Per Request...

Drew's ALIVE!!!

He's actually updated his blog--

check it out before he goes away again!!

O, Remembrances...

Nintendo-Power, how I mourn your passing.
Your rule in the age of children seems no more--
no more Duck-Tales or Lemmings, or the original Zelda...
Super Mario Brothers? Super, yes, super.
How cruel this world has shaped the 80's zombies;
a rude-awakening, a silent lament
We are a junkie generation, sworn to tech
and betrothed to bit.
How were we to know the seductive powers of your console?
But kids we were, but kids.
All hail Final Fantasy--
your worlds have shaped mine!

Copyright © 2007 by Melanie Faith

Valkyrie Profile: Melly

11 Hurt During Filming of Tom Cruise Movie

Eleven extras were injured when they fell out of a truck during filming of a movie starring Tom Cruise, police said Monday. The 11 were taken to hospita l as filming stopped on the movie, provisionally titled "Valkyrie," which stars Cruise as Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter, Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg. All but one of the 11 were treated and released. The extent of the 11th man's injuries from Sunday's accident was not clear. Another person who fell out of the truck was unhurt.

And in other news regarding "Valkyrie": I beat the game last night! Yay! Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, that is. I'm only a nigh-decade behind, but that's okay. I finished it just in time for school to start tomorrow (groan and sigh). A-ending, too , which is apparently better than the B ending--but, surprisingly enough, I think it's harder to get the B ending than the A (even a monkey can get the C-ending... though I'm not sure why he'd want to). I'm gonna keep trying though..
Enjoy the little clip free-of-charge (on the house). Of course, these are not the graphics I enjoyed as my lovely hubby shelled out over $100 to get me the original PS1 version which is apparently better than the PSP version even with all the cool graphics. I say, why not enjoy both? Ah, the blessings of YouTube. You can even watch the ending of the game--why even play it? lol

So, I am, at this time, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the sequel: Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria (and an even better strategy guide, as the last one was not by Brady Games and therefore, sucketh royally). Not that it hasn't been released yet (it has)--more than I haven't bought it yet!! ^_^
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The New 'Do

T'was 9 years ago to this day when I gave birth to my not-so baby-boy.

Happy Birthday, Gregory Westley-James: we love you!!!

What's In A Name?

Continuing on with the name-craze, sparked by Rebecca, here is this little fun poll thing which wasted five minutes of my life:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 3 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

That is with my married name. Ironically, there is only four people in the US with my first and maiden names. lol Now, if only my mother got her druthers and named me what she wanted to: then there would only be zero people in the US w/my name.

In other news: A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@," claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday. Just something to think about the next time you complain about your own name.

Cheers,

Meme... A History (sorta)

So, with the world around me returning back to normal (both good and bad), I say it's time for a new meme. I still have another one from Wit's End that I haven't gotten to--but I plan on it!
My ever-prolific gal-pal Rebecca has sent me the challenge to search for images using my name. So, I'm a dork and didn't want to search by my first and last name so here what I could pull up with my first alone. Here are the rules:

1) Go to www.Google.com
2) Click on Google images
3) Type in your name and search
4) Repost (w/ a link) the picture of the oddest, craziest, strangest, coolest, oldest, etc. person that shares your name. Post multiples if you find a few you like.
5) Pass it on.

Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way:

• Melanie Griffith. Need I continue?

• Melanie Rawn -- one of my favorite artists when I was going through my fantasy stage as a child. Oh, wait--that wasn't a stage, that was a key character change. I also found a digital artist by the name of Mélanie Delon whose got some interesting stuff (I think I should start using an accent mark in my name, what do you think?).

• Melanie de Baussiere -- I know nothing about her because Wikipedia only hosts her picture. I'm curious if anyone out there does. She's very pretty whoever she is.
• Melanie Wilkes -- from Gone With the Wind. Even though I don't much care for the movie, gotta admit Vivian Leigh is strikingly gorgeous. Since Melanie Wilkes is from the book and not the movie, I am putting a pleasant picture of Miss Scarlett for the masses to ogle.
  

Okay, that's what I got for now. Hope you enjoyed the not-so thrilling name-study. I was kinda bummed because I expected more influential people in history or at least some world-record breaking animals, but these chicks are all pretty cool in their own ways. :) Maybe my picture'll be Googled some day--wowwwww!! haha
I hereby tag the following fabulous people:

Drew
Marjie
SF Girl
Goldy
Helen
Loz
Eugene (who I know is busy right now doing some major editing for a very special project ^_^)

Peace out for now. I'm getting a new hair-do on Thursday night via my lovely sis-in-law. It's gonna be a bit eccentric--can't wait! That and I'll be getting something on my face pierced soon that does not involve either ear. Hazaa for feigned "originality."

Cheers,

Reunion Re-cap

Okay, it's high time that I write something of some merit here--other people's articles and cap-sized photos just aren't what I'm about the majority of the time (in other words, my laziness compels me to cut-and-paste in lieu of genius). These past two weeks have been roller-coasterish (yes, that is a Mellyism) what with both my son and my mom here visiting--we've been on the roll physically (not literally) and emotionally, so I've been rather indisposed mentally. Besides all that I had to return to my crap-job on Tuesday where the usual garbage awaited. The good thing is that I have another interview on Monday for a new position. Maybe this one will actually get me somewhere this time, unlike all the times before it. I'm starting to get a complex over here! I've been on a different kind of "roll" with BotM. I've got an extra 2 chapters in, introduced some new storyline and characters, and have single-handily reignited my literary-fire once more. I guess you could say that the dam has been chiseled a little bit so that I have some artistic movement once more. School starts back up in about two weeks... I doubt I'll be able to see the finish-line anytime soon like I had initially anticipated. Oh, well. Time ages all great things, I suppose. Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself, anyway (on soooo many levels sadly...).

Drew left for Lake Tahoe today with his BFF Jacob. They are in for a weekend of gambling and guy-time. Well, that is what they say anyway. It was sad to be awakened at 530 this morning to say goodbye... I won't see him till Monday. We've only been separated a few times since we've been married and they always seem just as hard as the time before it. Yeah, all four times. lol. Hey, we're still "newlyweds," wadda you expect? I'm crazy about the man. He's my best bud and I like having him around to listen to my rants and laugh at my clumsiness. But, not all is lost, the weekend shall be redeemed because my mother is here and we have some bonding of our own to do. On top of that, I will be singing in Japanese to medium-sized audience for the first time tomorrow morning... Not bad for a white girl from Texas!

We had a lot of fun while Gregory was here: he went out on a boat and did the tube-thing for the first time. He had a blast, of course (he's a boy, after all). Japantown, Bodega Bay, Lake Berryessa, Wal-mart (for the ever-essential Bionicle toys), miniature golfing, movie theaters... we did a lot. But most importantly, we all got a little bit closer as a family; that's always the best. But... like always, I hate to see him go... Pretty soon the dust will clear and all will return to the way it was a few weeks ago. I'm not always sure that's the best thing but for whatever reason, it's the way life is right now. But as Solomon said, all things are seasonal.

Wouldn't Want Those Cookies...

Woman's Ashes Back After Accidental Sale

ELMIRA, N.Y. - A large ceramic turtle containing a woman's ashes has been recovered after it was accidentally sold for 50 cents at a rummage sale.

When Anita Lewis of Elmira sold the turtle Saturday to a woman with plans to use it as a cookie jar, she didn't know it held the ashes of her husband's late wife.

Terrence Lewis' previous wife had collected turtles and the couple's home was full of them, Anita Lewis said.

She realized her mistake and began a frantic search that led to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop in Horseheads after an anonymous caller's tip to the Star-Gazette of Elmira.

Penitence

Drew, I'm sorry