2012 is the Year of the Woman

For the last two decades, we have watched our favorite super heroes be made and remade into cartoons, television shows, movies, books and more, but the same question has haunted me throughout. Where are the women?! I don't mean just the cutesie girls that every hero is infatuated with, like Mary Jane or Betty Ross ... Nearly every super hero has an important female character, and yet for the most part, they have been left wanting in Hollywood's last blockbusters. But this year is different. I am coining 2012 as the Year of the Woman, it is finally our time to shine on the big screen.

The Year of the Woman began in March with the much anticipated release of the Hunger Games. The novel (and trilogy for that matter) have been on the New York Times bestseller list for well over a year, and the hype that had been building for the film boiled over on March 23 when every seat in the theater was sold out to see our first heroine of the year shine. The Hunger Games tells the gripping story of a 16 year old girl Katniss, who despite all the odds, survives a fight to the death in the Arena, and by doing so, completely challenges the totalitarian Capital. There is so much more to this story, but I do not want to be responsible for a SPOILER ALERT, so instead of telling you more, I want to ask you to take the time to read the book (and see the movie when it is released on DVD). It is a wonderful read, and one that finally gives young women a hero to look up to. Katniss is good to the core, and always does what she knows to be right, even if it challenges the authorities all around her.

Although very different in nature, no one can overlook the first female super hero of the summer... Natasha Romanov, A.K.A. Black Widow. Thank you Marvel and the Avengers for bringing Black Widow to the big screen! Scarlet Johansson plays the heroine who is a force to be reckoned with, playing with the big boys but totally holding her own. She backs down from no fight, but also shows that she has a heart, when her companion, Hawkeye is taken by Loki. Like Katniss who will be in Catching Fire in November of 2013, we know that we will see more of this heroine in the sequel to the Avengers in the coming years.

Even the cartoon industry got the memo that 2012 is the Year of the Woman, and released Brave last weekend. Pixar has long been criticized for focusing too much on their male audience, but tried to turn it around with Merida, a Scottish princess who has every opportunity to be the classic princess, but instead embraces her tomboyish personality and takes charge of her own destiny. Despite the magic that she turns to as her aid, what better role model can a young girl get? Making her own destiny and going against the grain of what society expects of her? Awesome and inspiring for young girls (and boys) everywhere!

The last leading lady that is finally getting her spotlight this summer is of the villainous persuasion... Catwoman, in the most anticipated film of the year, Batman, The Dark Knight Rises. The first two movies in the trilogy have been among the highest grossing super hero movies (until the Avengers that is) of all time. Granted, Halle Barry did her unsuccessful take on Catwoman in her own feature film, but the movie was much more centered around her being one of People magazine's sexiest people of all time, than it was her acting and the story itself. Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway, will share the spotlight of villain with Bane, but critics and fans alike are excited to see this interpretation of one of Batman's greatest enemies. The film debuts on July 20, and advanced tickets went on sale this past week in most theaters!

I'm not saying that these movies have, and will be successful just because of the empowering female characters, they are all wonderful for many more reasons. But, as a woman who loves a good "Girl Power" trip, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing women shine as brightly as men in this summers top money makers. Brave brought in $66.7 million this weekend, making it the national #1 movie. There are many other movies that I didn't even include in the Year of the Woman, and each one just supports my title for this year's hits. So ladies, take some time out of your busy day to day lives, grab a gal-pal and enjoy the estrogen induced films of 2012!

Fun in the Midnight Sun

June 21st is one of the most celebrated days of the entire year in my hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska. The tradition of celebrating the longest day of the year is one that has been around longer than we have had the ability to keep record of it, and it is believed to have originated in England. Sadly over the past centuries, this celebration has grown less important in most of the world. But in Alaska, this day turns into an entire week of celebration!

Fairbanks is located at the heart of Alaska - smack dab in the middle of the largest state in the union. Because of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle, and the tilt of the Earth, we have extreme bouts of sunlight, with nearly complete darkness in December and almost 24 hours of sunlight in June. Today, the sun rose a 2:56 a.m. and will not set until 12:47 a.m. - that's 21 hours and 51 minutes of sunlight! Contrary to popular belief, Alaska is not stuck in a constant misery of cold and snow all year long. Although it is not a tropical climate, the summers are beautiful and warm, with the average summer temperature of about 75 degrees. We take complete advantage of the sunlight  and amazing weather, and live life to its' fullest in celebration of our unique circumstances.

This year's celebration started on Saturday, June 16 and will go through this coming weekend, ending on Sunday, June 24. A few of the week's festivities include midnight shopping and 24 hour golf tournaments, and just get more notorious as the week progresses. On Saturday, June 23, Fairbanks will host the Midnight Sun Run, a 10 kilometer race through the heart of the city. It is open to people of all ages, and includes a costume contest. It might sound a little strange, but let me tell you, watching people run through the city dressed as their favorite super heroes or CanCan dancers is a sight that everyone needs to see! The Run is a wonderful family event as well, with families coming together and getting active.

The Midnight Sun Run was made extraordinary on a personal level, when nearly five years ago when my grandfather-in-law, 80 years old at the time, and his daughter, a survivor of an extreme case of meningitis in which she lost her legs and several other appendages, completed the race. It was inspiring to see these two amazing people persevere despite their perceived limitations.

The major sporting event of the summer is the Midnight Sun Baseball Game, played by the Fairbanks Goldpanners. Tonight's game will be the 107th Classic game, and will start at 10:30 p.m. and last throughout the night. Children especially love this game because they not only get to go to a baseball game, but stay up into the wee hours of the morning.

The last major event of the festivities is the Midnight Sun Festival, on Sunday, June 24th. The all-day event will close down every major street in downtown Fairbanks, and house hundreds of booths and activities. Live music, competitions, a variety of food and shopping is free to the thousands of people who will commence in the city's center as we celebrate the sunshiny day. It is a fun-filled day for not only the residents of Fairbanks, but the visiting tourists as well.

Alaska is definitely a place of mixed reviews, but being born and raised here, and living "outside" (meaning in a state other than Alaska) for 5 years, I have to say that I love it here! Alaska is truly unique, and getting the opportunity to celebrate the beautiful earth that God created for us to live in is one that I am happy to be a part of. So this June 21st - get out and enjoy the longest day of the year by doing something unique, safe and fun, even if you can't be a part of the Midnight Sun festivities.

Visit the Midnight Sun Festival for more information on the entertainment and activities.
Information on the Goldpanners and the Midnight Sun Baseball game.
Visit the Fairbanks Visitor's Bureau for more information on my hometown!

Pleasantly Surprised

Horror is something that I generally try to avoid in all aspects of my life, yet I have been curious about the New York Times Bestseller, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, for months now.  Every time that I have had the rare pleasure of perusing Barnes & Noble, I have picked it up and read a couple of excerpts, each time being more and more enticed. So, this week, I gave into my temptation, and I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised! Granted, I am not very far into the book, but lets just say that even between my three boys, school and housework, I have been more than happy to sacrifice a little sleep to learn more about the story of our 16th president and his quest to rid the United States of vampires. It is not a story that is usually in my genre, but as of right now, all I have to say, what's not to love?!

Seth Grahame-Smith cunningly created a story that appeals to lovers of literature, history and science fiction. The story is an in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln, undoubtedly one of the most loved presidents in our nation's history, from his birth on February 12, 1809, through his childhood and into his presidency, and even further into the conspiracy of his murder. But beyond that, this story brings the mass appeal of vampires - something Americans have not been able to get enough of since the birth of Stephanie Myers' Twilight, and by doing so, makes Abraham Lincoln even gripping. As portrayed in the novel, he is not only the president that truly made America the land of the free, but saved us all from the terror of the undead.  

Vampire Hunter is written so well, and is laced with so much fact that it is nearly impossible to tell your brain that what it's reading is not real. The first page is a list of "Facts", which you immediately know are fiction, but because of the way that they are presented, you want to believe them. Although I am an English major, and I know that I will get scolded for this, I rarely read the Introduction to any book. Yet Smith wrote this section so well and so uniquely that it, the Introduction itself, fills you with the desire to continue reading. The abundance of facts is what makes this particular book so appealing to me. I am a reader who loves to lose myself in a book, especially when it is something that I can start to believe in, at any level. Do I believe that vampires exist? Absolutely not! But, when the idea is presented to cleverly, my imagination takes over. The major idea behind the book is that Lincoln's rise to power comes from his success at saving the young United States from vampires, which leads him to the Civil War, where vampires are the major threat that must be stopped if the nation is to have any future at all. Myers' used a similar tactic in the Twilight saga as well, and it was very well received. Combining history and science fiction is pure brilliance in my book!

So what is the point of all this? Although I give this book a "two thumbs up", it is clearly not for every reader. I challenge everyone to step outside your comfort zone and read a book that isn't something you would normally be interested in. Too often we get stuck in one particular genre and are afraid to venture out. Whether your next adventure is a classic, romance, biography or science fiction, give it a try; you never know when you will be pleasantly surprised.


Check out this trailer for the Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, coming to a theater near you on June 22 at the Internet Movie Database.

To order a copy of the novel for yourself, go to Amazon.com.

Go to IMDB to see interviews with the cast from the film!

America's Got Liars?

My family and I are big fan's of the world's largest talent show, America's Got Talent. We have watched the show since it's conception, and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the hidden talents of Americans across the country. It is amazing to see what people do for fun or as odd jobs, and as an Alaskan, it was a lot of fun to watch the magician from Wasilla, Alaska get as far in the contest as he did last year.

With reality TV shows, as a viewer, you always have to question how real the story the people are telling is. In every show, there are people who have a "sob story", forgive the heartless connotation that this phrase has, but in this particular instance I feel that it is pretty fitting. In many cases, this story is real, and does tug on the audience's heart strings. However, there are exceptions and Monday's America's Got Talent's episode is possibly one such exception.

While accepting auditions in Austin, Texas, Sgt. Timothy Michael Poe performed a beautiful country song that brought tears to the eyes of his fiancee and many others in the audience. The song was not all that he offered on the stage, but also the story of his service in the Minnesota National Guard, his time spent in Afghanistan, and a grenade attack that he survived, but left him with severe physical and mental ailments, one of them being a severe stutter. Since the show aired, the military has released that Sgt. Poe lied about the amount of time that he spent in the military and about the grenade that he fell victim too. His ex-wife has also shared that the stutter that made him so sympathetic is a fake. When questioned about these findings, NBC and all affiliates of America's Got Talent have not answered, some speculating that they are extremely embarrassed for falling for these lies.

Although I am saddened that this man has nationally lied, I am more saddened for the military and its' members who have suffered in combat. What has he done to all of their credibility?! I am a fan of Fox's Master Chef, and in their latest episode, they had a soldier trying out who shared a very sad personal story; and the entire time I was watching him, I couldn't help questioning whether or not it was true. Although TV is rarely ever as "real" as they want you to believe, his story may have been true - but because of the lies told earlier in the week, I had no trust in him. It's so sad! I think that after this heinous event, reality shows like this need to have a better screening process, or at least do a little background check on the people and the stories that they share before airing it nationally, especially considering that the at home audience are the ones who ultimately decide if the contestants win the grand prize at the end. Let's face it - we are not always voting based on the talent that they show on stage, but also because we feel a connection or have sympathy for the contestant. Don't we deserve to know if we are voting for someone who is scamming us?

For more of the facts on this story, please visit :
http://social.entertainment.msn.com/tv/blogs/reality-tv-blogpost.aspx?post=2a561c50-c008-4e44-83e7-b1c6418fcd53