Well, I'm something of a fan of the The Alkazar. I rather like the subset of the Alkazar where the actor plays up some sort of characteristic of his or her character in real life, probably just to pander to the fans or a specific subset of fans. Examples include Ruben Langdon acting like a total dork., Steve Burton acting unsure but determined, and Gideon Emery admitting to developing a small crush on Fran.

So, in the mornings I listen to the Z100 Morning Zoo (Guys, you've seen my deriviative, unoriginal fic; my derivative, unoriginal icons; my derivative, unoriginal layouts; and my overall devivative, unoriginal thoughts. Is it that much of a surprise that I don't listen to more enlightened stations?), and this morning they interviewed Jesse McCartney. So, along with the creepy Shota Cat-like perving from the hosts and from callers, Jesse also mentioned that he's more attracted to the lower half of the body. Alas, he didn't mention whether he preferred blondes, bruinettes, or red heads.

Dear any and all Rutgers HP fen:

Based on this video, I feel that Rutgers should have a team and compete in the cup next fall. 139 Year rivalries don't just go on by themselves, you know.

X's and O's,
Me.

So. My thoughts on The Forbidden Kingdom can be summed up by:

...what would happen if Jackie Chan and Jet Li were in a movie together? Answer: the white teenage boy would get the Asian girl.

Canada.com review

This makes me very sad.

I've got a presentation due soon, and I want some input.

I'm going to do a presentation on Marjane Satrapi, and I know that I'm going to work it into a video using scenes from the Persepolis movie. The original plan was to use the scenes and and insert text, with some quiet music in the background for filler, similar to The Road to February 10, 2008.

However, during the commute this morning, an idea hit: I stumbled on "The Skies Above" on my playlist, and the "To Zanarkand" connection pinged with a quote from Satrapi about how she didn't write Persepolis to be the voice of her generation, but rather, that she was just telling her story. I started getting AMV ideas right away. So, I put "The Skies Above" on repeat for the rest of the ride and kept mentally storyboarding.

So, list, the question is this: Which version should I go for? Prof says "Because author studies done by school students tend to be pedestrian at best, this is your opportunity to experiment with alternative formats, media and genres as you prepare an engaging, informative and enjoyable presentation" and AMV is hella alternative. However, I'm letting the music provide information along with the images. Not very informative.

...if I do the former, I think I'm going to use "To Zanarkand" for the background music, anyway. Just for the lols. There's only going to be one person who'll get the joke, maybe. For the rest, it's just random pretty piano.

ETA: Things did not go as planned. And then I freaked out. And then the prof bailed me out. But at least I got full marks on the case study I'm doing for the class.

Um, yeah... I sort of went on a friending spree (Anything not to do my homework...), and when I started adding some people, I couldn't very well not add others and... (sigh).

We have Crisis Core FMV's in English. Highlights include Genesis's English voice (just emo enough, I think) and the Three-way Fight of Awesomeness, in which Sephiroth is Awesome. There's also the Ending FMV, with the secret ending. I didn't notice that one little thing that Cloud does with the Buster right before the end of the secret bit, when I saw this in Japanese. Now that I have, I'm eat up with the squee.

In other news, I saw Persepolis, finally. I misted up. Had a bit of "I would have translated that like that" with the French. (sigh)

So, one of the co-creators of D&D has passed away, and reading all the commentary, I'm kind of upset that I never managed getting into it. I mean, it's like a nerd rite of passage. Sort of how anime fans of my age were required to see Akira. (Never did. Heh, probably won't see the new DiCaprio version, either.)

So... any suggestions on how I can get a n00b campaign started? Suggestions on any other Pen and Paper games I should look into? Any locals on the FList feel like diving in? (Yohtan, Kuma, Penchy; I'm looking at you...)

So, this semester I'm taking a course on literature for adolescents. This means I get to read pretty cool books of a variety that I never really got into, back when I was age-appropriate. (Now, I just use the squeeing of Fandom Wank as a very reliable guide.) I've had a few issues, based on how I identified with some of the characters that were most alike--situationally, gender-wise, and ethnicity-wise--to me versus the rest of the class.

What this post is about, however, is the use of other languages in works of published fiction. You know, when the author feels the need to sazonar la historia--pepper the story--with random phrases in other languages and their translations to give the book a feel of authenticity.

Why is this off limits in fanfic, but published authors can do it/are rewarded for it? Amounts of research? The fact that the pro's getting paid?

Another question: if they're going to do dual/multiple language, why not just go whole-hog and write all exchanges in one language in that language? (I mean, besides alienating the readers that I'd like to reach, but wouldn't bother if I pulled something like that.)

Yes, I'm considering writing one of those culturally diverse, semi-autobiographical things that tells my story. The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao is close, but no cigar.

I use Spanish and Japanese in conversation, mainly for things that don't translate very well into English (Spanish) or random crap that's become an inside joke/from a meme (Japanese). I'm guessing that the former is more "allowable" then the latter.

I think I'm going to start creating a series of entries filled with educator-type wank, and the brain-comes-to-a-screeching-halt responses that I encounter. This one comes courtesy of a New York Times article on a survey given to teens about history and literature.

Teenagers???? I asked a couple of my colleagues to name the second president of the U.S. and neither could answer me. I gave them a hint and told them that he's on the nickel and they still couldn't name him without reaching into their pockets. ...and neither of them appeared the least bit embarrassed.

Poster, you're doing it wrong.

So, MSN had this article on the declining numbers of male teachers. There's a feedback button linking to a message board, and so, people will share their thoughts on yaoi education. Cue wank over pay, loss of control, accountability, NCLB, harassment accusations used as payback for discipline, and those damn spoiled hoodlum kids and their crazy rock-and-roll music electronics.

Then, this:

As a male college student looking to become a high school social studies teacher, I find these comments interesting. I think it's unfortunate that there are so few male teachers. I can see how children coming from broken homes, especially boys, would look up to a strong example of male leadership and concern. Sadly, feminism has weakened the role men are able to play in our culture to exert a strong impact among youth. Men are sometimes seen as being unable to relate well with kids, perceived as a threat to them, or viewed as relegated to specific jobs while women take on the teaching roles.

...

...

Finally, a Feminism 101 Blog is there for a reason.

Poster, you are making my intended profession look bad.

Violets are #0000FF.

Happy Valentine's, and all that.

So, I've outed myself as a fangirl in my Literature of Adolescents class, and have told the class that I have an ElJay. I haven't given anyone a user name, of course, but really, it's only a matter of time before someone finds me. Sigh. [/ogiue]

Second, awesometacular crib-notes are awesometacular.

Vegeta! What does the scanner say about the Anonymous count for Project Chanology's February tenth worldwide protests?

IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAND!

Round Ups:

• @ Encyclopedia Dramatica (Image and Video Heavy, page Not Totally Work-Safe.)
• cleolinda's round up post. It provided a link to the best macro ever.

There's noise on the Tubes talking about an Ides of March protest.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22788914/

Bullet points time.

• It's kind of weird to have had this broken to me while listening to talk radio.


• I'm sure that because of this, I had that little "mind comes to a screeching halt" moment, followed by a "They're kidding, right?"


• Next thought: "I haven't watched A Knight's Tale in a while."


• Next thought: "He did finish his work on The Dark Knight, right? Right?"

I guess that the "I haven't watched A Knight's Tale" thought is significant because while in the mires of The Unpleasantness, that was the first movie I saw with my suite mates in order to come into human contact again. It was a sort of way to "take back" the movie, because I had squeed over it with one of the friends that I lost.

This is an experience that is too precious to leave to AIM.

So, my aunt called, and wanted help for my cousin's computer. Nothing seemed to be working. "Oh, crap," went I, and listened to her talk about how nothing worked, and that she wanted me to fix it. I'd try, I told her, and asked to get my cousin on the phone.

I asked him if the thing was plugged in, turned on, and charged. Yes, he said with irritation. He knew how to do all of that.

Okay, but your mom said that the computer wasn't working. That usually means that it isn't turning on, or something.

No, no, it's that we've got a new computer, and it's a Mac.

...it's a Mac?

Yeah, and none of the programs we have are running in it.

And this is the part where I face palm, and explain to him that the programs he has were for Windows, that the operating system he has now is different, and why the fuck did you get a Mac, anyhow, if you're comfortable with PC's? Then I mentioned Boot Camp and the possibility of him having to get Office for Mac.

He mentioned something about his mother, not knowing the difference between Macs and PC's, and the Mac's manual mentioning Leopard.

All right, so at least we were getting somewhere. So we'll just go back to the store, plead our case, and get the money back to get a decent desktop that you won't freak out over. Where'd you get it?

Best Buy.

Fuck.

Some days, I really wish I was a technopath.

This happened a block from my house.

Anyone who knows the geography of the area also knows that there's a gas station on the corner of the same block. So, yes, it could have been worse.

Amazon Wish List Yes! Let's make my media intake queue longer~! (And this isn't even all of it...)

Link to the New York Times story.

Parents create sock puppet My Space account to check up on daughter's ex-friend. Spying leads to stringing along, then harassment. Ex-friend hangs herself. The parents made the sock puppet. The parents. The PARENTS.

As someone who's been on both sides of the fence on this kind of shit, that ain't right. The amount of absolute, concentrated, total FAIL is staggering.

So, tell me how I got from

I smell a rat, because not only were my classmates little shits to our teachers and me, I was a shit to my teacher most especially when they showed the cared, because I thought their caring was all just BS and they didn't really care. (also, some suspicion that if I wasn't smart, I'd be SOL) I didn't care about me, not in the same way others seemed to care about themselves. I felt obligation--with under currents of shame-with-failure--to "thank" teachers by saying things insincerely that I knew would make them happy. Although I acted it at the time, I know I'm not a special snowflake. So, what happens to kids like me that knew how to play the game but felt icky doing so? (Note that I interpret the caring as fake.)

to

Noddings’s models for the ideal interest me because of personal experience: my middle school was small, teachers had five classes or more with her homeroom, and sometimes taught the same subject for two consecutive grades. On reflection, I can see the varying depths of teacher and student relationships that developed around me and to me were a matter of the reception of caring. I can also see the actions teacher took as ones-caring and my responses as the cared-for. However, I felt pressured to exhibit varying levels of both acceptance and rejection of the actions of the one-caring, based on personal, parental, and peer considerations.

The small school can also sabotage caring because teachers come know students so well. Identities are kept in place for the duration of student’s stay. Eldest siblings are dynasts, and their younger siblings compared and contrasted to them. With these preconceptions in place, the student continues to be an object, and those considered worthy enough—most receptive to and most willing to act upon the actions of one-caring—are then considered subject. The student does not hold agency in the amount of care doled out to them. “Chains and circles of caring” can have insincere links, or can fail to develop even with the optimal conditions.

Yes, I'm wanking for an assignment.

New York Gamers:

So, this so very friend-of-a-friend spreading the news type thing, but still... Apparently Chinatown Fair was sealed up and closed recently? Does anyone have any information on it? Google gives me nothing.

Damn, where am I going to play whenever I go to Manhattan? I think I might still have some of their tokens, somewhere...