Oh, cock.

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

(c) his haircut occasionally reminds me of Oscar Wilde

(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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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.