Rebookview of Wicked

Okay, this post is going to be something different. This isn't going to be the standard "the-book-is-always-better-than-the-movie" schtick. No, this is going to be a one eighty.
 This is "the-award-winning-Broadway-show-is-better-than-the-book-of -the -same-name" schtick.
So to begin, I got to go to New York late last year and see the Broadway show named Wicked. to put it simply, it blew my mind. Once I had finished picking up the pieces of my brain off of the floor, I heard my English Lang teacher say that there was a book of this play. A book?!?!? You mean I could continue to enjoy this glourious story in all its majesty? Sign me up! Long story short, it took about three long, cold, dark months, but I finally got my hands on the book and devoured it. And It....well, I don't want to say sucked per say, but I definitivly walked away thinking The play was better. Heres why
1. Numero Uno, the prime reason, is that  the play makes the Witch human. She hopes, she dreams, she fears. She trys to fit into a world that beats her down at every turn. She is relentlessly positive, even though she is sufering horrendous pain on the inside. In the book....not so much. She is seemingly  ammoral, and without a clear purpose. In the play, she is trying to save the plight of Animals from persecution. ( the capital A is important.) In the book, the Animal persecution is a subplot, almost an annoying one at that. The book makes the Witch almost come off as the antagonist, the one we root against.
2. Clarity. The book is low on it. It bumps from one time period in her life to the next. It focuses on monumentous events in her life, and makes little effort to tie them together. They will crop up from time to time, but never with as much importance as when they first appeared. Also, what is the Witch seeking?  A soul? Forgiveness? Friendship? What? The play, though it stumbles at times ( like all plays) presents a coherent story and a timeline we can follow.
3. Believablity.
The problem with the book is that it trys to re-invent Oz, introducing the idea of different religions, cults, ideas. I don't need that. I know Oz. The play does a much better job of tying the Wicked Witch of the West's story into the Oz we know and love.
4. I'm Melting, I'm Melting.
In the book, the reason for the Witches' aversion to water is never explained, she just hates it. In the play, she feels discomfort at it, but is able to bear it. I DEMAND EXPLANATION, PEOPLE!!
5. Other stuff.
I can't really add stuff, unless I want to add stuff about how confusing the clubs and relgions are. Again, as the song goes, the book "Rambles On." Rambling on...not a good think unless it is part of the grand plan.
So yeah, and now I can pretend this gives me an aura of civilization.

SPORTS!

Okay, so at first, welcome to all high-school and non high school students currently on vacation, such as myself! Secondly, this is a post that has been bouncing around my head for a few months now, ever since I stopped swimming. When I was swimming with the Tyngsborough High Swim Team, we swam in good pools and bad. We swam in so- called  "fast pools" ( They make a difference, I swear! ) ( ( My parents have never heard of them, so what.)) and pools that made me feel like I was treading concrete. Here is my question, and not just for Swimming.
Does the quality of the equipment contribute to the overall sucess of the athlete in question, or is it strictly the athlete?
For all of those scoffing at my simplicity, let me clarify by asking a question.
If you took Micheal Phelps, 8 time Olympic Medalist Swimmer, and tossed him into a crappy, decaying pool, do you still think he would do well? Obviously the pools have an effect on swimmers, just like different types of field affect football and soccer. Are the differences enough to make a noticiable difference though? Any athlete should have enough ability to play well no matter where he or she is. Does the fact that millions of dollars are spent each year on the best and the newest sports equipment help in any way? I am not saying that we should neglect the sports playing surfaces. Not at all! I am just wondering if it is a pyschological affect or a real and proven effect.
Probably means nothing. Just thoughts rattling around up there.

Eygpt.

So. I really have nothing funny to say at this point, and I have no real earthshattering announcements. Hell, I'm not even going to complain about no one reading this. I got caught up in the revolution in Eygpt. I read a great blog http://community.sparknotes.com/2011/02/03/living-through-the-egyptian-revolution written by this girl about my age in Eygpt, now. Like, living through the revolution. And it really got me thinking. We as a culture, glorify going off to war, or 'fighting the good fight'. We try to cover our asses when our mistakes are brought to light, and we throw our support behind the 'courageous young people who fight not only for their country, but the entire Arab world' or some other politcal rhetoric. The simple truth, however, is WE HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY LIKE. We live in idealic comfort, ignorant of the world outside of our borders. We can barely find Iraq, Afghansistan, Eygpt on a map, and we are constantly calculating how new political change will affect us. How about for a change, we calculate how it will affect the people involved? Instead of a talking suit going on about 'political developments' and the 'economic ramifications of this paralysis of the economy' we get a bloody street protestor to explain why he is doing this. I can't even imagine thugs brutally looting and desecrating my neighborhood. I don't think anyone can imagine what it is like to be without Internet or phones. Oh sure, we get frusterated when our computers are slow, and don't load. We never contemplate having no Internet whatsoever.Yet this is happening, right now, in Egypt.
What are we doing to help? Can we do anything to help? The answer, what little there are are not much, and there isn't anything really that we can be doing.
 I can't inspire people. I have no call to arms. I can't urge you  to read the newspapers and stay informed, or listening to multiple TV sources to get the full picture.  If you cannot care enough to follow quite possibly the biggest story of the decade, I can't help you. Maybe what they say about American Apathy is true, and we only care about ourselves. All I can say is that change starts small, and if we don't care enough to heed the change and form our own opinions on it, then we don't deserve the title of Citizen of the World. Think outside the box. Challenge yourself to place yourself in the protestors place.

I can't say anything more.

Leauge of Extrodinary Gentleman- 21st Century Literary Group- Now WIth Pictures!!!

So this effort came about through a discussion with a guy in my period one creative writing class. Now, normally, when people pose a hypothetical idea, they move one. Not me. I sieze the idea and run with it until people praise my creative genius or yell at me for taking something way too seriously. Usually its the later. But this idea was stronger than most. He said that he was trying to create a Leauge of Extrodinary Gentleman for the 21st century. The Leauge was a comic book written around the literary heros of the 19th and 20th century. Jeckell and Hyde. Captain Nemo. Allan Quatermain. So, I decided to run with this idea... and then quickly ran into a stalemate- there weren't a lot of good literary characters to work with. Not enough mainstream stuff. I gave it my best shot, found out how to upload pictures from the web, so here goes.

My Literary Leauge of Extraordinary Gentleman- 21st century.
1.

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. No teen hero has ever had such a momentous impact on pop culture, lifestyles, and an entire generation of teens. He's reckless, impulsive, and headstrong. Yet he's also loyal, friendly, and teneous- once he starts something, he never gives up. Lets also not forget the small matter of being a great wizard, and defeated the Dark Lord. Not the leader, but certainly the heavy hitting calvary.
2.

Gale from the Hunger Games. Okay, so for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past three years, the Hunger Games is a young adult fiction story written by Suzanne Collins. In a dystopian future, the United States of America is divided into 13 districts, and each year the districts must send two tributes to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen is the book's protagonist, and falls in love with Gale, a wild rebellious and headstrong guy from  her local village. Its not meant to be, but Gale is a ferocious fighter and excellent trapper/hunter/ tracker. The Leauge would benefit immensly from his skills, but would need to watch his volitale nature.
3.Arya

Arya is the Elf from Eragon, a young fantasy adventure series written by Christopher Paloni. Shes got it all- shes a diplomat, a princess, she can fight with the best of them, and she plots her course clearly and confidently. Basically Princess Leia but with magic instead of droids. The Leauge needs a girl who can hold her own against the boys, and Arya is it.
4. Artemis Fowl

 Criminal Mastermind. Boy Genius. Ally to the Faeries, the fair folk. Preventor of numerous catastrophes, in our world and elsewhere. He's smart, egotistical, but in the end, a true friend to those in need. Plus, he comes with a huge freaking manservant named Butler, who took on a mountain troll by himself, and won. Artemis is the brains that the Leauge will need to carry the day.
5. Dr./Dectective Cross

The creation of James Patterson, Alex Cross lends years of experience to his efforts. He is tireless, resourseful, dedicated to friends and family and used to the ugly side of life. Above all, he protects those  nearest him. He is the leader that the Leauge needs. He brings decades of experience to the otherwise teen- young adult mix. ( Except Arya. Whos a wicked old elf. But Elf's don't count)
Plus, when played by Morgan Freeman, you can't go wrong.