Favorite Song Monday

Today's song is "Blow Me Away" by my favorite band "Breaking Benjamin." Some of you may know the song from the game "Halo 2"(which I have yet to play). It's an awesome song and it helps while writing a fight/battle scene in my books.
There is a little screamo, just so you know if aren't that big of a fan of it but it's really not that much.
Well, anyway, enjoy! :)



Here is a Star Wars tribute to the song which very awesome :) I think it fits well.



Hope you have a nice rest of your day and May the Force be with you! :D :)

The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award

Annika over at "Writing Beyond the Moon" gave me this award(thanks, Annika! :))

Rules:


1. Post Seven random things about yourself.
2. Award this to 10 other bloggers!

Random things about myself
1: I flew in a helicopter when I was a few hours old
2: I love Siri-Wan
3: Obi-Wan Kenobi is my favorite Star Wars character EVER!!! :D
4: I have written five books(the last one is 608 pages) and I'm re-writing the first.
5: I love acting and I want to be in the movies some day
6: I have OCD
7: I am a direct descendant of Chaucer who wrote "The Canterbury Tales"

Okay, so know I have to tag 10 other bloggers so they can get the award too(I'll try to give this to other people who haven't gotten the award yet).

Misty Kasumi at "The Mistiness of the Future: Actor, Writer, Dreamer
jedigal1990 at "A Jedi and A Mouse"
Aayla Rain at "Fangiril; Farmgirl
Solace Utara at "Prophets of the Force
Savanna at "Pandas, Lightsabers, and Cameras, Oh My!"
Voronda Elda-Aranel at "A Believer's Journey"
OneofakindKnight at "Knightly Randomness" and some other blogs too
Stephanie at "Pandora"
4peace at "My Three Seedlings"
Aay'liah at "Wings like an Eagles"
Arda @ In Western Lands

***
Look below this, I posted my review of last night's episode. I posted twice again in one day :)

"Friends and Enemies" Review

Okay, so to start off, that was an AWESOME episode!!!! :D I didn't expect it too, but it just barely topped last week's episode of epicness; that's how good it was! The action was awesome but what really made this episode awesome was the characters and emotion(Being a tomboy, I like both action and non-romantic relationships between characters). I'm really enjoying seeing Obi-Wan undercover and the focus on him and Anakin which is something I want to see more of in this show.
I heard yesterday that Ian Abercrombie passed away(he was the voice of Palpatine in The Clone Wars). So, I dedicate this review to him, may he RIP. :(



The Good: The entire episode was awesome, but of course there were parts that shone out to me. My absolute FAVORITE part of the episode was when Obi-Wan had Anakin in a tackle and his arms pinned to his sides while whispered "Anakin...don't follow me." The short segment of "The Force Theme" that played their was very poignant, you could really see Obi-Wan there, telling his friend the truth. I also liked how Obi-Wan holding Anakin looked like a parent holding an upset child even while he was retraining him. I loved the way his voice sounded there too; it reminded me or Obi-Wan's Force ghost speaking to Luke in "A New Hope" particularly during and after the Death Star trench. And I loved Anakin's eyes widening when Obi-Wan spoke to him(though I'm not sure if Obi-Wan put him to sleep through the Force or if he just passed out).
I also loved the scene where Anakin is talking(well, more like ranting to let everything off his chest, but anyway) to Palpatine. His emotion was great and when he said "Hardeen killed my Master. My best friend" I was so excited to hear him call Obi-Wan his 'Best Friend'!(AHHHHHH xD). I also really liked Obi-Wan's "Anakin!" after the last of their many ships in this episode; it really showed his concern for his friend there and from what I saw on Wookiepedia, it appeared he wanted to tell Anakin the truth. I also think it had something to do with keeping Cad Bane away from his friend. Also, Obi-Wan/Hardeen's "Anakin" sounded slightly like Padme XD. And the fight scenes were epic, of course :).
Oh and the end was top notch! Anakin sensed a connection and found out that Obi-Wan is ALIVE(now I really can't wait till Friday to see how this turns out). I liked it when Anakin told Ahsoka that they would get to the bottom of this.
The opening scenes were also great- Obi-Wan crashing the ship into the swamp on Nal Hutta seemed very reminiscent of Anakin crashing the Invisible Hand in ROTS. Plus Obi-Wan seemed very Anakin-esque during the crash-land(Anakin sure has rubbed off on you, hasn't he, Obi-Wan ;)?) The scene in the shop was also well done. I liked the nod to Indiana Jones(with the hat)and Bane's line "I need a new hat." Obi-Wan's disgusted look at Bane after he'd stopped choking Pablo was great, as was when he tried to give the Rodian's girlfriend/wife/person some credits to try and make up for Bane's violent behavior(you could see he felt bad for his 'companion's' behavior); though I was quite annoyed at her reaction to him- why is she mad at him? He's being nice and you smack him?! -_- sigh. Oh, and Obi-Wan escaping his capture was AWESOME(he totally could have gotten out earlier but he wanted to wait till Bane and Eval were back on the planet). I like how he whacked his captor with his own staff(HA! Shows you not to mess with Obi-Wan, sucker!).
Anakin was very dark in this episode; I mean, he Force-choked an innocent bartender(well, probably not innocent, but he hadn't done anything to Anakin) for information. I can understand WHY he's doing it, but that doesn't make it right. But the darkness was well done and we are seeing the gradual darkening of Anakin's character. I'm SO glad that Mace and Yoda decided to tell him the truth(which I hope we'll see in the next episode).
Oh and Ahsoka's line of "Who else wears a hat like that?" was hilarious! :D



The Bad: Well, I pretty much enjoyed the entire episode so I'm being very nit picky here. I didn't like it when Obi-Wan punched Anakin during their fight but, after thinking about it, I came to the realization that he did it because Cad Bane was their and had to make him 'defeat' of Anakin realistic and to not make him suspicious and because he needed to get Anakin in a position where he would be able to listen to him. Also, I didn't like it too much when Anakin kneed Obi-Wan in the crotch but, if I was fighting the actual murderer of Obi-Wan, I'd do beat him up too. I also didn't like how easily Obi-Wan was captured but his escape and his attitude towards Bane afterwards made up for it. I also didn't like it when Rex wouldn't tell Mace Windu


All in all, this episode was an awesome addition to the show as well as one of my favorite episodes yet! Obi-Wan has really shinned in the last couple of episodes he's been in, and in this one he does the same. What's great about this arc is that it's all about Obi-Wan AND his friendship with Anakin which is just awesome:).
I love Obi-Wan and Anakin's friendship and I'm uber-excited to see more of their relationship in this show(especially this ARC). I really hope we see them talk or something and show the mending of their relationship. I kind of hope they hug since it hardly ever happens :). And one more note; the "Anakin...don't follow me" sort of sounds like "Don't let yourself become like the man I'm posing as" which seemed sort of eerie since we know who Anakin becomes.........
I'm now really excited to see how this arc ends and I can't wait till next Friday to see "The Box" where Obi-Wan(still Hardeen) has to compete with other Bounty Hunters in some large facility shaped like a giant box so Dooku can pick out who to send to kidnap the Chancellor.
So, until next time, have a good day and May the Force be with you! <3 :)

The Holodiary of Aran Liander- Jedi Apprentice

981 ARR

I don't feel well at all. I started feeling bad last night after a long spar with my Master. At first I thought I had just over-exhausted myself, but now I'm not so sure. The darkness in he Temple- Coruscant for that matter -seems to be entering me and poisoning my very blood. Now I know why the Jedi believe that the Sith Lord is here on Coruscant- I can feel him/her. The fact that I can makes me feel even worse- like a giant fist has reached inside me and started to squeeze my guts.
I've been sitting in my room all day- My Master won't let me leave since he thinks I'm sick. He's been in and out all day, checking in on me and I can see that the dark side here is also affecting him. His face is wan and tight and his eyes are bloodshot with weariness. My brought in a healer, a human man, who pronounced me perfectly healthy, but as he left, he turned to me and gave me a look- a look which signified that he knew what I was going through. We all feel it; from the youngest initiate to Master Yoda himself; a sense of dark foreboding that grows heavier every day, every moment. How long till it crushes us?
I want to get out of this bed and DO something but if my Master finds me out of bed, he'll make me do five hours of katas once I feel better, which is something I don't want to do(practicing is fun, but going over the same forms for hours on end looses it's fun after the first two hours). And I don't want to cause him any trouble; he already has enough. My room seems different now, maybe that's why I want to leave. It seems soft, and light- almost angelic and it seems so wrong for me, dirtied with battle and stinking of death, to be here in this place. I've seen far, far too much to go back, I-
Oh, Force, I just started crying again. At least I'm here in the Temple, surrounded by Jedi who understand how it's like instead out there where the public can't bear the sight, or thought, of a Jedi weeping. 'We must not cry or show great anger or sorrow before those we serve. We must be calm and collected or they will not trust us' is what I've grown up hearing and I agree- if the public saw us weep or panic, they would loose what little faith they still have in us.
Yes, the public is loosing faith in us. It hurts me every time I see a disdainful or suspicious glance directed towards me as I stride through the crowded streets of whatever planet I'm on. They blame us for the war; I can see it in their eyes. Can't they understand what it must be like to have to do the thing we hate: make war. I've asked my Master about it- why does the public distrust us after all we've done. He told me that “People always fear those who are different then they are and those who do good”. How could you fear someone doing good? Isn't that what most people want to do at heart?
So many questions buzz in my head that I can't think straight. That's most likely why it takes so long to become a Knight- because we need to learn to quiet ourselves and look outwards to the needs of others before looking to the needs of ourselves. It is hard, it is difficult, but I completely understand and I will do my hardest to accomplish this. I will be the best Jedi I can be and that is enough for me.
Okay, I'm starting to feel less ill even if the shroud of the dark side still stifles me. At least the cramps have gone away. Maybe I'll even be up for some sparring with some fellow Padawans later. I'd like that.
When this war ends I shall be so thankful. I'll celebrate with my Master and Kyla and hopefully we'll be able to smile more than we cry as we remember those who have fallen. But hopefully the tears I shed will be those of joy instead of sorrow. I know Rune and Lint would rather I continue on the path of the Jedi instead of wallowing in grief. It's hard sometimes but....but I know that I'll be able to heal after this war one way or another. And I look forward to the day when my Master, Kyla, her Master, and I can look out to the sunset, with the suns rays shimmering against the stone of the Temple, and think of the joys ahead and the sorrows behind us because you can't have one without the other, right?
My Master just brought me my dinner which is sausage, slices of meat, muja fruit, and a tart for dessert. I'll write to you tomorrow or when I next get a chance.
May the Force be with you and let that wonderful day in my future come.
Aran Liander

*****************
Look at the post below too. I posted two things today :)
Enjoy and May the Force be with you :D

An Actor's Odyssey

I've always wanted to be an actor ever since I was little and wanted to be on Barney.
I've acted in quite a lot of plays and even went to a film acting camp last summer :).
My goal is to be act in movies and t.v shows and maybe even do some plays on Broadway.
And of course, like every actor, there are roles that I would love to play sometime in my future. Whether for film or for theater, I'm making it my goal to play as many of my 'dream roles' as I can :).

Film/t.v show roles

The main character in my books series- Ever since I started writing my books series, it was my goal to play the main character someday in the films(whenever that happens). I feel like I could play her very well and it would also be a great challenge for me.


A role in a Star Wars related film/episode - I've always wished I could have had at least a small role role in one of the Star Wars films. Though I know that won't happen, I'd like to at least voice someone on Star Wars: The Clone Wars or play a role in the live-action t.v series. Of course, if they made Jude Watson's books into a television show, I'd love to play/voice Siri Tachi(or even a young Obi-Wan):D

Milla from "The Seventh Tower series" - I really liked her character; I mean, she's a warrior girl who isn't a bad guy which is a role I've always wanted to play. The books are a favorite of mine, so it would be an awesome role to play.

Thorgil from "The Sea of Trolls" trilogy - I also liked her character. She's also a fighter/warrior girl(a Viking type girl, actually) and that is the sort of role I REALLY want to do several times throughout my career as an actor.

Someone from the Underland Chronicles - I know I'm too old now to play the role of "Luxa" but since this is one of my favorite series, I'd like to play one of the girls in the series(I'm drawing a blank on her name, but there was a role I could play).

The main character in my t.v show - I am also writing a t.v show(I haven't gotten very far, yet) and I am definitely planning on playing the main character since she's a lot like me. :)

Theater roles

Elphaba from Wicked - The moment I first saw glimpses of Elphaba's character in "Wicked" I knew I wanted to play her. I immediately identified with her and felt 'I could do this'. I can also sing her songs quite well(the character's range and voice type are the same as mine). Plus she sings a lot of lovely and hilarious songs(alone and with other people) such as - Defying Gravity, What is this feeling?(loathing), No Good Deed, and The Wizard and I. :)

Abigail Williams from The Crucible" - I read "The Crucible" for school recently and while reading, I was very intrigued by the antagonist Abigail. The farther I got into the story, the more I wanted to play her character- it would be a large change from what I typically play(I've played bad guys many, MANY times) and would be a challenge for me to convey which is something I greatly desire to do.


Eponine and Cosette from "Les Miserables" - I have yet to watch the musical, but I did read the novel and from what I've read of the musical, playing a part in this production would be an amazing experience. My first choice would be the role of Eponine- I really enjoyed her character in the book and I would LOVE to portray her one stage. I'd never paid much thought to playing Cosette, but I had someone tell me recently I could play the role(as well as the part of Eponine) so I'll add it to my list.


Jesus Day by Day soloist, or John the Baptist/Judas in Godspell - I've already done this play(I'll tell you about it later) and I had a blast doing it. Of course, besides the role I did, there are other characters in this show I'd like to explore- such as Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas since those would be challenging roles. I'd also like to be the "Day by Day" soloist since I love the song so much.

Runner up
The Baker's Wife, Cinderella, or Little Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods"
Mary Warren in "The Crucible"

My favorite roles ever have been - The Red Queen, Pepper, Peter Pevensie, "Learn your lessons well" soloist, the second Wickersham brother, and Ralph Herdman. Here are some of the productions I've done-

Children's theater
Sleepy Hollow - Ghost Pirate and some kids in the school
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever- Ralph Herdman(I was the oldest kid in the Herdman family)
Through the Looking Glass - The Red Queen
Into the Woods - Jack's mother
Godspell - Learn your lessions well soloist as well as other people in the parables(I also was the one who drew a weapon on Judas).
Suessical - The second of the three Wickersham Brothers
Beauty and the Beast - Madame D'arque(something like that, anyway) and some other smaller roles
Thirteen - an extra and Rabbi <------ Never do this show. You won't like it(I know I didn't :p)

Homeshool group
Cinderella(a filmed thing) - One of the stepsisters and one of the girls who played Cinderella; I played her when she was at the ball.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- Peter Pevensie(my sister was Lucy)
A Christmas Carol- One of the narrators(I wasn't impressed with this one so much)

Missoula Children's theater(the one that travels around to the different states)
Little Red Riding- a racoon(I was about seven)
The Frog Prince- venus fly trap(I was the leader )
Snow White - A skunk
The Jungle Book - I was one of the four wolf pups
Robin Hood - One of the Foresters
Little Mermaid - Sea Scout
Jack and the Beanstalk - Ringmaster of the Circus
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast- the older version of Beauty's little sister of Little Zo(I threw a temper tantrum on stage)

And soon they are going to be having auditions for "Once Upon a Mattress" at my city's local theater(where I did Annie last year) and I hope to get the lead in that.
Have a great rest of your day, and May the Force be with you! :)

Favorite Song Monday

The song I am going to post today is "Hallelujah" sung by Rufus Wainwright. He isn't the original singer of the song but his version is my favorite of the several that have done it. It's a really beautiful song and I hope you enjoy it. :)




Here's a Star Wars related video to the song. It's a tribute to Obi-Wan Kenobi and was one of the first I ever watched(and it's still a favorite of mine). This video actually made the sort of cry the second time I watched it.



Hope you enjoy, and May the Force be with you! :)

"Deception" Review

Okay, so I've been looking forward to last night's episode for a long time. When I heard that my favorite character(Obi-Wan Kenobi) I got extremely excited. The whole 'posing' as a bad guy reminded me of when Siri Tachi pretended to leave the Jedi Order and joined Krayn's slavery operation(no one knew except the Council. Not even Obi-Wan).
The episode starts out with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka heading towards a secret meeting when a sniper suddenly starts shooting at them. The episode unfolds with Anakin and Ahsoka thinking Obi-Wan is dead(he faked his death)and having to deal with it. Meanwhile, a disguised Obi-Wan goes deep undercover as a criminal named Rako Hardeen to worm his way into a scheme designed to kidnap the Chancellor and stop it from the inside.
Interesting premise, right? I'm really looking forward to see how this all unfolds.





The good: I definitely liked the majority of this episode since it was basically about OBI-WAN :D. The beginning was well done, especially Obi-Wan's 'death' and Anakin and Ahsoka's reaction to it. Anakin's scream of Obi-Wan's name as his friend fell off the building was wrenching. I really love the part where Anakin returns to see Ahsoka cradling Obi-Wan's limp body and when he asks "how is he?" the only thing Ahsoka can do is look up and cry. And Anakin's "Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan" where he is shaking his 'dead' Master was also really sad; the music in the entire scene was well done. I also liked when Obi-Wan held his lightsaber, closed his eyes to prepare himself, and stepped into range to be shot- it was very surreal. Plus, the part where Anakin is arresting Hardeen(Obi-Wan) he says that the only reason he wasn't killing the man was because "the man you murdered would rather see you rot in jail." Anakin's anger and pain was transmitted very well and I congratulate Matt on his acting in this episode.
Of course, Obi-Wan incognito and in 'jail' was just plain awesome! It was interesting to see Obi-Wan pretend to be a Bounty Hunter/villain and I feel that he pulled it off quite well. I knew the minute I saw the preview that the Hardeen guy was Obi-Wan(I guess when you like someone enough you can tell it's them even though they are completely in disguise). I absolutely loved the part where Obi-Wan is talking to Cad Bane and Moralo Eval in their cell and Bane is taunting him and Obi-Wan says "Who says I want your respect?" HA! >:). Him and Bane standing face to face reminded me of when Obi-Wan was challenging D'nar in "Kidnapped." Oh, and who thought it was cool that Obi-Wan's code name was "Ben"?
The part where Obi-Wan is talking about how leaving Anakin out was critical for the mission sure seemed to me like he was trying to convince himself it was true(I especially got this vibe when Mace told him that what's done is done). I also liked Obi-Wan's facial expressions in the very beginning where the Council looks like their discussing the problem.
All in all, I pretty much liked the entire episode. :) Oh, and Obi-Wan gets his face and head completely shaved off!!! Ahahahahaha! (though, Obi-Wan DOES get a lot of really awesome lines in this show, doesn't he? :))






The bad: While I enjoyed the majority of the episode, there was, of course, a few problems with it. The funeral seemed to quick and really, Satine should't have been there at all(well, at least she isn't canon to me and she won't be in any of the episodes, thankfully) :p. Anakin's facial expressions were great and so was the music. I was also worried that Obi-Wan would shoot the guy(since it sounded like he did from some reviews) but I was relived that he didn't(Cad Bane actually was the one that did it because Obi-Wan hesitated). And about half way through I began to miss seeing my Obi-Wan(in his regular Jedi robes and look). But beyond that, the episode was top notch! :D

I'm very excited to see where this arc leads. It has the potential to be one of my favorite arcs and I can't wait till next week! In the next episode we see Bane trying to find a hat as well as some blasters. I loved his line "I need a new hat"; this whole obsession with hats seems to be a Lucas/Spielberg thing(Indiana Jones, anyone?). And I loved Obi-Wan's disgusted expression at Bane right after he stopped choking the rodian(I could definitely see Obi-Wan there).
Also, I have a pretty good idea for how Anakin could realize that Hardeen was Obi-Wan. Yoda made a comment about Anakin realizing it. I think it would be awesome if , during one of their fights, Anakin looks Hardeen/Obi-Wan in the eye and realizes that this is his friend he thought was dead.
So, looking forward to the rest of this Arc and seeing Obi-Wan do some really cool stuff. Until then May the Force be with you. Always. :)
Shena Tokala/SiriKenobi-ShenaTokala, Siri Kenobi95, Maegen, and Obi-Wan :)