Northern Downpour

1.24.12 // self portrait

1.22.12 // Harrodsburg Road in the morning

1.22.12 // Held up in traffic

1.22.12 // Driving

An Open Letter to College Professors on the First Day of Class

Since this is my eighth semester in college I feel as if I’m qualified to say a few things to college professors concerning their behavior on the first day of class. I know that not everyone has been going to college for four years and that for some students this is only their second semester and they might still be adjusting to college life, but I believe even those students would agree with me when it comes to tolerating professors on the first days of a new year. Here are a couple grievances:

• Do not pass out the class syllabus and then proceed to read through it word by word for the duration of the class period. I can read for myself. In fact that’s what I’m doing quickly and quietly while you’re pausing now and then to rephrase the sentences you’ve just read in an attempt to feel better about reading the syllabus out loud. For the most part all syllabi are the same. You might have added a few new clauses here and there, which you are more than welcome to highlight, but please, I don’t need your vocal verbatim recitation of the papers right in front of me.
• Do not change the book list after it has been posted for a month. I, like many students, ordered my books off of Amazon for cheap. One of my favorite things to do on the first day of class is to show up only for my professor to tell me not to purchase one of the books because he changed his mind and we aren’t going to read it. This is not a decision that should be made any later than two weeks before classes begin. Be considerate of your students and post your final book list well before the first days of class. (Also, do not wait until the day before classes to inform the university of your book list so that students are surprised to find they haven’t purchased all their books after they’ve already budgeted for the semester.)
• Do not make your students participate in icebreakers. I have at least one professor every semester who wastes half an hour or more making everyone in class take turns standing up and answering a list of questions about themselves that no one else is listening to and no one else cares about. It’s okay to do in a class of 20 or less, but no lie I was in a class of 60+ students once and had to partake in a class period’s worth of icebreakers. We the students do not care about your icebreaker. If you don’t want to teach on the first day, let us go early.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these were the things that annoyed me most today, on my eighth first day of classes at the University of Kentucky. So if any of my professors ever accidentally run across this in a Google search, please, know I don’t mean you any disrespect. I would just like to hold you to a higher standard of first class etiquette. 

(Props to my French Film Noir prof for beginning class with a series of black and white movie clips while narrating the action in his best coming attractions voice.)

LotR: 5 Lovable Yet Hate-able Characters

With the new year comes the final Lord of the Rings blog post in our series. You can check out our previous posts, 5 characters we love and 5 characters we hate if you need to catch up. I’ve recently begun reading Tolkien’s The Silmarillion and it’s been interesting learning about the history of Middle Earth. Maybe Peter Jackson will make a movie about it next?

For now, here is our third list, which discusses the top five characters from the trilogy that we know we’re supposed to love but who seriously test our compassion. Some of our reasons may seem trivial, but trust me, when you’ve read the books and seen the movies as many times as we have certain things start to get really annoying. So without further ado, SPOILERS AHEAD!

 1. Gollum. Pretty obvious choice here; Gollum is even on Gollum’s list of lovable yet hate-able characters (too soon?). Gollum is a pitiful character: so pitiful that you just want to cuddle him and tell him that everything is going to be okay. Is that just me? Even so, you can’t help but root for the little river hobbit. And then want to just wring his little river hobbit’s neck. You root for him through the whole series, and he continually screws everything up. Even his death (which admittedly brought about the end of the ring) was purely accident and his wasted life ended with him on the dark side. Whether he’s singing a soulful fish-tenderizing lullaby, spitting in Sam’s coney stew, or purposefully leading our heroes into Shelob’s Lair, Gollum’s mix of pitiful cowering and conniving obsession earns him the top spot on the list of lovable yet hate-able characters.

 2. Boromir. We want to like you so much! Why do you keep trying to take the ring from Frodo? We know it’s hard, but Aragorn resists it, Faramir conquers its pull; even characters like Galadriel or Gandalf, who stand to gain everything by taking the ring, overcome the desire. I know one does not simply resist the ultimate ring of power, but as the resident hero of Gondor it’s your responsibility to be a cut above the rest. At least you die a hero, saving two of our most lovable characters.

 3. Eowyn. You’re kick-butt awesome action girl. We know you are no man (even though Merry’s calf-stab to the Witch-King is what really killed him) and that you’re fearless in battle.  But Aragorn is number one on our most lovable characters list, and you seriously wouldn’t leave him alone.  If he’s still wearing the necklace his lost elf maiden gave him, then he’s probably not ready to move on. Take a hint. There are plenty of strapping Rohirrim homeboys for you to flirt with, and we wholly approve of your wedding with Faramir. While giving all repressed LotR women a massive lift, your annoying flirtations place you square in the middle of our list. 

 4. Galadriel. You’re creepy. That may be the only thing that annoys us. You’re super powerful, and in the movie you’re played by Cate Blanchett, which is very cool. We kind of didn’t know what to think of you; first you’re all sad that Gandalf died, then you’re going all inception on everyone’s mind, then you’re giving out gifts and seducing dwarves, then you’re turning into Hulk-Galadriel and showing Frodo the doom of the Shire. There’s a lot of stuff going on, and it was difficult for us to get a read on you. In the end, you are pretty cool and help Frodo, and you rock one of the Rings of Power, so you’re lovable enough.

(As an aside: WHY are you stroking Gandalf’s face in The Hobbit trailer?  I really hope Mr. Jackson doesn’t go for a love story there; Gandalf totally isn’t your type.)

 5. Elrond. We know that we may be committing LotR-nerd treason here, but this is more of a judgement on the movie version. All props to Elrond; mad three-quarters elf-warrior, wise Ringwraith-wound healer, complete package kind of guy. He even urges Isildur to destroy the Ring (and let’s be honest: Elrond was a tackle away from ending evil from the beginning). But your father skills are a little wack. It’s not like Arwen was pining for Boromir; she was pining for freaking Aragorn.  Are you seeing a trend of how characters who slight Aragorn find their way onto our hated list? If there is ANY guy worth perhaps missing an eternity in the Grey Havens for, it’s Aragorn. Elrond, we know you were just trying to protect your daughter; but there’s some bigger stuff going on here. End of the World/Final Battle and Judgement type of stuff. Like we said, you’re a great guy and a pretty awesome elf. If you had just manned up and considered your daughter’s happiness, you wouldn’t find yourself here at the end of our most lovable yet hate-able characters list.

Honorable Mention:

- Treebeard: Let’s be honest, very very cool character. However, your Entmoot decision not to help the hobbits was a little hasty. C’mon, not helping Merry and Pippin? Forsaking Middle Earth? Not cool. You still redeemed yourself in the end; we appreciate your help in washing the filth of Saruman away.

And there you have it, a list of the most lovable and hate-able characters from LotR. We’ll see you next year after The Hobbit premieres! ;)

This post has been a collaboration between myself, Jason and Michael. The list was created with the help of Amie and Danielle.

(Photo sources can be found here: Gollum, Boromir, Eowyn, Galadriel, Elrond)

LOTR: 5 Characters We Hate

It’s been a while since my first LotR post, so if you need a refresher, here is my list of 5 characters we love. Since writing that post during finals week after (re)watching all three of the movies I should note that I managed to watch Fellowship once more in the same week, and Two Towers on TV in this previous one. I’d say that makes me a serious nerd. It also makes my boyfriend think I’m pretty cool. I am.

Anyway, here is our* second list, concerning the characters we hate most in the series. Honestly this was a tricky list to make, since several of the characters we originally chose for this list were actually shifted to our third list (to be posted later this week/next week). There aren’t a lot of characters we find that we out and out hate. But if we had to list five, this is who we would choose. (As previously, SPOILERS AHEAD)

 1. Denethor. What a freaking jerk. Come on, this guy has no redeeming qualities at all. He’s a bad steward, and a HORRIBLE father. He’s got two great sons, one who admittedly briefly succumbs to the powers of evil and the other who faces the same temptations and overcomes it. Yet who does Denethor love more? The dead one. Rather than the one who has sought to please him his entire life. That scene where he tries to burn Faramir’s still living body on a funeral pyre? Worst scene of the whole movie. The only good thing that comes from that is Denethor’s own ridiculous end, falling burning from a ledge on Minas Tirith. Good riddance. 

 2. Saruman. He could’ve been a great guy. I mean Gandalf trusted him - that’s gotta count for something. But what kind of wizard betrays his friend’s trust and goes to the dark side? He only did it because he’s an opportunist; he just wants to be on the winning (losing) side. What a turd. In the process he makes Theoden a crusty old man, he treats Wormtongue as sub-human, and he ruins the beautiful architecture of Helm’s Deep. In the book, he even scours the Shire. WHO DOES THAT? Check out his death in the extended edition of Return of the King.

 3. Grima Wormtongue. I almost sort of feel bad for him. But then I don’t. He’s a creepy pervert with Eowyn, he spreads lies and poison in Theoden’s ear, and he runs off and betrays Theoden when he spares his life. In the books Gandalf gives him chance after chance to redeem himself and he squanders every one. Not to mention he’s just a big gross creep. Wormtongue is a loser.

 4. Witch-King of Angmar. This (what is he? Certainly not a man) entity is a pig. Before Eowyn and Merry slay him he shouts in their faces “No man can kill me!” Talk about conceited. That’s like saying the Titanic was unsinkable: doomed from the start. Plus he thought he could kill Gandalf. No one kills (permanently) Gandalf. That’s really all we’ve got for him…

 5. Frodo Baggins. I know this might be an unpopular decision (erhmm, Michael*), but I know I’m not the only one who finds Frodo to be a little bit annoying. Maybe it would be a good idea to clarify that we don’t actually “hate” Frodo. We just don’t really like him either.

Yes, he bore the Ring to Mordor. Yes, the Ring was a terrible burden. And yes, he saved the world and helped usher in a new age of peace. All are valid points, and all clearly justify him as being a hero in the story. HOWEVER: without Sam, he never would’ve made it past the first Black Rider. Without Aragorn, he never would’ve made it into Mordor. And without Gollum, he never would’ve destroyed the Ring. Sure Frodo did the deed, but he also proved wholly inadequate and would have failed miserably if not for the devotion of his friends and a lot of blind luck.

He gave in and took the Ring for himself! And was a complete snob to Sam in the process! Being a snob to Sam alone is enough to place Frodo on the hated list, not to mention the fact that he offers the Ring to nearly EVERYONE. After Gandalf tells him the terrible story of the Ring’s influence, evil, and power, he offers him the Ring; before Galadriel goes all weird green spirit on him, he offers her the Ring; after his faith in men is destroyed by Boromir, he offers the Ring to Aragorn. Standing on the ramparts of Osgilliath with the dreaded Nazgul in his face, he offers the Ring again. Seriously Frodo: quit trying to give people the Ring.

It’s easy to start out thinking the story is all about Frodo and his quest, but as it goes on he loses nearly all credibility and becomes a terrible nuisance. We were glad when his part was done.

Honorable mention: 

- Sauron: It’s ironic that we created a list of characters we hate and that you, the main bad guy of the entire series wasn’t on it. However, as bad guys go you sort of don’t do a lot. You’re just a big, sometimes menacing eye that does nothing more threatening than topple over in the end. Nice try, but you weren’t scary.

*The “our/we” mentioned in this blog refers to my boyfriend Jason and his brother Michael. They were my co-authors.

*Michael was very opposed to putting Frodo on the hate list, even as #5. But it’s my blog ;)

Check back soon for our list of top five characters we find the most lovable-but-hate-able in the whole LotR series!

(Photo sources can be found here: Denethor, Saruman, Grima Wormtongue, Witch-King, Frodo)

Stuck in a Dating Rut?

Well my friend Matthew can help you out. He recently finished writing his second eBook, entitled “Ready-to-go Dates: The Cure for Dinner and A Movie.”

          

It’s really a great guide for finding new and fun things to do with your special someone. And wanna know something cool? I edited this eBook for Matthew, and I edited his previous eBook (Sticky-Note Love). It feels pretty cool to edit something other than boring research reports for the Transportation Cabinet :)

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy of Ready-to-go Dates you can check out this promotional page: http://dates.adventure-some.com Having read the guide myself I can say it’s really very helpful for providing interesting new date options! 

LotR: 5 Characters We Love

It’s finals week at UK and my roommates and I have accidentally rewatched all of The Lord of the Rings movies. As a result, we’ve come up with three helpful lists about the characters that you may or may not approve of. These are mostly my opinion, with some help from Amie and Danielle. (Spoiler alert: if you haven’t read the books/seen the movies this post might ruin important plot details. Continue at your own risk!)

Our first list consists of the top five characters we love to love in the whole series. Upon rereading our list I realized that all of our top five are men. Honestly there aren’t a ton of strong woman figures in this series, but I promise we’ll mention some ladies on our next lists. Anyway, enjoy!

 1. Aragorn. Viggo Mortenson is hott. But in general Aragorn is brave, noble, and faithful. He’s gentle with Eowyn (in her hero-worshiping ways) and lets her down easy. He’s one of the wisest characters out of them all and we wouldn’t hesitate to follow him to Mordor. He manages to look grungy and still completely attractive throughout the entire series, and we love the manly scruff. We like to watch him lead his men in battle and we swoon when we hear elvish syllables flow from his tongue. And what about his face when he sees Arwen for the first time after being crowned king of Gondor? There are no words. Bam, he’s number one.

 2. Samwise Gamgee. Like his name would suggest, he is also known for his wisdom. He always has faith in Frodo even whenever Frodo has utterly lost his mind and everyone watching wants to throttle him. We love his love for Rosie, and the way he remembers the ribbons in her hair. He is the most loyal guy we know and despite his initial apprehension concerning the task at hand he (literally) takes that step anyway. Let’s be honest, Sam is the real reason Frodo made it up to Mount Doom. If he hadn’t carried Frodo up the hill (or through the entire journey), it would’ve been the end of the Shire as we know it.

 3. Gandalf. Easy peasy. He fought and defeated the Balrog of Morgoth for two days, and even though it led to his own end, he comes back as freaking Gandalf the White! He makes Theoden un-crusty and younger again, and even when he calls Pippin a fool, he immediately makes us all feel better by checking to make sure he’s okay and giving that sweet reassuring smile. He has a cool steed named Shadowfax who never gets dirty and knows the meaning of haste. When all is said and done, Gandalf will always show up at first light on the fifth day when he says he will.

 4. Legolas & Gimli. They’re a team. The comraderie is adorable. They are the most unlikely pairing in the series; who would’ve ever thought a dwarf could be best friends with an elf? But they totally make it work. Even though they poke fun each other’s battle skills and thrive on competition, if anything happened to the other the remaining would surely be crushed and would never go on. If you haven’t read the books, their relationship on the page is even more unbearably precious. Not to be confused with the precious.

 5. Merry & Pippin. Another fun team. I don’t even know why I have to say anything. First of all, their names are the most fun to say in the whole series, except for Tom Bombadil’s. Merry’s bravery and persistence in disobeying Theoden directly led to the conquering of the Witch-King of Angmar. And if it hadn’t been for Pippin, poor Faramir would have died on a pyre with his crazy hateful father, Denethor. Also without Pippin’s constant curiousity no one would ever have known to go to Minas Tirith in the first place. We love them for their wit and good-naturedness. What a small and mighty team!

Honorable mention: 

- Faramir: he gets the sportsmanship award. He’s admittedly stronger than his brother Boromir, and he does end up with a cool lady at the end. He was still willing to die for his father, even though he was clearly always the unfavored child. What a stand-up guy!

- Rosie: miss congeniality. We just think she’s cute and we’re glad she brought Sam home!

Check back soon for our list of top five most hated characters from LotRs!

This post has been a collaboration between Brittany, Danielle, and Amie.

(Photo sources can be found here: Aragorn, Sam, Gandalf, Legolas & Gimli, Merry & Pippin)