I never had anything to say because
I've shifted to deviantart. Whoops.
Though I will. The other blog I'm managing will one day hold JPop songs I've translated and anime quotes and suchlike.
In the meantime, until the next fanciful shift in blog host, something I don't remember writing.
Maybe I repressed it. It sparks my old idealism: This was me:
This girl had been born with a horrible brain disease. Her parents despaired of her; the doctors were unsure what to do. The disease manifested in her thoughts; they gave her reality a soap-bubble tinge and sometimes she hallucinated. After all, she thought she could ‘capture beauty’ by trekking across America’s fifty states on foot. She thought this endeavor would encompass a ‘bohemian lifestyle.’ She thought she could be happy delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, or washing dishes in small towns far from home, she believed in hospitality and human goodness, and she even thought her sole pair of sneakers would last over miles of snow, mud and campground outhouses. They had diagnosed correctly; she was clearly insane. Yet they received postcards from her and read her blog, and indulged her fancies. They let her go. (This is the utopian version of the future, after all.)
One day she filled a thousand pages of a thousand virtual photo galleries, she looked at her videos and no longer remember where each one came from, and she frowned at the stranger beside her on the park bench because she wanted him to remind her of a comfortable old childhood friend. The friendly truckers and the sympathetic mothers no longer applauded her highway-sprinting exploits and chalked them up to the beautiful audacity of youth. They glanced away from her grinning shoes and said, ‘Maybe you should settle down. Maybe you should go home.’
So she did and she wrote a book. After that, she drew a story. Then a scene from Corpus Christi or Albuquerque would tickle her in her dreams and out of her fingers danced a little movie. Or a little song. In between, she dug up the scraps of cloth she found in Boise and sewed dresses. She walked her dog, and her cat. She dressed up as a hippie on spring mornings and spoke in a false accent to random people on the subway. Sometimes she sat by the window of a 24-hour café and painted the shifting shafts of streetlight and the slouching shadows that passed back and forth. She never hid her age for vanity. If she had children, she would spoil them rotten.
She would enjoy living forever; she would not resent dying either. Either way, despite her nonchalance about life, she signed up as an organ donor, bought copious amounts of sugar-free candy for the trick-or-treaters, and tried her best to be good. At her funeral, they sang ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ after they commented on her eclectically colored fingernails. Her gravestone read ‘She Lived’ because that was what she did.
…She lived happily ever after.”
The creator is satisfied but the child has a problem with the story, as most children do. (Recall, if you may, “But why didn’t the three bears lock the door?” “But XYZ?”)
“Cured of what?”
“Her brain disease.”
“Oh.” There are good diseases. The creator has heard of a man who was born without any talent at standardized tests and academics, but he could sculpt the perfect likeness of anything he saw. She has heard of a woman who could see the color of any melody. And isn’t love a disease what with its feverish bouts of anxiety and confused passions? “No, she was never cured,” she replies matter-of-factly. “She was Idealistic until death.”
The child is satisfied and the creator goes back to her stories. She reads hunched over, because the shackles around her wrists are heavy after time. “Family” is engraved on the right cuff, “Fear” on the left. For the moment, though, external biddings of “Don’t go to a college too far. You must talk with us when you pick a career” and internal whispers of “You’re the biggest fool. What do you know about taxes and bills?” diminish into subconscious pattering, like the millionth raindrop’s half-hearted tap. Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, and Neil Gaiman all turned out all right, after all. She owes them her sanity; she will repay them with paving stones of words sealed with concrete devotion. Their merry path will continue through the dark woods of reality. She will repay them with her life.
When she gains possession of it. She sits on a blue chair, leafs through magazines and surreptitiously sketches unusual details. The creator is waiting to be born.
Though I will. The other blog I'm managing will one day hold JPop songs I've translated and anime quotes and suchlike.
In the meantime, until the next fanciful shift in blog host, something I don't remember writing.
Maybe I repressed it. It sparks my old idealism: This was me:
The future is the best thing about life because it can be written like a good story, and good stories are simple, hopeful, clear. This humble creator would make her future a fairytale, suitable for little children, and like all good fairy tales, it would begin, “Once in a land, a long time ago…
…A girl graduated from Bronx Science, magna cum laude, born in a shower of confetti and board hats. She packed her suitcases, loaded up her car, and painted her face maroon and white—the Stanford colors. She got an education, picked her favorite flavor major, and waltzed out quickly with merry memories, a duffel bag, and a camera. (This is where things get interesting.)
This girl had been born with a horrible brain disease. Her parents despaired of her; the doctors were unsure what to do. The disease manifested in her thoughts; they gave her reality a soap-bubble tinge and sometimes she hallucinated. After all, she thought she could ‘capture beauty’ by trekking across America’s fifty states on foot. She thought this endeavor would encompass a ‘bohemian lifestyle.’ She thought she could be happy delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, or washing dishes in small towns far from home, she believed in hospitality and human goodness, and she even thought her sole pair of sneakers would last over miles of snow, mud and campground outhouses. They had diagnosed correctly; she was clearly insane. Yet they received postcards from her and read her blog, and indulged her fancies. They let her go. (This is the utopian version of the future, after all.)
One day she filled a thousand pages of a thousand virtual photo galleries, she looked at her videos and no longer remember where each one came from, and she frowned at the stranger beside her on the park bench because she wanted him to remind her of a comfortable old childhood friend. The friendly truckers and the sympathetic mothers no longer applauded her highway-sprinting exploits and chalked them up to the beautiful audacity of youth. They glanced away from her grinning shoes and said, ‘Maybe you should settle down. Maybe you should go home.’
So she did and she wrote a book. After that, she drew a story. Then a scene from Corpus Christi or Albuquerque would tickle her in her dreams and out of her fingers danced a little movie. Or a little song. In between, she dug up the scraps of cloth she found in Boise and sewed dresses. She walked her dog, and her cat. She dressed up as a hippie on spring mornings and spoke in a false accent to random people on the subway. Sometimes she sat by the window of a 24-hour café and painted the shifting shafts of streetlight and the slouching shadows that passed back and forth. She never hid her age for vanity. If she had children, she would spoil them rotten.
She would enjoy living forever; she would not resent dying either. Either way, despite her nonchalance about life, she signed up as an organ donor, bought copious amounts of sugar-free candy for the trick-or-treaters, and tried her best to be good. At her funeral, they sang ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ after they commented on her eclectically colored fingernails. Her gravestone read ‘She Lived’ because that was what she did.
…She lived happily ever after.”
The creator is satisfied but the child has a problem with the story, as most children do. (Recall, if you may, “But why didn’t the three bears lock the door?” “But XYZ?”)
“Did the girl ever get cured?”
“Cured of what?”
“Her brain disease.”
“Oh.” There are good diseases. The creator has heard of a man who was born without any talent at standardized tests and academics, but he could sculpt the perfect likeness of anything he saw. She has heard of a woman who could see the color of any melody. And isn’t love a disease what with its feverish bouts of anxiety and confused passions? “No, she was never cured,” she replies matter-of-factly. “She was Idealistic until death.”
The child is satisfied and the creator goes back to her stories. She reads hunched over, because the shackles around her wrists are heavy after time. “Family” is engraved on the right cuff, “Fear” on the left. For the moment, though, external biddings of “Don’t go to a college too far. You must talk with us when you pick a career” and internal whispers of “You’re the biggest fool. What do you know about taxes and bills?” diminish into subconscious pattering, like the millionth raindrop’s half-hearted tap. Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens, and Neil Gaiman all turned out all right, after all. She owes them her sanity; she will repay them with paving stones of words sealed with concrete devotion. Their merry path will continue through the dark woods of reality. She will repay them with her life.
When she gains possession of it. She sits on a blue chair, leafs through magazines and surreptitiously sketches unusual details. The creator is waiting to be born.
Cool Bands
Anberlin
Abington Boy's School
The Academy Is...
The All-American Rejects
All Time Low
Arisa
Avril Lavigne
B2ST
Barlow Girl
The Beatles
Bitter:Sweet
Black Eyed Peas
Blue October
BoA
Bonnie Pink
Bowling For Soup
Boys Like Girls
Brandon Heath
Breaking Benjamin
Britney Spears
Cartel
Creature Feature
Crystal Kay
David Archuleta
DBSK
Do As Infinity
Eminem
Evanescence
Everclear
Fall Out Boy
Far East Movement
Fergie
A Fine FrenzyThe Fray
Flyleaf
Foster The People
The GazettE
Good Charlotte
Gorillaz
Gwen Stefani
Hey! Say! JUMP!
Hilary Duff
Hilchryme
Hole
Hollywood Undead
Home Made Kazoku
India.Arie
Jason Mraz
Jay Chou
Jesse McCartney
J.J. Lin
Kagrra
Kana Nishino
Kanye West
KAT-TUN
Katy Perry
Kerli
Ke$ha
Kelly Clarkson
The Killers
Kylee
La Roux
Lady Gaga
Laura Pausini
LifeHouse
Linkin Park
LM.C
M.I.A.
Madonna
Maroon 5
Metro Station
Michael Buble
Michael Jackson
Mika Nakashima
Mike Posner
Mindless Self Indulgence
Ministry of Magic
Misia
Miyavi
Monkey Magic
Motion City Soundtrack
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Natasha Bedingfield
New Politics
Nickelback
Nirvana
Noriyuki Makihara
NSYNC
The Offspring
OneRepublic
Owl City
P!NK
Panic! At the Disco
Paramore
Plain White T's
Plastic Tree
Plugin Stereo
Punk~En~Ciel
RADWIMPS
The Rasmus
The Ready Set
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Relient K
Rihanna
Rise Against
Sam Tsui
Sara Bareilles
SCANDAL
SHINee
SID
Simple Plan
Smash Mouth
Snow
Sum-41
Super Junior
Susumu Hirasawa
Switchfoot
Taking Back Sunday
Taylor Swift
Third Eye Blind
Three Days Grace
The Ting Tings
Tokio Hotel
Train
TVXQ
U2
Utada
UVERworld
Vanessa Carlton
Velvet Revolver
Weezer
Weird Al
Yellowcard
2NE1
3OH!3
Abington Boy's School
The Academy Is...
The All-American Rejects
All Time Low
Arisa
Avril Lavigne
B2ST
Barlow Girl
The Beatles
Bitter:Sweet
Black Eyed Peas
Blue October
BoA
Bonnie Pink
Bowling For Soup
Boys Like Girls
Brandon Heath
Breaking Benjamin
Britney Spears
Cartel
Creature Feature
Crystal Kay
David Archuleta
DBSK
Do As Infinity
Eminem
Evanescence
Everclear
Fall Out Boy
Far East Movement
Fergie
A Fine FrenzyThe Fray
Flyleaf
Foster The People
The GazettE
Good Charlotte
Gorillaz
Gwen Stefani
Hey! Say! JUMP!
Hilary Duff
Hilchryme
Hole
Hollywood Undead
Home Made Kazoku
India.Arie
Jason Mraz
Jay Chou
Jesse McCartney
J.J. Lin
Kagrra
Kana Nishino
Kanye West
KAT-TUN
Katy Perry
Kerli
Ke$ha
Kelly Clarkson
The Killers
Kylee
La Roux
Lady Gaga
Laura Pausini
LifeHouse
Linkin Park
LM.C
M.I.A.
Madonna
Maroon 5
Metro Station
Michael Buble
Michael Jackson
Mika Nakashima
Mike Posner
Mindless Self Indulgence
Ministry of Magic
Misia
Miyavi
Monkey Magic
Motion City Soundtrack
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Natasha Bedingfield
New Politics
Nickelback
Nirvana
Noriyuki Makihara
NSYNC
The Offspring
OneRepublic
Owl City
P!NK
Panic! At the Disco
Paramore
Plain White T's
Plastic Tree
Plugin Stereo
Punk~En~Ciel
RADWIMPS
The Rasmus
The Ready Set
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Relient K
Rihanna
Rise Against
Sam Tsui
Sara Bareilles
SCANDAL
SHINee
SID
Simple Plan
Smash Mouth
Snow
Sum-41
Super Junior
Susumu Hirasawa
Switchfoot
Taking Back Sunday
Taylor Swift
Third Eye Blind
Three Days Grace
The Ting Tings
Tokio Hotel
Train
TVXQ
U2
Utada
UVERworld
Vanessa Carlton
Velvet Revolver
Weezer
Weird Al
Yellowcard
2NE1
3OH!3
Harold and Maude--A Review
 | ||
| One of my favorite scenes is when Maude (***SPOILER ALERT***) steals a motorcycle. I also enjoyed when Harold and Maude dance. <3 |
The first word is always "weird".
You really get a sense of the sixties here, and yes, the sixties were weird. Harold himself is weird (his facial expressions, his odd silence, his theatrics). Maude is weird too. And yet. It's better than just weird it's--
Artistic, yes. Entertaining: definitely. Harold and his strangely repressed emotions will startle a laugh out of you. Heartwarming:
Well I cried.
And the acting is superb. I'm not sure if it's just me but shortly after Harold and Maude (continuing on my theme of forbidden romance) I watched Brokeback Mountain, and each action seems so much less precise, and careful, in the newer movie. The emotions are conveyed convincingly, to sometimes a terrible effect.
If you're a fan of romance and you have a semi-dark sense of humor (the suicides are never terribly graphic; if you can stomach a death on a stage, then you can stomach what Harold does to himself), you will love this movie.
If you're a weirdo who is seeking some deeper meaning in life, you'll love this movie.
If you like emo boys and nonstandard relationships, you'll love this movie.
Yes, yes, I recommend it. I'd love to watch it again.
Though it is by no means PERFECT (I sometimes feel like the end hospital scene contained a little less emotion for the circumstances, it fell short of completely convincing. Yes, the end could be improved), it is indeed very, very, very good and has earned its place as a cult classic. So.
If I ever find the link to the deleted kissing scene, I shall post it.
Advice On The First Week of Penn
(With special advice to kids living in Stouffer Mayer)
It's been a while. I've finally gotten my laptop in the mail, named him Yukito (after the dude from Cardcaptor Sakura) and now I can blog! Yes I can blog!
So. The first week at the University of Pennsylvania. Jesus. Hard to sum up in one post so instead a running list of advice:
1. Go to every NSO event. They're genuinely a lot of fun. Even the toga party, though it was sweaty, was fun. You wanna put yourself out there and meet people. Even if you're normally shy (like me, so shy I can't speak in any logical sequence while simultaneously looking into someone's eyes) just do it.
Take down numbers.
Have fun.
2. Idk about the other preceptorials but Mad Potter's Wheel was awesome. With substantial help, I made a bowl in the shape of a cat. It is now glazed and sitting on my shelf.
3.Go out and eat in the dining halls. You paid for NSO meals separately so you might as well, and, especially the first few days, you can pick up a lot of new aquaintences by sitting down randomly at a table and introducing yourself.
(Note: This happens less and less as time goes on...)
4. I thought I wouldn't get homesick at all, but I did. Bring something from home, a stuffed animal, photos, whatever. If you love books, bring some books. DVDs. Something familiar to ground yourself in this tide of new.
5. Yes, you must bring either an extension cord and/or a surge protector. Especially if you're rooming with other people. Because there are never enough power outlets.
6. Packing a huge crate of water bottles is recommended. Ditto for toilet paper and paper towels.
7. If you live in Stouffer Stouffer or Stouffer Mayer especially, bring light bulbs and a desk lamp. I know it's ridiculous but it is seriously dark and the only lamps are 1. bad and 2. light-bulb-less.
That's it for now. College is crazy, but a lot of fun. The workload is ridiculous and the classes are all damned hard. Even writing seminar, and writing's my best class. Jesus.
But you get used to it. You get used to anything.
It's been a while. I've finally gotten my laptop in the mail, named him Yukito (after the dude from Cardcaptor Sakura) and now I can blog! Yes I can blog!
So. The first week at the University of Pennsylvania. Jesus. Hard to sum up in one post so instead a running list of advice:
1. Go to every NSO event. They're genuinely a lot of fun. Even the toga party, though it was sweaty, was fun. You wanna put yourself out there and meet people. Even if you're normally shy (like me, so shy I can't speak in any logical sequence while simultaneously looking into someone's eyes) just do it.
Take down numbers.
Have fun.
2. Idk about the other preceptorials but Mad Potter's Wheel was awesome. With substantial help, I made a bowl in the shape of a cat. It is now glazed and sitting on my shelf.
3.Go out and eat in the dining halls. You paid for NSO meals separately so you might as well, and, especially the first few days, you can pick up a lot of new aquaintences by sitting down randomly at a table and introducing yourself.
(Note: This happens less and less as time goes on...)
4. I thought I wouldn't get homesick at all, but I did. Bring something from home, a stuffed animal, photos, whatever. If you love books, bring some books. DVDs. Something familiar to ground yourself in this tide of new.
5. Yes, you must bring either an extension cord and/or a surge protector. Especially if you're rooming with other people. Because there are never enough power outlets.
6. Packing a huge crate of water bottles is recommended. Ditto for toilet paper and paper towels.
7. If you live in Stouffer Stouffer or Stouffer Mayer especially, bring light bulbs and a desk lamp. I know it's ridiculous but it is seriously dark and the only lamps are 1. bad and 2. light-bulb-less.
That's it for now. College is crazy, but a lot of fun. The workload is ridiculous and the classes are all damned hard. Even writing seminar, and writing's my best class. Jesus.
But you get used to it. You get used to anything.
Ah College
I get what they say when they tell me, "Penn eats away at your soul."
It's not awful.
It's fun.
It's wonderfully stressful.
Can't write much because I haven't got my laptop yet and I have absolutely no idea what the dude is going on about in my Chem101 class. How is that possible? It's only Chem101!
Sweet Jesus.
It's not awful.
It's fun.
It's wonderfully stressful.
Can't write much because I haven't got my laptop yet and I have absolutely no idea what the dude is going on about in my Chem101 class. How is that possible? It's only Chem101!
Sweet Jesus.
Religious People Are Happy...SO WHAT?
One of the most common arguments for religion is that those with religion are happier but
CORRELATION =/= CAUSATION.
I know a million people have probably realized this before but I just thought of it okay and I'm on a roll.
Basically it means that religion doesn't necessarily make people happier. It could also mean that happy people tend to get religion easier.
It makes sense. I mean the cynical, depressed person isn't exactly open to the idea of some way to control her/his fate and bring herself/himself fulfillment and happiness. If that were true s/he wouldn't be depressed, duh.
So what does this mean?
It means we have one less possible benefit of religion. If it doesn't explicitly make us happier, what good is it?
I watched a news clip recently on ABC where a soldier said it gave her hope when she was captured. Opiate to the masses comes to mind. But hope. A nice, healthy drug. Is it really as bad as Marx or whoever makes it sound?
Maybe I'd become an advocate of self-delusion if the difference between deluded and clear-eyed is hope.
I mean, we all agree that sometimes a white lie is necessary.
Well no, we don't all agree on anything.
The truth doesn't necessarily set us free. And when we don't know for sure what the truth is, if we'll never be sure what the truth is in our lifetimes, what's wrong with picking the happier-sounding truth?
If some Christian will explain to me how a kind God can sentence Old Testament homosexuals to death, I might be able to answer,
"Nothing."
Though I'm sure there's more to it too.
CORRELATION =/= CAUSATION.
I know a million people have probably realized this before but I just thought of it okay and I'm on a roll.
Basically it means that religion doesn't necessarily make people happier. It could also mean that happy people tend to get religion easier.
It makes sense. I mean the cynical, depressed person isn't exactly open to the idea of some way to control her/his fate and bring herself/himself fulfillment and happiness. If that were true s/he wouldn't be depressed, duh.
So what does this mean?
It means we have one less possible benefit of religion. If it doesn't explicitly make us happier, what good is it?
I watched a news clip recently on ABC where a soldier said it gave her hope when she was captured. Opiate to the masses comes to mind. But hope. A nice, healthy drug. Is it really as bad as Marx or whoever makes it sound?
Maybe I'd become an advocate of self-delusion if the difference between deluded and clear-eyed is hope.
I mean, we all agree that sometimes a white lie is necessary.
Well no, we don't all agree on anything.
The truth doesn't necessarily set us free. And when we don't know for sure what the truth is, if we'll never be sure what the truth is in our lifetimes, what's wrong with picking the happier-sounding truth?
If some Christian will explain to me how a kind God can sentence Old Testament homosexuals to death, I might be able to answer,
"Nothing."
Though I'm sure there's more to it too.
List of Movies I Need To Watch
1. Juno
2. Ghost World
3. Kids
4. Midnght Cowboys
5. The Swimmer
6. Citizen Kane
7. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
8. The Outsiders
9. Vampire Hunter D (well that's an anime) Tried to watch but the animation was too ugly.
10. Harold and Maude Done! See My Review.
11. Three Colors Trilogy
12. Memento
13. Blowup
14. GATTICA
15. Of course all the Harry Potter movies, preferably all at once
16. This is Spinal Tap
17. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
18. Capturing the Friedmans
19. Elephant
20. Idioterne (The Idiots)
21. Man on Wire
22. Sex, Lies, and Videotape
23. Performance
24. Fantasia
25. The Decline of Western Civilization
26. Donnie Darko
27. Edward Scissorhands
28. All The Muppet Movies Ever Made
29. The Producers
30. Mystery Men
31. The Monster Squad
32. Election (with Reese Witherspoon)
33. Best In Show
34. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
35. Arsenic and Old Lace
36. Withnail and I
37. A Christmas Story
38. It's A Wonderful Life
39. Dr. Strangelove
40. Bubba Ho-Tep
41. The Big Lebowski
42. The Nightmare Before Christmas
43. The Lost Boys
44. The Grudge
45. The Ring
46. Ginger Snaps
47. Goodfellas
48. The godfather
49. Brick
50. Dog Day Afternoon
51. Blue Velvet
52. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
53. The First Star Wars Movie
54. Godzilla
55. Fahrenheit 451
56. Akira (anime)
57. Planet of the Apes
58. A Scanner Darkly
59. Infernal Affairs
60. Pan's Labyrinth
61. The Host
62. Sid and Nancy
63. Rushmore
64. Forrest Gump
65. Don't Look Now
66. The Boys in the Band
67. The Beguiled
68. All the Lord of the Rings Movies
This is going to take a long time...
2. Ghost World
3. Kids
4. Midnght Cowboys
5. The Swimmer
6. Citizen Kane
7. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
8. The Outsiders
11. Three Colors Trilogy
12. Memento
13. Blowup
14. GATTICA
15. Of course all the Harry Potter movies, preferably all at once
16. This is Spinal Tap
17. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
18. Capturing the Friedmans
19. Elephant
20. Idioterne (The Idiots)
21. Man on Wire
22. Sex, Lies, and Videotape
23. Performance
24. Fantasia
25. The Decline of Western Civilization
26. Donnie Darko
27. Edward Scissorhands
28. All The Muppet Movies Ever Made
29. The Producers
30. Mystery Men
31. The Monster Squad
32. Election (with Reese Witherspoon)
33. Best In Show
34. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
35. Arsenic and Old Lace
36. Withnail and I
37. A Christmas Story
38. It's A Wonderful Life
39. Dr. Strangelove
40. Bubba Ho-Tep
41. The Big Lebowski
42. The Nightmare Before Christmas
43. The Lost Boys
44. The Grudge
45. The Ring
46. Ginger Snaps
47. Goodfellas
48. The godfather
49. Brick
50. Dog Day Afternoon
51. Blue Velvet
52. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
53. The First Star Wars Movie
54. Godzilla
55. Fahrenheit 451
56. Akira (anime)
57. Planet of the Apes
58. A Scanner Darkly
59. Infernal Affairs
60. Pan's Labyrinth
61. The Host
62. Sid and Nancy
63. Rushmore
64. Forrest Gump
65. Don't Look Now
66. The Boys in the Band
67. The Beguiled
68. All the Lord of the Rings Movies
This is going to take a long time...
