Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Glee Problem

There's a sour note on television's airwaves today, & choir nerd TBelle is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Top 10 Spooky Dances

Some belated Halloween fun for ya'll. Here's my review of the Top 10 Spooky Dances, that are not Thriller. Let's not do Thriller.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Blast from the Past: Productive Boredom Commentary

Jess & I got together a while back and looked at our high school film project. We barely made it through. Here's the commentary we recorded for your enjoyment/schadenfreude.



The original show can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU7-pHD6P4

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Fangirl Double Feature

Because I haven't been frequenting the blog enough, here's a double feature of The Philosofan. First, a look at fangirls:


& now fanservicing those fangirls (preferably with glitter)

Enjoy & feedback, kids!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Philosofan: Alan Moore Adaptations

Join me as I try to tackle one of the greatest mysteries of our time. Comic fans don't kill me.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011



As Levar Burton says, don't take my work for it. http://www.thehillywoodshow.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/JckSparrow
*No sharks were harmed in the making of this review.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Lessons from Labyrinth

A short review, more in the vein of where the show is going.


& Here's a bit extra, because we could.


Wednesday, August 3, 2011



http://blip.tv/tbelle/top-11-gateway-anime-5438168

Finally, my first review. Enjoy & critique my dears.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Little Teaser

Bit of a teaser for what's to come. Blame Channel Awesome, & keep watching.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Breaking the Salt Shaker

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Matthew 5:13

So many times I think the salt idea is interpreted the wrong way. So many times American Christians treat their faith like table salt. It sits in a happy, prominent place on our spice rack. We take it out at the proper times and sprinkle it atop our movies, our fiction literature, the art on our walls, and we think we’re doing the right thing. How many times are we ruining our food? How many times are we insulting what’s already been prepared for us? There are some high-end restaurants that don’t put salt on the patron’s tables, & asking for it would be an insult. Was our faith meant to be a cheap condiment that hides the natural taste? I should hope never.

The chemical formula for salt is sodium chloride, NaCl. NaCl is found in every living thing. It is an essential compound for the growth and function of individual cells. Salt helps cells move. Salt is in our sweat and tears. Sodium chloride doesn’t have to be injected into a natural food product, and a good chef knows how to bring that out naturally. So, is this the salt we were meant to be? Not obnoxious and blatant but gently enhancing the whispers of God naturally inherent in this world. Our true calling is not to surround ourselves in an imperious cocoon of the trappings involved in contemporary Christian culture but doing all in service to our Maker and Savior. This includes that which makes no sense to the comfortable Christian ensconced in their pew. Being a NaCl Christian also changes the way we view creative output and popular culture. Could we search for the glimpses of God in secular literature and give Him glory as opposed to shunning it part and parcel? Could we challenge Christian art to be more honest and daring rather than pandering to sentimentality disguised as holiness. How much would the Body change and grow if we took our response to God off the spice rack and recognized it as an integral part of our molecular structure?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Music to Teach By

Yes blog, Mommy still loves you. Just don't have much to say that's not 'must do art', 'must work', or 'must stay alive'.

Other things I have been doing include teaching kids. I work as a teacher/assistant at these art camps over the summer, & I've been having a fantabulous time. The other ladies are rather nice & very sweet. Our latest camp consisted of a great group of kids who -LeGasp!- did there work quietly. This sort of silence can be unnerving to those used to the rowdier crowds. So, I was charged with the task of finding mellow, instrumental music to help the kids work & cut the silence.

I think I did a bang-up job, as one of my fellow teachers asked me to recommend some bands. All thanks to the Internet, of course, for providing the perfect hunting grounds for awesome music. So here's my top 10 compilation of instrumental awesomeness for teaching, studying, or just chilling out.

10:The XX- some good mellow, tech-flavored tracks with these hints of grandeur. Best use:

9: Mum- Lovely, slightly creepy, music to inspire creativity without inspiring rowdiness.

8: Rachel's- Experimental band mainly using pianos and strings. Beautiful and calm.

7: Aaron Copland- Had to slip in a classical composer somewhere. Copland really captured the American voice in music beautifully, exemplifying the wonder and valour in the mythos of our country. Perfect for the weekend.

6: Cirque Du Soleil- Apart from mind-boggling visual spectacle, the Cirque's music is to die for. The words aren't in a recognizable language most of the time, it spans musical styles, and it's fun and upbeat to keep energy levels high. Great creative brain-food.

5: Thomas Newman- Excellent soundtrack/instrumental composer. It's so chilled and contemplative. Great for all-afternoon drawing projects.

4: Vitamin String Quartet- The kings of cover artists making original, rich versions of every kind of popular artist from Switchfoot to Kanye West

3: Mogwai- Another great instrumental band. Mellow and cerebral as a guitar gets.

2: Explosions in the Sky- I heard this band of Indie-cuties first on Austin City Limits. Blows my mind.

1: The Assassination of Jesse James Soundtrack- Nick Cave and Warren Ellis made a gorgeous music-baby for this film. I've never seen it, but I'm in love with the sound. May be the most contemplative music for a western ever composed.