Gesu Bambino

Here is the song I will be singing tonight at my church for the Christmas Eve service. :) Except I'm not singing it opera-like and my version is faster. Merry Christmas!

Fourth Week of Advent: Deck the Rooftop by Glee

In honor of the fourth week of Advent- Deck the Rooftop, a mash-up of Deck the Halls and Up on the Rooftop. Christmas is almost here.

Star Wars survey

20 fun questions for all Star Wars fans -- Copy and paste them into your own blog and fill them out yourself!

01 ))
Who is your favorite character from the original trilogy?

Luke, Han, Leia, R2D2, C3PO, Obi-Wan, and Darth Vader, oh and Yoda.

02 ))
How would you rank the original trilogy, in order from favorite to least favorite?

VI, V, IV

03 ))
What are two of your favorite action scenes from the original trilogy?

The destruction of the first and second death star,
Luke against Darth Vader in TESB
Luke against Darth Vader in ROTJ
Battle of Endor
Battle of Yavin 4
Cloud City

04 ))
What do you consider the most emotional scene from the original trilogy?

The "Luke, I am your father!" scene
The scene where Darth Vader defeats the Emperor
Sunset scene in IV
Where Luke and Darth Vader talk briefly
and the end when Luke burns his father, victory celebration begins to play and shows the planets in the galaxy celebrating and we see the three Force ghosts of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin together and looking happy(That ending has got to be the best ending of any saga, but Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, and Avatar: The Last Airbender come in as close seconds.)

05 ))
Do you have any favorite toys or collectibles based off the original trilogy?

Luke action figure, and books.

06 ))
Which character had the most unsatisfying death in the original trilogy?
Obi-Wan's! I know he let himself die to protect Luke but still...he's my favorite character in the Prequel films and the EU. :( :(

07 ))
What's your favorite ship or vehicle from the original trilogy?

Millennium Falcon and X-Wings

08 ))
Who is your favorite character from the prequel trilogy?

Obi-Wan Kenobi!!!!!!!!!! and Qui-Gon, Anakin, and Padme. (For the EU I also love Siri Tachi and..well all of the Jedi.)

09 ))
How would you rank the prequel trilogy, in order from favorite to least favorite?

III, I and II

10 ))
What are two of your favorite action scenes from the prequel trilogy?

Obi-Wan verses Anakin, the most intense duel in movie history
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon dueling Darth Maul.
Battle of Geonosis
Obi-Wan v.s Grievous "So uncivilized"
Opening battle of III
Mace Windu v.s Darth Sidious


11 ))
What do you consider the most emotional scene from the prequel trilogy?

The lines Obi-Wan and Anakin exchange throughout the Mustafar scene, especially the last few. "You were my brother Anakin, I love you" -My favorite line ever.
Order 66, both out in the galaxy and at the Jedi Temple
Qui-Gon's death
Yoda's reaction to the Jedi's deaths
Obi-Wan's reaction to the death of the Jedi and of Anakin's betrayal
When Obi-Wan talks to Padme
When Padme dies.
Sunset scene in III
When Bail takes Leia to his home and when Obi-Wan takes Luke to Owen and Beru.


12 ))
Do you have any favorite toys or collectibles based off the prequel trilogy?

Action figures and books

13 ))
Which character had the most unsatisfying death in the prequel trilogy?

Mace Windu :(

14 ))
What's your favorite ship or vehicle from the prequel trilogy?
Jedi Starfighter

15 ))
If you could get a personalized Star Wars themed license plate for your car, what would it say?

The Warrior of the Infinite: A Jedi I shall be.

16 ))
Do you have a favorite Star Wars based video game?

Star Wars Republic Heroes. (I really want to play KotOR)

17 ))
Have you read any of the Star Wars books (expanded universe), and if so, what are your favorites?

Jedi Apprentice series
Secrets of the Jedi
Revenge of the Sith adult novelization
Young Jedi Knights series
Shatterpoint
Jedi Quest series
Junior Jedi Knights series
Legacy of the Jedi
Wild Space
Rogue Planet
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
Outbound Flight
Darth Bane Trilogy
Crosscurrent
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

18 ))
Are you a fan of the "Clone Wars" cartoon series?

Yes, but I ABSOLUTELY HATE SATINE!!!(AND Taria from some of the books) And I don't like how season three is going.

19 ))
What (or who) do you hope to see in upcoming Star Wars TV series?
Awesome fight scenes. Oh, and I want SIri Tachi to make an appearance. :)

20 ))
If you were stranded on a desert island with one Star Wars character, who would you want it to be and why?

Obi-Wan Kenobi(when he's younger) because it would be awesome :). I'd get to know him really well and he could teach me some combat skills.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Yesterday, my sister and I went to go see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at our local theater. I had seen the reviews and knew it wasn't going to be completely accurate to the book. I have been a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia since I was around six/seven when my dad read the series to my sister and I. The series ended up sparking in me an obsession with fantasy stories which I still love to this day.
Anyway, when the film started the audience was taken to WWII England where Edmund Pevensie and his sister Lucy Pevensie are forced to stay with their Aunt, Uncle and Cousin Eustace who are all pains. The adventure begins when Lucy notices a picture in an upstairs room is moving and she, along with Edmund and Eustace, are pulled into Narnia. They end up being pulled aboard the Dawn Treader, a Narnian ship, lead by non other than Prince Caspian himself, who came into the story during the last movie. The Dawn Treader, Caspian tells them, is sailing off into uncharted waters to find seven lost lords whom Caspian's uncle at chased off after the death of Caspian's father. What follows is a sea adventure filled with strange islands, dangerous monsters, and an evil that is steadily growing and can only be destroyed at its heart. The characters, I was glad to see, each went through a change and learned something, most especially their cousin Eustace. The story, while wandering off from the book's original storyline, was well done and quite chilling, especially with the green mist. Even though there wasn't any large scale battles like in the last film, the fighting that does happen is intense and exciting(especially because Lucy fights!) Another thing I enjoyed as the relationship that built between Edmund and Caspian and when Caspian told Edmund he saw him like a brother I couldn't help but smile since. Brother-like relationships have always been a favorite of mine and this one was handled well.
The actors, especially Skandar Keynes who plays Edmund, Georgie Henley who plays Lucy, Ben Barnes who is Caspian, and Will Poulter as Eustace. Everyone, even the ones that I've seen in older films surprised me in their acting abilities and you can see that Edmund and Lucy they've grown from the two bickering kids who hid in the wardrobe. So if you've enjoyed the books, fantasy, or just want to see a good, well-acted film, then go see Voyage of the Dawn Treader in theaters today!
Cannot wait until the next installment!

Third Week of Advent: My Grown Up Christmas List

In honor of the third week of Advent: My Grown up Christmas List

In honor for the second week of Advent: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Here is Enya singing the song "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" which is a song I will be singing at my church soon. :)

Writing Tips: Part 1 : Section B

Writing Tips
Part One: Genres
Section B: Science Fiction.

Science Fiction, (which is one of my favorites to read, write, act, or watch) is a large, exciting genre that can be split up into many mini genres such as: Hard Sci-Fi, Soft and Social Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Time Travel, Alternate History, Military Sci-Fi, Superhuman, Apocalyptic, Space Opera, Space Western. The ones I just listed are just the main ones but there are many smaller sub-genres that I could cover but also could fit into the ones listed above.
Science Fiction, generally is a story set up in the future or an alternate past and can include, time travel, aliens, different galaxies, highly advanced technology, dystopias or utopias, faster than light travel and robots/droids.
The first sub-genre of Sci-Fi I will write about is Hard Sci-Fi. Hard Sci-Fi is when the author tries to be extremely accurate on scientific and technical detail so that the advancements are actually plausible. A lot of books in this genre can be either be set in outer space or in the future. Some well known authors are-Isaac Asimov. Greg Bear, and Hal Clement.
Second, is Soft and Social Sci-Fi. Soft and Social Sci-Fi focuses more so on physiology, ecomnomics, politics and character's emotions more than how the science and technology works. Notable authors of this genre include Ursula K. Leguin and Phillip K. Dick.
Next is Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk was first created in the early 1980s by authors who combinded cybernetics and punk. Cyberpunk is normally about dystopias in the near future that include the Internet(cyberspace) and artificial intelligence. Notable authors of this genre are William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson, and Pat Cadigan.
Time travel is the next genre and by the name you can probably guess what its about-time travel! This genre started appearing during the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the first novels being "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain. Another famous novel is H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" and what started the idea of a machine that could travel through time.
Alternate History is the next genre I will describe. Anternate History novels will take events in history and change them up to show what might have occurred if things had panned out differently. Some popular novels are "Bring the Jubilee" by Ward Moore where the South wins the civil war, and "The Man in the High Castle" by Phillip K. Dick where Germany and Japan win World War II. Another book I read that is from this genre is called "In the Year of the Hangman" where the British win the Revolutionary War.
The next genre I will discuss is Military Sci-Fi. Military Sci-Fi is about war-whether it be between national, interplanetary, or interstellar forces. The viewpoint is generally from a soldier's perspective and describe military procedures, rituals and other such things. Popular books include "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, and "Starship Troopers" by Robert A. Heinlein.
Superhuman...hmmm...this should be interesting! When you hear the word "superhuman" the first thing you might think about is 'superheros.' Well, this is true since the Superhuman genre is about humans who have strange and different abilities. Some novels in this genre are: "Odd John" by Olaf Stapeldon and "More Than Human" by Theodore Sturgeon.
Apocalyptic, what a cheery subject(sarcasm). Apocalyptic fiction is about the end of the world whether it be by war, plague, astronomic impact, ecological disaster, or the destruction of humankind's self-destruction. This genre typically is depressing and can sometimes scare people but generally these stories are quite good.
Novels include: "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute, "The Last Man" by Mary Shelley, "When Worlds Collide" by Phillip Wylie and Edwind Balmer, and "The Wind From Nowhere" by J.G. Ballard.
Space Opera, and no, I'm not talking about the singing kind of opera but one of my favorite sub-genres of Sci-Fi. A Space Opera is an epic that usually takes place in outer space or other worlds and galaxies. The stories usually emphasize action and heroics and the conflict is generally on a large scale.
Some popular space opera's are the masterpiece Star Wars trilogies, Star Trek, the Dune series by Frank Herbert, and The Ender series by Orson Scott Card.
Space Western, that might sound a little strange but its a real sub-genre, a sub genre to a "space opera" actually. A Space Western is a story set in a futuristic space frontier, mostly stories that include colonies on new worlds that are similar to the American west. Space Westerns include the t.v show "Firefly" and the accompanying movie "Serenity." Others include the Japanese comics and animated t.v. series' Trigun, Outlaw Star, and Cowboy Bebop.
You may ask, can you mix more than one genre in my story? Well, the answer to that will differ from person to person but my answer is yes. Many good stories are a mix of two or more genres or sub-genres. My book series is even a mix of several Sci-Fi genres which are: Space Opera, Military Sci-Fi, and Soft and Social Sci-Fi
So there you have it, a short introduction to the amazing genre of Sci-Fi.
Till next time, where I shall discuss another genre-Fantasy.