Emily has the right idea. We are all unique and it is reflected in our writing style. I mean, who wants be like every body else anyway. How boring is that? Thanks Emily.
Kreativ Blogger Award
I received an award on Friday from Carissa Taylor. Thank you so much Carissa. I am honored and humbled by your support. Also, I am super jealous of Carissa because she currently lives in one of my dream cities; Sydney, Australia.
7 Nominations:- Emily Anne Shaffer
- Here She Goes Again – A.D. Duling
- Hola Yessica!
- Tameri Etherton
- Chicklets Lit – Trish Gentry
- Wright Forbucks
- 27 in Twenty Twelve – Anna F.
1. What is your favorite song? I don’t like what is your favorite questions if I am required to pick only one. My brain doesn’t work like that. I could pick one in every genre or one by the top 50 of my favorite artist. But, to pick one is just unfair.
-Dangerously in Love 2 – Beyonce
-When Will I See you Smile Again – Bell Biv DeVoe
-Precious Things – Tori Amos
-Walk Like a Man – Tim McGraw
-Empire State of Mind – Jay Z
2. What is your favorite dessert? Anything w/Chocolate and Peanut Butter
3. What ticks you off? Inconsistency and Negativity
4. What do you do when you’re upset? I get really quiet and then think about it for a day. Then I bring it up to that person with clear facts and examples to show them how and why they upset me.
5. Which is/was your favorite pet? My dog Peyton. He was named after Peyton Manning. He is a toy rat terrier. The cutes thing with allergies which I think is hilarious. He actually has to take 1/2 a Benadryl every day. He has been living with my two aunts since I moved to China.6. Which do you prefer, black or white? Black is beautiful
7.What is your biggest fear? Snakes and failing to live the life I am supposed to live
8. What is your attitude mostly? Most of the time I have a positive upbeat attitude.
9.What is perfection? Sleeping in until noon and still having 12 hours of sun light left. Also, a good book and a hot bath
10. What is your guilty pleasure? Reality TV; no matter if it is a competition or just a camera following drunk people around. I watch it all. 10 Random Facts
- I love Apple products and currently have my iPhone, iPad 3, Mac Air and Mac Book Pro sitting on my desk all on.
- I collect coffee mugs from every place I have visited and use them for my daily cup of coffee habit.
- I try and quit drinking coffee every month, it only last for a week.
- I know over 100 words in mandarin and my favorite word is dui. It means yes or correct.
- I saw Matt Damon in a play in London a few years ago and have been a huge fan every since. I sat in the front row and he spent most of the play in his boxer shorts. He really is that cute in person.
- I meet Michael Jordan once at a celebrity golf tournament. The person who introduced us told him I was in law school. He said, “Oh yeah, you go to George Washington University.” I said, “Yep.” – I actually went to Georgetown.
- If your name is short for something, I prefer to call you by your full name. Mike – Michael, Jackie – Jacqueline, Lynn – Lynnette, Alex – Alexander
- I love sparkling water and drink it at most every meal.
- There are shows on TV here in China that I would never have watched in America, but now I just love them. Sons of Guns and Deadliest Catch are two of my favorite.
- I pay a driver once a week to go to town and pick me up a pepperoni pizza from Papa Johns. After Chinese food all week, it is so good.
My Weekly Update – A Story, An Attack & Accolades
I hope everyone had a great week. I sure did.
A Story
I wrote a little 500 word story for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop and received some great feedback. It just warmed my heart to have people I respect compliment my writing. Makes me believe I might be doing something right. Two comments I wanted to share with you all because they are still making me smile:
“A fictional character has just stolen my heart.” – by the greatness that is Tameri Etherton
“Good voice.” – by Randy Lindsay
Thanks to you both for making my week.
I have something a little scary planned for next week.
An Attack
Ok. Not really an attack, but I did get into a two comment debate with the movie reviewer at Love Your Movies. He has a really great blog on movies and the movie industry. I really love the way he describes a movie from a personal perspective.
Apparently he did not agree with my opinions in my post on The Greatness of Peter Berg and Battleship The Movie. My word choice of “innovative” to describe Peter Berg as a director particular struck a cord with him. A few other points were exchanged as well. You can read for yourself, but I did stop the debate with the “Ok, I get it. I just don’t agree. You have your opinions. That is why you have your own blog,” statement. Whether he is still following me or not, I am not sure.
But, it did get me thinking. First, what about my blog site with its flowers, love of movie quotes and all around praise and support of my fellow writing and blogging community garnered in anyone the need to debate my opinions. Especially about a movie. I am not auditioning to take over for Richard Roeper.
Second, what is appropriate when commenting on someones blog. I’m not saying I don’t like a good debate. I am a former lawyer and love to argue and can articulate and debate the merits from both sides with the best of them. But, there is also a time and place.
Finally, is there a point when you go to far. I could have come back with a scene by scene comparison of the differences between Friday Night Lights and Varsity Blue (I might still do that in a future post. Good idea.), but what purpose would it have served. Or, is it my duty to defend my point to the end of time. That isn’t really the point of why I do this.
What I have concluded is that I will welcome any and all criticism, comments and suggestions. I would prefer the criticism be about something I am trying to actually get better at, namely my writing.
I will answer any and all comments and try to stay as positive and polite as I can. After all, the tag line of my site is Happiness, Passion, Love & Faith.
Love and light to you all, dammit!
And Accolades
Thank you to my new followers. I am so happy that you have joined the scene:
- Cinema Wolf – Great movie review by Colin Carman
- Little Grey Box – Musing from an Australian living in London
- Ink and Paper – writing advice from Kara Skinner
- Horror Writer DKW – Author site for Dalton L. Fluker
-I also had a few new follower by email and some that don’t have websites. Thanks to you all as well.
Blog Love
- A.M. Shultz (featuring The Adventures Pigs)
- Tameri Etherton
- Carissa Taylor
- Troy Aaron Ratliff
- Writability
- Different Corners in My Life
The Weeks Schedule
Monday – Kreativ Blogger Award Duties and Tag Your It – this is a new one. Tuesday – Movie Quotes Wednesday – Writer Wednesday Blog Hop Friday – Random Blog Post Sunday – My Weekly UpdateEek! by Scott Nickel
I can’t stop laughing at this.
The Greatness of Peter Berg and Battleship The Movie
The first time I saw Peter Berg, he was playing cocky bad boy Dr. Billy Kronk on the medical drama Chicago Hope. The show that featured the amazing Mandy Patinkin as well. Little did I know that just a few years later, he would become one of the most innovative and entertaining writers and directors in Hollywood.
In fact, his greatness is best exhibited by what he does behind the camera and with a pen (I am sure he uses a computer, but I am going for a visual here).
First, I must admit that Peter Berg is a weird guy. He looks weird, he sounds weird. He always puts himself in bit parts in the movies he is involved in. He is as eccentric as they come. But, aren’t most brilliant people a little weird. But, like I always say, “All things amazing start with a little crazy!” (I am not sure if I actually said that or if I heard it. If I stoled it, I am sorry, I can’t remember where I heard it from).
In 1998, he wrote and director a movie called Very Bad Things staring Jon Favreau, Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz. I can only describe this movie as what Hangover, Hangover II and Bridesmads could only hope to be. The movie follows a group of friends at a bachlor party in Vegas and as the title says, Very Bad Things happen to them. There is even a dead hooker in the movie. Check it out if you haven’t seen it.
He directed the critically acclaimed Friday Night Lights and spear headed the hit TV show as well. Friday Night Lights is a movie that is bitter sweet for me as well as being close to my heart. I was raised in Texas and my brother played high school football. His team lost to the team portrayed in the movie during my brother’s senior year. I hate Odessa Permien and that damn MOJO stuff. Peter Berg one hundred percent accurately depicted the insanity of Texas high school football. Great job for a guy from New York.
He also directed Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner in The Kingdom. The Kingdom is about a FBI teams investigation of a bombing in Saudi Arabia. It is one of those movies that get’s better every time I see it. And, it is such a intelligent movie. Again, if you haven’t, go see.
He also wrote the movie The Losers which has one of the greatest assembly cast of little to no name actors; Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans (Captain America), Idris Elba and Columbus Short. Not all well known, but very talented group. That movie has some great lines such as, “Oh my God. I’m the black MacGyver.”
He returned to his acting roots in two great Tom Cruise movies: Collateral and Lions for Lambs. But, his biggest project was recently released.
His latest offering is a little low budget flick known as Battleship. I saw Battleship this weekend and was not disappointed. The drool worthy, but bad acting of Taylor Kitsch couldn’t distract me from what is visually an amazing movie. The alien ships were very unique and utterly terrifying. I really showcased the power of the US Navy in the present and the past. I loved the idea of the old World War II guys coming back to commission the original battleship – US Missouri to save the world. The movie had great pace and was big budget action with a heart and you liked the characters.
From drunken escapades, to intellectual suspense; low budget films with heart to futuristic big budget blockbusters. Peter Berg can do it all.
Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
What is your favorite Peter Berg movie? What do you think about board games being made into movies?*
*I have a great post coming up about the movie Clue next month.
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 