Twilight Review

I'll preface this review by saying that I have never read any of the books in the Twilight series, and really had little desire to see this film. However, I accompanied some friends, flocking to the theater like a fangirl, and in some ways was pleasantly surprised.

Besides the whole vampire thing, Twilight is a chick flick in every sense of the word. We are greeted with a female lead who is easy to empathize with, and a handsome, mysterious male lead--a bad boy, with a sweet side.

The high school atmosphere is easy to relate to, but the science fiction elements don't always stick. The flying scenes, for instance, don't have anything on similar films, most notably, Harry Potter.

Twilight is infused with a heavy layer of cheese and teenage idealism, but the romance is sweet, and it is enjoyable to watch. Maybe I would feel different if I had read the book and had a strong sense of the characters, but the casting seemed on point for the screenplay.


Don't take it too seriously, and the little budding teen romance alone is worth the price of admission.

B-

Brenham, TX

Tomorrow's adventure takes me to Brenham TX, a blip on the radar, but a hotspot on my map because I'll be visiting my two best friends. I believe the weekend will include a trip to see Twilight, I'm apprehensive, but expect a review to come.

Opinion: California Proposition Fights for Animals

Because we are a nation comprised of conflicting political persuasions and values, Election Day is always full of both national and localized triumphs and tragedies. And while the state of California has been in the national spotlight for the disastrous outcome of proposition eight, another statewide proposition represents an enormous victory for the most disenfranchised and often overlooked residents of this nation—animals.

The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, known as Proposition two is a modest yet monumental measure, ensuring that farm animals have the ability to turn around, stand up, lie down and extend their limbs while caged. The initiative specifically applies to egg laying hens, pregnant sows and veal calves.

Currently, many factory farms cram hens 3-6 to a battery cage, keep pregnant sows confined to claustrophobic gestation crates for nearly the entire duration of their pregnancies and keep veal calves tethered from their necks in narrow crates.

Under the measure, which passed by approximately 63% to 37%, farms are expected to phase out pens that do not comply with the new standards by 2015.
Similar, yet less comprehensive measures have been passed in Florida, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona and throughout the European Union.

With an historic election and a controversial marriage bill on the ballot, it seems like Prop. 2 didn’t get nearly as much media attention as the top of the ticket. This says a lot about the growing practicality of animal rights. Perhaps, when voters looked at the initiative in plain language, stripped of all the pretense of high dollar propaganda, it just seemed like a common sense decision.

Animals pay the ultimate sacrifice for humans, especially those raised on factory farms; they spend their entire lives in cages and march to their deaths in slaughterhouses, only to be butchered and unpacked on grocery store shelves. And throughout all of this, they obviously never have a choice about whether they would prefer to live or die.

According to a 2003 Harris poll, less than 3 percent of the people in the United States are consistent vegetarians. Clearly, while humans no longer need meat to survive, its popularity and perceived integral position in the American diet is not waning. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to make sure these animals are treated fairly for the short amount of time they are permitted to spend on this planet.

See this viewpoint in print in this week's issue of the Hilltop Views.

Today's Playlist

Andrew Bird: Armchairs

Jenny Lewis: Acid Tongue

Belle and Sebastian: Piazza New York catcher

Cat Power: Living proof

MGMT: Love always remains

Handsome Furs: Handsome Furs hates this city

She and Him: Black Hole

The Ruby Suns: Morning Sun

Depressed? Step away from the remote!

A recent study, highlighted by the folks over at Live Science, found that 'unhappy' people watch an average of 30% more television than happy people. That's a difference of approximately 19 hours to 25 hours a week.

This is not good news for me.

Even as I type now, I have Hardball with Chris Matthews blaring in the background, I sleep with the TV on every night. In fact, my slumber suffers from the silence if this habit is compromised. I watch talk shows while I get ready in the morning, and late night shows as I doze off. I even watch the prime time shows I miss during the week online when there's a lull, and go to pseudo-illegal downloading measures to secure a couple of my favorite shows that air on premium cable channels.

Now this is embarrassing.
Depending on the season, I regularly watch Flight of the Conchords, The View, Dexter, Southpark, Hardball, Countdown, The Rachael Maddow Show, What Not to Wear, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Project Runway, Bones, Fringe, House, Lost, Entourage, Whale Wars, Monsterquest and any variety of news, entertainment and trashy reality shows if none of these titles appear in the TV guide.

Maybe silence makes me uncomfortable. I keep my TV streaming as I surf the web, do homework, put up my laundry, work out in the fitness center, clean or participate in any other distraction.

And amazingly, I'm still highly productive.


And, I feel happy.


Does the exception make the rule?

Wikipedia Random article #3

Daddy. (1989 film)

A Bollywood film about a young girl that tries to reunite with her father, but is struggling to battle alcoholism. It won a critics award for best performance.

Wikipedia Random article #2

The Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia.

The library, which is comprised of two restored 19th century townhouses, holds rare books, manuscripts and art.