Jjayolsen - Untitled

Mother: Maybe if you went out of the house more you'd have more friends

Ravenclaw: I already have two. What more do you want?

Road to Change

Today in Chicago, the two-month summer tour “Road to Change” by the March for our lives movement, begins. Along with open-discussion and proposals on how to make US citizens safer in the daily lives, the Road to Change is working to get the youth and others who are either generally ignored or kept out of the voting and political process active. 

Earlier this month, as part of NYC mandates, we had our semi-annual fire safety drill instructions: test if the door is hot, don’t take the elevator, call 911, etc.) but a new segment of this discussion was added, active shooter drills. We were told to turn our cell phones on silent (not vibrate), how a fire extinguisher is a good weapon is needed for the chemical can disarm the eyes and then you can knock the shooter out, how to barricade the door, and how to exit with your hands out and empty so you are not mistaken as the shooter. 

We were also told that the below video is good to watch, just about 6 minutes, that gives you additional tips on the three main ways to survive. First Run if you can and Hide if you can’t, and if left with no other options, Fight. 

Whether you agree with them or not, the activists related to March for Our Lives are keeping the discussion at the forefront and are doing everything they can so that everyone has a voice in not only this issue but all issues. Click on: Road to change tour dates, and you will be brought to their schedule for June on the March for Our Lives website where you can also find more information about how to register to vote, how to encourage others to vote, tips on how to become an activist yourself and other changes they are fighting for and how you can help. 

Cinderella--Grimm

There are a million different ways we can all go into the Disney manipulation, white-washing and ending the loss of the Grimm stories that managed to capture the ‘grandfather tales’ passed down thru generations, previously only spread by word-of-mouth. 

Rook di goo, rook di goo! There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too tight, This bride is not right! 

But sometimes, the joy of truth is just that it’s funny

Robert California

Robert’s Best Moment: Season Eight, Episode Ten: Christmas Wishes

When he doesn’t sleep with Erin.

Robert’s Worst Moment:  Season Eight, Episode Eighteen: Last Day In Florida

When he plans on firing whoever the VP is of the Sabre store.

Robert’s Best Line: Season Eight, Episode Five: Spooked

“When I was a boy, there was an empty house just up the hill from my family’s. It was rumored a man committed suicide there after being possessed by the devil. One day a young woman, Lydia, moved into the house with her infant child.

That very night, Lydia was awakened by a loud heinous hissing sound. She walked to the nursey and there in baby’s crib was a snake wrapped around baby’s neck. Squeezing tighter and tighter, the crib was full of dirt, baby struggled to free itself from underneath. Reaching and clawing, gasping for air, embalmed bodies rose from their sarcophagi, learching toward baby-- for they were mummies.

Amongst them was a man, tall, slim-- almost instinctively she turned to her husband, “oh, wait” she thought “I don’t have a husband”. For Lydia and her husband had had an argument, one they couldn’t get past. Each night they slept one inch farther apart until one-night Lydia left. It was about this time, she lost herself in imaginary worlds. She had quit the book club, the choir, citing something about their high expectations. Her lips slowly grew together from disuse, every time she wanted to act and didn’t another part of her face hardened until it was stone.

And that fevered night she rushed to the nursery, threw open the door “Baby are you okay?”. Baby sat up slowly, turned to mother, and said “I’m fine Bitch. I’m fine.”

Robert’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Eight, Episode One: The List

When he acts as if calling half of his subordinates losers is not a big deal; “it’s on them to prove him right or wrong”.

Mr. Ollivander

Today is Mr. Ollivander’s birthday, the wandmaker who sells Harry his wand on his 11th birthday, measures the wand’s of all the Champions in the Tri-wizard Tournament and is held prisoner during the Second War at Malfoy Manor. According to Pottermore he was influential to the wizarding world as he completely transformed wand making when he took over his family’s business. While I would have also liked the previous method of bringing something personal to have a wand made out of, Mr. Ollivander’s method of creating wands from selective materials and selling them to the wizard who had a connection with the wand is both a more logical approach and produced a noticeable change in strength and beauty for the wand holder. 

But there is more to his story....

As with the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Mr. Ollivander was Harry Potter’s, and our’s, first taste of magic. In his wandshop is where Harry first gets to perform just a bit of magic and, as he repeats throughout his years, how much he loves it. While Harry Potter might have been a special case, I believe that Mr. Ollivander was passionate and caring about each new (or older) wizard who came in for a companion in their wand and enjoyed being with them as they started their journey and full embracing the beauty that is magic. So thank you Mr. Ollivander for your passion, compassion, brilliance and heart. 

Grown Up Girls

In the past few years, Disney has started to rise up as an avenue for equal representation for the gay community, diversity and female empowerment. While behind the times, being the powerhouse that it is, these changes are important to note as Disney is not only a powerhouse in it’s own right, but also an international platform that hits kids at a young age. 

Teen Beach Movie (2013) came out first, and in a lot of ways was a remake of Grease with the addition and explanation of feminism at different levels and circumstances. During the story, Mack (McKenzie) tries to make the point that other girls shouldn’t change for the boys in their world. Similarly, in her real world, she’s trying to figure out how to do what she wants to do when it goes against what another woman wants her to do, even if part of it is because of a boy. 

The smaller but still impactful part of the movie is her boyfriend who likes her as a person and gives a small push of how boys can be feminists. 

Invisible Sister (2015) stars Rowan Blanchard, a young warrior in the feminism and equality world. Along with her character in Girl Meets World, Cleo shows the longterm effects of -- but this story takes it a step further. While both sisters fight for visibility, this film digs deeper with getting to woman standing with each other and how different people can have similar struggles while similar people can have different struggles. Similar to Brady in Teen Beach Movie, in Invisible Sister Cleo learns not to judge a book by it’s cover and to dig a little deeper with her sister’s boyfriend who while not the brightest, is someone who is worthy of any warrior as he would love and marry her sister even if he could never see her again. 

So while you’re late, thank you for joining the table Disney--even thou you’re currently only at the beginners level. 

Brick Heck, The Middle

An odd guy, no doubt. But you know....he knew who he was...

...he didn’t play to anyone else...

...and he learned to appreciate what he had when he had it. 

Thank you Brick, for knowing what’s important and how to cherish it and where your home was

Clark Green

Clark’s Best Moment: Season Nine, Episode

When Dwight tells him “ The bubble wrap is the only thing that is stopping his suit from getting wrinkled. These meetings are all about presentation”

And he responds “that’s actually really smart—God, if only there was any other use or situation for that kind of knowledge”

Clark’s Worst Moment: Season Nine, Episode Two: Roy’s Wedding

When he uses Erin’s gullibility to get her to his apartment alone for a “reporting job”

Clark’s Best Line: Season Nine, Episode Eleven: Suit Warehouse)

When describing Jan’s sexual appetite “Women reach their sexual peak at whatever age Jan as last week. I mean, if it was….like making love with a wild animal. But not like a cougar, like you might think.. It was…uh…like a swarm of bees. Bees that just find something wrong with every hotel room”

Clark’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Nine, Episode One: New Guys

When he walks right across the slack rope

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix we are propelled more into the depths and darkness the war will bring out that we see grow throughout the remainder of the series with Molly’s boggart turning into finding out any and all of them have been killed, the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix (most of whom have been killed) and even with the song sung by the Sorting Hat.

There is also an additional level of maturity brought to the story, because while our three are becoming more into their own, they are learning more about the complexities of life and good verse evil. Previously even those who were evil but were masquerading as good, we saw as still just evil when revealed (Pettigrew, Quirrell, Barty Crouch Jr.); but now we have Fudge, Percy, and Umbridge who are supposed to be the good guys but are doing more harm than one could imagine, forcing Harry and the others to not just fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but also the Ministry acting out of fear and for power. Then, this complexity is heightened as we learn more about the relationship between James and Snape. In this context thou, the inclusion of Fred and George’s growing business and the boring task of OWLS, we are reminded that during our worst crisis’, funny or not, life goes on.

As Harry Potter progressed thru out the years, he went from fighting with his friends, fighting on his own, and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we see him progress to the next level; trying to navigate being a leader of more than just him, Hermione and Ron. Unfortunately this isn’t a lesson he masters by the end of this year or book and is given a painful lesson in the consequences of his actions and thinking things thru. But he does make some strides, in one of my favourite moments in the series of the films, is when Voldemort possesses Harry Potter and in return Harry chooses to think about choosing love over hate, choosing his friends, and decency and fights off Voldemort.

me, with a vague plot idea, 1 (one) character name, and an outline that consists of mostly question marks: