This is one of my favorite musical performances ever, and James Blunt is one of my favorite performers ever. He seems very genuine, on this song in particular. Enjoy!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
My Way or the Highway
It's definitely Jude's way all the way, and I think he knows it. :) He has Justin and I wrapped around his little fingers.
For those of you who haven't seen him in awhile, he's getting sooo big. We put him next to his cousin, Tylie, who is 8 months older, and they are almost the same length! She is only a couple inches longer than him. They almost have the same size feet. And, I couldn't believe it when I picked up his other cousin, Sophie, and she was so light. She is the same size he was when he was born; it's so crazy to think about!
He is such a sweetheart. You can always get him to smile, even when he's really tired or hungry, no matter what. I have so much fun playing with him all day. Justin tells him daily that his mom is crazy. Maybe it's true cuz I will do anything to make the kid laugh.
For those of you who haven't seen him in awhile, he's getting sooo big. We put him next to his cousin, Tylie, who is 8 months older, and they are almost the same length! She is only a couple inches longer than him. They almost have the same size feet. And, I couldn't believe it when I picked up his other cousin, Sophie, and she was so light. She is the same size he was when he was born; it's so crazy to think about!
They Call Me Red
Who does this remind you of?
Okay, well, maybe before the haircut. Anyway, we miss our "Red" and want him to come home! This is from Dr. Seuss' "Hop On Pop" by the way! We're very into Dr. Seuss lately.
Okay, well, maybe before the haircut. Anyway, we miss our "Red" and want him to come home! This is from Dr. Seuss' "Hop On Pop" by the way! We're very into Dr. Seuss lately.
Hey Baby!
I miss my babies!! I love You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Ooo. you make me live
whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the best friend
that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend.
You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love
The things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live.
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
You, you're my best friend."
"Ooo. you make me live
whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the best friend
that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend.
You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love
The things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live.
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
You, you're my best friend."
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Opinion vs. Fact
OPINION
"a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty."
"a personal view, attitude, or appraisal" (dictionary.com).
"An opinion is a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. However, it can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analysing the supporting arguments.
"An opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. In casual use, the term opinion may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact-based beliefs" (wikipedia.com).
FACT
"a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true" (dictionary.com).
"The word fact can refer to verified information about past or present circumstances or events which are presented as objective reality" (wikipedia.com).
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Everyone in this world believes their own opinion to be right, otherwise they would change it to something else. But, I'm seriously annoyed with people who claim their opinion to be true; that there is no wiggle room whatsoever, and that everyone else's opinion is false. Guess what? An opinion cannot be true or false, thus the nature of opinion. You can only have an opinion about something that hasn't been determined to be true or false; something that is purely subjective.
Movies are a good example. Every movie on the planet has at least one fan. You can't tell me that I'm wrong for liking or enjoying a movie, even if I'm the only person on Earth who likes it. It's my opinion. We can discuss why I like it, why you don't, and you may even be able to change my opinion about the movie, but that doesn't mean I was wrong to begin with. It's all about my personal preference.
Likewise, you can't have an opinion about something that is determined to be true by facts; something that is subjective. Cigarettes are bad for people. This isn't my opinion, and can't be my opinion, because it is a fact. It is proven to be true. If someone believes that cigarettes are good for them, it's not just that they have a different opinion from the rest of us, it's that they are wrong.
Opinions are opinions because they can be changed. I can like a certain movie when I'm 12, and dislike it when I see it again at 25. Facts cannot be changed, no matter how much we discuss them or change our personal preferences.
"a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty."
"a personal view, attitude, or appraisal" (dictionary.com).
"An opinion is a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. However, it can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analysing the supporting arguments.
"An opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. In casual use, the term opinion may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact-based beliefs" (wikipedia.com).
FACT
"a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true" (dictionary.com).
"The word fact can refer to verified information about past or present circumstances or events which are presented as objective reality" (wikipedia.com).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone in this world believes their own opinion to be right, otherwise they would change it to something else. But, I'm seriously annoyed with people who claim their opinion to be true; that there is no wiggle room whatsoever, and that everyone else's opinion is false. Guess what? An opinion cannot be true or false, thus the nature of opinion. You can only have an opinion about something that hasn't been determined to be true or false; something that is purely subjective.
Movies are a good example. Every movie on the planet has at least one fan. You can't tell me that I'm wrong for liking or enjoying a movie, even if I'm the only person on Earth who likes it. It's my opinion. We can discuss why I like it, why you don't, and you may even be able to change my opinion about the movie, but that doesn't mean I was wrong to begin with. It's all about my personal preference.
Likewise, you can't have an opinion about something that is determined to be true by facts; something that is subjective. Cigarettes are bad for people. This isn't my opinion, and can't be my opinion, because it is a fact. It is proven to be true. If someone believes that cigarettes are good for them, it's not just that they have a different opinion from the rest of us, it's that they are wrong.
Opinions are opinions because they can be changed. I can like a certain movie when I'm 12, and dislike it when I see it again at 25. Facts cannot be changed, no matter how much we discuss them or change our personal preferences.
Elegy
I went to a movie the other day
and somehow expected you to be there.
Only a crude copy remained.
And somehow, the laughter died too.
Did you take it with you,
leaving in your place him to sniff and tense?
The man who murdered you was
filled to the brim with himself, and
couldn't see past the holes in his nose.
Sokka, you were too young to go.
and somehow expected you to be there.
Only a crude copy remained.
And somehow, the laughter died too.
Did you take it with you,
leaving in your place him to sniff and tense?
The man who murdered you was
filled to the brim with himself, and
couldn't see past the holes in his nose.
Sokka, you were too young to go.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
an Abecedarian poem by Jesse Betts
Aang is Airbender, Avatar
but who is this "Ong" and why is he masqueradin'?
Can't waterbend? Can't play? well, they got the nostrils right.
Don't know if you remember--
edge of my seat--as the
face-stealing spirit Koh told of the
great plan to kill yin and push
Heist him from his hole and
in a flourish, Zhao. fry. him. whole.
Justice is Aang-big-blue-Ocean-Spirit-fish, pulling Zhao
killing Zhao in big blue Ocean Spirit fish fist
Lungs squeezed shut
Maybe M.
Night thought it inconsequential
"Ok the fish-thingy is weird...let's cut,
paste something in it's place." A tidal wave that goes nowhere. How
quaint, Zhao and M. Night have stuff in common
Rude, rudimentary overstepping of boundaries and the
spirits are angry.
tsk tsk. Take my advice M. Night and retire before
u suck water. The wave was a
Very climatic moment following
weird exposition, nonexistent rising action, and then a sad denouement
xpands from there. Oh, and oh
yah,
Zuko's a wussie.
but who is this "Ong" and why is he masqueradin'?
Can't waterbend? Can't play? well, they got the nostrils right.
Don't know if you remember--
edge of my seat--as the
face-stealing spirit Koh told of the
great plan to kill yin and push
Heist him from his hole and
in a flourish, Zhao. fry. him. whole.
Justice is Aang-big-blue-Ocean-Spirit-fish, pulling Zhao
killing Zhao in big blue Ocean Spirit fish fist
Lungs squeezed shut
Maybe M.
Night thought it inconsequential
"Ok the fish-thingy is weird...let's cut,
paste something in it's place." A tidal wave that goes nowhere. How
quaint, Zhao and M. Night have stuff in common
Rude, rudimentary overstepping of boundaries and the
spirits are angry.
tsk tsk. Take my advice M. Night and retire before
u suck water. The wave was a
Very climatic moment following
weird exposition, nonexistent rising action, and then a sad denouement
xpands from there. Oh, and oh
yah,
Zuko's a wussie.
Monday, July 19, 2010
"The Last Airbender"
After anticipating it for a long time, I finally went to see The Last Airbender. My whole family loves the cartoon, so when most of us gathered for a family reunion of sorts, we planned to see it. Me, Michael, Amelia, Brent, Kelsey, Kurt, Austin, and Nyah all went together. I'm glad to say that Austin and Nyah enjoyed the movie, but, unfortunately, ALL the adults were in agreement: The Last Airbender is the biggest piece of crap movie ever. You might say that we failed ourselves by loving the beloved cartoon too much that the live movie could never live up to it. Maybe we did have expectations, but only moderate ones, and I think it's impossible to completely separate a movie from the cartoon it is based on. To fully express just how horrible I thought this movie was, I've decided to write a poem a day on the subject, using different poetry forms, until I feel satisfied. First, the Japanese Haiku:
The Last Airbender
is such a crappy movie.
Do not go see it.
Tomorrow I will dazzle you all with an "Abecedarian" poem about this crappy piece of crap movie. If you would like to read up on some of the forms I will use, here is a good site: http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/197
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Special
Oh, I'm real. Real enough to defeat you! And I did it without your precious gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I'll give them heroics. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics the world has ever seen! And when I'm old and I've had my fun, I'll sell my inventions so that everyone can have powers. Everyone can be Super! And when everyone's Super...no one will be.
Anyone recognize this quote? It is spoken by the villain Syndrome in "The Incredibles." There is another point in the movie where Helen Parr says "Everyone's special, Dash" to which Dash replies "which is another way of saying no one is."
As you all probably know by now, I'm kind of a freak who likes to write about the weird parallels I see in movies and shows. It's interesting to me. It's pretty obvious what they're saying in "The Incredibles." When everyone is special, no one is. It reminds me of shows like X-Men where everyone in the show has a super power, so no one really stands out as being special. Sure, if you are more interested in one power than the others, it gives the illusion that the character with that power stands out, but really, they are all on equal ground. It also means that the characters on one side of the conflict have no advantage against the characters on the other side. Still using X-Men as an example, Professor Xavier and his mutants are on equal footing with Magneto and his mutants because they all have powers.
Lately, I've been watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph function as a unit trying to end the war. Aang is the Avatar, Katara is a master waterbender, Toph is a master earthbender, and Sokka...well, he's not really anything. What happens in a situation like this? All the members of the "unit" have powers that make them "special" except for one. Another example would be in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Everyone in the "unit" has special supernatural attributes except for Xander. Some would say, poor Sokka and Xander! They are just normal...and kind of useless against powerful enemies.
But, I disagree. Sokka and Xander may not have special "powers" like bending or slaying, but to me, it seems like they have more heart as a result. They are both ready and willing for a fight, even though they are risking more, and more at risk, for what they believe. They are fighting for the greater good even though they are at a huge disadvantage. Not only do they both keep their respective group together as a team, but they are able to step up and save the world in their own way. Basically, the fact that Sokka and Xander don't have abilities actually makes them different from everyone else, which actually makes them stand out from everyone else, which actually makes them the special ones.
Anyone recognize this quote? It is spoken by the villain Syndrome in "The Incredibles." There is another point in the movie where Helen Parr says "Everyone's special, Dash" to which Dash replies "which is another way of saying no one is."
As you all probably know by now, I'm kind of a freak who likes to write about the weird parallels I see in movies and shows. It's interesting to me. It's pretty obvious what they're saying in "The Incredibles." When everyone is special, no one is. It reminds me of shows like X-Men where everyone in the show has a super power, so no one really stands out as being special. Sure, if you are more interested in one power than the others, it gives the illusion that the character with that power stands out, but really, they are all on equal ground. It also means that the characters on one side of the conflict have no advantage against the characters on the other side. Still using X-Men as an example, Professor Xavier and his mutants are on equal footing with Magneto and his mutants because they all have powers.
Lately, I've been watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph function as a unit trying to end the war. Aang is the Avatar, Katara is a master waterbender, Toph is a master earthbender, and Sokka...well, he's not really anything. What happens in a situation like this? All the members of the "unit" have powers that make them "special" except for one. Another example would be in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Everyone in the "unit" has special supernatural attributes except for Xander. Some would say, poor Sokka and Xander! They are just normal...and kind of useless against powerful enemies.
But, I disagree. Sokka and Xander may not have special "powers" like bending or slaying, but to me, it seems like they have more heart as a result. They are both ready and willing for a fight, even though they are risking more, and more at risk, for what they believe. They are fighting for the greater good even though they are at a huge disadvantage. Not only do they both keep their respective group together as a team, but they are able to step up and save the world in their own way. Basically, the fact that Sokka and Xander don't have abilities actually makes them different from everyone else, which actually makes them stand out from everyone else, which actually makes them the special ones.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Jude LAUGHED
for the first time last night! Do you remember the Friends episode where Rachel has just had her baby and she decides to wake Emma up so she can play with her, and then she can't get her to go back to sleep? All she does is cry and cry. They read in a book to swing the baby back and forth in your arms quickly? Anyway, Jude was a little upset last night, so I decided to try it. Within seconds, he was GRINNING, and then all of the sudden, these little giggle noises were coming out of him! It was the cutest thing!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Celebrity Survey!
1. Scariest
2. Most angry
3. Funniest
4. Least Funniest
5. Hottest
6. Ugliest
7. Most Annoying
8. Most Talented
9. One that looks most like an animal, and what animal
10. One that could possibly be an alien living among us
11. One most likely to come out of the closet
12. The best one to play you in a movie
13. One you would want to be stranded on an island with
14. One you would want to play opposite you in a movie
15. Best hair
16. Best eyes
17. Best lips
18. Best legs
19. Best butt
20. One you wouldn't want to be stranded on an island with
21. Most likely to win an Oscar in the next 5 years
22. Most interesting
23. Most underrated
24. Most overrated
25. One you originally hated that you now like
26. One you originally liked that you now hate
27. Celebrity that won't last long
28. Next one to check into rehab
29. One that most deserves a happy meal
30. All-around favorite
2. Most angry
3. Funniest
4. Least Funniest
5. Hottest
6. Ugliest
7. Most Annoying
8. Most Talented
9. One that looks most like an animal, and what animal
10. One that could possibly be an alien living among us
11. One most likely to come out of the closet
12. The best one to play you in a movie
13. One you would want to be stranded on an island with
14. One you would want to play opposite you in a movie
15. Best hair
16. Best eyes
17. Best lips
18. Best legs
19. Best butt
20. One you wouldn't want to be stranded on an island with
21. Most likely to win an Oscar in the next 5 years
22. Most interesting
23. Most underrated
24. Most overrated
25. One you originally hated that you now like
26. One you originally liked that you now hate
27. Celebrity that won't last long
28. Next one to check into rehab
29. One that most deserves a happy meal
30. All-around favorite
Friday, July 2, 2010
AVATAR
no, not the blue people, the bender people.
I began watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender" quite awhile ago. It was before it had even all aired on TV. In anticipation for the live-action movie version, and because I was visiting my brother and he hadn't seen any of it in at least two years, Michael and I started watching it from the beginning. I came back home before we could finish watching all 3 books, and when I started up where we left off, I soon realized that I had never seen the ending to the show! I was positively shocked! I got to a point where I started seeing episodes I had never seen before. It was puzzling, but also really fun. When I explained it to Justin, he made me promise to stop where I was and watch it from the beginning with him. Then we would get to see the ending together. The anticipation almost killed me. At that point, I only had one disc (6 episodes) left. But, I started over again for him.
Over the past few weeks, we've been watching it all we could. It's been kind of hard for me to wait so long to see the final moments. Finally, we got caught up to me. We only had one disc left. Last night, when Justin got home from work, our plan was to watch all 6 episodes back to back. We began...6th-to-the-last-episode...5th-to-the-last-episode...4th-to-the-last-episode...3rd-to-the-last-episode...it was in the middle of the 2nd-to-the-last-episode that I realized that Justin...Fell...Asleep.
After all that, I ended up watching the end of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" by myself. I oohed by myself...I ahhed by myself...and, hm, yeah, I cried a little...BY MYSELF! Can you believe it?
Now that I've gotten that out, I would just like to say that this is maybe the only show I've ever watched where the finale did not disappoint, not even a little. It was perfect. Now I can't wait to go see "The Last Airbender," which just came out in theaters, and hopefully, I won't have to watch it alone. :)
I began watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender" quite awhile ago. It was before it had even all aired on TV. In anticipation for the live-action movie version, and because I was visiting my brother and he hadn't seen any of it in at least two years, Michael and I started watching it from the beginning. I came back home before we could finish watching all 3 books, and when I started up where we left off, I soon realized that I had never seen the ending to the show! I was positively shocked! I got to a point where I started seeing episodes I had never seen before. It was puzzling, but also really fun. When I explained it to Justin, he made me promise to stop where I was and watch it from the beginning with him. Then we would get to see the ending together. The anticipation almost killed me. At that point, I only had one disc (6 episodes) left. But, I started over again for him.
Over the past few weeks, we've been watching it all we could. It's been kind of hard for me to wait so long to see the final moments. Finally, we got caught up to me. We only had one disc left. Last night, when Justin got home from work, our plan was to watch all 6 episodes back to back. We began...6th-to-the-last-episode...5th-to-the-last-episode...4th-to-the-last-episode...3rd-to-the-last-episode...it was in the middle of the 2nd-to-the-last-episode that I realized that Justin...Fell...Asleep.
After all that, I ended up watching the end of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" by myself. I oohed by myself...I ahhed by myself...and, hm, yeah, I cried a little...BY MYSELF! Can you believe it?
Now that I've gotten that out, I would just like to say that this is maybe the only show I've ever watched where the finale did not disappoint, not even a little. It was perfect. Now I can't wait to go see "The Last Airbender," which just came out in theaters, and hopefully, I won't have to watch it alone. :)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
I Just Saw Eclipse!
Justin kindly took over solo parent duty so I could go see Eclipse in the theater this afternoon. Don't I have the greatest hubby ever? I enjoyed myself a lot. It's nice to get out of the house and escape into movie land. The theater I was in was pretty full, and there were two showings at the same time, so the turnout was good. Mostly women, of course, but I'm happy to report there were a few guys in there as well. Confident in their manhood, I guess. :)
The movie was very much in keeping with the first two movies; the tone and feel was the same, which I think is very important. They all fit together, if you know what I mean, which is pretty good considering there was a new director in charge. I also thought they were able to condense the novel down pretty well without sacrificing too much. My favorite part of this movie was, of course, the battle scene. I won't ruin anything but let's just say, I agree with their decision to show moments in the movie that were passed over in the book because of Bella's point of view. I don't know if it's just because Jacob is my favorite character in the books, but I enjoyed Taylor Lautner's performance the most. Don't hate me! I just think he portrayed Jacob pretty well.
For those of you who have seen it, and those of you who will see it, I have one question: Don't you wish there was more smiling?? I know it's an intense situation but, jeez! Everyone's so serious! Okay, well, that's my initial response to Eclipse. I would really love to hear what everyone else thinks of it. :)
The movie was very much in keeping with the first two movies; the tone and feel was the same, which I think is very important. They all fit together, if you know what I mean, which is pretty good considering there was a new director in charge. I also thought they were able to condense the novel down pretty well without sacrificing too much. My favorite part of this movie was, of course, the battle scene. I won't ruin anything but let's just say, I agree with their decision to show moments in the movie that were passed over in the book because of Bella's point of view. I don't know if it's just because Jacob is my favorite character in the books, but I enjoyed Taylor Lautner's performance the most. Don't hate me! I just think he portrayed Jacob pretty well.
For those of you who have seen it, and those of you who will see it, I have one question: Don't you wish there was more smiling?? I know it's an intense situation but, jeez! Everyone's so serious! Okay, well, that's my initial response to Eclipse. I would really love to hear what everyone else thinks of it. :)
Book Club 2.0
The discussion of "The Things They Carried" begins today at forum.ibetts.net. Participate if you dare! For the month of July: "The French Lieutenant's Woman."
A rose is a rose is a rose*
The Vampire by Philip Burne-Jones First, I would like to address the claim that the vampires in Twilight are not real vampires because Meyer changed their characteristics so drastically. Brian Frost, a literary historian, said, "belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself" and may go back to "prehistoric times." Not only that, but they appear in so many different cultures all over the world that their exact origin is muddied. Wikipedia defines vampires as "mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person." By this general definition, Meyer's vampires qualify. But, did Meyer actually change them so much to begin with? Did she come up with original ideas for her vampires?
If someone were to ask you what a vampire is, I think we would all come up with the same answers. Immortal, drinks the blood of humans, weaknesses include sunlight, wooden stakes, crosses, and holy water. Meyer created vampires who are immortal but choose not to drink human blood and are not killed by any of the above weaknesses. They have to be torn apart and burned. Also, she made her vampires extra "super" with special abilities like mind-reading, clairvoyant abilities, and the ability to affect peoples moods. She also made her vampires with an alluring nature; the ability to draw humans to them. She turned it into a love story between a vampire and a human girl. Unfortunately, NONE of this is new to the world of vampires.
In John Polidori's The Vampyre, written in 1819, his main character is Lord Ruthven. He was the first vampire to be alluring, sexual, elegant, and suave. He is also the first vampire to marry a human girl.
From 1845-47, James Malcolm Rymer wrote a 868-page story about a vampire named Varney. He had fangs, hypnotic powers, and superhuman strength. Like the vampires of Twilight, Varney could eat and drink regular food in the human fashion, but it didn't agree with him. He could go out in daylight and had no fear or loathing of crosses or garlic. In fact, F.W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu," in 1922, was the FIRST vampire to be killed or harmed by sunlight.
In 1897, Bram Stoker wrote maybe the most famous vampire story: Dracula. In this story, Dracula lived with 3 female vampires known as the "Brides of Dracula" as a coven or family. He had sharp teeth and his eyes flamed red when he was angry (not entirely unlike the Cullens' eyes when they are hungry). He had no reflection and had the physical strength of 20 men. Dracula also had special "powers." He had powers of hypnosis, mind control, command of nocturnal animals and the weather. He could also shapeshift into a bat, a rat, a wolf, vapor, and fog. These powers are not unlike the Cullens' special "abilities."
Most importantly, the Cullens were not the first to give up human blood. Varney the Vampire, in 1845, was the first "sympathetic vampire" meaning "a vampire who loathes his condition but is nonetheless a slave to it." There are characters like this in almost every Anne Rice novel as well, most famously Lestat in Interview With the Vampire in 1976. We also see this in Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the character Spike. He chooses to live a life free of human blood.
In Anne Rice's novels we also see that the vampires have to be burned down to ash to be completely destroyed (although there is still a question of whether they completely cease to exist even then).
Not even the animalistic nature of Meyers' vampires is original. In the comic book mini-series 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles (written in 2002), and the film adaptation, the vampires aren't magical. They are animals hunting prey. As you know, Twilight was published in 2005.
Stephanie Meyers did NOTHING completely original with her vampires except for making their skin sparkle in the sun, which is not a significant contribution to vampire lore at all. In fact, it is one of the most criticized decisions she made in her novels.
It is obvious that vampires themselves haven't really evolved much. There have been many different combinations of characteristics attributed to vampires in literature and film for the past 200 years, but nothing really new. But, it is also not necessary to come up with something new. Vampires are beloved and feared, and vampire lore is not tired. People will always be fascinated by stories involving vampires, IF the stories are well-written and compelling.
Sources!
*Sacred Emily by Gertrude Stein
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_days_of_night
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nosferatu
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varney_the_Vampyre
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampyre
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dracula
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tables_of_vampire_traits
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burne_Jones_le_vampire.jpg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Ruthven_(vampire)
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