Yes, as a matter of fact, I most certainly do like scary movies.

My favorite? Well, that's simple, Psycho. It's true, no matter how much you may hear me talk about Hannibal Lector or Freddy Kreuger or Leatherface, they still can't hold a candle. Which is interesting because Leatherface and Buffalo Bill (another character in the Hannibal Lector series) were both based off of the same person, Ed Gein, the butcher of plainsville.

Three movies were based off of this person, but I would be willing to bet that unless you are a fan of horror movie trivia or you're a criminologist, you have never heard of Eddie Gein. You've heard of Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, the Unabomber. But how many of them have had three of the all time best horror movies ever made after them. None. Nada. Zilch.

When people talk about serial killers, you don't even hear this guy's name mentioned.

But whatever, I don't actually have a point to this. It's just one of those weird things in the world that I don't really understand, that I thought that I should call to someone's attention.

Oh and yes, that was a Scream reference I made earlier. I just finished watching it, not bad, it was the edited for TV version, so, you know how that goes.

I'm starting school tomorrow.

Now that could be a scary movie.

I just got finished watching Batman for the 4th time today. Don't worry, I'm not blowing all of my parent's cash on a movie I've already seen multiple times. This is the first movie I have ever been able to stand watching more than once within a three week period. That intrigues me, so I set out on a quest to find out what about this movie is so...hypnotic...if you will.

At first the obvious answer was, he's a superhero, and more than that, he's an attainable superhero. Think about it, if you someday become a billionaire, and decide you want to help stop criminals, don't join the police acadamy, do what Bruce Wayne did. Lots of people laugh at that suggestion, as if anyone like that could ever exist in a world like this. But take a look at Teddy Roosevelt, and you'll find a similar parallel, I guess someday I'll do a blog to prove that, but not right now.

But then I watched the movie again, and I realized that not only was Batman a side thought almsot, it wasn't at his scenes, or at least at his "alone" scenes that I got really excited. It was at the Joker's scenes. I know what you're thinking, "Oh my goodness, this girl is crazy" I just have to say to that, you may be right, but not in this instance, so hear me out. Besides, clowns freak me out, so there must be a different reason.

If you watch the History channel with any regularity, or at least look at it in the TV guide to see if anything good is on, you've probably seen a show called "The Psychology f the Dark Knight" very good, I recommend it. I would like to point out that I had already made the conection between Batman and the Teddy Bear before that, so don't claim that I stole it. But one thing I am going to steal is what one of th epsychologists on the show said about the joker and his beliefs "...He says that because of the presence of random injustice, there is no justice. Because of the the fact that Innocence can be stolen, there is no such thing as innocence. Basically, your life has no meaning."

That doesn't really seem to make sense, or does it? Don't we sometimes feel that way too? Think back to the last time your heart was broken, I mean really broken, by some guy (or girl) with whom you had absolutely fallen head-over-heels for. Then they just rip your heart from out of your chest and spit on it. What was the first thing you thought? "I'll never find love again" or how about "nobody will ever love me". Why are those the first thoughts that pop out of our heads? Everybody around you knows it's not true, it's possibly the most idiotic thing you could ever believe. But you sincerely believe it.

The Joker's not sounding so crazy now, is he? Of course he still sounds crazy!!! The only difference is, now you're in the same general psychological category as him (you have to understand, this is a very broad category).

That can't be it though, seriously, there's a reason everybody loves the joker and not two-face. There's a reason we held our breath when we thought the Batman was actually going to kill him, but then let out a relieved sight when he was still safe. I mean, what is wrong with us?

The Joker believes in one fundamental belief, that we too, as cynical and fallen humans believe. Everyone has a price. Even someone like Bruce Wayne or Harvey Dent, two of the most incorruptible characters ever conceived by a comic book or any writer.

Does that sort of belief sound sort of familiar to anyone? If you've read the bible it should. That was Satan's main theme when he was tempting Jesus in the wilderness. He must have a price, there's got to be something, I can break him if I offer just the right deal. It's our thinking every day.

So that's it, right there, that's why, the Joker is us, or at least the cynical part of us, which really, if you think about it, is the part that makes up most of our day-to-day thinking.

One more thought though, because I'm not through yet. There is a book out there called How to Read Literature Like a Proffesor. It talks about reading between the lines and al that jazz. But there's a couple of chapters dedicated to the symbolic meaning of illnesses and scars. Stuff like, if a character has heart problems, they are suffering from a bad heart (and not a physical bad heart). If a character has a scar it symbolizes somrehing, Harry Potter has a scar because he's special, slaves in various stories have lash marks symbolizing a past, and the list goes on. Scars are used to single someone out in a story.

So, go find out what the Joker's scars mean.

And while you're at it, figure out what's up with the make-up.

Hi everyone!

So I got back from Camp BigStuf (yes, spelled with only one "f") about two weeks ago. It was so amazing. I can barely begin to describe it with words. There was about 3,000 people there, from all over the country! There was even a group from Canada, and one Frenchie, whose name was actually Pierre. There were seven sessions with seven incredible messages, which I'm probably going to talk about later on, but there's one that I just have to get out there, as I think this one (aside from the next one I am going to write) is of great importance.

It was Jared Herd's turn to speak (Andy Stanley and Francis Chan were the other speakers). He got up there and immediately caught my attention when he started knocking Olive Garden; which is fine for me because I don't like that place. So I am going to basically reiterate, and add a lot of my thought to, what he said.

So, you know how, when you walk into Olive Garden, you think it's so cool because it really feels like you're in an Italian restaurant. Even the food names are Italian. You have a great time, you get really full, and you empty your wallet of a week's salary (and you didn't even get dessert and you drank water the entire night). Then you decide to hop onto a plane to Italy (apparently you have a lot of money), and the restaurant you go to there, is nothing like Olive Garden. You're so disappointed, you never want to go back to Olive Garden again.

Aren't we like that sometimes, like Olive Garden? We claim to be Christians, we look like Christians, we talk like Christians, we even have the tabs in our bibles. But when it comes right down to it, we're just not authentic. Now I'm not claiming that we're not saved, I'm not saying that by any means. But what if we decided we didn't want to be like Olive Garden, and strived to be the type of person that when Italians stepped into our restaurant they would feel like they were back at home. What if we even relocated to Italy, seriously, just think about it.

Nobody goes to an actually authentic Italian restaurant and says "I wish they were more like the Olive Garden" and if they do, well they have problems. Sorry if I offended anyone just now.

The point is, non-christians might be fooled by what you've put on the menu, but Christ, he'll always know what's truly going on.