Redeemed by the Savior

Finally! More news about what is going on in Iran:

2009-07-18T01:06:41Z

Today, a protests were vigorously renewed in Iran over the alledgedly fradulent elections. It has been the greatest showing of protest support since the elections.

A new picture slideshow from the protests today:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Iran-Election/ss/events/wl/060909iranelections/im:/090717/ids_photos_ts/r1921624804.jpg/

Play Video Video:Police tear-gas Iran protesters during prayer AP :

Video link: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/ynews;_ylt=AlkYKTvDc23XmZbRv4MnfZUUewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTFhanRoYjYwBHBvcwM5BHNlYwN5bl9yXzNzbG90X3ZpZGVvBHNsawN2aWQtZWQtbGluaw--?ch=4226714&cl=14562483&lang=en

Powerful Iranian cleric says country in crisis

Play Video Reuters – Tehran demonstrators renew clashes

Video link: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=14561467&ch=4226714&src=news

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press Writer – 54 mins ago

TEHRAN, Iran – In a sign of endurance for Iran's protest movement, demonstrators clashed with police Friday as one of the nation's most powerful clerics challenged the supreme leader during Muslim prayers, saying country was in crisis in the wake of a disputed election.

The turnout of tens of thousands of worshippers for former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's sermon at Tehran University and the battles with police outside represented the biggest opposition show of strength in weeks. Protesters faced fierce government suppression and hundreds were arrested following the disputed June 12 presidential election.

Outside the university, protests grew from several hundred before the sermon to thousands afterward as worshippers joined in, chanting, "death to the dictator," a reference to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Protesters were confronted by riot police and a menacing line of pro-government Basiji militiamen on motorcycles, who charged with batons. Plainclothes Basijis fired volleys of tear gas, and young protesters with green bandanas over their faces kicked the canisters across the pavement. Some set a bonfire in the street and waved their hands in victory signs. Dozens were arrested, taken away in trucks, witnesses said.

Protests, which flared following the election, had been stifled in recent weeks. The sometimes tearful sermon by Rafsanjani could be a significant boost to the movement's staying power. It was an open challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aired live on nationwide radio from one of the country's most potent political stages. By openly showing the divisions in the leadership, it punched a hole in efforts by Khamenei and hard-line clerics to end the controversy over Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Worshippers chanted "azadi, azadi," Persian for "freedom," during Rafsanjani's sermon, his first since the election. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who claims to have won the election, sat among the worshippers, attending the country's main prayer service for the first time since the turmoil began.

Many of those gathered wore headbands or wristbands in his campaign color green, or had green prayer rugs, crowding the former soccer field where prayers are held and spilling into nearby streets.

Rafsanjani denounced the government crackdown on protests and called for the release the hundreds detained.

He reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to people's complaints over the election, which was declared a victory for Ahmadinejad despite opposition accusations of fraud.

"There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts (about the election). We need to take action to remove this doubt," he said. "The trust that brought the people to vote in such large numbers is not there anymore. We need to return this trust."

Rafsanjani avoided directly mentioning Khamenei or outright calling the vote fraudulent. He couched his sermon in calls for unity in support of Iran's Islamic Republic, but it was clear he blamed the leadership for the loss of unity.

The cleric got tears in his eyes as he spoke of how Islam's Prophet Muhammad "respected the rights" of his people. He said the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, "would always say that if the system is not backed by the people, nothing would stand."

For Iranians listening across the country, the weekly Friday sermon in Tehran is the voice of the leadership and a symbol of its backing by God.

After hundreds of thousands joined protests against the election results in the days following the vote, the supreme leader used the podium to declare Ahmadinejad's victory valid and order a stop to unrest. The crackdown was launched soon after. In the weeks that followed, hard-line clerics have used the sermon to depict the protesters as tools of foreign enemies and tell worshippers to follow Khamenei.

Rafsanjani's sermon lay bare to the broader public that the dispute was internal and even Iran's ruling clerics are split. He directly referred to the divisions, saying the revered topmost theologians of Shia Islam, who have millions of followers, were not happy with the government.

Rafsanjani heads two powerful clerical bodies that oversee the government and parliament, the Expediency Council and the Experts Council. He is bitter rival of Ahmadinejad and is considered Mousavi's top supporter within Iran's clerical leadership.

A mercurial and savvy politician, Rafsanjani positioned himself as a leader emerging to resolve the unrest, saying he hoped his words would be a start to "help us pass safely through a problem that can unfortunately be called a crisis."

He specifically criticized his top rivals within the clerical leadership — the Guardians Council, a body dominated by hard-liners. The council oversaw the election, then held a partial recount that upheld Ahmadinejad's win but was dismissed by the opposition.

Rafsanjani said the Guardians Council missed an "opportunity to unite the people and regain their trust."

Inside the prayers, worshippers traded competing chants with some hard-liners in the congregation. When the hard-liners chanted "death to America," Mousavi supporters countered with "death to Russia" and "death to China," a reference to Ahmadinejad's alliance with both countries.

The Iranian government has accused the U.S. and other Western countries of inciting the massive street protests and interfering with the election. On Thursday, Ahmadinejad demanded and apology from the U.S. as a step toward dialogue between the two countries.

"They tried to interfere in our elections. They talked nonsense. They were rude. They fomented aggression against people's wealth and property," Ahmadinejad told a crowd of thousands in the northwestern city of Mashhad.

The U.S. has denied the government's allegations.

More than 500 remain in prison following the government's crackdown and at least 20 were killed. In the past three weeks, the opposition held only one other significant protest before Friday's.

The scene outside the university on Friday was tumultuous. Before the sermon, police fired tear gas at hundreds of Mousavi backers trying to enter.

When Mahdi Karroubi, another pro-reform candidate in the June election, headed for the prayers, plainclothes Basijis attacked him, shouting "death to the opponent of Velayat-e-Faqih," or supreme leader, witnesses said.

Also arrested was a prominent women's rights activist, Shadi Sadr, who was beaten by militiamen, pushed into a car and driven away to an unknown location, Mousavi's Web site said.

Protests died down by nightfall. After sunset, Iranians could be heard shouting from rooftops, "God is great" and "death to the dictator" — a show of opposition support that has been held every night since the election, but appeared louder and more widespread Friday night.

Waves

2008-11-29T06:56:33Z

I was thinking about how man has so much power. We have not claws nor talons nor sharp teeth. We were born with no heightened senses nor with any form of natural weapon as the animals and beasts of the earth have. Yet, we reign in dominion over them all. Man, in his heart, is proud and believes himself to be so mighty.

Yet when man stands on the edge of the ocean, the waves lapping at his feet, a wave may swell and suddenly crash against him and knock him over, sending him head over heels to sprawl, lying face down in the sand. So mighty man is overpowered by a mere wave. A wave is more powerful than he.

And yet, a small swell of a wave is such a small thing displaying power. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, lightning, thunder. Think of them. What power they possess! And man so powerless against all such forces.

Yet God is even more powerful than all this, his creation. MORE POWERFUL THAN ALL THIS!
Have you felt a wave crash against you, knocking your feet from beneath you? Have you seen a tornado rip houses from the ground? Have you watched hurricane winds blow away everything away to leave a barren place in its wake? Have you felt the ground rumble and shake beneath your feet? All so powerful. Yet God is more powerful than all this!

Man is so feeble in mind to believe that he is the greatest and most powerful being in existence. Yet, look at the wave. But a small wave may overwhelm him. And how much greater and more powerful is God than a wave!

But the greatest thing of all this: that all powerful God is not without mercy. His unconditional love is boundless, and His wisdom infinite.

Wow. Just wow. It blows my mind.

So, remember the waves.

New Twilight book

2008-01-10T17:17:51Z

BREAKING DAWN now has a release date of August 10th 2008

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T06:30:39Z

Merry Christmas!!!

The Dark Knight trailer

2007-12-17T14:12:54Z

The next Batman movie!

http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm

Edward is cast!!!

2007-12-12T16:15:06Z

Robert Pattinson as Edward in movie Twilight.

This makes me hopeful, even though I've never seen him act--seen him in any movies. From what I hear, this might turn out alright. :D (And he's read the books. How great is that?)
Now I'm gonna have to see HP...

There is hope! :D

Prince Caspian movie trailer!!!!!!!

2007-12-05T16:04:47Z

http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=1355&dl=14478175

Beowolf

2007-11-20T18:24:38Z

I saw Beowolf the other day.

I have two words for you:

Frickin. Weird.

I got another word for you:

Stupid.

I didn't like it at all. Because you know I just love watching a man whore sleep with a she-demon and spawn a dragon that he later has to kill.

Some hero.

Lame.

I've never actually read the book- poem- whatever but appearantly even Oedipus has one up on Beowolf. At least Oedipus didn't know who he killed and with whom he shared his bed.

WTF?

It was interesting watching a movie in 3D though. I was honestly hoping that a sword would like stab the viewer... I was hoping but it never happened. I guess you wouldn't really want people going into cardio arrest just from watching your movie lol. When a knife in a preview swung really close, I started freaking out. That would have been awesome.... I would have totally freaked out lol.

The theater for some reason had the sound up so freaking loud! I thought I was gonna go deaf! I had to cover my ears for almost the entire movie! And I still heard it perfectly fine- it still even then too loud!

/rant

adalia_jean @ 2007-11-13T18:54:00

2007-11-13T23:56:20Z

On Good Morning America a few days ago, they had this guy on there who saw the girl of his dreams on a subway in NY. He didn't get to talk to her, so he made a website to try and find her. And he found her!

Check out the story here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3828525&page=1

And his website:

http://www.nygirlofmydreams.com/

Lol! Isn't that so cool? Cute!

Eragon books

2007-11-13T18:17:49Z

The Inhertance Trilogy is a trilogy no more-- there will be four books!

And there is a release date (at last!) for the third book:
"In addition to the announcement of a fourth book in the series, the release date has been announced for the third book, which still remains un-named: September 23, 2008. "

Interview clip with author CP at www.shurtugal.com

Cool. YAY!
I was wondering how he was gonna squeeze everything into a thrid book... :D

Digital video camera

2007-11-02T16:46:35Z

Okay, I need a digital video camera for my film class next semester.

So, for anyone out there who knows (foresworn?), what is the good, the bad, the best, etc. (Besides Sony, perhaps)

I heard Canon is really good.

http://estore.usa.canon.com/camcorders.asp

Opinions?

~~Too bad you can't get the commercial kind... well, in a college kid's price range, that is...~~

More Twilight obsession

2007-11-02T16:40:50Z

Because you all know how obsessed I am...

Check this out:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/otherprojects_midnightsun.html

And then this:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_chapter1.pdf

The Twilight books from Edwards perspective. Me likes! :D

And the fourth book should be coming out in the fall of 2008. :D

I wish I had photoshop right now....

Haha! Another Twilight comic

2007-11-02T13:54:31Z

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/sixchix.asp?date=20071028

Hee-hee! ;P

Twilight

2007-10-23T17:10:40Z

My new-found fandom is getting fed wherever I go!

Check out this hilarious (well, in my opinion) comic with a Twilight theme:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mutts.asp

I went to the bookstore and bought New Moon. The lady at the desk was a fan, and somehow I ended up havng this totally random converstation about a book with someone I didn't know. I know that happens a lot, but it was just SA-WEET.
And I was reading the end of the book, because, yeah, I can't handle the suspense and wanna know what happens. And my Pap came over and he was like, "So you're one of those kind of people that read the end first." It struck me as funny because I never thought of myself that way at all. But it's true! I always skim a book through, but pay closest attention to the end... Random, but HEE HEE!

Since the dream of directing the Eragon movie was squished with the release of Fox's horrible addaption, my new dream is to direct the Twilight movie. (Besides, we don't need *another* ruined addaption. I don't think I'd be able to handle it if they ruined it....) A far-shot dream completely, but hey, a girl can dream, right? Gosh, I have like the color pallete, wardrobe, shots, special effects-- everything-- already planned out in my head. I can see it exactly as I'd want it to play on the screen. I need help. I can't help it. SEND THIS GIRL TO FILM SCHOOL ALREADY, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!

End random rant... or whatever that was called... unneccessary fan girlishness? film fan nut? WTF? Where am I going with this?
*sigh* Later, yo.

Prince Caspian

2007-10-03T15:12:03Z

Prince Caspian poster!!!

http://www.cinematical.com/media/2007/09/caspian-teaser.jpg

Makes me excited for this movie! And it looks like there are some hotties in it too! ;P

The Game Plan

2007-10-01T15:22:37Z

I saw this on Saturday. Hilarious! And of course, it was sweet too. Go see it! I totally recommend it! :D

Becoming Jane

2007-09-24T15:38:31Z

I saw Becoming Jane last Sunday. I LOVED it! But it was a total heartbreaker! I knew it was going to be a heartbreaker since, you know, Jane Austen never married, but I wasn't expecting to be that much of a heartbreaker! I almost started crying during a couple parts. The acting was also really great. And James's blue eyes- oh my gosh! Beautiful! ;P

And, as always, I must post pictures of it... ;P

Happy Constitution Day!

2007-09-17T15:08:17Z

Today, many long years ago in 1787, the United States Constitution was signed.

God bless America!

:)

Ben-Hur

2007-08-07T20:02:12Z

Why have I never seen this movie before? It is essential to any aspiring film-maker! I can't believe I never even heard of it. Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston won 11 Academy Awards (which was the most EVER until Titanic). Though, if you are like me and do not put much stock in Academy Awards, it is seriously one of those amazing movies that I can't believe they ever were even able to make, let alone in the 1950's! Movies like this just don't appear everyday! In my opinion, this movie is up there with Lord of the Rings, The Ten Commandments, and Star Wars in terms of just brilliant movie-making mastery. Seriously. Don't believe me? Just check out the four-horse drawn chariot race!!! An actual chariot race! No computer animation!!! I was super impressed that they went with a 3:1 screen ratio for those scenes. I thought only Lord of the Rings (till now) was cool enough to pull off something like that (that I know of). And Charlton Heston was great. And totally buff! Anyway, here are some pics:

I recently watched The Painted Veil as well. It started off pretty good, but it was kinda anti-climatic. Like, when the climax finally came, they rushed through it and had this really boring and unemotional music playing over top of everything. That's the part that should have been heard and drawn out the most... Oh, well. And I saw Somewhere in Time. Ick! How terrible! They both pretty much die of broken hearts! Kills all the romance and drama.

Prince Caspian movie interview and videos

2007-08-02T20:03:04Z

Prince Caspian costumer designer interview:
http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=1247&dl=13324195
Haven't read it yet, but yeah, there it is...

Prince Caspian actor interview and footage of the movie:
http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=1249&dl=13345565 or
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/blog/
Yay!

For my own reference...

2007-08-02T16:43:53Z

Praise and Worship lyrics and chords and key conversions:

http://www.pwarchive.com/song.aspx?SongID=2727&c=1&s=1&sc=0&b=0&f=10&se=&k=G&v=1

and

http://www.praisetown.com/content/guitar.html

Live Free or Die Hard

2007-07-30T22:21:53Z

Not a bad movie all and all. Sweet action. I love the part when Bruce Willis pulls the fire extinguisher off the wall, throws it down the hallway, pulls out his gun, shoots it, and it blows the guy completely out the window! We were like, !!!!! And then, the kid is like, "Man, are you okay??? You've got blood all over you!" And Bruce Willis is like, "Yeah, sexy, huh?" haha! ;P And there were some wicked sweet camera shots. I was like, !!! What was that??? Like the bit when the camera swung around the car during the car chase. Yeah, that distracted me from the movie for a couple of seconds. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the whole second half of the movie was so completely unrealistic. The whole time I was like, Yeah, right. Like he'd even be standing after that. Is he like a cat? He should have died like 5 times already! But then again, he's Bruce Willis. I guess he's cool enough that he can get away with it. lol! ;P

Prince Caspian report

2007-07-24T00:46:51Z

Bunch of behind the scenes stuff and what's going on with the movie here: http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=1234&dl-13185290

Haven't read it yet, but the movie's lookin' sweet! Some concept art, news on visual effects, a little on costumes, and an interview with Andrew Adamson all there.... Enjoy!

LotR musical

2007-07-20T18:50:09Z

I was looking at the site for the Lord of the Rings musical in London. Now I am scheming on a way to get there. *rubs hands together* Unlikely to ever happen, but hey, I can dream can't I? There's some footage from the show. Looks pretty fascinating. I think it's pretty impressive altogether to even be able to put together a musical of lotr. Talk about having your work cut out for you!

Becoming Jane

2007-07-18T19:16:01Z

I can't wait to see this movie! August 3rd. I hope it's a really good heart-breaking romance. I'm in such a mood to see one of those. It has some good actors in it too.