So much to grok.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Apple has always had a strong presence in my life, from the time I was a wee thing playing Oregon Trail to my university computer science class this afternoon. I come from a family of Apple aficionados and I'm sure they were just as saddened by today's news as I was. The scope of what Steve Jobs accomplished in his life is truly amazing and I'm so very glad our lifetimes overlapped.

Update

2011-08-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings, cyberspace. I've neglected this blog for quite a bit and decided it'd be nice to update again. Hopefully said updates will be somewhat regular.

I'm preparing to go away to college soon (yikes, I know) and have acquired a much-coveted red stapler for this purpose. It's pretty divine, and I'm looking forward to sharing a desk with it in the near future.

In other news, I got four vaccines the other day. My arms are still somewhat sore, but it's nothing too bad. My family and I just finished rewatching the entire Star Wars saga for the umpteenth time. It was a multi-night endeavor and smashing good fun, as always. I've also been watching a lot of Star Trek lately since it's now readily available via instant play. I'm mostly watching the original series (as opposed to TNG), but only because I haven't seen a lot of the original episodes. With TNG, on the other hand, I've seen the majority if not all of the episodes multiple times. I still love them to pieces, though, and thoroughly enjoy rewatching them.

I'll keep this post short since I haven't the time to do a proper one at the moment. I just wanted to say hello, let you know I haven't migrated to Mars (yet), or abandoned the blogosphere. Until next time, then!

Acontecimientos

2010-11-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hey there. I hope everyone had a nice November 26th, whether you celebrated Thanksgiving or otherwise. I've made three major accomplishments since my last post, namely:

(a) I finished Season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I've been wanting to see forever. I've heard so much about it, and I found that I liked it. I look forward to eventually watching the other seasons. For the record, Willow and Giles are currently my favorite characters and Buffy's mother reminds me of Susan Saradon (in a good way). It's pretty ironic that Anthony Head (Giles) is a magic geek in Buffy but abhors magic in Merlin, in which he's King Uther. (Have I mentioned that Netflix will have the second season of Merlin in January? Shibby!)

(b) I finally found the time over the long weekend to finish reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. It had an excellent ending, which-- in light of the first two endings-- was very satisfying. Although Stieg Larsson regrettably isn't around to continue the series, this was as good a spot to stop, as far as the unresolved bits go. I love reading :)

(c) I submitted a college application! I feel pretty accomplished. Hopefully, I'll get accepted somewhere. If not, I'll probably swim to the UK. I actually want to do that either way. The next step, I suppose, is to commence the quest for financial aid. Ehh, those seas are vast.

Anyway, that's the scoop at the moment. It's been awfully cold out lately. I can't believe it's almost December. Where did 2010 go? That's the topic of another blog. Right now, English and science homework are a-callin'. Hasta lugeo, interwebs.

Deathly Hallows Ahead

2010-11-17T17:06:00.001-08:00

Hello, blogsie. I've been messing with my blog design lately, trying to find something that looks nice, isn't blatantly stock, and is pleasant to read. The design as of now isn't fantastic, but it'll do for the time being.

Any guesses as to what I'll be doing this Friday? Yes, going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I in all its 2 hours 26 minutes of epic glory is the correct answer! Now that I officially have my ticket, I feel like I can fully allow my enthusiasm to go wild. I have high expectations (as I do with every Potter film). Even if it's on the lousy side, I'll probably be content to moan about it until Part II comes out next year. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with many of the HP films. I still remember being disillusioned when I saw Sorcerer's Stone as a wee munchkin. When Hagrid said, "Harry, you're the boy who lived," I seriously thought the entire movie would pause and announce that chapter title and all the subsequent ones. This was before I came to the realization that movie adaptations of books actually, you know, cut quite a bit most of the time, and were not the meticulous word-for-word renditions I had envisioned them to be. All the same, I was still bummed Peeves never got to make an appearance. I'm excited for Deathly Hallow all the same.

What else (if anything) is going on besides HP, then? I've actually been, and continue to be, exceptionally busy. College applications are due at the end of the month, and I still have to come up with a personal statement. Super fun, right? I'm hoping to get it done this weekend so I don't have to stress about it over Thanksgiving. In addition, the homework monster has been especially beastly lately. Pfft, I actually should be doing homework instead of blogging right now, but oh well.

This afternoon, I was very excited to find the Twitter feeds of both LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner! Now, I have to take a paragraph to describe the impact these two have had on my life. Anyone who knows me knows that reading is possibly my favorite thing to do. When I was a kid, I used to love this fantastic show called The Reading Rainbow. LeVar Burton was the host, and I still remember some of the books and poems on the show. It was truly a magical program and I'm always thankful for its existence. When I got a little older, I met Burton again on Star Trek: TNG as Geordi La Forge. At this time, Brent Spiner also came into my life by means of Data, who remains my favorite android to this day. Geordi and Data were friends, too, and they were always my favorite characters. Seriously, I was the little kid who had an immense crush on Data and spent her school lunchtimes recounting TNG episodes to my friends. Anyway, I now follow both of them on Twitter. It's such a nice feeling when good things from your past pop up to say hello.

Pretty shibby music has come my way lately. I've been listening to some Defiance, Ohio, specifically Share What Ya Got. A number of my friends dig this band, and-- after checking it out-- I now dig it, too. I really need to explore some more folk punk. It's wonderfully refreshing and makes me want to go build a treehouse or hand-make a backpack. Defiance, Ohio also has most, if not all, of their music on their website, which is really awesome. It's good stuff, I tell you. Escúchala. At the more mellow end of the spectrum, I've been swooning to the Zombies' (or as my English teacher would prefer, Zombies's) Odessey and Oracle. If anyone is looking for the definition of euphonic, look no further. This album is absolutely amazing. There is not dull track to be had; from beginning to end, this album is aural excellence. I highly recommend giving it a listen. If you somehow aren't blown away, I think we need to have an intervention. On a different note: every once in a while, I find some sort of musical guilty pleasure, and the band of the season happens to Placebo. Please don't make fun of me; I need me some "Nancy Boy" and "Every You Every Me" once in a while. I was listening to their self-titled album on the ol' Sony Walkman, too, which brought back the '90s in full force. Oh, the nineties... if I were in junior high in the late '90s, I would want Stefan Olsdal and Brian Molko's children. You probably didn't need to know that, but I doubt anyone's still with me at this point and therefore I am shameless. I wonder if there's a word limit on these posts. If there is, it is damn long.

Well, that's about all for now. I actually have more I could blog about, but I'm posting this leviathan as is. Besides, I have a heap of homework still to do. Anyway, I hope you're all well and looking forward to Deathly Hallows. Until next time, then!

October

2010-10-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'm too preoccupied to distinguish between the months and they all tend to run together, but this October truly feels like October. It seems as though as soon as the month started the whole aura changed. Suddenly, it feels like autumn. Perhaps it's because we have a fire going and I'm wearing flannel pants. The weather lately has been sublime; I'm fond of the clouds and the wind. Although I don't have a definite favorite season, I do love autumn. It's awfully cozy being all tucked in the corner of the couch blogging when I ought to be revising an essay. It seems like the perfect night to curl up and watch a movie or read. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is sitting beside me as I type, waiting until the next time I read it. I'm trying to pace myself; it is the final Stieg Larsson novel, after all, and he unfortunately isn't around to write anymore. Perhaps I blog more in depth about the Millenium books another day.

As for things I'm currently looking forward to, Deathly Hallows is the obvious pick. I really ought looking into preordering tickets if I want to see it opening day (hopefully at the midnight showing). I'm extremely excited for part one! Also in November: a film is coming out called The King's Speech. It stars Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, among others, in a period drama about King George VI as he overcomes a speech impediment in a time of national crisis. I believe it'll have a limited release, but hopefully one of the local indie theatres will carry it. It looks excellent. A film about the Howl obscenity trials is also coming out soon, which I'll probably go see with a friend (Was I correct in italicizing the title? Technically the book is called Howl and Other Poems, but I'm not sure if the other poems were drawn under fire, as well. Hmm, perhaps "America" and a few others were. Even if it was just Howl, it'd still be italicized as opposed to quoted due to its length, yes? End grammar nerd rant.) Anyway, hopefully it'll do the topic justice. Well, Kat, is there anything you're looking forward to besides upcoming films? The SAT, of course! Ehh... I was thinking more along the lines of Halloween. I have no idea what I'll actually be doing on Halloween, but I love getting a costume together and seeing other people dressed up. I'm currently weighing the pros and cons of costume ideas, but Halloween is weeks away so I have time. That does seem to be all at the moment. I just wanted to tell dear October that I'm in autumn mode and such. Adieu until next time.

Oh, cock.

2010-09-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have recently decided that I've found the perfect person to marry: James May. For people (like my brother) who may think this is a little sketchy due to the considerable age gap, fear not; I'll go back in time to sort out that bit. I have very good reasons for thinking he'd be a good person to live with, and I've logically thought out the whole situation. It isn't that I'm madly in love with him or anything; I've merely concluded that he'd be an exceptionally compatible human being to spend my time with. I shall list my reasoning for you in no particular order:

(a) his name is a combination of the names of two other people I love (Brian May & James Burke)

(b) he's soft-spoken and mellow, making him both ideal and endearing

(d) British

(e) he has a career in journalism

(f) had a house built entirely of Legos

(g) was a choirboy

(h) drives carefully

(i) he's a host on Top Gear

(j) enjoys awesome, geeky things

(k) was fired from Autocar magazine for creating an hidden acrostic message comprised of the first letters of articles (is there a better reason to get sacked?)

(l) hosts neat science-related shows on BBC

(m) is generally adorkable

Do you see this alphabet of logical reasons for loving him? Personally, I think these are all fine qualities to look for when searching out a partner. For those still sketched out, you haven't much to worry about, as our lives don't seem likely to intersect or intertwine anytime soon. Perhaps we'll be soulmates in the next life. I may, however, swim to the UK anyway.

I like men, but in a gay way.

2010-09-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hey-ho, blogsie! Oy, I fail as a blogger. Shame on me! I honestly think about updating often, but I somehow never get around to it. At least I update it every once in a while. The previous post seems so old; I actually just watched a recorded episode of Project Runway. It's on episode seven or eight or something, but enough about that. School has once again commenced, and so far it's going well. My classes are interesting and meaningful, which is a huge motivator to really apply myself. In addition, I'm so far sticking with my plan to live a more balanced life. Needless to say, I'm pretty proud of myself, especially after the bottomless homework monster of last year. Anyway, life currently keeps me rather busy but generally content.

Bloggish life-updates aside, allow me to tell you about one of my new favorite things: a webcomic called Khaos! For those of you who read my blog (heh, who am I kidding?) or who have fallen victim to my oral ranting, you may have heard of Boy Meets Boy, a webcomic near and dear to my heart. Pretty much, BMB = love. After I finished it, I never thought I'd find a webcomic I liked nearly as much. One serendipitous day, whilst roaming the interweb, I came across Khaos Komix. I devoured all of them in a twenty-four hour time span, which in retrospect was probably not the best choice (I ought to have paced myself), but it made for a webcomic session of epic proportions. What is this Khaos you speak of, you may ask, and why is it so awesome? Khaos is basically one grand plot divided into different stories that center around a character that tells things from zir point of view. While all of the stories inevitably intertwine, each story offers new insight into previously mentioned characters and situations. It may sound as if the same story is essentially being told over and over, but all of the stories have totally different beginnings and each advances the master story in some way.

It's time for a new paragraph. Nobody likes the never ending text block. Anyway, as I was saying: Khaos. The characters are excellent! Although Tom is my favorite, I get so into all of them and love them so much. They've all got their own backgrounds and quirks and families... so much love! By now you probably get the idea that I'm a huge fan of Khaos. I ought to mention Khaos is queer, exponentially so. In fact, it's almost as queer as an Anne Rice's vampires. If this somehow upsets you, buzz off; sucks to your ass-mar for being closed-minded. Moving on... Unlike BMB, Khaos is still being made! Tab Kimpton, the lovely creator, is a pretty talented person. In addition to writing and illustrating two webcomics, Tab is a skilled maker of cosplay costumes. Yay for Tab! Before I leave the link: although there's nothing really explicit (illustration-wise) in the main comics, a touch of reader discretion may be advised. Okay, let's do this thing! Here's the link!

Also, I feel after this exceptionally lengthy ode to Khaos, I feel that BMB needs some loving. I looked back on my post urging people to check out BMB, and it's pitifully weak, especially in light of this current post. Seriously, I do it no. justice. at. all. I have a feeling that everyone, including my cat, would glare at me if I launched into a BMB-themed rant. I have volumes to say about it, and I truly love it so very much. As awesome as Khaos is, Boy Meets Boy still holds a special place in my heart. Firsts always tend to do that, yeah? Well, BMB was the first webcomic I became an avid fan of. I'll refrain from going into detail, but honestly, do give it a read. I'll leave you another shibby link, this time without a nifty button because I was having html trouble and am too tired to fix it. It is a cute button either way.

Now, seeing as this post is already horrendously long, I thought it wouldn't hurt to tag on another little bit. Perhaps this is why no one reads my blog? Yeah....

For those still with me (if you've seriously read all of this, please comment so that I can find you and genuflect madly; you rock and deserve recognition), I found a few serendipitous connections between these two webcomics.

1) In BMB, Mik and Harley's landlady's name is Tabitha, although she's frequently referred to as Tab. Tab also happens to be the creator of Khaos.

2) Tabitha's beau refers to her as Moonbeam, which is the middle name of Charlie in Khaos.

3) My favorite characters in both comics-- Cyanide in BMB and Tom in Khaos-- both live in households that speak Spanish and English. It's fun to see if I can translate the Spanish bits.

Okay, I swear I'm finished! I need to learn how to limit my rather obnoxiously long blog ranting. Ah well. Until next time! Adieu!

¡Tengo pelo corto!

2010-07-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today, I got my hair cut short! I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I feel so good now that I have. My head is liberated! Seriously, though, this was long overdue. I've had my hair more or less shoulder-length for the entirety of my life, and the most drastic hair decision until just recently was to grow out my bangs in the fourth grade. I can't stop running my hands through it to feel the shortness; it'll be so weird to shampoo it. Anyway, I'm extremely pleased with the way it turned out, and it's exciting to see someone new in the mirror.

A new season of Project Runway premiers tomorrow! Needless to say, I'm shamelessly stoked. Yes, it airs on Lifetime, thrives on ad hominem drama, and is basically a vessel for product placement, but I thoroughly enjoy it. I love me a dose of trashy pop culture every once in a while. Speaking of television and film and whatnot, I saw Inception last week. I thought it was a good film, especially compared to the endless stream of awful movies that seem to dominate the cinemas. Although I don't feel it was quite as smart as it purported to be, it was definitely of the thoughtful, mind-bending sort. Trying to keep track of what was a dream and what was reality-- and then seeing how reality became increasingly relative-- was one of the most engaging aspects of the film. While some movies with an all-star cast don't rock it, Inception definitely did. While I'm not in the mood to do a full review, I do recommend that you see it if you get the chance.

The sweetness that is summer

2010-06-19T16:32:00.001-07:00

I vowed to blog when school let out, and now I'm finally getting around to it. By the way, the end of school this year was one of the most euphoric feelings ever. To be able to relax and read and sleep and be a human again is so inconceivably divine!

So, with my sweet, sweet free time I've been up to various escapades, as you might imagine. I recently went camping with some friendsies, which was a smash. We may have been impressively overpacked, but we had loads of fun. Among other things, we constructed a sand fortress of epic proportions. Needless to say, we all had a grand time. Spending time with people and not freaking out about AP exams is refreshing. I've been driving a lot lately, and I find it can be very convenient; being able to zip from one place to another whenever you like is proving to be handy. Not to say I don't like the bus system around here; on the contrary, I love it. It is, however, nice to not have to plan my life around transit schedules. As I don't really have a car, I'll probably end up taking public transportation for a while yet. I don't mind, really. It's probably better, anyway, since I end up singing and dancing like a fiend while I drive.

On another note, I only have two or three episodes of Merlin left streaming from my Netflix. Sadness!! Since I missed the beginning of series two on television, I'm sort of screwed and will have to wait until it's over and on disc or something. I could always cut in now, I suppose, but that'd spoil it. For those who don't know, Merlin is awesome. It is also a BBC program about the adventures of young Merlin and Arthur in Camelot. Let me tell you, the episodes leading up to the end of series one are getting pretty epic, and Merlin and Arthur's love is blossoming stronger than ever. Homoromantic subtext, you may ask? Hell yes. Even my brother recognizes it. It's real, and it's fantastic. The whole show may seem sort of cheesy initially, but it'll definitely grow on you. Except the dragon. Then again, after the freakout in episode nine, I'm beginning to dig him (episode nine side note: was that undead knight the spawn of the Stig and Boba Fett or was he not?). I actually ought to terminate this Merlin rant before I embarrass myself further.

The best part about summer is the reading time! I am currently reading Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes, and I love it passionately. Each and every page I read delights me infinitely. High praise, I know, but I'm serious. I really should start reading the books for my summer assignments, but right now I'm just taking some time to relax sans school. I do believe that is all for the moment. Hopefully I shall blog again soon, but we'll see how that works out.

May hath cometh

2010-05-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ack, the blog is again embarrassingly dusty. I feel I start the majority of my posts with similar statements, but that's the way it is. The truth is, I've been extremely busy all year and haven't had much time to blog. It's a sad thing, and I figured I'd spruce it up a touch.

I am currently in the homestretch of the school year. AP tests are here, and I feel oddly less stressed about passing them than I have all year. Not to say I'm not frazzled, but I can finally see the light at the end. This is probably due to my exhaustion. Of course I'll be disappointed if I don't pass, but I no longer feel it's a matter of tenacious life and unspeakable death.

Although school consumes a considerable portion of my life (not to mention how it infringes on my sleep), good things do happen. For instance, I recently saw went to a David Sedaris reading with my friend! I'm extremely excited for his new book to come out, and it was a great reading. It's marvelous that he visits the area so often, especially considering he lives all the way in France. Another highlight in my life right now is my English homework, which I am currently doing in addition to blogging. We're studying contemporary rhetoric, and tonight's assignment is on pop culture. That class is always interesting, and I love it to pieces. People who read this blog most likely know what I'm talking about.

Speaking of my massive fanbase of blog followers, Blogger is really isolated. It's actually pretty funny. All these people rush out and create these blogs, ooh ahh, and then that's about it. I may look into Tumblr, which a friend recommended. I do like Blogger, but it would be nice if, you know, the blogs around here were more active. It shall be an issue to be examined at a later date.

Well, that concludes this little post for the moment. I hope all is well with all of you, wherever you are.

Logophilia

2009-11-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Language is so incredibly fascinating. It wasn't until recently that I've become conscious of my deep love for linguistics, although I think it's always been there. Now, I just have a word for it. There are words for almost everything; I wish more of them were incorporated into everyday use. I have a day-by-day calendar with a new word each day and I love it to pieces. On the back of each sheet, there's an note on the word's etymology. Even if all the new words I learn don't always stick, I still love being exposed to them. Whenever I learn a new word, it almost always shows up later that day. It's divine.

Colloquial language and slang are especially interesting, especially when it's from different eras. Jazz slang is one of my favorites. Although it continues to baffle me, Cockney rhyming slang is wonderfully interesting. I think it'd be so fun to master it. British slang is great, too. In fact, I'm fond of almost all foreign slang. The only problem is that when I try to sneak it into regular conversation, no one knows what I'm saying, and neither do I, really. I've just now discovered the word argot, and I find I'm partial to it. Words to desribe words have a special place in my word-worshipping soul.

When I was younger, I loved the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. In the case you're not familiar with them, the Redwall books are epic tales of fantasy and adventure, and the characters are various animals (mostly native to Britain). Aside from being excellent books, each species of animal has it's own dialect. It makes it awfully fun to read, and it gives all the animals such personality. The moles talk in a different way from the hedgehogs, or the sparrows, or the hares, or the rats, etc. This aspect of the books turned my brother off from the series, but I still dig it.

It's amazing how so many different styles can come from one language. The same words exist, available to all, but the diction can vary so drastically from writer to writer. Language in general is a marvel, in the way that we can express ourselves through letters and words and sentences. Equally miraculous is the way others can look at these strings of symbols and make sense of it all. Once or twice I came across a study showing that as long as the first and last letter are in place, most people are still able to read words written in such a way. For emxalpe, msot ploepe hvae no pboerlm rdanieg tihs... the huamn mnid is phaonmneal in tihs way, at lsaet in my oipnoin. Understandable not not, nonsense words can be fun. Made up languages are even better, like the sort used by twins (I don't know if this even exists outside books, but it's still neat to think about). Lately, I've been interested in Nadsat, the teenage argot Anthony Burgess thought up for A Clockwork Orange. Mom, if you by some chance happen to be reading this, please take note that it's the slang that interests me, not the rape and ultraviolence. Anyways, I've never read more than a handful of pages of the book, nor seen it's film adaptation, but I still think it's pretty cool to invent a language like that. Burgess was a linguist, so I've read, and a translator, too. Oooh, apparently he's written a couple books on the subject. I shall have to check it out. Speculative fiction can twist language is radical ways.

I think I elaborate too much; these blog entries are beasts. Ah well, that's what blogs are for, I suppose.

J. C. Leyendecker

2009-10-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am incredibly calm at the moment. In actuality, I'm probably just in need of much, much sleep. All the same I feel serene, especially after reading another story out of The Martian Chronicles (Ray Bradbury). It's a very thought-provoking book; I'm glad I had some time to read it today. I think my cat is going deaf. She never seems to notice me until I'm right there next to her and I have to call her name loudly multiple times for her to hear me. I think I'm going to work on incorporating more visual communication techniques when I'm with her.

The other day whilst strolling the internet, as I so often do, I came across this illustration:

Isn't it beautiful? The young man who's standing second from the left especially caught my eye. He's positively glowing, at least to me. I found out later that his name is Charles Beach and the artist's name is J. C. Leyendecker. It's a 1907 illustration for Arrow Collar, an ad campaign for shirts with detachable collars. Apparently Leyendecker did a whole collection featuring Arrow Collar men. While I was researching all this, I learned a little about Leyendecker's life and work. I love learning about people. Lots of times I get sidetracked reading biographical articles when I ought to be doing homework. There's so much to know about so many people!

Anyway, the more I look at Leyendecker's illustrations, the more fond I grow of him as an artist. I truly admire artists who create beautiful things. To be so talented and to be able to share that talent with the world is such a miraculous thing. Human beings can be a lot of awful and ugly things, but sometimes they can be beautiful. The human figure, when skillfully portrayed, is absolutely stunning.

These are a couple more of examples of Leyendecker's work.

Back to school

2009-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, I haven't blogged in a while. I figure it's best to keep it fresh with small relatively insignificant updates as opposed to waiting eons between something actually blog-worthy. Maybe it's just me.

In two words, school started. I won't go into a detailed account. I will, however, blog about my AP English teacher. She is completely amazing and I love her class. Plus, she has a poster with Oscar Wilde on it and it inspires me greatly. AP classes are good because they tend to attract the more serious and dedicated members of the student body. All the same, AP homework (combined with regular homework) devours all my time like chips or grapes or popcorn. But enough about school and the like. Actually, I will mention Obama's address to students today. I saw it (not live) in English class this afternoon. I haven't fully formed my opinion on it yet, but I think its message of trying to get more kids to really try in school is very good. There's so much apathy in schools (or at least, my school) and this was a good nudge. I get to analyze it for homework, and that should be interesting. My mom really dug it. My teacher mentioned something about the free education in this country and it got me thinking. It really is amazing, especially compared to a lot of countries. I wish more people appreciated learning and being able to go to school. I know I'm guilty of moaning about homework, but I really am very lucky. Kids should think more.

Thus concludes my little update. The weather-makers are still deciding what to do, I think. I also found Joel Stein's Twitter today. I've been looking for it since I made an account and I was fairly excited. I'm looking forward to taking a nice shower and possibly finding time to read a little if I can finish all my homework at a reasonable hour. A big if, but I can always try.

Set your heart at rest

2009-08-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic weekend ^_^

On Saturday, I went to a lovely movie theater and saw Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki's newest film. Ponyo is about a goldfish princess who longs to become human and befriends a human boy who lives on a cliff by the sea. Like all his films, it was beautiful, enchanting, pure, and imaginative. Hayao Miyazaki is definitely one of my biggest heroes in life. His films have always had and will always continue to have a profound effect on me.

On Sunday, I went for the first time to Shakespeare Santa Cruz. It was fantastic! I've always wanted to go, and this year I was familiar with one of the plays (A Midsummer Night's Dream). The stage was in a beautiful redwood grove. Although Puck was my favorite character (in the written play and at SSC) all the actors and actresses were phenomenal. It was a truly magical performance and I hope to attend SSC in future years.

To top it all off, there was delicious vegetarian food the whole weekend. Veggie pizza, veggie sandwich, sweet potato fries, veggie lasagna, salad, bread, carrot cake... of course, I didn't eat all that at once. I spaced it out over two days. In short: living in an area with an abundance of vegetarian restaurants fills my heart and stomach with love.

All that said, I had a beautiful weekend. I hope you did, too. Now, I have a lot of work to do in preparation for the coming school year and I am going to start that as soon as I post this and brush my teeth. Still, when daydreaming of faeries and underwater cities it surely can't be that bad...

Ye gods!

2009-08-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

As of right now, I'm a little more than half-way through Queen of the Damned. For those who don't know, it's the third book in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series. So far I'm liking it more than I thought I would, but I'm not too sure how I feel about Akasha and her whisking Lestat away from all the other characters. I suppose I'll have to keep reading to find out...

You know, I really dig Anne Rice's views on human sexuality. I really do, odd as this sounds. I was watching an interview with her and one of the questions was why she had so many gay characters. She replied by saying she just sees the world that way and that in her mind the ideal being could love both men and women. She then elaborates about how attraction and love with her characters are fluid, transcending gender, age, status, etc. In short, it ended up sounding to me like she favors extreme pansexuality. I personally think this is really great, because I feel the same way and it's neat to find a like-minded soul, especially a prolific author. She writes it really well, too, in a way that doesn't dwell on the characters' sexuality but rather incorporates it as a natural part of them. I like it.

Anyways, enough about that. One of my favorite parts of Queen of the Damned so far is the excerpt from Claudia's diary. It reminded me how much I liked Claudia and how absolutely priceless she, Louis, and Lestat are together in their little vampire family. Someday, I would like to reread Interview with the Vampire. I think it'd be interesting to read it with a greater knowledge of Lestat, Armand, and Théâtre des Vampires. Perhaps I would like it more than when I initially read it.

It's rather late and I'm very tired. I stayed up watching a meteor shower last night, and today I finished my summer assignment dealing with Oedipus. I am incredibly excited by this. Tomorrow, I plan to sleep late, exercise, start another summer assignment, and read more of this mentioned book. I sort of left off at an Akasha bloodbath scene, so we'll see how that works out. Say, I'm not sure if the correct title is Queen of the Damned or The Queen of the Damned. I can't properly tell because my version has the movie promo cover. Ick. I hate movie promo covers. Well, it was that or a beastly hardcover, so I decided to go with a scantily clad Aaliyah and a half-naked Stuart Townsend in a compact paperback form. Oh, the things I do for purse-sized books....

I bid thee goodnight.

Another Country

2009-08-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

I usually watch movies at night, when it's good and dark like a theater, but sometimes it's nice to watch movies in the afternoon. Today was such a day, the movie being Another County, a 1984 film adaptation of Julian Mitchell's play by the same title. The movie centers around Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett), a student in snobby and rigid 1930s-ish English public school. He and his friend Tommy Judd (Colin Firth) are rather outcasts, Bennett for not being discreet about his being gay and Judd for being a devout Marxist. Bennett aspires to be a "God"-- a member of the school's elite. I don't want to give it all away, but that's the premise.

I thought it was an excellent film. Like many people say, it has beautiful photography. Unlike some people say, I only struggled with the English accents a couple of times. I liked Bennett and Judd's characters a lot, and I though Rupert Everett and Colon Firth gave superb performances portraying them. I've seen them together before in The Importance of Being Earnest, which was also happens to be a very good film, which also happens to be a very good play, which happens to be an Oscar Wilde play, which increases its win points substantially. I also "visually sniped" (as my brother would say) Cary Elwes (i.e. "Westley? Westley, is that you?" Princess Bride fan, much). Elwes played James Harcourt, the object of Guy's affections. All the actors were so young! I always think its neat to see actors when they're young, because you can see how they've changed and how they're the same.

While it's not exactly a feel-good movie, I thought it was really interesting to see the hypocrisy and cruelty-- not to mention prime snobbery-- of (most) English public schools at that time. It was an awfully oppressive school. Near the end, Judd gives one of the Gods a good speech about how the boys oppressed by the system grow up to be the fathers that maintain it [cite Wikipedia on that last bit]. That was one of my favorite parts, along with Guy and James having a rare peaceful moment in one of the school boats and all of Judd's clever Marxist ranting. Come to think of it, the whole movie was my favorite part. I think it's a film definitely worth watch, so if you find yourself at a loss next time you're searching for a flick, keep Another Country in mind.

Oy!

2009-07-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

The blog is all dusty and musty. I don't like it. Consider this post to be like a Swiffer.

Many blog-worthy events have come and gone un-blogged, and I feel sort of guilty. After all, what else is a blog for? So: I'm going to make a list of all the things I wished I blogged about but never got around to, complete with brief descriptions and comments, etc.

In June, I went to a David Sedaris reading/signing in a lovely little book store! It was amazing! I must have been smiling the entire time, I was so excited. He is very friendly and rather short in person. He read us two new (well, new at the time) essays, in addition to parts of his diary and a couple other things. Everybody was laughing and having a marvelous time. The setting was very intimate and was so happy to be able to go. He signed my copies of Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked, and gave me a condom (he was handing them out to all the teenagers). This book event has got to be one of the highlight of my life so far, and I love him to pieces!

Also in June, I saw Third Eye Blind with a bunch of friends at a free concert in a park. Excellent, much? They were fantastic live and played a lot of my favorite songs. The entire day was an adventure and a smashing good time.

On a more somber note, huge funding cuts have been made to the public libraries in my area. The new hours-- which became effective July 1st-- are truly devastating. I continue to volunteer and drop by often. Hopefully these cuts will be revoked when the state budget gets back on track someday, as I believe libraries to be among the most precious of resources.

Speaking of reading, this summer I've gathered up the courage to finally read Anne Rice. I've always seen her work labeled as horror, which made me steer clear of her for a long time (I'm not really one for horror, you see). However, I was reassured by other readers that her writing is more gothic than horror and my curiosity eventually won out. As of today, I've read Interview with the Vampire and am getting very close to finishing The Vampire Lestat. I find I'm more fond of the latter, but I did like Interview, too. While the book as a whole did have its weak points (i.e. Rice's tendency to write in such a flowery manner it's often distracting), I found it overall a good read. I find I've been much more motivated while reading Lestat, probably because I really like Lestat. It's good stuff, I tell you. (As a side note, I thought I'd tell a little story about my early experiences with Anne Rice. I used to babysit these darling little girls, and prominently displayed in their living room were all of Anne Rice's works. I'd read the ghoulish titles and see the macabre cover art and be very afraid [I was also afraid of the Gollum bookends and oriental masks, but they really are very, very kind people.] Anyways, I think it's a funny way to first become acquainted with an author.)

And what was I most looking forward to in July? The big screen adaption of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, of course! My two friends and one of their moms saw a late show downtown. We dressed up and had a wicked time! I must say I was impressed with this film and thought it far better than the last one. I was satisfied with the portrayal of teenage Tom Riddle, who I feared would be butchered, and I swooned often over Alan Rickman (and Tom Felton, who appeared quite a lot). I thought they did a lousy job of explaining who the real Half-Blood Prince was in the end. In the book, it's so enchanting, because who doesn't believe Snape is made of win? Yeah, nobody. Overall, I liked it very much. Also, did anyone else notice that the wonky, smooth black bricks from the department of mysteries made a comeback? They were in the orphanage. I guess David Yates loves those bricks. I also was impressed with Slughorn's performance and character portrayal. I thought it to be one of the film's strong points. I really must reread the series one of these days!

If anyone read all that (and I realize it's a beast) I really am flattered and applaud your perseverance. Of course, loads of other things happened and are happening or will happen, but I thought it'd be nice to skim over the main points in my life as of late. Now, with the clear conscience of a good blogger, I shall move on to my one of my summer assignments, which is what I really should have been doing for the past hour. Cheers!

Coincidence?

2009-07-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, the other night while cooking up a killer batch of fajitas, something on the tortilla packaging caught my eye...

See the no on 8? I do believe the tortilla company is covertly trying to say they support equality via gay marriage.

MJ

2009-06-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late on this, but better late than never. And what would be a better time than while I'm here dancing to Michael Jackson right now?

Like almost everyone, I was shocked when he died. He was so young, and I had always thought him to be immortal. I suppose he is, though, in spirit. All the wonky later years aside, Michael Jackson really was a shibby person at heart. He was extremely talented and produced some of the grooviest music of the age, not to mention videos and dance moves. I'm glad our lifetimes overlapped.

These are the two MJ songs I remember listening to all the time as a kid. Chamone, dance on.

Time

2009-06-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today, the writer's block question asks: "If you could be a teenager living in any decade, which one would you choose?" The consensus seems to be the 1960's, and I admit I would have loved to be alive then, as well. I would have loved to watch the maned first lunar landing and pick up a first edition of Stranger In A Strange Land, not to mention the abundance of peacelove and the divine music scene. I would have also loved to live in the 70s, epecially to see Ziggy Stardust come to earth and experience How The West Was Won in person. You know, 1972 was a good year for music. Music aside, there was lot going on back then. Huge revolutionary advances and all. I know that time period wasn't perfect, like so many romantics (which I myself am often guily of) idolize it to be. There was still horrible wars and racism and violence, but I suppose every decade is tainted in some way.

Assuming I have a way to travel time, I would like to experience every decade in the 20th century as a teenager. They're all so interesting. I want to visit a time when people actually danced... I want to go to the swing age. I'd like to visit a time when cloche hats were popular or when people gathered around radios.

If I think about it some more, I'd fancy seeing the Victorian era. There was an awful lot of beautiful buildings and attire back then. I could transform myself into an glorious young man and find Robert Ross. (Originally, it was my scheme to become Oscar Wilde's lover, but he and Bosie are so lovely I wouldn't want to interfere. Also, if I were Robert Ross' lover, I could still visit Oscar Wilde and hang on his every word.) I've got it all planned out. Besides, being a woman in the Victorian Era wouldn't be too shibby...

While I'm traveling the ages, I'd want to see almost every time period, if only for a little while, including the future. You know, this reminds me of a book series I used to read when I was younger called The Magic Treehouse. It was about a brother and sister, Jack and Annie, who traveled through time in a treehouse completing tasks for their friend, Morgan le Fay. She would leave a book about wherever they were traveling to, for Jack and Annie so they could learn and have a sort of guide. They were good books.

Also: Star Trek, Back to the Future, and Harry Potter teach me the dangers of time travel. I'd have to exercise caution, careful not to disrupt anything or create a paradox or anything of that sort.

If you're still with me after all that ranting... I noticed that very few people who answered the writer's block question were content living now. While I long to go to so many times, there are good things about now. I wonder if people in the future will ask this question and answer, "Oh, I'd want to visit the 2000's! I could see the turn of the milenium, see the rise of the Internet age, go to Harry Potter midnight release parties, go to Obama rallies, see all those funny reality TV shows, cruise around in a blue Prius..."

Mi vida está loca

2009-05-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

I (believe) I have now read all of BMB. Then again, another hidden stash may spring up... a fan can only hope.

Anyways, you may or may not wonder what I've been up to besides reading awesome webcomics. Well, I've been noticing the definite lack of spring around here. One day it's chilly and cloudy, the next it's blazing sun with oppressive temperatures. The weather-maker apparently thought it fit to skip a traditional spring with gentle spring weather and instead sporadically switch between summer and winter. I suspect global warming is behind these shenanigans.

Weather aside, I often feel as if I am metaphorically drowning. School is coming to a close at an alarming speed. I feel like I still have so much to do before the year ends. Next year is going to have a beastly work load and multiple summer assignments. Free time and sanity (not to mention sleep) look pretty much shot. And then while I'm worrying about next year, I still have projects and ever-nearing finals happening this year. Oy. Time is speeding by much too quickly for my taste.

On a lighter note, I've got a smashing book. After hearing from numerous reliable sources of its excellence, I decided to give Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game a read. It's fantastic! I haven't finished it yet, but I so far I recommend it. Perhaps I'll try and get my brother to read it...

So: keeping it together until summer is my main focus right now. Too bad there will be no more new stories with Cy and Skids and the gang to cheer me on... but who says I can't revist old haunts? ^_~

Shibby!

2009-05-06T16:30:00.001-07:00

Hey there, blog.

The other day was pretty bittersweet, the reason being I finished my favorite webcomic to date: Boy Meets Boy by K. Sandra Fuhr. I came across it while surfing for results concerning the David Levithan novel of the same name (the book and the comic aren't related, though). I started reading it and found myself smiling more and more.

The comic centers around a gay couple, Mik and Harley, and their quirky friends (their evil incarnate landlady, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsessed boy band, Mik's slightly psycho ex, Harley's peppy sister, etc.) Various situations arise, and a good times are ensued. All the characters are so wonderful! I want to give them all hugs.

If you're interested, the first strip is here. I recommend you check it out.

All in all, I had a blast reading it. Blogs are for sharing, no? ^_^

EDIT: Once again, I have found a hidden stash of BMB comics I have not yet read! This happened to me once before, too... Hail, webcomic gods! I'a go read them now... ciao!

Tuesday is martes

2009-04-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

I must admit it is taking me an embarrassingly long time to finish reading Frankenstein. It's a good book, but I have virtually nill time to read. Also, when reading books written with older language, it takes me a minute to get into it, thus I can't read a paragraph here and a paragraph there while taking notes in Spanish class. It requires a certain level of concentration. I vowed to finish it over spring break, but alas...

I just renewed the thing, and I have until the 28th. A decent amount of time, you may say, to read the second half of a not-actually-that-long novel. We'll see. The next book I hope to read is Running With Scissors, but there are so many books on the list I can't be certain. I miss those lovely summer days when I read a book almost daily.

On the topic of renewing books, I love being able to renew books online. It's such a breeze, and while I'm at it I can scout out new titles and check library hours. It's a fabulous business. All available from the comfort of my kitchen while I simultaneously blog about it in another window.

Although it is officially the season of new life and spring break has come and passed, it was exceptionally windy today. Chills you to the bone, it does. Power outages sprinkling the area, etc. Even though I do tend to curse it as I heave myself out of the pool after practice, I do love the wind. It's so very powerful.

Although I have no idea when the mango sitting on my kitchen counter will ripen, you just read my blog update of the day.

Here comes the sun, little darling

2009-03-28T13:41:00.001-07:00

This morning at the library it was so sunny and warm out. It reminded me of last summer when I'd spend hours moseying through the central branch. In the summer, there's so much time to read. It's lovely. Last summer I kept a list of the books I read. I think I'll do the same thing this summer.

I have a huge craving to go downtown and loll around people watching. I haven't been downtown since it was rather rainy, and it makes me sad. Who knows, later I may just catch a bus and spend a few hours down there. It's a possibility. So many possibilities.

Mmm I could probably be wearing shorts right now. I love it. School's going to be awfully hard to concentrate on... but I mustn't acquire 'third quarter sluff-off', as my chem teacher would put it.

But I've got an April bus pass and my flip-flops and I'm ready to go.

Has anyone else noticed how quickly March speeded away?! Time is going by too fast!

Earth Hour

2009-03-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Various website tell me that one way I can support a cause is to spread awareness via blogging. That's what I'm doing now-- supporting Earth Hour.

The idea is for everyone across the globe to switch their lights out on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM local time to VOTE EARTH.

I learned about this through a girl in my Spanish class, and I'm trying to spread the word around. It's such a simple action, turning out the lights, but it will have such a such a powerful impact on the environment. Anyone can do it, too-- the more, the better!

Please participate and pass it on!

Peace,

Kat

Libraries cheer me up

2009-03-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

This past week I've been especially frazzled and very irritable. However, my mood is improving. This probably started with the slide projector in photo class, and went on from there.

Today, my darling dearest was not present, meaning I had heaps of time to utilize-- alone-- during the immense gap better known as 'waiting for swim practice to start'. I wandered up to the library with every intention of doing homework, but (as I said) I was pretty burnt out and was not in the mood for geometric sequences and Lenin.

Then, And Tango Makes Three caught my eye! I had heard about it, and it was the perfect opportunity to read it. For those who don't know, And Tango Makes Three is a children's book based on the true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who fall and love and adopt an egg. They're now a happy family! It was a very sweet book, and I'm adding it to my list of books to most definitely read to my potential children of the future.

Anyways, reading that perked me up some. I still had it in me to lug the Modern World History text book over to where I was sitting, but I was in no mood to open it.

By some unfathomable force of nature, I instead did a library search for Andy Warhol. This led me to a rather good book on him, and I read the thing until the library closed. (I feel I must explain my unexplainable fascination with Andy Warhol. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I find Andy Warhol an incredibly attractive individual. I'm a sponge when it comes to him. I happen to love interesting people, and he ranks pretty high on that list.) As you might imagine, this cheered me up considerably. I plan to continue reading from where I left off at page 55 next time I come around.

Then, at long last, swimming came. I love being buoyant, and I had Walk on the Wild Side (appropriately) stuck in my head. Mellow, calm.

Four tests in three periods tomorrow (ouch!) but I think I'll do all right. I sure hope so.

I fully realize that I just related in great detail my after school affairs and that this is not prime subject matter that people readily read. But it made me happy when I needed happy. I hope you're happy, too. Happiness is a good thing. It's a good thing.

Oxidation Numbers

2009-03-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged around on here. When I created this, I meant to post frequently, but that plan of action (more or less) deteriorated. Even so, fabulous as it may be, Natalie Portman and Elmo can't be the top post forever.

What to say... well, I've been thinking (or more so, forced to think) about what I want to do with my life. Tis the season for high school counselors to start getting on your case. I realize that I will be out of here much sooner than I think, and I admit I'm rather scared. Excited, of course, too. But also terrified. I have no solid career goals, really. There are some kids who visit an aquarium as a field trip one day and say, "I want to be a marine biologist." And they indeed do become a marine biologist. Others, like my dad, wanted to be a trucker and then an astronaut, first a farmer and then a doctor, a chemist, and somewhere along the line most likely a race car driver, before settling on the final choice of an electrical engineer. My mom says she didn't know what she wanted to do until she was a sophomore in college, but I think there's more pressure on students now that back in the day. I both enjoy and excel in the area of English, and I was thinking pursuing something in journalism. I'd love to be an author, but we'll see.

After that hefty paragraph, I'm very glad to be swimming again. Swim meet tomorrow; hope for the best!

Tonight I mixed some CDs for a couple friends. They're all ready to go, for the most part... but my computer burns CDs whose volume is lower than a regular CD, thus leading to generally bleh. I'll try to look into the iTunes preferences on that so I can burn CDs at actual decent volume. It may be attributed to this computer's funky disk drive. Sometimes you fee like a nut, sometimes you don't.

Seeing I have to get up nice and early in the cold, frosty dark tomorrow, I think I'd best be off to bed. Hopefully I'll be better about updating the ol' blog, even if my reader base is virtually nil.

Buenas Noches,
kAt

The most amazing video I've ever seen

2009-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Supreme

2009-01-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

I love these machines to pieces. It's one of my life goals to own one. When it ceases to run (bless its heart) I'll move it to the yard and my kids can play in it. Something about them makes me feel like a hug.

Haggis

2009-01-20T15:51:00.001-08:00

A friend requested I write a poem about haggis. I learned what on earth haggis is, and she got a poem.

In the land of the Scots, there is a great dish

For which a valiant young sheep did lose his life

And lo! the offal he did become

Mixed with all manner of ingredients

And stuffed into a bag of stomach

Where he boiled for thrice an hour's time

When the savory concoction ceased to cook

Out it was brought, on a platter fine

And it was placed upon the table

To be consumed with spirits for a merry feast

In the land of the Scots, there is a great dish

By the name, folks say, haggis!

Clearly, I've got nothing on ages of Scottish tradition; I mean, who can beat this?

On to 2009

2008-12-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

Seeing I'll be somewhere besides this lovely keyboard in the next few days, I'm going to wish you a Happy New Year's a little early.

I've never really made a New Year's Resolution before and right now I can't put proper thought into formulating one. If I think up one, I'll let you know. I like to think I'll say "like" less, but we'll see how that goes. I'm much more eloquent when I type ^_~

In 2008 I read a lot of great books, saw a lot of great movies, went to a couple concerts, and finally cracked out of my anti-social shell some. I saw Colorado and spent most of my summer hopping around buses and walking with sandy feet. So much happened. It's impossible to even begin pick out the highlights. In all, I love my family, I love my friends, and I love where I live. In the year to come, I hope to continue expanding myself and my horizons. But the late hour is getting me sentimental.

Where ever you may be, I wish you a New Year filled with much peace, love, and happiness!

A couple of kooks

2008-12-14T22:29:00.001-08:00

This makes me feel all warm, like a hug.

2008-12-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

So today we got the Christmas tree. It has yet to make it into the house and be decorated, but it's still here. We decorated the house with the usual things we've been putting up since the dawn of time: the garland with mittens and hats, the Christmas tree mug, the little Santa, the snowman sled, the Merry Christmas candle holder, etc. The Christmas music is on. I think Carol of the Bells and Judy Garland singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas are some of my favorites. And, of course, Little Drummer Boy. Ah, so many ^_^

My mom used to have this cassette of Nat King Cole singing Christmas songs. We used to drive around, running errands, and we'd listen to that cassette over and over. Even when it wasn't Christmastime; the cassette was an all-year affair. I most vividly remember listening to Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire while driving up Graham Hill, tracing the car upholstery with my fingers. For some reason, different stretches of road remind me of different songs. But that's another blog.

Ah, now the tree is in the kitchen! It looks lovely.

I wonder when we'll get the menorah down. Probably soon, to touch it up and such. I do love Hanukkah! (or Hanukah or Chanukah, if you prefer ^_~)

So-- on that note-- I wish you a joyful holiday season, whatever you may celebrate.

Gee, my life's a funny thing

2008-12-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

You know when you can't quite make out the lyrics to a song, so you have this version of what the person is saying in your head? And then you go to look it up, and it's completely different?

When I was little I thought this line in Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop was: "Gods are people seated on the grass with flowers in their headset." (It's actually: "Crowds of people sittin' on the grass with flowers in their hair said, 'Hey boy, do you wanna score?'" But that comes later.) So for the longest, I kept singing my line about the gods in the grass, flowers in their headsets. You know what? To me, gods still are people seated on the grass with flowers in their headsets. It's the loveliest mental picture. Same one I had when I was a little kid.

I tend to see things in my mind's eye when I listen to songs. Sometimes, it's not even an actual image, just a color or a mood or an indescribable feeling.

When vocal artists sing really, really fast they always seem to sing slower once you know the lyrics.

I was rather delighted that I understood most of the lyrics to David Bowie's Velvet Goldmine the other day. ^_^ Now, for Young Americans...

Una ardilla se baña. (A squirrel bathes.)

2008-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

When I come home, I have all these resolutions as to what I'm going to do with my time. I'm going to write, I'm going to ride the bike, I'm going to research topics for stories, I'm going to start homework early, etc. As you may have guessed, this seldom gets done.

I'm on the computer, bouncing between websites like a pinball. One "oh, let me check this site really quick," lead to another, thus commences downward spiral. Before I know it, it's dark and I have heaps of homework to do. As a result, I work sluggishly due to lack of motivation, eat dinner, maybe watch Jeopardy!, take a late shower, do more homework, and go to bed feeling awful.

I've really got to be more constructive with my time. I mean honestly. This is ridiculous how much time I'm wasting. I hate not riding the bike; I miss swimming. I feel awful.

Snippets

2008-12-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

Lunch today was very zen.

It was a good day for people watching.

We've got wax paper made out of soy in the house now.

I hung Maxine's drawing on my bulletin board.

Spanish class makes me want to scream.

Before I die, I'm going to Heddon Street in London and taking a picture just like Ziggy Stardust.

I hope Time this week has got a Joel Stein article in it.

My book came in at the library. I'm looking forward to picking it up.

There's a hefty list of movies I want to see.

Collette wrote me a sonnet last night ^_^

We've got this Trader Joe's trail mix that's quite addictive.

There are beautiful red flowers in a vase next to me.

I can't believe it's December already.

Cali is all curled up in her bed, looking not unlike a cinnamon roll.

Our across-the-street neighbor has gone way overboard on the Christmas decorations. Still, it's fun to look at.

I love my lipstick. Jen likes lipstick as well, and it makes me smile.

I wonder what it'd be like to witness fall in a place where all the trees turn colors. Here, it's mostly evergreens.

I love reading what other people post online.

Tomorrow is Friday.

This sweatshirt is so comfy.

I'm so thankful for all of my friends. I love you all!

Andy Warhol is such an interesting man.

I rather want to see Australia. Anyone seen it? Good, bad, meh?

Meh is now officially in the dictionary. I approve; my mother does not.

I'm very disappointed my Ziggy CD lacks the famous instruction: To be played at maximum volume. It may be remastered, but grrr...

I'm pretty zen right now.

I love you, and I'm going to the library.

Until next time, I bid thee adieu.

-Kat

Facebook?

2008-11-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

I had a very nice Thanksgiving.

The day started out rather ick (i.e. leaving an hour earlier than I anticipated, my dad periodically singing Space Oddity [complete with his atrocious imitation of Bowie's accent], having to change out of pajamas, etc.)

Once we arrived it was a tad awkward, at least for me. I never know what to say to people or what to do with myself in those situations. Eventually, we all warmed up to one another.

I've forgotten how much I love my cousins there ^_^ Can you believe they're 21 and 18? It was very fun catching up with them. We played Boggle (a game I haven't playing in ages). I was pretty rusty, but it was fun, challenging.

A couple other families were there. I was talking to one woman who was good friends with my Biology teacher! Fancy that! Such a small world, no?

My cousin, my mom, another man there, and I had a discussion about Facebook (which led to a discussion about Livejournal, Myspace, Twitter, Blogspot, etc.) It was a good conversation. Why use all those sites when you can just email? What are the advantages? How are these affecting our society, and communication in general? We also talked about microfinancing. You know, today I read an article in Time (a Joel Stein article, no less!) about that same topic.

Grandpa was there, and it was good to see him again ^_^ Hopefully I'll see him tomorrow, as well; one last time before he flies home.

Near the end of the evening we watched part of a James Taylor concert and talked about then music and now music. Then music won.

I'm pleased to report everyone at the gathering was an Obama supporter (and everyone I talked to was a No on 8er, too!)

Overall, a lovely evening. I know a lot of people dread the annual Thanksgiving get-together, but I enjoyed it very much this year : )

Hope

2008-11-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

I've just watched Barack Obama be elected the next President of the United States of America! The first black man has just been elected President and I am here to see it. I am here to see it. I've seen the turn of the millennium, I've seen the Twin Towers go up in smoke, I've seen the rise of technology, I've seen gay marriage become legal in my own state, I've seen an intelligent, capable woman nearly be elected president, I've seen so many things, and now I've just seen Obama get elected President.

Right now, I'm reading The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, and I love these quotes dearly:

"Am I black or white?"

"You're a human being," she snapped. "Educate yourself of you'll be a nobody!"

and

When he asks his mother whether God is black or white: "God is the color of water."

I remember watching this Obama speech and getting chills (he's such a powerful speaker):

That's what kept some of our parents and grandparents going when times were tough. Which led them to say, "Maybe I can't go to college, but if I save a little bit each week, my child can. Maybe I can't have my own business but if I work really hard my child can open up one of her own." It's what led those who could not vote to say, "If I march and organize, maybe my child or grandchild can run for President someday."

I'm so full of hope right now.

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me

2008-10-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

I listened to Tommy again, after having not listened to it in ages. Boy, is it something.

The Who was among those bands I listened to as a little kid. It was interesting to get the full story about Tommy and listen to it now. Thinking back, as a kid, I probably only knew that Tommy was a blind, deaf, and dumb boy who was a pinball wizard and eventually regained his senses in the end. I had no idea about the rest of the story.

How do people come up with such wildly brilliant ideas like Tommy? It blows my mind.

I haven't seen the movie (since you asked) but I'd like to see it one day. Until then, I'm absolutely content to listen to the album. When I was little, I had favorite songs (i.e. Pinball Wizard, Tommy's Holiday Camp (my brother and I got such a kick out of that), Smash the Mirror, I'm Free, We're Not Gonna Take It) but now, if you asked me, I couldn't say. They're all part of something larger.

Anyways, just thought I'd give a shout. If you haven't listened to Tommy, I highly recommend you do so.

What is happening in his head? Ooooooh, I wish I knew....

I wish I knew.

We're Forever Young

2008-10-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Went to see The Academy Is... in San Francisco 10.19.08. Rocking concert! It was a small, pretty venue (general admission only) and it was awesome to be so close to the band. Before the concert, a friend and I shopped around Union Square and went into all the neat, chic shops. Very fun. I saw that store called fcuk again. Nice, nice.... I looked it up and it actually stands for French Connections of the United Kingdom. Guess what? David Bowie's son helped with one of their ad campaigns ^_^ Next time we'll have to go inside.

Next came pizza (omm nomm nomm) and we ran around like maniacs through a parking garage. I saw Michael Guy Chislett poke his head outside the tour bus! I made a total fool of myself, but he didn't notice me anyway. My friend saw Jack the Camera Guy by the merch table, but I somehow missed him, as I was preoccupied with buying a bottle of water.

The starter bands were: Hey Monday, Carolina Liar, and We The Kings.

All the pictures were on my friend's camera, but I did take that picture on the top with my cell phone.

Over all, GREAT concert, I highly recommend them live!

Santi.

Freak out in a moonage daydream.

2008-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

We've been craving a revolution, and I'm completely swept off my feet in the fantastic world of space.

What if.... another Space Age.

That whole period in time when the US and the Soviet Union were racing to get a rocket into space, and then a man on the moon was simply mind-blowing. The lunar landing aired on TV really must have been something to watch.

This sudden passion for a Space Age does has something to do with (a) my friend frequently pondering the enormity of the universe (b) virtually only listening to the album Ziggy Stardust for months (c) reading Stranger in a Strange Land (d) repeatedly swooning over the trailer for The Man Who Fell To Earth, and (e) having a portion of my history class dedicated to watching 2001: A Space Odyssey nearly every Friday.

Even so, my parent are Trekkies (which ensured the taping of what I can safely say is most of the Star Trek: TNG episodes). There was a time when 'family time' was defined as watching the entire Star Wars saga multiple times in one month. And I still can't get over the pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. I never will.

I remember when I was little, I went to a museum with a whole display of pictures of other galaxies. It had that ambient space music playing, and I remember being totally transfixed. Then, at the exit, there was a picture of Earth from space and the Wizard Of Oz quote: "There's no place like home."

Musings

2008-09-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

If you were to rebel against rebelling would it still be rebelling?

I like to watch the second hand on the clock when it makes a peace sign with the other two hands.

I wonder if you can buy a pant. Not a pair of pants, just a pant. Then, you could mix and match individual pants to make a unique pair of pants. Does that make sense? It does to me....

There ought to be a company that puts it on a t-shirt for every time someone says, "I want that on a t-shirt!" They'd strike it rich.

Have you ever wanted a pair of glasses that answers a yes/no question about the people around you? For example, everyone with green underwear or Led Zeppelin on their iPod would turn red or have a star over their head or something. I think about that all the time. Goes to show how morbidly curious I can be.

I just typed 'something' as 'somwthing' twice back there. Sort of like how I always type in 'photobucker' instead of 'photobucket'. (<-- I just did it there, too. Yay for the delete key.) And then the peppy Did you mean...? feature comes up and saves us all. Every time.

Even when the public is exposed to raw hard facts they fail to listen. Skin cancer and wrinkles? I'd rather have a nice tan. Lung cancer? But cigarettes are so glamourous when smoked just so. The same goes for lots of things. I wonder if in the future people will be able to grasp the long-term effects of things and act upon it.

Ah, the future...

It's pretty entertaining to look at what people back in the day thought the future would be. A completely robotic kitchen. Nutrition pills for dinner. Nifty jet packs. All the 'futuristic' fashions. Vacations to the moon. All that jazz. But here we are at the drive-thru, sporting Levi's, packed into the Suburban. Who would have thunk it.

I bet there are aliens watching us right now, but not making their presence know. I have to say, in the current state of things, the human race wouldn't look too impressing. Putting murderers to death while paying our people to blow up their people over seas. Exploiting the resources, yet still driving Hummers penalty-free. Children starving a couple cities away, while we pick up a $675 Gucci clutch online (I'm not joking about that price, by the way). The way the world is rigged is pretty mind-blowing.

Then, there's the utopia vs. dystopia factor. Will we have a peaceful world where all are equal, or one full of dark violence and book-burning? Or maybe, we won't hit either extreme but just continue to squirm in the middle.

Blogging along...

2008-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

The concept of blogging is really pretty cool, so I thought I'd give it a go.