ReadingLirael, As You Like It, The English Patient, Heart of Darkness, Suikoden III, Candidate for Goddess
Watching House, Rick Mercer's Monday Report, Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, Corner Gas, Aishiteruze Baby, Prince of Tennis, Hikaru no Go
Playing The Bard's Tale, Katamari Damacy, Curse of Monkey Island, Final Fantasy VI, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Pretty Barbie Dressup Party Final Fantasy X-2(group gaming)
Back-burner Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance, Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast, Planescape: Torment, Final Fantasy VII
Obsessing Firefly, Erik and Ray, Impulse/Bart Allen, Ford Prefect, Monkey Island, Nostalgia.
Upcoming Things of Importance January 5 First day of classes January 14 Birthday party January 16 Jaryn and Matt Are Old Day
layout
Is by Meimi, that wonderful Goddess who brings joy and happiness to the hearts of Ingrids.
This time, Meimi brought joy by doing a layout of Isumi Shinichirou and Waya Yoshitaka, of Hikaru no Go. It is full of wub.
.
12/14/2001 06:44:25 PM
I'm not sure what to say about this . . .
Why is it on the same page as Harry Potter fanart? ~twitches~
Perhaps I'll just have to say - it's very nice art and maybe the fact that it's being done is a good sign?
Oddly enough, I've been asked (poked, nudged, and beat with a large stick) to attempt fanart for Diana Wynne Jones' stuff. But -not- anime style. What Fio and I had in mind was black ink, white paper, vaguely Goreyesque Edwardian Chrestomanci. But, it isHowl's Moving Castle, and if it is made into an anime, I suppose we may as well get used to seeing it . . .
Despite it all, my heartiest thanks to Jae-sama for making me aware fo it. Think of it this way, if you find it . . . unsettling - it could be Howl's Moving Castle shounen-ai fanart. Do you -really- want me to name the possible couples?
12/13/2001 04:57:50 PM
You are my bitch writer's block!! Here me! I crush you beneath my fiery and righteous heel of justice! I grind you into a fine powder and sprinkle you on my pasta! I put you in Guthrie's gym shoes! Never shall you torment me again, in this fashion! Never!
Translation: I finally know what I want to do with Life of an Omnyouji part thirteen.
12/12/2001 07:57:08 PM
Now I have a second reason to salivate - DWJ is actually working on a new book. Bwee. It seems like Year of the Griffin just came out yesterday. Although I do still need a copy of that. Oh well . . . I would kill, I would sacrifice my brother's first-born child, I would sacrifice my brother, in order to get my hands on a copy of this novel as soon as she's done with it. Ooooooh book!
There's also apparently been -good- offers to make a film version of, of all things, Black Maria. Or, at least, Diana says it seems likely that this film will actually get made as opposed to . . . every other film offer she's been offered, I suppose. I wonder if the miniseries of Archer's Goon is being taken into account? -Anyways-, is anyone else having a fiendishly difficult time imagining what a movie version of Black Maria would be like? I mean, it's practically a horror novel, only it isn't, and when I read it I could barely put it down. I felt like I was going to throw up almost constantly. I still do, thinking back to it. That's why I haven't worked up the nerve yet to reread it. But can you -imagine- what it would be like? Christ . . . I almost don't want to happen. If it was done right, I'm certain I'd have nightmares for a month after seeing it. But oh . . . for Diana to gain a fraction of that richly deserved popularity. To see . . . everything, brought to life on the screen . . .
I think I'd commit murder if I thought it would get me what I want faster, in the perfect way.
I feel all tingly.
12/12/2001 07:46:56 PM
Somedays I just want to die. And I think that's the key way to surviving and continuing living, bceause letting someone die who wants to die is just too nice.
But I don't want to die anymore.
Diplomatic Immunity is coming out in May, 2002.
The next Vorkosigan novel. I salivate in eager anticipation and hope like hell that Aral or Cordelia won't be killed to ensure maximum Miles-angst now that he's actually -happy-.
Please excuse me. I have to salivate in anticipation.
12/11/2001 02:49:23 PM
I love physics. Today, during physics, we got to play with the static ball. You know, the great big metal ball that you touch and it makes your hair stand on end? We played with that. I went first. For those who don't know, my hair is down to my knees. It's very thick and tends to be static incarnate during the winter. I took it out of it's braid, touched the ball, and my hair went everwhere. A (not so) unfortunate boy happened to be sitting a few feet away from the static ball. And got touched by a piece of my hair and was quite thoroughly shocked. Hehe. I feel powerful.
But now my hair is a thorough and utter mess. ~sighs~ I'm going to go have a sauna and shower and rebraid it, I think. Blagh.
12/11/2001 06:54:19 AM
You know, authors who indulge in large amounts of blatant punning deserve to be shot as a general rule. Particularly when they use it to such a bizarre extent when naming people. Those poor, poor writer's of Harry's textbooks . . .
I don't make snarky comments? Well, now I feel crushed and useless. Nay, I feel inferior! Impotent! Perhaps I should just sit, silently, as you type . . . and type . . . and type . . .
And the apperance from someone I'm assured is Draco Malfoy just goes to proove that you can't be rich (or at least, know your rich) and be a nice person.
In much happier news, I got to see Hush!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~sparkles~ Hush being one of the best and coolest episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not only does it introduce the lesbian witch Tara (who, unlike most fans, I actually like), but it's just all around damn good. Especially Giles' slide show presentation. ~giggles helplessly~
12/10/2001 07:08:22 PM
Bweeeeeeeee!!!! Hush is on tonight! Hush! Hush! Hush!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm done now.
12/10/2001 04:36:56 PM
You and you should be ashamed of yourselves! Honestly! ~sulks~ I have not been converted to Harry Potter. I read it with my scalple in hand, prepared to slice it to little tiny bits and make snarky comments. And if you get help finding that fic, it doesn't count. ~sulks even more~
12/10/2001 12:11:09 PM
I like Hagrid.
Yes, I genuinely like something about Harry Potter. And it's Hagrid. Why? Because he reminds me of the Friendly Giant.
Readers: . . .
Right, you bunch of Non-Canadians you. The Friendly Giant was a kids tv show running from the fifties until, um, just recently. And then the Friendly Giant died. So now there isn't any more Friendly Giant, except for repeats. The Friendly Giant was kind of like Mister Rogers only . . . good. There was pretty music (like, harp and flute stuff, not those crappy kiddie songs) and handpuppets and the Friendly Giant would read stories and things. It was a very sweet show. I watched it when I was little, and my mom watched it when she was little, and there was goodness. It was just a nice show, and I was sad when I heard on the news that the Friendly Giant had died.
So . . . yes. I like Hagrid because he reminds me of the Friendly Giant.
But Friendly would never try and turn a little boy into a pig.
12/10/2001 11:53:29 AM
We're done chapter four now. ^_^
12/10/2001 11:51:40 AM
Why Bell-sama! You make it sound like you don't -appreciate- my evil thoughts! I'm so hurt! You ask and I give! Isn't that a -good- thing? ~pouts~
I just like Terada, really. And I am most definitely sure that Rika-chan would go off to join Sakura-chan and Tomoyo-chan. Why stop there! Let Chiharu get in on the fun and Yamazaki and Eriol can team up to torment/seduce Syaoran while Terada watches!
Other wrongness?
Fruits Basket - AkitoxMomiji, AkitoxShigure (it's wrong even if it is vaguely canonical), AkitoxKyou, AkitoxKisaxHiro . . . MomijixKyou, MomijixShigure . . . MomijixAnyonebutKisa, pretty much.
Oh oh oh! I have ones for X too! ~preens~ KusanagixYuzurihaxSeishirou! No, really, I had it all worked out in my head, it could make perfect sense in a vague alternative universe setting . . .
I think now is a good time to run.
12/9/2001 01:22:36 PM
Whee! My little mini-rants are sparking thoughts! ~sparkles softly~
Now, just to make this absolutely clear, I have not read all of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I do have preconcieved notions of the book, of a highly negative nature. And I don't deny it. I am not trying to create a huge generalization, everything that follows is merely a collection of thoughts based on what I have read up to this point.
I have now read chapters two and three and, I will admit, the book does improve. Still don't think it's that good though, but I'm willing to give it a chance.
I will, however, argue over the minorness of the Dursleys. Not that they're minor characters, because I'm quite sure they are. But just because a character's minor doesn't mean they aren't important, right? If Harry's been living with these people for pretty much his entire life, who they are should have some effect on who he is. He's lived his entire life seeing the world like this and being treated like that, which is because of the Dursleys, which makes them, mm, important minor characters. They're minor, but they should be of some importance in the fact that Harry's personality should be a direct result of their raising him. Which, I suppose, could have either a positive or a negative effect. Since he's the main character, it'll be positive, but . . . I suppose it just irks me a bit, since there's no reason they couldn't be slightly more well-rounded and are, in their way, important.
I've never been fond of caricature. To me, it tends to be simply another word for stereotype. Admittedly, it can be used to an authors advantage, but only if it's turned on it's head. As for Roald Dahl, it's been ages since I've read anything by him, and I had mixed feelings on it when I did, back in The Day.
I dislike Star Wars. Ah well. I suppose you're right, I can't judge Harry Potter for not following the normal life pattern of children's fantasy. But I can still be sulky, since I think the book would appeal to me more if it had just cut out the chapter.
I would kill for a fully annotated DWJ. Particularly for The Ogre Downstairs, Archer's Goon, and Fire and Hemlock. Alas, it's not to be, and I must try to decipher such things on my own, which is more trying that grasping the symbolism of Utena.
Now, onto less ranty and dangerous topics! Shigure and Akito!
Sadly, one of the few things the Fruits Basket anime seems to have cut out is the odd little scenes between Shigure and Akito, particularly the one during the Valentine's day episode. It's my belief that Shigure is actually manipulating Akito, may be in love with him, and is the real power in the Sohma family. I think he may be smitten with Akito, but is nevertheless using him to further his plan, which is most probably riding the Sohmas of their curse. I doubt that's something Akito would be too keen on, since it appears that's what lets him maintain his control over the clan. I think one of the reasons Shigure wants the curse eliminated is it would allow Yuki to become genuinely involved with Tohru, who is the most likely person to "cure" all the Sohmas. If Yuki isn't hampered by the curse, he is less under Akito's thumb, can probably go out on his own life, and in general, be his own person. Leaving Akito Yuki-less. Which, if Shigure is in love with him (he calls Akito his "most important person"), would definitely be something Good and Happy from Shigure's point of view.
Of course, who knows. It's all a Great Mystery(tm).
12/9/2001 09:51:49 AM
This is why I've semi-broken my Harry Potter boycott. It's the sadist in me. I wonder if you'll keep going for the entire book, dear. ~muses~
12/9/2001 09:49:15 AM
~throws around confetti and other happy sparkly things~
