Stories We Tell Ourselves

Little Rupert Grint

2009-07-22T21:12:00.004-04:00

You know we love our little Rupert here at Stories We Tell Ourselves, so when I saw this photo from the LA Times I knew I had to share it with our beloved readers. (It even took me out of my blog post absence, from February, oh my!) It was taken the day Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint first met.

Enjoy.

This does raise a few questions for me. What are they talking about, if they are talking at all. And what are they looking at? Have you seen the latest Harry Potter movie? (Full disclosure: I haven't) They are so small!

An Open Letter

2009-02-16T23:43:00.001-05:00

Dear Historians who were Surveyed,

Truman, really? Bitch, please.

Love,
Charlotte

2009-02-13T17:39:00.003-05:00

Been a bit of an epic fail at updating, hasn't it?

But then, Charlotte and I are both full time college students and in the midst of writing final papers last semester, blog posts definitely aren't high up on the list of ways to procrastinate (well, for me at least). Too much like writing my stupid papers.

So it's a new year and a new semester. And I have still more sweet youtube videos to share.

This, we watched in one of my classes on Tuesday. I've been linking it left and right because it's amazing. Turns out one of my bulletproof kinks is clever reappropriation of texts to create cultural commentary. I should have realized this sooner.

This is just adorable. Gayness and fairy tales, what more could you ask for (except for glitter and Rupert Grint!)?

This still makes me laugh, mostly because I recognize myself and people I know in this. It'll probably entertain you even if you're not a queer woman because That's What She Said are that brilliant.

I wish I could say there was more of a theme to this post, but really, it's just that I've been a bad blogger and these are my most recently favorited YouTube videos.

Oh, and someone I read linked to this and it alternately amuses and horrifies me. Why are romance novels so awful? And why is there a romance novel generator that's even more Mary Suetastic than usual?

Things like that make me really, really glad I read feminist and queer theory on a regular basis (yes, I know Janice Radway wrote about romance novels in the 80s and as someone who studies pop culture I have to accept that they have just as much worth as Buffy or Dollhouse (which premiers tonight and I'm super excited about it) but I still don't like romance novels) to help balance out the ~~banality~~ ~~horror~~ ~~inanity~~ ~~utter crap~~ existence of things like romance novel "plot" generators. This is a really great essay about what feminism is and everyone should read it. Even people who write terrible self-insert romance novels. Because you know what? They can be feminists too.

Off my elitist and feminist soapbox now. I need to find out if Lux (who's "abroad" learning nifty stuff about radio documentaries this semester) is going to be online when Dollhouse starts so we can be fangirls together.

Wasting time

2008-11-24T09:40:00.012-05:00

Sorry it's been such a long time since the last update! I was stage managing and costuming a show and Charlotte's classes are insane, and now final papers are upon us. There is not nearly enough time to do much beyond classwork and researching paper topics, though a dear friend of ours recently started what amounts to a virtual secret club house (i.e. an approval-only message board) and that's been occupying some of our "spare" time.

In order to keep my spirits up in these dark days of almost-winter and final paper hell, I've been listening to bad pop music and stuff that makes me want to dance, as well as watching youtube videos. Here are a few of my favorites:

Leeds United is the new video from Amanda Palmer. Before I go into detail about why I love this video, you need to know two things about me.

One: I adore cabaret culture/aesthetic and if I had any performance talent, I would totally become part of the neo-cabaret/burlesque movement. Since I can't actually perform worth crap, I totally want to tech or stage manage at a venue where there is neo-cabaret.

Two: I love the Dresden Dolls. I think they're amazingly talented performers and I love the lyrics and videos and their attitude towards fans and pretty much everything about them. I have the hugest crush on Amanda. I think she's one of the most talented female performers out there, she's funny, and smart, and oh my god is she hot.

So, I was really excited about her solo album and when I have money, I am buying it. I'm also really excited about the book because it involves Amanda and Neil Gaiman and that's about the best collaboration ever (it could only be improved by Colleen Atwood's costumes and Racheal Stirling. And possibly Johnny Depp). So now, you combine Amanda Palmer and her Brechtian punk cabaret sensibilities with a video that's this beautiful mesh of old-school nightclub and the Brigade and people in amazing clothes and Amanda Fucking Palmer, well, I pretty much have to restrain myself from getting up and bouncing around a bit, as I am at work and even here that would look a bit strange.

Charlotte introduced me to Kate Beaton comics earlier this year. I proceeded to watch Kate's lj because I am a stalker like that. It paid off. A few days ago, Kate linked to one of the most amazing music videos I've ever seen. I'm not a hug fan of the song, it's all right. Very heartfelt. Slightly stalkerish. I'm a much bigger fan of the video, which is sort of set in the Regency Period (note that I am also a huge Jane Austen fangirl). I don't think anything else needs to be said, it's sort of amazing (but not quite as amazing as Leeds United).

Also, these are my two favorite Kate Beaton comics:

(Click the poorly made thumbnails)

And finally, we come to one of the most disturbing, hilarious, and accurate Utena AMVs I have ever seen:

Special bonus video I just came across on facebook, so I don't know how many of you will be able to watch it. It's a minute long clip from the curtain call of the sequel to a show I stage managed two summers ago. So I had nothing to do with this particular show, but it's still wonderful and silly.

Barack the Vote

2008-11-04T13:39:00.005-05:00

It is November 4 that means one very important things for those living in the U.S.A. It is Election Day! It is impossible to escape, especially this year when it is so important to so many people, including myself. I have been an ardent supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, I even voted for him in the primaries (after a lot of inner debate to choose between him and Sen. Clinton.) I take my right to vote very seriously, and despite all of the terrible things that occur to try and thwart voters, it is important to press on and not give up. We have to believe fervently that our voice counts, even if it isn't always heard, because that is the foundation on which a fair government is found. Participation in government is key even when they try to force us out and hide their real activities, because otherwise we allow corruption to run rampant as evidenced by this current administration. Transparency is important but it will only happen if we demand it. Its interesting how since Nixon and Watergate, and more recently, the debacle of the 2000 election, Americans have lost faith in the democratic process and therefore do not vote, but the only way to fix it is to continue to vote, stay determined and steadfast in your right to cast a ballot.

But I digress, there is something electric about this election. It feels to me that there is something in the air...dare I say...hope? That we are leaving a dark time of history and entering a period in which America can heal herself. That is at least what I am looking forward to.

Here are some excellent Election Day links:

A Look Back: http://thisfuckingelection.com/ (hasn't this been a little ridiculous?)

Election Updates/Resources:
NPR: http://www.npr.org/#/president?view=race08
PBS: http://www.pbs.org/vote2008/?campaign=election_module_news_headline
New York Times: http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/votes.html
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7693060.stm
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/index.html
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18970417

Projections Done Right: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

Lighter Side of the Election:
Indecision 2008: http://www.indecision2008.com/

Now, go Vote! Then take a rest, you, the candidates, and America all need one. (But make sure you vote first!)

The Last Gasp of Summer: A Musical Monday

2008-10-27T14:29:00.017-04:00

I live in an area of incredibly unpredictable weather, especially in the autumn. Mother Nature is fickle in this part of the world, she cannot decide when to bring autumn to its colorful climax, or when to begin winter. One morning you can wake up to your car covered in frost and the next afternoon you can be wearing a t-shirt and watching a few late flowers blooming. Today seems like it will be the last final breath of summer for a while, I could be wrong, but pretty soon it will be getting cold here and we will begin to wonder when snow days will be rescuing us from a day of normal routine.

To honor this beautiful afternoon, perhaps the last in a great while, I felt it would be best to reminisce on the summer and as Ryan North has pointed out the best way to do this is to listen to the music of that time:

Therefore, I am going to share the Soundtrack of My Summer, to hark back to the memories of sunshine and bumblebees. (note: these are not songs that necessarily came out this summer, but just one that I happened to listen to a lot and therefore represent my summer.)

1. Cat's Meow-- The Bad Eliots

I first heard this song on a Snapple Antioxidant commercial (late at night) and knew immediately, despite being almost barely audible in the commercial. I must find out what it was called and who sang it, at first I thought perhaps it was Franz Ferdinand. And it took awhile, especially since the commercial was new, but I eventually found my answer on Yahoo! Answers. (a brilliant feature, I must say.) I was thrilled when I found it. It appears to still be available via the Snapple Antioxidant website, so do yourself a favor and download it.

2. Viva la Vida--Coldplay

This could arguably be the song of the summer. It was difficult to escape, but I didn't necessarily want to either. Every morning this is the song I would use to start off my work day, it would get me energized and ready to get down to business. Not only that but I did have the unbelievable fortune to see Coldplay live this summer and it was fantastic. Chris Martin has an unending fountain of energy.

3. Lucid Dreams-- Franz Ferdinand

You may remember me discussing this song previously.

4. I Will Possess Your Heart--Death Cab for Cutie

I adore Death Cab for Cutie, and if I had written a soundtrack for Summer 2007, perhaps the entirety of Transatlanticism and Plans would have been on there, I did not stop listening to those albums as I traveled on the trains of Europe. Therefore, to learn that they had new music coming out was incredibly exciting to me, but believe it or not I haven't actually bought Narrow Stairs yet (hint, hint) due to a lack of funds. (darn you Wii you wily temptress.) But I do have a download of I Will Possess Your Heart, it is an epic eight and a half minute song which I love listening to, even though it does have a disturbing subject matter. (For those who do not know, it is supposedly about a stalker.)

5. I'm Shakin'--Rooney

I have loved this song since I first heard it when it was released in 2003. But I rediscovered my love for Rooney it this summer via the fabulous Last.fm. Therefore, not only does it remind me of the summer, but in many ways I am reminded of high school, but the good days, when I felt free. "I'm Shakin'" just makes me want to get up and dance whenever I hear it and hope you feel the same way. (I really wanted to embed the music video, but I am forbidden by Universal Music Group, so I am providing a link.)

6. Stuttering--Ben's Brother

This is another I discovered via a commercial, (there is another on the list) this time a Dentyne Ice commerical:

This ad was very simple and sweet to me. And looking at the other songs on this list, I see one about a king who lost his kingdom, a stalker, one possibly about going delirious and one about trying to connect with the world. But "Stuttering" is a simple song about nervously falling in love. See I can be sentimental too.

7. Hit the Heartbrakes--Black Kids

Like all Black Kids songs, this is incredibly catchy. I can listen to this over and over again. It is not my favorite song by them, that position is reserved for "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" for which my love runs so deep that I could dedicate a whole post just to that one song. But I digress, I chose "Hit the Heartbrakes" for this list because I don't think it ever left the recesses in my head all summer. In quiet moments I would sit there and then suddenly I would hear "Oh, boo, what can I do?/It's not me, yeah, it's you./You've been hittin' the heartbrakes hard/ It ain't no use cause we're still gonna crash,/cause you're keeping after me./It's flattering, but really!" What a simple song, but oh so infectious.

How I wish I could have gone to Coachella...

8. Violet Hill--Coldplay

I probably put two Coldplay songs on here, but the album Viva la Vida was such an achievement that I want to put the entire album as a summer playlist. But I chose "Violet Hill" as my second one, because it was the song I went to right after I felt I had listened to "Viva la Vida" a bit too many times. Plus, "Violet Hill" could probably double as a winter song. And a war song.

9. Modern Way--Kaiser Chiefs

I found a love for the Kaiser Chiefs this summer that I never knew I had. They probably come second to Coldplay for artist of the summer for me. I actually had free choice plays privileges of the Kaiser Chiefs taken away from me on Last.fm because I played them too much. (but now they have released a new album, Off With Their Heads) Although "Modern Way" is not my favorite Kaiser Chiefs song, it is the most evocative of summer for me for some reason I can't explain. I think it might be because when I hear it I know its the Kaiser Chiefs immediately, there is no way to replace them. Plus, it has an excellent music video:

10. Shut Up and Let Me Go--The Ting Tings

This is the other song I found through a commercial, this time for an ipod, so at least it is connected to music. It is another song that just won't leave my head after I hear it. This should be an interesting few days after making this list! Once again embedding disabled.

11. Remind Me--Royksopp

That's right this one goes to 11. I couldn't let this list completely neglect all non-UK/American music. So last, but certainly not least, is Norwegian band Royksopp. This song was most appropriate in my quiet moments in the summer, when I just needed to reflect and lose myself in my thoughts.

Bonus!

I certainly didn't discover my love for The Decemberists this summer, oh no that is a deep and abiding love that has spanned many years. But I did discover their great music videos and they provided much entertainment during work hours:

Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

16 Military Wives

O! Valencia (Director's Cut)

Not in the Bubble

2008-10-20T22:49:00.006-04:00

Its strange how in an idyllic setting such as college you can be simultaneously more tuned into the world as you have ever been, and more checked out than ever. Even at my considerably politically active school, if you were to ignore the media (which I have known students who have) and stop paying attention to your more informed friends you could easily lose yourself in your studies, social life and the serene scenery that surrounds the campus. Although, it seems difficult, college can create a bubble in which you forget that the outside world is in great turmoil. I came to this realization my first year, when on a particularly beautiful day my International Relations class went outside to have our seminar. It happened to be the day we were discussing oil and the war on terror. And as we discussed these very real, very dangerous issues, I suddenly felt disconnected. My countryfolk were off fighting a war a continent away and we were extrapolating upon it we were surrounded by a field with flowers, trees, and mountains. The only sounds were of passing buses and insects celebrating the dawn of spring. It was easy to forget that we are a nation at war.

Politics are important to me, but I usually like to blog about lighter things. But with two weeks to go until the election, I felt I couldn't hold it in any longer. After reading stories like this or this. I worry what direction my country will take with the next president. Of course there is no way to predict the future, but by voting it is the one way democratic societies can try to shape their future.

My personal choice is to vote for Barack Obama, when I came to this decision it was when he was still in the primaries. I choose him because in my entire life, being born at the end of the Reagan administration, I cannot recall a presidental candidate who had the ability to inspire people the way Obama can. I have seen people settle for the lesser of two evils, watched people vote for those they felt didn't make the bigger mistake, but I have never seen anyone inspire true believers the way he does, even in an era of extreme political cyncism.

Other political issues weighing on my mind as I consider the next two weeks are Question 1 in Massachusetts and Proposition 8 in California.

Massachusetts, my state of residence, is considering eliminating the income tax, which in my opinion is incredibly irresponsible and reflect a system of values in which the individual sees his or her own personal benefit greater than the better for the entire community. People either do not realize how adversely this affects all the public works in the state or they do not care and see such things as road repair, educational systems, and police departments as government "pork." Granted, works like the Big Dig were a calamity and should have been handled far more responsibly than it had, but that does not mean that all public works will turn out badly. Hopefully, it will be a resounding NO and we will continue to work to keep up our state with quality services.

California, where I cannot vote, however it is not looking as hopeful. Proposition 8 which would eliminate the right for same-sex couples to marry in California. I know that there are really pressing issues in this election year that social issues such as same-sex marriage seem somehow less important, but what of all those people whoa re now married and will lose all their benefits if this passes. This creates a society in which homosexual love is devalued, that they are told they are less than. And second-class citizenry is not a position America should aspire to put anyone. There is a large battle going on in California right now over it, with celebrities such as Ellen, Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt all donating money and throwing in their efforts to stop it.

In case anyone is looking to support the effort to stop the ban I would like to direct you to the "8 Against 8" campaign a group of lesbian bloggers, who is collecting money for the cause and offering free advertising and other benefits to those who donate. The participating blogs are:

Grace Chu and Grace Rosen - Grace The Spot
Lori Hahn - Hahn At Home
Kelly Leszczynski - The Lesbian Lifestyle
Dorothy Snarker - Dorothy Surrenders
Pam Spaulding - Pam's House Blend
Sinclair - Sugarbutch Chronicles
Riese - This Girl Called Automatic Win
Renee Gannon - Lesbiatopia

So support these fine ladies, and please make sure you vote. And be sure to be informed on the issues when you come to your decision, because every vote should be because you think it will be the best for the future. Stay informed and show people that you are not in a bubble, but a citizen of America, and the wider world.

A very special update written by Charlotte AND Alice

2008-10-17T21:48:00.008-04:00

I realize that Charlotte, Monet, and I have been terrible bloggers. We've been very busy with classes and I'm stage managing and costuming a show and Monet has been hanging out with Buddha and contemplating the universe (he does this a lot).

We've been so busy that, despite rooming together, Charlotte and I have barely seen each other in something like two weeks. Right now she's editing a paper and working on an annotated bibliography and we've decided that once she's done, we need to do something fun.

We've decided that watching a movie is in order and I said it has to be a comedy and Charlotte wants something gay and then I realized this would be a perfect blog post.

So, here's a list of things Charlotte and I love to see in movies with our arbitrary points for each item. Obviously, the more points, the more we like it.

Comedy (+15): We like to laugh and it's a nice distraction from the stress of final papers (yes, we're already thinking about these and doing research because that's how space station college works).

Gay characters (+5 for Charlotte, -3 to +6 for Alice, depending on the portrayal): Since I'm queer and Charlotte loves fabulousness, we're all about GBLTQ characters. No heteronormative dilweeds allowed!

Drag queens (+10): Drag queens are fabulous. End of story. Unless it's Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. We're still trying to decide about how we feel about that film.

Drag kings (+50): There need to be more drag kings in the world. And uh, gender play is hot. Just sayin'.

Fabulousness (+1 to 100, depending): Does this need justification?

Glitter: See above

Pop culture references (but not too many because then it gets annoying!)(-7 to +8): There's a fine line between a sweet reference that makes things funnier and lamesauce.

David Bowie! (+9, though if it's unexpected, +20): Labyrinth. Need I say more? He combines kinda gay with glitter and fabulousness. Even post glam and the 80s.

Historical references (+6): Kate Beaton comics FTW. Also, who doesn't like being smart?

Knowing historical anachronisms (opposed to just fucking things up because you didn't do the research)(+13): See A Knight's Tale for an example of something awesomly anarchronistic.

Bad history and poor researching (-20 zillion points): See The Patriot. Guest comments by Charlotte:

Tomahawk Scene. omg. Guerrilla warfare in the American Revolution was not fought like this, it would be fought with more than one man and it would not be him just popping out from behind trees. It was "guerrilla warfare" because they didn't really have formation like the British and they would hide behind landforms etc to fight instead of lining up while wearing bright colors and firing in the open like the British. Linking this to guerrilla warfare became popular during the Vietnam war, but it was actually very different.

Also, this is the second movie we have listed with Heath Ledger in it.

Good soundtracks (+5 by default, up to +25): There are so many to choose from! Here are some of Charlotte, Monet, and my favorites:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Kidnap the Sandy Claus)
Cabaret (Two Ladies)
Once (Falling Slowly)
The Darjeeling Limited (Les Champs-Élysées)
Pirates of the Carribbean (He's a Pirate remix)
Buffy (Rest in Peace)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (The Steward of Gondor)
Kill Bill (The Grand Duel)
O Brother Where Art Thou (I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow)
Paprika (The Girl in Byakkoya)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (The Marvelous Marriage)
The Tango Lesson (I Am You)
Utena (Overture, Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku, and Nemuro Kinenkan)

Fantastic costume design (+6 minimum): Colleen Atwood is love.

Sweet special effects and stunts (+4): Let's talk about Pirates of the Carribbean and how freaking awesome it looks (most of the time). Case in point: Jack Sparrow, Norrington, and Will Turner fight for the key to the Dead Man's Chest.

Awesome battles that make sense in the context of the movie (+8): A.k.a The Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers.

Stylish glasses (+3): Tina Fey!

Tim Burton (+50 automatically): The man's a genius, what can we say?

Clever writing (+9): Insert something clever _here_

Solid plotlines (+23.7): We like plot. Stories where things happen-and they mostly make sense-are pretty awesome in our opinion and sadly lacking.

British accents (-2 to +7): Accents are awesome and classy like Rupert Grint! when they're done well. When they're done badly, well, there's a reason why Dick Van Dyck still gets mocked for Mary Poppins.

Musical numbers: How can you not love them? Here are some of our favorites: I'm Rather Shy from Tipping the Velvet, Zidler's Rap from Moulin Rouge, A scene from Pin Up Girl which is one of the best musicals ever, By the Sea from Sweeney Todd, Amada Palmer's cover of Mein Herr, I'll Make A Man Out of You from the best Disney movie ever Mulan!, Guy Love from Scrubs, the opening to the Utena video game, and, from Flight of the Conchords: Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring

Classiness`(+1 for each instance): Classiness improves everything (just like Rupert Grint!)

Pretty people (+1 to +35, depending): For example, Figwit. Figwit stands for "Frodo is great! Who is that?" And Helena Bonham Carter. And Juri. And Erin Cummings.

Good acting (unless it's deliberately bad in which it's ok) (+7): Things without Keanu Reeves.

Overwrought slow motion sequences (good or bad, depends on context) (+ or -2.8): How can you not love these when they're awesome or despise them when they're not?

Montages (especially training!) (+ 3 if they're good, -11 if they're crap): Montages are almost always entertaining. Here are some of our favorites:

Rocky I
Rocky IV
The Lion King
Buffy
Dirty Dancing
Mulan

Tap dancing (especially up the stairs!) (+14): Tap dancing is always awesome. Stormy Weather has what's probably the greatest tap dancing scene that will ever be filmed.

Awesome trailers (+39): Watchmen and Bitch Slap!

Just so you all know, Charlotte and I started this around 10pm with the intention of writing some stuff and watching a movie. It's now 2:30 in the morning. This is how much we love our readers-we'll spend 4.5 hours tracking down youtube videos, images, and uploading mp3s for you.

ETA: I'm aware that a lot of the mp3 links don't work. I'm going to try and sort that out after I get some sleep.

Chef Charlotte Serves Up Ideas

2008-09-23T13:30:00.002-04:00

Remember me, Charlotte? I have been an awful, terrible, no-good blogger recently. Leaving all you darling readers at the edge of your seats wondering where I have been all these weeks past. Well I have been very busy between many obligations. So I apologize, it by no means is supposed to make you believe that you, dearest readers are at the bottom of my priorities it is merely that you are more understanding than those I come in contact with on a regular basis. Those who give me assignments and deadlines, those are the ones to blame. You are the ones who I want to come home to and unwind with, have a nice cup of tea and chat about our days, the weather and current events. Yes, that is what I intend to do and I will certainly try to stick with it. I am certainly going to keep my beloved Wii Wednesdays and am working my hardest to go back to normal daily blogging, we shall see how this goes.

On top of all of my deadlines and assignments, I have also been learning to cook! It is a very exciting prospect. Tuesday nights are when I make dinner for those I live with, because I adore them all so. I was thinking mayhaps then that on Tuesdays I discuss a bit about food. This is more of Lux's area and we were going to start a vehicle to discuss our culinary pursuits but until that happens, I will use this space to discuss it.

Thus far the meals I have made for our groups dinners have been: vegetable frittata, pasta with walnuts and fiesta corn casserole. Both the walnut pasta and the fiesta corn casserole required immense substitution on my part, partially because I didn't have half the ingredients required and partially because I am a vegetarian and some called for meat.

So here are some common tips and tricks I used to substitute for things I lacked:

-- The fiesta corn casserole called for sour cream, and we were fresh out. Luckily, we did have plain yogurt. Which when baked in with everything else essentially tasted the same and served the same purpose.

--For the fiesta corn casserole, we didn't have fiesta corn! We only had regular canned corn, so I used that corn and added a few spices to give it a zing.

-- Instead of all-purpose white flour we had whole grain wheat flour. The difference between them from the trusty source of Wikipedia is the process and parts of the wheat that is used. In all-purpose only the endosperm is used but in whole wheat multigrain, it has "has been sprouted back into a living plant and then dried prior to milling." Substituting it made very little difference except for the color. The brownish color of the wheat was evident even in the finished casserole.

As far as vegetarianism goes, in the fiesta corn casserole had called for beef, but I ground up Boca Burgers and used those. My only issue with those is that I generally find them a bit too chewy and so I prefer Morningstar MealStarters when I can get them. On the burger front I also like Gardenburger better than Boca Burger, but they have their merits. From what I understand, Boca Burgers in particular are popular with those on Weight Watchers. Because they are healthy, cost lower points than real beef, and taste pretty good.

Well that's all the food talk I have for now, perhaps I'll become an excellent chef so when I get home, I can fix a scrumptious dinner to go with our deep conversations.

Links!

2008-09-17T10:48:00.006-04:00

First, I need to tell you all that I lost the game.

The reason I just lost is because I was looking at my list of future posts from about a month ago and one of the topics is Geopolitics: The Game (which has nothing to do with the game, but it pretty awesome). I am not going to blog about Geopolitics just yet, as Charlotte and I are still making up the rules and figuring out game play. But it was inspired by a Cat and Girl comic.

Really, this all serves as an excellent introduction to today's blog post: What Our Links Are And Why You Should Check Them Out.

First, the blogroll is full of awesome people Charlotte and I either know or admire or both. So you should read them.

The rundown:

AfterEllen is the site for queer women in the media. Want an L word or South of Nowhere recap? Lists of top ten butches? Interviews with awesome lesbian or bi authors? Kickass vlog with Julie Goldman or someone equally awesome? Go to AfterEllen.

Alice's DA gallery is fairly self-explanatory. I draw and occasionally scan stuff and post it. Once I get some laptop problems sorted out and master my shiney new tablet I will probably be posting more art. Right now it's a bunch of older sketches and some sweet costume designs from one of my [high school] senior projects and some redesigns for my portfolio. But it's still worth checking out.

Cat and Girl is pretty much my favorite webcomic. Lux and Charlotte also read it and agree with me that it's pretty awesome. It's a difficult comic to archive binge on because it tends to be so cynical/obscure/intellectual that sometimes it's just too much. Well, according to Charlotte at least. I read through the entire archive in about 48 hours and loved it all. Well, except for the handful of comics where I didn't get the joke. That happens sometimes.

Empty Movement is, in our opinion, the best Revolutionary Girl Utena fansite. It has transcriptions of all 39 scripts, a really great analysis section, a bunch of fanfic (including a defunct archive) and hands down the single best image gallery. It wins at life. In case neither of us have mentioned it yet, we're both huge Revolutionary Girl Utena fangirls. I heard about the series years ago and got to watch it for the first time in December 07 (as I was writing a final paper on the series, in fact). I got Charlotte to start watching it with me in January or February and we finished it (and the movie which is so trippy) in mid-May after finals. We now have half a dozen AMV ideas, a few parody ideas, and an undying love of Juri who is badass and awesomeness incarnate.

Flight of the Conchords is a hilarious HBO series about New Zealand's "fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo." For that quote alone, you need to watch the first season. And the Bowie episode. And the xenophobia episode. And really, all of them. Go, watch it now. And check out the site.

Free Press and media reform are causes I care greatly about. It's not okay that most forms of media are owned by only an handful of companies. It's not okay the the FCC is regulating everything to hell. It's not okay that the internet is under attack, that the First Amendment is being ignored, that the quality of media is utter crap, that real issues are ignored. Free Press is one of my favorite sites that address these issues.

Free Rice is just about the best site ever. Build your vocab or increase your knowledge of one of half a dozen other subjects and help end world hunger. How on earth can you go wrong? Also, it gives me something to do at work I don't feel too guilty about.

I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space! is one of my favorite webcomics. Rosalarian is a great artist with interesting storylines (Yu+Me is her other webcomic and it takes a really interesting turn and I can't wait to find out what she's doing next). LPFOS is a rather amazing campy comic inspired by 50s lesbian pulp (if the name wasn't a clue). You should go read it.

Questionable Content If you aren't reading this already all I can ask you is why?

Slayage Online I am a major geek, as in I read academic papers for fun. This is an online journal of Buffy Studies. It wins at life because a) It's about Buffy b) it's an e-journal c) you don't need to go through a library to access it, unlike Project Muse. There's an amazing essay about Spike and camp and another about Drusilla and vampires/female sexuality and oh my god, so I love both of those essays. That's a post for later, though.

The Harry Potter Alliance Best. Activist. Group. Ever. Go now and be amazed and amused and inspired. And track down Rocking Out Against Voldemedia

The Harry Potter Lexicon Pretty much the bible for Harry Potter fans. I haven't been following the case, so I'm not sure if it's going to stay up, but it's a really helpful resource. I don't consider it a definitive guide (they do too much interpretation I don't agree with), but it's damn useful. ETA: it's still up as of 11/24/08, so it looks like even through Vander Ark lost, we won't be losing the Lexicon.

Theory.org.uk Dead useful site that goes over a lot of cultural/media studies theory in comprehensible language. So if you haven't read Butler or Derrida or Foucault, this is an wonderful starting place. And there's a lot of interesting stuff about Web 2.0 and new media and basically, this is one my favorite sites ever.

Thespiphobia Kick ass theatre webcomic. It's on hiatus right now, but that should be ending soonish and either way, the archives are so worth it.

TV Tropes Wiki This is an even bigger time waster than the regular wikipedia. I spend hours on this site. I want to write a paper about this, actually. It's a tongue-in-cheek wiki for tv cliché/tropes/characters/whatever. It's made of amazing. Almost as much amazing as Theory.org.uk

When Curiosity Met Insanity Alice/Mad Hatter comic/story based off the park characters. A bit hard to describe, but the art is wonderful and the storyline always makes me smile.

Wizrocklopedia So there's this thing called wizard rock. Bands made up of Harry Potter fans who write and perform songs from the perspective of/based on themes/about the Harry Potter series. It's a phenomena that fascinates me and some of the music is actually pretty good. This is a not-quite-definitive-but-amazingly-comprehensive guide to the bands. I linked to the main page, not the huge band list, but you'll find it easily enough. And that'll link you to bands' myspace pages and then you get to hear them. And it's ridiculous and fun and kind of awesome and a good way to kill some time.

Classes That Should Exist

2008-09-10T10:20:00.006-04:00

Fall is my favorite season. I can wear pretty much anything and be comfortable. When it rains, I get to break out awesome looking umbrellas as I walk across campus. Almost all of my friends and I are again in the same location. My birthday is in the fall. Office supplies are on sale. Classes start.

I like school. Well, no, that's not true, exactly. I like learning things. School happens to be one of the places where that's easier to do. I always get really excited about course selection in April and add/drop in September. You see, I have a tendency to sign up for classes that sound really awesome and then totally suck once I start them. I blame my major (and by "major" I mean self-designed concentration and the crazy people who teach things connected to it). I would like for course descriptions to match up to course content. I would also like for these classes to exist:

Critical Analysis of Harry Potter

In this hypothetical course, we would look at the folkloric and mythological influences of the text and its literary antecedents before examining its ideological basis and cultural impact on the United States and England. We'd have long discussions about fate and free will, the purpose of escapism in modern society, the impact of fandom, the Marxist interpretation of Harry Potter. how the series engages in all the "isms," we'd discuss the Harry Potter Alliance, and about 27.3 other nerdy things I (occasionally) write about in other places. I would totally write my final paper about how Tonks is quintessentially queer, seeing as she's between and outside so many binaries.

Theatre Management for Social Change

Here I would learn about arts management, and since this is a made up class, how to be a more effective stage manager. Also, I would learn more about socially conscious and activist theatre. Since I design and stage manage and I suspect I'll be helping open a theatre company at some point, we would discuss relevant issues and do awesome projects. My final project would be a combination of some design work, a mission statement for a theatre company, and stage managing a scene or one act one of my classmates wrote as their final project.

Why Japanese Pop Culture is Awesome and Totally Relevant to American Cultural Studies

Basically, we'd be examining the impact of anime on American pop culture. We'd also look at "global culture" and Japan's place in it. And we would examine American animation and comics that have arisen (arose?) in the wake of anime and manga's popularity in the U.S. As with the Harry Potter class, fandom would be totally relvant and we'd spend some time talking about cons, amvs, and fansites. I'd probably write another paper on Revolutionary Girl Utena and/or queerness or maybe Serial Experiments Lain in conjunction with The Matrix and Animatrix.

Fandom 101

Fandom studies. Because this class needs to exist. My final paper would be about how fandom and queerness-how people come to terms with their own and others orientation through fandom (it happens surprisingly often) and/or how queerness is and is not represented is fandom/fan works.

The Internet and Performativity: How Annonymity Shapes the Self

Someday, there might be a class that combines new media, internet studies, media studies, sociology, and ideas about the/a performative self (selves). Basically, we'd be looking at how the internet is helping to shape self conception. I would write an amazing paper about self represtation online (i.e. Facebook profiles and journal/blog layouts and profiles).

Sweet Photoshop Tricks And Digital Art For People Who Sort of Get It, But Kinda Fail At Making Photoshop Do What They Know It Can Do

I feel as though this course title is fairly self-explanitory. My final project would be a short comic or my favorite tarrot cards.

Tim Burton

We watch Tim Burton films. And analyze them. My final paper is on the art direction in Sweeney Todd.

British Pop Culture

Because really, who doesn't want to watch BBC mini-series, discuss how awesome Dame Maggie Smith is, listen to 90s Brit Pop, and gossip about Amy Winehouse? My final paper would be on BBC adaptations of Sarah Waters novels.

We're not dead

2008-08-31T12:52:00.006-04:00

Hello dear readers!

Charlotte, Monet and I have been very busy with moving back to college and orientation stuff. We moved in a week ago, but you wouldn't know it to look at our room-it's full of boxes and storage tubs and laundry bags full of clothes we haven't had time to unpack yet. We haven't even hung up our prized 40s-tastic pinup we bought earlier this summer at a sweet sidewalk sale.

Orientation ends tomorrow night and I have a few days off from work (thank whatever it is you believe in, the past month and half or so in the Housing Office have been very stressful), so hopefully we'll be able to finish putting our room together and post photos and tell you some of our amazing stories, like the Saga of the Stick, or how early No Doubt featured prominently in our soundtrack for this past week. Also, I suspect there will be an extra special Wii Wednesday, I might finally explain why you should check out all of our awesome links, and I'll begin railing against the patriarchy (let's talk about women who set the feminist movement back , heterosexism, and why I'm highly amused by the Twilight fangirls and the pro-abstinence-until-marriage stance the books take, since vampires fundamentally queer everything, and perhaps that's getitng into some pop culture analysis, but whatever.)

See you soon!

Artistic Combination

2008-08-21T10:46:00.007-04:00

Robin in the Style of Edward Gorey

With a name like Monet I am pre-conditioned to like art. I just wish I was more able to visit a museum to appreciate a Van Gogh or Chagall up close. Alas, I only have the internet galleries that Charlotte lets me browse. At least this technology allows such a thing, its fantastic that the Internet allows such options and although it is littered with awful things there are also those bright spots that showcase creativity, expand learning opportunities and allow people (and animals) to connect.

The Internet also allows us to discover new ideas that we may have never encountered. Recently, I discovered one of those websites. It is illustrator Carly Monardo's website Whirring Blender Weekly Design Challenge in which she takes "2 or 3 characters belonging to a particular property and redesign them to fit another property or artist's style." Thus far she has recreated Disney Princesses in the style of Hyung-Tae Kim, Batman and Robin in the style of Edward Gorey, and Excalibur in the style of Gary Baseman. This week she tackles Battle Chasers in the style of Osamu Tezuka and I look forward to the results. It allows us to think about characters we know in a different way. Its impressive that she can adapt other artist styles in such an impeccable way. She is definitely talented and is even an artist on one of Charlotte's favorite progams The Venture Brothers. So check it out!

Jasmine in the style of Hyung-tae Kim

Wii Wednesday: Blue Shell Edition

2008-08-20T12:38:00.006-04:00

I don't mean to beg but can someone please, please, please send me a copy of Mario Kart Wii, please? I have been a good blogger. I update when I can, I make Top 5 and Top 10 lists, and I don't annoy my fellow bloggers (too much.) Plus, I need a copy so that I can review it for what would be an excellent edition of Wii Wednesday full of rainbows, motorcycles, and Yoshis. Alas, until that day, I will talk about Mario Kart Wii by using only my knowledge of the earlier ones, specifically Double Dash!! and describe to you the reasons why you should get on purchasing a copy of Mario Kart Wii (plus one for me!)

(The fact that Peach looks amazing is a good enough reason.)

Since I haven't played Mario Kart Wii I hadn't been planning on discussing it today. But as I sat down to write this morning, with a can of soda and a bag of Cheetos (Dear Chester Cheetah, I have endorsed your product and all I ask for in return is a copy of Mario Kart Wii and another bag of Cheetos thrown in for good measure. -Charlotte) because like any good gamer knows Cheetos enhance the ability to concentrate and produce high scores, when I opened my email inbox this morning I had this message from Comradiki:

"so Klaus and I went to play Mario Kart while we were waiting. And in the first race I did, I was taking forever to remember how the controls work and get used to the track, so I was in like last place for the first two laps. Then, about halfway through the final lap, I got in my groove and got up to like 5th place, then, almost at the very end, pulled out a bullet and zoomed up to win the race by something insane like .3 seconds. In addition to being an amazing feat of Mario Kartdom, it totally reminded me of the Dale Jr. commercials that I keep hearing, where he talks about "playing possum" and then zooming up to pass people for the win. So I think that means I am the Dale Jr. of Mario Kart."

Well you know how we love Dale Jr. here so Comradiki convinced me that Mario Kart was on order for today's Wii Wednesday. (And now she is claiming to be our blog's most popular character so I guess I can listen to her for today.) And although I can only draw on my Double Dash!! knowledge and all the things I have read about Mario Kart Wii, I think I can construct a decent post about it. (I of course can get more in depth when I actually play the game.) Mario Kart Wii is of course different because it will feel like driving an actual car, insted of steering with the joystick which I think is a great feature and could only add to the excitement of the game.
Mario Kart is renowned for its fun, easy playability and its ability to anger players very, very quickly. With its use of items and emphasis on well known characters Mario Kart is very different from most racing games. In Mario Kart Wii there is also a host of new characters (Baby Peach, Funky Kong, Dry Bowser, Rosalina, Baby Daisy and user-created Miis, for those keeping count.) I know motorbikes are also now an option but I am not sure if there are any new items, not that there was anything wrong with the old ones, in fact they were quite useful as evidenced by Jeff Rowland.

Like I said Mario Kart can anger players quickly, when I play with Lux she goes through the swear dictionary so fast I think she should start inventing new ones. This aspect of the game I know has been commented on by even such brilliant minds as Randall Munroe. (I even got the hovertext to work!)

Despite this penchant to cause normally calm people to use copious amount of profanity, Mario Kart at its best brings the people together. Double Dash!! for example had people on the same team work together to make sure the steering and item usage were collaborative if the back player used an item at the wrong time or the driver moved the wrong way things could go terribly wrong. But they could get far ahead by working just right. And in Mario Kart Wii there is the new online feature which allows you to race with people all over the world! (you could even race me, if I had a copy...) And apparently where places reference it, it can bring different comics or a whole host of other things together. Therefore, Mario Kart builds community and is probably essential to any Wii collection. (If only mine could be so complete...please?)

The Olympics of Yore

2008-08-19T10:21:00.007-04:00

Wow! I hope you haven't been experiencing Charlotte withdrawal seeing as I haven't posted since last Wii Wednesday (which judging by comment length has been our most popular post yet.) I will try to do better in the future, but sometimes my job gets very taxing and actually hands me some responsibility to take care of.

So to finish off our Olympics celebration, because I think we all have other topics to tell stories about, defunct Olympic sports. There are very few sports that have been featured in all the modern Olympic games the only ones that have are: Athletics (Track and Field), Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics, and Swimming. All other events were canceled at some point or didn't start until after the 1896 games. Some of the events that have been held I think would still be entertaining to see and in the spirit of a blog I am going to countdown my top 5.

5. Rugby Union: Paris 1900, London 1908, Antwerp 1920, Paris 1924

Rugby remains a popular sport today and bids to bring it back to the Olympics appear every so often. In 1924, it even sold more tickets than the Athletics event. Its surprising then that it hasn't returned, the reasons given for its absence include the want for emphasis on individual sports and lack of British backing. Rugby is an intense sport and although I get lost whenever I watch it I must say that I really want it back so that I can the very dedicated Rugby fans, since the Olympics can be too girly.

4. Rackets: London 1908

This variation of squash was played only once in the Olympics when its home country hosted. The only participants were 7 British athletes, so of course they swept.

3. Roque: St. Louis 1904

This is another example of one country entering a sport in which only they know the rules, only this time it was the United States. Roque is an American variation of Croquet, most may know it from its role in The Shining. There aren't many low-key leisure sports in the Olympics anymore.

2. Basque Pelota: Paris 1900, Paris 1924, Mexico City 1968, Barcelona 1992 (demonstration)

I am frightened whenever I watch Basque Pelota. It is exciting to watch, but the noise that the ball makes as it smacks the wall makes me think that those athletes are quite brave. I also like watching sports that go back and forth really fast too, like tennis. Because it is tense for a few seconds but you can also see the oncoming result just before it happens. Therefore, I would plenty content settling down to watch a rousing bout of Basque Pelota for the gold, silver and bronze.

1. Tug of War: Paris 1900, St. Louis 1904, London 1908, Stockholm 1912, Antwerp 1920

Is there any other sport that could possibly embody the Olympics more? This event showed the struggle between two teams that had to work hard together to win. And teams could even be from mixed countries! Although it was designed to be entered by different clubs which meant that multiple teams from one country could enter and sweep, with some adjustments this event would be fun to watch.

Lest you think that the next Summer Olympics in London 2012 will be identical to this year's think again. The Committee has already voted to drop Softball and Baseball in the next Olympics. Which is a shame because I will certainly miss Vicky Galindo and Lauren Lappin.

Gels and Green Soda: The Truth Behind Our "2008 Summer Olympics Drinking Game" Photoshoot

2008-08-18T18:31:00.011-04:00

You know that photo of neon green soda I posted with the Olympics drinking game? Yeah, it's part of the reason why the drinking game didn't go live until about five minutes ago (despite being dated from last week).

Being mostly substance free, I knew I wanted to post a photo of something non-alcoholic that I (or Charlotte) might actually drink while playing the game. I also knew I wanted to use something ridiculous. Stop & Shop has all this store brand soda with crazy names and Lux loves the SunPop, which is supposed to be Mountain Dew, but it epically fails. For reasons that are fairly obvious, we've taken to calling it "Neon Green" and I thought it'd be a pretty silly/awesome thing to suggest. The problem is, we didn't have any in the house (for once) that I could photograph and Google failed us. So we had to wait until we went to Stop & Shop again.

Having procured the Neon Green (and mint crisp M&M's, which are delicious), we set about taking a photo.

Charlotte suggested putting Monet in the photo (and he consented) so then we had to find a place in our room that was cleared off enough for fish tank and soda (this is difficult). Then we discovered that Charlotte's missing something from her digital camera, so we were going to have to use her Macbook's built in camera to photograph Monet and the Neon Green. Given that we now had to light the scene with desk lamps (we don't have an overhead light in this room) and minimize glare, it occurred to me that we might as well light it properly.

So I busted out my gel* samples and a flashlight or three and we set lighting it semi-theatrically.

The goal was the empathize the neon green factor of the Neon Green and get that nifty "halo" background effect you can sometimes get from a drink near strong light. So I went through my green gels and tested them all with my flashlight on the ceiling to see what effects they'd create. We settled on two possible colors ( Supergel #388: Gaslight Green and either CalColor #4460: 60 Green or CalColor #4490: 90 Green) and then realized that we needed to back light and/or "uplight" Monet. After several attempts at making this work with a few desk lamps, two small flashlights, and one large-ish flashlight, I realized that the location was the problem.

One location change (and an epiphany about white paper capturing color better than wood and the discovery of a green plastic thing I could tape to one of my desk lamps that was acting as down light) we figured out how to light the scene. So we did. And we took the photo. The lovely subtle green on the wall is a mix of a CalColor gel and the strong green down light I rigged.

For future reference and suggestion to aspiring lighting designers: make sure you have a really powerful flashlight/lamp/whatever. Also, use the right kind of tape to splice gels and affix them to lights when you lack gel frames (not art tape-it doesn't have enough hold). Use proper gels whenever possible. Distance makes a difference and even on a small scale, you might need a frost or something to soften the light, especially if you're not using real theatrical light. Back lighting water is hard, don't do it unless you have to. It's totally possible to right lights and effects without "proper" equipment-it may be jank ass, but if it works, it works. I did an outdoor musical where we almost had to use car headlights and have our lighting designer (and probably me) literally wave the gels in front of the headlight and it would have been fine (actually, I will maintain for a long, long time that that would have been awesome and helped redeem our somewhat artistically bankrupt production, but that's a topic for my personal blog and not here).

My point is: you can do cool stuff with very little.

*Gels are thin sheets of colored polycarbonate or polyester that lighitng designers use to add/change/correct color in theatre, film, and photography. They're awesome and I was super excited to get some Roscolux gel swatches in the mail a couple weeks ago and I intend to buy (or steal some from my college) for my room/in general. Who doesn't want the option to make their room Broadway Pink or Emerald?

Men Treading Water

2008-08-14T10:00:00.003-04:00

Charlotte and Alice have been entranced by this big Olympic deal. They did claim Olympics week on this blog, although it seems yesterday they failed to deliver. Perhaps, today they will do better. Since I should contribute my thoughts every once in a while, it takes me longer to post because I have to keep tabs on the other two. It is the responsibility that comes with administrative powers, I don't suppose I need to remind you what Uncle Ben has to say on the topic. I have noticed that my roommates have been watching a lot of Olympics (especially Charlotte, that girl is excitable.) I have caught a glimpse here or there and have mostly liked what I have seen maybe because we watch a lot of aquatic sports.

Aquatic sports seem to be where most of the entertainment lies. Alice and Charlotte watched Men's Synchronized Diving last night and were immensely amused the entire time. They have also watched the Michael Phelps story unfold. The man who many call the Greatest Olympian for basically doing what I do all day long. The title Greatest Olympian is a hyperbole by the way. Phelps is clearly talented (for a human), obviously a positive inspiration, and at least he sounds modest about his wins, but the hype around him is extraordinary. This is of course not to take away from his accomplishments but to question the usage of the title "Greatest Olympian Ever."

The word Olympian is encompassing any of the athletes who participate in any of the events. Therefore, by calling Phelps the greatest Olympian, it is comparing him to the participants in all the other sports which by medal count is unfair. Swimming affords the opportunity to achieve 8 medals, whereas other events do not. A lot of the events are similiar, being only different styles of swimming. Short distance runners, for instance, do not have the oportunity to train for different styles of track events, because such events do not exist. Track isn't divided into, for example, running sprints and skipping sprints. The main distinction is between short or long distance. Plus, there are sports where only one gold is awarded such as Volleyball. Therefore, all those claiming that Phelps is the Greatest Olympian based on medal count alone is unfair to all the other Olympians, perhaps even toning it down to Greatest Olympic Swimmer would be more accurate. Phelps deserves the praise after all his hard work, but people should be more careful with thier words so as not to detract from the work of other Olympians as well.

2008 Summer Olympics Drinking Game!

2008-08-13T17:34:00.007-04:00

Charlotte and I both don't really drink, so we're going to play this with soda (neon green store brand soda is what I'd suggest). So, grab your beverage of choice and turn on the Olympics (and dear god, don't drink for everything if you're using alcohol, you'll get so wasted so fast). Keep in mind that we came up with most of these during the first four days of the Olympics and then life conspired to keep me from typing this up, and then I had to undertake a huge odyssey to get the SunPop photo (more on that later on this week) so these might be a bit outdated and we might have missed some new ones. Either way, here it is:

The Stories We Tell Ourselves Blog 2008 Summer Olympics Drinking Game

Take one sip

Every time Michael Phelps wins a medal or breaks a record.

Every time there's a Visa commercial

Every time you hear Morgan Freeman's voice, or think you do

Every time there's an AT&T commercial about someone missing a call because they don't have AT&T

Every time you hear the obnoxious "Olympics" music before or after a commercial break

Every time female athletes are objectified

Every time there's a Nike commercial

Take two sips

If there's a Visa commercial narrated by Morgan Freeman

Every time someone references Michael Phelps breaking a record, setting a new one, or winning a medal.

Every time the Olympics soundtrack is referenced

Every time there's an "eco friendly" ad

Every time there's a clip or someone talks about the Opening Ceremony

Every time you see one of the Chinese cheerleader girls

Down a shot

Every time Michael Phelps wins a medal and breaks a record

Every time there's a commercial referencing Michael Phelps

Every time the Michael Phelps AT&T commercial airs

Every time Western media exotifies China

Every time there's a "life story" segment
-take another if it's supposed to be heart-wrenching

Down two shots

Every time there's a Morgan Freeman commercial about Michael Phelps

Every time the commentators say something ridiculous about the female beach volleyball players (i.e. she's a stud)

Every time there's a commerical involving dragons

Every time you see that super trippy Odyssey commercial

Every time you see one of John McCain's nonsensical campaign ads

Wii Wednesday: Alliterative Edition

2008-08-13T10:03:00.013-04:00

I admit it, I am a gaming nerd. I wasn't going to say anything about it except for an oblique reference here or there because I wanted the Internet to think of me as an austere scholar who, when not blogging or working as a rock-n-roll intellectual astronaut, reads the tomes of Aristotle and Proust and argues about the relevance of historical study to modern life while sipping chai tea in a local cafe and enjoying the occasional double chocolate donut with sprinkles. And although I do such things (or at least I tell myself that I do) I also like a good bout on the Wii, because I am clearly a complex and varied individual.

Then Alice ruined my image. She added "plays a lot of Wii" to my description on the sidebar. She is probably just trying to keep me honest (next thing you know she will expose me as, in fact, not a rock-n-roll intellectual astronaut in an expose akin to a tabloid. gasp!) ed. note: Alice and Charlotte actually get along, I swear. Charlotte is just crazy. Also, I think we should make her cut down on her posts or I and Alice should post more, because although Charlotte seems to be the quantity on this blog, we are the quality. Although, Alice writing a post in the style of a tabloid expose would be fantastic to read. ---Monet
Wait. When did Monet become my editor?---Charlotte

Anyway, so instead of just going in and changing the sidebar description in hopes that no one saw it I have decided to embrace it. Besides, maybe another gaming nerd will like it, and if I can brighten at least one person's day then I suppose my work is done. Now let the games (descriptions/review/blathering) begin!

First things first, I must introduce my beloved Wii, Walt. Walt was my birthday present (to myself.) I bought him from someone through an Internet ad. His original name was Walter for reasons unknown and I just shortened it. The nickname reflects his carefree nature which entertains the lazy summer days and lonely winter nights. Plus, its the name of my favorite poet, the person I aspire to be whenever I grow up. (seriously, if you haven't read Leaves of Grass or at least just Song Of Myself do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.)

Since this is the first Wii Wednesday I felt it would be appropriate to discuss the first Wii game I really played (not counting Wii Sports, which might get its own post one day) the game that taught me to handle the wiimote and transformed me in the wiimaster I am today. This distinctive game is WarioWare: Smooth Moves.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is an odd little game, that I didn't even realize was part of an entire franchise until recently. When I started playing it I came to think of it as a game created around the wiimote. Because it works seamlessly with the wiimote, and it teaches the player how to use the wiimote to its advantage, not as bonus functionality or as a hurdle to keep in the minds of game developers as other games I have experienced have. No, Smooth Moves, as its title describes, can teach a player how to impress their friends with their wiimote handling. But I am getting ahead of myself, I should first try to describe the game itself.

Smooth Moves, like other WarioWare games is composed of "microgames" in which the player must accomplish a task in a few seconds, whether it be catching a fish or balancing a broom. Each task requires the player to use a different wiimote form which is performing a certain movement with the wiimote. Such as holding it up to one's nose like an elephant trunk or twisting it in one's palm like a mortar and pestle. It is these forms that teach the player how to really use a wiimote.

Aside from the microgames, there are also multiplayer and bonus games. Not all the multiplayer and bonus games require the player(s) to use the forms, this I felt was an excellent idea on the part of the developers, because the trickiest part of Smooth Moves is actually learning all the forms. Sometimes when you want to just jump into a game with a friend with no previous experience you don't want to have to also have to teach them all the forms as well. The best multiplayer game I find is Bungee Buddies in which one player holds the wiimote and the other holds the nunchuk attached and they have jump over holes together. It is a very simple game but incredibly fun (and a great way to reduce stress.) I also enjoy darts but because I have a certain comrade who pulls virtual dart skills out of nowhere, it is easy to predict who will win those rounds. The bonus games are basically a variation of a microgame but usually for an extended period of time, such as a full paddle ball game, instead of hitting the ball once or twice as in a microgame.

Smooth Moves also has a fun soundtrack and full cast of delightful characters whose stories you learn by completing the microgames. Overall, this is a fun game and once you learn all the forms it gets easier. Like I said, enough practice and you too could turn into a wiimaster (learning to be an intellectual or expert historian such as myself, however, takes a little more work.)

Dancing in My Cubicle

2008-08-12T11:16:00.005-04:00

My musical taste to employ a overused term is eclectic. One of my favorite bands, especially when I feel like dancing, is Franz Ferdinand. The song "Dark of the Matinee" is one of the sexiest songs I can think of (and a source of at least one story I have told myself) and any straight band that can write a striking homosexual song as "Michael" is just fine in my book. The band members sound down-to-earth and fun in any interview I have read with them and not to mention they named their band after a historical figure.

So you can only imagine how excited I am to hear that their new album is coming out in early 2009 and that a track, "Lucid Dreams" is available for streaming on their website (in exchange for your email address.) I really enjoy the new song a lot, as I said it has me dancing in my cubicle and the buzz online seems to be mostly positive. Also, it is available for download on mfr.

Plus, being that it is Olympic week, perhaps it is nice to have a song that discusses nations (or its non-existence of?)

And Now For Something Serious...

2008-08-12T10:19:00.004-04:00

The stories Alice, Monet and I usually tell ourselves are silly or amusing, the kinds that send our imaginary personages to faraway lands or place them in impossible situations. And really that is the tone that we strive to keep on this blog. However, we are all pretty politically and socially aware people (beings) and sometimes I feel we will want to highlight issues that are too close to our consciences to ignore. On this note, since it is apparently Olympics/sports week here SWTO I want to express some of my dismay at the politicking, corruption and deception present in the Olympics, not just this year but something I feel has been looming for a long time.

I am not just discussing the utter disrespect for fairness and developing talent that athletes who take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs show during the games. But then there are also such allegations of child abuse and the health risks associated with training for such sports as gymnastics.

Then, of course, there is the major politics that play into the games. It begins with just selecting where the games will be hosted. There is bribery, favoritism, and imperialistic views heavily involved in the selections. There is also the controversies of athletes representing different nations and how richer nations have more resources to train and reward successful athletes.

As I said in my last post, the Olympics remind us of our common humanity and I wanted to stick to that message even as I remembered all these things that mar the image of the games. In an age where society is self-aware and more cynical for it, its nice to have something that could potentially still live up to its ideals of sportsmanship and goodwill, as Mong Palatino added the Olympics should be “a celebration of sports and not a bad brew of politics."

Now, That's Classy

2008-08-11T20:07:00.004-04:00

Charlotte and I were discussing plans for the FTC (more that later) and looking up cookie recipes for our Classy British Movies meeting. We then realized that there need to be more movies with John Oliver and Rupert Grint! in them. They are, after all, British and therefore Classy.

Also, to come later on tonight or tomorrow: The 2008 Summer Olympics Drinking Game.

More future posts: an explanation of our links, a list of AMVs Charlotte and I want to make, a post about how awesome fencing is and our abiding love of Juri from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Harry Potter week, Bitch Slap fangirling, our favorite foods, Watchmen fangirling, why genderplay is awesome, another list of future posts, links to our favorite youtube videos, Wii Wednesdays, In Which Alice Rails Against The Patriarchy, a very special post about moving back on campus, our moment-by-moment coverge of Yule Ball, our ongoing saga to get to Vancouver for the 2010 winter Olympics, Living Strange Days, Geopolitics: The Game and other exciting things!

Oh! the Humanity

2008-08-11T09:51:00.015-04:00

Azza Besbes of Tunisia

I don't normally watch sports, despite what any previous posts may lead you to believe. I do pick up on sports lore, especially since I have family members who are huge sports fans and I can remember a lot of irrelevant trivia. But you won't see me normally sitting down to watch a hockey game in my leisure time. But the Olympics are different, I think first of all its filled with drama because it is pulling people together who have dedicated their entire lives to aspire to a few moments of greatness. And this drama doesn't feel as manufactured as it in professional sports where there might be a team rivalry or money disputes.

Weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon from Thailand

The athletes are easier to relate to, their struggles, usually individual are given a bigger spotlight and so for those minutes you are watching the representative of your country, the cream of the crop, fulfill not only his or her own dreams but the hopes of his or her countryfolk. In 1996, when I was just a wee one, I remember sitting straight up at the kitchen table and watching in wonder the Olympic gymnasts. I never did gymnastics, nor do I think I ever will, but oh do I ever admire them. And they were easier to relate to for me because they showcased and idealized a different kind of girl, one of dedication, perseverance and athleticism. Not an average starlet, but a girl who showed how hard she worked, made a few mistakes but didn't try to make it seem effortless. Because if there is one thing the Olympics teaches us it is the importance of hard work.

Jiang Yuyuan of China

Also, Olympic athletes are given a status that so very few can dream of, it is not just a competition, it is the event that brings everyone together in hopes of goodwill, despite what might be happening elsewhere. And although this hardly ever works out, the very idea of it makes the Olympics that much more glorified and dramatic, it hopes to be an equalizer through athletics. And although marketing and corporations play on it, breeding jaded views and corny plays of this ideal, the Olympics persists to inspire the audience and generations of future champions.

Czech Republic shooter David Kostelecky

I think my favorite part of the Olympics is that it reminds us of our inherent humanity as we see those trying to push the barriers of what our bodies can do. To see the triumph of a record-breaking athlete isn't just seeing a triumph of that individual, or of their representative nation, but of everyone watching, it is a triumph that can translate to everyone regardless. All of the athletes are working for the same thing and as we watch representatives from around the world compete for this goal, we are reminded of our common humanity. Especially in times of great war or hatred when such messages are lost in favor of destroying the enemy, we are reminded of the basic feelings of pain, loss and triumph, played out for us by the very best we have to offer.

U.S. Men's 4x100 relay team Garrett Weber-Gale, Jason Lezak, Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones

The importance of diplomatic relations

2008-08-10T14:42:00.004-04:00

With the Olympics on and all the craziness surrounding them being in China, Russia messing with Georgia, and the not-quite-fights my characters are getting into with powerful people in the RP I play, it seems appropriate (and politic!) that I write about how it's important to phrase things carefully and be aware of differences in custom and opinion, and you know, just to be respectful and not go in with guns blazing.

That was sound advice I took to heart the other day when I was carefully negotiating a deal between the fine ~~nations~~ ~~corporations~~ ~~clans?~~ factions of Tisdale and King.

I was not doing much and then suddenly men in black suits appeared and told me that I was being rushed through espionage training and to be given a thorough grounding in international relations and diplomacy because I was in the opportune place to deal with any crises arising between the ruler of Tisdale and heir of King. It was a good thing they showed up, as soon enough the factions were coming close to an international incident over a food shortage and trade sanctions. My quick thinking, judicious application of flattery, and spying saved us all and everyone got enough food and the King faction no longer has an embargo on pineapples (which was the origin of many problems between them and Tisdale, and Team K-mod awhile back). It was a good day's work.

In actuality, Lux was writing a treatise on the nature of god in a postmodern age (like you, my reaction is WTF) and our own Charlotte was carefully transcribing Monet's first blog post (a very difficult task, as bubbles are hard to decipher. Charlotte is a woman of many talents) and we were trying to figure out what kind of pizza to order, as we had (and still have) no food in the house that could conceivably become dinner. Until like, this summer, Lux hated have pineapple on pizza. Charlotte and I both adore pineapple on pizza (as do our friends from the-two-years-ago-kosher mod*), so we were trying to get Lux to agree to pineapple and then figure out what else to get on it.

Since they were in different rooms, I had to keep going between them and then I decided that I was some kind of diplomat, probably representing a third party (the Pseudo-French League faction?) and thus, this little piece of insanity was born. After facing terrible dragons (our housemate's insane cat), untold horrors (I had to venture into our kitchen because I wanted a drink and dude, that takes bravery right there. Our housemates never do their dishes or take out their trash), and other perilous things (like the beanbag in front of Charlotte and my door), we decided on a pineapple and onion pizza. It was better than I thought it'd be.

In conclusion, I spent my summer vacation learning the importance of diplomatic relations and how to avoid international incidents connected to pineapples and pizza.

*mods are what our college calls on-campus apartments. I work in the Housing Office and I'm not completely sure why this is the case.

Perhaps the only time we will blog about NASCAR?

2008-08-08T17:11:00.005-04:00

So for this nice Friday afternoon post, I want to talk about one of my favorite things...chocolate! Specifically, one of my favorite chocolate bars, the Big Mo'. It is not in my top candies because of the taste, if I want a decent chocolate I will reach for a Snickers bar, or if I am in the mood to splurge a Godiva Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, (which costs $4 for one in a Godiva store.) No, the Big Mo' is one of my favorites merely because of its concept.

For those unfamiliar, the Big Mo' is a candy bar sponsored by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. And apparently only available in places where NASCAR is big. Because when I first learned of them I couldn't find them. But a friend in Virginia was able to send them instead. I must say I was a bit disappointed by the taste. The peanut butter ones are not bad, but the caramel is really not worth trying.

Despite the taste, the Big Mo' amuses me because of its name. For a NASCAR driver, in a world of higly corporate sports, to have a candy bar is not out of the ordinary. But for him to name it Big Mo', which of course is slang for homosexual, seems that someone in the marketing department was not paying attention. The official story behind the name is that it is after the name of Dale Jr.'s group of friends while they were growing up in Mooresville, North Carolina. But maybe there is something more to the story?

Anyway, maybe you want to start off your weekend with a peanut butter Big Mo' because as the description on the website states: "Big Mo’ is your buddies. Hanging out ‘til all hours of the night crackin’ jokes, playing pool and just kicking back and having a good time like you always do. Big Mo’ is being true to yourself. When you get right down to it, that’s the only thing that matters—doing what you love because you love it and not needing any other reason." That sounds good enough for me.

UPDATE: I was able to locate a picture of my birthday a few months ago when my friends gave me a cake covered in Big Mo' bars and Hershey Kisses.