Pretty Face; Beautiful Mind

realize that a saddening amount of my blog posts start with, “I saw this thing on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook…” I probably need to put my phone down and get out more. In any case, I did see this post on Instagram that got me thinking. It read: “If you could post a picture of your mind, would it get as many likes as a picture of your mind, would it get as many likes as a picture of your body?” I understand that it was meant to encourage people to focus more on the value of their thoughts than on their physical appearance, and to call the pretty-but-vapid to a higher standard, but it struck a different chord with me.

 

 I thought about the question for a moment and then came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t get as many likes for my mind as I would for my body because I have a lot of unpopular opinions. I tend to swim against the tide when it comes to topics like sex, religion and politics, and most people won’t like me for it. 

The Great Black Void: Gravity in Review

I remember seeing the previews for Gravity (starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) and thinking, ”How can they possibly make a feature film about an astronaut afloat in space, and keep it interesting?”  All of my doubts were put to rest in a beautiful 91 minutes of cinematic brilliance. It’s the kind of movie you have to see in a mildly uncomfortable seat, with 3D glasses tickling the bridge of your nose and the threat of a Suzy Seat Kicker behind you; this is a theatre movie. The breathtaking images of Earth are striking on the big screen, making you feel as if you’re really taking in that panorama from beyond the sky. You need a screen of that size to really appreciate just how vast the setting is--a nearly endless black sky--and the perspective of Earth as just a tiny dot amidst it all. The 3D effects coupled with first person camera angles keep you on the edge of your seat as you gasp for air along with the terrified astronauts.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Everyday we're sold a million different things to make us happy—weight loss plans and body shapers, gold chains and rap albums, university degrees and successful careers, steamy sex lives and perfect lovers, gizmos and gadgets and thingamabobs galore. How many times have you heard