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Guys, apparently my real life friends didn't know about the leaf-scuffing-crazy thing until I posted about it on Monday. It would seem that Katie was the only one who knew before, and was just so efficient at mocking me for it that I thought everyone knew. Had I realized I was not outing myself to only internet friends, I would have made that quirk, uhm. I have incredibly bad cuticles, or I'm addicted to the Arashi song "Eyes With Delight." Or that I have about 10 boxes of comic books in my room at home. Or that one of the most personally exciting things I did while abroad in England was see Starlight Express live. (AAAAAH SO AWESOME I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT TO GO SEE IT!)
Anyway, the weather is ridiculous here. Snow all night, freezing rain all day. The snow is blocking the gutters, so all the paths are flooded. Tree branches are touching the ground because they're encased in ice. And the rain is pushing huge amounts of snow and ice off the roofs of all the buildings.
What I'm trying to say is that I had to cancel my picnic.
But actually, i'm having a good day because my first class was cancelled! This gave me time to catch up on D no Arashi and fangirl over the Wentzlet a bit with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shimmerdusk and finally get up to the part in Yasashii Jikan episode 4 where Nino appears, by dint of some fast forwarding. And eat toast. Ah, and catch up on my correspondence a little, although I still have an email to send and a facebook message to respond to.
I'm almost never on facebook, which is really sad because it should be my primary method of communication with my Manchester friends. Actually, I was thinking about visiting them this June, but I'd have to get the tickets now and blaaagh and it seems overwhelming. Then again, if I don't go, I probably will never really get to see many of them again. But they'll be in the midst of finals period, so I need to send a message seeing if they'd be willing to put me up and entertain me or if people think they'd be too busy studying to chill. Second year does actually count for them, so they have to do well, poor bunnies.
I was rereading Terry Pratchett's Men At Arms but I finished it and now I want Jingo. :( So good! On the subject of Laura's other fandoms, i've got a cartoon of The Amazing Screw-On Head that I haven't watched. I seriously need to do that. Doesn't the name alone intrigue you? It's awesome! (it's also by the creator of Hellboy, I dont' know if that gives anyone context or not. I used to have a Hellboy icon set, the art was shockingly attractive and the colorist was amazing.)
Am reading a book on burlesque for American Pop Culture and it's really interesting so far. Which is good, because the book he had us read on blackface minstrelsy was stupid and annoying and flowery, and I was worried that all the texts he assigned for the class would be like that. (Although we did watch the song Toot Toot Tootsie from the Jazz Singer - not performed in blackface - and I really like the song. XD And the performance, although the gestures can be seen as a form of blackface. According to this user info, it was #1 on the charts in 1922. Did they even have charts then? Still, I like that I share the same taste with 1922.)
Actually, we did read an article that I really enjoyed, by Charles Aaron (I think) called "What the White Boy Means When He Says Yo," about white interest in black culture and particularly in hip hop. [SHIT! Incredibly loud thump as something fell off the roof onto my dormer. Creepy.] Anyway, there's a lot of differing opinions about whether this is exploitative, whether the white kids are inevitably posers, trying to pretend to access something they can never understand, etc. The article did a good job showing the different point of views but I think one thing it didn't mention was the possible aesthetic aspect. Maybe people just like the music. I guess it's not supposed to speak in a meaningful way across cultural boundaries?
Anyway, one of the things it did say was that for youth of today, hip hop has become the way to express rebellion. Rock 'n' roll used to be good for that, but your parents aren't going to freak out any more if they hear you listening to Led Zeppelin in your room, whereas listening to rap is going to cause a panic. That made sense to me, because one of the things I've always said about my music taste is that I like my music out of context. I don't want to listen to something because it's expression the alienation of today's youth or whatever. I want to listen to something because I like the song, and not be thinking about what group I'm affiliating myself with by listening to that artist.
Also, I've never been rebellious. XD
Early Valentine's Day present for you all: a hilarious conversation heart themed website. The whole site is awesome and you should check it all out, though, especially Free Milk Night and it's ideological brethren, Trophy Night and Free Watermelon Night.
Hey, anyone want to write me Okada/Nino slash? For Valentine's Day, or president's day, or late Groundhog Day, St. Patrick's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day. . . I'll wait.
Katie'll be here Friday! :D Hopefully the weather will be good for her trip.
P.S. I think for once this entry is almost human length! Maybe? :D
Anyway, the weather is ridiculous here. Snow all night, freezing rain all day. The snow is blocking the gutters, so all the paths are flooded. Tree branches are touching the ground because they're encased in ice. And the rain is pushing huge amounts of snow and ice off the roofs of all the buildings.
What I'm trying to say is that I had to cancel my picnic.
But actually, i'm having a good day because my first class was cancelled! This gave me time to catch up on D no Arashi and fangirl over the Wentzlet a bit with
shimmerdusk and finally get up to the part in Yasashii Jikan episode 4 where Nino appears, by dint of some fast forwarding. And eat toast. Ah, and catch up on my correspondence a little, although I still have an email to send and a facebook message to respond to.I'm almost never on facebook, which is really sad because it should be my primary method of communication with my Manchester friends. Actually, I was thinking about visiting them this June, but I'd have to get the tickets now and blaaagh and it seems overwhelming. Then again, if I don't go, I probably will never really get to see many of them again. But they'll be in the midst of finals period, so I need to send a message seeing if they'd be willing to put me up and entertain me or if people think they'd be too busy studying to chill. Second year does actually count for them, so they have to do well, poor bunnies.
I was rereading Terry Pratchett's Men At Arms but I finished it and now I want Jingo. :( So good! On the subject of Laura's other fandoms, i've got a cartoon of The Amazing Screw-On Head that I haven't watched. I seriously need to do that. Doesn't the name alone intrigue you? It's awesome! (it's also by the creator of Hellboy, I dont' know if that gives anyone context or not. I used to have a Hellboy icon set, the art was shockingly attractive and the colorist was amazing.)
Am reading a book on burlesque for American Pop Culture and it's really interesting so far. Which is good, because the book he had us read on blackface minstrelsy was stupid and annoying and flowery, and I was worried that all the texts he assigned for the class would be like that. (Although we did watch the song Toot Toot Tootsie from the Jazz Singer - not performed in blackface - and I really like the song. XD And the performance, although the gestures can be seen as a form of blackface. According to this user info, it was #1 on the charts in 1922. Did they even have charts then? Still, I like that I share the same taste with 1922.)
Actually, we did read an article that I really enjoyed, by Charles Aaron (I think) called "What the White Boy Means When He Says Yo," about white interest in black culture and particularly in hip hop. [SHIT! Incredibly loud thump as something fell off the roof onto my dormer. Creepy.] Anyway, there's a lot of differing opinions about whether this is exploitative, whether the white kids are inevitably posers, trying to pretend to access something they can never understand, etc. The article did a good job showing the different point of views but I think one thing it didn't mention was the possible aesthetic aspect. Maybe people just like the music. I guess it's not supposed to speak in a meaningful way across cultural boundaries?
Anyway, one of the things it did say was that for youth of today, hip hop has become the way to express rebellion. Rock 'n' roll used to be good for that, but your parents aren't going to freak out any more if they hear you listening to Led Zeppelin in your room, whereas listening to rap is going to cause a panic. That made sense to me, because one of the things I've always said about my music taste is that I like my music out of context. I don't want to listen to something because it's expression the alienation of today's youth or whatever. I want to listen to something because I like the song, and not be thinking about what group I'm affiliating myself with by listening to that artist.
Also, I've never been rebellious. XD
Early Valentine's Day present for you all: a hilarious conversation heart themed website. The whole site is awesome and you should check it all out, though, especially Free Milk Night and it's ideological brethren, Trophy Night and Free Watermelon Night.
Hey, anyone want to write me Okada/Nino slash? For Valentine's Day, or president's day, or late Groundhog Day, St. Patrick's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day. . . I'll wait.
Katie'll be here Friday! :D Hopefully the weather will be good for her trip.
P.S. I think for once this entry is almost human length! Maybe? :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 08:57 pm (UTC)Men At Arms is probably my favourite Discworld book. I think the series peaked with that and Soul Music, though I admit I've not read a number of the most recent ones...
I'm totally with you about music too! I don't even really pay attention to lyrics, I like music because I like the tune and the way the words fit to it, not because it's a statement or has a message or anything. ^^' I'm not a rebel either, nor am I particularly deep, it seems! But I think maybe a lot of white kids don't really give that much thought to why they like rap! They just think it's cool!
And if you do come to Manchester, you must visit me! ;D Or, rather, I'll come and stalk you, because Manchester is cool, lol. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:17 pm (UTC)I really, really like all the ones about the Watch. Except for Guards, Guards! I guess. I started with the Fifth Elephant, and now that, Men At Arms, Feet of Clay, and Jingo are probably my favorites. Soul Music was really good too, though. And The Truth is another one of my non-Watch favorites. I've never been able to get as into the Wizard books, though. Basically I have a big crush on Vimes.
Yeah, I don't listen to lyrics at all! In fact, a lot of my favorite artists have been ones with unclear lyrics - be it because they're in another language, or just sung with so much gusto you can't understand them, or because they're too weird to really make sense of unless you think about them. They can help make the song more powerful and create the mood, but I don't get very concerned with what a song means.
:D It is a fun city! I had a good time there - it's a really great place to be a student. ::checks profile:: You're in Sheffield? My best friend in England was from Sheffield (he thinks it's the best place ever). I once went there for about two hours so he could get a wire for his Wii. The lasting impression was one of exhausting hilliness. Really beautiful scenery on the train trip in, though!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:53 pm (UTC)The Watch books are my favourites too, though I like pretty much everyone more than Vimes. ^^' I don't *dis*like him, but Carrot absolutely won me completely in Men At Arms, and I love all the supporting characters who pop up now and again. Like Detritus! :D
Hahaha, yes, that's the impression everyone gets of Sheffield if they only visit once. XD Or even if you live here, to be honest. It's like Rome that way. :3 Sheffield's a great place though! And yes, you do get a lovely ride through the Hope Valley between here and Manchester.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:25 pm (UTC)I...I might have to bite at that.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:36 pm (UTC)When I get back to my apartment I'll watch the clips, cos my work machine thinks YouTube doesn't exist, and see what starts to pop into my head.
Cos, you know, I really need to stop writing nothing but smut fics. Maybe something with more PLOT or SUBSTANCE. ...Maybe. :)
And now I want hummus.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:42 pm (UTC)S-substance? What's that? ;)
HUMMUS IS SO GOOD! A friend just reminded me of how good it is, I used to eat it in bulk, pretty much. On sandwiches by itself and stuff like that.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-13 09:47 pm (UTC)*grin* Ah, someone who speaks my language. ...I still need to stop flirting with the idea of so-and-so-AND-his-boyfriend-in-JE-gave-birth-to-so-and-so. It's getting to be disturbingly stupid, but... mmm. Substance. That's like floam.
I haven't had hummus in ages. When I was visiting my friend in Utah at New Years' time, she ate some and I was tempted to steal it but I was a good house guest. I wish I had.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 07:31 pm (UTC)NO YOU DON'T! XD That would be hilarious and awesome.
Floam?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 08:40 pm (UTC)I really can't even remember too well how it started, except that my friend Yoko-chan and I got into a comment discussion about how I'm totally convinced Hikaru of H!S!Jump is totally the lovechild of Hina and Yoko. (Which kind of came as a reaction to "You know, Kusano's probably the lovechild of OhMiya.") This led to us discussing that Ryo's surrogate mother status of carrying Kusano led to the Kansai hiatus for like, ever, and it just sorta blew up from there.
You got any non-blood related suggestions for anyone who might be someone and someone else's kid?
And floam! Here. It was made by Nick and some company in the early 90s but is now coming back without the Nick branding. It's insane and smells kinda funny (in a good, not burned-plastic sort of way). Check the kids' toy aisle.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 07:03 am (UTC)Fail for the picnic being cancelled :( but are you able to play in the snow?? Because then that would be fun :D!!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 07:30 pm (UTC)Actually, we're pretty blase about snow at this point. At first it's fun, at this point it's just inconvenient. So sad! Everything does look cleaner, though, which is nice - the old gross snow is covered up!