Kitsune's Place

The Hunger Games: Feast or Famine

 

The beginning to me of this book is really about bread. How important it is and how it is so necessary to their survival. But I am using feast or famine in a much more literal sense as well. This world they live in really is all or nothing. And when you realize that, you can begin to identify with all the characters. 

I really enjoyed the Hunger Games. Yes, perhaps the Dystopian thing has been done a lot lately but then what hasn’t been. To me the approach you take to something, how you fill out the characters and the complexity of the Society they are in is much more important. Katniss Everdeen doesn’t want to be in the Games. She doesn’t want her family in them. Living in District 12 is just where they are and to her there are good things as well as bad. She has learned to live and be strong in her environment. She didn’t want anything to do with any part of what happened to her and neither did Peeta, but that is just the way life goes and they try really hard all the way through to be themselves. The story is really hers, told in her voice and that is an interesting part of it. She can make you feel what she feels far more in the book than in the movie. There is an intensity about her and Haymitch as well as Cinna that you can really feel. Peetah has a far more difficult journey in the book than the movie led us to believe.

I recommend people read this book, but it isn’t a series for the faint of heart. There is violence and death. But I wouldn’t say gratuitously so, it just is necessary to show what they endure, what motivates them and how they deal with things. It reminds me of 1984 by Orwell as the books in the series progress merely because everything you do is monitored. Everything. And it is only the beginning…

Daily Meditation

Are you up for the 21 Day Challenge? I don’t know if I am yet or not. Oprah along with Deepak Chopra are inviting us to do this. Some of my friends love it, others are skeptical. I took the time to listen to this man and to meditate. One thing I do know is that it causes me no harm and I feel better afterwards. So I figured maybe some of you would like to listen to him to.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/deepak-chopra-meditation

If you enjoy attempting new things, the link will take you to the website where he teaches you to meditate for free! I found it extremely interesting.

Assumptions

The Other Boleyn Girl

There is a reason this book is labeled as Fiction. While we all know the characters existed there are obvious differences. I am relatively certain that Mary was older than Anne. Many people may not enjoy this book if they want an accurate historical narrative or a biography. This story is just that—a story written and imagined for the enjoyment of the public. All the characters are exaggerated and liberties were taken with them. We don’t know for certain whether or not any of Mary Boleyn’s children belonged to the King, who was older,  It is enjoyable enough and a relatively quick read—I was finished in a few hours.

Part of my problem with this book is that the Henry the VIII was already a ruthless enough person (after all he did wipe out most of his wives and scores of other people on a whim) and believe it or not in this book he seems positively passive compared to the Boleyn and Howard Families.

Other readers are all over the place on this book. Some love it for the sensuality and intrigue brought in by the characters, some fall in love with the story and rather end up feeling it was real. But only elements of this story are the truth.

Do not read this book if you are distressed by rather over the top sexual descriptions, discussions, and incest. While it is intriguing it no doubt upset a lot of people who read this. So for the people who enjoy talkes of passion, romance, lust, greed and every intrigue that can erupt in a small court of people always jockeying for position, notices, honors, favors, well this a good reading material!

In Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings,  the authoress Alison Weir has  based her work in facts; facts she and others have painstakingly researched for years. She lays it out genealogically and begins her paper trail. That is a brilliant book but not covered in this review. If you are after the facts (as best as we can find them then read this book by Alison Weir.

Don’t get me wrong. I actually quite enjoyed the Other Boleyn SIster book since I accepted it what it for what it was, a fun work of fiction and supposition. It definitely was a good way to spend a light sunny afternoon whiling away time attempting to forget i had to flu and go into another country into an intrigue that I know nothing of and know I would read it again and will probably watch the movies as well.

But right now I am reading the book written by Alison Weir. Because you see, fact can be even more interesting than fiction and usually far more involved! We shall see.

The Good Life or Good Neighbors BBC Production

One of the most entertaining and interesting television shows ever produced. Sterling cast, chemistry was spot on and you can tell they were friends and remained friends outside of filming. The series Starred Penelope Keith as Margo Ledbetter, wife of Up and Rising Executive Jerry Ledbetter. Their Neighboors are Tom (Richard Briers), who works with Jerry (Paul Eddington)—but two floors down—and his attractive and lovely wife Barbara (Felicity Kendal). This show is about a lot of things all at the same time. It is about wanting to try something new because you have just realized all you believed in was a load of bollux and you just want to start over. Their house is paid for, why not? They don’t need to move, they don’t want to go whole hog. They merely want to be as self sufficient as they can be and live in a normal neighborhood. He destroys their old live, really he does, but they begin to build a new one together, blocks in the road and all—right in the middle of Surbiton. What makes this show tremendously endearing to the British Publish is the astonishing sensuality which emerged from within Felicity Kendal. No one really calculated for the effect she would have on British Men overall. They felt a deep sympathy and sense of urgency they did not like over the way they felt Tom treated her and so it had to be addressed. They also felt she was tremendously sexy and quite good to look at too! Margo Ledbetter began to emerge as a person who felt she was better than anyone else, like an elite person, yet she was still upper middle class! She is, at the end of the day a sweetie, if a snob. Her husband does his best for Tom, doesn’t understand him at first, but he comes round in the end. He cares for them and they all help each other. This show is about adversity and love and decisions. While all the time being hilarious too. Many of us wish we could just STOP. STOP paying the gas bill, STOP paying the phone bill, STOP paying the trash man, just stop everything! What they really wanted was self sufficiency and a way to just be themselves with each other.

The series shows the struggles they have, the differing opinions of the neighbors and yet when push comes to shove this show really displays how much they love each other and help out. It is a really great show. It also turned out to be a huge launching point for both Penelope Keith who became extremely successful and had a hit series To The Manor Born based somewhat off of the character of Margo. Only instead of imagining herself to be important and of one of the elite houses she WAS and what happened when the rug was pulled out from under her; and Paul Eddington who went on to star in Yes, Minister! and then Yes, Prime Minister! both extremely successful shows about the British Government and what happens inside Number 10 Downing Street. All of the actors have been successful and have had many different types of series, but this one is the most endearing to me.

Trying to decide to what write about…

This is my blog! :-) Enjoy! Oh yes. What to write about today? Hmmm. I know! 42! So simple. Even a child could do it….

Seriously this is one of the BEST BBC Productions of all time. What a ride we were given by this man Douglas Adams. His imagination was off the charts and all of us who rode on this mad adventure with him will never EVER forget it. I have never become so totally immersed in a radio broadcast (and I listen to a lot of them and immerse!) and still managed to laugh so hard! He is so out there. Completely brilliant, believable ride even though you know this is not real! He just sucked us all in with him!

The ride continues with a mix of the old and new cast to support his shows. He took people who worked on the television program, radio broadcasts, movies and books and put them ALL into the studio in various parts to re create once again what he had done so long ago. It was a huge success and they were working on the last Phase when he died prematurely.

The other writers had to make a decision. Did they go back to the roots and write that last book into the radio broadcast the way it had been originally been written and by Douglas Adams. Who hated that when it was all said and done or did they do it the way he was going to do it himself when the tragedy struck? They risked it all and everyone showed up and they began the last radio broadcast in the NEW script. It worked, it was wonderful and wild and I loved it. Thank goodness it was changed and that everyone got to do it together. Wherever you are, we miss you Douglas Adams! The world will not be the same without you, your genius and your abilities. You were worried we would not look deeper and we would not understand, but I did and I did read, “Last Chance To See.”

(Source: kitsunelady.tumblr)

Integrity

It is really the only thing you own that belongs to you. Have it and use it!