The Sinning Magpie

So one of my friends has been nagging me since forever to blog something new of my own. And the night before a history test and two days before a huge A&P Exam, of course, is when I decide to write a post. 

Needless to say, this post will probably be about one of my fandoms. Today, it shall be about BBC's TV show, Sherlock. For those of you who haven't seen the show or haven't read the books (I haven't either, it's ok), there is Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and James Moriarty (consulting criminal).
I want to focus on Moriarty for a few minutes. I feel as if it's appropriate to let you know that he is, without a doubt, my favorite character in the entire series.

Yes, he has killed people (through the people who work for him of course)
Yes, he has threatened many people
Yes, he is a criminal
Yes, he probably doesn't have a working moral compass
Yes, he is the "bad guy" in the show

BUT

I still like the way his character is portrayed in the show. James Moriarty is the type of criminal that hates boring things, ordinary things, and for some reason that's the thing I love most about him. While I disagree with most of his actions, I can't deny that it always excites me to see what he will do next. That's the biggest difference between how much I like an antagonist and a protagonist. The main character of the show, despite any ridiculous choices s/he makes, in the end it's almost always a choice that will solve all the problems. The villain, on the other hand, is unpredictable. While his/her choices will usually result in  another problem, there's no telling what type of problem or the severity of it. Plus, the bad guys are usually 100% sass masters. There are really no words I can use to describe why I like Moriarty aside from the fact that he's like an enigma; no one knows what's going on in that head of his except for himself and that in itself makes him a puzzle I want to find the pieces to.

Harry, There's Someone Watching Us....

Heyyy so apparently my first writing was kinda good so I will be writing a second post. Sorry I'm not the fabulous fangirl that usually posts here.

-Luna

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” ~Roald Dahl

"It's the wood that should fear your hand, not the other way around. No wonder you can't do it, you acquiesce to defeat before you even begin." ~Pai Mei

The first quote is there to justify the second. Just to let you know, Pai Mei isn't a real person. he is a character from the (by far) goriest movie I have ever seen, Kill Bill. I don't recommend for anyone to watch it, I don't know why I watched it in the first place, but that kind of movie is the last place I would expect to find a quote that I would think about for a while. Just as context Pai Mei is teaching the main character Kung Fu and is having her punch through wood at 3 inches away, and is unable to do it at first. The quote was Pai Mei's explanation.

So what does this have to do with anyone? Well, unless you are looking for inspiration to punch wood. It is the concept that you won't accomplish anything if you accept defeat before attempting it. The more you become aware of it, the more you will see it in your daily life.

I was going for a walk last summer, and I see a random shirtless guy trying to impress a girl and doing parkour/free running in a park. The girl wasn't the only one watching. I saw two guys watching from a short distance (lets call them baseball cap and NYU, as one was wearing a baseball cap and the other had an NYU t shirt on), and NYU said "Damn he's good. I'm going to do what he does, I'm even going to do it better" to which baseball cap replies "Would you look at us? We can't even get the courage to talk to a girl, much less do a backflip off a fence in front of one." NYU didn't reply, and I didn't stay around for the rest of their conversation. I only really thought about what I heard that day about a month later because I was reminded of the two, because I saw NYU (I guess it's his favorite t shirt, but I definitely recognized him) doing some sprint exercise on the side of a soccer field. I started walking in that park more often at similar times because something about him made me curious. Late August, I see NYU again, wearing that same t shirt, looks like this:


Anyways I almost didn't recognize him if not for his t shirt, waterbottle, and he had pretty nice hair too. I saw him doing pullups and sprints, and it was hot that day. I got an ice cream and walked around until sundown. There wasn't a lot of people at the park at that time, and I was the only one in the area at sundown. Anyways I watched from a distance as NYU did a similar route to the guy from 3 months ago, and it must have been his first go because he was super excited at the end. I think he was a bit miffed because I don't think he noticed me, and so he thinks nobody saw what he accomplished that day. This memory is really satisfying because what might have been his best friend told him to quit because something was impossible, and he pretty much put his summer vacation into it and won. To me it seems so simple but is so motivating, so I want to share it with all of you. By the way, should anyone find NYU or should NYU come across this post, someone saw your run, and that someone remembered. Congrats. As for the rest, may the stars watch over you

Listen To The Moon Talk & Watch It Breathe

Disclaimer: This is not the lovely, kind, adorable, and overall fabulous girl you know and love. I am a friend of hers, and she asked me to write something. I hope you enjoy.

-Luna

 

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”
~Arthur C. Clark

So the first thoughts on this quote are almost always the same from what I've seen. People start talking about aliens and whether or not there are "extra terrestrial creatures" out there in the universe. Science fiction as we know it. After all, Mr. Clark is a science fiction writer. I regret to inform you that I am yet to read any of his works, so if any of you have let me know. This quote intrigued me, so I looked into the life of our dear friend Arthur. There was a point in his life where he was an undersea explorer, and that brought back some of the weirdest and most terrifying memories I have tucked away inside my mind. Personally, I love the water. I am far from the strongest swimmer, but through my musicianship (flute) my ability to hold my breath for about 4 minutes makes up for it plenty. I have spent long trips on sailboats, and diving in the Florida Keys. One of my trips was a bit different. I am pretty good with machines, so one of my older friends and his coworker decide to take me on a trip in a winged submarine he had spent 4 years building. Just the 3 of us. I don't usually sleep much, so I was usually on night watch and made sure things worked properly while the other two slept. On day 3, my friend got sick and we had to leave him ashore. My friend's coworker didn't want to stop the trip now (if you didn't know, submarine preparation and fueling is expensive!) so it was just the two of us. The time on that trip where you could see another world was beyond imagination's reach. Granted, it wasn't nearly as exotic or deep as what you would see on TV, but if you ever get the chance to explore deep waters don't pass it up, trust me. At this point you're probably wondering why I went from being alone to the ocean. Well this is where it comes together. You see, after a week of little sleep and nothing that usually keeps me up is there, the fatigue takes it's toll. So we began alternating night watches. I remember my first night sleeping on that submarine. More specifically waking up. I had the negative fortune of having a nightmare, so I wake up with little bearings and grip on reality. I am sure you know the feeling. Anyways I am staring up at a metal ceiling in a small room, no idea where I am, and all I hear is silence. I hear absolutely nothing, and I don't know if I am alone or not. As stated by Mr. Clark, both are equally terrifying. Sometimes it's hard to decide whether it's scarier to be alone or not even on planet earth, much less the Universe. This brings up the true value of a true friend. Some people have many friends, and don't think much of them, but what happens when they are alone? Hopefully you won't have to feel the cold fear of not knowing in an unfamiliar place when you wake up to understand what I mean. Your friends are people you can trust, and sometimes we take them for granted and don't realize how scary the world is without them. I truly hope you understand what i am saying by this, and whenever you read this, I hope that you see the true value in a true friend. Let your friends know how much they matter every so often. Give them a hug or something, because you can trust me when I say that they are more to you than you know.