The Crazy Shark Lady: August 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Book Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno by Dan Brown

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Doubleday

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date.

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

Wow! Dan Brown delivers again. I’ll be the first to admit I am biased here. I love me a good Robert Langdon novel anyday. That synopsis isn't lying either. This is by far the highest-stake that our old pal Robert has ever had to deal with.

You know in the second Harry Potter movie when Neville is hanging from the chandelier after the Pixie incident in Lockhart’s class? He hangs there and looks at Harry, Ron and Hermione and says, “Why is it always me?” I feel like Robert Langdon should have full ownership of that phrase. Longtime fans of Langdon know that in every book he somehow gets pulled into an impossible situation that is always on the precipice of life or death. Inferno is no different; although there is quite the twist, in this case, which you will discover in the first chapter.

Like all Langdon novels Brown sends you on an epic adventure with beautiful artwork, architecture, symbology, and literature along the way. This novel is based around Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy which has three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio(Purgatory), and Paradisio(Paradise). The bulk of the novel centers on Inferno, but you do get little bits of the others. While I have not read Dante’s Inferno, I do know the basics. Dante wrote about nine circles of hell, in each level a different type of sinner is paying for their crimes. Reading Dante's Inferno is NOT mandatory to understand Brown's Inferno. You will be just fine if you delve in without any prior knowledge. Of course Robert Langdon knows much more about it than me, which is a good thing considering the fate of the world is in his hands yet again!

We all love Langdon’s female counterparts (he sure does go through them, doesn't he?) and this time is no different. In fact, this particular female might be my favorite out of the four novels so far. She is a very complex character and she has her own internal struggles throughout the novel in addition to the external struggles Landon and she face together. I love her too because she is a versatile character that cleverly helps Langdon through some impossible situations.

While you’d expect a twist or two in any Dan Brown novel, I would say this one takes the cake for the biggest plot twist yet. I won’t give anything away, but I will say that in Inferno, like all the others, you just never know who to trust.

One thing we know for sure is we have a villain. Oh and what a wonderful villain he is! Quite possibly my favorite part of Inferno is that Dan Brown, like never before, forces us to see things from the villain’s perspective. He brings up a real world problem and pushes us to face the reality that this problem is not just another great plot line in a story. It is real. It is happening. It is NOW. This is something our world is facing and we don’t know what to do about it. That is why even though the villain’s actions are extreme, you almost find yourself siding with him half the time. Inferno is not a black and white world where there are good and bad people with nothing in between. This whole novel is one big old gray area where you can find yourself being pulled in two different directions; unsure of which way is the right one and which is the wrong.

I should warn you that unlike the other three Langdon novels this one ends with a cliffhanger. Not to worry, it’s not like, oh, a Hunger Games cliffhanger. It’s more like a, “Wow. I have to sit and think on that for a while before I can anticipate the next book.” Was I the only one who was ready to start rioting and burning things for the Hunger Games sequels? This ending is much calmer than that, I promise.

All I can say is that fans of Dan Brown and Robert Langdon will not be disappointed, and if you are not yet a fan then it is high time to start! What are you waiting for!? Easily 5 stars in my book!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Do It Anyway

Wise words from a wise woman.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

Monday, August 26, 2013

A Word About Passion and Following Your Dreams

One of my favorite things in the world is singing. I do it all the time. At the risk of sounding conceited I am pretty good too. My voice is good, I have a good range, and I have awesome breath support! My one downfall is that I get stage fright. Really bad. When I was younger it was terrible. My entire body would turn hot except for my hands which were as cold as ice. My throat would clench and although I would power through whatever I was singing, my voice would be tight and shaky. I've gotten better over the years and can usually sing in front of my friends without any problems. But the one who knows my voice the best and all the amazing possibilities it has would be my steering wheel. When I'm in my car I sing without inhibitions. I belt out loud and I. AM. AWESOME. (I promise there is a point to this post and it's not about how awesome my singing voice is.)

Why can't everything be like that? Why can't we do what we love without holding back? I graduated with a BFA in Theatre Design and Technology with an emphasis in Lighting Design. This may not have been the best career choice for me to be guaranteed a job when I graduate, but guess what? I don't care! I went to school to learn more about what I love. I'm one of the lucky ones. I knew exactly what I wanted to go to school for and I stuck with it for the four years I was there. If you have no idea what career path is calling you then I would encourage you to dabble in a little bit of everything until you find it. Wouldn't you rather spend your life loving your job and excited to go to work every morning rather than going for the money and the benefits? I would.

Lighting chose me. In high school we didn't get to experience lighting design at all because we had someone come in and do it. But that was my favorite part of the process. I loved the hang and focus and seeing the stage transform into a piece of art with brush strokes of light and color and shadows. I would stay till three or four in the morning helping out with this process because I loved it so much. Even though I knew nothing about the design aspect of lighting, I knew that's what I wanted to do. And that's exactly what I did. I could have easily gone into business or communications as my major because I'd have a better chance of getting a job, but I didn't care. I'm glad I followed my heart instead of my head.

I remember when I did my first lighting design in college, I was terrified. What if I chose this major and I can't even do it!? What if my design is horrible and they have to have someone else completely redo it? Luckily I had an amazing mentor helping me and encouraging me along the way. He had a few suggestions (Blue is not sexy) and even more praise for my work. When the show opened everyone thought I had done a great job and I felt so relieved and so happy. I could do this, and I would do it.

I'm not saying it's always easy or fun, but when you see the end product it is always always worth it. For someone who isn't particularly fond of the dark I certainly spend a lot of my time in it. Some shows/dances write themselves, but others you have to make deliberate choices for every single cue. I love what I do. When there is a beautiful dance onstage without lighting, that's all it is, a beautiful dance. When I add lighting to it, it becomes a performance. It becomes art and it completely changes the entire mood of the piece.

There is an amazing book called The Alchemist by Paul Coelho that I would encourage everyone to read. I probably have about 50 dog-earred pages in this 177 page book. I want to share a passage with you where a king is talking to a shepherd about destiny:

It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny. It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth. The Soul of the World is nourished by people's happiness. And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

So as Aerosmith put it: Dream On! Make your dreams come true! Believe me, I know sometimes they take longer than you want them to, but work on it anyway. I'm working in auto parts right now while I fight my way towards my dreams. Don't Stop Believing because even Crazy Dreams can come true!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Scared for Sharks

I hope you all enjoyed Shark Week as much as I did! First of all I want to take a moment and thank my friends, the Millers. These guys let me come over to their house every night and steal their TV in addition to stacking up shows on their DVR when I had to work. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This Shark Week wouldn't have been possible without you! It amazes me that no matter how much I already know about sharks, I always end up learning something new every year! So now it's time for what I like to call...

SHARK WEEK WRAP-UP

I hope you all read that in a game show announcer voice. I did. :) Here are just a few things I have to say after watching Shark Week 2013.

1. What the what!? Megalodon may still be out there!? I love sharks, but I really don't want to go in the ocean, like ever, if I know there is a 60 foot "great white" out there! Seriously though, Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives was a really interesting show. There is a lot of sketchy evidence to suggest that maybe the Megalodon didn't go extinct, but it's not really conclusive. I guess we'll all just have to wait and wonder until the Shark Week when someone rediscovers a living Megaladon...DUM DUM DUM!!!

2. Chris Fallows and Jeff Kurr are one big helping of awesomesauce. I'm so thankful for them. Otherwise I never would have seen this:

3. One day I am totally going to have a Shark Week party and we are all going to play the Shark Week drinking game! We will be drunk in seconds.

4. Cajuns have some pretty big fish tales. I don't believe in the Rookin one bit.

5. I love hearing stories of shark attack survivors who don't hold anything against the shark. These people are the best! AND many of them become huge advocates FOR sharks after their attacks. You guys rock my world!

6. Paul Walker is an advocate for sharks! And a really hot advocate at that. Hey, you can take me shark diving any day. ;)

7. FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY!!! In this years Top Ten Sharkdown episode, Discovery Channel FINALLY named the Bull Shark the deadliest shark over the Great White! You have no idea how happy this makes me! Bull Sharks are so much more deadly than Great Whites because A) they can swim in freshwater if they choose and B) Their testosterone levels are off the charts! These sharks are much more aggressive than Great Whites and they are also more frequent visitors to places humans like to hang out. Not many people think they are going to encounter a shark if they go for a dip in the Mississippi River.

8. Great Whites and serial killers have similar patterns? Well I guess that makes sense considering Great Whites are one of the most perfect predators in the world. I guess serial killers are trying to copy some of their moves.

9. Sharkpocalypse was one of THE coolest shark specials I've seen in years. I learned that the increase in shark attacks directly relates to the tremendous decrease of sharks due to shark finning. Did you know that when a shark dies it gives off these pheromones that basically tell other sharks to get the hell out while you still can! With all the shark finning going on in the world there are a lot of these pheromones running loose in the water and sharks are being forced to move and find new hunting/breeding grounds. Sometimes those grounds happen to be where we like to swim and surf. Basically every problem we have with sharks is our own fault.

10. Goblin sharks are seriously creepy. I mean look at that thing!

11. They put the lamest of all the Shark Week specials last. That was dumb. They should have put Sharkpocalypse last. It was the best show of all this year.

12. Did you know Ted Danson is a huge ocean activist? Hey, me neither. Now we know!

13. I ran across this picture while I was googling. It comes in a CAN!? Lord have mercy on our souls.

Shark finning is a HUGE problem, but the good news is there are tons of groups out there fighting against it. With enough support we could put a complete ban on shark finning - everywhere. One organization that is fighting for sharks is Oceana. This is an amazing organization that is doing incredible work. Year after year I talk talk talk about the shark finning problem. Well this year I am putting my money where my mouth is and donating $100 to Oceana. I invite you to join me in my endeavor by visiting this link.

Scared for Sharks

My goal is to raise an additional $500. Let's save the world one shark at a time!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Making a Difference, One Shark at a Time

Shark Photo of the Day

Stunning photo of a Tiger Shark in a state of tonic immobility.

Shark Story of the Day

Two Shark Week's ago I made the decision to make a difference by doing something other than talking. I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. I donated $40 to Oceana and in the mail I got my cute shark cookie cutter and my adoption certificate which you will see below. But more than that I received the satisfaction of knowing that I did my part, however small it may be, to help save the creatures I love. Recently I've saved up $100 to donate to whichever charity I choose and how could I choose anything but Oceana when sharks are still out there being slaughtered? Maybe one day I'll be able to donate thousands of dollars to this organization, but for now I will do what little I can. I would encourage you all to do the same.

Shark Shirt of the Day

From the Shark Reef Aquarium in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Shark Object of the Day

This is very special to me. It is my certificate of adoption of a

Great White Shark and I couldn't be more proud!

Shark Fact of the Day

The frilled shark's circular mouth,

filled with more than 300 spiny teeth, earns it the nickname of the modern Loch Ness Monster.

Shark Art of the Day

My makeup design to imitate Bruce from Finding Nemo.

Shark Meme of the Day

Perspective.

Shark Treat of the Day

Let's all raise a glass to another fantastic Shark Week!

These are called Fuzzy Sharks! I got the recipe from a friend

for my 21st birthday and they are delicious!

Shark Want of the Day

The world's awesomest backpack ever created!

Friday, August 9, 2013