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Monday, July 6th, 2009
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10:06 pm - Pop culture backlash post! :D For maximum mental whiplash
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TOPANGA IS ON MY TV! TOPAAAAAANGA. How long has this been happening and no one told me?
What I mean is to say Danielle Fishel is hosting "The Dish." (The :Dish?) And I did not know about this until now. Ah, and her wikipedia page will show me when she started doing this. . . August of last year. Almost a year! Of missed Topanga! Also I'm genuinely enjoying the show so far, in that trashy way. If it wasn't for Joel McHale's dirty secret relationship with Keith Olbermann (this is what Craig Ferguson tells me) I would totally like her better than him, he has dead eyes. But uh, is otherwise awesome? Oh my god she's showing clips of Anderson Cooper!!! ANDERSON COOPER HUFFING WHIPPED CREAM. TOPANGA + ANDERSON COOPER + WHIPPED CREAM = MY NEW FAVORITE SHOW.
All my Boy Meets World memories are of Topanga and Feeny. Did Corey do anything?
In other trashy and completely contrasting news, you guys know what I was a big Girls Next Door fan? So I was watching Kendra's show finally and awww, I like fiance!Hank so much so far! He seems like a really good guy although obviously I'm just seeing what he does in front of the cameras. He seems far more functional as a human being than Kendra, which isn't hard - she's been living in a mansion with a huge staff for the past 6 years. She went to Vegas for a photoshoot and to go topless skydiving, and he was left alone and said he got bored with playing video games so he cleaned the house. Macho football players being domestic is cute, whatever. He's just so much sweeter and more normal than her.
This post gets links too! Yesterday Katie and I spent like 2 and a half hours looking at Awkward Family Photos!
current mood:  excited
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6:15 pm - why i always return to the media as such a big part of the problem when i discuss feminism
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You know I'm always promoting the dissolution of most gender roles and differences? Well, that hasn't happened yet, so now I'm going to talk about the world in which we live, in which the female experience varies from the male experience - to different degrees based on numerous factors. In this world, the female experience is lacking a voice in history, art, the media, politics and academia. Women are represented in most public spheres in numbers far, far less than their proportion of the total population.
Women are taught to identify with men - they have to, humanity is male. But men are not taught to identify with women. I don't even think that statement needs to be substantiated, really. Books, television, children's pasttimes, career paths, college majors, clothing, school curriculums, this is fucking everywhere.
( I don't have a particularly profound point, just that it upsets me and I think it probably contributes to violence against women and overall unhappiness )
A few links to pass on, since I've been collecting them and might as well share.
Starting with the lighter stuff!
"Strong Female Characters" - this says a lot of things that I've been trying to say. I was like "Yeeeeees." Strong female character is a meaningless term, it's not productive. The whole identification thing I talk about? That's helped when female characters are complex, human, fully fleshed out, real. It has nothing to do with how much ass they kick, how much power they hold, or how little they cry. She tries to search for a replacement for strong - I'd go with "real"? Or even "human."
Joey B and Violence Against Women - man, was I worried when I saw this, the blog is largely negative (as are most) and I really didn't think they were going to be handing out cookies, but Joey B did give a great speech and I'm happy they pointed me to it. Jilly B is super-awesome, I bet she helps Joey be so great.
And the media-related stuff. Two articles from The Hathor Legacy, an awesome blog. They're both by Jennifer Kesler, who I believe is the founder. These make me so angry.
On women and advertising - advertisers pay less for potential female viewers, because conventional wisdom is that 1) we're less likely to spend money on things? and 2) we're more likely to be watching TV anyway, so there's no demand. This means men are the assumed consumers, so programming is geared towards them - which, hey!, leads to the shit that I talk about above. (More on this from Ms. Kesler, cos Hollywood is oh my god so guilty as well. RAGE.) This is all run by "conventional wisdom" and inertia, not actual reason. I really recommend the blog, especially the Industry Buzz section. It articulates a lot of stuff that I vaguely sensed and demonstrates that none of this stuff is accidental.
On standards of beauty for successful actresses. GRRRRR. I don't think I talk about it as much as other things but believe me the appearance standards drives me crazy. I think men learn to fetishize things and again, that hurts everyone - men when their sex drive gets sort of screwed up, but more so women when they're encouraged to get plastic surgery.
And on men living in rape culture and allowing it to continue:
The initial article, explaining that men raping women is part of our culture and it doesn't fucking have to be like that.
A response with links to other relevant articles
So sad, so serious, so well said.
One person mentioned a game kids were playing at a pool when she was 15 or 16. The guys had just started getting stronger than the girls and they started playing a game where the guys would pick up and dunk the girls. It was in fun and everyone was laughing, but the girls were incapable of physically fighting off the guys, and any objection - shrieking, squirming, struggling - was ignored and seen as part of the game. So the only way to not participate was for this woman to get out of the pool completely. Now, the game itself is not a horrible thing for these kids to have done. But in life, so many of us have to get out of the pool, we're unable to go swimming, because we know it's the only way we can protect ourselves. I could really relate to that, which is why I retyped it even though it's the least disturbing thing to come out of the discussion. Another woman mentioned how she spends too much time making sure she'd be a credible victim, which I can also relate to. I shouldn't have to be a virtuous stay-at-home for people to 1) not rape me and 2) believe me if I say I've been raped. I should be able to be in a drunken stupor at a frat party in a short skirt and I should be safe.
current mood:  thoughtful
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| Friday, July 3rd, 2009
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8:36 pm - Pop music! Which I never listen to! But talk about anyway! :D
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My long-term prediction for the Jonas Brothers! One of them is going to have a total meltdown, Britney Spears style. Drugs, scandal, rehab. One of them is going to become a minister in a quiet town and raise a family that's slightly larger than normal. One of them is going to stay in the music business as a producer. I haven't figured out which one is which, but I want Kevin to be the first because it'd be too obvious if he did the second. By the way, I have watched three episodes of JONAS, mostly because of Kevin - or as I like to call him, Stoner Jonas. (Remember back in December when i was sort of into High School Musical? At the time I read an amusingly acrid summary of Jonas vehicle Camp Rock from which I stole the Stoner Jonas nickname.)
Speaking of boy bands consisting of 3 brothers, I was 11 when Mmmbop came out and I remember not hearing it or knowing anything about it but understanding there was a general sense of Hanson being lame? But I was watching 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s and first off, FAR BETTER LOOKING than Jonas. Seriously, the long hair was kinda silly, but Jonas - especially older Jonases - are just not good-looking enough to be boyband heartthrobs! Being into Johnnys has probably raised my expectations in this area. Anyway, Hanson actually aged really well, I was surprised.
I had the day off and watched trashy TV for a while, in case you were wondering.
Which brings me to my third random American pop music tidbit for the day. Now, I'm no expert, but doesn't it seem like Justin Timberlake is really well-placed, pop culturally? He seems to be occupying a really good spot in a lot of different ways. His music career seems to be doing well? And he's a freaking hottie. And he seems to have respect as a legitimate whatever. And even though he has the whole boyband past, it seems like it would be cool to say you're a fan of his, for guys and girls? I guess that's what I mean. His music, his SNL appearances, whatever, it seems like a large group of people could claim to be fans of his and still be cool. Although I'm not one of them, in that I have no idea what his music actually sounds like. . . this is a theme of all the groups discussed in this entry, by the way, although I did eventually hear Mmmbop. Anyway, I'm obviously not qualified to talk about this, but that's the impression I get.
However, mostly today I was not watching TV but rather doing one of the following things:
1) One of my favorite websites for ::ahem:: erotic fiction is back on the internet after being down for a year or something ridiculous. SO LONG. So I ::ahem:: reignited my relationship with the works therein.
2) Somewhat related to the above, I napped a couple times. I seriously needed the bonus sleep, though.
3) Not at all related to the above, I watched Daily Show clips. It was a little cycle.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to go to the fireworks (NYC fireworks over the Hudson) with friend!Charles, but I kind of don't want to. It's going to be crowded and I can only assume will involve a lot of staring upwards. I'm meeting him for dinner by his place beforehand so I'm thinking maybe I can do that and then just wimp out home, or make sure I can leave the fireworks early. The problem is I was the only person available to go with him - both of us are experiencing a friend exodus - so I don't know. XP
All right, I think I'm back to phase 3 in the cycle. May also add ice cream. (Food today: half a box of a french version of Cadbury Fingers, a bowl of ramen, a king-sized Milky Way bar, and unagidon. When I ordered it the woman was like ". . . you know that's eel over rice, right?" XD)
So many updates lately! I don't know what's up.
current mood:  horny
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| Monday, June 29th, 2009
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11:46 pm - half daily show, half food. actually really pointless!
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Jeff Goldblum's appearances on the Colbert Report have been cracking me up like whoa. XDD Jeff Goldblum is one of those people with a sort of inherently funny pop culture position, somehow. Also my brother went as him for Halloween once and it was eerie. But I don't have the picture on this computer apparently. :( And I only have pictures of him with facial hair on LJ. Or at least awkward scruff.
Also both the Report and the Daily Show have scientist guests advertising NOVA-related programs! Delightful!
They were also both the only news-related programs that I tuned in for today that weren't talking about Michael Jackson! Well, not exactly. But seriously! Argh!
Food update! I think about nutrition a lot because before I lived alone and had to feed myself, I basically never cooked and sometimes I don't get hungry and I'm pretty skinny, so making sure I get what I need to into my belly is a concern. (Also I figure if I post about it, when I die a nutritionist can examine my diet and find out why I wasted away.)
Before 6:30 PM, I ate. . . half a muffin. D:
After 6:30 PM, I ate a plate of rice and stir fry with beef and lots of vegetables, an entire grapefruit, a bowl of ramen, a serving of asparagus cooked in rice, and then a mug of hot chocolate with a candy cane melted in it.
I need to spread out my eating more, seriously. Anyway, if the grapefruit and muffin were breakfast, the ramen and asparagus was lunch, and the stir fry was dinner, then I had three meals today! ::dances:: (wow, I don't know if I've ever used this mood icon before. It's a little freaky.)
Shuffleboard tomorrow! Yay! I'm happy to be socializing because everyone I know is away somewhere. Or something. Thank goodness for work. XD
Oh also I changed my sheets (long overdue) and did two loads of laundry! Clearly it was just, you know, having friends that was keeping me from getting stuff done. Current sheets: Sesame Street patterned. BLack rings around some of the characters' eyes: fucking frightening.
ALSO! Legal-sized paper and I are in a fight.
current mood:  full
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| Saturday, June 27th, 2009
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10:03 pm - successful saturday of doing stuff that isn't really doing stuff
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Apartment to myself means I get to sing along to cheesy 80s music! Awwwww yeah. (Roommate!Christel is working all weekend.)
So it would seem that the next stage in my progression of interests from. . . hmm, I guess Rahm Emanuel to various TV pundits to various fake TV pundits, aka people associated with the Daily Show, is Amy Sedaris - by way of Stephen Colbert. She's adorable. She's gotta be a big part of why I can enjoy Strangers With Candy, because she makes the otherwise repulsive Jerri Blank strangely likable. Likeable. Loveable. Lovable. . . I like the Es! Stop telling me they're wrong, mac spell check. XP Anyway, I'm watching Amy Sedaris interviews (thank you, CBS!!) and she's highly entertaining.
I went to my library today! I woke up and felt good and it was a sunny day so after finishing the incredibly satisfying fic I was reading and eating some yoghurt, I actually got myself off my ass and into the sunshine! I wore a sundress, even! And found my sandals! I thought I was totally prepared - I had shades and an umbrella and my rent to drop off, and even an electricity bill if they were picky about proof of residency. Exceeeept for one little thing. . . I forgot deodorant. XDD Oh well! I wasn't at the library too long, I'm sure I didn't stink it up too bad.
So yeah, I've lived here a year and I'm finally getting a library card. Well, the branch close to me is closed. This one is a 15-20 minute walk, which isn't too bad but I don't want to do it after work. It is through really pretty neighborhoods, though. Bay Ridge is so suburban. XD It's a pretty small library, though - or it seems small for someone raised amidst Long Island wealth. But it looked like it had a good selection of old movies on DVD. They had the Sting! Which I plan to buy, but still.
And on the way back I went to the grocery store and got lots of vegetables and made myself stir fry. Seriously, usually on Saturdays I barely have the energy to feed myself, much less do a big cooking project. Of course, cleaning up after it is going to be an issue. . . Still! I got outside, I walked around, I soaked up good library vibes, and I cooked healthy and delicious foods! I'm giving myself a hearty pat on the back for today. I'm going to continue to be optimistic and say that tomorrow I will try to clean my room a bit.
Usually I'm doing something with twin!Katie on Sundays so I leave Saturday night, or Saturday afternoon if I'm going to our parents' house. So the whole weekend is interrupted and I don't get anything done. I'm actually really happy that I have no plans this weekend. XD And happy that I didn't waste that!
I can see a new horizon
Underneath the blazin' sky
I'll be where the eagle's
Flyin' higher and higher
OH YEAH!! This song (St. Elmo's Fire, for those of you who don't recognize it from a snippet of the chorus' lyrics) was playing in the grocery store the other day, I was SO PUMPED. I was like "YEAH I'M GONNA BUY THE HELL OUT OF THESE GROCERIES!! THESE GROCERIES AND I ARE A MAN IN MOTION."
I gotta see that movie. And I still haven't seen the Breakfast Club. D:
current mood:  content
current music: St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr
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| Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
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9:26 pm - Gov Mark Sanford, a review of the entertainment value
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So, Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina? Disappeared for like, 5 days, right? Staff was saying he was in the Appalachians, celebrating Nude Hiking Day or something. So it turns out he'd been in Argentina visiting the woman that he's been having a sort of largely long-distance affair with, and with whom he's been exchanging some fascinatingly dirty and poetic emails.
You know, I'm actually kind of disappointed. OK, it's a crazypants affair, but it's still an affair. Politicians having an affair. Big whoop. Republican politician wrapped up in some sort of sexual scandal. Shock. I wanted the reason he disappeared into the woods (back when we thought it was the woods and not Buenos Aires) to be some sort of strange revelation, a discovery of a new Thoreau-esque philosophy, a newfound love of bears, a hatred of shoes, a desire to become a caveman. . . I WANTED SOMETHING CRAZY. Not another freaking affairs. Affairs are just sad.
That said, a couple things are saving this story for me. Because really, it is a bit of a special one, as scandals go. Not all just sordid betrayal. First off, the emails. I quote:
. . . You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips. . .
That's pretty freaking awesome. XD Who can go from grace and sophistication to tan lines in the space of a sentence? Where are these tan lines, for reals?
Second off, his press conference is just a buffet of wackiness. It's not quite as good as him becoming a wild outdoorsman and living in a cave, but it's definitely not normal behavior.
And thirdly, he honestly seems to be in love with the woman. He's not taking the most politically expedient route out of this. His wife is nowhere to be seen, thank god, and seems quite fed up with him, thank god. And he kind of really seems smitten. He's not like "OHSHIT HOW CAN I SAVE MY CAREER." He almost seems more like "Well, it's out. . . maybe now we'll be free to be together?"
Side note, Rachel, I adore you, but I think "we're afraid he might still lie" is a moderately flimsy excuse for covering the story so much. It's ok, it's really entertaining! We know why you're covering it. XD Also you squirming and blushing over the naughty emails was so ridiculously cute that I will forgive you anything. And mentioning a boy you went steady with in 6th grade. Went steady? ::coos::
Also so Rachel refused to read the dirty emails out loud and just sort of muttered stuff while they were on the screen so we could read them. You know who did read them? KEITH. That's right, Mr. incredibly sexy voice, makes Laura wet, super-hottie, world class murmurer Keith Olbermann.
. . . Unfortunately, the emails were genuinely too ridiculous for this to be particularly enjoyable.
Maybe I just need to listen again! :D (Also Keith was laughing for most of it.)
Darts update: I'm better than ever! Although apparently half the people at our office are into darts? I need to keep competing against people who have no experience. XD
Food update: two eggs, scrambled; one can of baked beans; a complete orange bell pepper; some asparagus cooked in butter. I have some cleaning up to do. XP Also my tummy is a little like "WHOA NOW."
Hygiene update: I need to shower. Don't judge me!
Reza Aslan update: HOT. On Rachel Maddow after the commercials end. Talking about very serious stuff, very scary and sad. I will pay attention to what he's saying and not how lovely he is, if I can.
Rob Riggle update: HOT. Not about to be on Rachel Maddow. :(
Strangers with Candy update: I started watching it, I like it more than I expected! A lot more! Also Colbert is so strangely lovable even when he's playing assholes, I kind of adore him.
current mood:  intrigued
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| Saturday, June 20th, 2009
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12:24 am - Señor Riggles (I'm pretty sure this is a Monty Python reference. . .)
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If you've been wondering where I've been, both not posting or commenting, I have been extremely busy crushing on Rob Riggle. I have watched all of his segments on the Daily Show except for about 5 which I'm putting off as long as possible so I can still feel like I have Rob Riggle clips left to watch. Since I've watched every single video on his website and I think almost all of the youtube videos of him as well. And read his twitter, which I actually greatly enjoyed. Yes! He has made me think positively about twitter! OK, obviously Iran did that more, but he made me think positively about casual twitter.
A note, however, for whoever runs Mr. Riggle's website: a youtube search for "Rob Riggle" is not your youtube channel! And friending you on Facebook is not the same as "Become a Fan." Also sometimes you have apostrophes or commas in the addresses of your photos and they work in the thumbnails but not when expanded, unless you view the source of the website and manually pull them out. It is actually a good site with a lot of content but c'mon guys! So minor leagues! XD
The point is, however, that it's very time-consuming crushing on Rob Riggle. He's a big guy. (side note: *_* ::swoon::)
But I did manage to find some time to crush on Jill Biden as well, she's a cool kid.
I also, in an extremely short window, found several issues with the latest update of a database we use at work. I didn't have quite enough time to do a really thorough job but I think I got at most of the important stuff. Very busy today - didn't take lunch. We finished up at 3:30 and I leave at 4:30 so my boss asked if I just wanted to leave early, but I had post-work plans so I just got to get an hour overtime.
Those plans were to scope out a suitable place to shuffleboard with a bunch of people from the office. The first place was tiny, and a dive. Quickly ruled it out. Second place was a cavern filled with pool tables and lined with net-enclosed ping-pong tables, playing light jazz and with chess sets on all the tables. Guys, it was AWESOME.
But we ruled it out for the final destination because it was expensive, you had to pay for the equipment and the drinks weren't cheap either. Still. Awesome. We shelled out (or rather, the two co-workers I was with did - thanks guys) for a shuffleboard table. My first time playing. It is actually totally fun! It's all about sliding little discs across a loooong sandy table and trying to get them further along than your opponents and also knock his or hers off. Honestly, I'd be happy just sliding those guys around, but strategizing and competing is fun too. The sand and whatever means they slide really easily so it's very much a finesse game. We did not stay long, however, because you have to pay by the minute! It stressed me out. Um, even though I wasn't paying. Conscientious! Even though I'm always letting other people pay for things for me. . .
Other good thing about shuffleboard cavern speakeasy place is that it's just across the street from the site of my darts triumph. :D So we went over because they let you play darts for free! I played Alison, who has the same level of experience as I do (my opponent on the previous occasion) and then Will was going to play the winner. . . which was me! :D It was much closer than last time, though. I honestly don't remember winning, though. I remember Alison shaking my hand and congratulating me, though? I would have played Will anyway cos she had a thing to go to.
Then I lost to Will. Then I lost to Will again. THEN I BEAT HIM!! Yeeeeeeeeeeah! :D I'm tooootally pumped about 1 in 3. Considering that he has way more than 3x the darts experience that I do, I'm pretty sure, it's very exciting. Since he aims and I chuck it at the board and hope it makes it on. I totally started aiming this time, though. A little. :D I was proud of me. He needed 10 points to get to 300, and he hit the double-ten! SO CLOSE. And then I managed to get whatever I needed so that's awesome. This job is helping me uncover my secret skills at pub games? We need to take up pool next I guess. (When I say "skills" I mean compared to how I do at any other physical trials EVER except, um, can we count typing?)
And hey, it's almost 1. I'm sleepy and I have a headache, probably from drinking two Magners (much smaller here than in england, is this possible?) and not eating much. (I did eat lunch eventually though sort of.) So now it's late enough for me to go to bed. If I can tear myself away from the Rigglage.
Oh, and my dad is home safe from France. Yaaaay!
(If you were keeping score, there is a third location for the full-scale shuffleboard. We just didn't go today - Will had been previously so no need to test it. . . it's just out of the way.)
current mood:  outrageous!
current music: House Rules - Kane
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| Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
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2:01 pm - On Pixar's protagonists
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I just noticed this too! And was just talking about it! ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ayamachi can confirm this! I can but assume that I am the voice of the people.
I'm using my Aquaman icon even though it doesn't really fit because it's just too friggin awesome. :D (I went on an Aquaman/Joey B icon-making spree this weekend.)
Super-pumped for NBC's "Inside the Obama White House" thing airing tonight at 9. :D
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| Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
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9:59 pm - BEARD AND MOUSTACHE CHAMPIONSHIPS ON CABLE NEWS!
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RACHEL MADDOW JUST REPORTED ON THE WORLD BEARD AND MUSTACHE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ALASKA!!
AN AMERICAN WON! HIS BEARD WAS A SNOWSHOE TRIBUTE!!
OH MY GOD RACHEL MADDOW IS MY NEW HERO.
Edit: I (and Rachel) am talking about this magnificence, by the way.
current mood: excited
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| Thursday, May 21st, 2009
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8:29 am - chibi comics
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I finally uploaded the "chibi history comics" (and literature comics) that Katie and I did in high school to the livejournal. They started with us completely not paying attention in chemistry class ever - Katie sat in front of me so she would just draw stuff on my notebook and write notes and I'd write notes back, so my margins of my chem notes are probably utterly ridiculous. And she started drawing these little historical figures in chibi form, little and round and adorable. It became a thing, and we eventually made some comics for our beloved European History teacher.
And then in senior year AP English, after the exam (AP exams are in the first half of may, school doesn't end til June) we all had to do, like, a final creative project, and we could work in groups. A lot of people filmed videos doing whatever, creative interpretations of the text. Seriously time-consuming! Katie and I drew some chibi comics inspired by the works we'd read, it was absurdly fun and easy and got a good reaction.
These haven't been scanned but last fall in my Religion in South Asia class we also had to end with a creative project so I did some South Asian Religion Chibi Comics. Again, good reaction for small effort - I did most of the actual drawing while watching Godzilla: Final Wars. But I actually just found those and some of them are cute, some are lame, and some even I don't remember enough about the class to get the joke. D: Seriously niche audience.
I should note that all of these are drawn by Katie, usually inked by me. I'm basically Penny Arcade's Tycho Brahe in this equation - I kind of do the writing and composing but Katie has lots of imput in that whereas I don't help with the adorable art. (I did borrow her drawing style when I did the religion ones, because I thought it would take for ever to do comics in my style. (You can see evidence of the division of labor because I actually posted the "credits" picture below. >.>)
( European History comics! )
( literature comics! )
Last night hanging out with Smith!Roomie!Corey was completely lovely and awesome but I shall not write about it just here.
current mood: creative
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| Saturday, May 16th, 2009
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8:49 pm - trivia! in more ways than one?
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Twice in the last two days have I gotten to share random bits of knowledge that I gained from reading about stuff on the internet when I was curious/interested! It's very gratifying. :D
Last night mom, Katie and I were playing Pictionary (sort of, we play it pretty fast and loose with the rules and also we use Picture This cards) and it got extremely silly and there was a duck of death. (One day, the duck of death will visit us all.) But the question of stock cars came up! And Mom was confused about whether that was the one with crazy race cars or cars that looked like real cars. So a while ago I'd been curious about the same thing, and I was reading about NASCAR online, and Formula One racing and I remembered that NASCAR is the one with regular looking cars and that the SC stands for Stock Car, so I was able to clear it up!
And then tonight I got to share with ayamachi about the different strands of "sequels" to Night of the Living Dead and how George Romero called all his series "___ of the Dead" whereas co-writer John Russo used "Living Dead" in his somewhat sillier series of sequels.
I feel knowledgeable.
And why shouldn't I? I've been watching clips of Anderson Cooper all evening! Of course, I've been watching him when he fills in for Regis on Regis & Kelly, not on CNN talking about serious things. Whoops. Anyway, he's a hottie. I've been all back into the political figures enthusiasm fandom lately and at first I thought he was cute but he was less interesting than a lot of the others - like sexy, sexy Rahm Emanuel or the adorable Joey B and Pete Orszag. Having discovered this honest, silly, self-deprecating side on Regis & Kelly, I am far more interested in the "silver fox" than I was before! Also it's just novel to see the contrast between "Anderson Cooper 360" him and "Regis & Kelly" him.
I want to make a list of everything I've been a fan of or had a particular "laura-style" intense interest in, because I'm always forgetting. I was going to do it in my profile but I realized it might get long. My profile does need re-writing, though. This is different from my "interests" list, by the way, because it won't require sustained interest - just intense. Right now I've been having a lot of these mini-interests because I'm kind of in between real fandoms. ::sigh::
OK, I guess that's all I had to say?
current mood: happy
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| Thursday, May 14th, 2009
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1:18 pm - Meme
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From shimmeredusk
1) Post a list of up to 20 books/movies/anime/TV shows/video games/bands etc. that you've had an obsessive fannish love or interest in at some time in your life.
2) Have your f-list guess your favorite character/member from each item.
1. Firefly
2. TOKIO (haha, a gimme)
3. Little House in the Big Woods
4. Animorphs
5. DC Comic's Batfamily
6. V6
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
8. Pairs figure skating (haha, that's right. Um, name a pair?)
9. Current White House administration (viewing the administration as a group of little sexpots is SO MUCH FUN, it's my new thing)
10. Led Zeppelin
11. Stargate SG-1
12. Monkey Island
13. Edit: the West Wing
14. Torchwood
15. Monty Python's Flying Circus (name a member, not a character)
16. Lord of the Rings
17. the Muppets
18. Starlight Express
19. Kanjani8 (seriously a gimme)
20. Sandman
Man, I'm not always entirely sure who my favorite character is. If you get someone who's been my fave at some point, I'll give it to you. Um, so sometimes you can guess even if it's been answered already? (Sometimes I have a character that I have a crush on and a character that I think is awesome but don't have a crush on. . . I'm a complicated woman. Sometimes there is a clear favorite though!)
I was going to put MacGyver on the list but, um, DUH. In fact, a lot of my fandoms are either really obscure/just not shared with people on my flist right now, or I'm just in love with the title character and there aren't that many others. (for both conditions, see Gabriel Knight.) I was going to put the New Testament on there and make y'all guess Paul, but I decided against it.
Dude, why are my fandoms so weird? Also why do I have such a poor grasp of who I like best? How can I choose between Joe and Izzy in Digimon? And Matt? And Gabumon? And Gomamon? I also can never remember what all my various fandoms have been. I had to look at my user info to make this list.
Other news:
vacuumed!
got lovely email back from Kate Beaton!
need to pee!
current mood: busy
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| Sunday, May 10th, 2009
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9:44 pm - of activities and children's books. also twitter what???
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OK, I'm asking the question: am I using Twitter wrong? Am I supposed to be constantly clicking on all the little "@___" links to see the other ends of conversations or is checking out people's twitters (such as, webcomics personalities who link to and vaguely promote their twitters to the public) just supposed to make me CONSTANTLY FEEL LIKE I'M ON THE OUTSIDE OF AN INSIDE JOKE?? What is this? Why do people subject themselves to this? I understand it not.
The laptop I'm on is running out of battery and I plan to see if my mom is interested in playing Pictionary with lots of cheating and no rules but I am having a lovely weekend. And week.
Quickly now!
Wednesday - drank far too much nut brown ale with Smith!roommate!Corey. She had an orange crush? I suspect it did not make her need to expell her innards on the subway. 18.7 ounces in an hour? Also on Wednesday: I crafted garters out of office supplies, because my stockings were falling down. It was terribly exciting.
Thursday - Met Katie for foods and good times. She spent the night, as current!roommate!Christel is at home with her parents for the week. My room is clean so she had plenty of space to spread out the air mattress.
Friday - I READ ALL OF MANY WATERS. Aaaagh so good. Madeleine L'Engel's book about Sandy and Dennys, twin brothers of the protagonists of Wrinkle in Time, being stuck back in the time of Noah. Awesomeness. A major part of my love of this book is due to my huge crush on both Sandy and Dennys. This is due in part that I once read this edition although it is not the one I bought now. Probably for the best. I am no longer 11 years old and therefore had to adjust their ages in my mind to a generic "young man".
Saturday - Corey and ayamachi came over. We had cupcakes, and watched Firefly. Then Corey left and Susan and I walked along Staten Island and did scratchcards and ate at McDonald's and I bought myself a dress (not at McDonald's). It's pink? Then I went home, where I saw some of Key Largo. Strange film.
Sunday - Slept til 11:30! Read All of a Kind Family Goes Downtown. A terribly good book. The All-of-a-kind-family books were Katie and my introduction to many Jewish holidays that we didn't celebrate. They're about a Jewish family with many daughters living on the east side at the beginning of the century (I'm not sure when exactly). But don't worry, despite the "five daughters" "jewish family" thing, it is nothing like Fiddler on the Roof. They live in happiness and have adventures and there is overall harmony with their Christian neighbors. In this book, they befriend an Italian boy!
I also went for a walk to the store with my dad. Mom and Katie were making her a dress for her to be a bridesmaid in. Then later mom and I went and sat outside for a while, because it was a lovely day. We brought out books but ended up just chatting. A nice way to celebrate mother's day. :) But I also bought her some magnetic poetry. Obviously, of course, having a daughter as awesome as me is the best mother's day gift I can give her.
Katie made her chocolate cake, of which I partook.
24% battery power left!
current mood: happy
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| Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
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11:21 pm - yamaguchi's hooooooouse
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Oh, heavens to freaking betsy. Did you guys watch this Meringue no Kimochi thing interview with Yamaguchi??
HE TALKS ABOUT HIS MARRIAGE.
I think.
AND HE FILMS AT HIS HOUSE AND YOU CAN HEAR HIS BABY GURGLING IN THE BACKGROUND. Oh my god. Thank god I have a Katie who is still keeping an eye out for this sort of thing for me. I did not even imagine that such things would ever occur on television. (Possibly the baby gurgling is sound effects inserted later, which would actually be really creepy? You might hear the guests go "awww" at one point, though, I think.)
Also we are introduced to Yamaguchi's hobby of standing topless near train tracks with beautiful silky hair:
( so pretty! )
Manly bass-playing paws! Tiny baby pacifier! I think the pacifier was a gift from his friend Peter, who I believe was one of the witnesses at his wedding. Background baby noise is slightly distressed, possibly because his pacifier is across the room and Papaguchi is messing with it.
I believe this teddy bear not just commemorates the baby's birth but does in fact weigh the same as Tatsuyababy did. It's also wearing a lei.
We are also shown the tacky lovely glass cherub statues Ikko gave him.
( gratuitous cap of the Papaguchi himself )
The Yamaguchi section is short-ish but it is well worth it! I can't tell what they're saying but I'm pretty sure I'm missing out on something AWESOME and also just the video footage is worth it. Such a nice house! With such a beautiful view! And beautiful resident!
Btw I owe some of you emails or comments or both. This will happen. :D I think. But bed now.
current mood: excited
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| Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
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3:55 pm - i don't get to use this icon enough cos I always think people will think I'm aiming it at them
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Question: Johnny's fans, does it bother you how people transcribe or don't the Japanese pronunciations of English words? I never really thought about it, but it's something I've seen people complain about here and there and I was wondering if anyone had a strong opinion. Like "Leader" vs. "Riida" and "Eito" vs "Eight". I find "Riida" to be slightly unpleasant sounding in my head, I don't like the letter R (too bad my name is Laura XP My unclear speech and inability to get people to understand my name has probably contributed to my dislike) but apart from that it doesn't bother me? But people are like "They're saying ____, just write that!" and so on. Is this something that any of you have strong feelings about? Or any feeling at all?
Other question: Do people exist that don't like To Kill a Mockingbird? I mean, maybe it's not your favorite book or you don't like watching the movie a lot because you like comedies or don't like black and white or whatever. But does anyone think it's bad? Could that exist? Maybe I don't want to know the answer to this one. (Also, if you don't like Gregory Peck, don't tell me! And if you don't like Atticus Finch, it's quite probable that we shouldn't be friends.)
Also, vaguely related and mostly for US residents, this form letter to representatives is really easy to do and lets your representatives know that you're in favor of eliminating sentencing inequalities that lead to people of minorities being sent to prison for disproportionate amounts of time. I like when people tell me to contact my representative and then make it REALLY EASY for me. Heck, I would have been happy with just a big list of e-mail addresses. Man, I'm lazy. D:
current mood: happy
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| Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
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2:06 pm - thrones of the non-porcelain variety
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Dudes, let's move to Vermont!
Not only has their legislature legalized gay marriage, look at that picture! Are those the chairs in the gallery at the state legislature? I can only assume they are. THEY HAVE THRONES. I have been a guest and NY City Council votes and stuff, they have folding chairs. I would be all "ooh, Vermont legislature is voting on changing regulations for desposing of sewage. I MUST BE AT THE VOTE" and then the vote would be over and the custodians would be all "Lady, we need to clean up" and I would be like "MY THRONE". (Have I been reading too many local news stories?) (Speaking of, um, homosexuality, I still adore this icon. I hope it never gets old.)
( some politics )
I neeeeeeeeeed to do laundry tonight. I can confess this to y'all because you probably won't see what I'm wearing tomorrow and won't be able to judge whether it reflects laundry-doing virtue or, well, wearing dirty clothes. I have a clean shirt somewhere, I'm almost positive. >.>
I was writing some notes in mirror-writing at a meeting this morning but it was a very small table and the person across from me interrupted someone else by saying "Whoa!" loudly and everyone looked over and I was like "Um. I'm. . . writing in mirror writing?" XD And they were all "whoa!" and I felt self-conscious. But pleased? Except it's easy for me so it's not much of an accomplishment (second time I've gotten positive comments on my mirror-writing ability recently, though). If I could just switch to using the mouse with my left hand. . .
I'm going to eat lunch now. I need to get back on the schtick with making myself lunch. XP Sometimes I have leftovers, though, and sometimes dad takes me to lunch and sometimes I have leftovers from that. . . Yay, dad!
Note to self: look up Jose Adames on youtube later.
current mood: chipper
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| Monday, April 20th, 2009
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11:40 am - this dose of feminism courtesy of the daily news
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( oh, daily news )
That was your "evidence of how shitty things are for women in the media and in the world" lesson for today. Definitely makes it a bit tougher to think about how men are negatively affected by the patriarchy.
I have to say, I resisted the urge to register and leave comments because I read Daily News articles a lot at work and a lot of the political articles have all sorts of crazy-ass comments on them (REALLY. OH GOD.) and I just don't want to even risk being drawn into that. Maybe that's why sensible views are so under-represented. There's already this horrible community and very few sane peole are willing to be drawn into it. Or possibly that's what you turn into when you get the majority of your news from the Daily News.
Question: speaking of how much value has been placed on women's appearance: thoughts and feelings on make-up? High heels, etc? Harmful, helpful - to women's bodies and mental states? Do you use/wear beauty aids? Spend a lot of time on your appearance? Why is it important? What's your purpose?
The entry gives a sort of heavy lurking shadow over answers to this question, but it's really one where I know there are a lot of conflicting and complicated views, so I'd love to hear how you all come down.
current mood:  sad
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| Saturday, April 18th, 2009
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10:17 pm - the bronx! . . . zoo
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I've got pajama pants, socks and a flannel shirt, as well as sour cream and onion ripple cut potato chips and cran-grape juice. I'm watching a romance movie and other relaxing television and I spent all day wandering around outside in the sun at the Bronx Zoo with ayamachi enjoying adorable and sometimes creepy and mostly lazy animals and eavesdropping on people.
Also, if anyone wants to know what I've eaten today, I just typed it up in an IM: 1 yogurt (raspberry), 1 grilled cheese sandwich with 2 tomato slices, 1 ice cream soda, 1 apple, 1 piece of sushi, 1/2 a bowl of katsudon, 1 pudding, and a handful of hershey kisses, plus half a bottle of coke and half a bottle of snapple. . . and now, juice and chips.
I love zoos. They make me a bit sad, but the Bronx one has more space for the animals than a lot of places. They're just so. . . full of childhood! They're fun. Although I had a bit of a freakout in the "Mouse House" because some of the habitats were small and had lots of mice in them. Too many in that small space. Totally gross. All over each other and shit. We decided that the stuff that grosses me out is totally random and without pattern. Snakes being all folded over each other don't bother me at all. I like snakes.
But yeah, awesome times. As Susan said, it's like I Spy, trying to spot the critters. Except in the "World of Darkness" building with all the nocturnal animals, then it was just "OW MY EYES I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING ::squintsquint:: OH SHIT BATS"
Also, do turtles get it on, well, doggy style? Some extremely delicate research indicates that they do. In which case, we may have witnessed some of the slowest, laziest sex ever. Or just a turtle falling asleep on another turtle.
::eats chips::
current mood: content
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| Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
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10:59 pm - DARTS HERO
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I'M AWESOME.
OK, I know you all probably guessed that I think that. :D
But today I have good reason! And that reason is: I AM AWESOME AT DRUNKEN DARTS.
Seriously. (I am trying very hard to type well. Respect.) OK, so we went out to this great place in the Village (I think - i get my neighborhood names confused. Don't tell anyone.) and it was nice and quiet and early in the evening it was pretty empty. I loved it. 59 Christopher, future Laura. Really close to the 1. And they had darts! And you didn't have to pay, you just had to give them your ID. So we were playing darts and at first I was doing, you know, as you would expect of a first-time player. Then, I just stopped being able to hit the board at all. All of a sudden. XD Before, I was pretty erratic - instead of spinning like a football, my darts were spinning end over end, "like a ninja star". But then they just. . . I couldn't do anything. I got more self-conscious, whatever.
Then, I got more drunk (and some witnesses left) and i started ROCKING. First it was just, whoa, she's hitting the board again - and not just, like, not on the plywood but actually within the board. I racked up a couple of points for my team (we were playing 15-20 then bullseye). It was awesome! I was clearly on fire, so I. . . started taking on the only really good player among us? His idea, not mine. And I GOT A TRIPLE 20!!! Bullseye is 50, so triple 20 is the best you can do. Not just a triple 20, my other darts landed on good stuff that turn so I was suddenly WAY ahead of Will! Who is good, at least for our group!!
Of course, it was all luck and I got to 272 but then I couldn't get to 300, I kept going over. I got a triple 19 but couldn't count it (this lead to me collapsing to the floor in a sad heap)! In the end, Will won. But I was still elated! I had a huge lead over him for a while!! :D
Then, I took on Alison - also a new player. We were close for a while, but then I got triple 19s again! Pulled into a good lead! :D But I was at 278, and getting to 300 exactly is a problem for me. While drunk, I have enough power and ability to get on the board, and even close to the bullseye - in the 15-20 game, I got two 25-point bullseyes! TWO!! So exciting! But I don't really have enough precision to go for specific numbers.
But then. Alison went to get some water. And I took my turn. And it was all random numbers. 13, 15, 4. . . something like that? there'll be photographic proof as soon as Will uploads it. I'll edit it in. Anyway, I'm like. "hmm, what is that" cos math was getting tough. Then I'm like "OK, that's 22." But I hadn't tried adding it to my total score yet. And Will is like ". . . Laura, that's 300." !!!!!!! :D I started flipping out, cracking up giggling and just, yeah. But Will was like "no, no, keep it cool. Pretend it's like nothing when Alison gets back." So I kind of pull myself together and Alison gets back and I'm like "Hey, Alison, could you help add this score up for me?" And she was like "!!!!!!!!" And we hugged and it was awesome!! :D
Also she'd kept drinking my alcohol so she bought me replacement drinks which I think is an awesome deal.
And it was AWESOME. And we got McDonald's for dinner but I forgot to get onions. (I also almost forgot to eat it until I was practically home.) And Alison and Will walked me to the subway, yay! :D And when Alison hugged my goodbye she said "You're a darts hero!"
It was very exciting and awesome. Apparently all that is keeping me from being an awesome drunk athlete is self-consciousness?
And I got home and the trip went SO QUICKLY HOLY CRAP not even cos I was drunk and then there was a lovely email from Chip, BOOM! Marketing and Sales Director, waiting for me. ^_^
I declare this evening to be total win!
I'm going to drink some water now.
EDIT: quote from me from facebook just now: ". . .I think I overstated my ability to type with my feet." I like that I've been given the opportunity to say this.
current mood: elated
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| Sunday, April 12th, 2009
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10:16 pm - cute kid's book, yamapi, easter
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So, I was in my mom's room talking to her about We Can't All be Rattlesnakes, by Patrick Jennings, which is an adorable book (children's chapter book) which I would link to on Amazon but I'm too fucking disgusted to do so. But it is a great book so you should, you know, get it from your local library. Or mine, as soon as my mom returns it. It's about a gopher snake who gets captured by a kid and kept as a pet and hates the captivity. He gives her a mouse to eat but she's on a hunger strike because she has too much dignity to eat something that she catches in a cage. So the mouse - henceforth referred to as Breakfast - sticks around in the cage with her. Breakfast isn't as bright as the other reptiles, but he's very sweet and excited once he stops being petrified, so he's like the snake's own pet. It's super cute! Most of the book is about her attempts to escape and it's just neat and charming.
But my point was that while I was gone - actually at that point I was using Sandman: Dream Country to show her what a comic book script looks like - I heard msn booping with someone messaging me. But I didn't want to run off, so when I got back I saw the following, from a friend who's studying in Japan:
B says: Hey
B says: I have to go to lab but I just wanted to say hi
B says: and tell you that my friend met Yamapi at his hometown's station!
B says: which actually might be yamapi's hometown
B says: take care!
B says: xxxxxxxxx
I got back to my computer, I was like "WHAT NOW?" XDD Not what I was expecting to see!
Easter was fun!! :D ( having kids from multi-religious families on your flist means more holiday write-ups )
current mood: happy and sleepy
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