restore the rightful king to the throne. Who is this king? A baby! Who has the purple pimpernel tattoo to his bottom. One of the movie's running gags is the fact that in order to prove the baby is the rightful heir, the baby's butt must be shown, quickly prompting those who see to kneel and bow their heads in respect, to a... baby's bottom. Glynis Johns is Maid Jean, a rebel captain. Angela Lansbury is Gwendolyn, the princess of England, so desperate for love that's she's cool with Hawkins being tricked into loving her.
While watching The Court Jester I wondered if this was The Princess Bride of its time. A medieval story full of clever one liners and silly tongue twisters. There's plenty to quote. The music is nice, too. Comedy overflowing. And a little Scarlet Pimpernel action from Hawkins as well.
I remember loving this movie as a kid, and now that I've seen it again I understand why. It's just a really great movie.
Sarah
This is a simple post. I stumbled across this quote a few days ago, and it's true. I hope this for you, for all of us. :0)
Episode 75 - "The Spoiler" - Doomsday Device
Hosts: My bros. Steven and Robbie.
"Fiction has done some pretty wild things with super weapons. They've become the center conflict in many stories from comic books to epic sci-fi, but how does one make an interesting and terrifying super weapon? Join Robbie and Steven as they explore the methods necessary to do just that."
We've been working really hard on getting these episodes released on Wednesdays.
I actually haven't listened to this episode. Been prepping and researching for next weeks episode, getting set to record and fully edited by the weekend.
Robbie doesn't seem happy about it. We just had a meeting and he wants us to listen to this episode to learn from it. We're all still learning what works vs what doesn't. There's so many things I still struggle with. Ending an episode. Usually whoever is co-hosting with me closes the episode out, as I freeze up and sometimes can't pull it all together. Challenge for next week! There's so much we want to do with the podcast, and Steven and I are meeting soon to get social media worked out. Heh, something else I struggle with... social media. 0_0
From Ancestry:
"Thanks to our growing and increasingly diverse DNA reference panel, we’ve added eight new regions from across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Although you may not see these new regions in your personal results, you could see changes in your ethnicity estimate as part of this update."
"This update adds the following eight regions to AncestryDNA • Indigenous Americas—Panama & Costa Rica • Indigenous Americas—Ecuador • Indigenous Americas—Chile • Aegean Islands • Arabian Peninsula • Egypt • Levant • Bengal
"Your DNA itself doesn’t change, but the technology and methods we use to analyze it are constantly evolving. As we continue to advance the science, you will see even more updates in the future. We’re bringing you our most precise ethnicity estimate to date using a combination of scientific expertise, the world’s largest online consumer DNA database, and millions of family trees linked to DNA results."
My numbers have shifted around a little, and I now have Wales! All of 1%, but I've now got a little of the whole British Isles.
To Give you an idea, here is my previous numbers: England 36%, Ireland 35%, Scotland 19%, Germanic Europe 6%, Norway 4%.
For my updated DNA results I'm going to include my range in parentheses. "You range comes from making multiple comparisons of your DNA to our reference panel. It includes other possible, but less likely, percentages."
My updated results: Ireland 41% (13-41%), England & North Europe 39% (33-58%), Scotland 13% (0-32%), Norway 4% (0-8%), Germanic Europe 2% (0-12%), Wales 1% (0-12%).
Since I've done my whole family, including grandparents and an aunt, plus I know the results of another grandparent, a cousin, and a great-uncle (my maternal grandmother's brother, which is interesting to compare), it's interesting looking through all the numbers and recognizing patterns.
It's interesting going through all the information. My Dad use to have Wales, but no longer does, though I did trace one of his lines on Family Tree (not reliable information) to the Welsh monarchy several centuries back. My Dad is now 44% English and 43% Scottish, but only 2% German despite our last name being of Americanized German origin. My maternal grandmother now has Irish, though she wasn't showing it before, and we had a few paper trails back to Ireland on that side, so that's finally showing up. My Great-Uncle still has 3% French, which my Grandmother didn't inherit, so none of us down this branch of the tree inherited it, but it's nice to see it's still there, though he lost his 1% Spain.
And it's fun comparing myself with my siblings and seeing all our different numbers. Robbie and my percentages are really close. Michael is evenly balanced between Ireland, Scotland, and England all within the low 30%. Steven is 55% English and only 5% Scottish, though he and Robbie are both 4% Wales (my Mom is 6% Wales). Also, my Mom is 100% British Isles. She's the only one out of my whole tested family who has nothing in continental Europe.
Fun stuff. It's all very fascinating. Sure enough as more data is collected and algorithms improve the numbers will continue to change.
It's cool my Irish numbers have increased to my dominate region, though Scotland went down because of it. I'm still primarily Celtic!! :D
Episode 74 - "Ships passing on the big blue wet thing" - Getting Lost
Hosts: My bros. Steven, Robbie, and I. :D
"Have you ever had that moment when you realized that you weren't as sure of where you were than you thought? The landmarks are gone, the familiar faces missing, and your direction seems lost forever. What do you do in times like those? Better yet, what do your characters do? How do stories about getting lost help a character grow? In today's episode we explore why stories include "getting lost" elements, and how you can best use these tropes in your own stories."
Oh my goodness, what a silly episode. At least it felt a little silly while recording it. We recorded late at night, and the crazy comes out around that time. I listened to it, and it's always interesting listening to the final product vs how it felt recording. There's always that moment in the middle of recording where I'm pleading with my brain, "Come up with something!" But the episode really came together! Bad puns and all. :P
I think we've all experienced getting lost. It's a little scary, unless you find the experience rather exhilarating. Some people like being lost. Rather in our own life, or in stories, being lost is a chance for discovery. A chance for growth. And sometimes it's simply a test of will. Being lost can last minutes to years. What will you find while getting found?
The Creator's Playbook is a podcast on Spotify and other platforms, hosted by my brothers and I. It's all about storytelling, techniques, ideas, and discovery.
Currently on the Norwegian Encore, an NCL cruise ship, is the show The Choir of Man. There's a cast currently performing the show in London, and the cast on the cruise ship will begin touring the USA in January, starting in Logan UT.
The performance has a pre show, a gradual introduction to the cast as they enter the English pub and intermingle with activities and so forth. There's also a point where free beer is given to the audience, which made many people quite happy. For those of us that don't drink there's no pressure.
Choir of Man is a celebration of the pub, the coming together of different individuals to commune, interact, and do pub like things. Okay, I'm a gal from Utah! I have been to a couple English pubs in various cities throughout the UK, but it was to get a really good meal. Pub food is seriously delicious.
From the website: "Imagine the greatest pub gig you’ve ever been to and multiply it by 10 and you’ll still be nowhere near the fun that this show exudes throughout. Featuring pub tunes, folk, rock, choral and Broadway numbers, the 9 guys showcase music that has wide appeal. The cast features world class tap dancers, poets, instrumentalists and singers, ensuring that there is something for everyone in this joyous and uplifting show for all ages. Not only is the concert set in a pub, but it has a real working bar from which the cast will pull pints and invite audience members to get up close and personal with the show – witnessing the action from chairs and tables among the guys – come ready to drink in the action!"
The show is really entertaining. The singing great. The instrumentalist seriously talented. And there's fun dancing. I loved the performance so much that I saw it twice. My favorite tunes were Teenage Dream and Chandelier. All the songs are great. There's an album on Spotify if you want to have a listen.
Oh, and that bathroom song.... :\ Heh......... .... .... ....... .. ...... .....
Not a classic Monday, but I've seen some movies recently, and thought I'd share some opinions. There may or may not be spoilers. These are quick fires. Probably because it's after midnight, and I decided this could be a fun way to change up my reviews. I'm watching a few classic movies this week to get ahead. This whole "roundup" post probably won't happen all that often. We'll see.
Free Guy
What a fun movie! Perfect escapism. Basic story about a video game where an NPC (none playable character) becomes self-aware, and all the problems and or opportunities this may cause. There's a little Wreck it Ralph flare in it, but the story is original. I laughed the whole way through, and haven't enjoyed going to the movies this much in a long time. What a fun diversion, one I'll happily see many times in the future.
Reminiscence
It's got Hugh Jackman, but overall I struggled watching this film. Just got bored! It's the first time I wanted to turn off the movie and return to it later, if I remembered to do so. The premise is interesting: A future where people can re-enter dreams, living in them as if they're real. Overall, though, the plot felt convoluted. I didn't connect to any of the characters. Ultimately I didn't care what happened to any of them, which is good because the ending was frustrating. The dialogue felt stilted, feeling like it was trying to be both detective story and western. Overall it just felt like I was watching a really bad science-fiction novella that shouldn't be published.
Cinderella (2021)
Don't fix what ain't broke. Honestly I did enjoy watching this new version of Cinderella. It meant well in parts. Like the twist on the Step-mother and sisters. As soon as I saw the new sister of the prince I literally paused the movie, recited out loud what the changed plot would be, and then watched all my predictions come true. Magic. The movie is woke. Honestly, Ever After, the always amazing remake I re-watch often, and saw in the theater 5 times, was a little woke for it's time, but that movie was clever. I mean, Leonardo da Vinci as the fairy god mother? True genius. Nothing will ever compare.
Shang-Chi
The latest Marvel studios, MCU, film. Wasn't sure what to think of this movie going into the theater. Avoided all spoilers, which was a trick. Worried it might not be good after it got overshadowed by all the Spider Man excitement. I really enjoyed Shang-Chi! I mean, it's a martial arts super hero movie, so it's a win right there. I like the plot, loved the characters, and just got lost in it all. The underlying story about family was nice as well.
And that's all for now. I should look at the movie release schedule, as I'm not entirely sure what's all coming out. There's probably some heavy hitters finally coming to screen after all the schedule push backs.
Sarah
The funniest things can remind us of the past, or simply get us thinking about stuff in general. This last week I've been working through this months iFit challenges, one of which is a walking series in Jordan. Really inspiring and cool. As the host approached Petra, he stopped and showed a rock that was in the shape of Dory. Dory from Finding Nemo.
This evening I was thinking about it, about that movie, and the phrase "Just keep moving" revolving within my brain. Dory actually says "Just keep Swimming," but that's not what mind wanted to encourage. (Not that there's anything wrong with swimming, mind, especially in this Summer heat).
Just keep moving. Sometimes that's all you can do. For me I've just been placing one foot in front of the other. Everything is just weird right now. Everything just feels so strange. But no matter what, it's just important to move, however you see fit. Finished that Jordan series, which was really cool. That's one way to keep moving.
No matter what, just keep moving, or swimming. :P Whatever works. Whatever you like.
You just gotta keep finding ways to stay hopeful.
Moving is better than standing still. Though if you need to pause and rest a little, that's okay too.
Just a little late night, tired induced inspiration. In my mind it's probably sounding a lot more motivating than it's coming across here. I just think, with everything going on right now, we need to remember to pause, breath, and move.
Just move...
Sarah
Episode 73 - "In Plain Sight" - Asteroids
Hosts: My bro Michael and I
"Who doesn’t love a good Earth annihilation story? An asteroid spiraling towards Earth! I mean, it sure caught the dinosaurs by surprise. But is that all asteroids are good for? There’s a treasure trove hiding away in space rocks. Fortunes and resources that would have made the cunning Long John Silver crazy with wanting desire. What possibilities lay in the asteroid belt and beyond? Join Sarah and Michael as they explore the power of asteroids and what they mean for the future of the human race in life and fiction."
This was a fun podcast. Doing this podcast made me realize how much I need to learn and relearn, which honestly is a good thing. Something I enjoy. For this podcast I prepared by doing a lot of research. In terms of a good quick refresh there's a video by Professor Dave Explains called: Pluto, Comets, Asteroids, and the Kuiper Belt. Though I kept mixing up the names of moons in the podcast. There's not a moon named Titus! Though there should be. Heh, though Titus in Greek means Titan, which is a moon that surrounds Saturn. Titus is a really good solid name.
So Michael and I just had fun nerding out and theorizing stuff. Asteroids really do hold so many possibilities in terms of value and potential use for the human race. In terms of space exploration and growth they hold the key.
Mt. Rainier, an extinct volcano.
This is the review I kept meaning to write, only couldn't after doing some research, and subsequently I've struggled doing any other review as I got it in my head that this should be written and finished first. Only then could I move on.
"Yours, Mine and Ours," from 1968, is innocent enough. The movie stars Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda. A family film with all the right motifs. Two families joining into one, and all the problems this entails. But this wasn't just any family, these were two large families. Helen North with her eight children and Frank Beardsley with his ten. Two more came later to make up 20 children. There are antics between the children. Situations between Helen and Frank as they managed dating, work (Helen as a nurse and Frank in the Navy), and family raising.
I enjoyed watching Lucille Ball play a character quite different than her "I Love Lucy" persona. There's still punch lines, but overall more realistic and serious at times.
While the movie progressed I thought that if this story was based on a real family, it would be courted by the likes of TLC, quickly made into reality television.
After some research it's a good thing reality television didn't exist in the 1960's.
Helen North Beardsley released a book called "Who Gets the Drumstick?" though the book stays quaint and loving. I haven't read it, but it appears to resemble what's in the movie. The film's Wikipedia page lists differences between book and movie.
The controversy in my head began after I read the article "A Hollywood tale of happiness rocketed a Carmel family to fame. But one son says reality was more of a horror story." The interview is with Tom North, the 11th child, and he spells out a different scene. He describes abuse and heartache. Violence by Frank Beardsley, Helen marrying him to save his children. It's a very different story, one that is hard to read. The Beardsley children deny it, siding with their father.
It's hard to know what to believe. Movie's tend to not stick with facts, glorifying and exaggerating for storytelling sake. Was Helen's sweet biography the true story? Tom North's interview? Or the Beardsley children protecting the memory of their father?
All that aside, "Yours, Mine and Ours" is a sweet, inspiration movie. I'm glad to have not known the background story before seeing it, so now I fear I may have ruined it for others. Only you can decide what you believe.
Sarah
Episode 72 - "Dummy Style" - Martial Arts
Hosts: My bros. Steven and Robbie
"Coming up on the release of Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, we wanted to explore the exciting world of Martial Arts and creating a martial arts. Martial Arts is an ancient form of story telling that has touched the hearts of millions and inspired millions more to overcome personal weakness in favor of greater strengths.Join Robbie and Steven as they create their martial arts and use it to tell the story."
Martial Arts is such a powerful and motivating skill to learn. From my short time learning Taekwondo, it was always inspiring to repeat the 5 tenets before a lesson, which are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. As a root part of any story Martial Arts provides both action and personal growth.
Hope you're having a great week! You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and other podcast services.
Sarah
So, apparently next month or so is my High School 20th reunion. Technically it was supposed to be last year, but for obvious reasons it was postponed, and the class of 2000 is now joining the class of 2001.
I'm not going.
It's not because there isn't any value in it, it's just that I don't want to attend.
Movies and shows seem to romanticize class reunions, and whether or not the stereotype is true is something I won't be discovering until the 50th reunion, which could be interesting. If that happens I fully expect a 90's theme with Backstreet Boys blazing over the speakers.
(I sang once at a 50th reunion when I was around 18, and they had all this 1940's and 50's music playing. It felt really nostalgic, and everyone there was dressed so classy.)
(Fun fact, in Back to the Future Marty traveled back 30 years from 1985 to 1955. If we were to travel the same distance, we'd end up in 1991. Let that sink in.)
A decade past I didn't go to the 10th reunion as well.
I don't know... there's the technical reasons with it being in California. Travel expense and whatnot.
It's just weird!! And I'm struggling to find the words.
I'm in the FB group, so all these posts keep popping up. It's like another life. Just super strange.
Well, movies seem to romanticize the High School Reunion as a type of trope, the popular or lowers returning to show who's achieved and who's failed. Friends seeing each other after years of neglect. Someone who was bullied getting their revenge. Oh, you know that super cute dude back when? He's ugly now. Just silly things. And I'm trivializing it all a bit. I'm sure it won't be like that, just reiterating what I've seen in moving fiction. What movies and television tend to miss are all those who just don't go for a variety of reasons, some emotional, others practical, and so forth.Anywho, just some thoughts. Maybe if I went it could be fun, but that's neither here nor there. To all those who go, I hope it's a blast.
Sarah
Sometimes we make life harder than it is, than it should be. While trying to accomplish tasks and dreams we may mess up. Take the long way. Go the wrong way.
