Happy Ending

This is my final post, and it is about by Mika, the British pop artist.

Happy Ending

“This is the way you left me,
I’m not pretending.
No hope, no love, no glory,
No Happy Ending.

Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life
Can’t get no love without sacrifice
If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well
A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell

This is the hardest story that I’ve ever told
No hope, or love, or glory
Happy endings gone forever more

An’ I feel as if I’m wasted
And I’m wastin’ every day

This is the way you left me,
I’m not pretending.
No hope, no love, no glory,
No Happy Ending.
This is the way that we love,
Like it’s forever.
Then live the rest of our life,
But not together.

2 o’clock in the morning, something’s on my mind
Can’t get no rest; keep walkin’ around
If I pretend that nothin’ ever went wrong, I can get to my sleep
I can think that we just carried on

This is the hardest story that I’ve ever told
No hope, or love, or glory
Happy endings gone forever more
I feel as if I’m wasted
And I’m wastin’ every day

This is the way you left me,
I’m not pretending.
No hope, no love, no glory,
No Happy Ending.
This is the way that we love,
Like it’s forever.
Then live the rest of our life,
But not together.

A Little bit of love, little bit of love
Little bit of love, little bit of love[repeat]

This is the way you left me,
I’m not pretending.
No hope, no love, no glory,
No Happy Ending.
This is the way that we love,
Like it’s forever.
To live the rest of our life,
But not together.”

This song is melancholy. It is a passionate farewell for everything given and everything taken, for lessons learned and lessons taught. This is Alice for me on some level. I enjoyed this and I hated it. There were lessons, love and freedom, and conversely there were sleepless nights, anxiety, and confusion. Now Alice and I part, to live the rest of our lives, but not together. She will wake up from this project and never remember the dream that was, but I will forever remember the Wonderland through which we traveled hand-in-hand.

Human

This is a poem I wrote that I thought was fitting for the theme of humanity’s journey through life. It is a summary of childhood innocence and so much more.

It is as follows:

Human

Life! I cried forth.

Muffled, it solemnly commenced.

None can lie or deny,

The beauty of taking new breath.

Joy! I chucked malevolently.

None can halt my reckless canon.

Sprawling at last ‘neath bruised summer skies,

Dreaming warm dreams, fervently, hopeful.

Angst! How sweet the sarcasm.

Self-discovery, that humbling feat.

Moved on, I thought,

From former Innocence.

Life! She cried forth.

Stifled, I begin anew.

None can deny or lie,

The beauty of beholding new breath.

Interesting… All I can say.

Naught more needs be said.

We’ve come yet far, we the team,

And know, simply, there is always more.

Sleep… They called down,

Solemnly contemplating some now-distant event.

As I smiled down on them,

Silently lamenting such lament.

Bright… Like stars,

we enter pure as snow…

Yet how gray our stars have dimmed,

when like rain forsaken,

we streak, down…

or up?

Alice’s Playlist

This idea is from Rachel McCeuen’s Off [Sound]track concept of creating a playlist of songs that remind me of Alice. You will probably not know many or any of these artists. So listen and hear something new

1. Alla Luce Del Sole – Josh Groban – This is in italian so probably nobody will understand this, but the intro and the emotion of the song can be understood as mysterious and trying to find one’s way through confusion.

2. Anxious  - C o L o R – As Alice is in the hall of doors, she is anxious to get in to see the garden. This communicates from an outside perspective of anxiousness and a young man’s reaction to it.

3. The Animal Song – Savage Garden – The Caucus-Race in a little more archaic sense.

4. The Calling – Santana – A fiery theme with a powerful word set: The Rabbit Sends In A Little Bill.

5. Because I Got High – Afroman – This song is explicit, do not listen to it. I hate this one in fact, but the title simply struck me as perfect. The purpose of this one is the title value for the Caterpillar.

6. Converting Vegetarians – Infected Mushroom – This is wayyyyy out in crazy land, I do not know why this is on my iPod. Its creepy and borderline insane techno for Pig and Pepper.

7. Paralyzer – Finger Eleven – I think is just great for the Cheshire Cat’s smile, because it literally gives you pause seeing so wide a grin on a cat.

8. Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend – Cheery hatred of proper grammar, a great match to the mad tea-party.

9. Around The World – Daft Punk – The croquet game is played literally everywhere with no rules. I thought this goes well with a chaotic scene of croquet.

10. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen – Changing styles of chaos that have a sad theme in a funny representation, perfect for the Mock Turtle’s story.

11. Sway – Mondo Eleven (for instrumental) – Lobster-Quadrille. Sway is a big band classic from the 40s about tango dancing.

12. If I Were A Rich Man – Broadway Recording – Everyone should know this. This is for the Mad Hatter in the court when he pleads over and over “I am a poor man your majesty!” I wrote a blog that matches this named MLIA

13. Nothing Left To Lose – Mat Kearney – I love this song and its great for rainy days. This is for Alice in the court when she shouts “You’re nothing but a pack of cards!” because she stands with nothing to lose.

14. Already Home (Spanish Version) – Ha-Ash – For the spanish students and people out there you should be able to get the gist of this. The title in and of itself works as a good end for Alice waking up and already, well, being home.

Alternate 14. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics – Waking up from the sweet dreams of wonderland that are pretty well summarized here.

15. Sunshine – Take 6 – A hearty, happy finale.

Wander-Land

I wrote a poem to summarize all of Alice. This is it:

Wander-Land

Autumn breezes blow swiftly by,

together we sit enjoying.

A dressed hare, a glint of gold,

and a curiosity has just begun.

I follow till I fall, OH!

Physics is arbitrary.

Yet how smart I am in my “Yeah, buts” and “How cans”,

truly I have been taught.

I sidle along now, doors surrounding,

where am I, how am I, what?

A bottle I drink, how small I shrink,

A currant cake, and me, so large.

Having cried at the woe of it all,

I waved fan at my face till I shrunk,

and now I am small, so small in fact,

that in that which I wept, I now sunk.

The mouse swims forth,

we argue of pets, and he calls them predators, dear!

We swim to the shore,

he speak his dry tale and we race till we are wet no more.

The rabbit I meet once more,

Maryanne he calls me, “now fetch!”

I obey, yet I think to myself,

how cursed be this, I’m no wretch!

Growing tall once again, I fill the whole room,

get it out, burn it down, they say,

and a Little Bill with a kick (not to kill),

flies away, and so do I flee.

The Puppy he played, the mushroom I saw,

and thereon the hookah and owner lay.

When he left, we had talked,

and he bid me “one side or the other”.

I ate till I grew with a neck long and lean,

the Pigeon was utterly displeased,

“Snake!”, she cried, “I have not slept for three weeks”,

and I left disgruntled, displeased.

Two footmen, for livery made so,

spoke oddly and oddly spoke,

we argued arbitrarily and I entered frustrated,

to the clear and loud sound of sneezes.

She beat her baby,

the chef threw pots,

the Chesire Cat grinned all the same,

the baby a pig turned out to be and its grunts ended its wheezes.

The Cat spoke,

“We’re all mad”, he sighed,

and I continued on to the party,

the party was mad, with hatter and hare, both loath, sad, and hearty.

The party forever,

seemed and was, exactly what it seemed,

for nonsensical nonsense has nonsensical humor,

funny to none but daft fiends.

Leaving tea, I walked,

till the rose garden I came,

saw three gardeners with brushes and fevers.

The Queen came, with family all, and beheadings were her teasers.

We walked and played,

pink-bird mallets in hand,

hedgehogs underfeet,

The Duchess of morals spoke till the queen ordered her to leave it now, or eat it.

The Gryphon and I visited the Mock Turtle,

that lousy, proud, weepy fart,

and of dances and schooling,

uglification and boarding, he spoke, and cried, and performed.

The trial began, the Herald blew,

the jury all was seated,

Alice grew and grew and grew,

until at last “a pack of cards” receded.

This ends the tale of the witty girl,

who frolicked,

then sought and then gave,

she fought her way through, hair, tooth, and tail, but at last her insanity ceded.

CoverItLive: Some Questions and Conversation

This is our CoverItLive session. We talked about the book and several questions/comments we each had. Yes, we included our own banter in there for your (and our) entertainment.

http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=3cc9c0fdcc

Talking Well

Alice had cried a large amount when she was a giant in the hall of doors. Upon shrinking, she feel into this pool. When she left the pool with the group of animals, they decided they need to dry off. The mouse shared his monotonous lecture with them. This was done in order to dry them off, because it was the “driest thing” he knew. The other animals were confused and shot off remarks and questions throughout it. The Lory cried “ugh” with a shiver. The Duck questioned “found what?” when the Mouse said “it”.

The Mouse crossly said to the Duck he knows fully well what “it” means. The Duck defended himself saying he knows what “it” is when he finds a frog or worm, and restated his question asking what the archbishop found. The Mouse had no answer, and so hurriedly continued in his monologue. When we take in boring or incomprehensible information, we tend to react with confusion and sometimes continue on to disgust. The Duck exhibited his confusion and questioned for an answer. The Lory went straight to disgust and cared not to explore more. The Mouse himself however is the important one here. He did not understand what he was saying. When confronted, he skated over the top of his lack of wisdom. When communicating, people sometimes repeat things in newfangled ways in order to appear more intelligent or to simply fill a verbal vacancy.

To those that understand the ones speaking, this can be insulting or a waste of time. To those that do not understand the gobbledegook thrown at them, this can be insulting or a waste of time.

So for you, the reader (and for me), what is the best way to express so that everyone can understand and contribute in a conversation?

• Big words? (I know I use them in my writing)
• Repetition?
• Humor?
• Terse phrases?

Or a balance of these and more?

Lying Serpents

The Pigeon cries at Alice that she is a serpent. Alice had just eaten the mushroom pieces until her neck grew high like a giraffe’s. Having laid her eggs three weeks before, the birdbrained Pigeon had not slept from being on the watch for snakes. She has built nests everywhere, but snakes have still eaten her eggs. Now that she has hidden her eggs up in the trees, like a normal bird, she is not particularly happy to see the long-necked Alice. Alice is indignant at being called a serpent and their argument ensues.

At the end of their spat, the Pigeon does not believe Alice is a little girl, but does not much care. In her mind, anything that eats eggs is a serpent. Carroll makes a point here that as humans we can do the same activities as animals but condemn them as bestial. Why is it that we are hypocritical? When confronted we often choose to simply soothe our conscience or by creating reasons for our innocence like “its cooked” and “I used utensils”.

Now I’m not saying I am a vegetarian, because I enjoy a smoked brisket the same as most Texans. My question is, should we not be wholly, and if necessary, brutally honest with ourselves about everything?

Emotional Responses

When walking with Alice through the croquet ground, the Duchess gave morals to everything said between them. “‘Tis love” the Duchess said that makes the world go round. Alice responded quietly that “somebody” said it’s done by everybody minding their own business. That “somebody” was the Duchess. Now personally, I think there is just a little bit of contradiction in the Duchess’ statements. The first statement given was that people should mind their own business, said when the Duchess was sitting with the pig-baby and having her nose filled with pepper. So why the disparate views? The first time, she was uncomfortable and annoyed. The second time around, she had just escaped beheading through Alice’s decisions, and was probably grateful. Alice’s point of view was a little different.

Alice said her response quietly to the Duchess. I think Alice had added a little bit of venom to her sentence. Why? In order to spite the Duchess for being so rude to her earlier and besides, Alice just did not like her anyway. Alice was also probably annoyed that the Duchess had changed her idea. Alice was respectful and polite in their first conversation, yet was met with threats of death. As this is usually seen as impolite, Alice was displeased and displayed it subversively in their latter meeting. So Alice chose to act polite first because she was happy and humble, but later spoke acerbically because of her anger and annoyance.

I think this strongly states that for many of us our views are directly varied by emotion. What defines maturity then? I think for here it defines itself as the strength of character to not let emotion guide you, but rather your philosophies.

Off With Her Head: A Queen’s Journey Through Puns

The Queen is a character that enjoys screaming her head off, or rather the heads of others. Her self-esteem seems to come from her capability to stand a head taller than others as a queen. That is how she entertains herself and how she seems to shave every problem away. In short, beheading seems to be where her head is at. When she approached the garden with her head held high, the gardeners bowed until their heads were at her feet. When she got headwind that they were painting the roses, decapitation was her choppy answer. Alice kept her chin up to the heady noise of the Queen, causing the queen to rage and cut to her usual solution.

Now, still being serious but without the puns, I’ll dig deeper.

The Queen clearly is uncreative and is happy with that. She chooses anger as her first response to anything she sees or hears. So in terms of us, all humans, why do we become angry? I think mood is a choice we make depending on our physical and mental condition, as well as our conditioning of the same. Specifically, we are more apt to become angry if we are tired and hungry. If we are tired and hungry often, eventually a habit of a short-temper can form. There are other influences too such as family or school. The family has a great effect on young children (and a smaller one on teens, who probably will not admit it) in how they think and how they choose to feel or react. Social and academic life at school has a great effect on how people decide to shape themselves. We all pick models at some point to work around. Even nonconformists are conforming to a nonconforming model of some kind. Models and people influence others and some concept wash together in the mind.

People become people

The Rabbit Herald(s)? (VoiceThread)

John Tenniel made two illustrations of The Rabbit Herald. The original was taken out of printing and replaced with an entirely disparate version. What were the changes? Why were they made?

Please check out my most recent VoiceThread presentation to learn more:

http://voicethread.com/share/771574/