01. Make a list of 5 things you can see:
Ikea cat throne, X-box controller, water bottle, The Losers DVD, 5 lb weight.
02. Would you ever get plastic surgery?
Yes -- For medical reasons (ie: I've already had it).
03. What was the last video you watched on youtube?
Jane Austen's Fight Club
04. What's your occupation?
Responsible adult stuff during the day, grad school and writing at night!
05. Do you nap a lot?
I have been accused of narcolepsy in the past. Really, I just nap wherever I can take it...
06. What's the one mode of transportation you've always wanted to use?
Motorcycle. Mmm. Ducati GT 1000. Drool.
07. What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
Hm. Generation Kill and Shelter fanfic, home repair, and the stack of random books I got at the used book store.
08. What was the last thing you ate today?
Tuna fish with olive oil mayo and crackers. I'm not supposed to have the mayo (vinegar allergy) but I won't tell if you won't.
09. What was the last text message you received?
I know this makes me a freak, but I don't actually use text messaging. I have a Crackberry with an unlimited data plan -- I use email.
10. What websites do you always visit when you go online?
The email accounts, livejournal (as foggynite), Yahoogroups, and AMU.
11. What was the last thing you bought?
Besides groceries? Books from the used book store -- I'm trying to read this series called K-9 Corps by Kenneth Von Gunden. It's futuristic sci-fi, about an anthropologist who leads a pack of scout dogs who can speak, and his wife and her other husband, his friend. I realize the series was written in the early 90s, but I really just wanted the author to own up and say the anthropologist was into the other dude too, instead of the implied threesomes that may or may not all be in the reader's dirty thoughts (what? I project.) Writing's kind of stilted, but I'm sure I'll have Deep Thoughts by the end of book four. If I can slog my way through it.
12. What are you listening to right now?
Yo te doy lo tuyo / Ahora, dame lo mio
Yo te doy lo tuyo / Ahora, dame lo mio
13. If you could pick another name for you, what would it be?
I already chose my other name for me. People look at me funny for it, but once they know me, they get it ^.^
14. What is your zodiac sign?
Fishy.
15. What is your favorite weather, and why?
Stormy in the middle of the day, when there's light above the clouds but everything cool and the rain is splattering down, so you sit inside with the window open and the lights off and just chill.
16. If you could play any musical instrument, which one would you play?
Piano. Me and the cello totally broke up in eigth grade.
17. Do you have any siblings?
Yes. One is enough.
18. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
"My love, please wake up and make me real food. The cats and I are starving, and they may like the tuna-from-the-can trick, but I don't think it counts as breakfast :( And it tasted funny."
19. Shower or bath?
Shower. Oh god, I can't take baths -- The water goes murky, I get vertigo, and then I realize I'm stewing in my own juices and start to feel itchy and -- It's just better if I take showers.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Quizzes!
You Are a Comma |
 You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people |
AND THEN THERE WAS THIS...
Your result for The Personality Defect Test...
Sociopath
You are 71% Rational, 0% Extroverted, 57% Brutal, and 71% Arrogant.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Musical Musings
I sit in traffic for a good hour and a half a day, so I flip through a lot of radio stations (sad when I'm happy Elliot in the Morning is on vacay, so I can finally hear some real rock on my drive in. And no, I did not feel the earthquake this morning).
That being said, I'd like to offer the following observations on some songs that I keep hearing over and over again:
"Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon
You, your sex is on fire
And you, your sex is on fire
J thinks: They have creams for that. No really. Even sell them over the counter these days.
"In My Head" by Jason DeRulo
In my head, I see you all over me.
In my head, you fulfill my fantasy.
You'll be screaming no.
In my head, its going down.
J thinks: Please tell me someone has a search warrant for this dude's basement.
"California Girls" by Katy Perry, ftg Snoop Dog
Homeboys
Hangin' out
All that ass
Hangin' out
Bikinis, tankinis, martinis
No weenies
J thinks: I have no words. Wait, I do-- He makes how much a year?
"Alejandro" by Lady GaGa
She's not broken, she's just a baby
But her boyfriend's like a dad, just like a dad
J thinks: Own those issues, girlfriend. If Lady GaGa is the new Madonna, does that make Katy Perry the new Cyndi Lauper only 20x less cool?
"Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz ftg Ludacris
(Whoa) Listen now, I'm only gonna break your heart
And shatter and splatter it all into little bitty pieces (whoa)
Whether or not you get it all together
Then its finder's keepers and losers weepers (whoa)
J thinks: Oh Luda, always so classy. However do the girls keep their panties on?
"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha
I'm talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys tryin' to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk
J thinks: She really is like Taylor Swift + Vodka.
That being said, I'd like to offer the following observations on some songs that I keep hearing over and over again:
"Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon
You, your sex is on fire
And you, your sex is on fire
J thinks: They have creams for that. No really. Even sell them over the counter these days.
"In My Head" by Jason DeRulo
In my head, I see you all over me.
In my head, you fulfill my fantasy.
You'll be screaming no.
In my head, its going down.
J thinks: Please tell me someone has a search warrant for this dude's basement.
"California Girls" by Katy Perry, ftg Snoop Dog
Homeboys
Hangin' out
All that ass
Hangin' out
Bikinis, tankinis, martinis
No weenies
J thinks: I have no words. Wait, I do-- He makes how much a year?
"Alejandro" by Lady GaGa
She's not broken, she's just a baby
But her boyfriend's like a dad, just like a dad
J thinks: Own those issues, girlfriend. If Lady GaGa is the new Madonna, does that make Katy Perry the new Cyndi Lauper only 20x less cool?
"Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz ftg Ludacris
(Whoa) Listen now, I'm only gonna break your heart
And shatter and splatter it all into little bitty pieces (whoa)
Whether or not you get it all together
Then its finder's keepers and losers weepers (whoa)
J thinks: Oh Luda, always so classy. However do the girls keep their panties on?
"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha
I'm talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys tryin' to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk
J thinks: She really is like Taylor Swift + Vodka.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Review: King Lear (2008 RSC version)
So I just watched The Royal Shakespeare Company 2008 production of King Lear, starring Sir Ian McKellan in the title role.
This production is one of those fusion set designs I love with modern Shakespeare productions -- Half Renaissance, half Russian Revolution, WWII undertones. It was an interesting mix and choice of costumes.
For those of you who don't know what the play is about (I'd never read/seen it before tonight), King Lear abdicates his throne and divides (or doesn't) his empire between his three daughters. Drama ensues. There's treachery in Lear's house, treachery in the Earl of Gloucester's house, intrigue and bids for power and back-stabbing. It's messed up, but not as bad as some Shakespeare (I tend to think he, like Robert Heinlein, went wonky as he aged with some of his later works).
It being Shakespeare, there are far better and more complete reviews out there than mine, but my opinions:
1. Sir Ian rocks the house. This is fact.
2. I'm still not sure if the opening scene is evidence of Lear's hubris or his dementia. A degree of pride is expected in royalty, but the falling out with Cordelia (who I totally agreed with) and Kent seemed excessive. He learned his lesson about ass-kissers, though.
3. The actor who played Edmund, Philip Winchester, was a nice bit of eye candy, treacherous as Edmund was. I could totally see why the sisters fought over him, and the duel with Edgar at the end, with Goneril's guttural scream -- well played, madame.
4. The scene with Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, out on the moor, was wrenching and horrid and what angst is all about -- take notes, aspiring authors. That's hitting the bottom and looking up at the sun through thirty feet of water, still holding your breath and struggling to get back up there as you get weaker with every stroke. You know how this is going to end: you go down fighting.
5. I think what I loved most about this production is that there was high passion in every scene, with shifting loyalties for some and steadfast loyalty from others, and each actor was real and believable. I've read and watched quite a few of Shakespeare's works (Titus Andronicus, the Julie Taymor theatrical version, is probably my favorite) and I think this is what makes him so enduring--
It comes down to loyalty and love, and when Kent walks off with gun in hand at the end, you don't question that he's going to follow his king -- "I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; My master calls me, I must not say no." -- That's who he is, and without his lord, he has nothing. It's an age of fealty to one man, one king, and the willingness to endure any suffering or humiliation to serve that man's best interests. It means telling the truth, even when you'll be shunned, and watching over him as a servant if you have to, re-molding yourself into someone you don't recognize anymore to protect your king. And when that man dies, there are no replacements. You swore to serve only him, for better or worse, whether he wins or loses, and his journey's end is your own. There is no swearing allegiance to the victor -- Your fate is your king's.
Of all the Shakespeare works I've read/seen, this is the most weary one, where you see all this unfolding, an old man slowly falling apart, families broken, and at the end, you want to give him peace. You agree when Kent commands "Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass!"
My favorite lines were the end:
The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
Speak what we feel and accept the consequences, good or bad. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, love.
This production is one of those fusion set designs I love with modern Shakespeare productions -- Half Renaissance, half Russian Revolution, WWII undertones. It was an interesting mix and choice of costumes.
For those of you who don't know what the play is about (I'd never read/seen it before tonight), King Lear abdicates his throne and divides (or doesn't) his empire between his three daughters. Drama ensues. There's treachery in Lear's house, treachery in the Earl of Gloucester's house, intrigue and bids for power and back-stabbing. It's messed up, but not as bad as some Shakespeare (I tend to think he, like Robert Heinlein, went wonky as he aged with some of his later works).
It being Shakespeare, there are far better and more complete reviews out there than mine, but my opinions:
1. Sir Ian rocks the house. This is fact.
2. I'm still not sure if the opening scene is evidence of Lear's hubris or his dementia. A degree of pride is expected in royalty, but the falling out with Cordelia (who I totally agreed with) and Kent seemed excessive. He learned his lesson about ass-kissers, though.
3. The actor who played Edmund, Philip Winchester, was a nice bit of eye candy, treacherous as Edmund was. I could totally see why the sisters fought over him, and the duel with Edgar at the end, with Goneril's guttural scream -- well played, madame.
4. The scene with Lear and the Earl of Gloucester, out on the moor, was wrenching and horrid and what angst is all about -- take notes, aspiring authors. That's hitting the bottom and looking up at the sun through thirty feet of water, still holding your breath and struggling to get back up there as you get weaker with every stroke. You know how this is going to end: you go down fighting.
5. I think what I loved most about this production is that there was high passion in every scene, with shifting loyalties for some and steadfast loyalty from others, and each actor was real and believable. I've read and watched quite a few of Shakespeare's works (Titus Andronicus, the Julie Taymor theatrical version, is probably my favorite) and I think this is what makes him so enduring--
It comes down to loyalty and love, and when Kent walks off with gun in hand at the end, you don't question that he's going to follow his king -- "I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; My master calls me, I must not say no." -- That's who he is, and without his lord, he has nothing. It's an age of fealty to one man, one king, and the willingness to endure any suffering or humiliation to serve that man's best interests. It means telling the truth, even when you'll be shunned, and watching over him as a servant if you have to, re-molding yourself into someone you don't recognize anymore to protect your king. And when that man dies, there are no replacements. You swore to serve only him, for better or worse, whether he wins or loses, and his journey's end is your own. There is no swearing allegiance to the victor -- Your fate is your king's.
Of all the Shakespeare works I've read/seen, this is the most weary one, where you see all this unfolding, an old man slowly falling apart, families broken, and at the end, you want to give him peace. You agree when Kent commands "Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass!"
My favorite lines were the end:
The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
Speak what we feel and accept the consequences, good or bad. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, love.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Review: Hero by Perry Moore
So I think one of the best ways to get to know a person is by hearing what they have to say on popular media. Buckle up...
BEWARE: SPOILERS INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW BELOW
Title: Hero
Author: Perry Moore
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy (Superheroes!)
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books, 2009
Link: http://home.perrymoorestories.com/
Synopsis from Barnes and Nobles:
Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a highschool basketball star, he has to keep his distance because of his father. Hal Creed had once been one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of The League—until the Wilson Towers incident. After that Thom's mother disappeared and his proud father became an outcast.
The last thing in the world Thom would ever want is to disappoint his father. So Thom keeps two secrets from him: First is that he's gay. The second is that he has the power to heal people. Initially, Thom had trouble controlling his powers. But with trail and error he improves, until he gets so good that he catches the attention of the League and is asked to join. Even though he knows it would kill his dad, Thom can't resist. When he joins the League, he meets a motely crew of other heroes, including tough-talking Scarlett, who has the power of fire from growing up near a nuclear power plant; Typhoid Larry, who makes everyone sick by touching them, but is actually a really sweet guy; and wise Ruth, who has the power to see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes.
Along the way, Thom falls in love, and discovers the difficult truth about his parents' past. This is a moving, funny, and wonderfully original novel that shows that things are not always what they seem, and love can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
What J thinks:
I'm a sucker for superhero stories. I've been a comic book geek since my dad bought me my first X-men issue when I was nine, which led to other Marvel titles and DC Vertigo and Image, then around 2001 or so I went over to the DC darkside. Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Batman. So when I read the synopsis for "Hero," it pretty much pushed all my buttons and as soon as I started to read it this morning, I blazed right through in one sitting.
I liked it. I'm glad I bought it. I would recommend it to other people. Let me tell you why:
1. The main character, Thom, is a realistic teenager. He swears when stressed, he's awkward (although that did hit my embarrassment squick a few times), and he's lonely, hiding who he is and planning for a far off day he can be himself.
2. His father -- My god, his dad. The scenes between Thom and Hal just resonated with me, that hesitance, that "I love you, dad, but I have no idea how to talk to you" that I think most of us go through. Hal's fierce protectiveness, Thom's fear of disappointing him -- I teared up a couple times and I normally don't do that with books.
3. Thom's love interest, Goran, is such a boy at times and it makes you love him all the more, because he's this guy who had to grow up early to look out for his little brother (so many yay buttons pushed!) Although, as the reader, you knew who Goran was all along from the continued "deep, piercing gaze" he had going on.
4. Moore juxtaposes Thom and Goran's lives, hell even the rest of the characters from Golden Boy to Ruth, and there's so many different perspectives -- They all have their tragedies and their hardships, but no one is coming across as more important or more tragic than the other. Each character felt developed and human. Some backstories were a little heavy on the Clue Stick, but with superhero stories you have to realize, they wouldn't be running around in tights and a cape if there weren't a few screws loose. Seriously, normal people just get therapy and a bottle of Xanax.
5. Society is not discounted. It plays a major part in the story and actions have real world consequences that reverberate for years down the road. From a huge tragedy in the past to one Thom has to stave off (reminiscent of 9/11 for those with triggers!), the impact of superheroes on society and how society in turn can build them up or tear them down like any modern day celebrity is explored to a satisfying degree.
6. Not everything is spelled out. Like a lot of good stories, you have to read between the lines for some of the associations. There's swearing and some adult situations (I'd say it's a PG-13), but the pace never slows down and Moore keeps the aciton up.
7. Some people may not see this as a plus, but I played Spot the Mainstream Superhero with the League. I did a double-take the first time Justice's backstory cribbed from Superman's, but considering that the book was published by Disney and Moore was involved in the Narnia series, I'm thinking they own some rights somewhere. Stan Lee said it was good in a quote on the cover -- That's good enough for me! But I did sorta wish Moore had put more effort into developing his own League superheroes instead of pulling from DC's line-up. Even someone who just watched the cartoons could spot the parallels.
8. Other than that and the age thing (which sometimes left me scratching my head -- either he was a minor or he wasn't, there is no in-between), I found the story to be riveting. It really is centered around Thom and his dad, but none of the other characters are short-shifted. It's about love and loyalty and not always understanding the people around you but being okay with it. It's about growing up.
BEWARE: SPOILERS INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW BELOW
Title: Hero
Author: Perry Moore
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy (Superheroes!)
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books, 2009
Link: http://home.perrymoorestories.com/
Synopsis from Barnes and Nobles:
Thom Creed is used to being on his own. Even as a highschool basketball star, he has to keep his distance because of his father. Hal Creed had once been one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of The League—until the Wilson Towers incident. After that Thom's mother disappeared and his proud father became an outcast.
The last thing in the world Thom would ever want is to disappoint his father. So Thom keeps two secrets from him: First is that he's gay. The second is that he has the power to heal people. Initially, Thom had trouble controlling his powers. But with trail and error he improves, until he gets so good that he catches the attention of the League and is asked to join. Even though he knows it would kill his dad, Thom can't resist. When he joins the League, he meets a motely crew of other heroes, including tough-talking Scarlett, who has the power of fire from growing up near a nuclear power plant; Typhoid Larry, who makes everyone sick by touching them, but is actually a really sweet guy; and wise Ruth, who has the power to see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes.
Along the way, Thom falls in love, and discovers the difficult truth about his parents' past. This is a moving, funny, and wonderfully original novel that shows that things are not always what they seem, and love can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
What J thinks:
I'm a sucker for superhero stories. I've been a comic book geek since my dad bought me my first X-men issue when I was nine, which led to other Marvel titles and DC Vertigo and Image, then around 2001 or so I went over to the DC darkside. Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Batman. So when I read the synopsis for "Hero," it pretty much pushed all my buttons and as soon as I started to read it this morning, I blazed right through in one sitting.
I liked it. I'm glad I bought it. I would recommend it to other people. Let me tell you why:
1. The main character, Thom, is a realistic teenager. He swears when stressed, he's awkward (although that did hit my embarrassment squick a few times), and he's lonely, hiding who he is and planning for a far off day he can be himself.
2. His father -- My god, his dad. The scenes between Thom and Hal just resonated with me, that hesitance, that "I love you, dad, but I have no idea how to talk to you" that I think most of us go through. Hal's fierce protectiveness, Thom's fear of disappointing him -- I teared up a couple times and I normally don't do that with books.
3. Thom's love interest, Goran, is such a boy at times and it makes you love him all the more, because he's this guy who had to grow up early to look out for his little brother (so many yay buttons pushed!) Although, as the reader, you knew who Goran was all along from the continued "deep, piercing gaze" he had going on.
4. Moore juxtaposes Thom and Goran's lives, hell even the rest of the characters from Golden Boy to Ruth, and there's so many different perspectives -- They all have their tragedies and their hardships, but no one is coming across as more important or more tragic than the other. Each character felt developed and human. Some backstories were a little heavy on the Clue Stick, but with superhero stories you have to realize, they wouldn't be running around in tights and a cape if there weren't a few screws loose. Seriously, normal people just get therapy and a bottle of Xanax.
5. Society is not discounted. It plays a major part in the story and actions have real world consequences that reverberate for years down the road. From a huge tragedy in the past to one Thom has to stave off (reminiscent of 9/11 for those with triggers!), the impact of superheroes on society and how society in turn can build them up or tear them down like any modern day celebrity is explored to a satisfying degree.
6. Not everything is spelled out. Like a lot of good stories, you have to read between the lines for some of the associations. There's swearing and some adult situations (I'd say it's a PG-13), but the pace never slows down and Moore keeps the aciton up.
7. Some people may not see this as a plus, but I played Spot the Mainstream Superhero with the League. I did a double-take the first time Justice's backstory cribbed from Superman's, but considering that the book was published by Disney and Moore was involved in the Narnia series, I'm thinking they own some rights somewhere. Stan Lee said it was good in a quote on the cover -- That's good enough for me! But I did sorta wish Moore had put more effort into developing his own League superheroes instead of pulling from DC's line-up. Even someone who just watched the cartoons could spot the parallels.
8. Other than that and the age thing (which sometimes left me scratching my head -- either he was a minor or he wasn't, there is no in-between), I found the story to be riveting. It really is centered around Thom and his dad, but none of the other characters are short-shifted. It's about love and loyalty and not always understanding the people around you but being okay with it. It's about growing up.
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