Do Something.

Since I've grown older, I've realized a few things. There is no roadmap to life - no set course we just fall into - destiny is real, but we have to CHOOSE our destiny by ACTING on it. Also, there are no do-overs, no second chances. Sure we may reincarnate after we die, but as far as this life, we get ONE chance to get it right. If we don't get it right this time around, chances are we won't next time either. 

And most importantly, we have a LOT less time than we think. 

I am currently 28 years old. To most, this age is considered the prime time of life. But a crippling injury has caught up to me (sciatica, herniated disk, emotional buildup), and I am in constant, at times paralyzing pain. Did I know this would happen? No. If I'd known, I would have made better choices, taken care of my body, and stayed in touch with my emotions, even the tough ones. (Yes, repressed emotions can contribute to chronic pain. Face them.) When I was younger, I never imagined feeling so old at only 28! We don't think that something like this can happen until we're much older, but the truth is, you never know. 

Young people - I'm not trying to scare you, I'm trying to open your eyes. To fill you with a burning desire to DO SOMETHING about each of your lives before it's too late. Something meaningful. 

Is it working?

When we're young, we think "I have all the time in the world" and we proceed to waste our best years away by partying, watching TV, playing video games, and before we know it, our lives have passed us by. 

Our dreams. 

Our future. 

Our destiny. 

When we're old, we look back and think "I wish I'd done this" or "I always thought I'd have the time for that." Well, don't be one of those people. 

Don't be like me. 

Don't be a statistic. 

Break the cycle and DO something with your life while you are still young and able. Your best years don't come when you graduate, or after you find love, or after you land a high paying job. 

Your best years are NOW. 

Don't waste them. 

Once again, young people, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to inspire you to get up and move. 

To be a leader. 

To do something that matters.

To start a revolution in your world.

I'm trying to light a fire inside of you. 

Is it working?

Random Review: M. Night Shyamalan

My review of M. Night Shyamalan from Get Glue: 

In my opinion, M. Night Shyamalan is the greatest writer/director that ever lived. All of his films are so intricate & captivating, & I can't understand why so many people don't like him & his films. 

From "The Sixth Sense" to "The Village" Night is a genius when it comes to the twist ending, & this is the trait for which he is most well-known. Then there are films like "Signs" & "Lady In The Water" that produce a strange new outlook on the world. He is so good at instilling magic & faith & hope into the viewer's soul. & that is hard to do through film.

Night is reportedly a joy to work with as well, which makes for a happy cast & crew, which in turn makes for a wonderful film. He is still fairly young & already has an impressive resume of films, & I can't wait to see what he does next!

 
Night has inspired me so much over the years, & I don't think he's going to stop any time soon! He is & will always be my hero :)

And here's my review of Night's movie "The Village" also from Get Glue:

 This film beautifully depicts love in its truest most innocent form, & says something profound about human nature. I truly believe The Village has one of the best scripts ever written, with beautiful quotes, such as my favorite: 

"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe." 

With gorgeous & haunting cinematography, a mind blowing twist, & amazing performances by Joaquin Phoenix (also in Night's film "Signs"), Bryce Dallas Howard (also in Night's film "Lady In The Water"), William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody & more, this film is a diamond in the rough. 

Many people were too small minded to enjoy the film & pick up on the moral of the story: you can take people out of the darkness but you can't take the darkness out of people. I love it. I even made a music video of it years ago. Here it is: 

And don't worry, there are no spoilers in the video, in fact, it's more like a trailer than anything, and people who have seen the video who haven't seen the movie have told me it made them want to see it. So even if you haven't seen it, you should have no reason not to watch the video. ;)

Night's most recent masterpiece is a film called "After Earth" which I finally got to see recently. Here's my review of it from Get Glue: 

I was so excited when I heard Shyamalan was making a new movie, but I was even more excited when I heard what it was about! I love scifi as well as anything post-apocalyptic, & After Earth combines the 2!

Others, however, weren't so excited. They still don't trust Night as a filmmaker. But I happily ignored the critics & saw it anyway, counting the minutes till it started & doing my little chair dance when it finally began.

Even though I sort of expected it to be great, I was still absolutely blown away. I was tearing up within the first 10 minutes! Night has done it again. In fact, I think he's even surpassed his other films with this one. Not only is it visually stimulating & absolutely gorgeous, but it has great acting from Will Smith & his son Jaden, & a great story with a great message: Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Among others.

We all need to see this. Absolutely see it. The critics are just mentally challenged, as usual. Best movie I've seen in a long time...

Here is the amazing trailer: 

I could go on and on, and rant about how much I love Night's other movies as well, but I've ranted enough. I apologize if it was a bit repetitive, but that's the beauty of copy and paste. ;) Needless to say, I love this man's work, and I hope he continues to amaze and inspire us with his creative mind for many years to come!

This has been a (not so random) review, from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. Stay epic, and be the lightning. ;)

Random Revew: Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan is one of my main musical influences. People used to call me Kylie McLachlan :p Her music was a huge part of my childhood, as my mother & her friends would listen to her album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" frequently. Basically my childhood consisted of music from The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, & this woman. & to this day she is one of my favorites.

"Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" is not only my favorite album of Sarah's, but one of my favorite albums of all time. It's rare to find an album I can listen to straight through without skipping a single song, & this is one of those rare cases where every single song on the album is a precious jewel. The feeling of it is so haunting & emotional, & the style is unique to Sarah. 

If I had to choose, my favorite songs from "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" would probably be "Possession" (based on a letter from a crazed fan), "Mary" (which i think is about about motherhood & growing old but many see a religious or environmental meaning), "Fear" (a unique ballad in which she hits crazy high notes), & of course "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" (the title track). 

I love listening to this album straight through, especially the last two songs. Here's why: "Fear" is the trembling confession of a little girl who is afraid of love, stating "There's nothing I'd like better than to fall, but I fear I have nothing to give." & directly after that song appears a calm & focused grown woman on the beautiful title track, which states repeatedly "I won't fear love" finishing the album with hope. It's hard not to tear up listening to it. 

It is this perfectly amazing placement of songs, combined with Sarah's beautiful voice & intricate compositions & harmonies, that make "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy one of the best albums of all time.

 

The magic doesn't stop there though. Sarah has released many more amazing albums since then, such as "Surfacing" & "Afterglow" & from these albums some more songs I adore, such as "Adia" & "Witness" from "Surfacing" & "Fallen" & "Stupid" from "Afterglow" but as beautiful & intense as these albums are, my favorite is still "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" & it probably always will be.

Another great album, believe it or not, was the live album "Mirrorball" - I ran that album into the ground. In my opinion, the energy & composition of each song is even better live, which is difficult to find in an artist. Here are two songs from that album to prove it. From the Mirrorball DVD:

I'll Get By (Newest Video)

Footage: Alice In Wonderland.

Music: "Alice" by Avril Lavigne (from the soundtrack). 

 

I have overcome a lot in my lifetime. Rape, heartbreak, suicidal thoughts...  But all these things are mortal enemies, and they CAN be defeated. This video is my declaration of that fact. Not only for myself, but for whoever watches it. There IS hope. You are NOT alone. I founded a support group in 2008 called RISE (Rape Incest & Suicide Education). Check it out if you're interested. 

I experimented more with this video than I ever have, and I really hope you like it! I'm currently fighting yet another battle with a crippling injury called sciatica, and I was going to wait until I had completely defeated it before uploading this video, but then I decided to upload it anyway, as a sign of good faith. Because I've already survived so much, I'm not going to let this pain take me down. I've come a long way already, so here's to a full recovery!

I hope that whatever you're going through, or whatever you have gone through in the past, you can overcome it and RISE above it. And I hope this video gives you the strength to do that, like it's done for me. :)

Here it is: 

Until next time. Be The Lightning. ;)

 

 

Countdown To Apocalypse

"Everybody makes fun of the redneck, until the apocalypse."

We watched the premiere of the new H2 show "Countdown To Apocalypse" the other night (the episode about 12-21-2012) and it was probably the best look at this subject I've seen, because they not only talked about whether or not the world would end this December, but they also showed a guy out in the woods teaching people how to survive if something catastrophic did happen. And I realized, that guy is just like my husband, Evol Eric. We are already pretty prepared thanks to him, and if something does happen and we have to function without electricity and whatnot, he will probably be doing what that guy's doing. So when the shit hits the fan, call us ;)

We may live out in the middle of nowhere, but if an apocalyptic event occurs we're a lot safer out here than in the city. And we may be underdogs now, but if an apocalyptic event does occur, we will be the leaders of the pack.  

We're not delusional or paranoid, just ready.  

Are you? 

Above is a silly little video Eric and I made. He wrote and illustrated it, and I did the narration and editing. If you like it, let us know. ;)

Also, here's a link to a survivalist forum you might find useful: http://www.survivalistboards.com/

You know what they say, better safe than sorry! 

 
This has been a blog (a long-overdue blog thanks to injury) from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. Keep your eyes open ;)

  

Random Review: Looper

My husband Evol Eric knew how excited I was to see Looper. Frankly, everyone did. I had made it blatantly obvious since the first time I saw the trailer. So, on September 29th, after some lunch and some Halloween shopping (during which I bought the hat in the picture below), Eric surprised me with a date to see the movie. Needless to say, I was pretty happy. ;) 

Here's my review of Looper from Get Glue:

When I saw the trailer for Looper in theaters, I was so impressed and excited that I did a little dance in my chair when the trailer ended. That's the only time that's ever happened! So naturally, I had to see it. And today, I have.

I was hoping Looper wouldn't disappoint, and it definitely didn't. Everything from the acting to the special effects to the writing to the score was so amazing and well done.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a stellar job handling the lead role, as expected, and Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt were really good in it as well. The prosthetics on Joseph (applied to make him look like Bruce Willis who plays the older version of him) were very well done too. He looks so different in this film, and it was executed so well that you almost forget it's not his real face. 

 In my opinion, there could have been a little more back-story on some of the aspects in the film, but other than that, it was a really good film, with stunning visual effects, heart wrenching acting, good writing and some cool twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, really cool action sequences, and a score that sets a hypnotic and futuristic mood for the film.

If you love science fiction and action, or if you're just a fan of good movies, I definitely recommend it!

 I leave you with the infamous trailer:

 I rest my case.

Random Review: Beth Quist & Lucidity

Here's my review of Beth Quist from Get Glue:

When I was 10 years old, my mother and I were living in Boulder with my mother's then-boyfriend, who was also a musician and had a little recording studio in his home, and Beth would come over all the time to record her album "Lucidity" which was released in 1995.

I remember sitting there listening to her record one vocal track for a song, then another, and another, until she had beautiful songs filled with intricate harmonies. She also played the instruments. She is really a very talented lady if you think about it. 

Thanks to the daily repetition of recording, I already knew each song by heart by the time "Lucidity" was done, but surprisingly, I didn't get sick of it. I listened to my copy of the CD pretty regularly. My favorite songs were the upbeat and attitude-driven "American Giver" fueled by the drum beats of a doumbek, the sweet sounding "Mourning Dove" which literally sounded like flying, and the sorrowful "Goodbye" in which she hit the high the notes beautifully. "Crazy" and "Prodigy" were also amazing songs.

I haven't heard her newer music, as we moved away and lost touch not long later, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that Beth had more of an influence on me over the years than I thought. I later started recording my own vocal tracks, and then going back and recording another track, harmonizing with myself, until there were sometimes up to 10 tracks of harmony. I guess this idea kind of came from her in a way, so, thanks Beth. ;) 

Below is the only video I could find on Youtube with one of the mentioned songs in it:

Beth is still making music, and she now performs with Cirque Du Soleil! How cool is that?!? You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Youtube. 

This has been a Random Review from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. Have a good week!