| Hello, I am a big nerd |
[03 Oct 2009|12:25pm] |
So, what with one thing and another I haven't had the chance or the motivation to update this LJ in quite a while. But there have been a couple things I wish to share with you, my readers.
Several weeks ago, I was flipping through the TV channels, and happened on the SciFi Channel (oh, excuse me, it's "SyFy" now. Whoever came up with that name change is apparently unaware that the new name is Eastern European slang for syphilis. BRB LOLING FOREVER) while it was showing that classic cinematic masterpiece, Mega-Shark Versus Giant Octopus. I just might have to buy this movie, for not only does it star 80's pop icon Debbie (pardon me, Deborah) Gibson, but it also contains the MOST AWESOME THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN A MOVIE EVER.
Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.
Also in terms of cinematic awesomeness, the good folks at Robot Chicken did a small piece in memory of the late Ricardo Montalban: The Wrath of Khan, opera-style. Brava, says I!
And finally, as the result of being bored on a break at work, this may very well be the nerdiest poll I've ever come up with:
Poll #1465960 Battle of the Insane Supercomputers
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8Who would win, in a fight between... Other?
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[18 Apr 2009|10:19pm] |
This is going to be a jumping-off point for a later and longer entry. But I must beg the help of my flist-- or at least the portion of my flist who reads Bujold's Vorkosigan novels.
So-- Barrayar goes from rule under Emperor Ezar (who's pretty much an absolute monarch; while he's not as much of an autocrat as, say, Mad Emperor Yuri, or even Dorca the Just, the canon is still pretty clear that whatever he says goes) directly to the Vorkosigan Regency, and thence to Emperor Gregor.
If I remember the canon right, there's only about seventeen years between Ezar's death and Gregor's ascendancy. And that's on top of the fact that, even at the time that Diplomatic Immunity is set, it's only been less than a century since the end of the Time of Isolation.
So, before I write my next entry, tell me, Bujold readers-- am I missing anything? Is there anything I've gotten wrong here?
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[31 Mar 2009|10:44pm] |
This weekend, I read Neil Gaiman's American Gods, and I loved it. I need to percolate around in my head just exactly why I love it, though, but that's coming in a future entry.
I was actually reminded somewhat of Elizabeth Bear's Blood and Iron when I was reading it, because there's similar elements going on in both books-- myths and legends and old gods are in ur base puppeting ur d00dz, with the impending Battle Royale With Cheese drawing closer with every chapter, and so on. And yet, I liked American Gods much better. I'm pondering, though, if part of the reason I preferred Gaiman's book is related to the reasons I much preferred The Vision of Escaflowne to Neon Genesis Evangelion, and part of the reason I preferred Escaflowne is because the protagonist is much easier to believe as a character.
Also, Gaiman's book had the sort of stuff in it that makes me like Stephen Sondheim and Terry Pratchett so much when they're at their best-- their stuff is about stories and how they whipsaw around and catch you where you least expect them. Stories are alive, and they are not tame.
Now, all that being said, I have to wonder... Is the difference between Mr. Nancy and Low Key Lyesmith one of kind, or one of degree?
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| Living in the future |
[31 Mar 2009|11:09am] |
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This is a test entry, to see if i can update my LJ from my shiny new phone.
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[11 Mar 2009|12:27am] |
I've been intending to make a music-related post for a few days now.
First off, I think the bridge of The Airborne Toxic Event's song "Gasoline" totally rips off the bridge of an Indian condom commercial. (Well, maybe it's not a ripoff. Maybe it's just homage. Or sampling. But in any event, I don't think anyone's drawn the connection between the two yet.)
Still have not seen Watchmen yet-- I'm thinking I might want to read the book first-- but in comic-related stuff, is it bad of me that I kind of want to put Frank Miller in the Clockwork Orange chair and make him watch this video? Because that is what Batman is all about.
(Warning: I accept no responsibility for loss of sanity or IQ points after viewing that video.)
To make up for that one, have some ska! One of my favorite videos from the 80's is the video for Fishbone's "Party At Ground Zero", which I can only describe as a cross between Dr. Strangelove and "The Masque of the Red Death."
And finally: Hey, check out this video for Rick Astley's hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up."
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[12 Feb 2009|06:06pm] |
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Am I the only one who kind of wants to see Dave Sim and Frank Miller throw down in a death-cage brawl with each other?
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| You can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding |
[29 Jan 2009|10:36pm] |
(Or, "My recent thoughts on the recent assload of fail, let me show you them")
Because I cannot seem to leave well enough alone, and because this has been rattling around in my brain for a few days--
Since I've seen it get thrown around a few times in the cultural appropriation debate and the resulting fallout, I'll readily agree that E.M. Forster's quotation is a noble sentiment. It is praiseworthy to want to support and be true to one's friends when they're going through hard tmies.
However, I also feel honor-bound to point out the following:
Disagreeing with one's friends is not betraying them. And telling one's friends that they're being rude and insulting to other people really doesn't count as throwing them under the bus.
(I felt the music was at least slightly appropriate to this entry.)
(Something else I've been ruminating on is whether or not a lot of the fail in the cultural appropriation debate is the Five Geek Social Fallacies at work in a larger cultural setting-- particularly the ones that go "Friendship above all" and "Ostracizers are evil." But I think that's also something that deserves a much, much longer post.)
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[27 Jan 2009|10:46pm] |
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And as a follow-on from my previous post, it appears that some people aren't merely content with digging themselves into a hole, but are actively looking around for a power-auger. (And, you know, also changing the issue from "Fantasy / SF has some skeevy cultural appropriation stuff going on in it" to "OMG WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE POOR OFFENDED WHITE PEOPLE")
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[19 Jan 2009|05:48pm] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) vito_excalibur tipped me off to the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate that happened lately, which I'd missed until she'd posted about it.
I am... shocked and disappointed at some of the responses I've been seeing about this, and from people who really should know better. And what's shocking and disappointing me most is that it seems like people don't seem to realize: If you have problematic stuff going on in your work? And other people call you on it? Saying "You are interrogating this text from the wrong perspective!" is really, really, REALLY not a good defense. If people are pointing out evidence that you need to examine your own issues and blind spots, then the answer is to... you know, actually examine your own issues and blind spots-- and show people that you have before you answer-- rather than getting defensive and saying "I don't have issues! You're just being too [political / PC / thin-skinned / shallow / etc.]!"
(And also? It strikes me that saying "I'm probably displaying my privilege here, but..." is rather uncomfortably like saying "I don't mean to be racist, but..." In other words, it's the point where you really should stop right there.)
(This whole thing also feeds into points I was thinking about making about the casting for the Avatar movie, plus the building fan-storm over Axis Powers Hetalia, but right now, I don't have the words at hand to make any good points.)
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[17 Jan 2009|11:38pm] |
"Fantasy flies upon the wings of Icarus. Reality flies on Southwest Airlines."
--George R.R. Martin
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[06 Jan 2009|10:24pm] |
Went to the eye doctor today. For the first time in... um, ten years, as a matter of fact. So I was a little apprehensive about what sort of horrible degeneration was lurking to be found in my eyeballs and what sort of horrible medical procedure they'd have to do about it (Protip: Don't do a Google image search for "vitrectomy" right before bedtime. Or, you know, ever. Trust me on this).
Fortunately, all the worrying was for nothing; my eyes are in good health (aside from my staggeringly low diopter, but hey, them's the breaks). So, the upshot is that I'm getting a new prescription and new frames for my glasses as well. Which is good, because I dare say my new glasses will be more flattering to my face. Plus, you know, I'll be able to see better.
If you'd like to see a picture of me with the new frames, it can be found here.
... ... Oh yeah, and Happy New Year to everybody!
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| Heroes |
[09 Dec 2008|05:49pm] |
Boy, that fridge is getting awfully crowded, isn't it.
(Though I will say that Sylar's "...Cake?" line was awesome.)
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[06 Dec 2008|01:18am] |
Saying a webcomic is inherently bad because it has bad art is rather like criticizing McDonalds because they don't serve porterhouse steaks.
Why, yes, Your Webcomic Is Bad And You Should Feel Bad, I am looking at you.
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[25 Nov 2008|10:09pm] |
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Wishing the happiest of happy birthdays to erin_c_1978! I hope you had a good day.
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