"If God made you, He's in love with me"
Yesterday afternoon I went to the bank to deposit some major fundage. I got some money from my folks this weekend because I'm a useless boil on society... but, when I got back to Chicago, I got my tax refund check from the Federal Government. It was enough to cover all my expenses (I think) for my England trip. I'll be able to spend a little over $40 a day over there. That should be enough, I think. So I'm really excited that I won't need to ask my parents for spending money for my trip because I already got it from being charged too much in taxes last year. I think that's awesome!
Then I went to the Near North branch of the Chicago Public Library. I got yelled at by Laura for not having a library card yet *frowny face*. Well, I deserved it. I've been here since the beginning of time and I should have a library card by now. As such, I went to the library to check out some books and to get that elusive card I've needed since time immemorial. After spending at least half an hour looking around, looking at plays, looking at fiction, looking at science fiction, I had settled on three books: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Glengarry Glen Ross. As I approached a busy looking librarian, my focus was caught by a sign explaining how to get a library card. Turns out, I don't have an Illinois driver's license. And I had nothing on me that would prove that I'm even an Illinois resident. So I had to put the books away and leave. I'll head back there, probably early next week, and bring with me some old bill stubs and maybe my checkbook to prove that I live only a couple blocks away. Why must everything be so complicated? "This falls under the 'Nothing is easy' category" my father would say.
I found myself stuck watching "Rose Red" on SciFi last night. I wasn't stuck watching it, I wanted to watch it because I thought it would be cool to be watching a creepy/scary movie while it rained here in Chicago (which the forecast said would happen almost all night). Firstly, it didn't really rain here. I looked outside late at night to see the pavement damp, but I never heard any rain. Secondly, Rose Red is part of a mini-series... so I was only able to watch four of the six hours. The first four. I'm going to miss the ending. Which is actually okay by me. I'm sure the book is a lot better than the movie... the movie seems disjointed (probably because it's a made-for-TV miniseries and they have to write commercial breaks into the screenplay). Also what I've noticed is that it's difficult, at least in my opinion, to get a really good child actor. I noticed this too in The Shining (which SciFi played right after Rose Red). Not the old version with Jack Nicholson, the new version. I found myself wanting the kid to die pretty soon after the movie started. And, if you want the characters to die in a suspense/thriller movie, there's no suspense or thrills. So, for future reference, let's make sure that our thriller movies don't have children in them (slim chance of THAT happening). Just think of a lot of those kinds of movies... I'd say at least 75% of them have a child in them that we're supposed to not want to die. And, almost 100% of those I find myself watching yelling at the screen "Get the kid! Kill the kid first!" Maybe I'm just annoyed by child actors... or jealous that I was never a child actor... or maybe I just don't buy their acting... whatever it is, just make sure to hack the kid up first.
Speaking of acting, I've had this theory kicking around in my head for a while now and I finally explained it to someone last night. I feel as though there are two kinds of actors:
Group 1 consists of actors who need the attention. They love being on stage in front of people... entertaining them; making them laugh, cry, FEEL. These are people who are apt to say "Look at ME!!!" I feel I fall under this category (and so do most people at The Second City). It's not ALL about "Look at ME!!!" with me, and there are certainly people who put me to shame in this category because they can't stand NOT being the center of attention, but, for the most part, this is me.
Group 2 consists of actors who can't stand to be themselves. They act because it allows them to be someone else... if only for an hour or a few minutes. These people enjoy compliments like "You really WERE that character"... and they use acting as an escape from their own life.
There is something horrifically sad about both of these types of people. People who feel so small that they need constant attention... People who are so unsatisfied with who they are that they have to be someone else. Think of every celebrity/movie-star you know of... and they are pretty much one of these two groups of sad people. Do you really envy them?

To change the subject without use of a segue, I have recently been brushing my teeth with an obsessive compulsion. Ever since the root canal process started, I've been brushing at least five times a day... sometimes in between bites of food. Okay, that's not true... but the five times a day thing IS true. Obsessively. I feel like Laura *smile*. Sorry dear, had to do it. Please don't hurt me.
In other "news," JK Rowling says that her new book--Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince--is her favorite one of the series so far. Here's an article that tells you what I just said.
And, about the Picking on Einstein article I linked to yesterday, I just wanted to say a couple quick things and then I'll let you go. The article mentions the holy grail of physics "The Theory of Everything." While I love string theory (because I feel all superior because I can wrap my mind around more of it than most people), I think that we'll never have a comprehensive, elegant Theory of Everything. I think the universe is just too sloppy for that... and ever-changing the universe is. Difficult to see... always in motion is future. Heehee. Nevermind. Anyway, I think a clear "Theory of Everything" will give creationists some fodder. "Look," they'll say, "if the whole universe follows this theory then it must have been intelligently designed." Isn't that the proof they've always wanted? I know I, for one, will be pretty convinced in an intelligent design if a Theory of Everything is found. But I'm a sucker for pretty, shiny theories.